Born in April 24, 1922 in Nuevo Leon, Mexico, Alejandro Munoz Moreno was the fifth of twelve siblings in his family. His father was a local farmer, but at a very young age, Alejandro dropped out of school and relocated to the city of Monterrey. His uncle got him a job as a National Mexican Railroad employee. His fellow workers gave him the nickname “Manotas” referring to his huge, strong hands. After a short meeting with the famous Mexican luchador and trainer Rolando Vera, Alejandro decided to start training to become a luchador. Vera offered to be his mentor and help him to start a career.
He began his wrestling career without a mask in Laredo, Texas. His first bout was against Jose “Chema” Lopez on March, 1948, a match that he barely won. After embracing the mask and the character of “Blue Demon”, he traveled to Mexico City to definitely start his career. “Blue” began his ring days as a “rudo” (heel). In 1949, he formed a famous team tag with another well-known masked wrestler named “Black Shadow”, and the two became known as “Los Hermanos Shadow” over the next years. In 1952, “Santo” beat (in mask vs. mask match) and unmasked “Black Shadow” in the ring, which caused “Blue’s” choice to become a tecnico (face), as well as the beginning of the mythical feud between “Blue Demon” and “Santo” that concluded in “Blue Demon” beating “Santo” in the first of a highly-publicized series of matches in 1953. Their competitiveness never really ended, even though they appeared together in a series of lucha libre films, since Santo constantly remembered his loss against “Blue Demon”.
Blue Demon first appeared on the big screen in cameos in two lucha films made in 1961. In those flicks, he was just one of many luchadors who appeared in ring matches. By 1964, Enrique Vergara, a famous Mexican film producer of the then-successful “Santo” movies, decided to expand and produced a “Blue Demon” series of action/horror films of his own, their plots and style strictly resembles the Santo films in every approach. It is believed Vergara wanted to develop another movie lucha star, since at the time “Santo” wanted a huge amount of money for his on screen services.
From 1964 to 1977, “Blue” starred in a total of 25 films, and in 1989 was the subject of a documentary named “Blue Demon, El Campeon”. Of those 25 flicks, “Santo” co-starred with him in nine of them. While they shared roles in these films still, the two masked luchadors were never friends in real life. Mexican film fans mainly loved the films that featured both wrestlers together.
In 3 of his movies, “Blue Demon” starred as the trailblazer of a team of masked superheroes known as “The Champions of Justice”. Affiliation in the “Champions” team included such well-known masked wrestlers as “Mil Mascaras”, “El Rayo de Jalisco”, “Tinieblas”, “El Fantasma Blanco” and “Superzan”.
Finally, “Blue Demon” retired from wrestling in 1988 at the famous “La Arena Mexico”, where he appeared in his last match in which he teamed up with his real adoptive son, “Blue Demon Jr.” who continues his ring legacy with a prosperous career of his own.
He passed away on Dec. 16, 2000 from apparently natural causes. Seemingly, “Blue Demon” suffered a heart attack while sitting on a park bench near a Mexico City Subway stand. He was 78 years old.
Blue Demon was put to rest wearing his characteristic blue mask, the mask he never took off in public.
Blue Demon Filmography
1964
- BLUE DEMON (El Demonio Azul)
- BLUE DEMON CONTRA EL PODER SATANICO (Blue Demon vs The Satanic Power – Santo had a cameo appearance in this film)
1966
- BLUE DEMON EN “LA SOMBRA DEL MURCIELAGO” (Blue Demon In “Shadow of The Bat”)
- BLUE DEMON CONTRA LAS ARANAS INFERNALES (Blue Demon vs The Infernal Spiders)
- BLUE DEMON CONTRA LOS CEREBROS INFERNALES (Blue Demon vs The Infernal Brains)
- BLUE DEMON CONTRA LAS DIABOLICAS (Blue Demon vs The Diabolical Women)
1967
- BLUE DEMON, DESTRUCTOR DE ESPIAS (Blue Demon, Destroyer of Spies)
- BLUE DEMON EN “PASAPORTE A LA MUERTE” (Blue Demon In “Passport To Death”)
1968
- BLUE DEMON Y LAS INVASORAS (Blue Demon & The Women Invaders aka Blue Demon Y Las Seductoras)
1969
- SANTO Y BLUE DEMON CONTRA LOS MONSTRUOS (Santo & Blue Demon vs The Monsters)
- SANTO Y BLUE DEMON EN EL MUNDO DE LOS MUERTOS (Santo & Blue Demon In The World of The Dead)
- SANTO CONTRA BLUE DEMON EN LA ATLANTIDA (Santo vs Blue Demon In Atlantis)
1970
- LOS CAMPEONES JUSTICIEROS (The Champions of Justice)
- LAS MOMIAS DE GUANAJUATO (The Mummies of Guanajuato – co-stars SANTO and MIL MASCARAS)
1971
- BLUE DEMON Y ZOVEK EN “LA INVASION DE LOS MUERTOS” (Blue Demon & Zovek In “The Invasion of The Dead”)
1972
- BLUE DEMON EN “LA NOCHE DE MUERTE” (Blue Demon In “Night of Death”)
- BLUE DEMON EN “LA MAFIA AMARILLA” (Blue Demon In “The Yellow Mafia”)
- VUELVEN LOS CAMPEONES JUSTICIEROS (The Champions of Justice Return)
- SANTO Y BLUE DEMON CONTRA DRACULA Y EL HOMBRE LOBO (Santo & Blue Demon vs Dracula & The Wolfman)
- SANTO Y BLUE DEMON EN “LAS BESTIAS DEL TERROR” (Santo & Blue Demon In “The Beasts of Terror”)
1973
- TRIUNFO DE LOS CAMPEONES JUSTICIEROS (Triumph of The Champions of Justice)
- SANTO Y BLUE DEMON CONTRA EL DR. FRANKESTEIN (Santo & Blue Demon vs Dr. Frankenstein)
1974
- EL HIJO DE ALMA GRANDE (The Son of Alma Grande)
1975
- LA MANSION DE LAS SIETE MOMIAS (Mansion of The Seven Mummies)
1977
- MISTERIO EN LAS BERMUDAS (Mystery In Bermuda – co-stars SANTO and MIL MASCARAS)
1989
- BLUE DEMON, EL CAMPEON (Documentary – Blue Demon, The Champion)
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Roberto Mercado
I was born in 1971 in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico and currently resides in Dallas, Texas. I love to write lucha libre themed comics, Latin percussion, Iron Maiden, classic Mexican Lucha libre films and comics, baseball and pro/wrestling. I wrote my first lucha libre/slasher feature "Azteq vs. The Prowler" based on my Graphic Novel and is going to be released next January.
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