September 16, 2024 • 35 mins
In Lucha Libre, the mask is one of the most important elements for a wrestler. What's at stake when a wrestler loses their mask? Does their career come to an end? In the 1970s, an iconic match captured everyone's attention. Three wrestlers fought to retain their masks, but only one emerged victorious. This historic contest between Fishman, Sangre Chicana and El Cobarde proved that sometimes what seems like the worst defeat can be the best thing to happen to your career.
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
The lineup for the match of September second, nineteen seventy
seven Arena Mexico included something special attack team tournament. In
one corner, he had two technicos, the good Guys.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Elf Haraon and el Kowarree.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
El Varaon wasn't masked, but el Kowade wore his trademark
black and white mask. Across from them. In the other
corner were the Rudos Fishman with his iconic green mask
decorated with stingrays and his partner, Adorable rub. Everyone was
excited about the Fisherman el Pharaon matchup because the two
(00:42):
had a long standing rivalry. Just a year prior, Fisherman
beat Alfaraon so bad he lost consciousness. The victory was
even sweeter for Fisherman because he wontedl Vharaon's mask, forcing
him to wrestle without it from then on. So needless
to say, this was a rematch that promised to be
Thrilla Fishman was already a very popular luchalord. He was
(01:05):
six years into his career and basically had done nothing
but win. Fishman was a rulum known for being brutal
and unforgivings and Luca. Fans who hadn't seen him wrestle
before were still well aware of his reputation. To give
you a sense of how popular he was, Fishman had
already fought several times against Santo, and right around the
time he whipped Elfarauan, he also beat Blue Demon to
(01:28):
become the International welterweight champion. So the context going into
this tag team tournament was that Fishman was the man
to be it. Not surprisingly, the arena that night in
nineteen seventy seven was bursting with anticipation before the first
bill even rang. The crowd was underfeet, cheering and whistling,
(01:49):
hungry to see an epic showdown. But more was in
store for them. Besides the next chapter of the Fishman
and Farawan rival record, they were about to witness the
birth of a new rivalry. In the first few falls,
Fisherman found himself up against Alfaraon's teammate el Kowarde. El
Kowarde means coward, but within seconds of watching him you
(02:10):
would know the name was ironic. Elkovardo was extremely talented.
El Koward had already had a twelve year career at
this point and was so good it was one of
the first wrestlers who ever competed in Japan. Lucha fans
there considered him a once intergeneration wrestler. Two years before
this match, in nineteen seventy seven, El Kowardre had wrestled
(02:32):
in the first Tornado de la Morte, the Tournament of Death,
at the Plaza de Toros, Mexico, alongside greats like Santo
and Blue Demon. So, as you see, this was a
night stacked with talent. Unfortunately, we don't know who won
or the details of the bout, but we do know
that the evening gave birth to the rivalry between these
(02:54):
two legendary figures, Fisherman and Alkowarde, a rivalry which met
year weeks later would go from a newly lit fire
to a full blown inferno. It happened at the forty
fourth anniversary of the empress A Mexicana de Lucha Libre,
a massive event that brought together all the best luccalories
(03:16):
and for the first time, featured the now famous Triangelo
de la Morte Triangle of Death match. It was called
a triangle of death for many reasons, but one of
them was because the stakes were so high for each
of the three lucallories participating. Their mask was on the
line and only one of them would keep it. I
(03:43):
am Santos Escobara, the Emperor of Lucha Libre and a
ww superstar. For over twenty years, I have been a
professional wrestler in Mexico, the United States and around the world.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
Champion, a hero, a villain.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
I've won and lost, but I always represent Lucha Libre
with pride. Lucha Libre it's tradition, it's heritage, it's culture,
Ladies and gentlemen. The following podcast is scheduled for twelve episodes,
and it's all about Lucha Libria.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
This is Lucha.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
Libre behind the Mass Episode six, Winning and Losing the Mask.
Before I give away what happened that night, we need
to get through some gossip because, after all, Luca Lodes
are not just athletes, they are characters and public figures,
(04:47):
and we love to trush tug arrivals before the fights.
A week after that first match where the rivalry between
Fisherman and Elkobarda began, they faced off in another tag
team match. Once again, El Khobarde led the technical team
and Fishman.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
Led the rudos.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
His partner was a luchador named Sangri Chicana, who wore
a red mask with a golden eye match. Sangri had
already been around for four years. He was not the
most versatile of wrestlers, but had total command of a
few powerful moves. Unlike the others, was a formidable opponent.
So just for fun, imagine you are there that night
(05:26):
at the arena. If you are a tennis fan, it'd
be like seeing Nadal, Featherer and Jakovic a matchup for
the ages. But just as tennis matches are extremely quiet,
Luca matches are extremely loud. That night, the arena was
roaring with excitement. At first, Fishman and Sangria Chichina teamed
(05:51):
up on Elkobarde.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
It was as if Elkobarde was fighting a two front war.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
On one side, Fisherman was pummeling him with powerful kicks.
On the other, he was taking headbuts from Sangre Chicana,
and the crowd just egged them on. The louder they cheered,
the more aggressively Fisherman and sang Chicana attacked Elkobarde. The
match was so intense that El Kobarde started to bleed,
(06:16):
and I don't mean a skin near rasa. It was
coming down his face and the entire white side of
his beautiful black and white mask was stained red. The
result was like a bull in a bullfight, chasing the
red flag. Fishman and Sangre Chicana came at him even harder.
They put their fingers in the eyeholds of Elkobarde's mask
and ripped it in two. That's thed Lyons a lifelong
(06:41):
wrestling plan. He says that in the heat of the
moment in lucha, anything is possible. Masks get ripped, hair
gets pulled, anything. So after Fisherman and Sanga Chicana pulled
off Elkobarde's mask, he went wild, freeing himself from the
halt and like a man possessed, tore off the mask
of Fisherman and Sangri chi Can. The crowd was losing it,
(07:03):
blood everywhere, out of control. Lucalodes three masks torn into
bits on the ring. It was carnage and they loved
it articles the next day, Like in the event to
Dantes inferren Wough, matches is crazy actually were not unheard
of in the seventies, and it was the Rudos who
(07:24):
led the way, subjecting their opponents to increasingly extreme bitdowns.
I mean, back then, there were barely any rules regarding
how violent matches could get.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
The only hard rule was that the loser had.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
To submit punches, kicks and holes were just the tip
of the iceberg lucceiallodes could use anything they could find
in the arena, chairs, ladders, whatever would bring your opponent
to the ground so they could not get up. No
one was throwing chairs at each other in this particular night,
but as you can tell, the carnage was extreme, and
(07:58):
in the end the Rudols emerged victorious. If you think
things could not get any more intense between these guys,
you're wrong. They faced off again just a few days later.
It was a battle royale.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
At Arena Mexico.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
The team of Technicos was led by el Kovarde, while
the Rudos team featured Fishman and Sangri Chicana, three Lucha
libre legends with scours to settle. Thrown into the ring together.
