Sergio Gutiérrez Benítez 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 nameFray 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.
Biography
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" and "Tormenta En El 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. In 1991, French filmmakers made a movie loosely based on his life called starring Jean Reno. In 2006, American film makerJared 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. In 2007, Fray Tormenta appeared in the film Padre Tormenta as a priest who dons the luchador's mask and enters the ring to raise funds for the orphanage he directs. Currently, Fray Tormenta stars as a supporting character in the Mexican comic book seriesMístico: El Principe de Plata y Oro as a mentor to the lucha libre wrestler Místico. In real life, although Fray Tormenta is now retired from professional wrestling he still works at the orphanage as a priest, and has inspired one of his children to take up his mantle so that the legend of Fray Tormenta can live on. The masked wrestler, whose real name is unknown, calls himself Fray Tormenta Jr. Although semi-retired from wrestling since 2001, he still wrestled occasionally and on January 11, 2011 won his second Lucha de Apuesta, by defeating Bugambilia, Super Crazy, X-Fly, Bestia 666 and Boy Danger, to win Bugambilia's hair. On July 3, 2011, Tormenta teamed with El Pantera and Solar to defeat Black Terry, Negro Navarro and Scorpio, Jr. at International Wrestling Revolution Group's Festival de las Mascaras. After the match Gutiérrez announced that he had wrestled his final match. On June 20, 2012, Tormenta made an appearance for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre, officially giving his blessing to the second incarnation of Místico.
Trivia
The video game charactersKing from Tekken, Crasher Wake from Pokémon, Tizoc from Fatal Fury, Leon from F-Zero, and Greco from Chrono Cross were inspired by his story, as were the movies Nacho Libre with Jack Black playing Ignacio/Nacho as the Fray Tormenta inspired character and the French filmL'Homme au masque d'or with Jean Reno playing Father Victorio Gaetano.
