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93-476: Jorge Rivera Soriano (born September 2, 1964) is a Mexican luchador (Spanish for "professional wrestler") who is best known as a trainer. He has been a tecnico throughout his wrestling career. He is currently training wrestlers at Arena Xalapa, different states of Mexico and the United States. Rivera started wrestling in 1987 under the names of "Porsche" and "El Seminarista". As El Seminarista, he won

186-487: A Luchas de Apuestas (bet match) against a young Super Crazy for his mask. He later wrestled as "La Flecha" between 1988 and 1993. His breakout year was when he went to Asistencia Asesoría y Administración in 1995 with the new gimmick of "Power Raider Blanco" ( Spanish for "Power Ranger White") and became a member of the Power Raider group. The whole idea of this was Antonio Peña 's who thought doing this could get

279-526: A luchador and luchadora respectively. In 2000, the all-female promotion company Lucha Libre Femenil (LLF) was founded. Lucha Libre has a division called the "Mini-Estrella" or "Minis" division, which unlike North American midget wrestling , is not just for dwarfs but also for luchadores that are short. The maximum allowable height to participate in the Mini division was originally 5 feet, but in recent years wrestlers such as Pequeño Olímpico have worked

372-453: A luchador code of honor. For instance, a luchador who has lost a wager match would prefer to endure the humiliation of being unmasked or having his head shaved rather than live with the shame that would come from not honoring his bet. Rudos have also been known to make the transition into técnicos after a career-defining moment, as was the case with Blue Demon , who decided to become a técnico after his wrestling partner, Black Shadow ,

465-413: A mid-air backflip to land elbow first on an opponent lying on the mat. A move in which a wrestler jumps down from the turnbuckle on an opponent, driving their fist into the opponent's head. While doing it, wrestlers have their front four knuckles out, and their thumb to the side. This move was popularized by Jerry Lawler as his finisher. Also known as a Diving headbutt drop or a Flying headbutt, it

558-472: A senton sees the wrestler landing back or buttocks first on the opponent's stomach or chest. The move sees an attacking wrestler jumping to the top turnbuckle or top rope facing away from the ring before falling down backwards onto the lying opponent. Popularized by Darby Allin who uses it as a finisher as the Coffin Drop . He's also known to use this move to hit a standing opponent. The attacker on

651-549: A swan diving motion by spreading their arms outwards while arching their legs backwards midair while performing the move. Benoit and Danielson are best known to use this technique. Benoit also used a version of this move by simply falling forward off the turnbuckle, with his arms spread up and outwards, to hit an opponent at close range. Honma also uses this version that he calls the Kokeshi while keeping his arms to his sides. This move, popular in lucha libre, can also be used to hit

744-561: A Mexican luchador named El Superbeasto. The Main Antagonist of the animated film Despicable Me 2 , El Macho, sports a costume resembling that of a luchador, consistent with his theme of Mexican culture. Television shows have also been inspired by lucha libre, especially animated series such as ¡Mucha Lucha! Cartoon Network also produced an animated miniseries based on the luchador El Santo. The WB television series Angel episode entitled " The Cautionary Tale of Numero Cinco " told

837-584: A box, labeled with the date, to be treasured. Female wrestlers or luchadoras also compete in Mexican lucha libre . The CMLL World Women's Championship is the top title for CMLL 's women's division, while the AAA Reina de Reinas Championship is a championship defended in an annual tournament by female wrestlers in AAA. AAA also recognizes a World Mixed Tag Team Championship , contested by tag teams composed of

930-534: A chop. The move combination is better known as Old School . Invented by Don Jardine and popularized by The Undertaker , who was Jardine's protégé. Japanese wrestler Jinsei Shinzaki uses the move while praying as the Ogami Watari . Standing on the top turnbuckle, the attacking wrestler proceeds to jump in order to deliver an overhead chop to a standing opponent's head. This is one of the most recognizable signature moves performed by Manabu Nakanishi . This

1023-523: A finishing move called the Tsunami . Also known as firebird splash , involves an attacker facing the ring from the top of the turnbuckles, then performing a "Rudolph" ( front somersault with 1 1 ⁄ 2 twists ) to land the upper body's front on the opponent. This move was innovated by Japanese superstar Hayabusa , hence why it is also called the Firebird Splash . Scott Steiner introduced

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1116-495: A folk hero and a symbol of justice for the common man through his appearances in comic books and movies , while the sport received an unparalleled degree of mainstream attention. Other legendary luchadores who helped popularize the sport include Gory Guerrero , who is credited with developing moves and holds which are now commonplace in professional wrestling; Blue Demon , a contemporary of Santo and possibly his greatest rival; and Mil Máscaras (Man of A Thousand Masks), who

