Let's be honest, you don't know much about Mexican wrestling. Just because you watched
Nacho Libre to the end, a feat of amazing endurance may we say, does not mean you know anything about the humble art of Lucha Libre.
Did you know it means "freestyle wrestling"? And that it began in the 1900s? No, you didn't. Here are eleven other things you didn't know about Mexican wrestling:
1. Homosexual Mexican wrestlers are called exocticos and dress up in drag.
2. Mexican Wrestler's masks or máscaras date back to Aztec traditions, and are designed to evoke images of animals and ancient gods.
3. Some Mexican Wrestlers wear their masks in public to protect their true identities, and removing a mask in the ring is grounds for disqualification.
4. Mexican wrestling has a little people division called Mini-Estrella, for any wrestler under 5 feet. Sometimes they even dress up as bigger wrestlers and fight as a team.
5. Female Mexican wrestlers are called luchadoras. They have big '80s hair.
6. Mexican Wrestlers usually come from wrestling families who have been in the business for yonks.
7. Nike made Lucha Libre inspired sneakers.
8. Mexican Wrestling uses more aerial maneuvers than any other wrestling code. They also tag team with three wrestlers instead if two, because it's more fun that way.
9. Luchador comics are big business in Mexico, as are Luchador video games.
10. There is a genre of film in Mexico called Luchador films, starring the most popular wrestlers. They have names like The Wrestling Women vs. the Aztec Mummy.
11. Mexican wrestling is performed in Puerto Rico, the United States, the United Kingdom and Japan. And in school yards everywhere.