Kalisto (wrestler)

Emanuel Alejandro Rodriguez (born November 14, 1986) is a Mexican-American professional wrestler, currently performing on the independent circuit under the ring name Samuray Del Sol. He is best known for his time in WWE, where he worked with the ring name Kalisto, as a member of both the Lucha Dragons (whom he won the NXT Tag Team Championship as a member, with Sin Cara) and Lucha House Party.

In 2006, Rodriguez made his professional wrestling debut on the Midwestern United States independent circuit, working under a mask and the ring name Samuray del Sol (Spanish for "Samurai of the Sun"). After establishing himself as 1 of the top high-flyers in the area, he began working for larger promotions in 2011 & was signed by Dragon Gate USA in 2012. That year, he made his debut for mexican promotion AAA, where, in November, he was repackaged as Octagón Jr., the storyline protégé of well-known luchador Octagón. He also worked for Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW), Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South (IWA-MS), National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), Evolve Wrestling, and Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG).

In May 2013, he signed with WWE and was assigned to their developmental territory NXT, where he was renamed Kalisto. In September 2014, Kalisto won the NXT Tag Team Championship alongside Sin Cara, as part of the Lucha Dragons. In February 2015, Kalisto was promoted to WWE's main roster, where he won the WWE United States Championship twice and the Cruiserweight Championship once. In early 2018, he formed a stable with fellow luchadors Gran Metalik and Lince Dorado, calling themselves Lucha House Party. He then separated from the group in late 2020, before being released from the WWE in April 2021.