As before, the Rulos immediately went straight for Elkovarde, Sangri
Chicana pinning his arms so that Fishman could pummel his.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
Chest to escape.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
El Kovarde, feeling trapped, kick Fishman in the growing that
was forbidding, and the referee disqualified the technico, but the
crowd didn't agree with the call and demanded the match
to go on.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
So Sangri Chicana and Elkovarde just kept going at it.
Speaker 1 (08:56):
El Kovarde was landing some great hits, but none of
it counted since technically he'd already been disqualified.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
But it didn't matter.
Speaker 1 (09:04):
El Kovarde, a veteran and a consummate showman, grabbed the
mic and spoke directly to the sixteen thousand person crowd.
He asked them if they wanted to witness a Lucha
de apuestas mask versus mask match, who should it be
that I wrestle against Fisherman or Sangra Chicana.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
Who do you want to see me be? I will
have my revenge.
Speaker 1 (09:30):
The crowd had already forgotten about the foul and screamed
in reply, fight Sangra Chicana, Fight Sangra Chicana. There was
not going back. Sangra Chicana and al Khobarde would wrestle
for their masks, the biggest type of bout there is.
A Few days later, the EML organized a press conference
(09:53):
officially announcing the Lucha the apostas mask versus Mask between
El Khobarde and Sangre Chicana. You can picture it. A
room packed full of journalists and photographers. The press conference
started and at first everything seemed normal, but then in
(10:14):
Wox Fishermen shouting in front of the whole room, demanding
that he also be included in the mask match. After all,
he was the one who had sparked the initial rivalry
with Alcobatre. The EML organizers decided to accept his request
right then and there. It was decided that there'd be
(10:34):
no better way to commemorate forty four years of wrestling.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
In the country.
Speaker 1 (10:39):
It was the first time in history that rie luchaodes
would be putting their masks on the line at the
same time. Since that match, countless other Triangle of Death
matches have followed, but this was the very first. To
determine the order of the matchups, each wrestler would draw lodgs,
(11:00):
and the first wrestler to lose two faults would lose
their mask forever. The two left standing would face each
other a week later. At that event. The winner would
be determined by a best two out of three falls
match with no time limits.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
Within the span of.
Speaker 1 (11:17):
Just eight days, tu luchadores would lose their masks and
reveal their identities. The anticipation for the first match was
almost unparalleled. Ringside tickets had jumped from twenty five pesos
(11:38):
to one hundred, and general admission seats had gone from
six to fifteen. Naturally, folks would be willing to pay more.
They were about to witness something historic. Sangri Chicana came
(11:59):
into the ring for first wearing red head to toe
except for the golden eye patch.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
On his mask.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
Next up was Fishman in green and yellow, and lastly
El Khoware in a magnificent black and white cape. As
decided before the event, the first match was between Elkowarde
and Fishmen. Elkovard won the first fall, defeating Fishmen. This
(12:27):
was just the beginning and arguably the favorite was already
on the ropes. The second fol pitted the now tired
el Kovarde against Sangria Chicana, but el Kovarde was sick
of getting bit to a poll by these guys and
beat Sangla Chicana. Also, this meant that for the third fall,
Fishman and Sangria Chicana had to face each other. The
(12:48):
drama These two famous lucell ortis, who for years had
fought together, trained together, traveled together, now had to face off.
Their careers were at stake, and even though they were friends,
all that had to be put aside. It was win
or go home and go home maskless at that. Sometimes
(13:11):
fates throws all of us curveballs, but it seems to
happen all the time in Lucha libre. The impossible is
always around the corner, and that's exactly what was happening
to Fisherman and Sangrichicana. The match was stilted at first,
Fishermen and Sangrichicana dancing around each other. Maybe they didn't
(13:31):
trust each other, maybe they were prolonging the inevitable. But
eventually they made contact and the bout commenced. Because they
respected each other so much, the tuluchaes kept away from
their normal Ruto styles. They played clean and didn't sneak
in low blows like usual. But the crowd didn't come
to see a tame sparring match between two friends. They
(13:54):
came for Lucha libre in all its glory, and so
they started booing them. And as you know, in wrestling,
if the crowd says, jump you jump as high as
you can. Fishman and Sangrea Chicana were professionals, so they
set aside their friendship and began to wrestle for real.
Something clicked and suddenly the match was at full intensity.
(14:18):
They were punching and kicking each other with everything they had.
The arena roared in approval. What's happening really was exceptional.
One account of the match describes the wrestlers as cut
in the frenzy of their own violence, intense as it was.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
Neither remove their other's mask.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
At one point, Fisherman cut Sangla Chicana in a Moreliana hole.
To execute a more Leiana you have to grab your
opponent from behind and hold their arms. Then you hook
your leg around them and bring them to the ground.
It worked, and Fishman held Sangla Chicano on the mat
for the designated.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
Count one two three he had won.
Speaker 1 (15:06):
I was not there, but the report I found says
that it was ten fifty five pm when Sangri Chicana,
by his own hand, removed his mask.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
Wow, can you imagine the tension?
Speaker 1 (15:19):
We know that losing the mask isn't just another day
at work for this guys. It's one of the toughest
things that can happen to you, and it becomes part
of your legacy. I've experienced it myself, and let me
tell you, no, it's fussy, it's not easy, but the
tradition is embedded in the DNA of the Lucha libre universe.
Fans respected as the people who study Lucha libret, Like
(15:41):
anthropologist Patricia Selisbla Macara is, losing the mask is one
of the most dramatic elements of the sports. She says,
the moment holds in men's tension. At stake are identities
that took years or even decades to build. For the
luchello who it's happening to. It's incredibly intense and difficult,
(16:05):
not just because you're lost, but because you don't know
how people will react.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
Depending on the.
Speaker 1 (16:10):
Relationship you've built with fans over time, they might stay
with you and continue to support you in your next chapter,
but they also might just forget you and move on
to someone else, someone who still has a mask, someone
who wins. Is everything you've built about to disappear. This
is the kind of thing that goes through your head.
(16:30):
What will I become?
Speaker 2 (16:32):
La masque.
Speaker 1 (16:35):
That's Victor ortis a former Luca or from Guarez who
wrestled with a mask. He says, the mask is part
of the luchador. The mask is you, your alter egos.
It's like a whole side of you. But when you
lose the mask, it's gone. That part of you is
gone and you're left with just yourself.
Speaker 2 (16:58):
He's right.
Speaker 1 (16:59):
The feeling is truly that powerful. So that is what
sangraa Chicana was going through that night in September of
nineteen seventy seven. He took off his mask and looked
straight out into the audience. My name is Andres Duran Reyes,
he said. Who knows how he felt on the inside,
(17:21):
but to the fence, he was strong and proud. At
that time, Andres was twenty five years old. He was
born in Kuahuila, but lived in the US in Chicago.
He grew up in a small town away from any arenas,
but grew up watching all the classic Luca movies and
that's what made him want to be a luchalloro.
Speaker 2 (17:43):
His journey started when he was nineteen years old when
he began training.
