Fray Tormenta
| Birth name | Sergio Gutiérrez Benítez |
|---|---|
| Born |
May 29, 1945 San Agustín Metzquititlán, Hidalgo |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Fray Tormenta |
| Billed height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) |
| Billed weight | 100 kg (220 lb) |
| Debut | 1973 |
| Retired | July 3, 2011 |
Sergio Gutiérrez Benítez (born May 29, 1945) is a Mexican priest who supported an orphanage for 23 years as a lucha libre wrestler. While performing, he wore a red and yellow mask and used the ring name Fray Tormenta. He made only sporadic in-ring appearances in the 2000s before retiring completely from wrestling in July 2011, but still wears his mask even in his duties as a priest. Fray Tormenta means "Friar Storm" in English.
Sergio Gutiérrez Benítez was born to José Gutiérrez García and Emilia Benítez on February 5, 1945, in San Agustín Metzquititlán, Hidalgo as the sixteenth of their seventeen children. He had long been inspired to become a masked luchador after watching two 1963 Mexican films, "El Señor Tormenta" (Mister Storm) and "Tormenta En El Ring" (Storm In The Ring) both of which featured the story of a poor Mexican priest who supported the children of his orphanage by fighting as a lucha libre wrestler at night. At age 22, Gutiérrez, at the time a drug addict and alcoholic, became interested in the priesthood and was inducted into the Piarists Order. His theological training took him to Rome, and then Spain, and for a while he taught philosophy and history at Roman Catholic universities in Mexico. He later became a secular priest in the Diocese of Texcoco, where he founded an orphanage named "La Casa Hogar de los Cachorros de Fray Tormenta", which would serve as the home of 270 children. In need of money to take care of the children, the father became the masked wrestler known as Fray Tormenta. During that time he never let anyone know of his identity as a priest, explaining "No one would have taken me seriously as a wrestler had they known I was a priest."
In 1991, French filmmakers made a movie loosely based on his life called L'Homme au masque d'or (The Man In The Golden Mask) starring Jean Reno.
In 2006, American film maker Jared Hess made another film loosely based on the story of Fray Tormenta called Nacho Libre, starring Jack Black. The Paramount film was produced by Jack Black, Mike White, and David Klawans.
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