1209-480: A homage to Randy Savage, and Kairi Sane who uses the move as her finisher and refers to it as the InSane Elbow . The wrestler dives forward from an elevated position performing a 450 somersault landing on the supine opponent with the elbow drop. Independent wrestler Flip Kendrick has used the move. John Morrison uses a modified version of this move which sees him utilizing a diving cartwheel motion during

1302-421: A large number of them will be unmasked. Sometimes, a wrestler slated for retirement will be unmasked in his final bout or at the beginning of a final tour, signifying a loss of identity as that character. Sometimes, losing the mask signifies the end of a gimmick with the wrestler moving on to a new gimmick and mask. The mask is considered sacred to a degree, so much so that fully removing an opponent's mask during

1395-496: A leg across the fallen opponent. The wrestler, standing on an elevated position, jumps and flips forward to land one leg on the opponent lying beneath. This move can also be performed from a standing non-elevated position although this variation is quite rare. Booker T used this move during his time in WCW naming the move, Harlem Hangover. 2 Cold Scorpio uses a variation of this move as a finisher which sees him, while facing away from

1488-494: A match is grounds for disqualification. During their careers, masked luchadores will often be seen in public wearing their masks and keeping up the culture of lucha libre, while other masked wrestlers will interact with the public and press normally. However, they will still go to great lengths to conceal their true identities; in effect, the mask is synonymous with the luchador . El Santo continued wearing his mask after retirement, revealing his face only briefly in old age, and

1581-582: A national pop-culture phenomenon. In 1942, lucha libre would be forever changed when a silver-masked wrestler, known simply as El Santo ( The Saint ), first stepped into the ring. He made his debut in Mexico City by winning an 8-man battle royal . The public became in love with the mystique and secrecy of Santo's personality, and he quickly became the most popular luchador in Mexico. His wrestling career spanned nearly five decades, during which he became

1674-512: A pinning position. Innovated by Molly Holly . Tegan Nox uses this move. The attacker jumps to the top turnbuckle or top rope facing away from the ring, and executes a moonsault, landing in an ordinary senton position. There is also a standing version of this move. In this variation, the attacking wrestler executes a quick front somersault off the top turnbuckle, landing on the opponent back-first. Popularized by Jim Fullington and renaming it as Rolling Rock . The standing, running variation

1767-502: A priest-turned-luchador was inspired by the story of Father Sergio Gutiérrez Benítez, a real-life Catholic priest who wrestled as Fray Tormenta to make money for his church. The documentary feature Lucha Mexico (2016) captured the lives of some of Mexico's well known wrestlers. The stars were Shocker , Blue Demon Jr. , El Hijo del Perro Aguayo and Último Guerrero . Directed by Alex Hammond and Ian Markiewicz. Rob Zombie 's animated film The Haunted World of El Superbeasto stars

1860-582: A raised platform, landing stomach first horizontally across an opponent lying on the ground below. This move was popularized by Jimmy Snuka , naming it the Superfly Splash , for his “Superfly” gimmick, and is currently used by his daughter Tamina Snuka as a tribute to her father. The Usos also use this move as their finishers called the Uso Splash , and is also occasionally used by Solo Sikoa called Flying Solo . Bronson Reed also uses this as

1953-522: A real-life vampire invasion of New York. The Fox Kids live-action series Los Luchadores (2001) starred a trio of masked wrestlers consisting of Lobo Fuerte, Maria Valentine, and Turbine who not only participate in wrestling tournaments but also fight to protect their home of Union City from numerous threats (both natural and supernatural). Lucha libre is a recurring motif in nearly every game directed by Suda51 , starting from his directorial debut Super Fire Pro Wrestling 3 Final Bout . Most prominently,

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2046-432: A result, the tag team formula and pacing which has developed in U.S. tag matches is different from lucha libre because the race to tag is not a priority. There are also two-man tag matches ( parejas ) and "four on four" matches ( atomicos ). Masks ( máscaras ) have been used dating back to the beginnings of lucha libre in the early part of the 20th century, and have a historical significance to Mexico in general, dating to

2139-475: A retired luchador character called Angel de la Plata (The Silver Angel), played by Joaquin Cosio . In the storyline, Angel de la Plata (probably based on El Santo ) was a major masked wrestling star in Mexico, appearing both in the ring and in a series of movies in which his character battled all manner of foes including vampires. A knee injury ended his career but he is called upon to use his fighting skills against

2232-403: A standing opponent as demonstrated by Rey Mysterio who has used diving and springboard versions of this move earlier, and rarely at later parts in his career, as a signature and finisher. It was later publicized that the move in general could cause severe spine, brain, leg or chest damage. A move in which a wrestler jumps from the top turnbuckle, top rope, or the apron, landing one knee across

