WWE Breaking News: Mil Mascaras to Be Inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame

Legendary luchador Mil Mascaras, real name Aaron Rodríguez Arellano, has been announced as the first inductee in the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2012.

To some, Arellano is known as the uncle of current WWE Champion Alberto Del Rio, but fans of the early days of Wrestling—from the '60s and onward—recognize "The Man of One Thousand Masks" for his colorful masks and associate him greatly with ushering the Lucha Libre style into the mainstream wrestling scene.

Likewise, critics of the luchador often hear tales about how Mascaras rarely (if ever) showed a willingness to sell moves or tone his egotism down, but as the tales of many masked wrestlers might tell you, a bit of egotism—the thing that sparks the drive of many pro wrestlers anyway—comes with the pride of a warrior, which is something that nobody has ever denied in conversations about Mascaras.

Few people may recollect it, but for a man who is often more associated with the Lucha Libre circuits more than the US circuits, Mascaras is equally notable in the States, not only for being the standard by which many masked wrestlers strive to achieve, but also for his feud with current Hall of Famer "Superstar" Billy Graham over the WWE Championship.

The only other appearance of the masked legend of the ring was his appearance at the 1997 then-WWF-now-WWE Royal Rumble, when he eliminated the now-retired Pierroth Jr. from the 30-man spectacle, then dove onto his fellow luchador in a self-eliminating act.

Boasting four World Heavyweight Championship titles outside of "The E" and multiple other titles, Mascaras is a living legend, a true pleasure to watch in the eyes of his fans who put his performances in front of the drama which overshadowed the man inside the square circle at a time not too different from ours, and now he has something that only a select few can boast:

Not only is his nephew supporting the timeless lineage of the WWE, but Mascaras himself is now among the proud few who have earned the distinction of being called a WWE Hall of Famer.