golfkat Travel Blog

Here is what I found:

“Mexican wrestling is characterized by colorful masks, rapid sequences of holds and maneuvers, as well as “high-flying” maneuvers, some of which have been adopted in the United States. The wearing of masks has developed special significance, and matches are sometimes contested in which the loser must permanently remove his mask, which is a wager with a high degree of weight attached. Tag team wrestling is especially prevalent in lucha libre, particularly matches with three-member teams, called trios.”

The lucha libre wrestlers are known as luchadores, and generally come from extended wrestling families, who form their own stables.  The rules are similar to American wrestling matches.  Matches are won by pinning down your opponent to a count of three.  But using the ropes here is illegal.  And disqualification can occur with illegal holds, a kick in the groin, or the famous pile driver move.

This style of wrestling dates back to the French intervention in Mexico back in 1863.  The first Mexican wrestler, Enrique Ugartechea developed and invented Mexican lucha libre from traditional Greco-Roman wrestling.  Though primarily a regional enterprise, it became national with the formation of the Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre (Mexican Wrestling Enterprise) in 1933. Television furthered its popularity in the 1950s.

A turning point came in 1952, when El Santo (The Saint), a silver masked wrestler, made his debut in the ring in an 8 man battle royale.  The public loved the secrecy and mystique of his personality, quickly becoming the most popular luchador in Mexico.  His career lasted five decades, and made him a hero on the common man through his appearances in comic books and movies, gaining mainstream attention.

Lucha libre fighters are generally more agile and caters to smaller fighters who excel at aerial maneuvers.  American wrestlers rely more on power and hard strikes to their opponents.  Several weight divisions exist, and fighters generally debut in their teens. Tag team matches are popular as well, with three wrestlers per team as opposed to the dual team matches in the U.S.

The masks used in the matches dates back to the early twentieth century, though they have historical ties to Aztec days.  While the early masks were simple, modern masks are colorful and evoke images of animals, gods, and ancient heroes.  But the masks is considered sacred, and removal of the opponent’s mask is grounds for disqualification. The great El Santo wore his mask well into retirement, and was buried with his silver mask.

Naturally, much like old fashioned wrestling matches back in the U.S., there are bad guys and good guys.  The bad guys are the tough guys, who bend the rules, while the good guys play by the rules.  The good guys or tecnicos, tend to have better technique, more complex and spectacular moves.  A staple gimmick, though hardly PC, is a exotico, a gay character in drag, popular since the 1950s.

And best of all, females also compete in lucha libre matches.  A lucha libre division has been crated for short people as well.  And for you wrestling fans, yes, there are luchadores in the U.S.  But here, in the birthplace of lucha libre, we should be able to see an interesting, and very strange form of wrestling.

From a different website:

If, while walking about the streets of Mexico City, you encounter boys, girls or even adults wearing brightly-colored masks covering their entire heads, never fear.  You haven’t come across a color-coordinated bank robber or street gang – a religious expression may more accurately describe this choice of vestment – Welcome to the church of Lucha Libre.


Blasphemous analogies aside, Lucha Libre is the biggest sport in Mexico behind soccer.  Literally ‘Free Fight’, Lucha Libre is the equivalent of professional wrestling in the United States, although most followers would argue that the reverse is actually true (and may have the history to back them up.)  Part sport, part acrobatic act, part soap opera, Lucha Libre generates a mass and constant appeal in Mexico with weekly television broadcasts and events. 


The best way to watch a match is to see it in person, where Spanish students in Mexico City can take in the culture of this very-Mexican form of entertainment – from small children dressed head to toe as their favorite Luchador, to their abuelitas sitting next to them shouting curses to the bad guys and blowing kisses to the good guys — people of all ages enjoy the event. 


And the only place to watch a match is in historic Arena México, the holy temple of Luchadores.   The 16,000 + seat area, constructed in 1933, is host to the promotion company Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre, CMLL, the oldest professional wresting promoter still in existence.  The founder of the CMLL, Salvador Lutterroth Gonzales, is considered the father of Mexican Lucha Libre.


A typical match on Friday night will have 4-5 individual fights, consisting of 2-3 rounds each.  The popularity and skill of the fighters will increase each round until the final, or headliner match.  Luchadores work in teams of 2 or 3, and of course the good guys versus the bad guys, or Técnicos (meaning technician, as in using standard fighting form and playing by the rules) versus rudos (the crude ones, the heels).   It’s up to you as to who you want to root for.

It looks like as good as any other evening entertainment.  Let’s give it a try!

PS  I did find the famous cafe owned by a former champ, down in the Historico on Saturday.  It was filled with masks and memorabilia of Super Astro, and called El Cuadrilatero.  His specialty is the humongous La Gladiador, a 1.3 kilo torte of egg, six meats, and cheese, topped with avocado, onion, and tomato.  If you finish within 15 minutes, it is FREE!