2325-520: A standing or seated upright opponent with each knee striking both of their shoulders simultaneously. Springboard , slingshot , and standing or running versions of this move are also possible with the latter being used while the attacker is charging towards an opponent, against a charging opponent, or a combination of both. Innovated by CIMA , who has used both a springboard and top rope version as finishing maneuvers in Dragon Gate , and named it after

2418-413: A supine opponent as a finisher. The wrestler sits on the top turnbuckle with a foot on each second rope facing a supine opponent. The wrestler then leaps forward while clasping both forearms together, landing on their knees, driving an elbow into the opponent. It was used by Bret Hart and Stone Cold Steve Austin . This move sees a wrestler jumping forward from an elevated position followed by executing

2511-469: A supine opponent. There is also a variation where a wrestler jumps from the elevated position and lands both knees across the supine opponent, referred to as a diving double knee drop . Bob "Spark Plug" Holly used this as a finisher, calling it the Pitstop Plunge . This version of the diving double knee drop sees the attacker performing the maneuver from an elevated platform, jumping forward onto

2604-442: Is Dos Caras Jr. Lucha Libre has crossed over into popular culture, especially in Mexico, where it is the second most popular sport after soccer . Outside of Mexico, lucha libre has also crossed over into popular culture, especially in movies and television. Depictions of luchadors are often used as symbols of Mexico and Mexican culture in non-Spanish-speaking cultures. The motion picture Nacho Libre , starring Jack Black as

2697-399: Is also known for its tag team wrestling matches. The teams are often made up of three members, instead of two as is common in the United States. These three-man teams participate in what are called trios matches, for tag team championship belts. Of these three members, one member is designated the captain. A successful fall in a trios match can be achieved by either pinning the captain of

2790-474: Is an illegal move in wrestling and grounds for immediate disqualification, although some variants are legal in certain promotions; or when he hits his opponent in the groin (foul); when he uses outside interference; when he attacks the referee; or when he completely rips off his opponent's mask. Most matches are two out of three falls, which had been abandoned for title matches in North America and Japan in

2883-480: Is credited with introducing the high flying moves of lucha libre to audiences around the world. He achieved international fame as one of the first high-flyers, something he was not considered in Mexico, where he fell under the mat-power category. Luchadores are traditionally more agile and perform more aerial maneuvers than professional wrestlers in the United States , who more often rely on power and hard strikes to subdue their opponents. The difference in styles

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2976-472: Is delivered from the turnbuckle with the wrestler leaping forward into the air head-first to fall and strike anywhere on the opponent's prone or surpine body. The move was accidentally invented by Harley Race , who adapted it as a signature move and it was then further popularized by The Dynamite Kid , Chris Benoit , Bam Bam Bigelow , D-Von Dudley , Tomoaki Honma and recently Bryan Danielson and Chad Gable . The wrestler will sometimes use this move with

3069-537: Is dubbed the Friday Night Fever (formerly known as Area 451 ). The move was innovated and popularized by Hayabusa , who named it the Phoenix splash . The wrestler facing away from the ring on the top turnbuckle performs a 180° turn in mid-air while performing a 450° splash onto a lying opponent. Kota Ibushi uses this move. Also known as flaming star press or inverted / reverse 450° splash , sees

3162-505: Is due to the independent evolution of the sport in Mexico beginning in the 1930s and the fact that luchadores in the cruiserweight division ( peso semicompleto ) are often the most popular wrestlers in Mexican lucha libre. Luchadores execute characteristic high-flying attacks by using the wrestling ring 's ropes to catapult themselves towards their opponents, using intricate combinations in rapid-fire succession, and applying complex submission holds. Rings used in lucha libre generally lack

3255-536: Is just barely complete when the attacker impacts the opponent with upper back/shoulders. Invented by The Great Sasuke calling it Senton Atomico , Jeff Hardy popularized this move in North America, calling it the Swanton Bomb . It would be used by Kevin Owens , as well as British professional wrestler Amir Jordan, who calls the move Swanton Bombay . Another variant where the attacking wrestler, facing away from

3348-467: Is known as "Catch". Lucha libre wrestlers are known as luchadores (singular luchador ) and often come from extended wrestling families who form their own stables. One such line integrated to the United States professional wrestling scene is Los Guerreros . In 2018, Mexican lucha libre was declared an intangible cultural heritage of Mexico City . The rules of lucha libre are similar to American singles matches. Matches can be won by pinning