Speaker 1 (17:48):
At twenty one, he had his debut wearing his iconic
red mask with a golden stripper across the ice. This
was before Sangraa Chicana. As other great Luceallores, he took
Andres a few tries before finding his name.
Speaker 2 (18:04):
He first went.
Speaker 1 (18:04):
By Las Sombra, and after that Lemus Andres quickly made
a name for himself as a rudo. It was in
nineteen seventy four that he changed his name to Sangri Chicana.
The same year he joined the EMLL. By that time
the league was fully controlled by Don Chawa Lutrode and
his son, Don Chavo Lutrode, the second. Sangrea Chicana kept
(18:27):
his mask for three years until that fateful night of
September twenty third, nineteen seventy seven, that triangle of death
where Sangri Chicana was the first to go down. But
as we said, there was only going to be one winner.
There was still one more match to go. The Fishman
(18:48):
and al Kobade match was the following Friday, and this
would decide it all. It was a mask versus masque,
a Lucha de apustas match, the ultimate consummation of the rivalry.
Fishman won the first fall, winning with a move called
the plancha a crossbody, but Ilkobarre came back with a
(19:10):
vengeance in the second fall, winning with his favorite hold
lades pierrata, an arm log that forced Fisherman to submit.
Speaker 2 (19:19):
It was all coming down to the third pot, La
de serra kai.
Speaker 1 (19:23):
A few minutes would decide who would go home glorious
and who would go home unmasked.
Speaker 2 (19:29):
The fall started with a bang.
Speaker 1 (19:30):
El Kobada launched himself head first from the ropes, tackling
Fishman and hurling them both outside of the ring, but
within the span of twenty seconds, each was on his
feet and back in the ring. Elkovardes move had not
finished Fisherman, but it gave him momentum. He next applied
the crucifix, a painful hold where you cross your opponent's arms,
(19:52):
but Fisherman used albard strength against him and reversed the hold,
which brought Elcovarde down hard onto the map. This was
not enough to stop ikowarda though, and he hopped right
up again. The match kept going like this. Whenever one
wrestler appeared to be getting the upper hand, the other
would break free and launch a dangerous counter attack. Finally,
(20:13):
Fishman was able to get Elkabarda in a crucifix, locking
both of his arms. One report from that night said
you could actually hear Alcobada's bones crocking under the pressure.
But Fishman didn't lose in his grip, just held him
tighter and tighter. I can only imagine what Elkobaada felt
in that moment, desperately trying to endure the punishment, but
(20:36):
unable to move. Finally, he submitted, signaling the end of
the match. A hush fell over Arena Mexico. The fans
were stunned. Did that really happen? Did El Khobarde, the
only technico of the Triangle of Death, the only symbol
(20:59):
of good, just loose? And was he really about to
lose his mask? Sumaskara El Kowarde got up from the
mat and faced the crowd, his black and white mask
torn and stained with blood. They say he had a
look of despair, which of course is understandable. See getting
(21:23):
unmasked in Lucha libre doesn't necessarily mean you'll just continue
your career wrestling unmasked.
Speaker 2 (21:30):
The stakes are far higher.
Speaker 1 (21:32):
You might start losing and never recover. Losing the mask
can end your career. In this case, it was the
referee who took off the mask. He stood behind the
tower in El Kobade and untied the laces of his mask,
and then, with one swift motion, he took off the
black and white mask, and like Sanga Chicana had done
(21:55):
a week earlier, El Kobade revealed himself.
Speaker 2 (21:58):
To the crowd, Miel de Adies.
Speaker 1 (22:04):
He was thirty years old and hailed from Juarez, the
giant Mexican city across the border from al Paso. Miguel
started wrestling in nineteen sixty five, when he was just
eighteen years old. Unlike other luchadores we've talked about, Miguel
found his name early and stuck with it throughout his career.
(22:26):
It didn't catch on at first, though, because coward isn't
a very traditional name for an athlete. Little by little, though,
it became clear that Miguel was so talented he could
call himself whatever he wanted. In addition to being one
of the first wrestlers to rock up wins in Japan
in nineteen seventy five, El Kobarda had an extraordinary run
(22:47):
trying to win the bantamweight championship. He lost in the
final match, but it was named the match of the
Year by box Ilucha Magazine. All this to say that
that fateful night when El Kobad lost his beautiful black
and white mask, the Lucha Liver universe lost one of
his tidans. So what's next for El Kobade and for Sangrichicana.
(23:17):
Surely these guys were able to recover from losing in
the Triangle of Death match right. Victor Tis explains why
it's not so easy. He says that losing your mask
comes with profound sadness. You cry a lot grief for it.
Nothing is ever the same, and you just don't know
(23:40):
what will come next. What happened to Chicana and El
Kobade shows just how different your future can be after
losing your mask. El Kobade continued wrestling and was able
to stay at the top of the game, but then
one week he just stopped showing up and disappeared from
the scene. He had a terminal illness that was ending
(24:03):
his life. Miguelanchiell del Ga Regges El Coobarde passed away
in February of nineteen eighty three at the age of
thirty six. Lucalodis wrestled well into the forties, sometimes even longer.
Who knows what hides Miguel would have ascended. Sure he
(24:27):
had lost the mask in the Lucca le Aapuestas, but
he was as talented as they come, and who knows
what great matches no one ever saw because he left
us too soon. It's just like lu Garry or Steve
Prefontaine or Elijo del Perro Wayo, extraordinary athletes who blessed
us with their talent but left before their time. Fate
(24:49):
gave Sangre Chicana more years to wrestle, and he made
the most of them. After losing his mask, he kept
his name and continued to wrestle masqueless. I don't know
if he had Brad Pitt jobon or if he just
wrestled better without a piece of cloth covering his face,
but the evolution from mask to maskless propelled Sangley Chicana
(25:10):
to start them. In fact, just two months after losing
the Triangle of Death, he won the Mexican National Middleweight Championship.
Speaker 2 (25:22):
Then in nineteen eighty and nineteen eighty one, he.
Speaker 1 (25:26):
Won back to back NWA World Middleweight Championship bouts. Sanga
Chicano's popularity soared, and people say his fans were so
loyal that they would get into scuffles with opposing fans
at matches. Years after the Triangle of Death, Sangri Chicana
told The Reported that at the time it was a
(25:46):
terrible defeat, not being able to be a mass character,
but ultimately losing that match was the best thing that
happened to my career. Next, in nineteen eighty two, sang
Di Chicana won the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship. His
triumph was short lived, however, he held the title for
only nineteen days. Later that year, Sangri Chicana also beat Fishman,
(26:11):
thereby winning the UWA World Junior Light Heavyweight Championship. Naturally,
Fishman wasn't going to let that stand, so in nineteen
eighty three they had a rematch where he defeated Sangla
Chicana and reclaimed the title.
Speaker 2 (26:27):
That wasn't the end of it, though.
Speaker 1 (26:28):
A few months later, Sangle Chicana beat Fishman again, dethroning
his former teammates. The third point of the Triangle of
Death that we haven't talked about yet is Fishman. What
became of the winner of the very first ever Triangle
of Death.
