Místico


Luis Ignacio Urive Alvirde, better known by his ring name Místico, is a Mexican luchador enmascarado. He is signed to Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre. He also makes appearances for All Elite Wrestling, Major League Wrestling, and New Japan Pro-Wrestling.
Initially working as Místico, he later signed with WWE, where he was known under the name Sin Cara. Upon his return to Mexico, he worked under the name Myzteziz in AAA, before settling on the ring name Carístico upon returning to CMLL in 2015. In 2021, he regained the Místico name, due to his successor and tag team partner Místico II leaving CMLL.
From 2006 to 2011, Urive was the top técnico and was the biggest box office draw in Mexico for a number of years. Despite having worked under previous ring names, he gained popularity in CMLL as Místico, a religious character who was the storyline protégé of the wrestling priest Fray Tormenta. Between 2011 and 2014, he worked for WWE under the ring name Sin Cara. Urive then worked for Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide, adopting the name Myzteziz, and returned to CMLL in 2015 under the name Carístico. On two occasions in 2008, Místico held five championships simultaneously and has won most major CMLL championships over the years as well as CMLL's Torneo Gran Alternativa and Leyenda de Plata tournaments on three occasions each.
Urive is the son of Miguel Urive, who wrestled under the ring name Dr. Karonte, the brother of wrestlers Astro Boy, Argos, Argenis and Dr. Karonte Jr, the cousin of wrestlers Magnus and Ulises Jr. as well as the nephew of CMLL booker Tony Salazar.

Personal life

While most masked luchadors do not reveal their real name unless they are unmasked in a Lucha de Apuestas match, Luis Ignacio Urive Alvirde's full name was revealed by WWE when they released Urive from his contract in 2014. Urive was born on December 22, 1982, in Mexico City, Mexico, son of Miguel Urive. Urive was a professional wrestler known under the name "Dr. Karonte". He is one of at least five of Miguel Urive's sons to become a professional wrestler, His older brother worked under the name "Astro Boy" until his death in the late 1990s. His younger brothers work as the masked wrestlers Argos, Argenis, and Karonte Jr. Urive's uncle, Tony Salazar, is a retired wrestler who ended up working for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre as both a trainer and a booker. Salazar's son Magnus also works for CMLL.

Professional wrestling career

Training and early career (1998–2003)

Urive was trained for his professional wrestling debut by his father and his uncle Tony Salazar. Místico made his debut on April 30, 1998, working as "Dr. Karonte, Jr." at the age of 15. In 2000, he changed his ring name to "Astro Boy" in honor of his older brother who had died months earlier, who had worked as the original Astro Boy. Later on, he was joined by another brother who worked as "Astro Boy II" to form a tag team. In 2003, Místico traveled to Japan to work for Michinoku Pro Wrestling where he was billed as "Komachi", a ring persona he took over from fellow luchador Volador Jr. who had played the part for about a year.

Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (2004–2011)

Rise to stardom (2004–2009)