3441-464: Is known as a cannonball . Another variant where the attacking wrestler facing to the ring does a 360° twist in the air before impact. A.J. Styles popularized this by calling it the Spiral Tap . A variant which sees a wrestler leaping off the top turnbuckle keeping the body straight and arms out-stretched, resembling a swan dive and then waiting until the last moment to execute the flip, so

3534-470: Is the term for the style of professional wrestling originating in Mexico. Since its introduction to Mexico in the early 20th century, it has developed into a unique form of the genre, characterized by colorful masks , rapid sequences of holds and maneuvers, and "high-flying" maneuvers , some of which have been adopted in the United States, Japan, and elsewhere. The wearing of masks has developed special significance, and matches are sometimes contested in which

3627-645: The CMLL World Mini-Estrella Championship in 1992, making it the oldest Minis championship still in existence today. Minis are often patterned after "regular-sized" wrestlers and are sometimes called "mascotas" ("mascots") if they team with the regular-sized version. In 1994, AAA promoted the When Worlds Collide pay-per-view in conjunction with the U.S. promotion company World Championship Wrestling (WCW). When Worlds Collide introduced U.S. audiences to many of

3720-551: The French Intervention in Mexico , when Enrique Ugartechea, the first Mexican wrestler, developed and invented Mexican lucha libre from Greco-Roman wrestling . In the early 20th century, professional wrestling was mostly a regional phenomenon in Mexico until Salvador Lutteroth founded the Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre ( Mexican Wrestling Enterprise ) in 1933, giving the sport a national foothold for

3813-557: The Greek landmark where he proposed to his wife. American wrestlers Sasha Banks and Matt Sydal also use it as a signature move, the latter having also performed in Dragon Gate. This move sees the wrestler jumping forward from the second turnbuckle, executing a mid-air backflip, landing knee first on an opponent down all on fours. It is a finishing move used by "Speedball" Mike Bailey as Ultima Weapon . This diving variation for

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3906-464: The Rump Shaker , sees the wrestler standing over a fallen opponent next to the turnbuckle, then climbing up to the second rope and jumping down, landing on the opponent's stomach or chest. This variant, which is technically described as a diving somersault seated senton is performed by flipping forward off a raised platform on to the shoulders of a standing opponent, forcing them to the ground into

3999-840: The United States , where he wrestled in both Chikara and Combat Zone Wrestling as Destello . Rivera has also wrestled in Japan in Dragon Gate as Skayde. and is currently wrestling on the independent circuit in Mexico. In March 2009, Rivera took part in the Chikara's King of Trios Tournament , teaming up with Mike Quackenbush and Johnny Saint in "The Masters of a Thousand Holds" team. They would win their opening round match against "Incoherence" ( Delirious , Hallowicked and Frightmare ), but would lose their quarter-final round match against "Team Uppercut", which consisted of Bryan Danielson , Claudio Castagnoli , and Dave Taylor . Rivera

4092-402: The luchador is uncommon: months can pass without it happening, because fans are the toughest of critics, booing the luchador if they are not pleased with their performance. Booing may happen regardless of the perceived virtuousness of the luchador's persona. The luchador , after receiving such an act of honor, will pick up the money and save it as a symbolic trophy, putting it in a vase or

4185-750: The "Comisión de Box y Lucha Libre Mexico D.F." (the Mexico City Boxing and Wrestling Commission), the main regulatory body in Mexico: Luchadores are traditionally divided into two categories, rudos (lit. "tough guys", who are "bad guys", or " heels "), who bend or break the rules, and técnicos (the "good guys", or " faces ", literally "technicians"), who play by the rules and their moves are much more complex and spectacular. Técnicos tend to have very formal combat styles, close to Greco-Roman wrestling and martial arts techniques, whereas rudos tend to be brawlers. Técnicos playing

4278-415: The "good guy" role, and rudos playing the "bad guy" role is very characteristic of Mexican lucha libre, which differs from U.S. professional wrestling, where many technical wrestlers play the role of heels (e.g., Kurt Angle ), and many brawlers play as "faces" (e.g., Stone Cold Steve Austin & The Rock ). Although rudos often resort to using underhanded tactics, they are still expected to live up to

4371-517: The 1970s. A unique rule in lucha libre applies during team matches (i.e., when a team's legal wrestler touches the ground outside the ring, a teammate may enter the ring to take his place as a legal competitor). Since the legal wrestler can step on the floor willingly, it is not necessary to tag a teammate to enter the match. This often allows for much more frantic action to take place in the ring than would be possible under standard tag rules. The antecedents of Mexican wrestling date back to 1863, during

