The History of Lucha Libre
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Alexa Internet
has been donating their crawl data to the Internet Archive. Flowing in every day, these data are added to the
Wayback Machine
after an embargo period.
The Wayback Machine - https://web.archive.org/web/20120913065250/http://www.bongo.net:80/papers/lucha.htm
Lucha Libre
The History of Mexican Pro-Wrestling
October 8th, 2004
Introducción
Lucha Libre, which translates literally as Free Wrestling or Free Fight, is a
Mexican passion that hails from at least as far back as the 1930s. Matches have
sparked riots that have shut down large cities. Its almost mythic heroes who battle
evil and corruption have inspired generations in movies as well as the ring. Long
before the World Wrestling Federation brought back wrestling to the United States,
Lucha Libres costumed heroes and villains were developing the moves that would
make the WWFs founders very rich. Its an important part of Mexican culture and thus,
an important part of California culture too.
Empezar Nebuloso
Popular wrestling, as we know it now, began in Europe in the 1900s in
Switzerland. The style of fighting they developed was called schwinger, or swinging,
and was very popular, quickly spreading to the UK, Austria, Germany, France and
Spain. Similar to Greco-Roman style wrestling, it is still practiced in some areas
of Europe. It was in Spain where it really caught on and began to develop.
In Spain it was called catch as catch can, but was later shortened to just
catch. By the late 1940s, probably through cross-pollination with Mexico, catch had
been dropped in preference to Lucha Libre. Up until the Spanish Civil War, the sport
was run by the Corporacin Internacional de Catch and featured wrestlers from all over
the world, even Japan. Many boxers were drafted into wrestling. The more colorful
and exotic the wrestler, the better. Borrowed too from boxing were its corporate
structure and the corruption. Wrestling matches were moved from town to town, often
being held in the town square or hall. The matches moved to each town on a set route
and timetable called a circuit, generally coming back to the same town each year at
the same time. After the war, Lucha returned again to Spain, but by the early 1960s
it had petered out and remains so until this day.
Cruzar Polinazación
Don Salvador Lutteroth Gonzalez
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There are many stories; most are apocryphal, about how Lucha made the jump to
Mexico. One story has it that the French brought it in the 1860s. Another more
romantic story says that it was started by dueling Italian theatre companies in 1910
to raise public interest and their box office returns. One story that is certainly
true is that a Spanish boxing promoter made two demonstration tours through
Mexico in 1921 and 1923.
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The generally accepted story is that in 1929, Don Salvador Lutteroth Gonzalez
witnessed a wrestling match in Liberty Hall, Texas, and decided to give it a go
in Mexico. By 1933 he had combined a small number of rich backers together with the
proceeds of a large bingo win to start the company Empresa Mexicana de Lucha
Libre. Ten years later, they had built their first arena - Arena Coliseo.
From the start Gonzalez was all show. His first year lineup included an
international cast with wrestlers like Bobby Sampson from the United States,
Cyclone Mackey from Ireland, and Yaqui Joe the Indian wrestler. It was a great
success and it expanded, opening up circuits across Mexico.
Up until the start of the Spanish Civil War in 1936, many wrestlers would tour
both in Spain and Mexico, but with the start of the war Spanish wrestling shut down
and many wrestlers, trainers, and promoters moved to Mexico. This greatly improved
both the quality of the game and its management. They brought with them tighter
organization and better promotion. Mexican wrestling was set to explode, but it
had to wait for a spark to set it off.
El Santo
Rodolfo Guzmán Huerta, a native of Hidalgo, Mexico, entered
the world of the Free Fight as a teen in 1930s. He originally wrestled as Rudy
Guzmán, but then opted to take the tradition of the Mexican masked man, el luchador,
as El Murcielago II and later as El Hombre Rojo, with somewhat limited success. He spent his
first five years developing his natural technical skills and in the creation of popular
personas.
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In July of 1942 he debuted as El Santo (The Saint), winning an 8-man battle royal held in
Mexico City. By this time he had become one of the most technically capable men in the ring,
and one success led to another. What made him different from other wrestlers at the
time was that he expanded the art, adding new move after new move. Many of his moves are now
commonplace in modern pro-wrestling, but 40 years ago they had never been seen. On top of this,
he exhibited a kind of nobility in the ring that inspired and won the hearts of the
crowds. But it wasnt just his success in the ring that endeared him to the Mexican people.
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In 1958 he debuted in his first film
Cerebro del Mal
or
Brain of Evil
. Santos
feature films were a huge part of Latino culture. He was the Mexican equivalent of John Wayne,
eventually staring in over 50 films. He was the biggest wrestler in the world of Lucha Libre
and became arguably the single most famous entertainment figure in Latino culture of the
20
th
Century.
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El Espíritu
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Since the beginning of time, every society's mythology has included battles between good and
evil that determines the future of mankind. We reenact those battles in our rituals, usually
in a sacred space such as a temple, a church, or La Arena Coliseo.
