Arena México de Lucha Libre

This is one of the most colorful sports shows in town. The Arena México has hosted major matches fought by heroes like Perro Aguayo, Conan or the Hijo de El Santo. The first record of the sport in the country was in 1843 as the result of the initiative of a group of entrepreneurs who rented a space for exhibitions. Lucha libre combines techniques of wrestling, judo and other martial arts.

Why they call it the Cathedral. This is the reference venue for Mexican lucha libre —hence the nickname Cathedral of Lucha Libre— seating around fifteen thousand on numbered seats that slope down towards the ring, so the view holds up even from the upper tiers. The front rows, the preferentes, have containment railings, because wrestlers leave the ring more often than you would expect.

When the shows are. Cards run on Tuesday and Friday nights and on Sunday afternoons. Friday is the main event, with the heavyweight bouts; Sunday is the most family-oriented and the easiest if it is your first time. The box office is on Calle Doctor Lavista, outside the building, and opens on event days; for Friday it is worth buying in advance.

What it is like. The cast never changes: técnicos against rudos, with the crowd loudly taking sides — chanted obscenity is part of the show, not an exception. Masks are sold outside and in the corridors, the obvious souvenir, and vendors work the aisles with snacks and beer in paper cups. Bring cash: food and drink are not card-friendly.

Getting there. The address is Doctor Lavista 189, colonia Doctores. Balderas and Cuauhtémoc metro stations are each about 350 metres away, and Metrobús Line 3 runs along Avenida Cuauhtémoc. When it ends, fifteen thousand people hit the street at once: if you are travelling at night, walk to Balderas in a group or order a ride from a block further on.