lucha libre: life behind the mask

8/14/2019 Lucha Libre: Life Behind the Mask

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Lucha libre: Life Behind the Mask


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Wrestling? Really? Really!

Really

!


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A little bit of lucha libre history

The current form started in the 1930s,although wrestling as a sport is 1000sof years old.

How the sport started and tookroot in Mexico is debated. Thegenerally accepted story is thatSalvador Lutteroth Gonzlez

witnessed a free-wrestlingcompetition in Texas in 1929 anddecided to introduce it in Mexico,which he did in 1933 [combiningthe resources of wealthy backersand his bingo winnings.]


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The initial matches featured internationalparticipants, and were spread throughoutMexico and Spain.

The outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936curtailed lucha libre events [called catch there}in Europe but stimulated the lucha libre scene in

Mexico.


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Rodolfo Guzmn Huerta,aka El Santo


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The most beloved wrestler in Mexican LuchaLibre 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 Santowas able to keep his true identity and facea mystery and this served him well increating a mystique which increased hispopularity with wrestling fans acrossMexico.

He would eventually became one of the most popular movie stars in allof Mexico, performing in movies such as Santo vs. the VampireWomen, Santo in the Wax Museum and Mummies of Guanauato.


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Santo started out as a "rudo" (badguy) in the ring, but years later

(in the early sixties) decided thatbecoming a technico (good guy)would greatly enhance his career.A publisher named Jose Cruzstarted a "fumetti"-style comicbook in 1952, featuring Santo's

adventures fighting crime andmonsters on a weekly basis,which popularized Santo into anear-legendary figure in Mexico.The comic book series (4volumes) ran continuously for

about 35 years, and is probablythe most famous superhero comicbook in Mexico.


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His first of many Mexican film appearances was in "THE EVIL BRAIN", filmed verycheaply in Cuba in 1958. In this film, Santo played an unnamed masked agent whohelps the police combat a mad doctor. It was quickly followed by "THE INFERNALMEN", 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 himto star as "El Santo" in the now-classic "SANTO VS. THE

ZOMBIES" that his actual movie career began. Santo waspaid less than $1,700.00

All told from 1958 to 1982, Santo starred in a totalof 52 Mexican movies (2 of which were only cameoappearances). He co-starred in 9 of those films withthe Blue Demon, another famous Mexican wrestlerwho also enjoyed a successful film career of hisown.


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

Film clips

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2e5fh_el-santo_fun
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoIJ043HOy0&feature=player_embeddedhttp://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2e5fh_el-santo_funhttp://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2e5fh_el-santo_funhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoIJ043HOy0&feature=player_embedded


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Like Santo, Blue Demon (when he wasn't inthe ring) was out there investigating weirdphenomena, hunting monsters and savinghapless souls from the likes of killerzombies, lecherous vampires and wackymad doctors.

His first appearance as The BlueDemon was in Mexico City inSeptember 1948. Blue began his

career in the ring as a "rudo" (bullyor bad guy).

In 1952, the famous wrestler SANTO beat andunmasked The Black Shadow in the ring, whichtriggered Blue's decision to become a technico

(good guy) in the ring, as well as a legendaryfeud between The Blue Demon and Santo that culminated in Blue's beatingSanto in a well-publicized series of matches in 1952 and again in 1953. Theirrivalry never really ended in later years, although they appeared together ina series of horror films, since Santo always remembered his defeat at theBlue Demon's hands.


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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xr1X8HQVekc&feature=relate
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xr1X8HQVekc&feature=relatedhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xr1X8HQVekc&feature=related


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Back to the origins:

Lucha libre follows a classic story line of good vs. evil, in this case

tcnico vs. rudo>

Tcnicos represent characters with heroic and noble qualities,frequently based on comic books or folklore.

Rudos symbolize many of the negativeaspects of Mexican life, and theircharacters are designed to evoke those

feels felt towards dishonest cops, crookedpoliticians, mobsters, gangs, loud drunks,etc.


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The techniques in lucha libre progressedfrom mere wrestling moves tochoreographed routines filled with

acrobatics, theatrics and drama.


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The mask:

It denies the opposition the knowledge associatedwith knowing ones identity and therefore

knowing ones history, characteristics, strengthsand weaknesses.

The wearer assumes thecharacteristics represented in themask, which are specially designed foreach wrestler.

The mask, andsometimes thehair, are atstake in amatch.


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The loser in a match runs the risk of being unmasked, humbled, exposed.

Unmasking is normally conducted with an air of dignity and respect [bothof which are relative terms.]


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Luchadores are traditionally more agile and perform more aerial manoeuvresthan their North American counterparts. They execute high-flying moves byutilizing the wrestling rings ropes to catapult themselves towards theiropponents, using intricate combinations in rapid-fire succession, and applying

complex submission holds.


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Lucha libre is also known for its tag-team wrestling matches. The teams areoften made of up to three members, of which one is designated the captain. Intrio 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 tcnicos). Most

matches are won by the winners of two out of three falls.

A successful fall in a match can be achieved by either pinningthe captain of the opposing team or by pinning the othermembers. Falls often occur simultaneously, which adds to theextremely stylized nature of the action.


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Lucha libre is huge in Mexico and in the SouthwestUS. Also in Japan and England.

Prices range from 20 for unreserved standing atground floor level to 30-60 for seating and upto 75 for ringside seats. The family matinee ispriced at 20 for standing, 30-50 seating and60 ringside with child discounts available.


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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.


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The audience:

Because the ring is open on all 4 sides, andspectators surround the ring, the audience is anessential component of the spectacle.

The spectators exercise greatpower within the performance asthey react to and judge theactions of the wrestlers. Theopinions voiced by the audienceshape the narrative of the

spectacle. The wrestler will oftenask the audience what action heshould take and likewise, theaudience will tell the wrestler andreferee what actions they shouldtake


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Superbarrio Look, up in the sky ... Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it'sSuperbarrio -- a flabby caped crusader in cherry red tightswho 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 ofsquatters and labor unions, Superbarrio leadsprotest rallies, files petitions and challengescourt decisions

http://boingboing.net/2009/02/26/bb-video-return-of-s.html
http://boingboing.net/2009/02/26/bb-video-return-of-s.htmlhttp://boingboing.net/2009/02/26/bb-video-return-of-s.html


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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJob-xORJWE

http://www.hemisphericinstitute.org/journal/1_1/sb.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJob-xORJWEhttp://www.hemisphericinstitute.org/journal/1_1/sb.htmlhttp://www.hemisphericinstitute.org/journal/1_1/sb.htmlhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJob-xORJWE


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Yeah, fine, but its all fake, right?

Depends on how you definefake..something to think about asyoure watching.

Also think about the role of lucha libre in the lives ofthese people: what does it offer them and their

families?

lucha libre: life behind the mask

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