MEXICO CITY (AP) – Guadalupe Zuniga has been around wrestling masks for as long as he can remember.
The relationship started when he watched his father perform in the ring, and now he has turned it into a business and is looking forward to the start of soccer. 2026 world cup.
Zúñiga, 42, the daughter of the late famous wrestler Ángel Azteca, owns a factory in the popular suburb of Ixtapalapa. mexico cityThere, her team produces an average of 300 wrestling masks a week.
“Wrestling and masks are symbols of Mexico, so we expect sales to increase significantly due to so many foreigners. We hope that the stores we partner with will demand more of this product,” Zuniga told The Associated Press.
Zuniga works closely with famous wrestlers such as Tinieblas, Blue Panther, Ultimo Guerrero, and Máscara Sagrada. She handcrafts customized masks, which can take up to two days to make.
“There are more collectors now. Fifteen years ago, there weren’t many people who said, ‘I have 30 masks,’ but now there are fans who have 50 or 100 masks at home,” she said. “I think the business has grown over the last six years. Tourists come and stop by the dealership to buy it.”
Inexpensive versions of the masks are being sold for as little as 50 pesos (about $3) around the city’s tourist attractions, such as the Arena Mexico wrestling venue and Angel de la Independencia. Depending on the design, custom-made versions can sell for hundreds of dollars.
Like Zuniga, street vendors outside Arena Mexico are aware that sales will increase during the World Cup.
Clementina López, who sells masks near Arena Mexico, said, “We always have a lot of foreign customers, but we expect even more to come during the World Cup.We want to try to give them nice souvenirs to take back to their home countries.”
Mexico will host 13 World Cup matches. Guadalajara and Monterrey will each play four games, while the capital Mexico City will play five.
Officials expect 5 million tourists to visit during the Games.
The history behind the mask
The late Mexican writer Carlos Monsivais, a fan of the freestyle wrestling sport Lucha Libre, said that wrestlers like to wear masks because they give their faces an intimidating look.
Wrestler Star Black said, “There’s a magic to the mask. It’s like having two identities.” “We can live a double life, in the ring and outside the ring.”
The first person to wear a mask in Mexico is believed to have been Corbin James Massey, an American wrestler nicknamed “Cyclone Mackie” who lost in his debut match in 1933.
A year later, he wanted to fight again, but didn’t want to be recognized, so he asked a local craftsman, Antonio Martinez, for a mask made for him.
Massey then began wrestling under the alias “Maravilla Enmascarada” (The Masked Wonder), a tradition continued by fellow Mexican competitor Jesús “Murcielago” Velazquez in 1938, and in the 1950s by Santo, Blue Demon, and Huracán Ramírez.
Crossover to other sports
It’s still unclear exactly when fans started wearing masks at soccer games, but soccer and Lucha Libre are Mexicans’ favorite pastimes.
Adidas, the German clothing company that sponsors the Mexican national team, has created a jersey for the 2014 World Cup inspired by Rey Mysterio, a Mexican-American wrestler popular on both sides of the border.
But it’s not just soccer stadiums where masks are popular. It was worn by local drivers Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen at the Mexican Grand Prix two years ago, and George Russell also wore it last year.
For the 2024 race, Perez also wore a special helmet featuring a wrestling mask.
“This helmet is special because I love Mexican culture and Lucha Libre. We love Lucha Libre. I’m a wrestler, so I wanted to add a mask to that,” Perez said at the time.
The helmet had a blue mask and a red eye mask on top. The words “Minister of Defense” and “Never give up” were also displayed.
“I showed it to the kids and they loved it,” Perez added.
Another prominent athlete known for wearing a wrestling mask is Seattle Mariners outfielder Randy Arozarena, who wore an Ignacio Uribe Místico mask as a good luck charm in the dugout during Mexico games. He said the wrestler’s “mystical magic” could contribute to victory.
Professional wrestlers who wear it in Mexico recognize the exhilaration that surrounds Mark outside the ring.
“It’s no secret that if someone wears a mask, they’re Mexican,” said Magnus, a professional wrestler. “You see it in soccer and baseball. People wear masks because that’s who we are.
“It’s great that Lucha Libre crosses borders. They see us as heroes, so it’s a sign of respect and it also helps us express our emotions.”
Zuniga’s factory has made masks for Perez, Verstappen and Russell, and more work is coming her way.
“We have already received special requests for the World Cup and are working on some designs. We have ordered certain fabrics to make special products, special models for the World Cup,” Zuniga said. “I can’t show it to you, but it’s going to be very special.”
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