Editing Lucha libre (section)

=== Luchas de Apuestas ===
{{Redirect|Lucha de Apuestas|the Legends of Tomorrow episode|Lucha de Apuestas (Legends of Tomorrow)}}
[[File:Carisico and Mistico.jpg|thumb|right|[[Carístico]] (left) under the name Sin Cara and the new [[Místico II|Místico]] (right)]]
[[File:Arena México interior.jpg|right|thumb|250px|An empty [[Arena México]] configured for wrestling]]
With the importance placed on masks in lucha libre, losing the mask to an opponent is seen as the ultimate insult, and can at times seriously hurt the career of the unmasked wrestler. Putting one's mask on the line against a hated opponent is a tradition in lucha libre as a means to settle a heated [[Feud (professional wrestling)|feud]] between two or more wrestlers. In these battles, called ''luchas de apuestas'' ("matches with wagers"), the wrestlers "wager" either their mask or their hair.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://slamwrestling.net/index.php/2004/09/08/viva-la-lucha-libre/ |title=CANOE – SLAM! Sports – Wrestling – Viva la lucha libre!|date=September 8, 2004 }}</ref>

In a ''lucha de apuesta'' (betting match), wrestlers make a public bet on the outcome of the match. The most common forms are the mask-against-mask, hair-against-hair, or mask-against-hair matches. A wrestler who loses his or her mask has to remove the mask after the match. A wrestler who loses their hair is shaved immediately afterward.<ref>{{cite book | author= Heather Levi | url= http://www.americanethnography.com/article.php?id=88 | title= The World of Lucha Libre: Secrets, Revelations, and Mexican National Identity | page= 30 | publisher= Duke University Press | year= 2008 | isbn= 978-0-8223-4232-8 | url-status= live | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160629200147/http://www.americanethnography.com/article.php?id=88 | archive-date= June 29, 2016 | df= mdy-all }}</ref> Usually the true identity of a masked wrestler is previously unknown, thus, it is customary for that person to reveal his real name, hometown and years as a professional upon unmasking.

Masked wrestlers appeared somewhere around the 1920s, in imitation of the covered roosters in [[cockfighting]]. People could bet on the known wrestler or on the covered one; at the end of the match, the covered one would be revealed and people could see which luchador it was. Promoters soon discovered that mystery was very attractive for the audience, and opted to keep the secret or to sell that the masked wrestler would reveal himself only if he was defeated. These weren't luchas de apuestas in the proper sense, since there weren't any bets on the line among the luchadores, nor did any masked gimmicks exist at this point. These were generally covered wrestlers that usually revealed themselves at the end of the night or after few shows. However, luchadores increasingly became conscious of the expectation their secret identity set for the audiences, and gradually chose to keep their identities secret for longer. They also began to adopt masked gimmicks to differentiate themselves among the growing number of wrestlers.

The first ''lucha de apuestas'' (i.e. two wrestlers with a bet on the line) was presented on July 14, 1940, at Arena México. The defending champion [[Murciélago Velázquez|Murciélago]] (Velázquez) was so much lighter than his challenger ([[Octavio Gaona]]), he requested a further condition before he would sign the contract: Octavio Gaona would have to put his hair on the line. Octavio Gaona won the match and Murciélago unmasked, giving birth to the tradition.<ref name="LuchaBook">{{cite book |author1=Lourdes Grobet |author2=Alfonso Morales |author3=Gustavo Fuentes |author4=Jose Manuel Aurrecoechea  |name-list-style=amp | title=Lucha Libre: Masked Superstars of Mexican Wrestling | page= 115 | publisher= Trilce | year= 2005 | isbn=978-1-933045-05-4}}</ref>

==== Luchas de Apuestas variants ====
The following match types are variants of Luchas de Apuestas matches with different types of wagers.
