Mexican freestyle

Everyone has probably wondered what is behind the masked men in brightly coloured shorts that compete against each other in a boxing ring?

Our colleagues Anja and Verena made their way to Mexico City to find out.

On Sunday afternoon after a tour of Coyoacán and Xochimilco, the two drove to the Arena México and stood in the long lines with Mexican families to get tickets. They managed to get top seats in the arena without making a reservation. And then it all began. Equipped with popcorn, they tried to understand the rules of the Lucha Libre and soaked up the happy and tense atmosphere in the arena.

But what is behind Lucha Libre?
Lucha Libre means freestyle fighting in Spanish and is a form of professional wrestling that was developed in Mexico. Lucha Libre then brought Salvador Lutteroth (American wrestler) to Mexico. Most wrestlers in Mexico are smaller than their counterparts in North America. Therefore, the focus in Mexico is not so much on the forceful actions as in the USA or Canada. Mexican wrestling is characterized by rapid sequences of grabs, holds and maneuvers as well as spectacular acrobatics.

A person who fights Lucha Libre is called a Luchador and often competes in a team. To distinguish the teams, the Luchadores wear colourful masks which often represent animals, gods, ancient heroes or other fantasy characters, in whose identity the Luchador slips during the fight. Almost all Luchadores in Mexico begin their careers in masks, but almost everyone is unmasked at some point in their careers. In principle, the mask can be equated with the Luchador. The older a Luchador gets without being unmasked and the more often he successfully defends his mask, the higher his status.

After an hour and a half in the arena, Anja and Verena got an enthusiastic impression of the Lucha Libre, but the rules of the fight are a thing in themselves 🙂

If you want to experience the Lucha Libre in Mexico City, please contact us: info@buenos-dias-mexico.de