 In 1955 Díaz came up with the ring name "Ray Mendoza" after his mentor Ray Carrasco and his wife's maiden name Mendoza.As Mendoza he quickly forged a very effective "Rudo" character ("bad guy") by using well developed physique and charisma to create a ring character that the fans loved to hate.In 1956 Mendoza began working for Salvador Lutteroth's Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre (EMLL), the world's oldest and Mexico's largest wrestling promotion.