4464-787: The Arizona Diamondbacks Major League Baseball team started doing promotions involving lucha libre. A luchador mask in Diamondback colors was a popular giveaway at one game. In 2013 a Diamondbacks Luchador was made an official mascot, joining D. Baxter Bobcat. The first 20,000 fans at the July 27 game against the San Diego Padres were to receive a luchador mask. In Spain , professional wrestling has commonly been called catch (from catch-as-catch-can wrestling ) and pressing catch . In Peru ,

4557-586: The Latin American version such as more weight classes than professional wrestling in North America post World War II. Like "old school" European (especially British) wrestling, some Japanese wrestling and early 20th-century American wrestling, Lucha libre has a detailed weight class system patterned after boxing . Each weight class has an official upper limit, but examples of wrestlers who are technically too heavy to hold their title can be found. The following weight classes exist in lucha libre, as defined by

4650-473: The Minis division despite being 1.69 m (5 ft 6 + 1 ⁄ 2  in) tall. The Minis division was first popularized in the 1970s with wrestlers like Pequeño Luke and Arturito (a wrestler with an R2-D2 gimmick) becoming noticed for their high flying abilities. In the late 1980s/early 1990s CMLL created the first actual "Minis" division, the brainchild of then-CMLL booker Antonio Peña . CMLL created

4743-897: The U.S. on the Spanish-language cable networks Galavisión and LA TV. Lucha Underground is a television series produced by the United Artists Media Group which airs in English on the El Rey Network and in Spanish on UniMás . It features wrestlers from the American independent circuit and AAA. AAA also owns a percentage of Lucha Underground. The series, which is taped live in Boyle Heights, California, finished season 4 finale. In 2012,

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4836-426: The attacking wrestler standing on the top turnbuckle facing away from the ring. Then jumping backwards executing a 450° splash inwards (facing the turnbuckle) onto a downed opponent on the mat. Mustafa Ali once used this move, naming it the 054 . The attacking wrestler stands on the top turnbuckle facing towards the ring and performs a 180° turn in mid-air while performing a 450° splash inwards. The wrestler places

4929-773: The character Mask de Smith from killer7 is a playable lucha libre wrestler, featuring a mask and cape. The popular video game franchise Pokémon introduced the Fighting/Flying-type Pokémon Hawlucha, which is a hawk-like humanoid creature with elements of a lucha libre wrestler. The masked Luchador fighter and chef El Fuerte was introduced to the Street Fighter franchise in Street Fighter IV . Professional wrestling aerial techniques Aerial techniques can be challenging for wrestlers to learn since they learn to trust

5022-412: The contract: Octavio Gaona would have to put his hair on the line. Octavio Gaona won the match and Murciélago unmasked, giving birth to the tradition. The following match types are variants of Luchas de Apuestas matches with different types of wagers. Since lucha libre has its roots more in Latin American professional wrestling than North American professional wrestling, it retains some of the basics of

5115-461: The days of the Aztecs . Early masks were very simple with basic colors to distinguish the wrestler. In modern lucha libre, masks are colorfully designed to evoke the images of animals , gods , ancient heroes and other archetypes , whose identity the luchador takes on during a performance. Virtually all wrestlers in Mexico will start their careers wearing masks, but over the span of their careers,

5208-726: The fans excited. Peña later got sued by Mattel and decided to re-gimmick all of those who were in Power Raider to Los Cadetes Del Espacio . Since then he changed his name to "Boomerang" for a year before changing it to his most famous one, "Skayde". He later left AAA in 1997 to work for Promo Azteca . In Promo Azteca, he wrestled as Skayde before leaving in 1998. In 1999 he worked between Asistencia Asesoría y Administración, Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre , and International Wrestling Revolution Group as "Electra". In 2000, Rivera started to wrestle in Toryumon Mexico using his real name and unmasking as "Jorge Rivera". Rivera then traveled to

5301-418: The first time. The promotion flourished and quickly became the premier spot for wrestlers. As television surfaced as a viable entertainment medium during the 1950s, Lutteroth was then able to broadcast his wrestling across the nation, subsequently yielding a popularity explosion for the sport. Moreover, it was the emergence of television that allowed Lutteroth to promote lucha libre's first breakout superstar into

5394-508: The gimmick has recently attained a more flamboyant outlook. Luchadores , like their foreign counterparts, seek to obtain a campeonato (championship) through winning key wrestling matches. Since many feuds and shows are built around luchas de apuestas (matches with wagers), title matches play a less prominent role in Mexico than in the U.S. Titles can be defended as few as one time per year. The two biggest lucha libre promotions in Mexico are Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL), which

5487-403: The importance placed on masks in lucha libre, losing the mask to an opponent is seen as the ultimate insult, and can at times seriously hurt the career of the unmasked wrestler. Putting one's mask on the line against a hated opponent is a tradition in lucha libre as a means to settle a heated feud between two or more wrestlers. In these battles, called luchas de apuestas ("matches with wagers"),

