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Unmasking
the world of
LUCHA
LIBRE Page 6
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n the upcoming film Mil Mscaras: Res- Jeffrey wants to promote science and engineer- lucha libre famous werent born immediately.
urrection, Mil Mscaras remains stoic ing to Latinos, Mil Mscaras said. I have worked San Antonio-based artist Xavier Garza, author and
as an Aztec mummy tries to hypnotize for years to encourage more collaborations between illustrator of books including Lucha Libre: The Man
him in an ancient pyramid, sends a demon Mexican and American universities, so it was a great in the Silver Mask, says that the first wrestler to
with super strength to kill him in the match. wear a mask in Mexico was a U.S. wrestler known as
wrestling ring, and revives an army of In a way, its a case of turnabout because luchas Cyclone MacKey.
evil minions to wage war against modern roots go back to the 1930s with matches featuring He came up with the Maravilla Enmascarada, and
humanity. American wrestlers fighting in Mexico. The sport he wore a leather mask, Garza said. But the mask
Demonic enemies and evil schemes are the bread sprang from the ring to movie screens in the 1950s, wasnt very well planned. It had ventilation problems,
and butter of lucha libre films, and major lucha libre and today the masks that the wrestlers wear are an and by the end of the match he was pretty much pass-
star Mil Mscaras has dealt with them many times iconic symbol in Mexico. ing out.
but only once in Missouri. In Columbia, the masks are a less common sight. After this inauspicious beginning, the mask concept
Resurrection and another, smaller lucha film Uhlmann says that one night during the making of was cast aside for a few years. When it returned, it
called Academy of Doom, were filmed in 2006 on the movie, he was chauffeuring Mil Mscaras back to was better thought out so the wrestler could breathe.
the MU campus and in other mid-Missouri locations. his hotel (the star never removes his mask in public) Soon it became the mark of the rudo, or bad guy, who
Missourians will have their first chance to see Res- when he pulled out of a gas station without turning on fought against the unmasked tcnicos, or good guys.
urrection in the spring of 2008. his headlights. Suddenly, he saw the flashing lights of The first hero to achieve fame wearing a mask
MU professor Jeffrey Uhlmann, who wrote, pro- a police car in the rearview mirror. was El Santo. According to Garza, El Santo began as
duced and plays the mummy in Resurrection, used I couldnt even speak, Uhlmann recalled. Mil a rudo, but his charisma was so strong that crowds
the making of the films to give computer science says Its no problem officer, Im a wrestler and hes a loved him anyway. Through a plot twist, promoters
students hands-on experience with film and video professor. changed El Santo from a villain to a hero and raised
production. Once the two explained that they were filming a crowds adoration to an even higher level.
He learned about lucha from a friend who grew up movie, the officer let them go. Theres no stopping And so the masked hero was born.
in Mexico. Thats also how he became interested in lucha libre.
building ties between U.S. and Mexican universities. Movie heroes
His enthusiasm convinced Mil Mscaras to star in History of a sport The offbeat comedy Nacho Libre brought the sport
the film. It was a major coup for Uhlmann and fellow Salvador Lutteroth is regarded as the founder of to the attention of uninitiated U.S. audiences in 2006.
professor Kannappan Palaniappan, who produced lucha libre. A native Mexican, Lutteroth began going The film stars Jack Black as a Mexican friar who,
the movie with him. After all, Mil Mscaras fame in to wrestling matches while on a trip in the U.S. He against all odds, becomes famous as a luchador.
Mexico is about on a par with Arnold Schwarzeneg- realized that organized wrestling could go over big Blacks character was loosely based on an actual
gers action-movie fame in the U.S. He agreed to do in Mexico, so he brought some wrestlers from the wrestler named Frey Tormenta, who wrestled to earn
the movie because, like Uhlmann, he is committed to U.S. to Mexico and rented an arena in Mexico City. money for an orphanage he founded.
making connections between U.S. and Mexican uni- Though he met with commercial success from the But the history of lucha movies has a very long,
versities. start, the masked wrestler personas that have made low-budget history that has little in common with the
LUCHA?
of North American wrestling, becoming a luchador
doesnt require a super-muscled, bruiser physique.
Luchadores can be downright diminutive, thanks to
broader weight classes than those you find in U.S.
wrestling.
Lucha Libre is also known for a more high-flying and
technical style than wrestling in the U.S., and wrestlers
from the smallest to the most massive execute dra-
matic dives from the ropes.
According to lucha expert Xavier Garza, the major
difference between U.S. and Mexican wrestling is that
a lucha libre match is won by two out of three falls, as
opposed to one fall in standard U.S wrestling. Garza
thinks the difference exists because American audi-
ences dont have the patience for a match that lasts
Mexican wrestling has 45 minutes to an hour, as Mexican audiences do.
Some of the ultimate lucha libre matches revolve
crossed the border around a bet between two masked fighters. The victor
unmasks the loser, revealing his identity.
BY SARA SHAHRIARI
MU Professor Jeffrey Uhlmann, as the Aztec Mummy, threatens hero Mil Mscaras in a scene from Mil Mscaras:
Resurrection. The movie was filmed at several Missouri locations, including the MU campus.
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[ cover story ] [ cover story ]
Masked Luchador El Toro Grande charges down the ring ready for action in a scene from Xavier Garzas book, Lucha Libre: The Man in the Silver Mask. As the lucha battle rages on, the Man in the Silver Mask flies through the air ready to come crashing down on El Vampiro in another scene from Xavier Garzas book.
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