Initially working as Místico, he later signed withWWE, where he was known under the nameSin Cara (Spanish for "Without Face" or "Faceless"). Upon his return to Mexico, he worked under the name Myzteziz inAAA, before settling on the ring nameCarístico upon returning to CMLL in 2015.[a] In 2021, he regained the Místico name, due to his successor and tag team partnerMístico II leaving CMLL.
From 2006 to 2011, Urive was the toptécnico (those that portray the good guys) 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 thestoryline protégé of the wrestling priestFray Tormenta. Between 2011 and 2014, he worked for WWE under the ring name Sin Cara (after which, his ring name was given to his storyline rivalHunico). Urive then worked forLucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA), 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'sTorneo Gran Alternativa andLeyenda de Plata tournaments on three occasions each.
Urive is the son of Miguel Urive, who wrestled under the ring nameDr. Karonte, the brother of wrestlers Astro Boy, Argos,Argenis and Dr. Karonte Jr, the cousin of wrestlersMagnus and Ulises Jr. as well as the nephew of CMLL bookerTony Salazar.
While most maskedluchadors do not reveal their real name unless they are unmasked in aLucha de Apuestas match, Luis Ignacio Urive Alvirde's full name was revealed by WWE when they released Urive from his contract in 2014.[11] 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".[12] He is one of at least five of Miguel Urive's sons to become a professional wrestler,[b] His older brother worked under the name "Astro Boy" until his death in the late 1990s.[12] His younger brothers work as the masked wrestlers Argos,[12]Argenis,[12] and Karonte Jr.[13][14] Urive's uncle,Tony Salazar, is a retired wrestler who ended up working forConsejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) as both a trainer and a booker.[12] Salazar's sonMagnus also works for CMLL.[15]
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 atag team. In 2003, Místico traveled to Japan to work forMichinoku Pro Wrestling where he was billed as "Komachi", a ring persona he took over from fellow luchadorVolador Jr. who had played the part for about a year.[16]
In 2004, Urive was repackaged as Místico and given an elaborate backstory to go with his newring persona. Místico (the character) was an orphan taken in by the wrestling priestFray Tormenta and taught to wrestle by him before making his debut for CMLL in 2004.[12] CMLL had tried to use the storyline previously withEl Sagrado, but it had failed to take off.[17] Following his debut as Místico, he began teaming with Volador Jr. andMisterioso II, working the second or third match of thecard. He participated in the 6th AnnualLeyenda de Plata tournament but did not make it past the first round.[18] He had more success in the 2004Gran Alternativa tag team tournament, which he won with established starEl Hijo del Santo.[19] After winning the Gran Alternativa, Místico was nicknamedEl Principe de Plata y Oro (the Prince of Silver and Gold), after the main colors of his outfits.[12] Shortly afterward, thebookers began teaming him with other establishedtécnicos (faces), such asNegro Casas andShocker, against the toprudo (heel)groups,Los Guerreros del Infierno andLa Furia del Norte. His stature made him anunderdog and his high-flying moves, such as diving arm-drags, made him popular with Mexico City crowds.[12] TheWrestling Observer Newsletter voted Místico the 2006 "Performer of the Year", "Biggest Box Office Draw", and "Best Flying Wrestler" in their "Year-End Awards".[20] He was also ranked third inPro Wrestling Illustrated's list of the top 500 wrestlers of 2007.[12]
Místico in January 2006
In 2005, he continued working against Los Guerreros, winning important singles matches againstRey Bucanero,Mephisto andTarzan Boy in CMLL's secondary arena,Arena Coliseo. He won his first title by defeating Guerreros memberAverno for theNWA World Middleweight Championship on February 11.[21] The match was well received by the audience in attendance and fans near the ring threwmoney 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 leaderÚltimo 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 recentlyturnedDr. Wagner Jr. teaming with Místico against Último Guerrero and Rey Bucanero. After that program died down, Místico became involved in a feud withPerro Aguayo Jr. and hisLos Perros del Mal group.[22] After defeating Aguayo in a singles match, the two exchanged hair versus mask challenges so Místico was added to the already planned eight-mancage match where the last man in the cage lost his hair or mask. Místico joined Negro Casas,Heavy Metal,Universo 2000 andMáscara Mágica against Aguayo's group consisting ofDamián 666,Halloween andHéctor Garza leading up to the match but neither Místico or Aguayo were involved in the finish of the match where Damián pinned Máscara Mágica.[23] In September, he reignited his feud with Último Guerrero with another singles match but in the third fall, he was attacked byAtlantis, turning Atlantis heel.[24] Místico worked a short program with Atlantis but after he defeated Atlantis in a singles match in October, Atlantis focused more on former tag partnerBlue Panther.[24]
