Luche Libre in Mexico – An experience Not To Be Missed

Hamburgueeeeeesa!! Hamburgueeeeesa!! Hamburgueeeesa!! This was the scream of the crowd as the 150 Kg ‘Hamburger Kid’ (Nino Hamburguesa in Spanish) slammed the bad guy onto the mat. I figured that stung somewhat as he crushed the gentleman underneath him! This was Luche Libre  -  a family friendly evening of wrestling, face masks and audience participation!

Luche Libre wrestling (free fighting) is Mexican wrestling.  The wrestlers wear masks, outlandish costumes and many of them have a theme song or theme move. For many of the luchadores, there is a tremendous amount of athletic gymnastics at play.  The house is full of 1-14-year-olds who have managed to convince their parents to attend the show. Unlike an Ariana Grande concert, the parents are as keen as the kids! We first encountered Lucha Libre in San Miguel de Allende. When we learned about another opportunity in Mazatlan with the Solo Snowbirds, how could we resist?

We weren’t sure quite what to expect at our first show in San Miguel de Allende.  We knew we were in for a treat when we saw the wrestling ring in the middle of the floor teeming with 5-14-year-olds. All these kids were practicing to be Luchadores when they grow up. There was no shortage of body slams from the top rope, and acrobatic moves, all while wearing Luche Libre Masks. Many sweaty kids, and a few bleeding noses later, the main event was on.

Both the shows in Mazatlan and San Miguel seemed to follow the same pattern. The “B” team appears to be the first act, to liven up the crowd. The Luchadores start with the usual huffing, puffing, and posturing to allow the crowd to choose a favourite. The crowd responds with enthusiastic support and the then the wrestling begins!. Each match seemed to follow this recipe:

Regardless of the mayhem, it seems the odds are in favour of the good guys as they do seem to win the most. Clearly, the ‘Ref’ is part of the act,  looking the other way when something nasty is happening. It is also not uncommon for the ref to take a beating from one or both of the teams too much laughter and cheering from the crowd! Imagine, if this were to happen at a hockey game!

The estrellas (stars) are the final act of the night. These Luche Libre wrestlers have great names, (e.g. Nino Hamburguesa -‘Hamburger Kid’,  Hijo de Perro, ‘Son of the Dog’). The athletic prowess is quite phenomenal too. My favourite move was:  from handstand spring upwards, wrap your legs around your opponent's neck, followed by a twist. This results in hurling your opponent to the floor. The victim responds with a somersault across the ring in a wonderful display of agony. Of course, this action does not lack any delays or mis-timings, it was perfect entertainment.

In both Mazatlan and San Miguel the action spilled out of the ring and onto the concrete floor.  In San Miguel, we had to vacate our seats as one wrestler threw the other one directly at us. As the victim limped away the abuser grabbed Heather’s chair and hit him over the head!  An absolute spectacle! The crowd around us were laughing, cheering and we joined right in. It felt so good to boo the bad guy especially since we had been so hard done by ourselves! .

The crowd is as much a part of the show as the Luchadores. By the final act, the crowd is in a noise amplified frenzy. Mouthfuls of tasteless Doritos with a splash of spicy sauce is in every hand. The vendors navigate their way throughout the packed crowd, selling everything from cotton candy to Luche Libre masks. Every child absolutely needs one, and parents appear happy to oblige.  Each match concludes with the usual threats and offers of rematches for the next week. The crowd is very much involved in this smack talk and boosting the good guys egos!

The Luchadores work the crowd every chance they can get. When they are on the sidelines between matches or while recovering they sign many autographs for the kids.  Before the Luchadores leave the event, they pose for pictures with the families. By now most of the kids are also wearing a Luchadore mask and dreaming of their own signature move and name!  A very civilized way to conclude a wrestling match.

When you are visiting Mexico, plan to see a Luche Libre wrestling match! It is not to be missed. We have included our practical tips below to help you plan your own trip. 

Hopefully you are reading this section because you want to experience the body slamming, bad guy booing, mask wearing Luche Libre on your own!  

In our opinion, the smaller the location the better. Our experience in San Miguel was much more intimate and we really got a sense of the audience participation because of our front row seats. That said, in Mazatlan the quality of the Lucha Libre wrestling was much better, and it felt more like a professional sporting event.

A quick google search with your destination and the words Lucha Libre will pull up the local Facebook page and Google translate can help you read the content. 

Some of the larger cities in Mexico have tours available for Luche Libre. Two Wondering Souls have a great post about how to experience Lucha Libre in Mexico City without a tour.  

Some patience. At both events we arrived right on time, only to end up waiting a while for the event to start. You can also plan to arrive late, but you might miss out on some of the fun.

The music is loud, so pack some earplugs. Don't forget to bring your camera and/or smart phone to snap some shots of the ridiculousness. Check out our resource page to see the camera and phone we used to capture these pics. 

Pesos will come in handy for the snacks and beer available for purchase. You might also consider some antacids! 

Check out the venue online to see what kind of seats you might get. In Mazatlan we were in the cheap seats which meant a concrete riser - a crazy creek chair would have been a welcome addition!