LAS VEGAS -- Just as there is a man behind the lucha mask, for the movie
Nacho Libre, there is a man behind the story. And just like any other
fan, he's looking forward to seeing the movie at the premiere on Tuesday.
Fray Tormenta (Father Sergio Gutierrez Benitez) is the Mexican priest who
would don a mask to compete as a professional wrestler in his native country
for many years, raising money for the running of an orphanage in Texcoco.
Tormenta is in Las Vegas for the annual gathering of wrestlers known as the
Cauliflower Alley Club. But Tuesday night, he'll be at Paramount Studios in
Los Angeles for the debut of the movie starring Jack Black loosely based on
his life.
"They did consult with me, spoke with me and whatever," Tormenta said
through his translator and friend Joe Quevedo.
He never thought that his life story would make it to the big screen.
"There were other movies that were made about other wrestlers," Tormenta
said, referring to the plethora of lucha libre movies with the likes of El
Santo, Blue Demon and Mil Mascaras.
"I always thought about being a wrestler, but just for the kids, for the
orphanage," he said.
Surprisingly, Tormenta revealed that there was no deal in place for the
orphanage to make even a small fraction of the proceeds from the screenings.
But the publicity for his story continues. Sports Illustrated has
been in touch for an update on his life, following the well-known Rick
Reilly feature on Tormenta from a decade or so ago.
NOTE: We'll have more on Nacho Libre on SLAM! Wrestling in the
coming days, including a review.
RELATED LINKS
More on Nacho Libre
The SLAM! Wrestling Movie Database
SLAM! Wrestling Cauliflower Alley Club coverage
SLAM! Wrestling producer Greg Oliver is in Las Vegas for the Cauliflower
Alley Club reunion, and will be filing a report on Saturday's banquet with
its many honorees. He can be emailed at goliver@canoemail.com -- but don't
expect a reply any time soon. Internet hook-ups in Vegas aren't all that
easy to get; perhaps the powers that be just want people to gamble???