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Lucha Libre never strays from the familiar pairing of technico (or cientifico) against
rudo. The struggle between good and evil is presented in some form in every match. The
technicos represent characters with heroic and noble qualities, frequently based on comic books
or folklore. The rule-bending rudos symbolize many of the most negative aspects of life in
Mexico, and their characters are designed to evoke the same feelings as their real life
counterparts; the dishonest policeman, the drunks, the gangs, the mobsters, and
so on.
Mexico's Lucha Libre has undergone significant changes since its Greco-Roman origins. Little
by little the techniques have become more and more acrobatic, theatric, and spectacular. One
of the most distinct characteristics that it has developed is that of the mask. To wear it is
to defy the opposition, to deny them your identity and assume the traits symbolized by the mask
itself. To lose it is to be forever humbled before your foe, and to be exposed as being too
human. The moment of unmasking is the point of highest dramatic tension in Lucha Libre; it is
conducted with an air of respect and dignity fitting the instant of ultimate revelation. The
moment when the face of the man will emerge from beneath the mask of the character.
El Comercio
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Libre has come a long way from the days of matches in the village square. Today its not only
big in Mexico and the United States, but in Japan too. The EMLL or Empresa Mexicana de la
Lucha Libre not only still exists but it has achieved the notoriety of being the oldest
wrestling promotion company in the world. Pitted against it is the AAA or Asestencia
Asesoria Administracin. The AAA is run by Antonio Pena and owned by Mexican television
station Televisa. It was formed in 1992. Both companies manage competitions in Japan,
Japan as yet not having its own competing management organization.
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The EMLL owns at least six major arenas in Mexico, dedicated just to the sport. I suspect
that the AAA has a similar organization, but both rely on rented venues for their events.
The AAA has the added advantage of owning a television network. There are many
semi-independent arenas and gyms associated through the circuit system to one of the two main
companies. There are many more independent promoters who run independent exhibitions, living
from day to day on their meager profits.
For the big organizations though, Lucha Libre is big business and its center in the United
States is Los Angeles. Events regularly pack the LA Sports Arena and turn a hefty profit on
pay for view channels.
What does it take to be a Lucha Libre wrestler? Its pretty much the same as making it in
the WWF. You pay to attend a school/gym, either an official one or an independent. In Japan
you live in the gym. In the Americas you are on your own. If you show promise, you are
allowed to spar, get clobbered in minor matches, and perhaps even someday propose a new
character. You can also wrestle as an independent, but not in the big arenas and generally
not for the big money or even no money at all.
La Personas
Lucha Libre events are important places for people to vent frustrations. In the Anaheim
Indoor Marketplace in Orange County, as it does in Mexico, the wrestling ring serves as a
valve for the release of simmering tensions:
Looking like a hardcore Vanilla Ice, American Rebel appeared before his match on
Sunday and riled up the crowd with the following pleasantries:
"You half-baked beaners should learn English, damn it! You fat, piss-drunk,
chicharrn
-eating wabs! None of you belong here! I see a lot of wasted space in my
country [
gesturing at his own muscular chest
] occupied by you wabs [
jabbing his
finger at the audience
]! All of you Mexicans can kiss my great white
ass!"
By this point, the capacity crowd is in an uproar, hurling insults back at Rebel
in both English and Spanish. Grandmothers scream, "Fuck you, asshole!" Little kids
throw food into the ring. At one point, a boy who appears no older than 7 yells,
"
Vete a la madre, pinché! pendejo!
" (" Go to hell, fucking
asshole!")
Rebel, wearing a mask of incredulity, points directly at the kid and yells,
"Ill call
la migra
on you, you little piece of shit!"
[1]
It's not just race. The wrestlers reflect the fears and biases of their fans. That
day there were two rudos, gang members Cholo and Lil Cholo, and a transvestite, Rosa Salvaje
whose grappling technique, kissing wrestlers and getting them into sexually suggestive
positions, seemed designed to play off the homophobia of the Mexican men and fighters.
The arena is owned by the Martín family. The father not only runs the business,
but wrestles in the ring as El Genio. He is the arena choreographer and carefully designs
scenarios and wrestler personas. Martín guides his wrestlers to specifically play off
the crowds antagonisms, but leaves to them to add their own spin.
The events are family affairs with the audiences filled with everyone from grandmothers to
babies. They are not just places to vent anger and frustration -- they are classrooms
too.
José Luis Aldaco of Santa Ana brings his entire family wife, two
sons, two
daughters "to let a little steam out by yelling a lot." A landscaper by trade and a
native of the Mexican state of Jalisco, he has no fear of exposing his children to the
violence of the matches. "Its entertainment for the entire family," he says.
"They can tell the difference between right and wrong."
[2]
The arena presents strong stereotypes and simple straightforward moral messages much as
the tradition of consejos do at home.
