As we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, we explore Lucha Libre, or Mexican wrestling, and how this cultural sport stays alive in Phoenix. PHOENIX – One of Mexico’s most popular sports is Lucha Libre, or Mexican wrestling, and its cultural roots stay alive in Phoenix as enthusiasts open a Lucha Libre school. In contrast to American wrestling, lucha libre, which means “free fight”, is better to be equated with “freestyle wrestling” and has fast-paced fights. Traditionally Mexican wrestlers known as luchadores don’t just jump in the ring and do whatever they want, they train and have to earn their right to fight in one, said Manuel Caballero, owner and founder of Independent Promotions AWA and the Lucha Libre School. “The Mexican Lucha Libre is unique, it’s special, it’s culture, and we wanted to start a company that would introduce luchadores to the basics and techniques of traditionally making it,” he said. The focus is on not losing this traditional style of wrestling. “In our teachings you first train outside the ring and train physically and later you are allowed to enter the ring and slowly learn the moves of advanced wrestlers,” he added. Lucha libre’s origins date back to 1863, but the format we know today was created by Enrique Ugartechea after deriving a freestyle format from the Greco-Roman tradition and combining it with the Olympic wrestling he practiced would have. It wasn’t until 1933 that Luchadores could compete nationwide when Salvador Lutteroth founded the Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre, or today’s World Wrestling Council. Before that, competitions were held regionally. In the same year El Ciclón McKey came up with the mask idea. He hired Don Antonio Martinez to make him the mask for a fight. It was an instant hit and now an emblematic symbol of the sport. Masks are typically brightly colored and have a special meaning for wrestlers who go to great lengths to hide their true identity. Wearing a mask is a cultural focus of lucha libre. Sometimes matches are played in which the loser has to permanently remove his mask, but can win it back. “The mask, that’s our life, that’s what we live for,” said Rompe Cabezas, a 27-year-old Luchador from Phoenix who has lived and breathed the sport for eight years, half of them professionally. Rompe Cabezas – which means “puzzle” in English but the literal translation of both words means “head breaks” in Spanish – is part of Caballero’s school. Wrestling wasn’t part of his plans growing up, he was a soccer player and wanted to go to college but when that didn’t work out he said he had resorted to Mexican sports. “I like wrestling, but knowing my dad did too just started the fire [in me] much bigger, ”said Rompe Cabezas. “When I was younger, my grandma and I never missed one [match] on TV, never. ”His father was a luchador in Ciudad Juarez Chihuahua, Mexico, a glorious land for the sport. Rompe Cabezas said he thought he should have traveled there to learn the traditional teachings of the Lucha Libre when he found an underground world of teachers in Phoenix. Independent Promotions AWA is one of the few lucha libre companies founded in the Valley today, Caballero said. On Sunday, he held the Clash of Trains match in Mesa, bringing in luchadores from across the southwest region. One of them, and the winner of the first game – the third round elimination – was Ezekiel Alvarado, better known as Casa Grande’s Cochino Suave. His maskless personality and long curly hair make him a rudo in sports or a heel usually categorized as a villain. For him, wearing without a mask is part of the show. “It shows a lot more expression, tries to [connect] with the crowd and get them [on your side]”Said Alvarado. “They can see your face and feel what you are feeling, all the emotions they get.” Young or old, this feeling is felt in the crowd who normally surround the ring during a game. Some participants, including children, wear their colorful masks and root for their favorite luchador, others even take bells or matracas, so-called rattles, with them to the games as part of the experience. The rise of lucha libre in Mexico is largely attributed to two things – the beginnings of television and El Santo. For almost five decades, Rodolfo Guzmán Huerta, better known as El Santo, or “The Holy One”, delighted and conquered the hearts of men and women alike. He assumed superhero status in Mexico. El Santo wore his trademark silver mask and only revealed his face in public a week before his death in 1984 at the age of 66. The rare moment happened during an episode of the Mexican TV talk show Contrapunto when the wrestler aimlessly pulled up his mask and looked at the camera. He has fought 15,000 matches and has appeared in 53 films during his career. He died of a heart attack and was buried with his mask on. In July 2018, Mexico City declared that Lucha Libre was an Intangible Cultural Heritage and paid tribute to the knowledge, beliefs, practices, techniques and displays of the sport. Almost 160 years after Ugartechea invented Lucha Libre, the sport is and will remain an integral part of Mexican heritage. “Lucha libre is a way of life, no matter where we go, we have it in our blood,” said Caballero. Hispanic Heritage Month We tell the stories and share the experiences of Hispanics and Latinos from all over the valley.
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