Wolf Ruvinskis (October 31, 1921 – November 9, 1999), born Wolf Ruvinskis Manevics, was a Latvian-Mexican actor and professional wrestler. He was married to dancer Armida Herrera. Born to a Latvian mother and a Ukrainian father, of Jewish background, they relocated to Argentina in 1923. In spite of living in extreme poverty he excelled in sports and as a professional wrestler he toured South America, the United States and Mexico. This last country became his place of residence where he stayed in the ring well into the 1960s, wrestling El Santo, Black Shadow, El Médico Asesino and Lobo Negro. As a wrestler he was introduced to the Cinema of Mexico playing luchadores, in particular a masked character he created called Neutrón. He also belongs to the Golden Age of Mexican cinema.
Biography
Born on October 31, 1921, in Liepaja, Latvia. His parents emigrated to Argentina in 1923. The Ruvinskis family lived in poverty in Argentina, forcing a very young Wolf Ruvinskis to begin wrestling professionally as a way to help provide for his family.[1]
Professional wrestling career
Ruvinskis in a publicity photo as wrestler (left) and during a match/training (right), c. 1940s
Ruvinskis quickly became a proficient Rudo (bad guy) in wrestling, which led him to be booked on tours of South America and later on both Mexico and the United States.[1] When he came to Mexico he was originally slated for a short tour of the country before moving on, but he fell in love with the country and settled there soon after. He also met and married a Mexican woman and started a family.[3] In the ring he played a savage, vicious Rudo character which was very successful and manage to draw large crowds wherever he went as everyone wanted the local top tecnico ("good guy") to defeat the savage El Lobo Letonia ("The Latvian Wolf").[1] His promising wrestling career was cut short around 1950 when accumulated injuries forced him to stop wrestling.[1]
Acting career
Ruvinskis, c. 1940s
After his retirement Ruvinskis focused on his second passion, acting. He had already played smaller parts in movies before retirement but after he retired he went into the acting business full-time. One of his most memorable roles was in the movie La bestia magnífica ("The Magnificent Beast") from 1953. With his background in wrestling it was only a matter of time before he became involved in the Mexican Lucha film genre. He played the lead role in the 1956 cult classic El Ladron de Cadaveres, which is now considered the first true Mexican Wrestling/ Horror film. Ruviniskis also played the part of a masked wrestling character/ superhero called Neutrón in a series of movies between 1960 and 1964.[4] His acting career ended in 1996 (at age 74) with the movie La mujer de los dos ("The Woman for the Two"). In recent years Lucha movies have been shown regularly on Mexican television leading to a bit of a revival of Wolf Ruvinskis' memory, reminding fans that Ruviniski was both a great wrestler and a great actor.[4] For some reason, he is credited variously in reference books and in film credits as "Wolf Ruvinskis", "Wolf Ruvinski", "Wolf Rubinski" or "Wolf Rubinskis".
Late life
After he stopped acting Ruvinskis opened a restaurant and became a very hands-on, passionate restaurateur who oversaw a couple of Argentinian restaurants in Mexico City named "El Rincón Gaucho". While he played a hated villain in wrestling his real persona was a complete opposite, described as a gentleman who lived to entertain diners with conversation and jokes, or at times even an Argentinian Tango.[1] Wolf Ruviniskis died on November 9, 1999, in Mexico City. He was 78.[1]
I Spy (March 4, 1968, episode #321 Shana) as Andreyev
References
^ abcdefghijklmEnciclopedia staff (November 2008). "Grandes Figuras de la Lucha Libre". Wolf Rubinskins (1921-1999) (in Spanish). Portales, Mexico. p. 64. 17.
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