{"id":10794,"date":"2017-08-09T14:55:52","date_gmt":"2017-08-09T18:55:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/spanish\/?p=10794"},"modified":"2017-08-09T14:55:52","modified_gmt":"2017-08-09T18:55:52","slug":"a-guide-to-lucha-libre","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/spanish\/a-guide-to-lucha-libre\/","title":{"rendered":"A Guide to Lucha Libre"},"content":{"rendered":"

As is the case in much of the Spanish-speaking world, football is definitely the most popular sport in Mexico. When it comes to uniquely Mexican sports, though, you just can’t beat the high-flying action of lucha libre<\/em>. On any given Friday night, all 17,000 seats at Arena M\u00e9xico are full of people cheering on their favorite luchador<\/em>. Let’s take a closer look at this massively popular sport, starting with an important question.<\/p>\n

What is Lucha Libre<\/em>?<\/h2>\n
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Lucha libre is a huge part of Mexican culture.<\/p><\/div>\n

In Spanish, lucha libre<\/em> literally means “free fight.” This style of wrestling got its start in Mexico way back in 1863 when\u00a0Enrique Ugartechea<\/strong> developed a new form of Greco-Roman wrestling. A few decades later, and Mexico was in the midst of a bloody revolution. People sought distractions from the harsh realities of what was going on around them, and a couple of Italian businessmen started promoting lucha libre<\/em> fights to do just that.<\/p>\n

In 1933,\u00a0Salvador Lutteroth Gonz\u00e1lez<\/strong>\u00a0established the\u00a0Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre<\/em> (Mexican Wrestling Organization). He was inspired by the professional wrestling matches he had seen in Texas, especially the characters and their colorful personalities. He decided to bring these kinds of shows back to his home country, with a focus on the lucha libre<\/em> style. Within just a year, his shows were selling out and looking for larger venues. It should come as no surprise that he’s known as the “father of lucha libre<\/em>” for his efforts. The league is still going strong under its current name of\u00a0Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre<\/em> (World Wrestling Council). While\u00a0Gonz\u00e1lez made it a national sport, one wrestler in particular helped catapult lucha libre<\/em> to a cultural phenomenon.<\/p>\n

El Santo<\/h2>\n
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A mural of luchadores in Arena Coliseo.<\/p><\/div>\n

In 1942, a wrestler named Santo, El Enmascarado de Plata<\/em>\u00a0(Saint, the Silver Masked Man) stepped into the squared circle for the first time. Wearing a silver mask, he won an 8-man battle royal and the affection of the crowd. He went on to have a career spanning five decades, usually simply referred to as El Santo<\/em> (The Saint). His real name was\u00a0Rodolfo Guzm\u00e1n Huerta<\/b>, and he also appeared in countless movies and comic books, becoming a real-life superhero for his adoring fans. After retiring, he famously removed his mask on a television program for the first time ever in public. Just a week later, he died from a heart attack. According to his wishes, he was buried in his legendary silver mask. His youngest son continues his legacy to this day, wrestling as\u00a0El Hijo del Santo<\/em> (The Son of the Saint).<\/p>\n

Style<\/h2>\n
\"Lucha<\/a>

Masks and figures for sale outside the arena.<\/p><\/div>\n

While the\u00a0m\u00e1scara<\/em> (mask) is an integral part of lucha libre<\/em>, not every wrestler wears one. Many begin their career as an\u00a0enmascarado<\/em>\u00a0(masked wrestler) but will be unmasked at some point in their career. This usually happens in a special bout that results in one wrestler losing their mask. In fact,\u00a0luchas de apuestas<\/em> (matches with wages) are a big part of the show. Here are just a few examples:<\/p>\n