Mistico (Luis Ignacio Urive Alvirde) is a Mexican professional luchador (masked professional wrestler) now connected with the ‘Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre’ lucha libre promotion (CMLL). Drive was up in a wrestling family and was trained by his father and uncle before joining the CMLL. Within a few years of his debut, he had risen quickly through the promotional ranks, becoming their top draw. He has become one of the most influential luchadors of all time and a cultural phenomenon in Mexico, combining the classic high-flying luchador style of wrestling with a charming in-ring personality. He joined ‘World Wrestling Entertainment,’ the world’s largest wrestling promotion, at the height of his career, and had the opportunity to work alongside John Cena, Daniel Bryan, Sheamus, and Rey Mysterio Jr. He worked on the independent circuit and with Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide after leaving WWE, before returning to CMLL. In addition to “Mistico,” he has gone by various other ring identities over the course of his two-decade career, including Dr. Karonte Jr., Astro Boy, and Caristico in CMLL, and Komachi while he performed for the Japan-based promotion “Michinoku Pro.”
Childhood and Adolescence
Luis Ignacio Urive Alvirde was born in Mexico City on December 22, 1982. Manuel Almanza, a former wrestler who went by the ring moniker Dr. Kaaronte, is his father. His uncle, Tony Salazar, is a CMLL booker, and all of his brothers are or were active luchadors.
The Career of Mistico
He made his professional wrestling debut on April 30, 1998, under the name Dr. Karonte Jr., which he received from his father. He changed his ring name to Astro Boy two years later in honor of his older brother, the original Astro Boy, who had died just a few months before.
Mistico, an orphan follower of wrestling priest Fray Tormenta, was revived in 2004. Mistico earned the nickname El Principe de Plata y Oro after winning the 2004 ‘Gran Alternativa’ tag team tournament with veteran El Hijo del Santo as his partner (the Prince of Silver and Gold in English).
Following that, he was involved in a rivalry with the promotion’s leading heel factions, ‘Los Guerreros del Infierno’ and ‘La Furia del Norte.’
On February 11, 2005, he defeated Guerreros’ member Averno to earn his first championship, the ‘NWA Middleweight Championship.’
He won his first singles main event match against Guerreros’ captain, ltimo Guerrero, and formed a tag team with newly turned face Dr. Wagner Jr.
Mistico was the biggest wrestling star in Mexico by the end of 2006, having appeared in eighteen major CMLL show events. On May 12, he lost the ‘NWA Middleweight Championship’ fight to Black Warrior, but on September 29, in the main event of the ‘CMLL 73rd Anniversary Show,’ he won their mask versus mask rematch. This year he won his first ‘Leyenda de Plata.’
In 2007, WWE made him an offer for a contract, but he had to decline owing to his commitments to CMLL.
Mistico expressed interest in joining ‘Total Nonstop Action Wrestling’ in March 2008, however, he was unable to do so due to his contractual contract with CMLL.
He traveled to China in July to learn at the Beijing International Martial Arts Training Camp under Belgian martial arts coach Mike Martello.
On December 11, 2009, he battled and won a cage match against El Texano Jr., Hijo del Fantasma, Naito, El Sagrado, Blue Panther, El Terrible, and El Felino at the ‘Festival Mundial de Lucha Libre (World Festival of Wrestling) Championship.’
Mistico, a face, and Averno, a heel, established a tag team to fight in the Torneo Nacional de Parejas Increibles in January 2010. (National Amazing Pairs tournament).
For the first time in his career, he demonstrated classic heel behavior throughout the night of the event, gradually transforming his character into one.
On February 5, 2010, he competed as a full heel against Volador Jr. in a ‘Super Libre’ (no rules) bout. He switched face again in March 2010, following his loss in the main event of the ‘2010 Homenaje a Dos Leyendas.’
In 2009, he worked with Shinsuke Nakamura, Jushin Thunder Liger, Tetsuya Naito, and others on three tours with New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW).
Since joining WWE in January 2011, Urive, now known as Sin Cara, has struggled to adjust to the promotion’s American-style wrestling. He was likewise adamant about not learning English.
This caused a rift between him and the management, as he kept missing places and botching moves owing to a lack of an acceptable means of communication with non-Mexican-speaking wrestlers. On April 11, he made his WWE in-ring debut against Primo.
Sin Cara was suspended for 30 days by WWE on July 18 after failing their ‘Wellness Policy’ test. Jorge Arias, a WWE developmental wrestler, took Urive’s spot behind the mask.
Urive returned to Smackdown on September 16 and began a feud with Arias. On March 26, 2014, he was finally released.
Urive made his debut appearance on a AAA show on February 21, 2014, confirming rumors from ‘Wrestling Observer’ that he had joined the promotion. However, due to a WWE non-compete clause, he was unable to participate in the storyline. On June 7, he debuted in the ring under the new ring name of Myzteziz. In 2015, he resigned from his position as a promotion.
Urive revealed on October 25, 2015, that he has changed his ring name to Caristico. On December 12, 2015, he returned to CMLL. On May 21, 2016, he won the inaugural ‘Lucha Libre Elite Middleweight Championship.’ He and Soberano won the ‘2017 Gran Alternativa’ event together.
Achievements & Awards
Urive is a four-time CMLL World Tag Team Champion (twice in 2006 and twice in 2008), two-time ‘NWA World Middleweight Champion’ (2005, 2007), one-time ‘CMLL World Welterweight Champion (2007), and one-time ‘Mexican National Light Heavyweight Champion (2007). (2007).
In 2006, 2007, and 2008, he won the CMLL’s most prestigious yearly tournament, the ‘Leyenda de Plata,’ three times in a row. In 2007, ‘Pro Wrestling Illustrated’ ranked him third among the top 500 wrestlers in the world.
In 2006, he was named Best Box Office Draw, Wrestler of the Year, and Best Flying Wrestler by the ‘Wrestling Observer Newsletter.’
The newsletter also named him the Best Box Office Draw of the Decade (2000-2009).
He won the ‘IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship’ while working for ‘NJPW’ in 2009.
In 2011, he and Sin Cara Negro won a ‘WWE Slammy Award’ for the best double vision of the year.
Scandals & Controversies
Mistico was confronted backstage at an event in Mexico by fellow Mexican professional wrestler Alberto Del Rio over what Del Rio perceived as Mistico’s lackluster demeanor.
During the altercation, one of Mistico’s companions allegedly pulled a revolver on Del Rio. Mistico afterward apologized for the event to him.
Estimated Net worth
Mistico is a Mexican wrestler with a $20 million net worth. Mistico is one of the wealthiest professional wrestlers, as well as one of the most popular.
Trivia
Urive has taken every ring name that has been used before or after him.
Mistico is the subject of a comic book that portrays him as an urban hero.