Apédice A -- El Juego
The rules differ depending on the type of match. There are singles, tag teams, trios
matches, and special stipulation matches. Most of the matches are trios matches called
relevos australianos, two three-man teams pitted against each other. In most team matches,
one man is designated as team captain. If the captain is pinned or his two teammates are
pinned, then the match is over.
Its not just men wrestling, women wrestle too. Theres a title to be won for just about
anyone, even midgets. Midget wrestling is very popular and midgets will often team up with
the heavier weight class athletes too.
This is a very abbreviated list of wrestling moves to give you an idea of what goes on in
the arena. There is a great list at
http://www.highspots.com/arena/dictionary.htm
along with a lot of other terms and the
basic Spanish you need to understand what is going on.
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Plancha
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body press
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Crotch
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body slam
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Desnucadora
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power bomb
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Guillotina
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leg drop
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Martinete
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head 1st throw, like a piledriver or tombstone
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Patadas voladoras
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drop kick
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Quebradora
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backbreaker (usually done off the rope with a spin)
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Rana
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cradle, pinning move
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Senton
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back bump onto opponent
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Tope
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headButt, usually diving through ropes, translates into "speed bump"
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Mortal
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180 or 360 degrees flip
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Lance
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spike blow, everything from a knee drop to a Stardust press counts
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Quebrador con grio
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tilt-a-whirl backbreaker
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Apédice B -- La Familia
Its not just families in the seats, there are families in the ring too. Old ring fueds
are followed closely. The audience follows the lives of great wrestlers, watching their
children closely to see who will step into the ring next to carry the character on.
Father:
El Santo
Son:
El Hijo del Santo
Father:
Gory Guerrero
Sons:
Chavo Guerrero, Hector Guerrero, Mando Guerrero, Eddy Guerrero
Grandson:
Chavo Guerrero Jr.
Father:
AAA referee Pepe Tropi Casas
Sons:
El Felino, Heavy Metal, Negro Casas
Father:
Ray Mendoza
Sons:
Villanos I, II, III, IV, and V
Father:
Dr. Wagner
Sons:
Dr. Wagner Jr., Silver King
Uncle:
Rey Misterio Sr.
Nephew:
Rey Misterio Jr. (Oscar Gonzalez)
Father:
Fuerza Guerrera
Son:
Juventud Guerrera
Father:
Perro Aguayo
Son:
Perro Aguayo Jr.
Uncle:
Super Parka
Nephew:
La Parka
Uncle:
Blue Panther
Nephew:
Black Warrior
Uncle:
Pirata Morgan
Nephew:
Rey Buccenero
Father:
Lizmark
Son:
Lizmark Jr.
Father:
Humberto Garza
Sons:
Hector Garza, Humberto Garza Jr.
Apédice C -- Atribuimos Las Photografías
Santos Mask (title page), Santo Wrestling, Cerebro del Mal (page three)
The Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
http://www.wrestlingmuseum.com/pages/bios/halloffame/santobio.html
Don Salvador Lutteroth Gonzalez (page two)
Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre
http://www.cmll.com/history.html
Xo and Gina (page four)
Love and Rockets, Number 41, May 1993
Camp Vicki
, by Jaime Hernandez
Son of Santo Toy (page four)
El Bastardo de Plastico!
http://www.geocities.com/ultimogringo/arena.html
Wrestling Scenes (page seven)
Japan Pro-Wrestling
http://www.oudou.co.jp/
Apédice D -- Bibliografía
Switzerland, The People
http://sepdata.virtualave.net/sw1.html
History of Pro-Wrestling In Spain
Valentin Maldonado
http://www.wrestling-titles.com/europe/spain/spainhistory.html
Empresa Mexicana de la Lucha Libre
http://www.cmll.com/english.html
El Santo
The Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
Steve Slagle, The Ring Chronicle
http://www.wrestlingmuseum.com/pages/bios/halloffame/santobio.html
Mexican Lucha Libre
Mike Lightning Quackenbush
http://members.aol.com/quackenbushhq/mexico.htm
Lap! Pow! Slap!
Business Mexico, July 2001 v11 i7 p59
Sergio Ulloa
rec.sport.pro-wrestling FAQ
Japan Pro-Wrestling
http://www.oudou.co.jp/
Asestencia Asesoria Administracin
http://www.triplea.com.mx/
IWC AAAs spin on Lucha Libre takes wrestling world by storm
Amusement Business, Jan 2, 1995 v107 n1 p10
Dan Denton
Lucha Libre USA
http://www.romaprowrestling.com/
Revolution Pro-Wrestling (a wrestling school)
http://www.revolutionpro.com/sub/training.htm
Bloody Glory In A Mask
Los Angeles Times, Dec 26 2001, Richard Marosi
[1]
Orange County Weekly,
Lucha F@!#%n Libre!,
Gustavo Arellano, Vol 6 No 22, Feb 2 2001
[2]
Orange County Weekly,
Lucha F@!#%n Libre!,
Gustavo Arellano, Vol 6 No 22, Feb 2 2001