In 2004, Urive was repackaged as Místico and given an elaborate backstory to go with his new ring persona. Místico was an orphan taken in by the wrestling priest Fray Tormenta and taught to wrestle by him before making his debut for CMLL in 2004. CMLL had tried to use the storyline previously with El Sagrado, but it had failed to take off. Following his debut as Místico, he began teaming with Volador Jr. and Misterioso II, working the second or third match of the card. He participated in the 6th Annual Leyenda de Plata tournament but did not make it past the first round. He had more success in the 2004 Gran Alternativa tag team tournament, which he won with established star El Hijo del Santo. After winning the Gran Alternativa, Místico was nicknamed El Principe de Plata y Oro, after the main colors of his outfits. Shortly afterward, the bookers began teaming him with other established técnicos, such as Negro Casas and Shocker, against the top rudo groups, Los Guerreros del Infierno and La Furia del Norte. His stature made him an underdog and his high-flying moves, such as diving arm-drags, made him popular with Mexico City crowds. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter voted Místico the 2006 "Performer of the Year", "Biggest Box Office Draw", and "Best Flying Wrestler" in their "Year-End Awards". He was also ranked third in Pro Wrestling Illustrated's list of the top 500 wrestlers of 2007.
In 2005, he continued working against Los Guerreros, winning important singles matches against Rey Bucanero, Mephisto and Tarzan Boy in CMLL's secondary arena, Arena Coliseo. He won his first title by defeating Guerreros member Averno for the NWA World Middleweight Championship on February 11. The match was well received by the audience in attendance and fans near the ring threw money into the ring as a sign of appreciation. Two weeks later, he participated in his first singles main event match when he faced Los Guerreros del Infierno leader Último Guerrero in Arena México. He won the fall in two falls after Guerrero was disqualified in the first fall and was pinned in the second with a small package. The match sparked a program with the recently turned Dr. Wagner Jr. teaming with Místico against Último Guerrero and Rey Bucanero. After that program died down, Místico became involved in a feud with Perro Aguayo Jr. and his Los Perros del Mal group. After defeating Aguayo in a singles match, the two exchanged hair versus mask challenges so Místico was added to the already planned eight-man cage match where the last man in the cage lost his hair or mask. Místico joined Negro Casas, Heavy Metal, Universo 2000 and Máscara Mágica against Aguayo's group consisting of Damián 666, Halloween and Héctor Garza leading up to the match but neither Místico or Aguayo were involved in the finish of the match where Damián pinned Máscara Mágica. In September, he reignited his feud with Último Guerrero with another singles match but in the third fall, he was attacked by Atlantis, turning Atlantis heel. Místico worked a short program with Atlantis but after he defeated Atlantis in a singles match in October, Atlantis focused more on former tag partner Blue Panther.
Místico was the biggest star in Mexico at the start of 2006. He worked eighteen main event matches during the year that drew more than ten thousand people. In the early part of the year, he teamed up with Black Warrior in two unsuccessful CMLL World Tag Team Championship challenges. In the second one, Black Warrior turned on Místico and the two began a feud. While Black Warrior was wrestling in Japan, Místico and Negro Casas defeated Averno and Mephisto for the CMLL World Tag Team Championship on April 14. When Warrior returned, the feud picked up again and Black Warrior handed Místico his first major singles defeat when he pinned him and took his NWA Middleweight Championship on a May 12 Arena México show. On September 29, Místico defeated Black Warrior in a mask versus mask match in the main event of the CMLL 73rd Anniversary Show, his first major mask win. On April 10, 2007, Místico defeated Mephisto to capture the CMLL World Welterweight Championship.
Sometime in 2007, World Wrestling Entertainment offered Místico a contract, but due to commitments with CMLL, he was unable to sign with them at the time. Reportedly, the likes of Dean Malenko, Paul London, and Rey Mysterio pushed WWE to offer him a deal in 2007–2008. He wrestled one dark match on February 27, 2007 defeating Jamie Noble on Smackdown!. In December 2007, the Mexico City newspaper Récord reported that WWE was back in talks with Místico. In March 2008, it was reported that Místico contacted Total Nonstop Action Wrestling to see if they were interested in having him work for their company but once again Místico's CMLL commitment kept the parties from reaching a deal. On March 10, 2008, Místico and Héctor Garza won the CMLL World Tag Team Championship by defeating Averno and Mephisto. In April, the commission declared the title vacant after a match resulted in a double disqualification. Místico and Garza reclaimed the tag team title by defeating Averno and Mephisto in a rematch. They eventually lost the title to Averno and Mephisto in December.
File:Hector-Garza-vs-Mistico.jpg|thumb|left|Místico being lifted up by Héctor Garza, his former CMLL World Tag Team Championship partner
After the team with Garza broke up Místico began working a storyline feud against La Peste Negra, a group consisting of Negro Casas, El Felino, and Mr. Niebla. On March 20, 2009, Místico lost his CMLL Welterweight Championship to Negro Casas in one half of the main event of the 2009 Homenaje a Dos Leyendas show. Subsequently, challenges were made for a Lucha de Apuesta between Místico and either El Felino or Mr. Niebla, but those plans were soon replaced by an Apuesta between Místico and Negro Casas, as the main event of the CMLL 76th Anniversary Show on September 18, 2009. Místico won the match two falls to one, resulting in Negro Casas was shaved bald. After the match, Místico made an Apuesta challenge to El Felino, Casas' cornerman. On December 11, 2009, Místico won a cage match against El Sagrado, Blue Panther, El Terrible, El Felino, El Texano Jr., Hijo del Fantasma and Naito to win the Festival Mundial de Lucha Libre championship.

