Lucha Libre Mexican Wrestling
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Lucha Libre Mexican Wrestling

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“It’s proper wrestling,” Diaz assures me. “The wrestlers are professional.” Only a week out from the main event, which will see The Hi-Fi transform into a Mexican wrestling arena, Diaz is busy finalising details to what is sure to be an evening of entertainment like no other. “You can expect fighting techniques from wrestling and boxing,” he reveals. “It’s a mixture of these combats.”

One of the most iconic and recognised aspects of Lucha Libre are the masks worn by the wrestlers. According to Diaz, this tradition can be traced back to the beginning of last century and the very early days of Mexican wrestling.

“They (the wrestlers) started using them in the ‘30s in Mexico,” Diaz explains. “No one knows for sure why they wore the masks, but there is one theory that says most of the guys had day jobs and they were lovers of wrestling as a sport so they wanted to practice it. But some of them were accountants, they were lawyers, so they didn’t want people to know they were also wrestlers. So they started wearing the masks.”

These masks help to give each combatant a distinctive identity, while also adding to the theatrical element of the show. “It helps to create a new character, so the wrestlers are creating a new persona,” says Diaz. “One of the very first wrestlers in Mexico was called The Vampire. He just had a simple plain black mask, he would arrive to the ring with bats, and he would release the bats into the crowd. So it allowed them to create a different character and make it a bit more interesting for people.”

The masks have become the defining feature of Lucha Libre and have also developed to become far more elaborate. “The first masks were very simple. They were just a couple of colours,” says Diaz. “Over time they started getting a little bit crazier and now they have horns, some of them have hair extensions, they’re more colourful, they’re more elaborate and more complicated.”

When compared to other forms of wrestling, Lucha Libre is much more than just a sporting event. It’s a party – a celebration – Mexican style. “Well it’s a Mexican party. It becomes a tequila party,” Diaz offers. “I’m actually from Mexico so we try to make everything as close as possible to the real thing.”

This month’s show will be no exception. Once the wrestling has finished, The Hi-Fi will be turned into a party, with live music, and of course, tequila. It’s sure to be an authentic, unique and slightly blurry experience. “That’s the difference between Lucha Libre and other wrestling shows that I’ve seen here in Australia,” he compares. “We incorporate this party element into the show which is something extra and its pretty good fun.”

If there’s one thing you can count on, it’s that a night at the Mexican wrestling will be bustling with energy, atmosphere and good times. “We have mariachis, like real mariachis. We have a mariachi here in Melbourne and he’s from Tijuana. Sounds like a cliché but he’s real,” laughs Diaz. “A lot of people go there to relieve all their, I wouldn’t say stress, but they just come out and yell like crazy, they just shout, they get really into it. Obviously the wrestler plays a very important role but the public become part of the show as well. There’s a lot of atmosphere.”

BY JAMES NICOLI