Alejandro Cruz

Alejandro Cruz Ortiz (May 3, 1921 – March 8, 2007) was a Mexican Luchador (professional wrestler), known worldwide as Black Shadow (Spanish: Sombras). Cruz's mask vs. mask match against El Santo in 1952 is generally considered one of the most important matches in the history of Lucha Libre. Cruz often teamed with Blue Demon, working as a tag team called "Los Hermanos Shadow" (the Shadow Brothers), even though the two were not related. He was nicknamed El Hombre de Goma, translated as The Rubber Man, due to his elasticity and flexibility in the ring. Cruz's original ambition was to be a musician but because he lacked the talent to earn a living from it he turned to professional wrestling. He had been a lifelong fan, and began training for a professional wrestling career in 1941.