Lucha libre (Spanish pronunciation:[ˈlutʃaˈliβɾe], meaning "freestyle wrestling"[1] or literally translated as "free fight") is the term for the style ofprofessional wrestling originating in Mexico. Since its introduction to Mexico in the early 20th century, it has developed into a unique form of the genre, characterized by colorfulmasks, rapid sequences of holds and maneuvers, and"high-flying" maneuvers, some of which have been adopted in the United 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 Spanish it can refer to other kinds of wrestling, including competitivefreestyle 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, in Spain (as with other non-Anglophone European countries) professional wrestling is known as "Catch".[2]
Lucha libre wrestlers are known asluchadores (singularluchador) and often come fromextended wrestling families who form their own stables. One such line integrated to the United States professional wrestling scene isLos Guerreros.
In 2018, Mexicanlucha libre was declared anintangible cultural heritage ofMexico City by the head of the Government of Mexico City.[3]
The rules of lucha libre are similar to American singles 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 grab or move, such as thepiledriver, which is an illegal move in wrestling and grounds for immediate disqualification, although some variants are legal in certain promotions; or when he hits his opponent in the groin (foul); when he uses outside interference; when he attacks the referee; or when he completely rips off his opponent's mask. Most matches are two out of three falls, which had been abandoned for title matches in North America and Japan in the 1970s.
A unique rule in lucha libre applies during 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.
_(cropped).jpg)
The antecedents of Mexican wrestling date back to 1863, during theFrench Intervention in Mexico, when Enrique Ugartechea, the first Mexican wrestler, developed and invented Mexican lucha libre fromGreco-Roman wrestling.[4][5]
.jpg)
In the early 20th century, professional wrestling was mostly a regional phenomenon in Mexico untilSalvador Lutteroth founded theEmpresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre (Mexican Wrestling Enterprise) in 1933, giving the sport a national foothold for the first time.The promotion flourished and quickly became the premier spot for wrestlers. As television surfaced as a viable entertainment medium during the 1950s, Lutteroth was then able to broadcast his wrestling across the nation, subsequently yielding a popularity explosion for the sport. Moreover, it was the emergence of television that allowed Lutteroth to promote lucha libre's first breakout superstar into a national pop-culture phenomenon.[6]
In 1942, lucha libre would be forever changed when a silver-masked wrestler, known simply asEl Santo (The Saint), first stepped into the ring. He made his debut inMexico City by winning an 8-manbattle royal. The public fell in love with the mystique and secrecy of Santo's personality, and he quickly became the most popularluchador in Mexico. His wrestling career spanned nearly five decades, during which he became a folk hero and a symbol of justice for the common man through his appearances incomic books andmovies, while the sport received an unparalleled degree of mainstream attention.[7]
Other legendaryluchadores who helped popularize the sport includeGory Guerrero, who is credited with developing moves and holds which are now commonplace in professional wrestling;Blue Demon, a contemporary of Santo and possibly his greatest rival; andMil Máscaras (Man of A Thousand Masks), who is credited with introducing the high flying moves of lucha libre to audiences around the world. He achieved international fame as one of the first high-flyers, something he was not considered in Mexico, where he fell under the mat-power category.[8][9][10]
Luchadores are traditionally more agile and perform moreaerial maneuvers thanprofessional wrestlers in the United States, who more often rely on power and hard strikes to subdue their opponents. The difference in styles is due to the independent evolution of the sport in Mexico beginning in the 1930s and the fact thatluchadores in thecruiserweight division (peso semicompleto) are often the most popular wrestlers in Mexican lucha libre.[11]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. Rings used in lucha libre generally lack the spring supports added to U.S. and Japanese rings; as a result, lucha libre does not emphasize the "flat back" bumping style of other professional wrestling styles. For this same reason, aerial maneuvers are almost always performed on opponents outside the ring, allowing the luchador to break his fall with an acrobatic tumble.
Lucha libre has several different weight classes, many catered to smaller agile fighters, who often make their debuts in their mid-teens. This system enables dynamic high-flyingluchadores such asRey Mysterio, Jr.,Juventud Guerrera,Super Crazy andMístico, to develop years of experience by their mid-twenties.[12] A number of prominentJapanese wrestlers also started their careers training in Mexican lucha libre before becoming stars inJapan. These includeGran Hamada,Satoru Sayama,Jushin Thunder Liger, andÚltimo Dragón.
