Mexican wrestling, also known in international circuits as Luche Libre, has been around since the early 1900s. During a time of oppression and unrest, wrestling came to be an ideal way of escaping daily stresses and worries. Looking into the beginnings of Mexican wrestling, you will find a culture so diverse and intriguing that its history will take on new meaning.
Beginnings
The early 20th century found Mexico in the grips of revolution and tensions running high all over the country. With eyes focused on Mexico's conflict, citizens began looking for ways to pass the time and forget their troubles, according to the website, Maska Lucha. It was at this time that Giovanni Reselevich and Antonio Fournier, Italian natives and traveling businessmen, organized free fights in public forums. Free fighting, called lucha libre in Spanish, referred to hand-to-hand combat between two adult men. Believed to have been introduced by the French in 1883, lucha libre matches gained momentum as these two Italian businessmen organized exhibition matches all over Mexico.
Salvador Lutteroth González
Salvador Lutteroth González was a Mexican native holding down a job in El Paso, Texas in the 1920s. According to Maska Lucha, he enjoyed attending wrestling matches and decided to organize this form of wrestling in his home country. In 1933, he founded Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre to attract fans of older-style lucha libre fighting. This plan worked and soon matches were sold out and revenue skyrocketed for González and his partner, Francisco Ahumada. Renamed Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre, González's organization now boasts the rank of Mexico's longest running professional promotion company, as well as being the largest in the world.
Masks
Masks held great significance in Mexican villages for centuries, portraying honor and recognition of deities and departed loved ones. As Mexico changed, so did many beliefs, including the use of masks. In 1934, the mask was reintroduced into Mexican culture by a Chicago native. According to Online World of Wrestling, this American decided to bring a leather mask into a match as a means of gaining attention through his unique costume choice. This technique worked and he was soon nicknamed El Enmascarado, or The Masked Man. El Enmascarado fought other American wrestlers on the Mexico City circuit wearing his trusted mask. Seeing his success prompted sporting goods retailer Antonio Martinez to provide masks to other fighters of the lucha libre.
Promotions
With lucha libre once again gaining popularity through new fighting styles and the fame of the masked wrestler, artists soon created their own take on Mexican wrestlers. Comic books and movies started to crop up portraying several lucha libre fighters. Rene Cardona, a film director, was mesmerized by popular fighter El Santo, according to Online World of Wrestling. El Santo was well known for leaving his mask on even after the match was over, and never revealing his identity. This led to portrayal of El Santo as a Mexican super hero on film and in print with the creation of his own comic book series. Following the trendsetter, many fighters throughout history have been portrayed in the same fashion, even taking on television-series personas.
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