Lucha libre, the Mexican version of free wrestling, is probably only rivaled by soccer in popularity among Mexican people, and its cultural impact may be even greater. The sport embodies contradictions at the heart of national identity: the interplay between tradition and modernity, ritual and obscene parody, machismo and transgender experiences, as male wrestlers often cross-dress and perform feminine roles. Disguising one's identity is a part of professional culture of luchadores and the use of mask and nicknames is the most characteristic feature of lucha libre.
