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Throughout human history, musks have been imbued with transformative powers to bend time and alter reality. Epic dramas are told behind masks, from battles between good and evil, to fallen angel motifs where heroes turn bad, and back to good again in various prodigal son-motifs. Such epic dramas make good entertainment and as author Dan Madigan explains in his new hook, Mondo Lucha A Go-Go: The Bizarre & Honorable World of Wild Mexican Wrestling, are perfectly made for television.
Last Saturday, on Apr. 28, Madigan held a discussion and booksigning of his new book at the Under the Bridge Bookstore and Art Gallery in downtown San Pedro.
Mondo Lucha traces the roots of Lucha Libre, Spanish for "freestyle fighting" to the professional wrestling matches that emerged along side professional prize fighting in late 19th century. The Lucha Libre style of wrestling, Madigan said, came from a Spanish style of wrestling heavily influenced by what was called "catch as catch can" or "catch" for short in the United States. This was a wrestling form that began when old time traveling carnival circuits staged friendly grappling matches, set up between performers and the locals. The Spanish passed on this fast-paced wrestling style to their Mexican counterparts.
Lucha Libre. as it is known today, emerged in Mexico during the 1930s, and began with entrepreneur. Don Salvadore Lutteroth, who was inspired after watching a masked wrestler perform at a match in Liberty Hall, Texas. Lutteroth became-as Madigan described-a P.T. Barnum/Don King-like figure in Mexican Lucha wrestling. As a promoter he built a super league of wrestlers.
Aside from the cross-pollination of professional wrestling, the tentacles of Lucha Libre wrestling were deep and extensive in Los Angeles-including matches at larger venues in the Olympic Auditorium near Downtown LA and other smaller venues in around South Central Los Angeles. Madigan explained that most would not even be aware of Lucha Libre wrestling...