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 withBlack Warrior in two unsuccessfulCMLL 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 theCMLL 73rd Anniversary Show, his first major mask win.[25] On April 10, 2007, Místico defeated Mephisto to capture theCMLL World Welterweight Championship.[26]
Sometime in 2007,World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) offered Místico a contract, but due to commitments with CMLL, he was unable to sign with them at the time. Reportedly, the likes ofDean Malenko,Paul London, andRey Mysterio pushed WWE to offer him a deal in 2007–2008.[27] He wrestled one dark match on February 27, 2007 defeatingJamie Noble onSmackdown!. In December 2007, the Mexico City newspaperRécord reported that WWE was back in talks with Místico. In March 2008, it was reported that Místico contactedTotal Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) 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.[28] On March 10, 2008, Místico and Héctor Garza won the CMLL World Tag Team Championship by defeating Averno and Mephisto.[27] 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.[29] They eventually lost the title to Averno and Mephisto in December.[27][29][30]
After the team with Garza broke up Místico began working a storyline feud againstLa Peste Negra ("the Black Plague"), a group consisting of Negro Casas,El Felino, andMr. Niebla. On March 20, 2009, Místico lost his CMLL Welterweight Championship to Negro Casas in one half of the main event of the 2009Homenaje a Dos Leyendas show.[31] Subsequently, challenges were made for aLucha de Apuesta between Místico and either El Felino or Mr. Niebla, but those plans were soon replaced by anApuesta between Místico and Negro Casas, as the main event of theCMLL 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 anApuesta challenge to El Felino, Casas' cornerman.[32] On December 11, 2009, Místico won a cage match against El Sagrado, Blue Panther,El Terrible, El Felino,El Texano Jr.,Hijo del Fantasma andNaito to win theFestival Mundial de Lucha Libre (World Festival of Wrestling) championship.[33]
On January 22, 2010, Místico teamed up with Averno to participate in CMLL'sTorneo Nacional de Parejas Increibles ("National Amazing Pairs tournament"), a tournament where CMLL teams up aTecnico (Místico) and aRudo (Averno) 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 defeatedEphesto andEuforia, 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, arudo 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 aRudo style in the semi-final match, ripping atMáscara Dorada's mask. When Místico's team lost to Dorada and Atlantis the twotecnicos argued after the match.[34] Further hints at Místico potentially turningRudo came a few days later as Volador Jr. challenged Místico to a one on one match, aSuper Libre (match with no rules) match if Místico would agree to it.[35] The two met in the main event of anArena México show on February 5, 2010, and this time Místico was clearly aRúdo, 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'sLa Mística and won by applying the same move to Místico.[36] On February 12, 2010, Místico lost the Mexican National Light Heavyweight Championship to Volador Jr. losing two falls to one.[37] Místico, Volador Jr., La Sombra, and El Felino faced off in a four-wayLucha de Apuesta main event at the2010 Homenaje a Dos Leyendas. Místico was not one of the first two pinned, allowing him to keep his mask.[38] FollowingDos Leyendas Místico announced that he was done being arúdo and returned to thetécnico 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 2010Sin Salida event, the two were on opposite sides of aRelevos incredibles; Místico teamed with Máscara Dorada andMr. 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 theParejas Incredibles tournament and tried to convince Místico to join therúdo 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 arúdo throughout the match, losing the match for his team when he tried to cheat but was caught by the referee.[39] On July 12, 2010, at thePromociones Gutiérrez 1st Anniversary Show, Místico participated in a match where 10 men put their mask on the line in a match that featured fivepareja incredibles teams, with the losing team being forced to wrestle each other with their mask on the line. His partner in the match wasEl Oriental, facing off against the teams of Atlantis andOlímpico, La Sombra andHisteria,El Alebrije and Volador Jr., Último Guerrero and Averno.[40] 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.[41] At theCMLL 77th Anniversary Show, Místico was one of 14 men putting their mask on the line in aLuchas de Apuestassteel cage match; he was the 11th and second to last man to leave the steel cage, keeping his mask safe.[42] At the second show of the CMLL andNew Japan Pro-Wrestling co-promoted showFantastica Mania 2011 on January 23, 2011, Místico defeated Averno in his final match for CMLL in his first tenure.[43]
