Mexican wrestling, also known as Lucha libre, has become popular in Mexico in the early 1900s. However, it was reported to have first emerged in 1863 when the very first luchador Enrique Ugartechea invented Mexican wrestling.

Mexican wrestling was believed to be inspired by the Greco-Roman form of wrestling. It became a big thing in the country regionally until 1933.

It became popular when Salvador Lutteroth founded the Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre, allowing luchadors to compete nationally for the first time.

The sport became associated with the famous bright-colored masks that were first witnessed in 1933. By the 1950s and 1960s, the Lucha libre has become a mainstream sport in Mexico due to the emergence of television.

The fame of Rodolfo Guzman Huerta, known professionally as El Santo, was only bolstered by the increasing availability of televisions.

El Santo was the one who brought forward the golden age of Lucha libre. He was also known for not showing his real face to the public until 1984 when he lifted his mask to reveal his face in a talk show.

However, a week later, he died of a heart attack. El Santo became a justice icon for the common people and was immortalized in movies and comic books.

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Lucha Libre Rules

The rules of Lucha libre or Mexican wrestling has similarities to American pro wrestling, with two or more wrestlers facing off in a ring and trying to pin their opponents down for three seconds.

And just like in American pro wrestling, the stories and stunts of every match are carefully choreographed. A usual Lucha libre face-off also involves the technical or the good guys fighting against the evil, rude, or bad guys.

There are also dwarves luchadors, known as Los minis, who may or may not get thrown around the ring. A mask is worn by most luchadors, even in public, which keeps their identities secret.

Hence, the biggest Lucha matches involve two luchadors betting on their masks. At the end of the fight, the loser must remove their mask and reveal their identity. The longer a luchador can defend their masks, the higher the status in the ring.

Lucha Libre Honing Mexico's Cultural Identity

A 2011 study about Lucha libre and the Mexican identity concluded that Mexican wrestling has transformed the perspective of a country like Mexico and influenced several others.

The study noted that it has been able to absorb socio-cultural icons from Mexican culture to create the metanarrative of the behavior of individual wrestling characters.

Lucha libre has its own rules and does not obey traditional costumes, which has helped in the change of perception of gender and identity.

Mexican wrestling has also been attached to social activism due to the strong and right attributes of the wrestlers. Some of the famous wrestlers in Mexico include Mil Mascaras, who was one of the first Mexican wrestlers to make the jump to the WWE.

Mil Mascaras' reputation nowadays has reportedly been usurped by Rey Mysterio Jr., the great-nephew of the original Rey Mysterio. Maximo, Shocker, Mistico, and Atlantis are the current names to keep an eye on the Lucha libre industry.

READ MORE: Gaucho of Argentina: How Did the Cowboy Culture Started in South American Country?

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

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