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Lucha libre (Spanish pronunciation:[ˈlutʃaˈliβɾe], meaning "freestyle wrestling"[1] or more literally translated as "free fight") is the term for the style ofprofessional wrestling originating inMexico. Since its introduction to Mexico in the early 20th century[2], it has developed into a unique form of the genre, characterized by colorfulmasks, rapid sequences of holds and maneuvers, andhigh-flying aerial techniques, some of which have been adopted by wrestlers in theUnited States,Japan, and elsewhere. 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 inlucha libre, particularly matches with three-member teams, calledtrios.
Although in English the term specifically refers to the Mexican style of theatrical professional wrestling, in Mexico (and certain other Spanish-speaking territories) it can refer to other kinds ofwrestling, including competitiveamateur wrestling (es:lucha libre olímpica) and professional wrestling in general (es:lucha libre profesional) in addition to Mexican professional wrestling in particular (es:lucha libre mexicana). However, inSpain (as well as with certain other Spanish-speaking territories and non-Anglophone European countries) professional wrestling is known as "catch".[3]
Malelucha libre wrestlers are known asluchadores (singularluchador) while femalelucha libre wrestlers are known asluchadoras (singularluchadora). Mexican wrestlers often come fromextended wrestling families, who often form their ownstables. One such familial line integrated to the United States professional wrestling scene isthe Guerreros.
In 2018, Mexicanlucha libre was declared anintangible cultural heritage ofMexico City by the head of the Government of Mexico City.[4]
Mexicanluchadores are traditionally more agile and perform moreaerial maneuvers thanAmerican professional wrestlers, who more often rely on power and hard strikes to subdue their opponents. The difference in styles is due to the independent evolution ofprofessional wrestling in Mexico beginning in the 1930s and the fact thatluchadores incruiserweight divisions (Peso Crucero) and other lowerweight divisions are often more popular in Mexicanlucha libre than heavyweights.[5]Luchadores execute characteristic high-flying attacks by using thewrestling ring's ropes to catapult themselves towards their opponents, using intricate combinations in rapid-fire succession, and applying complex submission holds known asllaves. Rings used inlucha libre (which are typically squared shaped, though somelucha librepromotions use hexagonal rings) generally lack the spring supports added to U.S. and Japanese rings; as a result,lucha libre does not emphasize "flat backbumps" like in other professional wrestling styles. For this same reason, aerial maneuvers are almost always performed on opponents outside the ring, allowing theluchador to break his fall with an acrobatic tumble.
Lucha libre has several different weight classes, many catered to smaller agile wrestlers, who often make their debuts in their mid-teens. This enabled dynamic high-flyingluchadores such asRey Misterio Jr.,Juventud Guerrera,Super Crazy, andMístico among others, to develop years of experience by their mid-twenties.[6] A number of prominentJapanese wrestlers also started their careers training in Mexico and competing inlucha libre's lighter weight classes before becoming stars inJapan. These wrestlers includedGran Hamada,Satoru Sayama,Jushin Thunder Liger,Último Dragón, andKazuchika Okada among others.
