This article is about the current wrestler to use the name "El Hijo de Dos Caras". For the first wrestler to use the name "El Hijo de Dos Caras", see Alberto Del Rio.
Guillermo Rodríguez was born on June 26, 1988, in San Luis Potosi, San Luis Potosi, Mexico, son of José Luis Rodríguez Arellano, a Mexican luchador, or professional wrestler best known under the ring nameDos Caras.[2] He is the younger brother of José Alberto Rodríguez, better known under the ring names Dos Caras Jr., Alberto Del Rio, and most recently Alberto El Patrón. He is the nephew of famed luchadorMil Máscaras and Sicodelico and the cousin of Sicodelico Jr. and Hijo de Sicodelico.[2] While there are instances of wrestlers paying to be a "junior" in Lucha Libre,[3] Rodríguez is the son of Dos Caras, a fact that has been confirmed early on in his career.[4]
Professional wrestling career
Rodríguez initially worked as an enmascarado, or masked wrestler, known as "Dark Phoenix", wearing a modified version of his father's two-headed eagle mask. In Lucha Libre it is traditional to keep the true identify of a masked wrestler a secret, not revealing their real names and oftentimes not revealing what previous ring names they have competed under, which make it possible that Rodríguez made his debut prior to 2012 under a different ring name.[5]
Memo Montenegro (2012–2013)
In 2012 it was announced that Rodríguez had signed with WWE, joining his other brother Alberto as he began training in NXT. He was given the ring name "Memo Montenegro" and worked unmasked.[6] He made his in-ring debut on episode 21 of NXT from Full Sail University, losing in just 21 seconds to Big E Langston.[4] Three episodes later Montenegro lost to Xavier Woods in short order once again. He remained with NXT until early 2013 when he was released from his contract at his own request.[7]
Hijo de Dos Caras (2013–present)
Upon his return to Mexico he began working as "El Hijo de Dos Caras" ("The Son of Dos Caras"), wearing a mask that closely resembled the mask his father has work through his entire career.[1] His first appearances in Mexico saw him working for the World Wrestling League (WWL), teaming with his uncle Mil Máscaras and his cousin Sicodelico Jr. to defeat the trio of Cien Caras Jr., Máscara Año 2000 and Universo 2000 on two WWL shows[1]
The following month, he challenged Hijo de Máscara Año 2000 for the Rey del Ring Championship, but Hijo de Máscara Año 2000 was able to win the match once again.[12] On August 31, 2014, IWRG held a major show called La Isla ("The Island") with Hijo de Dos Caras, Demon Clown, Oficial AK-47, Dr. Wagner Jr., Hijo de Máscara Año 2000, L.A Park, Trauma I and Veneno, competing in a ladder match where the prize, according to the storyline, was 50,000 Mexican pesos in a bag. During the match, Demon Clown attacked Hijo de Dos Caras with the ladder on several occasions until Demon Clown was able to climb the ladder and grab the bag of money.[13] Following the ladder match, Hijo de Dos Caras successfully defended the IWRG Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship against Demon Clown only a week after La Isla.[14]
On October 5, 2015, Hijo de Dos Casas finally won the IWRG Rey del Ring Championship, defeating Hijo de Máscara Año 2000 in a championship vs. championship match.[15] At the 2014 El Castillo del Terror ("The Castle of Fear") show Hijo de Dos Caras successfully defended the Heavyweight Championship against Cien Caras Jr., the regular tag team partner of Hijo de Máscara Año 2000.[16][17] His run as a double IWRG champion ended on January 11, 2015, when Hijo de Máscara Año 2000 regained the title in a match where only the IWRG Rey del Ring Championship was on the line.[18]
On April 12 he was once again successful in defending the IWRG Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship, this time defeating veteran wrestler Negro Navarro.[22] The two would cross paths again during the main event of IWRG's Guerra Revolucionaria show, which was won by Hijo de Máscara Año 2000. After that match, Hijo de Máscara Año 2000 laid out another challenge to Hijo de Dos Caras to put the IWRG Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship on the line against him, a challenge Hijo de Dos Caras did not respond to at the time.[23][24] The two rivals faced off once again in the 2015 Guerra de Familias tournament on July 5, 2015, when the team of Hijo de Dos Caras and Super Nova defeated Hijo de Máscara Año 2000 and Universo 2000 Jr. The duo would lose in the second round to eventual tournament winners Los Crazy Americans (Coloso Chris and Principe Orion).[25] On October 11, 2015, he lost the IWRG Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship against Máscara Año 2000 Jr. However, he regained the title on November 1, 2015. On February 14, 2016, Hijo de Dos Caras lost the Heavyweight championship to Trauma I in a match that also included Herodes Jr.[26] In the summer of 2016, July 17, El Hijo de Dos Caras defeated Danny Casas to win the IWRG Junior de Juniors championship.[27]
^This was a three-way match that also included Herodes Jr., Hijo de Dos Caras risked his championship, Trauma I his mask and Herodes Jr. his hair.
References
^ abcdefghijkFlores, Manuel (August 13, 2012). "El Hijo de Dos Caras regrea a Mexico". SuperLuchas (in Spanish). Mexico City, D.F. pp. 18–20. 507.
^ abMadigan, Dan (2007). "A family affair". Mondo Lucha Libre: the bizarre and honorable world of wild Mexican wrestling. HarperCollins Publisher. pp. 128–132. ISBN978-0-06-085583-3.
^Madigan, Dan (2007). "what's in a name". Mondo Lucha Libre: the bizarre and honorable world of wild Mexican wrestling. HarperCollins Publisher. pp. 209–211. ISBN978-0-06-085583-3.
^ abWitner, Emerson (November 8, 2012). "WWE NXT TV report". Figure Four Wrestling Observer. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
^Madigan, Dan (2007). "Okay... what is Lucha Libre?". Mondo Lucha Libre: the bizarre & honorable world of wild Mexican wrestling. HarperCollins Publisher. pp. 29–40. ISBN978-0-06-085583-3.