Lucha libre, which translates literally as “free fighting,” is a unique part of Mexican culture and one of the most popular sports in the country. It’s becoming increasingly well-known around the world due to the high-flying, acrobatic moves and the flashy costumes of the luchadores (“fighters”).
Salvador Lutteroth founded the Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre (“Mexican Wrestling Enterprise”) in 1933. Traveling from town plaza to town plaza, the sport was immediately popular, but it really took off in the 1950s when matches started being televised. The Mexican Wrestling Enterprise still exists today, making it the oldest wrestling company in the world.
Luchadores fit into one of two categories: rudos (“rude ones,” or the “bad guys”) and técnicos (“technicians,” or the “good guys”). By consistently matching the under-handed rudos against the noble técnicos, the sport of lucha libre always presents matches of good versus evil. To make things more complicated, the referees themselves are sometimes rudos, giving an unfair advantage to the bad guys. One of the greatest parts of going to a lucha libre match is watching the people in the crowd, from young children to their elderly grandmothers, hurling insults at the rudos and cheering on the técnicos enthusiastically.
To win a match, a luchador can pin his opponent for a three-count or force him to give up with a submission hold. Usually, instead of fighting for only one match, it’s the best two out of three. Tag team matches are the norm. Usually, there are three luchadores on each side, one of which is the team captain.
Although not every luchador wears a mask, it is undoubtedly one of the most symbolic and important aspects of the sport. Colorful and unique to each luchador, the masks often resemble folkloric animals or gods. Many luchadores wear their masks in public even when they’re not wrestling, hiding their true identities. El Santo, the first superstar of lucha libre and probably the most famous Mexican athlete in history, continued wearing his mask even after his 48-year wrestling career ended. He starred in over fifty films as well as comic books. When he died in 1984, he was buried wearing his silver mask.
The center of lucha libre is the Arena México, a 16,500-capacity arena that has stood in Mexico City since 1933. However, you don’t have to go the whole way to the capital to see a match – Puerto Vallarta has four venues that occasionally host lucha libre:
Plaza de Toros (in the Hotel Zone)
Arena Demonio Blanco (in Pitillal)
Lienzo Charro Miguel Prieto Ibarría (outside Ixtapa)
La Plaza de Infonavit
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