Speaker 2 (26:48):
Fishman was another.
Speaker 1 (26:49):
Native of Huts, where he was born on April sixth,
nineteen fifty one. He, like many pros myself included, was
a Lucha librefan from a young age. In the case
of Fishermen, his mom and aunt were fans and took
him to the matches. From the very first time he
(27:09):
stepped foot in an arena, he was captivated by the
strength and skill of the Lucellores. He went to as
many shows as he could and became a big fan
of both Blue Demon and Black Shadow. In an interview,
he shared that as a kid, he dreamt of wrestling
and batting those guys.
Speaker 2 (27:30):
In his teenage years, he started.
Speaker 1 (27:31):
Going to the matches at Plaza de Torres to watch
lucha with his friends. It was them who convinced him
to give it a shot for himself. His first name
was Titan Titan, but shortly after he switched to Fishman.
The first Fishman mask was green and gold, but the
gold eventually became yellow, and green and yellow became his
(27:54):
definitive colors. He was a skilled lucallo with an impressive physique,
and his fame grew quickly. He thrived under pressure and
became known for winning Lucas the Apostas, which means having
a lot of masks in his traffic case. In fact,
he had already unmasked two wrestlers before the rivalry with
Elfaraun began, who he also unmasked, And then, of course,
(28:18):
Fisherman was the Luceallo who walked out of the triangle.
Speaker 2 (28:21):
Of death with his mask still intact.
Speaker 1 (28:28):
That first triangle of death, by the way, is not
only legendary for being the first of its kind, it's
also iconic because the three wrestlers he drock together were
some of the best who've ever lived. Here's how another
wrestling legend hepathered, El Fantasma described it.
Speaker 2 (28:46):
So see Genius.
Speaker 1 (28:51):
He says that they were the best of the best,
and you couldn't avoid them if you were serious about
making a name for yourself. In the Lucha Libre universe, Fishman, Sangre, Chicana,
and Ecovarde were idols because they won championships, because they
pushed the bodies to the limit in the ring. They
connected with the audience so powerfully that people still speak
(29:11):
about them to this day. But above all, these guys
went down in history because they unmasked many rivals, and
in the Mexican Luchelibrity universe, the masks you win are
worth a lot. He's Patricia Seli's again. She explains that
the value of an individual mask is the result of
(29:34):
years of work and wins. Its value is also determined
by what mask it has defeated. Taking other Lucello's mask
is how a character is sustained.
Speaker 2 (29:45):
And just as great.
Speaker 1 (29:46):
Actors fill their shelves with oscars and tonis, great Lucelloes
have a trophy case with the masks of all the
major wrestlers they have defeated.
Speaker 2 (29:56):
The mask are beautiful and.
Speaker 1 (29:58):
Powerful reminders of what do you have a common through
bravery and skill. After the First Triangle of Death, people
started calling Fishman the man with the Magic Touch, not
because he won a lot of Luca the apuestas, but
because those he unmasked often catapulted to stardom after he
beat them, like sang Die Chicano. As Lucha Libreta became
(30:23):
more and more popular, rival leagus to the MLL started
popping up, including the Lucha libri International League later renamed
the Universal Resting Association. Fishman left the EML in nineteen
seventy eight to join those guys. They competed at Torreo
(30:44):
de Quatro Caminos, far from the city center. After a
few years there, Fishman returned to Arna, Mexico in nineteen
eighty one for a special exhibition match that brought together
wrestlers from both the EMLL and the u w A
the Forbidding Door. From that exhibition onwards, wrestlers started going
(31:06):
back and forth between the two leagues. The leagues were
still competitors, but any given lucha door wasn't locked in
at one or the other. By this time, Fishman had
put on weight muscleweight. At this weight, he won five
championships in different companies. Fishman was also part of the
Team Mexico in a Mexico versus Japan exhibition.
Speaker 2 (31:29):
If all that isn't.
Speaker 1 (31:30):
Impressive enough, in June nineteen eighty three, he came close
to being crowned Junior World Champion in a historic match
at Eltoreo. Despite all the great Luca matches in the eighties,
the wrestling community experienced hardship. On February fifth, nineteen eighty four,
(31:53):
Rodolfogus man Puerta, better known as Santo Ellen Mascarado de Plata,
the great star of Lucha librett passed away at sixty seven.
He had wrestled all the way to sixty five and
was still occasionally acting in movies when he died. In fact,
he was on stage in a theater when he had
the heart attack that would end his life. The following year,
(32:17):
on September nineteen, nineteen eighty five, Mexico City was shaken
by an earthquake. Hundreds of buildings collapsed and thousands of
people lost their lives. The city was devastated, both literally
and spiritually. Fortunately for Luca at An Americo was only
(32:39):
minorly damaged, but it stayed closed for months as the
city slowly got back on its feet. It was the
first time in history that it was closed for an
extended period of time. Santo was not the only founding
father of Luca Liberty to die in the eighties. In
May of eighty seven, the director of UWA passed away,
(33:01):
and then on September fifth, at the ripe age of ninety,
Don Salvador Gonzalez, El.
Speaker 2 (33:09):
Padre de la Lucha Libre died.
Speaker 1 (33:17):
The deaths led to management changes in both the u
WA and the EMLL other changes were afoot as well.
Women were coming back to the great arenas of the Capitol,
and a controversial third category of luccadores, the Exoticos, were
starting to compete. The Exoticos, like other pioneers before them,
(33:42):
would go on to change Mexican wrestling forever. I'm gonna
tell you all about it in the next episode of
Lucha Libre.
Speaker 2 (33:51):
Behind the Mask. Lucha Libre Behind the Mask.
Speaker 1 (33:59):
Hosted by Santos Escobar, produced by Fernande Strada, Arbumelo and
Marianna Coronell. Written in Spanish by Daniel Lopez and adapted
in English by Asa Merrit. Story editor Rodrigo Crespo, fact
checking by monserrad mal Donado. Research and interviews by Marianna
Coronell with help from Fernandez Strada, Daniel Padilla and Saul Cortes.
(34:24):
Mix and sound design Daniel Padilla and Fernando Galaviz. Studio
recordings in Orlando, Florida by High Hello Studios. Studio recordings
in Mexico City by Daniel Padilla, Fernando Glaviz and Andres
Baena in Sonorro Studios.
Speaker 2 (34:41):
Development by Rodrigo Crespo.
Speaker 1 (34:43):
Executive Producers Camilla Victoriano and Joshu Weinstein for Sonro and
Gisel Bencez for Iheartsmichael Toura Podcast Network Marketing Strategy and
execution by Claudia Fernandez, Marianairera, Pauela Perez, Marianna Baron, Wendy Barba,
and Berenice Soto Head of Marketing, Susanna Marina. Lucha Libre
(35:07):
Behind the Mask is a Sonaro original series for iheartsmichel
to the podcast network. Listen to more podcasts in the
iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your
favorite shows. Agradeci Minos Specialist Para David Leon, Patricia, Celis
vanegas E, Victor Ortiz, Covered Art Carlos Miranda. Thank you
(35:32):
to the CMLL for the permissions granted to record ambient
audio in their facilities.
