Lucha libre

Lucha libre is a unique form of professional wrestling that is widely recognized as an integral part of Mexico’s cultural heritage. Performed by remarkably athletic wrestlers known as luchadores, lucha libre differs from other types of wrestling because of its trademark high-flying acrobatics and rapidly executed sequences of various holds and maneuvers. Most luchadores are also known for wearing masks—a sacred tradition in lucha libre that is taken very seriously by both participants and fans. Since its initial emergence in the late nineteenth century, lucha libre has become a veritable institution within Mexican culture, with some legendary luchadores even achieving mainstream celebrity status. Moreover, it has also significantly influenced the development of professional wrestling elsewhere around the world. Many luchadores began in Mexican rings and later went on to become major stars in the United States, Japan, and other wrestling hotbeds. Among the most successful and famous luchadores in wrestling are such revered names as El Santo, Mil Máscaras, and Ray Mendoza. Others, such as Rey Mysterio, Jr., Eddie Guerrero, and Juventud Guerrera, rose from their lucha libre roots to win widespread acclaim working for top-tier promotions on the American wrestling scene.

Background

Lucha libre is a traditional Mexican form of professional wrestling. Modern professional wrestling—sometimes also referred to as sports entertainment—is a unique cooperative athletic spectacle involving two or more performers taking part in a predetermined and loosely choreographed match that incorporates various competitive amateur/Greco-Roman-style wrestling and other combat sport techniques. In addition to thrilling feats of athleticism, most professional wrestling matches feature a great deal of pageantry and theatricality, featuring colorful characters and melodramatic storylines that are carefully woven into the narrative thread of the contest itself for maximum dramatic effect.

Professional wrestling, as it is known today, evolved from a classical combat sport known as catch wrestling, or catch-as-catch-can. First developed by British carnival promoters in the late nineteenth century, catch wrestling was a legitimate athletic competition that saw grapplers square off in matches featuring an array of submission holds and other wrestling maneuvers. Wildly popular among carnival-going spectators, catch wrestling eventually spread to North America. It was there that the sport underwent a crucial transformation. At some point in the early twentieth century, American catch wrestling promoters began staging predetermined matches and positioning certain wrestlers as babyfaces (heroes) and others as heels (villains). To maintain the apparent legitimacy of the sport, promoters and wrestlers adhered to a stringent code of secrecy known as kayfabe. This shift marked the beginning of modern professional wrestling.

The growing popularity of professional wrestling in the United States led to the emergence of numerous regional promotions across the country. Many of these promotions eventually banded together to form an umbrella organization called the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) in 1948. During its height, the NWA sponsored professional wrestling’s world championship, selected the sport’s champions, and organized the transfer of top talent between the various territories with the aim of creating widely recognized wrestling stars. The NWA-dominated territory system effectively held a monopoly on American professional wrestling for several decades until one groundbreaking independent promotion dramatically changed the longstanding status quo in the 1980s. Initially known as Capitol Wrestling Corporation when it was founded in 1963, the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), which later became World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), had previously been the NWA’s New England territory before owner Vincent J. McMahon struck out on his own. By the mid-1980s, his son, Vincent K. McMahon, was in charge of the family business. Disregarding the traditional rules of the wrestling business, the younger McMahon turned his promotion into a national and eventually a global juggernaut that decimated the territory system and inaugurated a new era of professional wrestling. As a result, professional wrestling reached new heights of popularity in the 1990s and 2000s. Crucially, it was during this time that lucha libre came to be integrated into American wrestling as never before.

Overview

The historical roots of lucha libre can be traced back to 1863 when Mexican wrestler Enrique Ugartechea developed a new form of so-called “freestyle” wrestling that built on the fundamentals of traditional Greco-Roman wrestling. Initially a regional phenomenon, lucha libre exploded in popularity when promoter Salvador Lutteroth González founded Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre (EMLL) in 1933. Through EMLL, which is known today as Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL), González successfully promoted lucha libre events throughout Mexico and turned the pseudo-sport into a beloved cultural treasure.

On the most basic level, lucha libre follows essentially the same format as most other forms of professional wrestling. The primary objective in most matches is for a luchador to pin their opponent’s shoulders to the mat for a three count. Luchadores also use many of the same moves and holds during a match that are seen in other forms of wrestling. In lucha libre, however, matches are often faster-paced and include a special emphasis on high-flying acrobatic feats. Most lucha libre matches also feature rapid-fire sequences of various holds and maneuvers. In addition to a straightforward pin count, lucha libre matches can also be won by knocking an opponent out of the ring for a count of twenty, forcing an opponent to submit, or disqualifying. Lucha libre also employs the unique exceso de rudezas rule that allows the referee to stop a bout in the event of excessive violence.

Another element that lucha libre has in common with other forms of wrestling is the presence of both heroic and villainous characters. Heroic luchadores, known as técnicos, typically fight on behalf of the common people of Mexico and enjoy the admiration of fans. Villainous luchadores, called rudos, work to draw the ire of the fans and inflame the crowd.

Undoubtedly, the most famous and instantly recognizable element of lucha libre is the elaborate masks worn by most luchadores. The tradition of masks in lucha libre began when the popular luchador El Ciclón McKey donned one for the first time in 1933. Since then, masks have remained an integral part of lucha libre tradition. Luchadores take the tradition so seriously that many refuse to ever be seen in public without their masks, even long after they have retired from the ring. Some of the most exciting lucha libre matches are mask versus mask contests, in which the loser is required to remove his mask. For a masked luchador, being unmasked is the most disastrous outcome imaginable and might even be a career-ending event.

Notable Luchadores

Over the course of lucha libre history, there have been many notable luchadores. Without question, the most famous of all great luchadores was El Santo. Making his lucha libre debut at a 1942 match in Mexico City, El Santo unexpectedly won an eight-man battle royale and quickly became the most popular luchador the sport has ever known. The fan-favorite El Santo enjoyed a five-decade in-ring career and transformed himself into a mainstream celebrity with numerous appearances in comic books and movies. Through it all, he never removed his mask in public and kept his identity a closely guarded secret until just a week before his death in 1984.

Another of the most well-known luchadores is the legendary Mil Máscaras. After making his debut in 1963, he rose to become one of lucha libre’s most accomplished and recognizable stars. Most importantly, he was also one of the first luchadores to successfully cross over into American professional wrestling. Like El Santo, Máscaras became a movie star as well.

Initially a rudo, Blue Demon made his name in lucha libre as one of El Santo’s greatest rivals. The two starred together in lucha libre movies. Blue Demon also starred in his own series of films.

One of the most famous luchadores among modern wrestling fans is Rey Mysterio, Jr. The nephew of veteran luchador Rey Mysterio, Sr., the younger Mysterio—who inherited his ring name from his uncle in typical lucha libre tradition—began on the Mexican wrestling circuit before making it big on the American wrestling scene as a high-flying star for major promotions like Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and WWE. Despite being much smaller than most American wrestlers, Mysterio quickly became a fan favorite and went on to win numerous distinguished championships.

No overview of notable luchadores would be complete without a mention of the Guerrero family. Patriarch Gory Guerrero was a top Mexican American luchador who spent much of his in-ring career wrestling in EMLL from the 1940s to the 1960s. He is credited with inventing renowned wrestling holds and maneuvers, including the dreaded Camel Clutch. All four of Guerrero’s sons followed him into lucha libre. The most famous of the second-generation Guerreros was his youngest son Eddie, who went on to achieve great success in American professional wrestling with WCW and WWE, often alongside his nephew Chavo Guerrero, Jr.

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