5580-653: The local San Antonio wrestlers lucha libre. In 2017 Skayde joined the training team at the Pro Wrestling Revolution Training Academy in San Jose, CA. Over the years Skayde has had a hand in training the following wrestlers: Lucha libre Mid 20th Century 1970s and 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s and 2020s Lucha libre ( Spanish pronunciation: [ˈlutʃa ˈliβɾe] , meaning " freestyle wrestling " or literally translated as "free fight")

5673-766: The loser must permanently remove his mask, which is a wager with a high degree of weight attached. Tag team wrestling is especially prevalent in lucha libre , particularly matches with three-member teams, called trios . Although in English the term specifically refers to the Mexican style of theatrical professional wrestling, in Spanish it can refer to other kinds of wrestling, including competitive freestyle wrestling ( es:lucha libre olímpica ) and professional wrestling in general ( es:lucha libre profesional ) in addition to Mexican professional wrestling in particular ( es:lucha libre mexicana ). However, in Spain (as with other non-Anglophone European countries) professional wrestling

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5766-557: The move and uses this as a finisher calling it the Countdown to IMPACT , IMPACT Elbow (using both names while in Impact Wrestling ), and Thursday Night Delight respectfully. This less common variation sees a wrestler stand facing away from a standing or supine opponent and in an elevated position (usually the top turnbuckle). The wrestler then dives backwards to strike the opponent. Ted DiBiase has used this move against

5859-533: The move as a tribute to Guerrero. The legendary Hiroshi Tanahashi uses this move as High Fly Flow There is a high-angle turning variation named the Five-Star Frog Splash where the opponent is not placed perpendicular to the corner. Instead, the attacker turns mid-air to land on the opponent in the splash position, regardless of which direction the opponent is lying in. It was made famous by ECW , WWF/E and TNA superstar Rob Van Dam as it

5952-466: The move in 1987 before 2 Cold Scorpio popularized the move in the 1990s. It can also be dangerous when it cannot be executed properly, as WWE previously banned it in 2005 after Juventud Guerrera broke Paul London 's face before they allowed Justin Gabriel to use it in 2010. It is often used by high-flying wrestlers, but has also been used by mat-based wrestler Kris Statlander as her finisher, which

6045-464: The move itself was innovated by La Fiera in Mexico in the early 1980s. Later it was used by Art Barr in the late 1980s and was named by 2 Cold Scorpio who remarked Barr looked "like a frog" whilst performing the move which resulted in Barr naming it. After Barr's death in 1994, Guerrero used the move in tribute to his fallen tag team partner. After Guerrero's death in 2005, Christian Cage began using

6138-443: The move, the wrestler jumps from an elevated position (usually the top turnbuckle) onto an opponent, landing horizontally across the opponent's torso, forcing them to the mat and usually resulting in a pinfall attempt. There is also a reversed version, called a reverse crossbody , where the wrestler faces away from the prone opponent before executing the maneuver. This move is one of the basic moves of lightweight wrestlers. This move

6231-402: The opponent lying supine perpendicular to the turnbuckle. Then approaching to the turnbuckle in the same corner, grabbing a hold both hands on the top rope and climbing to the first or second rope, the wrestler bounces on the ropes before throwing both legs backwards and placing the body parallel to the mat as releasing the ropes, thus falling inwards and downwards to the ring squashing and pinning

6324-422: The opponent to the mat for the count of three, making him submit, knocking him out of the ring for a predetermined count (generally twenty), or by disqualification. Using the ropes for leverage is illegal, and once a luchador is on the ropes, his opponent must release any holds and he will not be able to pin him. Disqualifications occur when an opponent uses an illegal grab or move, such as the piledriver , which

6417-414: The opponent's neck. Also known as diving axe handle, diving double axe handle smash, or diving double sledge, this is accomplished by jumping from the top turnbuckle to the mat or floor and striking the opponent with two fists held together in the fashion of holding an axe. This is usually done on a standing or rising opponent. A common variation sees the wrestler standing over the top rope, facing away from

6510-415: The opponent. The wrestler dives from an elevated position tucking both arms in, and striking a standing opponent with one shoulder to the upper body. A diving version of the takedown known as a spear . A wrestler will jump from a raised platform driving a shoulder into the torso as pulling both the opponent's legs, forcing them down to the mat. This basic maneuver involves a wrestler jumping forward from