Místico made his debut forNew Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) on January 4, 2009, atWrestle Kingdom III in Tokyo Dome. Místico wrestled in the opening match, teaming withPrince Devitt, andRyusuke Taguchi to defeat Averno,Gedo andJado when Místico made Averno submit using his trademark move "La Mística". After the match, Místico said he would like to return to NJPW and challenge for theIWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship.[44] On February 15, 2009, Místico successfully defended his CMLL Welterweight Championship against Mephisto on an NJPW show inSumo Hall, Tokyo.[45] Místico injured his knee during the match, although he was back in action by the end of the week.[46] Místico, Misterioso Jr., andOkumura were scheduled to work for NJPW in early May but the tour was canceled due to the outbreak of theSwine flu pandemic.[47]
In August 2009, Místico completed his third tour with NJPW, accompanied by Okumura. On August 13, Místico teamed up withTiger Mask to defeat Okumura andTomohiro Ishii.[48] Two days later, Místico defeated Tiger Mask to become the new IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion.[49] Upon his return to Mexico, Místico teamed with Tiger Mask and Shocker as they defeated Último Guerrero, Atlantis, andArkangel atDragomania IV.[50] Místico had his first successful IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship defense on September 29, defeatingJushin Thunder Liger.[51] On November 8 at NJPW'sDestruction '09 show Mistíco lost the IWGP title back to Tiger Mask.[52] Místico returned to Japan in January 2011, taking part in the CMLL and New Japan Pro-Wrestling co-promotedFantastica Mania 2011 shows. On the first show on January 22, Místico teamed withIWGP Heavyweight ChampionHiroshi Tanahashi and IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Prince Devitt in a six-man tag team match, in which they were defeated by Averno,Shinsuke Nakamura, and Tetsuya Naito when Averno pinned Místico.[53]
Sin Cara teaming withJohn Cena at the WWERaw tapings on April 18, 2011, in London, England
On February 24, 2011, WWE held a press conference in Mexico City to introduce Urive under his new name, Sin Cara, which translates to "Faceless".[5][54] On March 25, Sin Cara made his WWE debut at aRawlive event atAssembly Hall inChampaign, Illinois, defeatingPrimo in a singles match.[55][56] On the April 4 episode ofRaw, Sin Cara debuted, savingDaniel Bryan from an attack byWWE United States ChampionSheamus, and establishing himself as a face.[57] On that week'sSmackDown, Sin Cara similarly appeared, this time attackingJack Swagger and cementing his face status.[58] Sin Cara made his televised in-ring debut on April 11, defeating Primo.[59] In the2011 WWE draft, Sin Cara was drafted to SmackDown, making his first appearance as part of the roster on the April 29 episode with a win over Jack Swagger.[60][61] Sin Cara then started a storyline feud withChavo Guerrero, who began guest commentating his matches and, much to Sin Cara's dismay, even helped him win matches by interfering on his behalf.[62][63] Sin Cara made hispay-per-view debut on May 22 atOver the Limit, defeating Chavo Guerrero.[64] Sin Cara's undefeated streak came to an end on the July 1 episode ofSmackDown, when he was defeated byChristian.[65]
On July 17, Sin Cara participated in the SmackDownMoney in the Bank ladder match at theeponymous pay-per-view but failed to earn aWorld Heavyweight Championship match after being taken out of the match with a storyline injury.[66] The following day, WWE announced that it had suspended Sin Cara for 30 days for his first violation of itsWellness program.[67] Urive later claimed in an interview that he did not know what he had tested positive for and that he had received a routine injection for an injured knee in Mexico.[68]
The Sin Cara character returned on the August 12 episode ofSmackDown, defeatingTyson Kidd;[69] however, with Urive still serving his suspension, for this appearance Sin Cara was portrayed by WWE developmental wrestlerJorge Arriaga.[70] After another week of Arriaga portraying Sin Cara, Urive returned under the mask on August 20 at a live event inTacoma, Washington.[71][72] On August 26 it was reported that Urive had been sent home from the week'sSmackDown tapings, with Arriaga once again appearing on TV under the Sin Cara mask.[73] During Urive's time away from WWE, the Sin Cara character seemingly turned heel by attacking Daniel Bryan.[74]
