Metalik (born August 24, 1988) is a Mexican professional wrestler who performs on the independent circuit. He is best known for his time in WWE from 2016 to 2021 under the ring name Gran Metalik, and in Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) from 2008 to 2016 under the ring name Máscara Dorada. His real name has not been officially documented, as is often the case with masked wrestlers in Mexico, where their private lives are concealed from the fans.
He made his debut in 2005, originally under the masked persona Plata II, before using the ring name Metalik. In 2008, he adopted the "Máscara Dorada" character, modeled after Mini-Estrella Mascarita Dorada, the first instance of a regular-sized wrestler being given a character based on a mini. At one point, Dorada was a quadruple CMLL champion, holding the Mexican National Trios Championship, CMLL World Trios Championship, CMLL World Super Lightweight Championship and CMLL World Welterweight Championship at the same time. He is a four-time CMLL World Welterweight Champion and won the Torneo Nacional de Parejas Increíbles with Atlantis back-to-back in 2010 and 2011. After a decade of working for CMLL in his native Mexico, he worked full-time for the Japanese promotion New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) from January 2015 until returning to CMLL a year later in February 2016.
In the summer of 2016, he competed in the American promotion WWE's Cruiserweight Classic tournament, after which he signed with WWE and was assigned to their brand 205 Live. He was then paired with masked wrestlers Kalisto and Lince Dorado as Lucha House Party; they were promoted to the Raw brand in November 2018, before moving to the SmackDown brand in October 2019. He is a one-time WWE 24/7 Champion. After requesting his release and departing WWE in November 2021, he began working on the independent circuit. He subsequently returned to NJPW and CMLL, also making appearances for Impact Wrestling, All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and Ring of Honor (ROH).
Professional wrestling career Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (2005–2016) Early years (2005–2008) After training with Gran Cochisse and El Satánico, he made his professional wrestling debut on July 14, 2005. He initially used the ring persona Plata II, a copy of the original Plata that wrestled in the 1990s, before being repackaged as Metalik, a variation of the "metal-based" look he had used as Plata II. He worked mainly for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL)'s Guadalajara branch throughout 2008, winning the Occidente Welterweight Championship and the hair of Jeque in a Lucha de Apuestas. Metalik and Metálico entered a tournament for the vacant CMLL Arena Coliseo Tag Team Championship on June 15, defeating Los Hombres del Camuflaje (Artillero and Súper Comando) in the first round, but lost to Los Nuevos Infernales (Euforia and Nosferatu) in the quarter-finals. On July 18, he was paired with Dos Caras Jr. in the Torneo Gran Alternativa ("Great Alternative Tournament"), where a newcomer teams with a veteran, making it to the finals in a loss to Dragón Rojo Jr. and Último Guerrero.
Máscara Dorada (2008–2016) In late 2008, CMLL announced the creation of a "large" version of mini wrestler Mascarita Dorada, Máscara Dorada ("Golden Mask"). Minis were often traditionally patterned after existing wrestlers, but this mini was created prior to the "regular-sized" wrestler. Metalik redebuted as Dorada on November 7, teaming with La Máscara and La Sombra to defeat Jauria del Terror (Averno, Ephesto and Mephisto). On April 7, 2009, he outlasted nine other wrestlers in a torneo cibernetico to win the vacant CMLL World Super Lightweight Championship. For holding a title, Dorada entered the inaugural Universal Championship tournament on June 5, losing to Black Warrior in the first round. He made his first successful title defense against Virus on August 9. At the CMLL 76th Anniversary Show on September 18, he, El Hijo del Fantasma and El Sagrado defeated Poder Mexica (Dragón Rojo Jr., Misterioso Jr. and Sangre Azteca). On December 1, he unsuccessfully challenged Negro Casas for the CMLL World Welterweight Championship.
On January 6, 2010, Dorada, Metro and Stuka Jr. defeated Poder Mexica in a tournament final for the vacant Mexican National Trios Championship, becoming a double champion. He and rudo Atlantis won the Torneo Nacional de Parejas Increibles ("National Incredible Pairs Tournament") that ran from January 22 to February 5, defeating Dragón Rojo Jr. and La Sombra, Máximo and Mr. Niebla, Averno and Místico and finally Casas and La Máscara. He, El Hijo del Fantasma and Valiente lost to El Terrible, Mephisto and Texano Jr. at Homenaje a Dos Leyendas ("Homage to Two Legends") on March 19. On April 12, Dorada retained his title against Dragón Rojo Jr. After winning a non-title match, Dorada, La Máscara and La Sombra (later known as La Generación Dorada) defeated La Ola Amarilla (Hiroshi Tanahashi, Okumura and Taichi) for the CMLL World Trios Championship on May 21, becoming a triple champion. In the Universal Championship tournament on July 30, he defeated Stuka Jr. in the first round before losing to Guerrero in the quarter-finals. At the CMLL 77th Anniversary Show on September 3, he, Blue Panther and La Máscara defeated Poder Mexica. Four days later, Dorada defeated Casas for the CMLL World Welterweight Championship, becoming the first quadruple champion in CMLL history. On September 13, he received the opportunity to hold five championships, but failed to win the CMLL World Tag Team Championship from Los Invasores (Héctor Garza and Mr. Águila) alongside Místico. On November 18, Dorada relinquished his part of the Mexican National Trios Championship, which his partners continued to hold with Delta.