Lucha libre is also known for itstag team wrestling matches. The teams are often made up of three or four members, instead of two as is common in theUnited States. Three-man teams participate in what are calledtrios matches while four-man teams participate inAtómicos matches. Of the team members, one member is often designated the captain. A successful fall in a multi-person tag team match can be achieved by either pinning the captain of the opposing team or by pinning both of the other members. A referee can also stop the match because of "excessive punishment" and he can then award the match to the victim of the "excessive punishment". Falls often occur simultaneously, which adds to the extremely stylized nature of the action. In addition, a wrestler can opt to roll out of the ring in lieu of tagging a partner or simply be knocked out of the ring, at which point one of his partners may enter. As a result, the tag team formula and pacing which has developed in U.S. tag matches is different fromlucha libre because the race to tag is not a priority. There are also traditional two-man tag matches (known asparejas matches) andother types of team matches.[7]
Masks (máscaras) have been used dating back to the beginnings oflucha libre in the early part of the 20th century, and have a historical significance to Mexico in general, dating to the days of theAztecs.[8] Early masks were very simple with basic colors to distinguish the wrestler. In modernlucha libre, masks are colorfully designed to evoke the images ofanimals,gods, ancientheroes and otherarchetypes, whose identity theluchador takes on during a performance. Virtually all wrestlers in Mexico will start their careers wearing masks, but over the span of their careers, a large number of them will be unmasked. Sometimes, a wrestler slated for retirement will be unmasked in his final bout or at the beginning of a final tour, signifying a loss of identity as that character. Sometimes, losing the mask signifies the end of agimmick with the wrestler moving on to a new gimmick and mask. The mask is considered sacred to a degree, so much so that fully removing an opponent's mask during a match is grounds for disqualification.[9]
Maskedluchadores will go to great lengths to conceal their true identities; in effect, the mask is synonymous with theluchador.El Santo continued wearing his mask after retirement, revealing his face only briefly in old age, and was eventually buried wearing his silver mask.
More recently, the masksluchadores wear have become iconic symbols of Mexican culture. Contemporary artists like Francisco Delgado andXavier Garza incorporate wrestler masks in their paintings.[10]
Although masks are a prominent feature oflucha libre, it is a misconception that every Mexican wrestler uses one. There have been several maskless wrestlers who have been successful, particularlyTarzán López,Gory Guerrero,Perro Aguayo, andNegro Casas. Formerly masked wrestlers who lost their masks, such asEl Satánico,Cien Caras,Cibernético and others, have had continued success despite losing their masks.
With the importance placed on masks inlucha libre, losing the mask to an opponent is seen as the ultimate insult, and can at times seriously hurt the career of the unmasked wrestler. Putting one's mask on the line against a hated opponent is a tradition inlucha libre as a means to settle a heatedfeud between two or more wrestlers. In these matches, calledluchas de apuestas ("wager matches" or "betting fights"), the wrestlers "wager" either their mask, their hair, or another valuable like money or their career.[11]
In alucha de apuesta, wrestlers make a public bet on the outcome of the match. The most common forms are the mask-against-mask, hair-against-hair, or mask-against-hair matches. A wrestler who loses his or her mask has to remove the mask after the match. A wrestler who loses their hair is shaved immediately afterward.[12] Usually the true identity of a masked wrestler is previously unknown, thus, it is customary for that person to reveal their real name, hometown, and years as a professional wrestler upon unmasking.
Masked wrestlers first appeared in Mexico somewhere around the 1920s, in imitation of the covered roosters incockfighting, and became widespread in the country in the 1930s after the arrival of popular masked American wrestlerLa Maravilla Enmascarada. During the early years oflucha libre, people could bet on the known wrestler or on the covered one; at the end of the match, the covered one would be revealed and people could see whichluchador it was.Promoters soon discovered that mystery was very attractive for the audience, and opted to keep the secret or to sell that the masked wrestler would reveal himself only if he was defeated. These weren'tluchas de apuestas in the proper sense, since there weren't any bets on the line among theluchadores. These were generally covered wrestlers that usually revealed themselves at the end of the night or after a few shows. However,luchadores increasingly became conscious of the expectation their secret identity set for the audiences, and gradually chose to keep their identities secret for longer. They also began to adopt masked gimmicks to differentiate themselves among the growing number of wrestlers.