OnRaw's September 19 episode, the original Sin Cara was booked to faceCody Rhodes but was attacked by the impostor Sin Cara prior to the match starting.[75] On the September 23 episode ofSmackDown, the impostor Sin Cara attacked the original version during his match with Daniel Bryan, then took his place in the match and pinned Bryan for the win.[76] The following week, the impostor revealed new black attire to distinguish himself from the original version, while also explaining that he was going to steal the Sin Cara identity from Urive, just as Urive had stolen the Místico identity from him, leading to a match between the two Sin Caras atHell in a Cell.[77] To further distinguish the two characters, WWE began referring to the original as Sin Cara "Azul" (Blue) and the impostor as Sin Cara "Negro" (Black).[6] At the pay-per-view on October 2, Sin Cara Azul defeated Sin Cara Negro in a singles match.[78] The rivalry culminated in a Mask vs. Mask match at the October 16 taping ofSmackDown in Mexico City, where Sin Cara Azul was victorious, unmasking Sin Cara Negro after the match.[79][80] Afterward, the unmasked Sin Cara Negro changed his ring name to Hunico, aligned himself withCamacho and continued his rivalry with Sin Cara. On November 20, atSurvivor Series, Sin Cara and Hunico were on opposite sides of a ten-man tag match. Sin Cara was eliminated after he suffered a legitimatepatellar tendon rupture while diving out of the ring. He underwent surgery and was unable to wrestle for over six months.[81][82]
Sin Cara returned on May 19, 2012, at a live event inFlorence, South Carolina, defeating Hunico in the opening match.[83] On the June 1 episode ofSmackDown, Sin Cara returned to television in new red and white attire, defeatingHeath Slater.[84][85] On the July 9 episode ofRaw, Sin Cara defeated Slater to qualify for the World Heavyweight Championship Money in the Bank ladder match at theMoney in the Bank pay-per-view but was unsuccessful in the match itself, which was won byDolph Ziggler.[86][87]
In August, Sin Cara rekindled a feud with Cody Rhodes, who claimed that he was wearing a mask to cover his ugly face. Sin Cara scored pinfall wins over Rhodes in consecutive matches onSmackDown andRaw, both times taking advantage of Rhodes trying to remove his mask.[88][89] He then also saved fellow masked wrestler Rey Mysterio from being unmasked by Rhodes and afterward teamed up with Mysterio to put one of his masks on Rhodes. After defeatingWWE Intercontinental Champion The Miz in a non-title match,[90] Sin Cara was granted an opportunity to challenge for the title atNight of Champions in a four-way match, which also included Rhodes and Mysterio. The storyline between Sin Cara, Rhodes and Rey Mysterio was furthered as The Miz retained the championship.[91] The following day onRaw, Sin Cara and Mysterio teamed up to defeat Epico and Primo in a tag team match.[92] Sin Cara and Mysterio entered a tournament to determine the number one contenders to theWWE Tag Team Championship, defeatingPrimo & Epico andThe Prime Time Players (Titus O'Neil andDarren Young) to advance to the final.[93][94] Sin Cara and Mysterio lost the final of the tournament to the Rhodes Scholars (Cody Rhodes andDamien Sandow) on the October 22 episode ofRaw.[95] AtSurvivor Series on November 18, Sin Cara and Mysterio were victorious in a10-man elimination tag team match alongsideBrodus Clay,Justin Gabriel, and Tyson Kidd against the Prime Time Players, Epico, Primo, andTensai.[96] On December 16 atTLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs, Sin Cara and Mysterio were defeated by Team Rhodes Scholars in a number one contenders tables match for the WWE Tag Team Championship.[97] Two days later onSmackDown, Sin Cara suffered a legitimate knee injury and was written off television following an attack byThe Shield.[98]
Sin Cara returned on January 27, 2013, at theRoyal Rumble, entering the Royal Rumble at number twenty-nine but was eliminated byRyback.[99] On the following episode ofSmackDown, Sin Cara and Rey Mysterio defeated WWE Tag Team ChampionsTeam Hell No (Daniel Bryan andKane) in a non-title match.[100] Sin Cara returned to television on the May 15 episode ofMain Event, defeating Intercontinental ChampionWade Barrett in a non-title match.[101] During the August 19 episode ofRaw, Sin Cara dislocated his ring finger during a match withAlberto Del Rio.[102] Urive's final match as Sin Cara was against Alberto Del Rio at a show inMonterrey, Mexico on October 19.[54]
