Not really. Lucha Libre is more an institution in and of itself than either American Pro Wrestling and Puroresu.
I love me some bastardized lucharesu though.
The tradition of Mexican wrestlers wearing masks can be traced back to Aztec and Mayan times when warriors would perform rituals with masks. Indian culture is a big part of Mexican culture, and this eventually carried over into Lucha Libre.
The masks are a HUGE deal in Mexico. The majority of Mexican wrestlers wear masks, and to lose ones mask in a match is about the worst fate a wrestler can suffer, in the storyline. I’m not sure if there is an equivalent of this in Amercian sports/culture or not.
Rey Misterio Jr got into some trouble when he went back to Mexico after losing his mask in WCW. Several gang members harrassed him, saying he sold out to the Americans by surrendering his mask in an American ring. It was seen as a violation of Mexican culture.
I saw a Mexican movie with some wrestlers in it and there was one scene where a wrestler woke up IN BED WITH HIS MASK ON. I am guessing that his wife grabbed on to the mask when she was orgasming, I suppose.
You can catch Mike Tenay on NWA:TNA every Wednesday night on PPV. Unfortunately you have to put up with Vince Russo at the same time.
I thought that Rey Misterio lost his mask in Mexico just nights before actually losing in on PPV in the US, so as to show respect to the whole mexican wrestling world or something?
I believe you’re thinking of Psychosis, moc.liamtoh@rorrim, not Rey-Rey.