NEW YORK – This is not your grandmother, or grandfather’s wrestling. Across North America, while ‘Sports Entertainment’ is taking on one side of the wrestling business, smaller promotions like Lucha Libre, and Great North Wrestling are making their mark on the business. Many of the promotions are offering more traditional wrestling rather than entertainment.
Over-the-top is an under statement when it comes to Lucha Libre USA: Masked Warriors, the high-spirited Mexican wrestling spectacular that marries exciting aerial maneuvers and extraordinary acrobatics with flamboyant characters and outlandish story lines. Beginning on October 1, Lucha Libre USA: Masked Warriors begins its second season of explosive battles—in and out of the ring—on MTV2 and MTV Tr3s. The series is recorded before enthusiastic live audiences at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Albuquerque in NM.
A global phenomenon that is almost a religion in Mexico, where it rivals soccer in attendance, lucha libre (free wrestling) boasts a 75-year history of colorful, fun-for-the-whole family entertainment. Having already won the loyalty of generations of Latino fans of all ages, Lucha Libre USA is conquering American audiences—particularly the sought after young male 12-34 demographics—with its unique spin on the art of wrestling and the outsized personalities of its Luchastars.
“With Lucha Libre USA,” CEO Steven Ship says, “we have created a distinctive fusion of American pop culture and a great Mexican sport, one that appeals equally to the 50 million Hispanics living in the US, the mainstream wrestling fan and the MTV2 viewer.”
To capture that audience, Lucha Libre USA: Masked Warriors brought in a well-known, world-class roster of Mexican and U.S .wrestlers, like Lizmark Jr. Super Nova, Marco Corleone, Shane Helms and Tinieblas Jr.
“I can’t wait for pro wrestling fans to check out Masked Warriors,” says Corleone. “It’s really a much different product than U.S. fans are used to seeing. As someone who wrestled in the States for years, I can tell you that the lucha style is a lot more high-flying and thrilling than traditional pro wrestling. Lucha Libre USA: Masked Warriors is going to take the lucha experience to a whole new level.”
Great North Wrestling in Canada recently held their tribute show to Macho Man Randy Savage. Under the theme “Land of the Tough Guys”, the promotion has held shows from Thunder Bay to the Canadian Maritimes.
GNW combines up and coming future stars along with fan favourite superstars with a history in either the WWE, WCW or other promotions.
PHOTO: Luchastar Rocky Romero leaps at Tinieblas Jr. while filming Lucha Libre USA: Masked Warriors, which premieres on MTV2 and Tr3s Oct. 1, 2011; filmed at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Albuquerque. (Lucha Libre USA)
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