One of the firstlucha de apuestas (i.e. two wrestlers with a bet on the line) was presented on July 14, 1940, atArena México. A masked middleweight wrestler,El Murciélago Enmascarado, was so much lighter than his opponentOctavio Gaona, he requested a further condition before he would sign a contract to face him: Octavio Gaona would have to put his hair on the line in exchange for his mask. Gaona won the match and Murciélago was forced to unmask, helping to give birth to the tradition.[13]
The following match types are variants ofluchas de apuestas with different types of wagers:
Since the roots of Mexicanlucha libre lie with Latin Americancombat sports culture rather than modern U.S. professional wrestling circuits, it retains a more detailed system ofweight classes than post-World War II wrestling in the United States. Like someBritish wrestling andJapanese wrestling promotions,[38]lucha libre promotions have detailed weight class systems patterned afterboxing. Each weight class has an official upper limit, but examples of wrestlers who are technically too heavy to hold their weight class' title can be found. The following weight/height classes exist inlucha libre, as defined by the "Comisión de Box y Lucha Libre Mexico D.F." (Mexico City Boxing and Wrestling Commission), the main regulatory body in Mexico:[39]
| English name | Spanish name | Weight/height top limit | Division titles | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heavyweight | Peso Completo | Unlimited | National | CMLL | AAA | UWA | NWA | IWRG | WWA |
| Cruiserweight / Junior Heavyweight | Peso Crucero /Peso Junior-Completo | 105 kg (231 lb) | National | AAA | UWA | NWA | WWA | ||
| Light Heavyweight | Peso Semicompleto | 97 kg (214 lb) | National | CMLL | UWA | NWA | WWA | ||
| Super Middleweight / Junior Light Heavyweight | Peso Super Medio /Peso Semicompleto Junior | 92 kg (203 lb) | UWA | WWA | |||||
| Middleweight | Peso Medio | 87 kg (192 lb) | National | CMLL | UWA | NWA | IWRG | WWA | |
| Super Welterweight | Peso Super Wélter | 82 kg (181 lb) | IWRG | ||||||
| Welterweight | Peso Wélter | 77 kg (170 lb) | National | CMLL | UWA | NWA | IWRG | WWA | |
| Super Lightweight | Peso Super Ligero | 73 kg (161 lb) | CMLL | ||||||
| Lightweight | Peso Ligero | 70 kg (150 lb) | National | CMLL | UWA | IWRG | WWA | ||
| Featherweight | Peso Pluma | 63 kg (139 lb) | National | UWA | |||||
| Bantamweight | Peso Gallo | 57 kg (126 lb) | |||||||
| Flyweight | Peso Mosca | 52 kg (115 lb) | |||||||
| Mini-Star | Mini-Estrella | 1.524 m (5 ft 0 in) | National | CMLL | AAA | WWA | |||
| Micro-Star | Micro-Estrella | under 1.524 m (5 ft 0 in) | CMLL | NWA | |||||
Luchadores are traditionally divided into two categories,rudos (lit. "tough guys", who are "bad guys", or "heels"), who bend or break the rules, andtécnicos (the "good guys", or "faces", literally "technicians"), who play by the rules.Técnicos tend to have very formal wrestling styles, close toGreco-Roman wrestling andtraditional martial arts while incorporating aerial techniques, whereasrudos tend to be brawlers.Técnicos playing the "good guy" role, andrudos playing the "bad guy" role is very characteristic of Mexicanlucha libre, which differs from U.S. professional wrestling, where many technical wrestlers play the role of heels (e.g.,Kurt Angle), and many brawlers play as "faces" (e.g.,Stone Cold Steve Austin andThe Rock).[40] Althoughrudos often resort to using underhanded tactics, they are still expected to live up to aluchador code of honor. For instance, aluchador who has lost a wager match would prefer to endure the humiliation of being unmasked or having his head shaved rather than live with the shame that would come from not honoring his bet.Rudos have also been known to make the transition intotécnicos after a career-defining moment, as was the case withBlue Demon, who decided to become atécnico after his wrestling partner,Black Shadow, was unmasked by the legendarySanto. Tag teams are sometimes composed of bothrudos andtécnicos in what are calledparejas increibles ("incredible pairings").Parejas increibles highlight the conflict between aluchador's desire to win and his contempt for his partner.[41]
A staple gimmick present inlucha libre since the 1950s is theexótico, a character indrag. While theexótico was initially more subdued, it is argued that the gimmick has recently attained a more flamboyant outlook.[42]
Luchadores, like their foreign counterparts, seek to obtain acampeonato ("championship") through winning key wrestling matches. Since many feuds and shows are built aroundluchas de apuestas, title matches play a less prominent role in Mexico than in America. Titles can be defended as little as one time per year.[43]
Currently the two biggestlucha libre promotions in Mexico areConsejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL), which was founded in 1933 by the "father of Mexican professional wrestling"Salvador Lutteroth, andLucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA), founded in the early 1990s byAntonio Peña.[43]
The rules oflucha libre are similar to those of American professional wrestlingsingles matches. Matches can be won by pinning the opponent to the mat for the count of three, making him submit, knocking him out of the ring for a predetermined count (generally twenty), or by disqualification. Using the ropes for leverage is illegal, and once aluchador is on the ropes, his opponent must release any holds and he will not be able to pin him.