* ''Máscara contra máscara'' (mask versus mask): In this match, two masked luchadores engage in a high-stakes confrontation where the wager involves their masks. The outcome dictates that the losing wrestler is ceremoniously unmasked by the winning opponent and must reveal his/her identity (usually the face and name of masked luchadores are kept secret). The act of unmasking a wrestler often serves as a significant catalyst for the winner's career advancement and have the opposite effect for the loser. The most notable example is the 1952 match in which [[El Santo]] gained the mask of [[Black Shadow (wrestler)|Black Shadow]]. This match was so significant that it established lucha libre as a cultural phenomenon in Mexico.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Redacción |first=La |date=2017-09-23 |title=EL DÍA QUE NACIÓ LA LEYENDA: EL SANTO VS BLACK SHADOW |url=https://metropolifixion.com/el-dia-que-nacio-la-leyenda-el-santo-vs-black-shadow/ |access-date=2024-01-06 |website=Metropolificción |language=es-MX}}</ref> Another example occurred in 2000, when [[Villano III]] lost his mask to [[Atlantis (wrestler)|Atlantis]], which some considered the best lucha libre match in history.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ketzer |date=2021-03-17 |title=Atlantis vs Villano III; en datos, la mejor lucha de apuesta |url=https://vardeportivo.com/2021/03/17/atlantis-vs-villano-iii-en-datos-la-mejor-lucha-de-apuesta/ |access-date=2024-01-05 |website=VAR Deportivo |language=es-ES}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Las grandes luchas de Villano III |url=https://www.eluniversal.com.mx/universal-deportes/mas-deportes/las-grandes-luchas-de-villano-iii/ |access-date=2024-01-05 |website=El Universal |language=es}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Jiru |date=2022-03-17 |title=Atlantis vs Villano III, la mejor lucha de toda la historia cumple 22 años {{!}} Enjoy Sports |url=https://www.enjoysportstv.com/note?n=atlantis-vs-villano-iii-la-mejor-lucha-de-toda-la-historia-cumple-22-anos |access-date=2024-01-05 |website=Enjoy Sports TV |language=es}}</ref> Also noteworthy was the family feud between [[Ray Mendoza]]'s sons and [[Shadito Cruz]]'s sons, which led to a 1988 triple mask bet between [[Villano I]], [[Villano IV]]  and [[Villano V]] against [[El Brazo]], [[Brazo de Oro (wrestler)]] and [[Brazo de Plata]]; the Villanos won the masks of the Alvarado brothers.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mediotiempo |first=Editorial |date=2021-07-26 |title=Los Brazos vs los Villanos; la noche en que el cielo lloró |url=https://www.mediotiempo.com/lucha-libre/brazos-vs-villanos-noche-cielo-lloro |access-date=2024-01-06 |website=Mediotiempo |language=es}}</ref>
* ''Máscara contra cabellera'' (mask versus hair): In this variant, a masked wrestler and an unmasked one compete. If the masked ''luchador'' wins, the unmasked ''luchador'' shaves his head as a sign of humiliation. If the unmasked ''luchador'' wins, he keeps his hair and the loser is unmasked. These matches are infrequent because masked wrestlers are usually reluctant to bet their masks against hair, as masks are a more appreciated trophy, unmasking often results in a decrease in popularity for the wrestler, and a masked wrestler usually loses his mask just once, while unmasked wrestlers can be shaved many times. The most common result of these matches is the masked wrestler winning the hair of the unmasked one, but there are notable exceptions. [[Perro Aguayo]] never adopted a masked gimmick and was very successful in wager matches, unmasking important wrestlers like [[Konnan]], [[Máscara Año 2000]] and Stuka (father). Aguayo's hair was a trophy so coveted by legends that [[El Solitario]], [[El Santo]], and [[Villano III]] each successfully bet their masks to win it.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Perro Aguayo - Luchawiki |url=http://www.luchawiki.org/index.php/Perro_Aguayo |access-date=2024-01-06 |website=www.luchawiki.org}}</ref> Another important hair was from [[Cavernario Galindo]], a legendary unmasked wrestler from the golden age of Mexican lucha libre who, like Aguayo, never wrestled masked. Though Galindo never won a mask, he was respected enough that the two most important wrestlers in Mexican history, [[El Santo]] and [[Blue Demon]], risked their identities to win his hair.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cavernario Galindo - Luchawiki |url=http://www.luchawiki.org/index.php/Cavernario_Galindo |access-date=2024-01-06 |website=www.luchawiki.org}}</ref>
* ''Cabellera contra cabellera'' (hair versus hair): In this match the loser has his head shaved. These matches are very common and do not command the interest and expectation of mask wagers. However, there are wrestlers who gained notice via these matches. Examples are [[El Satánico]], [[Negro Casas]], [[Perro Aguayo]] and [[Villano III]]. Noteworthy was the feud between [[El Dandy]] and [[El Satánico]] which led to a long-run storyline of hair vs hair matches.<ref>{{Citation |title=Satanico habla de la rivalidad con el Dandy "el aprendió de mí" | date=March 24, 2023 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlgTNR9av9M |access-date=2024-01-06 |language=en}}</ref> A curious example is the match between [[Blue Panther]] and [[Negro Casas]] which ended with a tie and both heads were shaved.<ref>{{Citation |title=Negro Casas vs. Blue Panther - Hair vs. Hair (CMLL 3/2/12) | date=October 15, 2016 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgRb1Y3n1P0 |access-date=2024-01-06 |language=en}}</ref>  
