"BRU-cha" Libre PING
Posted on 08/21/2007 8:45:02 PM PDT by SwinneySwitch
They are flamboyant yet acrobatic, part entertainer but all athlete. They're the masked wrestlers of Lucha Libre, or Mexican wrestling.
Lucha Libre is Mexico's second most popular sport, and it's fast becoming popular this side of the border. The wrestlers — or luchadores — slap, throw, fly, jump and flip themselves and each other. They do double flips, back flips and even bounce off the ropes around the ring. The sport combines strength and speed with karate and pure entertainment.
Before the wrestlers make it into the ring, they train for years, practicing their tumbles, rolls and jumps.
The men training at Unleashed Fitness & Training Center in Escondido, Calif., work all day and practice late into the night. They often have a deep respect for their forebears in Lucha Libre.
"A lot of people came before me. I respect every single person that has come before me," said wrestler Oscar Juarez, who is also a Lucha Libre trainer and promoter. He said that when he tells people what he does for a living, they often are shocked.
Juarez demands total dedication from his wrestlers.
"Quit drinking, quit smoking, quit all the night-clubbing. You want to be a pro? You have to sacrifice a lot of goodies," he said. One thing these athletes sacrifice is sleep, but they do it because of their love for Lucha Libre.
"It's in your blood," wrestler Sol Cal Crazy said. "I do Lucha because it's in my blood; it's my passion."
Luchadores are essentially masked superheroes. Their masks represent good and evil, and in the ring, good is pitted against evil in every match.
"I'm considered what you'd call a 'face,' which would be a good guy, which is why mine is a little bit more appealing to fans," Sol Cal Crazy said.
Juarez said the movie "Nacho Libre" did a lot to popularize Mexican wrestling for a mainstream audience.
Imagine that!
When I was a kid, on the Spanish language UHF channel they would often broadcast a still commercial that just said “Lucha Libre”! My brother and I liked to say it meant “Read Books!”
As long as they are citizens or here legally I don’t have a problem with it. Sadly it will go down the same route as its northern counterpart.
Is it better than the old “Ringside from Chicago with Russ Davis?”
Or the Great Bolo?
Danny Hodge?
Killer Brooks?
Killer Carl Cox?
Gorgeous George?
I thought Lucha Libre meant Free Milk.
I thought Lucha lived on the second floor. /Shrug
That fight scene was worth the price of the movie.
I always thought it was funny that on the Mexican television station’s soap operas, even in the wealthy character’s mansion type homes, they would always have little lucha libre guys/figurines in their curio cabinets or dining room breakfronts.
Spode and Lucha Libres side by side always gave me a giggle.
"BRU-cha" Libre PING
All I know is when I show up with these for my little nieces and nephews, all hell breaks loose.
Nice.
I think I’ve seen her before.
Sure it’s popular here. All their fans are here.
It’s better than WWF (or whatever it’s calling itself this week) although that isn’t saying much.
I thought Leche Libre meant a pervert who won’t ask for money.
She is very clumsy.
he’s a sight for sore eyes right there, ole bruno!
“Crusher” Lisowski
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