Lucha libre is also known for itstag team wrestling matches. The teams are often made up of three members, instead of two as is common in the United States. These three-man teams participate in what are called trios matches, for tag team championship belts. Of these three members, one member is designated the captain. A successful fall in atrios 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". He can then award the match to the aggressors. 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 from lucha libre because the race to tag is not a priority. There are also two-man tag matches (parejas) and "four on four" matches (atomicos).[13]
Masks (máscaras) have been used dating back to the beginnings of lucha libre in the early part of the 20th century, and have a historical significance to Mexico in general, dating to the days of theAztecs.[14] Early masks were very simple with basic colors to distinguish the wrestler. In modern lucha 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.[15]
During their careers, maskedluchadores will often be seen in public wearing their masks and keeping up the culture of lucha libre, while other masked wrestlers will interact with the public and press normally. However, they will still 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 and Xavier Garza incorporate wrestler masks in their paintings.[16]
Although masks are a feature of lucha 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 asSatánico,Cien Caras,Cibernético and others, have had continued success despite losing their masks.
With the importance placed on masks in lucha 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 in lucha libre as a means to settle a heatedfeud between two or more wrestlers. In these battles, calledluchas de apuestas ("matches with wagers"), the wrestlers "wager" either their mask or their hair.[17]
In alucha de apuesta (betting match), 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.[18] Usually the true identity of a masked wrestler is previously unknown, thus, it is customary for that person to reveal his real name, hometown and years as a professional upon unmasking.
Masked wrestlers appeared somewhere around the 1920s, in imitation of the covered roosters incockfighting. 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 which luchador 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't luchas de apuestas in the proper sense, since there weren't any bets on the line among the luchadores, nor did any masked gimmicks exist at this point. These were generally covered wrestlers that usually revealed themselves at the end of the night or after 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.
The firstlucha de apuestas (i.e. two wrestlers with a bet on the line) was presented on July 14, 1940, at Arena México. The defending championMurciélago (Velázquez) was so much lighter than his challenger (Octavio Gaona), he requested a further condition before he would sign the contract: Octavio Gaona would have to put his hair on the line. Octavio Gaona won the match and Murciélago unmasked, giving birth to the tradition.[19]
The following match types are variants of Luchas de Apuestas matches with different types of wagers.
Since lucha libre has its roots more in Latin American professional wrestling than North American professional wrestling, it retains some of the basics of the Latin American version such as moreweight classes than professional wrestling in North America post World War II. Like "old school" European (especially British) wrestling, some Japanese wrestling and early 20th-century American wrestling,[44] Lucha libre has a detailed weight class system patterned afterboxing. Each weight class has an official upper limit, but examples of wrestlers who are technically too heavy to hold their title can be found. The following weight classes exist in lucha libre, as defined by the "Comisión de Box y Lucha Libre Mexico D.F." (the Mexico City Boxing and Wrestling Commission), the main regulatory body in Mexico:[45]
| 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 | |||
| 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 | −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 and their moves are much more complex and spectacular.Técnicos tend to have very formal combat styles, close toGreco-Roman wrestling andmartial arts techniques, whereasrudos tend to be brawlers.Técnicos playing the "good guy" role, andrudos playing the "bad guy" role is very characteristic of Mexican lucha 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 &The Rock).[46] 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.[47]
A staple gimmick present in lucha libre since the 1950s isexótico, a character in drag. It is argued that the gimmick has recently attained a more flamboyant outlook.[48]
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 (matches with wagers), title matches play a less prominent role in Mexico than in the U.S. Titles can be defended as few as one time per year.[49]
The two biggest lucha libre promotions in Mexico areConsejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL), which was founded in 1933, andLucha Libre AAA World Wide (AAA).[49]
 | This sectiondoes notcite anysources. Please helpimprove this section byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged andremoved.(August 2022) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
One characteristic practiced in Mexico is with fans honoring wrestlers by throwing money into the wrestling ring after witnessing a high-quality match. With this act fans honor theluchador in a symbolic way, thanking theluchador for a spectacular match demonstrating they are pleased with their performance, showing the match is worth their money and worth more than what they paid to witness such an event. This act of honoring theluchador is uncommon: months can pass without it happening, because fans are the toughest of critics, booing theluchador if they are not pleased with their performance. Booing may happen regardless of the perceived virtuousness of theluchador's persona.