* ''Apuestas al revés'' (reverse bet): This is a controversial variant of wager matches, where two masked wrestlers bet their hair. The competitors either wear a modified version of their mask which shows their hair, or the loser must remove their mask enough to allow the hair to be shaved. This variation was frequent in late 1990s in the [[Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide]] shows. These matches are considered by many to be disrespectful to the audience since they allow masked wrestlers to avoid risking their identities, or are seen as a convenient way for a masked wrestler with a strong streak of wager matches to lose one without risking anything.<ref>{{Cite web |last=omarcarrillo |date=2010-10-15 |title=Lucha de revés: ¿Falta de respeto al deporte de la lucha libre o una opción válida? |url=https://superluchas.com/lucha-de-reves-una-total-falta-de-respeto-al-deporte-de-la-lucha-libre-y-una-forma-de-llenar-arenas/ |access-date=2024-01-05 |website=Superluchas |language=es}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=¿Qué es la lucha del revés? | date=August 10, 2016 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbPffXNZzEw |access-date=2024-01-06 |language=en}}</ref> The most notorious example of this was [[Super Muñeco]], an extremely successful wrestler in mask versus mask matches (he is the second most successful winner of masks) who won more than 100 wager matches, but the only loss in his career was an ''apuestas al revés'' match against [[Halloween (wrestler)|Halloween]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Solowrestling |date=2022-02-11 |title=Fallece Super Muñeco a los 59 años |url=https://solowrestling.mundodeportivo.com/new/105891-fallece-super-muneco |access-date=2024-01-06 |website=solowrestling.mundodeportivo.com |language=es}}</ref> In another sub variant of apuestas al revés, neither the masks nor the hair of the wrestlers are on the line; rather, the ''luchadores'' bet the masks or the hair of others. 
* ''Título versus cabello, máscara o carrera'' (title versus hair, mask or career): In this match, if the title challenger loses, they are unmasked, shaved bald or retired. But if the champion loses, the challenger is crowned the new champion. Since for mexican luchadores wagers are much more valuable than championships (a wager bet is a high risk for the luchador, and doesn't make sense to put a mask on the line to win a championship), there are no known examples in Lucha Libre, but some examples can be found in American wrestling. This occurred in [[WWE]] when [[Rey Mysterio]], a masked ''luchador'', bet his mask against the [[WWE Intercontinental Championship|Intercontinental Champion]] [[Chris Jericho]] in a Title vs. Mask match at [[WWE The Bash|The Bash]] and retaining his mask and winning the title.<ref>{{Citation |title=A 'Forgotten Gem': Chris Jericho vs. Rey Mysterio's 2009 Luchas De Apuestas! | date=May 20, 2023 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5uyTCGhXoI |access-date=2024-01-06 |language=en}}</ref> A different result occurred on [[WWE Raw|Raw]] in 2003, when [[Kane (wrestler)|Kane]] failed to defeat [[Triple H]] in a World Title vs. Mask match for the [[World Heavyweight Championship (WWE, 2002-2013)|World Heavyweight Championship]] and was unmasked per the stipulation.<ref>{{Citation |title=FULL MATCH — Triple H vs. Kane – World Title vs. Mask Match: Raw, June 23, 2003 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cloirhmvfGc |access-date=2024-01-06 |language=en}}</ref> A different result occurred on [[WWE SmackDown|SmackDown]] in April 30, 2021 when [[Bryan Danielson|Daniel Bryan]] failed to defeat [[Roman Reigns]] in a championship vs. career match for the [[WWE Universal Championship]] and became banished the [[SmackDown (WWE brand)|SmackDown brand]] per the stipulation as this was Bryan's last match in WWE.<ref>{{cite web|title=SmackDown results, April 30, 2021: Reigns bars Bryan from SmackDown and hits him with a post-match Con-Chair-To|url=https://www.wwe.com/shows/smackdown/2021-04-30|access-date=May 1, 2021|website=WWE|language=en}}</ref>
