Jim Fazio
Mexican Lucha Libre Masks
Lucha Libre, which translates to free wrestling, or free fight is a Mexican passion that dates back to the early 1930’s and is still popular today. Emerging from Mexico City, the wrestlers, known as Luchadores, would wear colorful masks to conceal their identity. The masks date back to the start of Lucha Libre bearing a historical significance to Mexico as well as dating way back to the days of the Aztecs.
Earlier masks were basic colors just plainly distinguish between wrestler but modern Lucha Libre has revolutionized them. Modern masks are colorfully designed with images of abstracted animals, gods, ancient heros, and other archetypes whose identity the luchador takes on during the match. They incorporate sharp and flowing lines and move all around the mask. Contrasting colors are sometimes used to make certain features stand out. The masks are made from 100% polyester by means of cutting and traditional stitching while other various materials may be used to accent certain areas. Shoe lace material is used to tighten and tie mask to fit faces. Almost all wrestlers in Mexico start by wearing masks but overtime many of them will be unmasked by choice or a loss. Sometimes retired wrestlers will unveil their true identity to signify loss of identity as that character while some will unmask themselves upon agreement to losing a match. The masks are considered sacred to a degree, so much that fully removing an opponent’s mask during a match results in disqualification.
Many luchadores wear their masks in public to keep the role going but some will interact with the public normally. They still go to great lengths to conceal their identity as demonstrated by the famous El Santo (the saint). Rudy Guzman, El Santo, is greatly responsible for bringing Lucha Libre to where it is today. At its start he pushed himself to create to moves constantly and add art to the sport. Many moves that we see in common day wrestling branch from a foundation built upon Guzman’s inspiration. He starred in over fifty films and was the biggest wrestler in the Lucha Libre world. In retrospect, he is arguably the single most famous entertainment figure in Latino culture of the 20th century. Guzman wore his mask well into retirement only showing his face once at old age and then chose to be buried wearing his mask.
More recently the masks of luchadores have become iconic symbols of Mexican culture. Artists like Francisco Delgado and Xavier Garza incorporate the masks into their paintings. Many of Xavier’s paintings convey the struggles of heroes versus their rulebreaking counterparts commonly seen in Lucha Libre wrestling.
References
http://www.bongo.net/papers/lucha.htm
http://www.wrestlingmuseum.com/pages/bios/halloffame/santobio.html
http://www.gallista.com/garza/
Test Questions
1. Who is considered the father of Lucha Libre wrestling?
Rudy Guzman (El santo)
2. What are the masks made out of?
Polyester, stitching, and shoelace
3. How were the masks decorated?
With abstracted animals, gods, and ancient heros
4. What decade did Lucha Libre wrestling start?
1930’s
5. Why do wrestlers choose not to take their masks off?
The masks are “sacred”. Removing them results in disqualification and sometimes the downfall of a wrestlers career.
6. What other culture do the masks take some inspiration from?
Aztec
7. What are some reasons a wrestler would be unmasked?
Upon agreement when losing a match. After retiring, over even death.