Nachooooooo

06-09-09

I went to the lucha. Yes, me, a white French girl, went to the lucha libre in Guadalajara. Just saying it sounds funny. People were like, what? you're going where? to the lucha? you? I mean i have no clue about lucha. I have been living here for a while now but i would never have THOUGHT about going to see masked fat mexican in stupid outfits wrestle on a ring.

Now with that said ... i was wrong. Very very wrong. Lucha libre is something that you can't understand unless you actually GO there.
We arrived a bit late, the first fight had already started (because of my tattoo session taking forever). But the ambiance was already at its hottest. People screaming and shouting and cheering and booing and whistling and clapping. The noise there was in the Arena Coliseo of Guadalajara was deafening. We were brought to our seats, the old fashion way. Lead by an old man guiding us through this tide of people. It's only when we finally sat that i realized the popularity and intensity of it all.

Do people care that 2 white people stepped in within the crowd? Not the slightest in the world. Awesome, i love it already. But the most amazing sight for me, was to look at the crowd around us. Here in the public, you'll find it all: men, women, children, young, old, every society class gathering together to cheer their favorite super-hero. And jeez do they cheer! Hearing a 6 years old little girl shouting on top of her lungs "picale los ojos" or "matalo!" is ... how can i put it ... quite special. Hahaha.

And then it happens. You get caught up in this old fashioned entertainment craziness and start cheering up as well! And you check on every single of those guys stepping on the stage and god, they are NOT fat. Well, ok, some of them are, a little, but most of them are those tall super strong, super fit and super flexible guys that women go crazy for. And they hit each other and make drama on the ring, and climb on top of the strings around the ring to throw themselves at the other luchador and strangle each other and lift each other up, and knock them down and you're in awe that such an old guy (cuz some of them really are not that young anymore) can still be THAT fit, THAT strong and THAT amazingly over-confident that he's NOT gonna get hurt. It is just amazing. A-MA-ZING.

That night i saw Averno being challenged by Blue Panther (who lost his mask some time back) and defeating him, thus keeping his title for a little longer. It was an intense and long fight. I came out with no voice left. Yes, i cheered for Blue Panther. I mean come on, the man is 49 years old. FORTY NINE (we have the same birthday date - September 18th - woohoo). This is not a sport for 49 years old men. He was gonna hurt himself damn it. I mean Averno is only 32. That is quite a difference for a sport that physical. So yeah. I was doing quite some cheering for Blue Panther. Woohoo. And men, do i love the lucha now. I know they're doing some lucha events here in PV and I'm surely gonna look up for it. Maybe I'll get the chance to see some big ass names like Mistico. And then I'll do what every groupie MUST do: take a picture with their hero.

I mean come on, if you had the chance to take a picture with your super-hero, wouldn't you?




PS: this is NOT the poster of the lucha i went to ... If someone ever finds it, it was Lucha Libre at Arena Coliseo in Guadalajara on September 6th.