The lineup for the match of September second, nineteen seventy
seven Arena Mexico included something special attack team tournament. In
one corner, he had two technicos, the good Guys.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Elf Haraon and el Kowarree.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
El Varaon wasn't masked, but el Kowade wore his trademark
black and white mask. Across from them. In the other
corner were the Rudos Fishman with his iconic green mask
decorated with stingrays and his partner, Adorable rub. Everyone was
excited about the Fisherman el Pharaon matchup because the two
(00:42):
had a long standing rivalry. Just a year prior, Fisherman
beat Alfaraon so bad he lost consciousness. The victory was
even sweeter for Fisherman because he wontedl Vharaon's mask, forcing
him to wrestle without it from then on. So needless
to say, this was a rematch that promised to be
Thrilla Fishman was already a very popular luchalord. He was
(01:05):
six years into his career and basically had done nothing
but win. Fishman was a rulum known for being brutal
and unforgivings and Luca. Fans who hadn't seen him wrestle
before were still well aware of his reputation. To give
you a sense of how popular he was, Fishman had
already fought several times against Santo, and right around the
time he whipped Elfarauan, he also beat Blue Demon to
(01:28):
become the International welterweight champion. So the context going into
this tag team tournament was that Fishman was the man
to be it. Not surprisingly, the arena that night in
nineteen seventy seven was bursting with anticipation before the first
bill even rang. The crowd was underfeet, cheering and whistling,
(01:49):
hungry to see an epic showdown. But more was in
store for them. Besides the next chapter of the Fishman
and Farawan rival record, they were about to witness the
birth of a new rivalry. In the first few falls,
Fisherman found himself up against Alfaraon's teammate el Kowarde. El
Kowarde means coward, but within seconds of watching him you
(02:10):
would know the name was ironic. Elkovardo was extremely talented.
El Koward had already had a twelve year career at
this point and was so good it was one of
the first wrestlers who ever competed in Japan. Lucha fans
there considered him a once intergeneration wrestler. Two years before
this match, in nineteen seventy seven, El Kowardre had wrestled
(02:32):
in the first Tornado de la Morte, the Tournament of Death,
at the Plaza de Toros, Mexico, alongside greats like Santo
and Blue Demon. So, as you see, this was a
night stacked with talent. Unfortunately, we don't know who won
or the details of the bout, but we do know
that the evening gave birth to the rivalry between these
(02:54):
two legendary figures, Fisherman and Alkowarde, a rivalry which met
year weeks later would go from a newly lit fire
to a full blown inferno. It happened at the forty
fourth anniversary of the empress A Mexicana de Lucha Libre,
a massive event that brought together all the best luccalories
(03:16):
and for the first time, featured the now famous Triangelo
de la Morte Triangle of Death match. It was called
a triangle of death for many reasons, but one of
them was because the stakes were so high for each
of the three lucallories participating. Their mask was on the
line and only one of them would keep it. I
(03:43):
am Santos Escobara, the Emperor of Lucha Libre and a
ww superstar. For over twenty years, I have been a
professional wrestler in Mexico, the United States and around the world.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
Champion, a hero, a villain.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
I've won and lost, but I always represent Lucha Libre
with pride. Lucha Libre it's tradition, it's heritage, it's culture,
Ladies and gentlemen. The following podcast is scheduled for twelve episodes,
and it's all about Lucha Libria.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
This is Lucha.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
Libre behind the Mass Episode six, Winning and Losing the Mask.
Before I give away what happened that night, we need
to get through some gossip because, after all, Luca Lodes
are not just athletes, they are characters and public figures,
(04:47):
and we love to trush tug arrivals before the fights.
A week after that first match where the rivalry between
Fisherman and Elkobarda began, they faced off in another tag
team match. Once again, El Khobarde led the technical team
and Fishman.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
Led the rudos.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
His partner was a luchador named Sangri Chicana, who wore
a red mask with a golden eye match. Sangri had
already been around for four years. He was not the
most versatile of wrestlers, but had total command of a
few powerful moves. Unlike the others, was a formidable opponent.
So just for fun, imagine you are there that night
(05:26):
at the arena. If you are a tennis fan, it'd
be like seeing Nadal, Featherer and Jakovic a matchup for
the ages. But just as tennis matches are extremely quiet,
Luca matches are extremely loud. That night, the arena was
roaring with excitement. At first, Fishman and Sangria Chichina teamed
(05:51):
up on Elkobarde.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
It was as if Elkobarde was fighting a two front war.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
On one side, Fisherman was pummeling him with powerful kicks.
On the other, he was taking headbuts from Sangre Chicana,
and the crowd just egged them on. The louder they cheered,
the more aggressively Fisherman and sang Chicana attacked Elkobarde. The
match was so intense that El Kobarde started to bleed,
(06:16):
and I don't mean a skin near rasa. It was
coming down his face and the entire white side of
his beautiful black and white mask was stained red. The
result was like a bull in a bullfight, chasing the
red flag. Fishman and Sangre Chicana came at him even harder.
They put their fingers in the eyeholds of Elkobarde's mask
and ripped it in two. That's thed Lyons a lifelong
(06:41):
wrestling plan. He says that in the heat of the
moment in lucha, anything is possible. Masks get ripped, hair
gets pulled, anything. So after Fisherman and Sanga Chicana pulled
off Elkobarde's mask, he went wild, freeing himself from the
halt and like a man possessed, tore off the mask
of Fisherman and Sangri chi Can. The crowd was losing it,
(07:03):
blood everywhere, out of control. Lucalodes three masks torn into
bits on the ring. It was carnage and they loved
it articles the next day, Like in the event to
Dantes inferren Wough, matches is crazy actually were not unheard
of in the seventies, and it was the Rudos who
(07:24):
led the way, subjecting their opponents to increasingly extreme bitdowns.
I mean, back then, there were barely any rules regarding
how violent matches could get.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
The only hard rule was that the loser had.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
To submit punches, kicks and holes were just the tip
of the iceberg lucceiallodes could use anything they could find
in the arena, chairs, ladders, whatever would bring your opponent
to the ground so they could not get up. No
one was throwing chairs at each other in this particular night,
but as you can tell, the carnage was extreme, and
(07:58):
in the end the Rudols emerged victorious. If you think
things could not get any more intense between these guys,
you're wrong. They faced off again just a few days later.
It was a battle royale.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
At Arena Mexico.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
The team of Technicos was led by el Kovarde, while
the Rudos team featured Fishman and Sangri Chicana, three Lucha
libre legends with scours to settle. Thrown into the ring together.
As before, the Rulos immediately went straight for Elkovarde, Sangri
Chicana pinning his arms so that Fishman could pummel his.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
Chest to escape.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
El Kovarde, feeling trapped, kick Fishman in the growing that
was forbidding, and the referee disqualified the technico, but the
crowd didn't agree with the call and demanded the match
to go on.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
So Sangri Chicana and Elkovarde just kept going at it.
