Lucha Libre in Mexico

Mexican wrestling, or lucha libre, is a big part of the culture and makes for a great evening out. If you like WWE, you’ll love the high camp of lucha libre. While people do take it seriously, there is no attempt to make the bouts seem like a sport.

Wrestlers spend years cultivating a character as a goody or a baddy, and most of the time their identity is kept secret thanks to their mask. Once they’re in the ring, they spend a lot of time shouting and goading the crowd, occasionally breaking to perform acrobatic moves with the other wrestlers.

Lucha libre fights can be found across Mexico, and the quality varies widely. If you go to a small fight in a lesser-known city, you will have a different experience to a night at the big arena in Mexico City. The fighters might be more athletic and acrobatic at the bigger venues, but some people say it’s more fun at the smaller fights.

What every lucha libre has in common is crowd participation and a lot of beer. While most bouts are family affairs, with several generations of each family sometimes in attendance, it’s also encouraged to have a beer and heckle the fighters.

Save some money by going to the cheaper fights in smaller cities, have a beer and pick the fighter you want to win.