Feud with Volador Jr. (2010–2011)

On January 22, 2010, Místico teamed up with Averno to participate in CMLL's Torneo Nacional de Parejas Increibles, a tournament where CMLL teams up a Tecnico and a Rudo for a tournament. On the night of the tournament, Místico and Averno showed some surprising team unity by wearing outfits that mixed the style of each wrestler. In the first round, the team defeated Ephesto and Euforia, not showing any friction between the two, despite their long history of animosity. In the second round, Místico's attitude seemingly changed as he began attacking Volador Jr., someone he usually teams with. Místico even went so far as to ripping up Volador's mask, a rudo move, and won the match after an illegal low blow to Volador Jr. After the match, Místico took the microphone and claimed that "all was fair in war and defending Mexico City", a comment that drew a lot of boos from the crowd. Místico continued to work a Rudo style in the semi-final match, ripping at Máscara Dorada's mask. When Místico's team lost to Dorada and Atlantis the two tecnicos argued after the match. Further hints at Místico potentially turning Rudo came a few days later as Volador Jr. challenged Místico to a one on one match, a Super Libre match if Místico would agree to it. The two met in the main event of an Arena México show on February 5, 2010, and this time Místico was clearly a Rúdo, tearing so viciously at Volador's mask that a new mask had to be brought to the ring between falls. In the second fall, Místico pulled his mask off and threw it to Volador Jr. in an attempt to get Volador Jr. disqualified. The end came when Volador Jr. reversed Místico's La Mística and won by applying the same move to Místico. On February 12, 2010, Místico lost the Mexican National Light Heavyweight Championship to Volador Jr. losing two falls to one. Místico, Volador Jr., La Sombra, and El Felino faced off in a four-way Lucha de Apuesta main event at the 2010 Homenaje a Dos Leyendas. Místico was not one of the first two pinned, allowing him to keep his mask. Following Dos Leyendas Místico announced that he was done being a rúdo and returned to the técnico side, although Volador Jr. remained suspicious of Místico. The storyline between the two cooled off for a bit, but in late May 2010 tension resumed as Místico and Volador Jr. faced off once again over the Mexican Light Heavyweight Championship, with Volador Jr. retaining the title. At the 2010 Sin Salida event, the two were on opposite sides of a Relevos incredibles; Místico teamed with Máscara Dorada and Mr. Águila while Volador Jr. teamed with Averno and Negro Casas. Averno came to the ring wearing the same combined Averno/Místico mask he had worn for the Parejas Incredibles tournament and tried to convince Místico to join the rúdo side, only to turn around and reveal that both he and Volador Jr. were wearing a combined Averno/Volador Jr. mask underneath. Volador Jr. worked as a rúdo throughout the match, losing the match for his team when he tried to cheat but was caught by the referee. On July 12, 2010, at the Promociones Gutiérrez 1st Anniversary Show, Místico participated in a match where 10 men put their mask on the line in a match that featured five pareja incredibles teams, with the losing team being forced to wrestle each other with their mask on the line. His partner in the match was El Oriental, facing off against the teams of Atlantis and Olímpico, La Sombra and Histeria, El Alebrije and Volador Jr., Último Guerrero and Averno. Místico and El Oriental was the last team, forcing them to face off in a one-on-one match. Místico won, forcing El Oriental to remove his mask and show his face. At the CMLL 77th Anniversary Show, Místico was one of 14 men putting their mask on the line in a Luchas de Apuestas steel cage match; he was the 11th and second to last man to leave the steel cage, keeping his mask safe. At the second show of the CMLL and New Japan Pro-Wrestling co-promoted show Fantastica Mania 2011 on January 23, 2011, Místico defeated Averno in his final match for CMLL in his first tenure.