Speaker 1 (08:56):
El Kovarde was landing some great hits, but none of
it counted since technically he'd already been disqualified.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
But it didn't matter.
Speaker 1 (09:04):
El Kovarde, a veteran and a consummate showman, grabbed the
mic and spoke directly to the sixteen thousand person crowd.
He asked them if they wanted to witness a Lucha
de apuestas mask versus mask match, who should it be
that I wrestle against Fisherman or Sangra Chicana.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
Who do you want to see me be? I will
have my revenge.
Speaker 1 (09:30):
The crowd had already forgotten about the foul and screamed
in reply, fight Sangra Chicana, Fight Sangra Chicana. There was
not going back. Sangra Chicana and al Khobarde would wrestle
for their masks, the biggest type of bout there is.
A Few days later, the EML organized a press conference
(09:53):
officially announcing the Lucha the apostas mask versus Mask between
El Khobarde and Sangre Chicana. You can picture it. A
room packed full of journalists and photographers. The press conference
started and at first everything seemed normal, but then in
(10:14):
Wox Fishermen shouting in front of the whole room, demanding
that he also be included in the mask match. After all,
he was the one who had sparked the initial rivalry
with Alcobatre. The EML organizers decided to accept his request
right then and there. It was decided that there'd be
(10:34):
no better way to commemorate forty four years of wrestling.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
In the country.
Speaker 1 (10:39):
It was the first time in history that rie luchaodes
would be putting their masks on the line at the
same time. Since that match, countless other Triangle of Death
matches have followed, but this was the very first. To
determine the order of the matchups, each wrestler would draw lodgs,
(11:00):
and the first wrestler to lose two faults would lose
their mask forever. The two left standing would face each
other a week later. At that event. The winner would
be determined by a best two out of three falls
match with no time limits.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
Within the span of.
Speaker 1 (11:17):
Just eight days, tu luchadores would lose their masks and
reveal their identities. The anticipation for the first match was
almost unparalleled. Ringside tickets had jumped from twenty five pesos
(11:38):
to one hundred, and general admission seats had gone from
six to fifteen. Naturally, folks would be willing to pay more.
They were about to witness something historic. Sangri Chicana came
(11:59):
into the ring for first wearing red head to toe
except for the golden eye patch.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
On his mask.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
Next up was Fishman in green and yellow, and lastly
El Khoware in a magnificent black and white cape. As
decided before the event, the first match was between Elkowarde
and Fishmen. Elkovard won the first fall, defeating Fishmen. This
(12:27):
was just the beginning and arguably the favorite was already
on the ropes. The second fol pitted the now tired
el Kovarde against Sangria Chicana, but el Kovarde was sick
of getting bit to a poll by these guys and
beat Sangla Chicana. Also, this meant that for the third fall,
Fishman and Sangria Chicana had to face each other. The
(12:48):
drama These two famous lucell ortis, who for years had
fought together, trained together, traveled together, now had to face off.
Their careers were at stake, and even though they were friends,
all that had to be put aside. It was win
or go home and go home maskless at that. Sometimes
(13:11):
fates throws all of us curveballs, but it seems to
happen all the time in Lucha libre. The impossible is
always around the corner, and that's exactly what was happening
to Fisherman and Sangrichicana. The match was stilted at first,
Fishermen and Sangrichicana dancing around each other. Maybe they didn't
(13:31):
trust each other, maybe they were prolonging the inevitable. But
eventually they made contact and the bout commenced. Because they
respected each other so much, the tuluchaes kept away from
their normal Ruto styles. They played clean and didn't sneak
in low blows like usual. But the crowd didn't come
to see a tame sparring match between two friends. They
(13:54):
came for Lucha libre in all its glory, and so
they started booing them. And as you know, in wrestling,
if the crowd says, jump you jump as high as
you can. Fishman and Sangrea Chicana were professionals, so they
set aside their friendship and began to wrestle for real.
Something clicked and suddenly the match was at full intensity.
(14:18):
They were punching and kicking each other with everything they had.
The arena roared in approval. What's happening really was exceptional.
One account of the match describes the wrestlers as cut
in the frenzy of their own violence, intense as it was.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
Neither remove their other's mask.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
At one point, Fisherman cut Sangla Chicana in a Moreliana hole.
To execute a more Leiana you have to grab your
opponent from behind and hold their arms. Then you hook
your leg around them and bring them to the ground.
It worked, and Fishman held Sangla Chicano on the mat
for the designated.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
Count one two three he had won.
Speaker 1 (15:06):
I was not there, but the report I found says
that it was ten fifty five pm when Sangri Chicana,
by his own hand, removed his mask.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
Wow, can you imagine the tension?
Speaker 1 (15:19):
We know that losing the mask isn't just another day
at work for this guys. It's one of the toughest
things that can happen to you, and it becomes part
of your legacy. I've experienced it myself, and let me
tell you, no, it's fussy, it's not easy, but the
tradition is embedded in the DNA of the Lucha libre universe.
Fans respected as the people who study Lucha libret, Like
(15:41):
anthropologist Patricia Selisbla Macara is, losing the mask is one
of the most dramatic elements of the sports. She says,
the moment holds in men's tension. At stake are identities
that took years or even decades to build. For the
luchello who it's happening to. It's incredibly intense and difficult,
(16:05):
not just because you're lost, but because you don't know
how people will react.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
Depending on the.
Speaker 1 (16:10):
Relationship you've built with fans over time, they might stay
with you and continue to support you in your next chapter,
but they also might just forget you and move on
to someone else, someone who still has a mask, someone
who wins. Is everything you've built about to disappear. This
is the kind of thing that goes through your head.
(16:30):
What will I become?
Speaker 2 (16:32):
La masque.
Speaker 1 (16:35):
That's Victor ortis a former Luca or from Guarez who
wrestled with a mask. He says, the mask is part
of the luchador. The mask is you, your alter egos.
It's like a whole side of you. But when you
lose the mask, it's gone. That part of you is
gone and you're left with just yourself.
Speaker 2 (16:58):
He's right.
Speaker 1 (16:59):
The feeling is truly that powerful. So that is what
sangraa Chicana was going through that night in September of
nineteen seventy seven. He took off his mask and looked
straight out into the audience. My name is Andres Duran Reyes,
he said. Who knows how he felt on the inside,
(17:21):
but to the fence, he was strong and proud. At
that time, Andres was twenty five years old. He was
born in Kuahuila, but lived in the US in Chicago.
He grew up in a small town away from any arenas,
but grew up watching all the classic Luca movies and
that's what made him want to be a luchalloro.
Speaker 2 (17:43):
His journey started when he was nineteen years old when
he began training.
Speaker 1 (17:48):
At twenty one, he had his debut wearing his iconic
red mask with a golden stripper across the ice. This
was before Sangraa Chicana. As other great Luceallores, he took
Andres a few tries before finding his name.
