Any discussion about the history of lucha libre begins with this ring warrior. A legitimate legend south of the border, El Santo popularized professional wrestling in Mexico in the 1940s and became a crossover celebrity akin to WWE Superstars like John Cena and The Rock. "El Santo did a movie where he saved Mexico from alien vampires," Chavo Guerrero told WWE.com. "This was the early times of Hollywood, so people saw the movie, really believed this guy saved Mexico and he became a national hero." In addition to his fame outside the ropes, El Santo was one of the first ring competitors to don a mask. "He didn't take his mask off for anything," Chavo said. "He used to shower with his mask on. In fact, he was buried with his mask on."

See how El Santo influenced Rey Mysterio

The patriarch of the first family of Mexican wrestling, Gory Guerrero was an innovative mat technician who invented the camel clutch and many other holds. He was also one of the most hated bad guys of all time. "My grandfather was the No. 1 villain in all of Mexico," Chavo recalled. "He was stabbed, he was arrested for beating people up, someone shot at him in the ring and missed him." When he wasn’t dodging bullets, Gory was passing on everything he knew about lying, cheating, stealing and wrestling to his four sons, Chavo Sr. (Chavo's father), Mando, Hector and former WWE Champion Eddie. Now that’s a legacy.

Learn more about the Guerrero family

While Mexican wrestling continued to produce national stars like Blue Demon and Black Shadow throughout the ’50s and ’60s, Mil Máscaras was the first luchador to truly achieve international stardom. "El Santo had been a big star in Mexico, but Mil Máscaras really crossed over into the United States and Japan and Europe [in the 1970s]," Chavo revealed. A masked wrestler with a chiseled physique and an explosive offense, Máscaras had a career which spanned multiple decades, but he is best remembered by classic WWE fans for his series of matches against WWE Hall of Famer Superstar Billy Graham at the legendary Madison Square Garden, and his appearance in the 1997 Royal Rumble. "He was definitely a pioneer for his time," Chavo added.

Watch Mil Máscaras on WWE.com Legacy

While the early days of lucha libre featured a more technical style, the lighting-fast, breathtaking feats we know today developed over a number of years thanks to stars like Fuerza Guerrera, El Canek and Dos Caras. But American audiences got their first real taste of this gravity-defying brand of action when legendary luchadores Rey Mysterio and Psicosis faced off in a series of groundbreaking matches in Extreme Championship Wrestling in 1995. The two fierce competitors put on a clinic of aerial moves that wowed the small Philadelphia audience and began the legend of Mysterio in America. "I’ve heard people compared [to Mysterio] a 100 times, but nobody can do it like Rey," Chavo admitted.

Rey Mysterio's Superstar Page

By far the biggest influx of south of the border talent came to WCW in the latter half of the ’90s. “They first brought the luchadores over after Dean [Malenko], Eddie [Guerrero] and Chris [Jericho] came to WCW,” Guerrero explained. “Those guys were the pioneers. They all wrestled in Mexico and Japan, so they had this style that nobody had ever seen before.” This new in-ring style, which consisted of aerial maneuvers like hurricanranas and top rope dives, caught the eye of WCW President Eric Bischoff. “That’s when they started bringing in people like me, Juventud Guerrera, Rey Mysterio and Psicosis,” Chavo revealed. The Mexican revolution had truly begun.

Watch WCW matches on WWE.com Legacy

On Jan. 31, 2000, Eddie Guerrero debuted in WWE after leaving WCW, bringing the lucha style — and the legacy of Mexican wrestling’s first family — with him. In the following years, his nephew, Chavo, wife, Vickie, and brother, Chavo Classic, would all join him. "It was huge for Eddie and I to come [to WWE]," Chavo said. "As young kids we’d see a lot of Mexican wrestling, but when we became teenagers it was all about WWE. That was the big time. WCW was like college football, and WWE was pro football." Los Guerreros’ impact wasn’t only immediate, it was sustained. Today, Vickie serves as Raw’s General Manager while Chavo is a former ECW Champion.

Chavo Guerrero's Superstar page

Vickie Guerrero's Superstar page

More than 50 years after El Santo popularized professional wrestling in Mexico, Eddie Guerrero became the first Mexican-American to win the WWE Championship when he defeated Brock Lesnar with a Frog Splash at No Way Out in 2004. "To be honest, our goal wasn’t to be WWE Champions," Chavo revealed. "[Our goal] was to be the WWE Tag Team Champions, and we achieved that goal at Survivor Series in 2002. But after you achieve that, your goal is to be the top dog." Although Chavo was at odds with his uncle at the time, he was still moved by the momentous achievement. "That was the top of the top. The next night in Fresno, I wrestled Eddie for the title. It was incredible."

Eddie Guerrero's WWE Hall of Fame Page

WWE Shop: Viva La Raza! The Legacy of Eddie Guerrero

On April 2, 2006, The Ultimate Underdog achieved the impossible when he defeated Kurt Angle and Randy Orton in a Triple Threat Match at WrestleMania 22 to win the World Championship, becoming the first masked luchador to hold the title. Rey’s amazing accomplishment truly cemented the legacy of the lucha libre influence on American ring competition. Chavo remembered the day fondly. "[Rey and I] were always told we were too small. We heard that our whole lives," Chavo said. "You always have doubters, but you just have to believe. As long as you believe in yourself, you can achieve anything. Rey Mysterio, a 170-pound, 5-foot-4 wrestler, has been the World Champion. That’s a testament to that."

World Heavyweight Title history