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Saturday, March 9: Lucha de Sound

Memorial Field House

LUCHA DE SOUND: Lucha Libre, locally. Photo Credit: Jose Medina of Jose Medina Photography

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You may not be familiar with the wrestling phenomenon known as lucha libre, but it's all the rage in Mexico, where its popularity lags only behind that of soccer. Like American professional wrestling, it has its heroes (técnicos) and its villains (rudos), and it attracts shapely women. Unlike WWE matches, however, there are special categories for exóticos in drag and "Mini-Estrellas," or unusually short people. Lucha libre means "free fighting," so, as you might expect, the rules are fairly simple: three pins equal a win. The fighters achieve staggering levels of fame and protect their secret identities by never removing their masks, putting them one up on that lush Tony Stark.

My dear departed nana loved a good round of lucha libre (not to mention her overwrought telenovelas), so she'd be thrilled to hear it's made its way north to Tacoma. For the second year in a row, costumed warriors will flex and destroy under the tutelage of José Luis Gómez, over 20 years a luchador in Mexico. His troupe, Lucha Libre Volcánica, hails from Renton, but they're performing at the University of Puget Sound to benefit a student group, CHispA, the Community for Hispanic Awareness. This event features commentary in both English and español, and you can't beat the price, amigo: it's free! (Since it is a benefit, however, a $5 donation is suggested.) So round up su familia and root for Puget Sound técnicos El Fénix, El Hero, and Rey Jaguar in their never-ending quest for justice against rude boys Chicano, Peligro, and Prófugo. There's a técnica, too: Vancouver, Washington's own La Avispa.

¡Que viva los luchadores!

UNIVERSITY OF PUGET SOUND, LUCHA DE SOUND, SATURDAY, MARCH 9, 7 P.M., $5 SUGGESTED DONATION, MEMORIAL FIELD HOUSE, 1500 N. WARNER, TACOMA, 253.879.3555

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