What's wrong with Lucha Libre???

[edgehead1984]

I have noticed a serious lack of discussion about Japanese Lucha Libre, and I am wondering why that is the fact.

[Pheonix_Chi25]

I have noticed a serious lack of discussion about Japanese Lucha Libre, and I am wondering why that is the fact.

Nothing is wrong to me, I guess not many people watch it or are caught up with the goings on in the major feds A-la New Japan.

[kkeller]

It's not just Lucha it's everything. Wrestling is a dying industry at least on a national level.

[darktowerchilde]

I think Japanese Lucha Libra hasn't got the exposure many other types of puroresu. And, when you think about it, lucha libre really isn't that huge in the U.S, in the sense of a Mexican company like CMLL hasn't gotten that popular in the states. I wonder if a company with lucha style matches as its main attraction could get over in the U.S.

[Sliced Bread #2]

Chikara is over alittle on the US Indy Scene and it has a little Lucha Based Style with the Quackenbush.

[Pheonix_Chi25]

I think Japanese Lucha Libra hasn't got the exposure many other types of puroresu. And, when you think about it, lucha libre really isn't that huge in the U.S, in the sense of a Mexican company like CMLL hasn't gotten that popular in the states. I wonder if a company with lucha style matches as its main attraction could get over in the U.S.

I wouldn't say that DTC. Some of EMLL/CMLL's most popular stars tour the states (other than with TNA), Psicosis (IE: Nicho El Millionaro) has done the Super 8 tourney for ECWA, Averno & Mephisto just went down south for a show. And some Southern states (Georgia for one if memory serves me right) recently did lucha shows with stars from EMLL/CMLL and AAA as well as home grown juniors.

[Tradewynd]

Lucha companies are also very small. With the exception of Dragon's Gate in Kobe no lucha company does good business or runs nearly as regularly as other puro companies. I marked out for seeing Hustle guys in M-Pro, but nobody else gave a crap. Most lucharesu headlines come from things like Sasuke's AV film or explosion death matches, which is kinda sad really, but considering how small the companies are it's understandable.

[ToXiK_James]

I think Japanese Lucha Libra hasn't got the exposure many other types of puroresu. And, when you think about it, lucha libre really isn't that huge in the U.S, in the sense of a Mexican company like CMLL hasn't gotten that popular in the states. I wonder if a company with lucha style matches as its main attraction could get over in the U.S.

I blame the non-popularity of Lucha Libre in America on the cable companies. Here in houston they have 10 or so more channels from Mexico. Lucha Libre here comes on every few days and I catch a little of it because I like watching wrestlers like Vampiro and Black Cat and also midget wrestlers.

[Tradewynd]

We were mainly talking about lucharesu, but I can run with this. Cuz like Master P, I got it like that.

Mexican lucha has a nationwide presence in the US thanks to Galavision. EMLL and CMLL coverage is certainly sufficient to promote a show or PPV, even if it isn't on a typical cable network. WEW (Women's Extreme Wrestling) basically promotes their 30 dollar PPVs on the internet exclusively.

Lucha shows have been run successfully in Atlanta with very ticket prices ($30-50) drawing in the 5000 area. However, the crowd was reported to be at least 90% Mexican, so it isn't like it was really drawing in the US as much as it was a Mexican show being promoted to a Mexican crowd.

Furthermore, cable companies do not view wrestling programming as a viable product. Despite the WWE getting strong cable ratings, and the ratings of WCW and ECW, and the huge success of MLW on Sunshine, there is a stigma that wrestling fans are poor and spend what little they do make on wrestling PPVs, leaving them with no money to buy whatever a sponsor is trying to sell. And if you would try to introduce a product that has only proven to be marketable to recent immigrant Mexican wrestling fans, well, no one is going to buy advertising on that. The wrestling stigma is bad enough as is.