Theluchador, after receiving such an act of honor, will pick up the money and save it as a symbolic trophy, putting it in a vase or a box, labeled with the date, to be treasured.
Female wrestlers orluchadoras also compete in Mexicanlucha libre. TheCMLL World Women's Championship is the top title forCMLL's women's division, while theAAA Reina de Reinas Championship is a championship defended in an annual tournament by female wrestlers in AAA. AAA also recognizes aWorld Mixed Tag Team Championship, contested by tag teams composed of aluchador andluchadora respectively. In 2000, the all-female promotion company Lucha Libre Femenil (LLF) was founded.[50]
Lucha Libre has a division called the "Mini-Estrella" or "Minis" division, which unlike North Americanmidget wrestling, is not just fordwarfs but also forluchadores that are short. The maximum allowable height to participate in the Mini division was originally 5 feet, but in recent years wrestlers such asPequeño Olímpico have worked the Minis division despite being 1.69 m (5 ft6+1⁄2 in) tall.[51] The Minis division was first popularized in the 1970s with wrestlers like Pequeño Luke and Arturito (a wrestler with anR2-D2 gimmick) becoming noticed for their high flying abilities. In the late 1980s/early 1990s CMLL created the first actual "Minis" division, the brainchild of then-CMLL bookerAntonio Peña. CMLL created theCMLL World Mini-Estrella Championship in 1992, making it the oldest Minis championship still in existence today.[52] Minis are often patterned after "regular-sized" wrestlers and are sometimes called "mascotas" ("mascots") if they team with the regular-sized version.[51]
.jpg)
In 1994, AAA promoted theWhen Worlds Collidepay-per-view in conjunction with the U.S. promotion companyWorld Championship Wrestling (WCW).When Worlds Collide introduced U.S. audiences to many of the topluchadores in Mexico at the time.
In recent years, several luchadores have found success in the United States. Notableluchadores who achieved success in the U.S. areEddie Guerrero,Chavo Guerrero,Rey Mysterio, Jr.,Juventud Guerrera,L. A. Park,Super Crazy,Alberto Del Rio,Psicosis,Místico,Kalisto,Aero Star,Drago,Andrade El Idolo,Pentagon Jr.,Fenix,El Hijo del Fantasma,Bandido,Flamita,Puma King,Rush,Soberano Jr.,Dragon Lee,Guerrero Maya Jr. andStuka Jr.
CMLL lucha libre shows are broadcast weekly in the U.S. on theSpanish-language cable networksGalavisión and LA TV.
Lucha Underground is a television series produced by theUnited Artists Media Group which airs in English on theEl Rey Network and in Spanish onUniMás. It features wrestlers from the Americanindependent circuit and AAA.[53] AAA also owns a percentage of Lucha Underground.[54] The series, which is taped live in Boyle Heights, California, finished season 4 finale.
In 2012, the Arizona Diamondbacks Major League Baseball team started doing promotions involving lucha libre. A luchador mask in Diamondback colors was a popular giveaway at one game. In 2013 a Diamondbacks Luchador was made an official mascot, joining D. Baxter Bobcat. The first 20,000 fans at the July 27 game against the San Diego Padres were to receive a luchador mask.
InSpain, professional wrestling has commonly been calledcatch (fromcatch-as-catch-can wrestling) andpressing catch.[55] InPeru, the termcachascán (from "catch as can") is used and the wrestlers are calledcachascanistas.[56] InBolivia,wrestling Cholitas – female wrestlers dressed up as indigenousAymara – are popular[57][58] and have inspiredcomic books.
