"Lucha Libre at Arena Mexico The concierge at the hotel was skeptical. The cab driver was amused and skeptical. Lucha libre ,orMexicanwrestling, is clearly an unsophisticated embarrassment,tantamount to telling a visitor to the U.S. to watch Keeping Up with the Kardashians . Attending a match, though, isa way to see a side ofMexican culture not found in museums orhistoric churches, but one that definitely uses some of the same mythology, iconography, and pageantry seen there. The crowd shouts, chants, and laughs through performancesfeaturing dancing girls, inept referees, men in lavish and ridiculous costumes (a caveman with a plastic club, fur boots, and a skimpy loincloth), and some honest-to-God astounding feats of athleticism. Matches—loud and funny and thrilling—take place on Friday nights and occasionally during the week. Tickets can be bought in person at the arena, but arrive early to avoid a longline and use your time to shop the stands set up outside forhandmade lucha libre wares (wrestling capes, masks, T-shirts, onesies for infants)."