Lucha also lacks a lot of basic precepts wrestling fans have come to expect, and many of these make them look very backyard, and even moreso to trained wrestlers. Mexicans work the right side for instance. Nowhere else on the world is that done, and considering that professional wrestling originated in America that standard has to be assumed to be correct and spread correctly everywhere on the planet outside of Mexico. Many Mexican wrestlers do not bump properly, and it makes them look very backyard. It's bad enough in many cases to make things look "not right" to the average fan. Furthermore, the rules in Mexico are very different. In tag matches for instance, a tag is not actually required according to the kayfabe rules. If someone leaves the ring, that's close enough to a tag. It's hard to sell that as that sports entertainment, let alone as a sport.

Lucha does not get more coverage because the only people who think lucha will draw on TV are lucha fans, which are a niche group of wrestling fans who are percieved to be poor, cheap and unintelligent.

[Supah Indy]

I'm sort of weird when it comes to Lucharesu. I like Michinoku Pro, Osaka and Kaentai Dojo, but honestly, Toryumon/T2P isnt my cup of tea. Sure they do great spots and stuff but it's really not the style of highflying I care for. Perhaps I'm old fashioned. If there was more M-Pro talk I'd definately discuss it more.

[Tradewynd]

What do you like about K-DOJO? Everything I've seen has been clipped so much that the only thing you see (at least on my tapes) are highspots and the finish, cutting 7-10 minute matches down to 1-2 minnutes most of the time. So much to the point that I have no idea if any of TAKA's kids are any good or not.

Disliking Dragon's Gate is also interesting if you like Delphin's stuff, since Osaka Pro bring all the "sports entertainment" aspects of Dragon's Gate with the volume turned way up, and really, highspots are highspots. I'm just not sure where you're coming from.

[Daishikaze]

I actually like the small amount of Toryumon I have seen, I don't have too much to say about the "sports entertainment" aspects. I don't really have any problems with it so far because from what I have seen it doesn't effect the matches, they don't seem to be pulling the WWE BS that I loath so much

[Supah Indy]

What do you like about K-DOJO? Everything I've seen has been clipped so much that the only thing you see (at least on my tapes) are highspots and the finish, cutting 7-10 minute matches down to 1-2 minnutes most of the time. So much to the point that I have no idea if any of TAKA's kids are any good or not.

Disliking Dragon's Gate is also interesting if you like Delphin's stuff, since Osaka Pro bring all the "sports entertainment" aspects of Dragon's Gate with the volume turned way up, and really, highspots are highspots. I'm just not sure where you're coming from.

I get the same response from everyone. lol. I dont know, it's just not my bag. I havent seen too much but I didnt care for what i've seen. They're great wrestlers but I dont dig it too much.

Osaka Pro I like because there seems to be more of a mix to it I guess, and, well it entertains me.

I havent seen much K-Dojo but what I've seen, I like because it's off beat, quirky and fun to watch. The show I have isnt really clipped all that much.

I know I need to see more Dragons gate but that's currently where I stand. Different strokes for different folks I guess.

If would reccomend a Toryumon show that has more dramaand heart than the stuff I've seen I'll check it out. I'm still open minded to it, because while I'm not new to Puroresu, I am sort of new to Lucharesu.

I do like Anthony W. Mori, Darkness Dragon and a few others though. Dont ask why I like AWM, he just entertains me for some reason

[OrangeCrush51]

It looks like lucharesu is having some trouble in Japan... Or, at least, Osaka Pro is. Read today that Jushin Lyger is coming back next month to take on Ebessan & Kuishinbo Kamen alongside Super Delfin. Apparently (to quote http://www.puroresufan.com/) "Osaka Pro is experiencing some major problems right now (with fears their Delfin Arena attendances will drop into two digit zone for the first time), so like when they have in the past, Liger is there to help out."

I don't think if I've seen a recent Lyger tape. Anyone else looking forward to maybe catching this one?

[Tradewynd]

I don't think I've seen any new Osaka Pro tapes lately. Didn't they lose their main TV deal 2 years ago?