Editing Lucha libre (section)

==Style of wrestling==
[[File:Octagón.jpg|thumb|right|100px|Growing up, [[Octagón]] was mainly interested in [[martial arts]] and earned a [[Dan (rank)|black belt]] in [[Shotokan]] [[karate]].]]
''Luchadores'' are traditionally more agile and perform more [[Professional wrestling aerial techniques|aerial maneuvers]] than [[Professional wrestling in the United States|professional wrestlers in the United States]], who more often rely on power and hard strikes to subdue their opponents. The difference in styles is due to the independent evolution of the sport in Mexico beginning in the 1930s and the fact that ''luchadores'' in the [[Cruiserweight (professional wrestling)|cruiserweight]] division (''peso semicompleto'') are often the most popular wrestlers in Mexican lucha libre.<ref name=Mondo>{{cite book | author= Madigan, Dan | title= Mondo Lucha Libre: the bizarre and honorable world of wild Mexican wrestling | publisher= HarperCollins Publishers | year= 2007 | chapter = Okay... what is Lucha Libre? | pages = 29–40 | isbn=978-0-06-085583-3}}</ref> ''Luchadores'' execute characteristic high-flying attacks by using the [[wrestling ring]]'s ropes to catapult themselves towards their opponents, using intricate combinations in rapid-fire succession, and applying complex submission holds. Rings used in lucha libre generally lack the spring supports added to U.S. and Japanese rings; as a result, lucha libre does not emphasize the "flat back" bumping style of other professional wrestling styles. For this same reason, aerial maneuvers are almost always performed on opponents outside the ring, allowing the luchador to break his fall with an acrobatic tumble.

[[File:Rey619.jpg|thumb|left|upright|250px|[[Rey Mysterio|Rey Mysterio Jr.]] hitting the "[[Tiger Feint kick|619]]" on [[Eddie Guerrero]]]]
Lucha libre has several different weight classes, many catered to smaller agile fighters, who often make their debuts in their mid-teens. This system enables dynamic high-flying ''luchadores'' such as [[Rey Mysterio|Rey Mysterio, Jr.]], [[Juventud Guerrera]], [[Super Crazy]] and ''[[Místico]]'', to develop years of experience by their mid-twenties.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2006/06/17/1638198.html |title=CANOE – SLAM! Sports – Wrestling – Lucha Libre 101 |publisher=Slam.canoe.ca |access-date=August 22, 2013 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120714074851/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2006/06/17/1638198.html |archive-date=July 14, 2012 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> A number of prominent [[Japanese people|Japanese]] wrestlers also started their careers training in Mexican lucha libre before becoming stars in [[Japan]]. These include [[Gran Hamada]], [[Satoru Sayama]], [[Jushin Thunder Liger]], and ''[[Último Dragón]]''.

Lucha libre is also known for its [[tag team]] wrestling matches. The teams are often made up of three members, instead of two as is common in the United States. These three-man teams participate in what are called '' trios'' matches, for tag team championship belts. Of these three members, one member is designated the captain. A successful fall in a ''trios'' match can be achieved by either pinning the captain of the opposing team or by pinning both of the other members. A referee can also stop the match because of "excessive punishment". He can then award the match to the aggressors. Falls often occur simultaneously, which adds to the extremely stylized nature of the action. In addition, a wrestler can opt to roll out of the ring in lieu of tagging a partner or simply be knocked out of the ring, at which point one of his partners may enter. As a result, the tag team formula and pacing which has developed in U.S. tag matches is different from lucha libre because the race to tag is not a priority. There are also two-man tag matches (''parejas'') and "four on four" matches (''atomicos'').<ref>{{cite web |author=Stas Bekman|url=http://stason.org/TULARC/sports/pro-wrestling/8-6-Lucha-Libre-confuses-me-what-are-the-rules.html |title=8.6. Lucha Libre confuses me, what are the rules? |publisher=Stason.org |access-date=August 22, 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130820162247/http://stason.org/TULARC/sports/pro-wrestling/8-6-Lucha-Libre-confuses-me-what-are-the-rules.html |archive-date=August 20, 2013 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>