* ''Máscara o cabellera contra efectivo'' (mask or hair versus cash): If the masked or haired ''luchador'' loses this match, his opponent wins the mask or hair. But if he wins, his opponent must pay a monetary amount. Very rare, since wagers are highly valuable in Lucha Libre, and since in wager matches there is a budget for the loser (in compensation, since very often losing a mask seriously damages the loser's career: i.e."Winner takes less money, but he gets the win and can continue his career"<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-09-20 |title=Más que máscara contra cabellera |url=https://www.gaceta.unam.mx/mas-que-mascara-contra-cabellera/ |access-date=2024-01-09 |website=Gaceta UNAM |language=es-ES}}</ref>). So it's atypical that winner gets more money after saving his/her mask. The most known example is the 1981 bout when [[Aníbal (wrestler)|Anibal]] defeated [[El Solitario]] and get paid $500,000 pesos of the time (El Solitario kept his mask).<ref>{{Cite web |title=El Solitario - Luchawiki |url=http://www.luchawiki.com/index.php?title=El_Solitario |access-date=2024-01-09 |website=www.luchawiki.com}}</ref>  
* ''Carrera contra carrera'' (career versus career): In this match, the loser must retire.  Very uncommon. Since losing a mask usually hurts enough the loser's career <ref>{{Citation |title=10 luchadores que PERDIERON LA MÁSCARA y DESAPARECIERON | date=October 30, 2023 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSoDQmfygZ4 |access-date=2024-02-29 |language=en}}</ref> and may lead to retirement shortly after, very often luchadores who had been masked for decades lose their masks in their final wrestling years against younger talents who need a boost in their rising careers, thus there's little need to bet career since losing a wager is enough justification to retire immediately or shortly after losing it (examples of luchadores retiring shortly after losing their mask are [[Gallo tapado]], [[Fishman (wrestler)|Fishman]], [[Lizmark Jr.]] etc.). Few examples of career matches exist in lucha libre.  The most notorious example occurred in the First [[Triplemanía I|Triplemania]] in 1993, when [[Dos Caras]] defeated [[Konnan]] (Carlos Santiago Espadas) in two rounds in a row in a career match.<ref>{{Citation |title=Cien Caras vs. Konnan - Retirement match | date=October 24, 2019 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLjP4YMHem0 |access-date=2024-01-05 |language=en}}</ref> Espadas didn't keep his word and returned to wrestling after a few months.
* ''Máscara o cabellera contra retiro'' (mask or hair versus retirement): If the masked or haired ''luchador'' loses this match, his opponent wins the mask or hair. If he wins, his opponent must retire. This is very uncommon for the reasons mentioned above, so few examples exist, like the 2022 match between Rey Milán (mask) vs Rey Pantera (hair and retirement) in which Pantera saved his career and won the mask of Rey Milan.<ref>{{Citation |title=Mascara VS Cabellera & Retiro | date=November 7, 2022 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFLYe6_4fx4 |access-date=2024-02-29 |language=en}}</ref> 
*''Apuesta por el nombre'' (bet for the name): This is a rare type of match in which two ''luchadores'' with the same or a similar name battle for the right to use the name or identity. This typically occurs when the original ''luchador'' leaves a wrestling company but the company retains the name and character (often at the protest of the ''luchador'') and gives the gimmick to another ''luchador.'' If the original name owner returns to the company, they may claim to be the rightful owner of the character and adopt a similar name. If conditions allow, this can be solved in a ''lucha de apuesta'' where the winner is considered the rightful owner of the character. Sometimes, but not necessarily, it may also result in the loss of the loser's mask. The most notorious examples of this type of match are the two bouts (with the first being controversial and thus annulled) in 2010 between Adolfo Tapia (aka [[L.A. Park]], a wordplay for "''La Auténtica Park''", i.e., "The Authentic Park") and Jesús Alfonso Huerta (aka [[La Parka II|La Parka]], La Parka II), in which Tapia (the original Parka) failed to recover the name, and Huerta retained the identity until his death in 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mediotiempo |first=Editorial |date=2020-06-06 |title=La Parka vs L.A. Park: a 10 años de lucha más polémica de la historia |url=https://www.mediotiempo.com/lucha-libre/aaa/parka-vs-park-10-anos-lucha-polemica-historia |access-date=2024-01-06 |website=Mediotiempo |language=es}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=UnoTV |first=Redacción {{!}} |date=2021-05-13 |title=L.A. Park, la historia de cómo perdió el nombre de La Parka |url=https://www.unotv.com/deportes/l-a-park-la-historia-de-como-perdio-el-nombre-de-la-parka/ |access-date=2024-01-06 |website=Uno TV |language=es-MX}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=Lucha Por El Nombre La Parka Vs L.A. Park En Triplemania XVIII | date=February 12, 2017 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLwKIqwnQBk |access-date=2024-01-06 |language=en}}</ref> Another example is [[Mr. Niebla]] from {{lang|es|[[Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre]]|italic=no}} (Efrén Tiburcio Márquez) who won a name and mask bet against Mr. Niebla from [[International Wrestling Revolution Group|IWRG]] (Miguel Ángel Guzmán Velázquez).<ref>{{Citation |title=Mr Niebla vs Mr. Niebla IWRG, máscara vs máscara. Aquí La Lucha | date=July 2, 2017 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oibsV4A8Wlo |access-date=2024-01-06 |language=en}}</ref>