How to Insult Like a Local at Las Luchas

“Madre de Dios!” yells the crowd at a burly man clad in tights, boots and a gold mask, standing exultant on the ropes of the ring below. From the steep concrete bleachers I’m screaming just as loudly as the diminutive Mexican grandmother standing next to me. “Boca de pedo!”

Welcome to Lucha Libre – a mind-blowing mix of gymnastics and theatre held every Monday night in Puebla. Wrestlers, known as luchadores, fight in character as rudos (bad guys) or técnicos (good guys) in two or three-member tag teams; and it’s not hard to pick a side, some apt swear words and get involved.

Under the harsh overhead lights of the crowded arena, and through the chicken wire barrier surrounding the ring, the I watch incredulous as the luchadores play to the crowd with hyperbolic gestures before executing perfectly-timed moves - flipping rivals, performing hands-free cartwheels and using each other’s bodies as springboards to gain height and force. All this in masks and tights.
The air is thick with voluble encouragement and reprimands from the stands; men wearing brightly-coloured luchador masks, small children waving figures of their favourite luchador, teenage girls yelling curses with matching hand gestures to the rudos and blowing kisses to the técnicos. Fouls against favorite luchadores incites pandemonium as fans leap to their feet to howl protests to the referee who pretends he can’t hear them.
Seats in the first few rows to the ring should also expect to become part of the spectacle. A suicida move performed by luchador Shocker, sees him bounce off the top rope and crash dive onto Rush who has been forced outside the ring. Shocker flattens Rush, as well as several rows of the audience, held captive in folding metal chairs. Getting to his feet, he flexes his muscles to the delight of the crowd, before turning to assail Rush again, rudo to the end.
In the luchadora match, Princesa Blanca, resplendent in white with eye-popping cleavage - both front and back, is about to get clobbered when she holds up her hand for her rival to stop. She then gyrates a Marilyn Monroe type shimmy (minus the billowing dress), and after raucous applause, the bout resumes, and Princesa is smacked through the ring ropes with a sideways scissor kick. Loud boos fill the arena.
Lucha libre is one of the most entertaining ways you can spend a Monday night in Puebla. Pre-learn some insults in Spanish and don’t forget to buy your own mask before you leave. I will see you there next week.