In January 2014, Urive announced that he would return to Mexico in February.[103] An interview of Urive that aired in late January saw Urive claim that while he had departed WWE, he still owned the Sin Cara character; Urive also blamed WWE for not allowing him to wrestle the style he used in Mexico.[104] WWE stated on March 27 that they had released Urive on March 26.[105][106]
On February 19, 2014, theWrestling Observer Newsletter reported that Urive had signed withLucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA) and would be making his debut two days later.[107] At the end of AAA's February 21 event, AAA's mainrudo stable,La Sociedad, attacked the promotion's toptecnicos with help from the debuting Black Warrior. This led to AAA president Marisela Peña Roldán revealing her own surprise wrestler, Urive, who appeared on the darkened entrance stage but did not enter the ring or say anything.[108] It was later reported that Urive was under a WWE non-compete clause until May and could therefore not show his mask.[109] On May 17, Urive made another appearance, during which he was referred to only as a "mysterious wrestler", attackingLa Sociedad and targeting especially his old rival Averno, who was making his AAA debut.[110][111] On May 28, AAA revealed promotional material, which suggested Urive would be returning to the Místico ring name,[112][113] however, on June 5, the promotion revealed his new ring name as Myzteziz. The ring name is exclusive to AAA and Urive will continue to work as Sin Cara outside of the promotion.[4] Myzteziz made his in-ring debut on June 7 atVerano de Escándalo, where he,Cibernético andLa Parka defeated Averno,Chessman and El Hijo del Perro Aguayo in a six-man tag team main event, with Myzteziz submitting theAAA Latin American Champion Chessman for the win.[114] On August 17 atTriplemanía XXII, Myzteziz took part in a four-way elimination main event for Copa Triplemanía XXII. In the end, Myzteziz lost the match, after taking alow blow from the winner, El Hijo del Perro Aguayo.[115] On October 12 atHéroes Inmortales VIII, Myzteziz won a Royal Rumble Lumberjack match to win theCopa Antonio Peña.[116] On May 24, 2015, Myzteziz came together with two former WWE superstarsEl Patrón Alberto and Rey Mysterio Jr. to form the "Dream Team" for AAA'sLucha Libre World Cup. The trio eventually won the tournament, defeatingJohnny Mundo,Matt Hardy, andMr. Anderson in the finals.[117]
On August 9 atTriplemanía XXIII, Myzteziz was defeated by Mysterio in what was billed as a "dream match". Following the match, Myzteziz turnedrudo, attacking Mysterio and challenging him to a Mask vs. Mask rematch.[118] After appearing at a CMLL event on October 9, Urive announced he was looking to return to the promotion after finishing his commitments with AAA.[119] On October 12, AAA put out a press release, announcing that Urive was no longer part of the promotion.[120]
Sin Cara's first post-WWE match took place at his self-produced independent event on February 1, which featured wrestlers from both AAA and CMLL. In the main event, Sin Cara teamed with his brother Argenis, and La Sombra to defeat another one of his brothers, Argos, Black Warrior and El Oriental, submitting Warrior for the win withLa Mística.[121] On March 1, Sin Cara defeated Black Warrior to win the vacant Baja Star's Wrestling (BSW) Intercontinental Middleweight Championship.[122]
On October 16, 2015, upon joining the Lucha Libre Elite promotion, Urive announced his new ring name as Místic 2.0.[3] However, on October 25, he announced he would instead be using the name "Carístico", a combination of the names Sin Cara and Místico.[2] On May 21, 2016, Carístico became the inaugural Lucha Libre Elite Middleweight Champion.[123] On August 21, 2016, Carístico returned to NJPW, teaming withTitán and Volador Jr. in a six-man tag team match, where they defeated Euforia,Gran Guerrero and Último Guerrero.[124] On September 16, Carístico returned to Michinoku Pro Wrestling, entering the 2016 Fukumen World League and defeating Samba Rio de Janeiro in his first-round match.[125] Over the next three days, Carístico defeated Jackie Lin,Sugi and finallyRevolución to win the tournament and force Revolución to unmask.[126] AtPromocione El Cholo's Christmas show Carístico defeated Histeria in aLuchas de Apuestas match, forcing Histeria to unmask and reveal his real name, Alfonso Peña, perlucha libre traditions.[127]
Carístico's debut within thePuerto Rico circuit took place on May 26, 2018, losing to Roger Díaz in a match for Champion's Wrestling Association (CWA) world heavyweight championship.[128][129] Despite working under his CMLL character, his previous role as Sin Cara was emphasized during the reveal and the promotion for the event.[130][128] On November 3, 2018, Carístico outlastedÁngel de Oro, Dragon Bane, Freelance,Gran Guerrero.Laredo Kid,Valiente, and Sadico to win the Lucha Libre Boom Cruiserweight Championship.[131] Carístico defeated Bárbaro Cavernario and Emperado Azteca to become the first cruiserweight champion of the Monterrey, Nuevo León based KAOZ based promotion.[132]