6603-537: The opponent. Often referred to as Vader Bomb , for it was (Big Van) Vader who popularized it. Jack Swagger used a running variation as his signature in WWE, calling it a Swagger Bomb and is currently being used by Otis as the Dozer splash . A wrestler executes a backflip and lands torso first on the opponent. A basic moonsault is generally attempted from the top turnbuckle, though myriad variations exist. To perform

6696-439: The opposing team or by pinning both of the other members. A referee can also stop the match because of "excessive punishment". He can then award the match to the aggressors. Falls often occur simultaneously, which adds to the extremely stylized nature of the action. In addition, a wrestler can opt to roll out of the ring in lieu of tagging a partner or simply be knocked out of the ring, at which point one of his partners may enter. As

6789-430: The other performer, the nominal opponent, to either target the jump correctly or to safely catch their fall. Due to the risk of injury caused by these high-risk moves, some promotions have banned the use of some of them. The next list of maneuvers was made under general categories whenever possible. This move sees a wrestler jumping forward from an elevated position while holding a steel chair or other weapon, driving

6882-614: The ring, does a 180° twist followed by the senton bomb. This was popularised by Jeff Hardy calling it Whisper in the Wind . This can be done with the opponent standing up or laying. Jumping forward from an elevated position, the attacking wrestler executes a mid-air backflip ending in a senton. Created by Chaparita Asari, the Sky Twister Press sees the attacking wrestler somersault backwards from an elevated position, twisting their body around in mid air so as to land back first on

6975-505: The ring. From this point, the wrestler jumps, twisting to face inside of the ring, and quickly clutching both fists together to strike the double axe handle. Used by Randy Savage . Also called guillotine leg drop , this move sees a wrestler jumping from a raised platform landing the bottom side of one leg across the opponent's throat or chest. This move was used as the finisher of former WWE wrestler Fandango (now known as Dirty Dango) calling this move The Last Dance . This variation sees

7068-966: The spring supports added to U.S. and Japanese rings; as a result, lucha libre does not emphasize the "flat back" bumping style of other professional wrestling styles. For this same reason, aerial maneuvers are almost always performed on opponents outside the ring, allowing the luchador to break his fall with an acrobatic tumble. Lucha libre has several different weight classes, many catered to smaller agile fighters, who often make their debuts in their mid-teens. This system enables dynamic high-flying luchadores such as Rey Mysterio, Jr. , Juventud Guerrera , Super Crazy and Místico , to develop years of experience by their mid-twenties. A number of prominent Japanese wrestlers also started their careers training in Mexican lucha libre before becoming stars in Japan . These include Gran Hamada , Satoru Sayama , Jushin Thunder Liger , and Último Dragón . Lucha libre

7161-766: The story of a family of luchadores called "Los Hermanos Números" who also fought evil. Angel must help the remaining brother, Numero Cinco, defeat the Aztec warrior-demon that killed his four brothers. In the British TV show Justin Lee Collins : The Wrestler , Colins competes as the rudo El Glorioso , or The Glorious One, against the exótico Cassandro in The Roundhouse , London, ultimately losing and being unmasked. The book and television series The Strain by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan , features

7254-474: The supine opponent, utilizing a single corkscrew with the move and calls it the Tumbleweed . Executed by diving onto a supine opponent with one elbow cocked, driving the elbow into the opponent as the wrestler falls on one of their sides. The move was popularized by WWE Wrestler Randy "Macho Man" Savage , It has since been used by a number of WWE superstars such as CM Punk , Bayley who also uses it as

7347-403: The term cachascán (from "catch as can") is used and the wrestlers are called cachascanistas . In Bolivia , wrestling Cholitas – female wrestlers dressed up as indigenous Aymara – are popular and have inspired comic books . Some lucha libre wrestlers had careers in various mixed martial arts promotions, promoting lucha libre and wearing signature masks and attire. One of the most famous

7440-590: The top luchadores in Mexico at the time. In recent years, several luchadores have found success in the United States. Notable luchadores who achieved success in the U.S. are Eddie Guerrero , Chavo Guerrero , Rey Mysterio, Jr. , Juventud Guerrera , L. A. Park , Super Crazy , Alberto Del Rio , Psicosis , Místico , Kalisto , Aero Star , Drago , Andrade El Idolo , Pentagon Jr. , Fenix , El Hijo del Fantasma , Bandido , Flamita , Puma King , Rush , Soberano Jr. , Dragon Lee , Guerrero Maya Jr. and Stuka Jr. CMLL lucha libre shows are broadcast weekly in

7533-426: The top turnbuckle jumps and flips mid-air into a double front somersault to land sitting on the opponent below. It was innovated by Jack Evans and popularized by Ricochet who uses a corkscrew version of this move. In this version, the wrestler facing away from the ring on the top turnbuckle performs a 180° mid-air turn while executing the maneuver. Jack Evans and Ninja Mack uses this move. This variant has

