09 Aug Lucha Libre Wrestling Returns to Richmond
Nicky Savage, left, Necrosis, in silver pants, and a third luchador compete in a lucha libre event at MLK Park on Aug. 4.
Story and photos by Mitzi Pérez-Caro
Luchadores wearing colorful and skintight outfits complete with masks, pants with spikes, and high boots battled in the ring and entertained the crowd during “Revolution in Richmond, CA,” which brought Mexican-style wrestling to MLK Park on Aug. 4.
The sold-out event gathered nearly 200 spectators. Organizers said this was the first lucha libre event held in the city in 15 years. According to wrestlingdata.com, the last professional wrestling event in Richmond before this was in 2011.
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- Necrosis, among the victors, climbs the ropes to face the crowd.
Lucha libre is a Mexican form of choreographed wrestling that dates back to the early 1900s.
The crowd at the event was as culturally diverse as the city itself. The event brought out two city officials, Mayor Eduardo Martinez and City Council member Doria Robinson. Martinez welcomed the crowd in a wrestling mask during an intermission saying he would like to see more lucha events.
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- Who is that masked man? Well, the one in the suit is none other than Richmond Mayor Eduardo Martinez. Also in the ring is Evan Francis, who helped organize the event.
“I like seeing all these people out here enjoying themselves,” said Martinez. “The city and the city coming together as one, the people and the administration. We are one Richmond.”
Go To Work Fitness, Rich City Rides and Pro Wrestling Revolution all collaborated on the event. Performers from Pro Wrestling Revolution put on five matches that thrilled the audience; some were one-on-one, others were group matches, and some were two-on-two.
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- The referee looks on as Papa Esco, right, holds Yasuke.
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- Luchador Papa Esco, standing, has Yasuke right where he wants him.
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- While Yasuke, right, got a kick in here, Papa Esco ultimately won.
While most of the wrestlers were male, one woman, named Karisma, fought against one of the men.
“I was seeing how women’s wrestling was starting to come up,” said Karisma, a Revolution wrestler in her sixth year, referring to when she started. “It was still super undervalued and underappreciated. And that lit a fire under me.”
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- Karisma, competing against Mago, was the only woman to wrestle in the Aug. 4 event.
The relationship between Go To Work Fitness’s Evan Francis and Pro Wrestling Revolution’s Gabriel Ramirez began as that of student and teacher, respectively. Ramirez said Francis learned from him before transferring to the PWR training academy. Later, they reconnected to put together the lucha libre event.
“It’s something that he’s been wanting to do for a very long time,” Ramirez said, referring to Francis. “His roots are obviously very deep rooted in Richmond, and it has always been a goal for him to bring lucha libre to Richmond.”
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- Genesis, in silver pants, pulls a move like something out of “The Matrix” in this match.
Along with Go To Work Fitness, Rich City Rides and Pro Wrestling Revolution, Lions Club, Moving Forward 510, The Voice Party and Urban Tilth also helped promote the event to bring Richmond residents together in a positive environment.
“The people are ready for entertainment. They are ready for fun things, things that are exciting,” said Francis. “I am glad that I was a part of the coalition that brought everything together. We took a chance tonight. It was a roaring success. We made history, and I’m proud.”
Audience members enjoyed the energy in the ring and the excitement in the crowd. Kids in the audience were called to join the wrestlers in the ring to dance for a song.
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- Kids joined luchadores Ultimo Panda, left, and Starboy Charlie, not pictured, in the ring to dance to “Gangnam Style.”
“It was a perfect opportunity for the community to get together. It’s wonderful,” said Yvonne Michael. “I like wrestling. It would be a good thing for the city to do more events [like this] every two to three months so we can come together as one.”
For some people, the event took them back to their childhood.
“My dad took me to my first lucha libre event in San Jose,” said David Padilla, an audience member. “I saw old luchadores like Mil Máscaras. It can be serious, but it could also be silly. To see a match where everyone is having fun, especially the kids, it feels really cool.”
Most people came to Lucha Libre in groups, including friends Aaron Juarez, Juan Contreras and Itzel Sanchez.
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- Even some fans, like Juan Contreras, wore the masks lucha libre is known for.
“[Lucha libre] was very fun to see, very thrilling and exciting,” said Contreras. “I am glad I came. It was also very funny at the same time. We are starting to get events for people to come out and see.”
“I think [Aaron, Juan and I] connected with a lot of the characters,” said Sanchez. “A lot of them were like Richmond versus Berkeley or Fremont. Richmond is already a not really known city, so this is kinda fun.”
Fans and organizers alike expressed a desire to see similar events in the future. This one already saw the mayor of Richmond in the ring — in a lucha libre mask, no less. Who knows what could happen next time?
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