On December 12, 2015, Carístico returned to CMLL, wrestling his first match for the company since early 2011. At the time of his return, CMLL and Lucha Libre Elite were working closely together as several CMLL wrestlers worked LLE shows and several LLE wrestlers worked on CMLL shows as well. Carístico would subsequently become a regular for CMLL, splitting his time between the two promotions. When CMLL broke off their relationship with LLE in September 2016 Carístico was the only LLE regular who was allowed to also work for CMLL. For the 2016Torneo Nacional de Parejas Increíbles ("National Incredible Teams Tournament" Carístico was forced to team up with LLE rival Cibernético for the tag team tournament. The team defeated the teams ofThe Panther andTiger,Rey Escorpión and Último Guerrero and finally Atlantis and Gran Guerrero to qualify for the finals.[133][134] In the finals Carístico finally wrestled against the man who had taken over the Místico character,Místico II, falling to Místico and Mephisto in the finals as Carístico and Cibernético were unable to get along.[135][136]
On January 27, 2017, Carístico challenged for a CMLL championship for the first time since leaving CMLL in 2011 but was unable to win the CMLL World Welterweight Championship from Mephisto.[137] In June 2017 Carístico teamed up withnovato wrestlerSoberano for the 2017Gran Alternativa ("Great Alternative") tournament. The duo defeated the teams ofÁngel de Oro andOro Jr.,Flyer and Volador Jr.,Canelo Casas and Negro Casas to qualify for the finals.[138] On June 16 the two defeatedSansón and Último Guerrero to win the 2017Gran Alternativa tournament.[139] On August 21, 2018, he defeated longtime rival Último Guerrero to win theNWA World Historic Middleweight Championship for the first time.[140] He followed up his championship victory with a successful championship defense against Guerrero's younger brotherGran Guerrero, on October 2.[141]
AtDía de Muertos, Carístico joined Místico II asAlianza de Plata y Oro (Gold and Silver Alliance) to win the CMLL World Tag Team Titles. They retained the belts until August 25, 2021, when Místico II was released from CMLL. That same day, the promotion announced Urive would use the name and mask of Místico again.[145]
On August 19, 2023, he won his firstInternational Gran Prix, defeatingHiromu Takahashi, who was IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion at the time, with aLa Mistica during the final two. During the match, he eliminatedKushida with aspringboard splash.[146] This led to an eventual match on August 27, 2023 againstHiromu Takahashi for Mistico'sNWA World Historic Middleweight Championship where they drew even after aLa Mistica finished the match.[147] On October 31, 2024, Místico vacated the title.[148]
Capitalizing on Místico's popularity, CMLL created a comic book starring Místico as an urban hero. The comic reached its 50th issue in December 2007. Místico starred in the official music video for the song "Me Muero" by Spanish pop groupLa 5ª Estación, which was also his entrance theme during his first CMLL run. He has also appeared in two music videos for Banda Pequeños Musical.[12] In 2009, he starred in a commercial endorsing thePAN (National Action Party) political party in Mexico.[169]
Early in his career, Urive began to stand out from other lower ranked wrestlers because of the speed that he was able to execute various high flyinglucha libre moves and dives both in and out of the ring.Pro Wrestling Illustrated noted that hisLa Mística finishing move was often executed so fast that his opponents did not have time to react until it was locked in.[22]La Mística is, in reality, a series of moves used by many wrestlers over the years, but Urive's combination of the spinningTilt-a-whirlheadscissors takedown transitioned into asingle arm DDT that brings his opponent to the mat, allowing him to instantly switch the move into aFujiwara armbar, normally on the opponent's left arm, that would force his opponent to submit.[22][114] The "La Mística" move became so synonymous with the Místico character that Urive's successor also adopted it as his finishing move.[173][174] Urive would on occasion use the move while working as Sin Cara and made it his main finishing move after returning to Mexico.[114] Working as Sin Cara he primarily used aMoonsault side slam and aSenton bomb as his finishing moves. Both finishing moves are executed off the top rope, for the Moonsault side slam an opponent was thrown off the top rope with Urive landing on top of the opponent while the Senton sees Urive leap off the top rope onto a prone opponent.[62][175]
