Third Place
Sara Galbiati
Freelance
"LUCHA LIBRE - MEXICAN WRESTLING"
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Lucha libre – ”free fighting”, is Latin American wrestling, a combination of sport, show, acrobatics and violence. It is a fight between “tecnicos” and “rudos” –between “good” and “evil”, where either the good or evil wins, so the never ending duel can continue in the next comming shows. The fights are choreographed and the winner picked in advance, but the fights are all at onces fascinating, surreal, brutal, fake and serious. The audience loves it. They shout each time their favorite luchador hits his opponent and applaude every acrobatic jump and spectacular stunt. The sport is extremely popular in Mexico and has been a part of Mexican culture since the 1930’s. Later its popularity exploded when the fights was show on TV. Films with wrestlers in the leading roles as heroes and villains, transformed the wrestlers into real superheros. Unlike Superman, these wrestlers are real people, that you can experience battle in Mexico's many arenas. All over Mexico new talents dream of becomming stars in this bizarre world, where fame and money rain on the biggest stars. But lucha libre is no fast track to fame, if you don’t have the right contacts. And far from all fights take place in the grand arenas, most of them are fought in small ramshackled places stripped of glamour and with only a few spectators. In recent years new extreme shows, ”Lucha extrema”, are becoming increasingly popular in Mexico. These fights resemble real street fights, and its difficult so to see the difference between show and violence.They wrestlers cut themselves and each other, making the blood flow to create spectacular and sensational shows. The audience shout for more, and challenge the wrestlers to be more extreme. Giving themselves 100 percent the wrestlers destroy their bodies, because each fight might bring them one step closer to the big shows and stardom.
"El Signo" (right) makes an entrance at Arena Neza with his son at his side. His son is lucky - he can walk straight into the spotlight. "El Signo" has been forced to stop his career, because of back problems. That evening he passes on his title to his son. It is far from uncommon for sons of big stars to walk straight into the big arenas and stardom.
|