Speaker 2 (18:04):
He first went.
Speaker 1 (18:04):
By Las Sombra, and after that Lemus Andres quickly made
a name for himself as a rudo. It was in
nineteen seventy four that he changed his name to Sangri Chicana.
The same year he joined the EMLL. By that time
the league was fully controlled by Don Chawa Lutrode and
his son, Don Chavo Lutrode, the second. Sangrea Chicana kept
(18:27):
his mask for three years until that fateful night of
September twenty third, nineteen seventy seven, that triangle of death
where Sangri Chicana was the first to go down. But
as we said, there was only going to be one winner.
There was still one more match to go. The Fishman
(18:48):
and al Kobade match was the following Friday, and this
would decide it all. It was a mask versus masque,
a Lucha de apustas match, the ultimate consummation of the rivalry.
Fishman won the first fall, winning with a move called
the plancha a crossbody, but Ilkobarre came back with a
(19:10):
vengeance in the second fall, winning with his favorite hold
lades pierrata, an arm log that forced Fisherman to submit.
Speaker 2 (19:19):
It was all coming down to the third pot, La
de serra kai.
Speaker 1 (19:23):
A few minutes would decide who would go home glorious
and who would go home unmasked.
Speaker 2 (19:29):
The fall started with a bang.
Speaker 1 (19:30):
El Kobada launched himself head first from the ropes, tackling
Fishman and hurling them both outside of the ring, but
within the span of twenty seconds, each was on his
feet and back in the ring. Elkovardes move had not
finished Fisherman, but it gave him momentum. He next applied
the crucifix, a painful hold where you cross your opponent's arms,
(19:52):
but Fisherman used albard strength against him and reversed the hold,
which brought Elcovarde down hard onto the map. This was
not enough to stop ikowarda though, and he hopped right
up again. The match kept going like this. Whenever one
wrestler appeared to be getting the upper hand, the other
would break free and launch a dangerous counter attack. Finally,
(20:13):
Fishman was able to get Elkabarda in a crucifix, locking
both of his arms. One report from that night said
you could actually hear Alcobada's bones crocking under the pressure.
But Fishman didn't lose in his grip, just held him
tighter and tighter. I can only imagine what Elkobaada felt
in that moment, desperately trying to endure the punishment, but
(20:36):
unable to move. Finally, he submitted, signaling the end of
the match. A hush fell over Arena Mexico. The fans
were stunned. Did that really happen? Did El Khobarde, the
only technico of the Triangle of Death, the only symbol
(20:59):
of good, just loose? And was he really about to
lose his mask? Sumaskara El Kowarde got up from the
mat and faced the crowd, his black and white mask
torn and stained with blood. They say he had a
look of despair, which of course is understandable. See getting
(21:23):
unmasked in Lucha libre doesn't necessarily mean you'll just continue
your career wrestling unmasked.
Speaker 2 (21:30):
The stakes are far higher.
Speaker 1 (21:32):
You might start losing and never recover. Losing the mask
can end your career. In this case, it was the
referee who took off the mask. He stood behind the
tower in El Kobade and untied the laces of his mask,
and then, with one swift motion, he took off the
black and white mask, and like Sanga Chicana had done
(21:55):
a week earlier, El Kobade revealed himself.
Speaker 2 (21:58):
To the crowd, Miel de Adies.
Speaker 1 (22:04):
He was thirty years old and hailed from Juarez, the
giant Mexican city across the border from al Paso. Miguel
started wrestling in nineteen sixty five, when he was just
eighteen years old. Unlike other luchadores we've talked about, Miguel
found his name early and stuck with it throughout his career.
(22:26):
It didn't catch on at first, though, because coward isn't
a very traditional name for an athlete. Little by little, though,
it became clear that Miguel was so talented he could
call himself whatever he wanted. In addition to being one
of the first wrestlers to rock up wins in Japan
in nineteen seventy five, El Kobarda had an extraordinary run
(22:47):
trying to win the bantamweight championship. He lost in the
final match, but it was named the match of the
Year by box Ilucha Magazine. All this to say that
that fateful night when El Kobad lost his beautiful black
and white mask, the Lucha Liver universe lost one of
his tidans. So what's next for El Kobade and for Sangrichicana.
(23:17):
Surely these guys were able to recover from losing in
the Triangle of Death match right. Victor Tis explains why
it's not so easy. He says that losing your mask
comes with profound sadness. You cry a lot grief for it.
Nothing is ever the same, and you just don't know
(23:40):
what will come next. What happened to Chicana and El
Kobade shows just how different your future can be after
losing your mask. El Kobade continued wrestling and was able
to stay at the top of the game, but then
one week he just stopped showing up and disappeared from
the scene. He had a terminal illness that was ending
(24:03):
his life. Miguelanchiell del Ga Regges El Coobarde passed away
in February of nineteen eighty three at the age of
thirty six. Lucalodis wrestled well into the forties, sometimes even longer.
Who knows what hides Miguel would have ascended. Sure he
(24:27):
had lost the mask in the Lucca le Aapuestas, but
he was as talented as they come, and who knows
what great matches no one ever saw because he left
us too soon. It's just like lu Garry or Steve
Prefontaine or Elijo del Perro Wayo, extraordinary athletes who blessed
us with their talent but left before their time. Fate
(24:49):
gave Sangre Chicana more years to wrestle, and he made
the most of them. After losing his mask, he kept
his name and continued to wrestle masqueless. I don't know
if he had Brad Pitt jobon or if he just
wrestled better without a piece of cloth covering his face,
but the evolution from mask to maskless propelled Sangley Chicana
(25:10):
to start them. In fact, just two months after losing
the Triangle of Death, he won the Mexican National Middleweight Championship.
Speaker 2 (25:22):
Then in nineteen eighty and nineteen eighty one, he.
Speaker 1 (25:26):
Won back to back NWA World Middleweight Championship bouts. Sanga
Chicano's popularity soared, and people say his fans were so
loyal that they would get into scuffles with opposing fans
at matches. Years after the Triangle of Death, Sangri Chicana
told The Reported that at the time it was a
(25:46):
terrible defeat, not being able to be a mass character,
but ultimately losing that match was the best thing that
happened to my career. Next, in nineteen eighty two, sang
Di Chicana won the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship. His
triumph was short lived, however, he held the title for
only nineteen days. Later that year, Sangri Chicana also beat Fishman,
(26:11):
thereby winning the UWA World Junior Light Heavyweight Championship. Naturally,
Fishman wasn't going to let that stand, so in nineteen
eighty three they had a rematch where he defeated Sangla
Chicana and reclaimed the title.
Speaker 2 (26:27):
That wasn't the end of it, though.
Speaker 1 (26:28):
A few months later, Sangle Chicana beat Fishman again, dethroning
his former teammates. The third point of the Triangle of
Death that we haven't talked about yet is Fishman. What
became of the winner of the very first ever Triangle
of Death.
Speaker 2 (26:48):
Fishman was another.
