Máscara Dorada

Máscara Dorada (born November 3, 1988) is a Mexican luchador enmascarado currently signed to WWE, under the ring name Gran Metalik, where he performs on the Raw brand. He is best known for his decade long stint in Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL). Máscara Dorada's real name has not been officially documented, a tradition in Mexican Lucha Libre where masked wrestler's real names often are not a matter of public record. The wrestler currently known as Máscara Dorada made his debut in 2005 and has worked under other names, but achieved most success as Máscara Dorada. His ring name is Spanish for "Golden Mask".
At one time, Máscara Dorada was a quadruple CMLL champion, holding the Mexican National Trios Championship, the CMLL World Trios Championship, the CMLL World Super Lightweight Championship and the CMLL World Welterweight Championship at the same time. He has held the CMLL World Welterweight Championship four times in total. After a decade of working for CMLL in his native Mexico, Dorada signed with the Japanese promotion New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) in January 2015. After a year with NJPW, Dorada returned to CMLL in February 2016.
He made his in-ring debut in 2005, originally using the masked persona Plata II and later on would use the ring name "Metallik" where he held the local Occidente Welterweight Championship, but abandoned it when he was given the Máscara Dorada character. The "Máscara Dorada" was the first instance of a regular luchador being given a character based on a Mini-Estrella as he was introduced after CMLL introduced Mascarita Dorada in 2007.

Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (2005–2016)

The luchador who would later be known as Máscara Dorada made his debut on July 14, 2005, after training with Gran Cochisse and El Satánico. His initial ring persona was that of Plata II, a copy of the original Plata that wrestled in the early to mid 1990s. His run at Plata II was short lived as he was quickly repackage as Metalik, a variation of the "Metal based" look that he also used as "Plata II". As Metalik he worked mainly for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre's (CMLL) Guadalajara branch, getting experience while working on a local level. On April 13, 2008 Metalik defeated wrestler Depredador for the Occidente Welterweight Championship, the local Welterweight title. About a month later Metalik won his first ever Luchas de Apuestas match, winning the hair of Jeque. The title win and hair win indicated that CMLL had plans for Metalik's future. Metalik was entered in the 2008 Torneo Gran Alternativa, where a newcomer teams up with a veteran, Metalik teamed up with Dos Caras, Jr. and made it all the way to the finals before losing to Último Guerrero and Dragón Rojo, Jr.

In 2007 CMLL signed Mascarita Sagrada 2000, but were not allowed to call him that as a rival promotion owned the copyright to the name. Instead CMLL chose to repackage the Mini luchador as Mascarita Dorada. The gimmick and the wrestler proved so successful, that in the fall of 2008, CMLL announced that they were creating a "Large" version of Mascarita Dorada. Traditionally the minis were often patterned after existing Luchadors, but this time the mini was created before the "Regular". On November 7, 2008 Metalik was repackaged and made his debut as Máscara Dorada, helping his team defeat the trio of Averno, Mephisto and Ephesto. Máscara Dorada kept working mid-card tag team matches throughout the spring of 2008 with general success. On April 4, 2009 CMLL announced that they had stripped Rocky Romero of the CMLL World Super Lightweight Championship and announced that a tournament to crown the new champion would take place on April 7, 2009, one of the announced participants was Máscara Dorada. On the night Máscara Dorada won a Tornero Cibernetico outlasting nine other wrestlers to become the CMLL Super Lightweight Champion

Since he held a CMLL title Dorada was entered into CMLL's inargual "Universal Championship" tournament, but was eliminated in the first round by Black Warrior. On December 19, 2009 it was announced by the Comisión de Box y Lucha Libre Mexico D.F. that Poder Mexica had been stripped of the Mexican National Trios Championship title because Black Warrior had left CMLL, breaking up the team. At the same time they announced an eight team tournament to crown a new trios champion. The top half of the bracket took place on December 22, 2009 and the bottom half of the bracket took place on December 29. In the top bracket Máscara Dorada teamed with Stuka, Jr. and Metro for the first time ever and defeated Los Guerreros Tuareg (Arkangel de la Muerte, Loco Max and Skándalo) in the first round and Los Cancerberos del Infierno (Virus, Euforia and Pólvora) in the second round to qualify for the finals. The bottom bracket took place on December 29, 2009 and saw the team of Poder Mexica (Sangre Azteca, Dragón Rojo, Jr. and Misterioso, Jr.) qualify for the final. On January 6, 2010 Máscara Dorada, Stuka, Jr. and Metro defeated Poder Mexica to become the new Mexican National Trios Champions, making Máscara Dorada a double champion.

