Lucha Libre

This morning, we went to the Carmen market to load up with fruit and vegetables. We also decided to have breakfast there. Chris had a huge omelet and I had a wonderful chicken soup called Chulada de Pollo. This soup is a tasty soup made by boiling chicken (breasts or pieces) with garlic, onion, tomatoes, zucchini, carrot, chayote and corn. It is seasoned with oregano and cilantro, served hot with lemon, avocado and tortillas. It was so good that I asked for a double portion of it for takeout. Dinner tomorrow.

About a block away from our apartment, there is a Lucha Libre arena. We read the following promo re the fight on Monday and thought it that it would be a fun night out:

“Experience the excitement and folklore of Mexican wrestling at its finest with a visit to the iconic Arena Puebla. This venue, known as the "cathedral of wrestling in Puebla," is the stage for epic matches filled with adrenaline, acrobatics, and the unparalleled energy of the crowd. You’ll witness a unique tradition, where masked heroes and villains face off in a spectacle that combines sport and theatricality. The magic begins here, as you will see mask shops, enjoy street snacks, and then enter the thrilling world of lucha libre.”

We bought $35 ringside tickets on Ticketmaster and walked over with another couple who have an apartment in our building at 7 pm.

The street was full of vendors selling Lucha Libre merchandise. We were early but able to walk into the arena and watch the people coming in. Our seats were next to a family with a 3 year old and a 1 year old. The show was for all ages.

Vendors walked by us selling beer and pop, wedges of cucumbers with salt and lemon, shrimp in huge baskets, chips and candies and giant sandwiches. The whole place had already started to get ready for the show by making a lot of noise.

Actually, I’m sure the place was built to create noise. The upper seats had metal balconies that people banged. The seats weren’t totally fastened to the floor so moving the seats was noisy,. The wooden floor under the seats was hollow so you could make a lot of noise by stomping. All the noise adds to the excitement of seeing masked and caped wrestlers enter the arena.

The audience was made up of people of all ages - some wearing masks, others wearing Lucha Libre tshirts and others with signs they had made. There were a lot of women in the crowd, young and old, hero-worshipping their favourite wrestler. As the room filled up, the noise level rose too and the wrestling hadn’t even started. It made us laugh. In fact, we had smiles on our faces for the next 2 1/2 hours!

At 8 pm, the announcer came in and started the show. He was followed by a referee walking in, in time to loud music. Then the real fun began.

The first fighter entered dramatically, leaped into the ring and stood on the ropes around the ring posturing. So funny. And everyone cheered. Then #2 came in with his sparkly cape and had his own way of entering the ring. The fighters are super athletic and strong. More noise from the crowd. It was obvious that this was a show of good vs evil. And who knows who will win.

Anyways, every match was different and super entertaining. I read “Lucha libre is considered dangerous due to high-octane aerial maneuvers, close-contact grappling, and, in "hardcore" styles, the use of weapons like chairs, glass, and fire. While heavily choreographed, the risk of real, severe injury—including concussions, fractures, dislocations, and, in rare cases, paralysis or death—is high.” And we believe it! These men were stunt men extraordinaire. Amazing to watch and super entertaining.

We walked home, 1 short block, with sore ears and big smiles along with the hundreds of people who had witnessed this fun Monday night event.Read more