Mexican wrestling started to become popular in Mexico in the early 1900s, but it actually dates back to 1863 when the very first luchadore, Enrique Ugartechea, invented lucha libre. It was inspired by the Greco-Roman form of wrestling.

The Sport Spread Nationally in the 1930s

Until 1933, Mexican wrestling was only big in the country regionally. That changed when Salvador Lutteroth founded the Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre, which enabled luchadores to compete nationally for the first time.

Interestingly, the famous brightly-colored masks that everyone today associates with Mexican wrestling also date back from 1933. A luchadore called El Ciclón McKey commissioned Don Antonio Martinez to make a mask for a fight and it proved to El Ciclón McKey’s idea paved the way for masks to become an integral part of Mexican wrestling’s future. 

The Rise of Lucha Libre in the 1950s and 1960s

While lucha libre had been gradually gaining popularity for decades, it was only in the 1950s and 1960s that it became the phenomenal mainstream sport in Mexico. There were two reasons for the explosion of Mexican wrestling during that time. Firstly, television arrived. For the first time, people up and down the country could enjoy watching Mexican wrestling from the comfort of their own homes. Secondly, the popularity of the sport in the 1950s and 1960s was largely down to one wrestler: the legendary El Santo. He ushered in the golden age of lucha libre, and throughout his whole career, which began in 1942 and spanned nearly five decades, El Santo never revealed his face to the public; until shortly before he died in 1984. He became known for his trademark silver mask and took on superhero status in Mexico. El Santo became a symbol of justice for the common person, due to being immortalized in movies and comic books.ht talk about your origin story, your team, highlight awards or recognitions, or share photos. Tap into your creativity. You’ve got this. The way you tell your story online can make all the difference.