Lucha libre: Life Behind the Mask

Wrestling? Really? Really!

Really
!
 A little bit of lucha libre history

The current form started in the 1930s,

although wrestling as a sport is 1000s
of years old.

How the sport started and took

root in Mexico is debated. The
generally accepted story is that
Salvador Lutteroth González
witnessed a free-wrestling
competition in Texas in 1929 and
decided to introduce it in Mexico,
which he did in 1933 [combining
the resources of wealthy backers
and his bingo winnings.]
The initial matches featured international
participants, and were spread throughout
Mexico and Spain.

The outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936

curtailed lucha libre events [called “catch” there}
in Europe but stimulated the lucha libre scene in
Mexico.
Rodolfo Guzmán Huerta,
aka El Santo
The most beloved wrestler in Mexican Lucha
Libre history.
The career of El Santo (the Saint) began in 1935 and
would stretch for more than 40 years.

El Santo was famous for his silver mask -

and the fact that he was never seen without
it. More than any other wrestler, El Santo
was able to keep his true identity and face
a mystery and this served him well in
creating a mystique which increased his
popularity with wrestling fans across
Mexico.

He would eventually became one of the most popular movie stars in all
of Mexico, performing in movies such as Santo vs. the Vampire
Women, Santo in the Wax Museum and Mummies of Guanauato.
Santo started out as a "rudo" (bad
guy) in the ring, but years later
(in the early sixties) decided that
becoming a technico (good guy)
would greatly enhance his career.
A publisher named Jose Cruz
started a "fumetti"-style comic
book in 1952, featuring Santo's
adventures fighting crime and
monsters on a weekly basis,
which popularized Santo into a
near-legendary figure in Mexico.
The comic book series (4
volumes) ran continuously for
about 35 years, and is probably
the most famous superhero comic
book in Mexico.
His first of many Mexican film appearances was in "THE EVIL BRAIN", filmed very
cheaply in Cuba in 1958. In this film, Santo played an unnamed masked agent who
helps the police combat a mad doctor. It was quickly followed by "THE INFERNAL
MEN", in which he played an unnamed masked man who aids a police agent in
capturing some drug smugglers

It was only in 1961 when producer Alberto Lopez hired him

to star as "El Santo" in the now-classic "SANTO VS. THE
ZOMBIES" that his actual movie career began. Santo was
paid less than $1,700.00

All told from 1958 to 1982, Santo starred in a total

of 52 Mexican movies (2 of which were only cameo
appearances). He co-starred in 9 of those films with
the Blue Demon, another famous Mexican wrestler
who also enjoyed a successful film career of his
own.
Film clips

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoIJ043HOy0&feature=player_

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2e5fh_el-santo_fun
 Like Santo, Blue Demon (when he wasn't in
the ring) was out there investigating weird
phenomena, hunting monsters and saving
hapless souls from the likes of killer
zombies, lecherous vampires and wacky
mad doctors.
His first appearance as The Blue
Demon was in Mexico City in
September 1948. Blue began his
career in the ring as a "rudo" (bully
or bad guy).

In 1952, the famous wrestler SANTO beat and

unmasked The Black Shadow in the ring, which
triggered Blue's decision to become a technico
(good guy) in the ring, as well as a legendary
feud between The Blue Demon and Santo that culminated in Blue's beating
Santo in a well-publicized series of matches in 1952 and again in 1953. Their
rivalry never really ended in later years, although they appeared together in
a series of horror films, since Santo always remembered his defeat at the
Blue Demon's hands.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xr1X8HQVekc&feature=relate
Back to the origins:

Lucha libre follows a classic story line of good vs. evil, in this case
“técnico” vs. “rudo’>

Técnicos represent characters with heroic and noble qualities,

frequently based on comic books or folklore.

Rudos symbolize many of the negative

aspects of Mexican life, and their
characters are designed to evoke those
feels felt towards dishonest cops, crooked
politicians, mobsters, gangs, loud drunks,
etc.
The techniques in lucha libre progressed
from mere wrestling moves to
choreographed routines filled with
acrobatics, theatrics and drama.
The mask:
It denies the opposition the knowledge associated
with knowing one’s identity and therefore
knowing one’s history, characteristics, strengths
and weaknesses.
The wearer assumes the
characteristics represented in the
mask, which are specially designed for
each wrestler.

The mask, and

sometimes the
hair, are at
stake in a
match.
The loser in a match runs the risk of being unmasked, humbled, exposed.

Unmasking is normally conducted with an air of dignity and respect [both

of which are relative terms….]
Luchadores are traditionally more agile and perform more aerial manoeuvres
than their North American counterparts. They execute high-flying moves by
utilizing the wrestling ring’s ropes to catapult themselves towards their
opponents, using intricate combinations in rapid-fire succession, and applying
complex submission holds.
Lucha libre is also known for its tag-team wrestling matches. The teams are
often made of up to three members, of which one is designated the captain. In
trio matches, there are usually two referees. Generally, one is a heel referee
(siding with the rudos) and one is a face referee (siding with the técnicos). Most
matches are won by the winners of two out of three falls.

A successful fall in a match can be achieved by either pinning

the captain of the opposing team or by pinning the other
members. Falls often occur simultaneously, which adds to the
extremely stylized nature of the action.
Lucha libre is huge in Mexico and in the Southwest
US. Also in Japan and England.

Prices range from £20 for unreserved standing at

ground floor level to £30-£60 for seating and up
to £75 for ringside seats. The family matinee is
priced at £20 for standing, £30-£50 seating and
£60 ringside with child discounts available.
WWE vs. Lucha libre

WWE exists in about 100 countries

[vs. 3]

The wrestlers are much larger

[but less agile and acrobatic]

There are prizes, championships, etc.

The audience:

Because the ring is open on all 4 sides, and

spectators surround the ring, the audience is an
essential component of the spectacle.

The spectators exercise great

power within the performance as
they react to and judge the
actions of the wrestlers. The
opinions voiced by the audience
shape the narrative of the
spectacle. The wrestler will often
ask the audience what action he
should take and likewise, the
audience will tell the wrestler and
referee what actions they should
take
Superbarrio Look, up in the sky ... Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's
Superbarrio -- a flabby caped crusader in cherry red tights
who traverses the streets of Mexico City, defending the lower
class.

His role is primarily symbolic as the protector

of low-income neighborhoods. But on behalf of
squatters and labor unions, Superbarrio leads
protest rallies, files petitions and challenges
court decisions

http://boingboing.net/2009/02/26/bb-video-return-of-s.html
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJob-xORJWE

http://www.hemisphericinstitute.org/journal/1_1/sb.html
Yeah, fine, but it’s all fake, right?

Depends on how you define

“fake”…..something to think about as
you’re watching.

Also think about the role of lucha libre in the lives of

these people: what does it offer them and their
families?