7626-420: The true identity of a person losing his mask is previously unknown, it is customary for that person to reveal his real name, hometown and years as a professional upon unmasking. The first lucha de apuestas was presented on July 14, 1940, at Arena México. The defending champion Murciélago (Velázquez) was so much lighter than his challenger ( Octavio Gaona ), he requested a further condition before he would sign

7719-408: The weapon onto an opponent lying prone on the mat. This move was innovated by New Jack and named in reference to the prison slang term 187 . The wrestler takes hold of one of the opponent's wrists, twisting the arm into an arm wrench . The wrestler then climbs up the corner turnbuckles and takes a walk on the top rope before falling down striking the opponent's head, back, shoulder or nape with

7812-408: The wrestler performing a moonsault but instead of landing on the opponent in a splash position, the wrestler continues the rotation to drive a leg across the downed opponent. 2 Cold Scorpio uses this move as a signature called Drop The Bomb . Ruckus has also used this as an occasional move. The wrestler jumps forward from an elevated position following a full 360° or beyond rotation, driving

7905-512: The wrestler using the tailbone and lower back to fall in a seated position forcing a standing opponent to the mat rather than using their whole back. Performed by jumping forward off a raised platform or springboarding on to the opponent's shoulders, forcing them to the ground. This can also be performed onto an opponent prone or supine on the mat. A variation of this move known as the Banzai Drop , popularized by Yokozuna and by Rikishi as

7998-399: The wrestlers "wager" either their mask or their hair. In a lucha de apuesta (betting match), wrestlers make a public bet on the outcome of the match. The most common forms are the mask-against-mask, hair-against-hair, or mask-against-hair matches. A wrestler who loses his or her mask has to remove the mask after the match. A wrestler who loses their hair is shaved immediately afterward. If

8091-413: Was also used by WWE Hall of Famer Tatanka as a signature move called, "Diving Tomahawk Chop". The attacking wrestler jumps from an elevated position as extending their arm out from the side of the body and parallel to the ground, hitting the standing opponent in the neck or chest, knocking them over. A version of this move, called a flying lariat , involving the wrestler wrapping the attacking arm around

8184-673: Was eventually buried wearing his silver mask. More recently, the masks luchadores wear have become iconic symbols of Mexican culture. Contemporary artists like Francisco Delgado and Xavier Garza incorporate wrestler masks in their paintings. Although masks are a feature of lucha libre, it is a misconception that every Mexican wrestler uses one. There have been several maskless wrestlers who have been successful, particularly Tarzán López , Gory Guerrero , Perro Aguayo and Negro Casas . Formerly masked wrestlers who lost their masks, such as Satánico , Cien Caras , Cibernético and others, have had continued success despite losing their masks. With

8277-498: Was founded in 1933, and Lucha Libre AAA World Wide (AAA). One characteristic practiced in Mexico is with fans honoring wrestlers by throwing money into the wrestling ring after witnessing a high-quality match. With this act fans honor the luchador in a symbolic way, thanking the luchador for a spectacular match demonstrating they are pleased with their performance, showing the match is worth their money and worth more than what they paid to witness such an event. This act of honoring

8370-469: Was made famous as the finisher of WWE Hall of Famer Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat . The Hurricane used diving crossbody as his finisher and named it the Cape . This move is performed by leaping from the top rope, stretching out to a horizontal position, and bringing one's feet and hands inward and outward before landing. Eddie Guerrero made the frog splash famous in the mid-1990s and early 2000s. However,

8463-438: Was scheduled to enter the 2010 King of Trios tournament , teaming with El Valiente and Turbo, but after he reportedly tried to hold the company up for more money, while failing to deliver Valiente and Turbo, Chikara announced that they were severing ties with him effective immediately. In late 2012 Skayde started working with River City Wrestling (RCW) out of San Antonio, TX, both wrestling and running training clinics on teaching

8556-400: Was unmasked by the legendary Santo . Tag teams are sometimes composed of both rudos and técnicos in what are called parejas increibles (incredible pairings). Parejas increibles highlight the conflict between a luchador ' s desire to win and his contempt for his partner. A staple gimmick present in lucha libre since the 1950s is exótico , a character in drag. It is argued that

8649-576: Was used as his finisher. He also uses a regular version, generally going halfway or more than halfway across the ring to hit his opponent. Lio Rush uses a split-legged version called the Final Hour . The split-legged version was popularized by D'Lo Brown , who dubbed his version the Lo Down . Montez Ford uses a spinning version of this move called From the Heavens . Cedric Alexander uses this as

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