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Lucha Libre Wrestling

Courtesy of Paramount

Picture of a Lucha Libre wrestling match in the movie, Nacho Libre.

Courtesy of Paramount

Lucha Libre is all about high-flying maneuvers and mysterious masked men. Find out more about the wrestling style that inspired the movie, Nacho Libre.

Lucha Libre - Masked Men

Lucha Libre means "freestyle fighting" in Spanish and is a Mexican form of professional wrestling. Lucha libre wrestlers are known more for their high-flying maneuvers and quick sequences of holds than for some of the power slams and suplexes you see in the WWE. The rules of Lucha Libre are similar to American pro wrestling. A match is won when an opponent is pinned to the mat for a three-count or knocked out of the ring for 20 seconds. Lucha Libre wrestlers are also famous for their masks which are colorfully designed with images of animals, gods or ancient heroes. In some Lucha Libra matches, the loser will have to take off his mask to reveal his true identity. Most wrestlers eventually are forced to take off their masks but the longer a Lucha Libre wrestler goes without having his mask taken off, the higher their status.

Lucha Libre - Glossary

Here are a few common terms from the world of Lucha Libre.

Luchador - A Lucha Libre wrestler.

Rudos - Bad guys or rough wrestlers who don't play by the rules.

T�cnicos - Good guys who play by the rules and wrestle with honor.

M�scara Contra Cabellera - A Lucha Libra match between a masked wrestler and an unmasked wrestler. If the masked wrestler loses, he must take off his mask. If the unmasked wrestler loses, he must shave his head.

Relevos australianos - A six-man tag team wrestling match with two teams of three wrestlers.

Lucha Libre - Did You Know?

The Jack Black movie, Nacho Libre, is based on the true story of legendary Mexican Lucha Libre wrestler, Fray Tormenta - a Catholic priest who wrestled in more than 4,000 fights to raise money for his orphanage.

Lucha Libre wrestling is featured in the cartoon show, �Mucha Lucha!

.

Wrestling superstar, Rey Myterio, started off as a Lucha Libre wrestler before entering the WWE.