The mask is everything. Each luchador has their own mask design - bright colours, lightning bolts, stars, flames, animal faces. The mask is their character. A wrestler called El Santo wore a silver one for over 50 years and became so famous he starred in 50 films, all while still in his mask.
Lucha libre matches are full of acrobatics. The wrestlers spring off the ropes, do somersaults, and dive through the air. The story matters as much as the action. There are 'good guys', called t茅cnicos, and 'baddies', called rudos. The crowd cheers for the heroes and boos the baddies.
Arena M茅xico in Mexico City is the most famous lucha libre venue. Matches there are huge family events - children come dressed in their favourite wrestler's mask, cheering for their hero. Many Mexican children grow up collecting wrestler trading cards the way other kids collect football cards.
Lucha libre was named part of Mexico City's cultural heritage in 2018. It is one of the country's most original art forms - half sport, half theatre, half cartoon. (That's three halves, but lucha libre breaks the rules.)