History
A short history of lucha libre
A short history of lucha libre, from the 1920s masks and the 1933 founding of Mexico's oldest promotion to a Mexico City arena and the 2018 heritage status.
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Lucha libre means free wrestling and is the Mexican style of professional wrestling. Masked wrestlers date to the 1920s, Salvador Lutteroth founded what became the Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre in 1933, a Mexico City arena opened in 1956, and Mexico City's government named lucha libre part of the capital's intangible cultural heritage in 2018.
The 1920s and the first masks
Wikipedia says masks arrived in Mexico in the 1920s, modelled on covered roosters in cockfighting, and spread in the 1930s after a popular masked American wrestler came to the country. During the early years people could bet on the known wrestler or on the covered one, and at the end of the match the covered one was revealed. Promoters soon found that the mystery was attractive to the audience and kept the secret.
1933: a promotion and a promoter
Wikipedia says the Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre was founded in 1933 by Salvador Lutteroth, called the father of Mexican professional wrestling. Wikipedia's article on the Mexico City wrestling arena says Lutteroth began promoting lucha libre events at the Arena Modelo on 21 September 1933, and that his promotion, Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre, was renamed Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre in 1990. The show in Cozumel is a small-scale cousin of that tradition.
The cathedral of lucha libre
The wrestling arena in Mexico City that Lutteroth built stood complete in 1956 and is still the largest arena built specifically for professional wrestling, Wikipedia says. It is known as the cathedral of lucha libre mexicana and seats 16,500 when set up for wrestling or boxing. That is a world away from a shared arena in San Miguel de Cozumel, but the masks, técnicos and rudos you see in Cozumel come from the same tradition.
Wager matches and the mask
Wikipedia says one of the first wager matches was held on 14 July 1940 at that Mexico City arena, when a masked wrestler had to unmask after losing. Putting a mask or hair on the line against a hated opponent became a tradition for settling feuds. The mask is considered sacred, which is why wager matches carry such weight in the sport's culture.
Heritage status in 2018
Wikipedia says Mexico City's government named Mexican lucha libre part of the capital's intangible cultural heritage in 2018. Telemundo reported the declaration in July 2018. It recognised the sport as part of the capital's living culture, and it is one reason visitors now see lucha libre as a tradition rather than a novelty.
The widening cast
Wikipedia says luchadoras compete in Mexican lucha libre, and that the Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre has a women's championship. Short luchadores have their own divisions, called mini-estrellas, which Wikipedia says were first popularised in the 1970s, and exóticos, wrestlers with a campy, costumed style, have been a staple gimmick since the 1950s. The sport has never been only masked men in the ring.
Lucha libre beyond Mexico
Wikipedia says lucha libre is considered the most popular sport in Mexico after football and boxing, and that its aerial techniques have been adopted by wrestlers in the United States, Japan and elsewhere. Many Japanese wrestlers completed their training in Mexico, which helped create a blend of lucha libre and Japanese wrestling called lucharesu. Depictions of luchadores are also used abroad as symbols of Mexico and Mexican culture.
How a Cozumel show fits
A show in a shared arena in San Miguel is a small part of this history. It borrows the masks, the técnicos-against-rudos story and the high-flying style that Mexico City promoters made famous, and it carries them to visitors on a Caribbean island. It does not claim to be part of Mexico City's institutions, and this guide does not either. It is lucha libre for visitors, in a place where the tradition has travelled.
Frequently asked questions
When did lucha libre start?
Wikipedia dates the Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre to 1933, and masked wrestlers to around the 1920s.
What is the Mexico City wrestling arena?
A Mexico City arena completed in 1956, known as the cathedral of lucha libre mexicana.
Is lucha libre cultural heritage?
Yes. In 2018 Mexico City's government listed it as part of the capital's intangible heritage.
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