By Rafe Calder
A mask is cloth. In lucha libre it is also, depending on the source, a sacred tradition, a symbol and a stake. This piece looks at what three sources say about where the masks came from and why they matter.
When the masks began
EBSCO’s research starter on lucha libre, a reference service for libraries, says the mask tradition began when El Ciclón McKey “donned one for the first time in 1933.”
What the first masks looked like
Britannica describes the masks as distinctive and form-fitting. No source we read says what they are made of.
A mask as a stake
EBSCO describes unmasking as the worst possible outcome, one that might end a career, and says that many luchadores refuse to appear in public without their masks, even after retiring.
The rule inside the ring
EBSCO uses the phrase “a sacred tradition in lucha libre.” We take it as a description of custom, not of doctrine.
El Santo
EBSCO says El Santo made his debut at a 1942 match in Mexico City, never removed his mask in public and kept his identity secret until a week before his death in 1984. The Ministry of Culture of Mexico, in an exhibit hosted on Google Arts and Culture, says El Santo and Blue Demon became screen heroes and cultural icons.
Heritage
The Ministry of Culture exhibit calls lucha libre Mexico City’s cultural heritage and describes masks as an enigma and a symbol that hide identity but carry meaning. The exhibit adds that wrestlers’ exploits show up in traditional Mexican toys.
Whose sport, and when
The Ministry of Culture exhibit credits a wrestler named Enrique Ugartechea with inventing the sport in 1863 and calls it Greco-Roman wrestling-inspired. EBSCO dates the promotions to 1933, when Salvador Lutteroth founded the group EBSCO calls EMLL. The two are describing different things, the sport’s roots and the founding of a company.
Dates in order
- 1863: a wrestler credited with inventing the sport, according to the Ministry of Culture exhibit.
- 1933: El Ciclón McKey wears a mask, and the EMLL is founded, according to EBSCO.
- 1942: El Santo debuts, according to EBSCO.
- 1984: El Santo dies, according to EBSCO.
What kind of sources these are
EBSCO’s research starter, a library reference service; Britannica, an encyclopedia, read for one line; and an exhibit by the Ministry of Culture of Mexico, a government source. We read no wrestling promotion, mask-maker or museum catalog.
Questions a buyer would ask
What is it made of? The sources do not say. Who made it? They do not say that either. Is it a design tied to one wrestler? The sources mention famous masks, such as El Santo’s, but nothing about copies or rights, and we make no claim. We name no maker and no seller.
What we left out
We left out the mask maker names and materials, which no source covered. We also left out names of living wrestlers, and all prices.
Quick answers
When did lucha libre masks begin? EBSCO, a library reference service, says the tradition began in 1933 when El Ciclón McKey first wore one.
What happens when a wrestler loses a mask match? EBSCO describes unmasking as the worst possible outcome, one that can end a career.
Is lucha libre recognized as heritage? The Ministry of Culture exhibit on Google Arts and Culture calls it Mexico City’s cultural heritage.
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