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Home » Destinations » Central America » Mexico

Lucha Libre: Monday Night Mexican Wrestling in Puebla

Modified: Jan 23, 2025 · Published: Jul 8, 2013 by Dave Lee |

Bodies were flying out of the ring left and right. Every time a masked wrestler hit the ground, the crowd cheered louder. Even though the entire match was choreographed for maximum entertainment value, these wrestlers had skills. The average person couldn't walk away from such aerial acrobatics.

Lucha Libre poster with the night's match-ups
Lucha Libre poster with the night's match-ups

Afterward, Gaby joked that the trick to appreciating Lucha Libre was having a few drinks beforehand. She'd been leading trips for G Adventures for several years and attended the Monday wrestling matches in Puebla a dozen times or more. But she said she enjoyed the experience the most with our group. The difference was in the drinks.

Instead of getting there at the official start time of 9 p.m., when the lesser-known wrestlers were in the ring, we were busy drinking and playing Cards Against Humanity at the hotel.

It was everyone but Gaby's first time playing the game, so it was new to us all. I can't remember the last time I laughed so hard for so long. In addition to lubricating our sense of humor for the evening, it was also the night we began bonding as a tour group.

The female wrestlers are in the ring
The female wrestlers are in the ring.

From the hotel, we walked for 10 minutes to the Puebla Arena (13 Oriente 402 in the historic city center), where the Monday night fights are held. Our tickets cost 85 Mexican pesos, or about $6.60.

Because we arrived late, we were initially seated in a second-tier bleacher section, which is what correlated with the cost of our tickets. However, we were soon moved to floor seating behind the ring.

A match of lesser wrestlers was going on as we got situated and waved down the beer guy. A little more lubrication was only going to enhance the experience.

The atmosphere inside the arena was energetic and loud. Mexicans of all ages attended, from kids wearing the masks of their favorite luchadors (wrestlers) to their parents and other adults who seemed equally invested.

This was as authentic a Mexican cultural event as you could hope for. Several models walked down the catwalk to the ring, signaling the new matches. Although unfamiliar with the wrestlers, cheering for the models walking by was an easy way to get engaged.

And our group was VERY engaged, hooting and hollering with every wrestler that smacked down hard against the ring's floor or went airborne over the ropes. In contrast, I occasionally glanced at another group of Western tourists to see them sitting in their section, stone-cold sober.

They probably thought this was a ridiculous, fake show, and "why am I here?" That would've been my reaction without the rum 'n cokes beforehand.

It was hard to focus on the match at times, with the sexy models walking up and down the catwalk
Models and wrestlers in action.

The first full match we watched was between the female wrestlers. It was three-on-three, with Goya Kong and Luna Magica facing Amapola and Princesa Blanca. In the following two matches, the female wrestlers were more comical and exaggerated than the men.

Throughout the event, I noticed better wrestlers were more nuanced and performed more complicated and harrowing acrobatics. Occasionally, one of the female wrestlers was thrown out of the ring, but it was nothing compared to what we'd see in the main event.

Showboating at the Puebla arena
Showboating at the Puebla arena

It was time for the main event after the lady's match and another group of men. The headliners were Mistico, Mascara Dorada, and El Valiente versus Averno, Mephisto, and Ephesto. These guys were unbelievable. My back hurt just watching them get flung back and forth against the ropes, being thrown up in the air only to smack back down onto the floor.

Overall, the event was a lot of fun. The key to enjoying Lucha Libre is not taking it seriously. It's entertainment and a terrific opportunity to experience a unique slice of Mexican life.

_______

UNESCO

The Historic Center of Puebla became a World Heritage Site in 1987.

Click here for the complete list of UNESCO sites Dave has visited during his travels.

 

 

___

My Mexico Ancient Civilizations tour is in partnership with G Adventures; any opinions expressed are entirely my own.

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About Dave Lee

Dave is the Founder and Editor in Chief of Go Backpacking and Feastio. He's been to 68 countries and lived in Colombia and Peru. Read the full story of how he became a travel blogger.

Dave at Ahu Ko Te Riku on Rapa Nui (Easter Island), Chile.

Hi, I'm Dave

Editor in Chief

I've been writing about adventure travel on Go Backpacking since 2007. I've visited 68 countries.

Read more about Dave.

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