Dorada in Arena Coliseo de Monterrey in December 2010

On January 22, 2010 Máscara Dorada teamed up with Atlantis to participate in CMLL's Torneo Nacional de Parejas Increibles ("National Amazing Pairs tournament"), a tournament where CMLL teams up a Tecnico (Dorada) and a Rudo (Atlantis) for a tournament. The two defeated Dragón Rojo, and La Sombra in the opening round, Mr. Niebla and Máximo in the second round and Místico and Averno in the semi-final to earn a spot in the final of the tournament. During the tournament Atlantis wore his old Tecnico white mask, acting and wrestling a tecnico style. On February 5, 2010 Dorada and Atlantis defeated Negro Casas and La Máscara in the finals to win the tournament.

On May 14, 2010 Máscara Dorada teamed up with La Sombra and La Máscara to defeat the then CMLL World Trios Champions La Ola Amarilla (Hiroshi Tanahashi, Okumura and Taichi) in a non-title match to earn a shot at the titles the following week. One week later the trio defeated Ola Amarilla again, ending the Japanese trios title reign after just two weeks. By virtue of holding three CMLL championships Máscara Dorada participated in the 2010 Universal Championship tournament. Stuka, Jr. was part of "Block A" that competed on the July 30, 2010 Super Viernes show. He was the first wrestler eliminated in the seeding battle royal and then defeated his Mexican National Trios Championship partner Stuka, Jr. in the first round of the actual tournament. Máscara Dorada was eliminated in the second round, losing to Último Guerrero. On September 7, 2010 Máscara Dorada defeated Negro Casas to win the CMLL World Welterweight Championship, making him a quadruple CMLL champion, the first ever in the history of the promotion. On November 18, 2010, Dorada announced that he was relinquishing his hold of the Mexican National Trios Championship, which Metro and Stuka, Jr. will continue to hold with a new partner.

On January 22, 2011, Dorada lost the CMLL World Welterweight Championship to Ryusuke Taguchi at Fantastica Mania 2011, a CMLL and New Japan Pro Wrestling co–promoted event in Tokyo, Japan. On February 25, 2011, Máscara Dorada and Atlantis defeated Blue Panther and Dragón Rojo, Jr. in the finals to win the Torneo Nacional de Parejas Increibles for the second year in a row. On April 7 Dorada vacated the CMLL World Super Lightweight Championship, stating that he was moving up to the middleweight division. After Dorada returned from Japan with the CMLL World Welterweight Championship, La Generación Dorada lost the CMLL World Trios Championship to Los Hijos del Averno (Averno, Ephesto and Mephisto) on July 15, 2011. On November 11, 2012, Dorada lost the CMLL World Welterweight Championship to Pólvora during CMLL's Sunday night event in Arena Mexico.

On June 2, 2013, Dorada defeated Negro Casas to win the NWA World Historic Welterweight Championship for the first time. On June 16, Dorada and his new Los Estetas del Aire ("Air Aesthetes") stable, formed with Místico and Valiente, won the CMLL World Trios Championship. On November 19, Dorada lost the NWA World Historic Welterweight Championship to Volador Jr. On March 28, 2014, Los Estetas del Aire also lost the CMLL World Trios Championship.

On January 2, 2015, Dorada defeated Negro Casas in the finals of a tournament to win the CMLL World Welterweight Championship for the third time. Later in the month, through CMLL's relationship with NJPW, Dorada signed a one-year contract with NJPW, leaving his Mexican home promotion. He returned to CMLL and hand his first match in Mexico for over a year on February 1, 2016. On May 3, 2016 his fourth reign as the CMLL World Welterweight Champion was ended as Mephisto defeated him for the championship. On November 11, 2016, Dorada wrestled his last match for CMLL, teaming with Atlantis and Diamante Azul to defeat Bárbaro Cavernario, El Felino and Negro Casas.

New Japan Pro Wrestling (2010–2016)

In April 2010 it was announced that Máscara Dorada and Valiente would travel to Japan in early May to participate in New Japan Pro Wrestling's first ever Super J Tag Team tournament. In the first round of the tournament they lost to former IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions Ryusuke Taguchi and Prince Devitt in just under eight minutes. In November 2010 Máscara Dorada and La Sombra took part in New Japan's five-day-long Super J Tag League. After winning two out of their four matches in the group stage, Sombra and Dorada finished third in their block, missing the finals of the tournament. Dorada and Sombra returned to New Japan on January 4, 2011, at Wrestle Kingdom V in Tokyo Dome, where they defeated Jushin Thunder Liger and Héctor Garza in a tag team match.