In 2006 and 2007, the readers of theWrestling Observer Newsletter voted him the "Best Flying Wrestler" category based on his in-ring performance in Mexico.[20] However, his reputation as a wrestler in Mexico contrasted with his work in WWE. While he was considered a huge deal when he signed with WWE,[176] he developed a reputation of being prone to not being able to execute some of the high-risk/high-flying moves, labeling the problems as "botching" the moves. The reputation followed him for the entire three years of his WWE career.[177] Former WWE producerArn Anderson stated that: "this guy didn't show me anything. Not a damn thing. He had a bad attitude."[178] Rey Mysterio said during an interview that Urive did not "have the desire" to be in WWE.[179] Jorge Arriaga, who took theSin Cara character when Urive was fired, said that "[the original Sin Cara] is the biggest signing thathe had from Mexico. He comes in, he doesn't do anything".[180]
Throughout his career, Urive has primarily portrayed atécnico (heroic) character, with brief periods of time where he played a more ambiguous character who straddled thetécnico/rudo divide.[22][34] When introduced as Místico in 2004 CMLL created an elaborate fictional backstory, where Místico was an orphan who was taught to wrestle by Fray Tormenta, a wrestling priest who also acted as hisPadrino ("Godfather") early on. As part of the religious backstory Místico would often pose with his hands put together in a "praying" motion as well as adorning his tights with crucifix like patterns.[22] Early in his career he wore mainly white trunks and masks with either silver or gold adornment, earning him the nickname "El Príncipe de Plata y Oro" ("The Prince of Silver and Gold).[181] The Místico mask only has eye holes, totally covering the nose, mouth, and ears, a design that was replicated in the masks Urive wore or wear as Sin Cara, Myzteziz and Carístico with variations on the design that adorns the mask. The Carístico mask retains the same basic design as the Místico but with an added crucifix on the forehead and sweeping wing design around the eye openings.[182]
^The name is aportmanteau of his two most well known names " Místico" and "Sin Cara".
^Unless a luchador has been unmasked as a result of a match, his birth name is normally not revealed to the general public, leading to the possibility that other sons or daughters are wrestling.
^CMLL left theNational Wrestling Alliance (NWA) in the late 1980s, but retains control of some titles with the "NWA" name; the NWA does not recognize or sanction any CMLL championship still bearing the NWA initials.
^abcdOnline World of Wrestling."Sin Cara".Online World of Wrestling.Archived from the original on July 28, 2016. RetrievedFebruary 24, 2011.
^abValdés, Apolo (October 25, 2015)."Ex Místico se llamará Carístico, no Místic 2.0" [Ex-Místico is named Carístico, not Místic 2.0].MedioTiempo (in Spanish).Archived from the original on January 22, 2019. RetrievedOctober 25, 2015.
^abValdés, Apolo (October 16, 2015)."Myzteziz ahora será Mistic 2.0" [Myzteziz is now Mistic 2.0].MedioTiempo (in Spanish).Archived from the original on January 22, 2019. RetrievedOctober 16, 2015.
^abZellner, Kris (June 5, 2014)."Original Sin Cara update".Pro Wrestling Insider.Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. RetrievedJune 5, 2014.
^abcdRosas Plata, Arturo (September 18, 2009). "La Hora Cero!" [Zero Hour].Ovaciones (in Spanish). Mexico,D.F.: Editorial Ovaciones, S. A. de C.V. pp. 17–18. Número 21713 Año LXII.
^Madigan, Dan (2007). "A family affair".Mondo Lucha a Go Go: the bizarre & honorable world of wild Mexican wrestling. HarperCollins. pp. 128–132.ISBN978-0-06-085583-3.
^"Número Especial - Lo mejor de la lucha libre mexicana durante el 2003" [Special Edition: The best of Mexican wrestling in 2003].Súper Luchas (in Spanish). January 5, 2003. Issue 40.
^Madigan, Dan (2007). "What's in a name".Mondo Lucha Libre: the bizarre & honorable world of wild Mexican wrestling. HarperCollins Publishers. pp. 215–223.ISBN978-0-06-085583-3.
^"Leyenda de Plata 2004". Pro Wrestling History. July 16–30, 2004.Archived from the original on November 28, 2010. RetrievedAugust 16, 2009.
^"CMLL on Televisa".CageMatch. June 17, 2005.Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. RetrievedApril 25, 2019.
^ab"Lucha Libre: Conoce la historia de las leyendas de cuadrilátero".Atlantis (1962) (in Spanish).Mexico. 2008. p. 8. Grandes Figuras de la Lucha Libre.
^ab"Enciclopedia de las Mascaras" [Encyclopedia of Masks].Black Warrior (in Spanish). Mexico. July 2007. p. 35. Tomo I.
^abManuel Rivera (April 24, 2007). "Difícil semana para Místico".Súper Luchas. Mexico. pp. 3–5. 202.
