Meet the Top Notch Tough Guys of Lucha Mexico Alex Hammond documents the incredible lives of hard working and hilarious Luchadores
By Tomás Salazar
“I wouldn’t have called the film ‘Lucha Mexico’, I would had called it ‘The Shocker’s film.’”
This statement was made by no one else but the “1000% Guapo” Shocker, the Luchador and main character of the film Lucha Mexico. While the film follows some of the stars of the Mexican Lucha Libre, including Shocker, Jon “Strongman” Andersen, Blue Demon Jr., Perro Aguayo Jr., Shocker is the centerpiece of the film and reveals himself to the audience as a charismatic wrestler, and a dedicated, hard working man.
Directed by Alex Hammond and Ian Markiewicz, Lucha Mexico shows how hard those wrestlers need to work in order to make a living of the Lucha Libre: endless hours in the gym, many injuries, matches between four and seven days a week. The film follows Shocker all around Mexico, performing in dozens of cities. “I’m having a surgery on my knee next month, but I have a show on Sunday, here in Queens,” Shocker said during a discussion after the film’s US Premier at DOC NYC on Friday night.
Lucha Mexico is a colorful journey that takes viewers to the main wrestling arenas in Mexico, highlighting the Luchador lifestyle and Mexican culture – the food, the people, the architecture and, of course, the Lucha Libre. “Wrestling is not just a sport, it’s a big part of our culture and this film invites you to go to Mexico and watch Lucha Libre,” Shocker said.
On stage for the Q&A, next to Shocker, was John The Strong Man who has had the distinction of being named one of the top 10 strongest men in the world. “I hope you can realize how much time we spend being alone, that’s the hardest aspect of being a wrestler,” he said, during a Q&A with the audience.
When an inquisitive audience member questioned the authenticity of the wrestling depicted in the film, the Luchadores had no trouble responding. “You can see it here [in the film],” John the Strongman responded. ” The sound is great, it sounds exactly like how it sounds inside the arena.” But Shocker offered to prove just how real the wrestling could be with an offer to give away tickets to his upcoming performance to 10 lucky people who were up for a challenge – “Why don’t we wrestle for it!”
Tomás Salazar is a recent graduate of the New York Film Academy. Originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tomás is a screenwriter and documentary-lover. You can learn more about him and his work here.