Disqualifications occur when an opponent uses an illegal hold or move, such as thepiledriver (referred as a "Martinete"), which is an illegal move inlucha libre and grounds for immediate disqualification, although some variants are legal in certain promotions; or when he hits his opponent in the groin (referred to as a "foul"); when he uses outside interference; when he attacks the referee; or when he completely rips off his opponent'smask. In manylucha libre promotions, matches aretwo out of three falls, which had been the norm fortitle matches in the United States and Japan but was widely abandoned by the 1970s.
A unique rule inlucha libre applies duringtag team matches: when a team's legal wrestler touches the ground outside the ring, a teammate may enter the ring to take his place as a legal competitor. Since the legal wrestler can step on the floor willingly, it is not necessary to tag a teammate to enter the match. This often allows for much more frantic action to take place in the ring than would be possible under standard tag rules.
In addition to male wrestlers, female wrestlers orluchadoras also compete in Mexicanlucha libre. TheCMLL World Women's Championship is the top title forCMLL's women's division, while theAAA equivalent is theReina de Reinas Championship. AAA also recognizes aWorld Mixed Tag Team Championship, contested by tag teams composed of aluchador andluchadora respectively. In 2000, the all-female promotionLucha Libre Femenil (LLF) was founded.[44]
Exóticos are male wrestlers who perform while incorporatingfeminine aspects into their wrestling personas, known as "gimmicks". Often compared todrag queens, they are characterized by acampy style, feminine costumes, andhumor.[45]: 152 Though not allexóticos aregay, some are and most incorporate sexual ambiguity into their performances. Wearingfeather boas,headdresses,sequins orstockings, they are often seen as defying traditionalmachoLatino culture.[46]: 57
Lucha libre promotions maintain divisions for wrestlers known asMini-Estrellas, also known asPequeño Estrellas and simplyMinis. Unlike Americanmidget wrestling,Mini-Estrellas divisions are not just fordwarfs but also forluchadores that are short. The maximum allowable height to participate in theminis division was originally 5 feet, but in recent years wrestlers such asPequeño Olímpico have worked in CMLL'sminis division despite being 1.69 m (5 ft6+1⁄2 in) tall.[47]Mini-Estrella wrestling was first popularized in the 1970s with wrestlers like Pequeño Goliath and Arturito (a wrestler with anR2-D2 gimmick) becoming noticed for their comedic abilities. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, CMLL created the first actualminis division, the brainchild of then-CMLL bookerAntonio Peña, which placed an emphasis on athleticism and spectacular high-flying techniques over comedy. CMLL created theCMLL World Pequeño Estrellas Championship in 1992, making it the oldestminis championship still in existence today.[48]Minis are often patterned after "regular-sized" wrestlers and are sometimes calledmascotas ("mascots") if they team with the regular-sized version.[47] In 2002, AAA introduced theAAA Mascot Tag Team Championship, a tag team title for teams of a regular-sized wrestler and amascota.
In the mid-2000s, American professional wrestling promotionWWE brought in a number of MexicanMini-Estrella wrestlers as part of its "Juniors Division".
In the 2010s, CMLL introduced theMicro-Estrellas division, exclusively forluchadores with dwarfism.
Mil Máscaras, aluchador fromSan Luis Potosí, is considered one of the first Mexican wrestlers to become a star outside his native country and is credited with popularizing thelucha libre style in theUnited States and around the world.