Dorada returned to New Japan on April 16, teaming with Tama Tonga to defeat Liger and King Fale in a tag team match. Dorada worked a majority of the tour as a rudo, teaming with members of the Chaos stable. On May 3 at Wrestling Dontaku 2011, Dorada unsuccessfully challenged Liger for the CMLL World Middleweight Championship. Dorada's extended tour of New Japan also included participation in the 2011 Best of the Super Juniors tournament in late May-early June. Dorada managed to win four out of his eight matches in the round robin stage of the tournament, which included wins over Liger and CMLL World Welterweight Champion Ryusuke Taguchi, and finished sixth out of the nine wrestlers in his block. On June 18 at New Japan's Dominion 6.18 show, Dorada defeated Taguchi to regain the CMLL World Welterweight Championship. Three days later Dorada entered the J Sports Crown Openweight 6 Man Tag Tournament, teaming with IWGP Heavyweight Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi and KUSHIDA, with the team defeating Brian Kendrick, Gedo and Jado in their first round match. The following day the trio was eliminated from the tournament in the second round by Giant Bernard, Jushin Thunder Liger and Karl Anderson. Dorada's tour of New Japan ended the following day, when he, Tanahashi, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Tiger Mask and Wataru Inoue were defeated in a ten-man tag team match by Chaos (Dick Togo, Gedo, Jado, Masato Tanaka and Yujiro Takahashi).

On January 4, 2012, Dorada returned to New Japan at Wrestle Kingdom VI in Tokyo Dome, where he teamed with Jushin Thunder Liger, KUSHIDA and Tiger Mask to defeat Atlantis, Taichi, Taka Michinoku and Valiente in an eight-man tag team match. Dorada returned to Japan on January 21 to take part in the Fantastica Mania 2012 events, teaming with Rush losing to the team of Hirooki Goto and KUSHIDA on the first night. The second night, Dorada successfully defended the CMLL World Welterweight Championship against KUSHIDA. On September 7, 2012, Dorada returned to Japan for another two-week tour with New Japan Pro Wrestling. In January 2013, Dorada returned to Japan to take part in the three-day Fantastica Mania 2013 event. During the first night on January 18, he teamed with La Máscara and Máximo in a six-man tag team match, where they were defeated by Taichi, Taka Michinoku and Volador Jr. The following night, Dorada and Diamante were defeated in a tag team match by Mephisto and Okumura. During the third and final night, Dorada took part in a twelve-man torneo cibernetico, from which he was the eighth man eliminated by Yoshi-Hashi and which was eventually won by Tomohiro Ishii. Dorada returned to New Japan on September 23, 2013, working the entire tour opposite the Bullet Club stable, which also included his fellow CMLL worker Rey Bucanero. Dorada's tour concluded on September 29 at the Destruction pay-per-view, where he pinned Bucanero in an eight-man tag team match, where he teamed with Captain New Japan, Togi Makabe and Tomoaki Honma against Bucanero, Bad Luck Fale, Karl Anderson and Tama Tonga. Dorada returned to Japan in January 2014, when he took part in the five-day Fantastica Mania 2014 tour. The tour concluded on January 19 with a main event, where Dorada unsuccessfully challenged Volador Jr. for the NWA World Historic Welterweight Championship. From April to July 2014, Dorada worked an extended tour with New Japan, which included a two-day tour of Taiwan, the Wrestling Dontaku 2014 tour, the 2014 Best of the Super Juniors, where he finished with a record of three wins and four losses and thus missed the semifinals of the tournament, and the Kizuna Road 2014 tour. On October 25, 2014, Dorada returned to NJPW, teaming up with Bushi for the 2014 Super Junior Tag Tournament. The team lost to reDRagon (Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly) in the first round. Dorada remained with NJPW until November 8.

In January 2015, Dorada returned to Japan to take part in the Fantastica Mania 2015 tour, during which he and Atlantis won the Fantastica Mania 2015 Tag Tournament. Dorada's participation in the tour was built around a rivalry with La Sombra, which culminated in a singles match between the two on January 19, where La Sombra was victorious. During the final event, Dorada announced he had signed a one-year contract with NJPW. After doing interviews suggesting the unification of his CMLL World Welterweight Championship and the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship, Dorada entered the IWGP title picture by challenging reigning champion Kenny Omega on February 11 at The New Beginning in Osaka. He received his title shot on April 5 at Invasion Attack 2015, but was defeated by Omega. The following month, Dorada entered the 2015 Best of the Super Juniors. He finished third in his block with a record of five wins and two losses, failing to advance to the finals of the tournament. On December 19, Dorada lost the CMLL World Welterweight Championship to Bushi following outside interference from Bushi's Los Ingobernables de Japon stablemate Evil. He regained the title from Bushi on January 22, 2016, at Fantastica Mania 2016. Dorada's final match under his NJPW contract took place two days later.