Speaker 1 (26:49):
Native of Huts, where he was born on April sixth,
nineteen fifty one. He, like many pros myself included, was
a Lucha librefan from a young age. In the case
of Fishermen, his mom and aunt were fans and took
him to the matches. From the very first time he
(27:09):
stepped foot in an arena, he was captivated by the
strength and skill of the Lucellores. He went to as
many shows as he could and became a big fan
of both Blue Demon and Black Shadow. In an interview,
he shared that as a kid, he dreamt of wrestling
and batting those guys.
Speaker 2 (27:30):
In his teenage years, he started.
Speaker 1 (27:31):
Going to the matches at Plaza de Torres to watch
lucha with his friends. It was them who convinced him
to give it a shot for himself. His first name
was Titan Titan, but shortly after he switched to Fishman.
The first Fishman mask was green and gold, but the
gold eventually became yellow, and green and yellow became his
(27:54):
definitive colors. He was a skilled lucallo with an impressive physique,
and his fame grew quickly. He thrived under pressure and
became known for winning Lucas the Apostas, which means having
a lot of masks in his traffic case. In fact,
he had already unmasked two wrestlers before the rivalry with
Elfaraun began, who he also unmasked, And then, of course,
(28:18):
Fisherman was the Luceallo who walked out of the triangle.
Speaker 2 (28:21):
Of death with his mask still intact.
Speaker 1 (28:28):
That first triangle of death, by the way, is not
only legendary for being the first of its kind, it's
also iconic because the three wrestlers he drock together were
some of the best who've ever lived. Here's how another
wrestling legend hepathered, El Fantasma described it.
Speaker 2 (28:46):
So see Genius.
Speaker 1 (28:51):
He says that they were the best of the best,
and you couldn't avoid them if you were serious about
making a name for yourself. In the Lucha Libre universe, Fishman, Sangre, Chicana,
and Ecovarde were idols because they won championships, because they
pushed the bodies to the limit in the ring. They
connected with the audience so powerfully that people still speak
(29:11):
about them to this day. But above all, these guys
went down in history because they unmasked many rivals, and
in the Mexican Luchelibrity universe, the masks you win are
worth a lot. He's Patricia Seli's again. She explains that
the value of an individual mask is the result of
(29:34):
years of work and wins. Its value is also determined
by what mask it has defeated. Taking other Lucello's mask
is how a character is sustained.
Speaker 2 (29:45):
And just as great.
Speaker 1 (29:46):
Actors fill their shelves with oscars and tonis, great Lucelloes
have a trophy case with the masks of all the
major wrestlers they have defeated.
Speaker 2 (29:56):
The mask are beautiful and.
Speaker 1 (29:58):
Powerful reminders of what do you have a common through
bravery and skill. After the First Triangle of Death, people
started calling Fishman the man with the Magic Touch, not
because he won a lot of Luca the apuestas, but
because those he unmasked often catapulted to stardom after he
beat them, like sang Die Chicano. As Lucha Libreta became
(30:23):
more and more popular, rival leagus to the MLL started
popping up, including the Lucha libri International League later renamed
the Universal Resting Association. Fishman left the EML in nineteen
seventy eight to join those guys. They competed at Torreo
(30:44):
de Quatro Caminos, far from the city center. After a
few years there, Fishman returned to Arna, Mexico in nineteen
eighty one for a special exhibition match that brought together
wrestlers from both the EMLL and the u w A
the Forbidding Door. From that exhibition onwards, wrestlers started going
(31:06):
back and forth between the two leagues. The leagues were
still competitors, but any given lucha door wasn't locked in
at one or the other. By this time, Fishman had
put on weight muscleweight. At this weight, he won five
championships in different companies. Fishman was also part of the
Team Mexico in a Mexico versus Japan exhibition.
Speaker 2 (31:29):
If all that isn't.
Speaker 1 (31:30):
Impressive enough, in June nineteen eighty three, he came close
to being crowned Junior World Champion in a historic match
at Eltoreo. Despite all the great Luca matches in the eighties,
the wrestling community experienced hardship. On February fifth, nineteen eighty four,
(31:53):
Rodolfogus man Puerta, better known as Santo Ellen Mascarado de Plata,
the great star of Lucha librett passed away at sixty seven.
He had wrestled all the way to sixty five and
was still occasionally acting in movies when he died. In fact,
he was on stage in a theater when he had
the heart attack that would end his life. The following year,
(32:17):
on September nineteen, nineteen eighty five, Mexico City was shaken
by an earthquake. Hundreds of buildings collapsed and thousands of
people lost their lives. The city was devastated, both literally
and spiritually. Fortunately for Luca at An Americo was only
(32:39):
minorly damaged, but it stayed closed for months as the
city slowly got back on its feet. It was the
first time in history that it was closed for an
extended period of time. Santo was not the only founding
father of Luca Liberty to die in the eighties. In
May of eighty seven, the director of UWA passed away,
(33:01):
and then on September fifth, at the ripe age of ninety,
Don Salvador Gonzalez, El.
Speaker 2 (33:09):
Padre de la Lucha Libre died.
Speaker 1 (33:17):
The deaths led to management changes in both the u
WA and the EMLL other changes were afoot as well.
Women were coming back to the great arenas of the Capitol,
and a controversial third category of luccadores, the Exoticos, were
starting to compete. The Exoticos, like other pioneers before them,
(33:42):
would go on to change Mexican wrestling forever. I'm gonna
tell you all about it in the next episode of
Lucha Libre.
Speaker 2 (33:51):
Behind the Mask. Lucha Libre Behind the Mask.
Speaker 1 (33:59):
Hosted by Santos Escobar, produced by Fernande Strada, Arbumelo and
Marianna Coronell. Written in Spanish by Daniel Lopez and adapted
in English by Asa Merrit. Story editor Rodrigo Crespo, fact
checking by monserrad mal Donado. Research and interviews by Marianna
Coronell with help from Fernandez Strada, Daniel Padilla and Saul Cortes.
(34:24):
Mix and sound design Daniel Padilla and Fernando Galaviz. Studio
recordings in Orlando, Florida by High Hello Studios. Studio recordings
in Mexico City by Daniel Padilla, Fernando Glaviz and Andres
Baena in Sonorro Studios.
Speaker 2 (34:41):
Development by Rodrigo Crespo.
Speaker 1 (34:43):
Executive Producers Camilla Victoriano and Joshu Weinstein for Sonro and
Gisel Bencez for Iheartsmichael Toura Podcast Network Marketing Strategy and
execution by Claudia Fernandez, Marianairera, Pauela Perez, Marianna Baron, Wendy Barba,
and Berenice Soto Head of Marketing, Susanna Marina. Lucha Libre
(35:07):
Behind the Mask is a Sonaro original series for iheartsmichel
to the podcast network. Listen to more podcasts in the
iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your
favorite shows. Agradeci Minos Specialist Para David Leon, Patricia, Celis
vanegas E, Victor Ortiz, Covered Art Carlos Miranda. Thank you
(35:32):
to the CMLL for the permissions granted to record ambient
audio in their facilities.
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