CMLL's events previously aired in the U.S. on theSpanish-language cable networks,Galavisión andLATV.Lucha Underground was alucha libre-themedaction drama television series produced by theUnited Artists Media Group which aired in English on theEl Rey Network and in Spanish onUniMás. It featured wrestlers from the Americanindependent circuit and from Mexico'sAAA promotion.[49][50] The series, which was taped live inBoyle Heights, California, ceased airing after itsfourth season.
In 2012, theArizona Diamondbacks team ofMajor League Baseball started doinglucha libre-themed promotions. Aluchador mask in Diamondback colors was such a popular giveaway at games, that in 2013 the team introduced D'backs Luchador, inspired by the mask, as an official mascot, joining D. Baxter the Bobcat.[51]
With many Japanese professional wrestlers completing their training in Mexico (notablyGran Hamada and his students),lucha libre began to influencepuroresu, the Japanese form of professional wrestling, culminating in the creation oflucharesu in Japan, a mixture of Mexicanlucha libre and Japanesepuroresu. While Mexicanlucha libre combinesGreco-Roman wrestling techniques with high-flying aerial maneuvers, Japaneselucharesu emphasizes a much faster high-flying style. Famouslucharesu wrestlers includeÚltimo Dragón,The Great Sasuke,Super Delfin, andDick Togo among others.Lucha libre in Puerto Rico has developed a distinct style and presentation and has been considered one of the most popular forms ofsports entertainment on the island for more than fifty years. InArgentina, there was an immensely popularlucha libre promotion known asTitanes en el ring. Titanes en el ring was known for its unique, outlandish and over-the-top approach to wrestling, which was developed by its promoter and top starMartín Karadagian. Titanes en el ring's approach to wrestling later influenced the wayAntonio Peña presented Mexicanlucha libre inAAA.[52]
InSpain, professional wrestling is typically called "catch" (fromcatch-as-catch-can wrestling) or "pressing catch" rather thanlucha libre.[53] InPeru, the termcachascán (from "catch as can") is used and the wrestlers are calledcachascanistas.[54] InBrazil, professional wrestling is referred to asluta livre profissional andtelecatch; a major wrestling star in Brazil wasTed Boy Marino. InBolivia,Fighting Cholitas –luchadoras dressed up as indigenousAymara – are popular and have inspiredcomic books.[55][56]
Past and present professional wrestling promotions that have usedlucha libre rules:
Lucha libre has crossed over into popular culture, especially in Mexico, where it is considered the most popular sport aftersoccer andboxing.[59] Outside of Mexico,lucha libre has also crossed over into popular culture, especially in movies and television. Depictions ofluchadores are often used as symbols of Mexico and Mexican culture in non-Spanish-speaking cultures.
WrestlersEl Santo,Blue Demon, andMil Máscaras – collectively dubbed theTres Grandes ("Big Three") of the Mexicanlucha libre tradition – becamefolk heroes and symbols of justice for the common man through their appearances inluchador films.
The motion pictureNacho Libre, starringJack Black as a priest-turned-luchador was inspired by the story of Father Sergio Gutiérrez Benítez, a real-lifeCatholic priest who wrestled asFray Tormenta to make money for his church.[60] The 2016 documentary featureLucha Mexico captured the lives of some of Mexico's well-known modern wrestlers. Directed by Alex Hammond and Ian Markiewicz, the feature documented the lives and careers ofShocker,Blue Demon Jr.,Perro Aguayo Jr., andÚltimo Guerrero.[61]Rob Zombie's animated filmThe Haunted World of El Superbeasto stars a Mexicanluchador named El Superbeasto.[62] The main antagonist of the animated filmDespicable Me 2, El Macho, sports a costume resembling that of aluchador, consistent with his theme of Mexican culture.