Dorada and Atlantis won their second consecutive Torneo Nacional de Parejas Increibles on February 25, 2011, lastly defeating Blue Panther and Dragón Rojo Jr. At Homenaje a Dos Leyendas on March 18, Dorada failed to win Averno's NWA World Historic Middleweight Championship after interference from Mephisto. He then paired with Metal Blanco for the Torneo Gran Alternativa, defeating Mephisto and Tiger Kid in the first round, Dragon Lee and Volador Jr. in the quarter-finals and Averno and Palacio Negro in the semi-finals. On April 7, Dorada vacated the CMLL World Super Lightweight Championship, moving to the middleweight division. He and Blanco lost to Guerrero and Escorpión in the finals the next day. On July 15, La Generación Dorada lost the CMLL World Trios Championship to Los Hijos del Averno. On August 15, he successfully defended the CMLL World Welterweight Championship against Mephisto. Dorada was eliminated by Tanahashi in the first round of the Universal Championship tournament on September 9 and Jushin Thunder Liger in the semi-final torneo cibernetico of the Leyenda de Plata ("The Silver Legend") tournament at the CMLL 78th Anniversary Show on September 30. He again retained the title over Mephisto on November 4. Later that month, he and Shocker unsuccessfully challenged Dragón Rojo Jr. and Guerrero for the CMLL World Tag Team Championship. For the 2012 Torneo Nacional de Parejas Increíbles on February 17, Dorada and Volador Jr. defeated Euforia and Guerrero Maya Jr. in the first round before losing to La Sombra and Mr. Águila in the quarter-finals. On May 22, he successfully defended his title against Psicosis. He competed in that year's Universal Championship tournament on August 17, defeating Black Warrior in the first round, but lost to El Terrible in the quarter-finals. On November 11, Dorada lost the CMLL World Welterweight Championship to Pólvora.
In May 2013, Dorada formed the stable Los Estetas del Aire ("The Air Esthetes") with Místico and Valiente. At Sin Salida ("No Escape") on June 3, Dorada defeated Casas to win his first NWA World Historic Welterweight Championship. On June 16, they defeated Los Guerreros Laguneros (Euforia, Niebla Roja and Último Guerrero) in a tournament final for the CMLL World Trios Championship. Two days later, Dorada retained his title against Averno. On August 23, he lost to La Máscara in the first round of that year's Universal Championship tournament. At the CMLL 80th Anniversary Show on September 13, Los Estetas del Aire successfully defended their title against Dragón Rojo Jr., Escorpión and Pólvora. Dorada lost his title to Volador Jr. on November 19. At Homenaje a Dos Leyendas on March 21, 2014, Los Estetas del Aire lost a non-title match to Los Guerreros Laguneros, who defeated them for the championship seven days later. At the CMLL 81st Anniversary Show on September 19, he, Valiente and Volador Jr. defeated Euforia, Mr. Niebla and Thunder by disqualification. On December 26, Dorada and Casas outlasted Azteca, Delta, Fuego, Kamaitachi, Pólvora, Rey Cometa, Titán and Tritón to advance to the finals of a tournament for the vacant CMLL World Welterweight Championship, which Dorada won for a third time the following week.
Dorada left CMLL in January 2015 by signing a one-year contract with Japanese partner promotion New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), before returning on February 1, 2016. Later that month, he retained the title against Mephisto. At Homenaje a Dos Leyendas on March 18, Dorada, Dragon Lee, Místico and Valiente defeated Fujin, Kamaitaichi, Okumura and Raijin. He made another successful title defense against Bárbaro Cavernario on March 28. As part of the next night's Torneo Gran Alternativa, Dorada and Pegasso defeated El Terrible and Sansón in the first round before losing to Mephisto and Yago in the quarter-finals. He and Bobby Z participated in the Torneo Nacional de Parejas Increíbles on April 15, defeating El Felino and Super Crazy in the first round, but lost to Mr. Niebla and Volador Jr. in the quarter-finals. On May 3, Dorada's fourth reign as CMLL World Welterweight Champion ended in a loss to Mephisto. At the CMLL 83rd Anniversary Show on September 2, he, Atlantis and Carístico defeated La Peste Negra (Casas, Cavernario and El Felino). On November 1, he, Diamante Azul and Místico unsuccessfully challenged Los Hijos del Infierno for the Mexican National Trios Championship. On November 11, Dorada wrestled his last match for CMLL, teaming with Atlantis and Azul to defeat La Peste Negra.
New Japan Pro-Wrestling (2010–2016) On May 8, 2010, Dorada made his NJPW debut as he and Valiente lost to Apollo 55 (Prince Devitt and Ryusuke Taguchi) in the first round of the Super J Tag Tournament. In November, he and La Sombra took part in the Super J Tag League, winning two out of their four matches in the group stage and finishing third in their block, missing the finals. They defeated Héctor Garza and Jushin Thunder Liger at Wrestle Kingdom V in Tokyo Dome on January 4, 2011. Dorada lost the CMLL World Welterweight Championship to Taguchi on January 22 during the NJPW and CMLL co-promoted Fantastica Mania 2011 tour. He returned in April as a rudo, primarily teaming with members of Chaos. At Wrestling Dontaku 2011 on May 3, he unsuccessfully challenged Liger for the CMLL World Middleweight Championship. Later that month, Dorada entered the 2011 Best of the Super Juniors tournament, winning four out of his eight matches in the round-robin stage, finishing sixth out of the nine wrestlers in his block. At Dominion 6.18 on June 18, Dorada regained the CMLL World Welterweight Championship from Taguchi. Three days later, Dorada, Hiroshi Tanahashi and KUSHIDA defeated Brian Kendrick, Gedo and Jado in the first round of the J Sports Crown Openweight 6 Man Tag Tournament, but lost to Bad Intentions (Giant Bernard and Karl Anderson) and Liger in the second round the next day.