^abcde"Lo Mejor de la Lucha Libre Mexicana 2008" [The best of Mexican wrestling 2008].Súper Luchas (in Spanish). January 6, 2008. 296.
^abcRosas Plata, Arturo (May 24, 2008). "Místico y Garza, de nuevo campeones" [Místico and Garza, the new champions].Ovaciones (in Spanish). Mexico,D.F.: Editorial Ovaciones, S. A. de C.V. p. 22. Número 21235 Año LXI.
^Rosas Plata, Arturo (May 24, 2008). "El centro, vacante... !otra vez!" [The Championship, vacant... again!].Ovaciones (in Spanish). Mexico,D.F.: Editorial Ovaciones, S. A. de C.V. p. 22. Número 21200 Año LXI.
^Manuel Flores and Manuel Rivera (March 23, 2009). "Cayó la máscara de Villano V".Súper Luchas. Mexico. pp. 3–7. 307.
^Amador, Cristina (February 13, 2009)."Místico viajó de nuevo a Japón" [Místico traveled back to Japan] (in Spanish). Univision.com. Archived fromthe original on February 16, 2009. RetrievedAugust 16, 2009.
^"Resultados DragonMania IV" [DragonMania IV results] (in Spanish). Estrellas del Ring. August 22, 2009.Archived from the original on October 23, 2017. RetrievedDecember 11, 2016.
^"Sin Cara está fuera de WWE" [Sin Cara is not with WWE].MedioTiempo (in Spanish). January 24, 2014.Archived from the original on January 22, 2019. RetrievedJanuary 24, 2014.
^Valdés, Apolo (February 22, 2014)."Apareció una 'cara mística' en AAA" [A 'Mysterious Face' appears in AAA].MedioTiempo (in Spanish).Archived from the original on January 22, 2019. RetrievedFebruary 22, 2014.
^"Confirmó AAA salida de Myzteziz" [AAA confirms that Myzteziz left].MedioTiempo (in Spanish). October 13, 2015.Archived from the original on January 22, 2019. RetrievedOctober 13, 2015.
^ab"Carístico, Campeón Medio Elite" [Carístico Elite Middleweight Champion].MedioTiempo (in Spanish). May 22, 2016.Archived from the original on January 22, 2019. RetrievedMay 23, 2016.
^カリスティコ（初代ミスティコ）がみちのくのリングに凱旋！4年前の不祥事で活動を休止していたSugiが復活！ [Caristico (the first Mistico) tried to triumph in the ring. Sugi resumes activitie after being suspended for four years].Battle News (in Japanese). September 17, 2016.Archived from the original on September 25, 2016. RetrievedSeptember 17, 2016.
^López Peralta, Gonzalo (April 23, 2016)."Lucha Libre Arena México 22 de Abril de 2016" [Professional Wrestling in Arena Mexico April 22, 2016].Yahoo! Deportes (in Spanish).Yahoo!.Archived from the original on April 24, 2016. RetrievedApril 23, 2016.
^Rosas Plata, Arturo (October 3, 2018)."La Mística, veneno para Gran Guerrero" [La Mística, poisonous to Gran Guerrero].Ovaciones (in Spanish).Archived from the original on February 23, 2019. RetrievedFebruary 23, 2019.
^Rosas Plata, Arturo (February 2, 2019)."Es Terrible el primer finalista" [El Terrible is the first finalist].Ovaciones (in Spanish). Archived fromthe original on February 4, 2019. RetrievedFebruary 9, 2019.
^Rosas Plata, Arturo (February 29, 2020)."¡Felino va de metiche!".Ovaciones (in Spanish).Archived from the original on March 1, 2020. RetrievedMarch 1, 2020.
^"Leyenda de Plata 2006". Pro Wrestling History. August 25 – September 15, 2006.Archived from the original on November 28, 2010. RetrievedAugust 16, 2009.
^"Leyenda de Plata 2007". Pro Wrestling History. June 8, 2007.Archived from the original on November 28, 2010. RetrievedAugust 16, 2009.
^"Leyenda de Plata 2008". Pro Wrestling History. August 25, 2008.Archived from the original on November 28, 2010. RetrievedAugust 16, 2009.
^"2005 Lo Mejor de la Lucha Mexicana" [2005 the best of Mexican wrestling].Súper Luchas (in Spanish). January 3, 2006. Issue 140.
^"Número Especial - Lo mejor de la lucha libre mexicana durante el 2004" [Special Edition – the best of Mexican professional wrestling in 2004].Súper Luchas (in Spanish). January 12, 2011. 399.
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