Television shows have also been inspired bylucha libre, especially animated series such asMucha Lucha.Cartoon Network Latin America also produced an animated miniseries based on El Santo.[63] "The Cautionary Tale of Numero Cinco", an episode ofThe WB television seriesAngel, told the story of a family ofluchadores called "Los Hermanos Números" who also fought evil. Angel must help the remaining brother, Numero Cinco, defeat an Aztec warrior-demon that killed his four brothers.[64] In the British TV showJustin Lee Collins: The Wrestler,Justin Lee Collins competes as therudo "El Glorioso", againstCassandro, anexótico, inThe Roundhouse, ultimately losing and being unmasked.[65] The book and television seriesThe Strain byGuillermo del Toro andChuck Hogan features a retiredluchador character called Angel de la Plata, played byJoaquin Cosio. In the storyline, Angel de la Plata (based on El Santo) was a major masked wrestling star in Mexico, appearing both in the ring and in a series of movies in which his character battled all manner of foes including vampires. A knee injury ended his career but he is called upon to use his fighting skills against a real-life vampire invasion of New York.[66] TheFox Kids live-action seriesLos Luchadores (2001) starred a trio of masked wrestlers consisting of Lobo Fuerte, Maria Valentine, and Turbine who not only participate in wrestling tournaments but also fight to protect their home of Union City from numerous threats (both natural and supernatural).
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Lucha libre is a recurring motif in nearly every game directed bySuda51, starting from his directorial debutSuper Fire Pro Wrestling 3 Final Bout. Most prominently, the character Mask de Smith fromkiller7 is a playablelucha libre wrestler, featuring a mask and cape. The popular video game franchisePokémon introduced the fighting/flying-type Pokémon Hawlucha, which is a hawk-like humanoid creature with elements of alucha libre wrestler. The maskedluchador and chefEl Fuerte was introduced to theStreet Fighter franchise inStreet Fighter IV. The fighting gameGarou: Mark of the Wolves and its follow-ups in theKing of Fighters series, featured the character Tizoc who was aluchador that wore a mask resembling the head of a griffon. During the events ofThe King of Fighters XIV, a character seemingly related to Tizoc became The King of Dinosaurs, a heel who wears a dinosaur inspired mask. TheDead or Alive franchise features a maskedluchadora calledLa Mariposa.
TheTekken fighting game franchise features the characters known asKing andArmor King, both of whom areluchadores and have similar jaguar-style masks.Guacamelee! and its sequelGuacamelee! 2 heavily featureluchador masks, with the main protagonist, Juan Aguacate, being bestowed a mystical mask to help him get revenge on Carlos Calaca, an evilcharro skeleton (in Guacamelee!) and to help him fight Salvador, an evilluchador (in Guacamelee! 2). The 2005 platformer gamePsychonauts features fourluchadores (Tiger, Dragon, Eagle, and Cobra) who act as miniboss-type enemies in the level "Black Velvetopia." The player must defeat theluchadores in order to access the arena that will let them fight the level's mainboss, El Odio.
Brawl Stars has a rareluchador brawler called El Primo. He punches enemies four times and can perform an elbow drop on them with his super move. Tezca, a playable legend inBrawlhalla, is a maskedluchador with a jaguar-themed design and fighting style.Kirby Fighters 2 introduced aluchador copy ability.
Strong Bad of theHomestar Runner universe began as a parody of Mexicanlucha libre and boxing. His head is designed after a wrestling mask and his hands afterboxing gloves.
Nike has designed a line oflucha libre-inspired athletic shoes.[67]Coca-Cola developed theBlue Demon Full Throttle energy drink named after theluchadorBlue Demon Jr., who served as the spokesperson for the drink in Mexico.[68] Coca-Cola also introduced Gladiator, a Mexican energy drink that sponsored CMLL events and featured CMLL wrestlers such asMístico andÚltimo Guerrero in its advertisements.[69]
Some Mexicanlucha libre wrestlers have had careers in variousmixed martial arts (MMA) promotions, wearing their signature masks and attire. One of the most famous examples isDos Caras Jr., who fought in thePride Fighting Championships.[70]
Japaneselucharesu wrestlerSatoru "Tiger Mask" Sayama foundedShooto – one of the first MMA promotions in the world – and participated in 3 MMA exhibition fights.
CAPITULO XXVI> DEL PESO DE LOS LUCHADORES
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