Interview: 'Lucha Mexico' Directors Talk The Wild World Of Mexican Wrestling

Professional wrestling has been a big part of my life since I was a kid watching it with my uncle on weekends. To this day I'm probably still one of the biggest wrestling fans you'll ever meet, but I'd be lying if I claimed to be an expert on Lucha Libre, Mexico's highly theatrical, mysterious, and vivid version of sports entertainment. I know the same stuff most wrestling fans know; such as the importance of the colorful masks worn by luchadors, and that the sport engenders a greater fanaticism than American wrestling by a country mile.  Vince McMahon would devour his first-born for the kind of devotion Mexican fans have for Lucha Libre.

So I was particularly interested in Ian Markiewicz and Alexandria Hammond's documentary Lucha Mexico, which takes us into the wild world of Lucha Libre, and unmasks many of its greatest secrets. Taking an outsider's perspective, the film reveals the hard reality of what being a luchador is really like, and to nobody's surprise it isn't all glitz, glamour, and big money. There's a real dark side that comes with the fame, and we get to see a little bit of that from the perspective of stars such as Shocker, Blue Demon Jr., Sexy Star, and Jon Strongman.

I was fortunate enough to spend a few minutes talking with Markiewicz and Hammond about Lucha Mexico, their approach to the subject, and what they see as the differences between American and Mexican wrestling. You can check out that interview below and find my review of the film here!