12/20/2025
Fray Tormenta Original rompiendo barreras.
Meet the real Nacho Libre: a priest who became a masked wrestler to save his orphanage.
Sergio Gutiérrez Benítez founded an orphanage in Mexico in 1976. He wanted to help children in need. But he had no money to actually support them.
So he became a luchador.
He trained four hours every morning before Mass, often showing up to the confessional bruised. He wore a red and yellow mask, adopted the name Fray Tormenta (Friar Storm), and wrestled in secret.
His first fight earned him $15. But he kept going.
For 23 years, he stepped into the ring. Every peso he earned went back to the orphanage. No luxury. No personal gain. Just kids who needed food, education, and a chance.
Over four decades, his winnings supported 2,500 children. Many became doctors, lawyers, and accountants. Some even became priests and wrestlers themselves.
When his secret was revealed, his bishop basically said: keep going, just be careful.
His fame exploded. He wrestled internationally, appeared in films, and became a legend. But the orphanage always came first. He named it "La Casa Hogar de los Cachorros de Fray Tormenta" — Fray Tormenta's Puppies' Children's Home.
In 2006, his story inspired the movie Nacho Libre starring Jack Black.
Today, at 79 and facing health challenges, one of the orphans he raised has taken up the Fray Tormenta mask to continue the legacy.
Some people talk about helping others. This man put on a mask, got in the ring, and did it for 23 years.