Professional wrestling in Mexico

This article is about the history of professional wrestling in Mexico. For the professional wrestling style popularized in the country, see Lucha libre.

Professional wrestling in Mexico has existed since the late 19th century, but became popular in the 1930s following the formation of Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre, the first widespread Mexican professional wrestling promotion. Throughout the 20th century, professional wrestling established itself as one of the most popular sports in Mexico, so much so that it played an important role in national popular culture. Mexican professional wrestling has developed a distinct style and presentation known as "lucha libre", which is characterized by its colorful wrestling masks, rapid sequences of holds and maneuvers, spectacular high-flying techniques, and telenovela-inspired sports entertainment elements.

Professional wrestling often competed with boxing in television ratings, with both disciplines reaching their peaks in Mexico in the mid-to-late 20th century, though both continue to be popular in the country. The popularity of professional wrestling in Mexico has fluctuated over the years, and has experienced a major resurgence during the 2000s through 2020s with the "Místico Boom Period" and the airing of lucha libre events on streaming services. With the rise of the popularity of mixed martial arts (MMA) in Mexico, some Mexican wrestlers have competed in that discipline, notably Dos Caras Jr., El Solar, and Brazo de Plata.

Unlike with other countries, professional wrestling is taken seriously by the Mexican sports press despite its predetermined nature and it is not considered a simple "spectacle" as it is in most parts of the world. Mexican news services and sports journalists do not report nor speculate on wrestlers' real names even if they know the names out of respect for lucha libre tradition, in which the true identity of masked wrestlers is kept secret from the general public. Certain Mexican wrestlers have transcended professional wrestling, notably El Santo, Blue Demon, and Mil Máscaras – collectively dubbed the Tres Grandes ("Big Three") of the Mexican wrestling tradition – became folk heroes and symbols of justice for the common man in Mexico through their appearances in luchador films.

With the globalization of professional wrestling, Mexican cities like Monterrey, Tijuana, and Mexico City have become important venues for foreign-based promotions on annual international tours.

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