WWE

Cruiserweight division (2016–present)

On June 13, 2016, WWE announced Dorada, under the ring name "Gran Metalik", as a participant in the upcoming Cruiserweight Classic tournament. In a subsequent interview, he revealed that he was only working the Cruiserweight Classic matches with WWE and was still full-time with CMLL beyond that. He credited Finn Bálor, who worked as Prince Devitt in NJPW, as being the reason he was invited to the tournament. He wanted to use "Metalik" as his ring name but WWE decided to go with "Gran Metalik" instead. The tournament began on June 23 with Metalik defeating Alejandro Saez in his first round match. On July 14, Metalik defeated Tajiri in his second round match. The following day, it was reported that Metalik had signed with WWE. On August 26, Metalik defeated Akira Tozawa to advance to the semifinals. On September 14, Metalik defeated Zack Sabre Jr. to advance to the finals. The same night, he was defeated in the finals by T.J. Perkins.

On the September 5, 2016, episode of Raw, Metalik was announced to be part of WWE's upcoming cruiserweight division. On September 19, he made his first appearance on Raw in a fatal four-way match, also involving Brian Kendrick, Cedric Alexander and Rich Swann, to determine a #1 contender for the Cruiserweight Title at Clash of Champions, which Kendrick won.

During a 2016 interview with Lucha World, Máscara Dorada revealed that he was the father of two young girls. His immediate family still resides in Guadalajara, Jalisco. He has relatives living in Los Angeles, California while Dorada himself lives in Mexico City.

• Finishing moves

• Corkscrew senton bomb
• Dorada Screwdriver (CMLL/NJPW) / Metalik Driver (WWE) (Samoan driver)
• Springboard dragonrana

• Signature moves

• Brillo Dorada (Topé con Giro, after springboarding off the tope rope)
• Double jump springboard victory roll
• Multiple hurricanrana variations
  • Dorada runs down the ramp, jumps over the ropes and executes a hurricanrana
  • Double jump springboard
  • Slingshot
• Topé con Giro
• Sunset flip powerbomb

• Nicknames

• "El Joven Maravilla" (Spanish for "The Boy Wonder")
• "King of the Ropes" (WWE)
• "The Crown Jewel of Lucha Libre" (WWE)

• Entrance themes

• "El Son de la Negra" by Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán
• "Tornado" by May's
• "Metálico" by CFO$ (WWE; September 19, 2016–present)

• "Best of the Super Jr.XXII". New Japan Pro Wrestling (in Japanese). Retrieved May 28, 2015. 
• Rose, Bryan (May 27, 2015). "NJPW Best of the Super Juniors Report 5-27 Aomori report: Chase Owens vs. Jushin Thunder Liger". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Archived from the original on May 28, 2015. Retrieved May 28, 2015. 
• ^ マスカラ・ドラダ. New Japan Pro Wrestling (in Japanese). Archived from the original on April 15, 2016. Retrieved January 19, 2015. 
• "Máscara Dorada expondrá título". Récord. August 14, 2011. Archived from the original on June 15, 2012. Retrieved August 15, 2011. 
• 新日本プロレスリングテーマ曲集CD『NJPWグレイテストミュージックIV (Vol.4)』が発売決定！1.4東京ドームでの先行販売を実施！. New Japan Pro Wrestling (in Japanese). December 10, 2015. Retrieved January 8, 2016. 
• "WWE: Metálico (Gran Metalik) - Single". WWE Music Group. iTunes. September 23, 2016. Retrieved October 11, 2016. 

Dorada as the CMLL World Welterweight Champion

• Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre

• CMLL World Super Lightweight Championship (1 time)
• CMLL World Trios Championship (2 times) – with La Sombra and La Máscara (1) and Místico and Valiente (1)
• CMLL World Welterweight Championship (4 times)
• Mexican National Trios Championship (1 time) – with Metro and Stuka, Jr.
• NWA World Historic Welterweight Championship (1 time)
• Occidente Welterweight Championship (1 time)
• CMLL Torneo Nacional de Parejas Increibles (2010, 2011) – with Atlantis
• Torneo Corona - with La Sombra
• CMLL Trio of the Year (2010) – with La Sombra and La Máscara

• New Japan Pro Wrestling

• Fantastica Mania Tag Tournament (2015) – with Atlantis

• Pro Wrestling Illustrated

• PWI ranked him #152 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2013

Luchas de Apuestas record