Lucha libre is one of Mexico’s many long-standing gems! The colorful masks and outfits that accompany the roaring crowd is simply incomparable to other wrestling sports and events. While it is entertaining to watch, it is also worthwhile to learn a little more about, too.
(Photo from The Guardian, Peter Macdiarmid "Lucha Libre: Mexico's masked wrestling superheroes hit London - in pictures")
“Lucha libre” literally translates to “free fight”, tying into what it entails: freestyle wrestling. It is been known to be around since the 19th century, with a confusing past that ties into the famous Mexican wrestler Enrique Ugartechea and even the French Invasion of 1863. The sport’s momentum really picked up in the early 1900s, though, with initially unmonitored rough wrestling that, to many, meant that the winner, the luchador, was stronger than Hulk! 😱 This is because when we say “rough”, we mean rough. The luchador back then often either ended up suffering from severe injuries or inflicting them on his opponents – there was no other option.
Beyond the rough and toughness of things, this form of free wrestling has always been known for its costumes more than anything. So much so that years after its origin, the arguably most famous luchador, El Enmascarado de Plata, was heavily known for his mysterious persona in the ring, leading him to be featured in comic books and movies. Later on, he revealed his true identity and made history for a second time.
(Photo from HubPages, Eric Mutter "The History of Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (1960 - 1979)")
Throughout Mexican history, the luchador’s costumes showcased each fighter’s uniqueness, aiming to best reflect their personality and fighting style while enabling them to stand-out among the other luchadores. Most importantly and recently though, today's iconic lucha libre masks incorporate animals, gods, ancient heroes, and archetypes, embodying Mexican culture at its best. Check out some fan favorite lucha libre costumes HERE.
Whether it is our very own full faced wrestlers' masks or the mandatory COVID-19 masks, our lucha libre inspired products incorporate and continue to spread Mexico’s wonderful entertaining history, which is perfect as a costume, for sporting events, or to bring out your very own inner luchador! In fact, our full-faced lucha libre masks are made by prominent mask makers and ex-lucha libre wrestlers themselves, enabling you to truly keep a piece of this wonderful entertaining history with you wherever and whenever you wear it.
Shop our Lucha Libre Face Masks HERE and our Lucha Libre Wrestlers Mask HERE
