Origins of the Luchador Mask in Mexico Wrestling Trevor Schack - CraveOnline.com
go to original January 20, 2015

Konnan talks about the legend of Lucha Libre's origins, the significance of the masks, and how his current protégé, Prince Puma, is going to continue the centuries old legacy of Lucha. (El Rey Network)

When you think of luchadores, what immediately comes to mind? Crazy wrestling masks. But, as you might imagine, wrestlers don’t wear these masks just for the spectacle of it. In professional Mexican wrestling, the luchador mask defines a wrestler’s identity and helps him create and maintain a persona. And in El Rey Network’s new TV show, Lucha Underground, you’ll be privy to plenty of cool-looking masks and the stories of the luchadores who wear them.

So in honor of this awesome new show, we wanted to share a brief history of the elusive luchador mask.

Luchador masks can be dated back to the inception of the sport in the mid-19th century. The interesting thing about the inclusion of the mask in lucha libre is that, of all of the offshoots of Greco-Roman wrestling, Mexican wrestling is the only one that adopted its use.

Many people point to the luchador mask as being a product of Mexico’s Aztec heritage. This is because most of the early masks in Mexican wrestling were comprised of colors and symbols that reflected animals, ancient heroes and gods. The wrestlers would take on the role of the character that was reflected in their mask.

In other words, the mask would define how the wrestler acted. They would become the mask.

El Rey Network’s Lucha Underground, airs Wednesdays 8PM ET/PT.

See the original at CraveOnline.com

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