Some lucha libre wrestlers had careers in various mixed martial arts promotions, promoting lucha libre and wearing signature masks and attire. One of the most famous isDos Caras Jr.[61]
Lucha Libre has crossed over into popular culture, especially in Mexico, where it is the second most popular sport aftersoccer.[62] Outside of Mexico, lucha libre has also crossed over into popular culture, especially in movies and television. Depictions of luchadors are often used as symbols of Mexico and Mexican culture in non-Spanish-speaking cultures.
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.[63] The documentary featureLucha Mexico (2016) captured the lives of some of Mexico's well known wrestlers. The stars wereShocker,Blue Demon Jr.,El Hijo del Perro Aguayo andÚltimo Guerrero. Directed by Alex Hammond and Ian Markiewicz.[64]Rob Zombie's animated filmThe Haunted World of El Superbeasto stars a Mexican luchador named El Superbeasto.[65] The Main Antagonist of the animated filmDespicable Me 2, El Macho, sports a costume resembling that of a luchador, consistent with his theme of Mexican culture.
Television shows have also been inspired by lucha libre, especially animated series such as¡Mucha Lucha!Cartoon Network also produced an animated miniseries based on the luchador El Santo.[66] The WB television seriesAngel episode entitled "The Cautionary Tale of Numero Cinco" told the story of a family ofluchadores called "Los Hermanos Números" who also fought evil. Angel must help the remaining brother, Numero Cinco, defeat the Aztec warrior-demon that killed his four brothers.[67] In the British TV showJustin Lee Collins: The Wrestler, Colins competes as therudoEl Glorioso, or The Glorious One, against theexóticoCassandro inThe Roundhouse, London, ultimately losing and being unmasked.[68] The book and television seriesThe Strain byGuillermo del Toro andChuck Hogan, features a retired luchador character called Angel de la Plata (The Silver Angel), played byJoaquin Cosio. In the storyline, Angel de la Plata (probably based onEl 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.[69] 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).
| This sectiondoes notcite anysources. Please helpimprove this section byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged andremoved.(January 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
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 playable lucha 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 a lucha libre wrestler.
The masked Luchador fighter and chefEl Fuerte was introduced to theStreet Fighter franchise inStreet Fighter IV.
The fighting gameGarou: Mark of the Wolves and its follow-up, theKing of Fighters series, featured the character Tizoc who was a Luchador that wore a mask resembling the head of a griffon; during the events ofThe King of Fighters XIV, he adopted the heel persona of The King of Dinosaurs, wearing now a dinosaur inspired mask.
TheDead or Alive franchise features a masked luchadora calledLa Mariposa.
TheTekken fighting game franchise features the characters known asKing andArmor King, both of whom are Luchadors and have similar jaguar-style masks.
Guacamelee! and its sequelGuacamelee! 2 heavily feature Luchador 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 evil Luchador, in Guacamelee! 2.
The 2005 platformer gamePsychonauts features four Luchadores (Tiger, Dragon, Eagle, and Cobra) who act as miniboss-type enemies in the level "Black Velvetopia." The player must defeat the Luchadores in order to access the arena that will let them fight the level's mainboss, El Odio.
Brawl Stars has a rare brawler called “El Primo”. He punches enemies two times and can jump on them with his super.
Tezca, a playable legend inBrawlhalla, is a masked luchador with jaguar-themed design and fighting style.
Kirby Fighters 2 has a wrestler copy ability introduced. It can do moves from fighter and suplex.
Strong Bad of theHomestar Runner universe began as a parody of lucha libre. His head is designed after a mask and his hands after boxing gloves.
Nike has designed a line of lucha libre-inspired athletic shoes.[70]Coca-Cola developed a Blue DemonFull Throttle energy drink named after the luchadorBlue Demon, Jr. who is also the spokesperson for the drink in Mexico.[71] Coca-Cola also introduced "Gladiator" in Mexico, an energy drink that sponsored CMLL events and that featured CMLL wrestlers such asMístico andÚltimo Guerrero.[72]
CAPITULO XXVI> DEL PESO DE LOS LUCHADORES
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
Media related toLucha libre at Wikimedia CommonsProfessional wrestling by country | |
|---|---|
| Americas | |
| Asia | |
| Europe | |
| Oceania | |
| Attendance records | |
| Related | |
