Grimmas

Agreed, and I think the focus on Meltzer now is probably a bit misguided. There's likely a large effect among "hardcore" circles from the way Meltzer wrote about puro and lucha in the late 80s and early 90s (particularly with the way it coincided with people starting to get online, RSPW, trade trading, etc.), but that's history and can't be changed. Meltzer praising something can help, but influence is so diffuse at this point that one person really can't shift popular opinion in a big way. This, the damage was done in the 80s and 90s.

I agree with this, so much.

Learn to read, never once said it was racism. Just said completely dismissing it seems wrong. Others have asked, why would anybody care that wrestling coverage follows America and puro and ignores almost everything else? It seems pretty obvious that people would want wrestling coverage and fandom to not ignore a giant country like Mexico. A few have come back with lucha is just not for them, which is completely fine. However, I feel like that is too simple of an answer. Would lucha be as hard to get into if it was covered like puro and if the tapes flowed as freely. Would it be as hard if people talked about MS-1 vs Sangre Chicano like they do 6/3/94? Also, maybe Trauma vs Lupus is a bad example. Looking back Atlantis vs UG was 4th match of the year in the WON. That's not too bad at all, of course it's the only lucha match to place or get honourable mentions. Would that be the case with a different narrative and history? I'm not interested in whether Mexico is a giant or small country. I'm interested in whether the wrestling it produces is compelling and interesting according to my tastes. Why on earth would I want to dedicate time to something just because it originates in a big place? Just don't see the logic there at all. If there was a groundswell of discussion about MS-1 vs. Sangre Chicana, or any big lucha matches -- whether Atlantis/V3, highly touted Santo/Casas/Dandy matches from the 90s, or Mistico / Anniversary show matches from the last 10 years, I believe there would be a hell of a lot more discussion about them. Then again, I don't think it compares to Misawa/Kawada or the best of All Japan from that era, or even New Japan from this era. That's my taste. Its a great match but not an all-timer for me. But you seem intent on tying this directly to WON MOTY voting. I can't explain the reasons there but can't think of a good one off the top of my head. Do you want people to understand and be open to lucha, or are you beating the drum that they adopt your views of lucha, and if not, content to resort to personal attacks for why their tastes are wrong? If people who are diehard lucha fans believe that Mexican promotions are putting forth the best wrestling in the world, here's what they should do. Skip right past the point where you condemn people who have other tastes and suggest that they're racist. Instead, talk about Mexican wrestling. Say why its great, what to look for, give it context and tell people where to watch it. If people still don't like it, perhaps consider its not racist and not a personal affront to the person making the recommendation, but a matter of taste. And then continue talking about Mexican wrestling that is great until you're tired of doing so. What's so difficult about that tact? You are still missing something, so I must really suck at explaining. My apologies. I'm not offended or hurt by lack of lucha coverage. Lack of lucha discussion. Lack of lucha getting awards, etc... What you seem to be claiming is lucha is not for you, so you ignore it. That is fine. Nothing wrong with that. What an individual does is not important to me. Lucha libre draws really well in Mexico. They draw thousands of people every day and run a ridiculous amount of shows. If we are claiming that it gets no overall narrative or coverage because it's just not for the people who ignore, then how did it get so popular in Mexico and with certain (small minority) of fans? Saying it's not for this person, it's not for this person, does not explain it at all. Saying puro is not for everything explains why some people like it, and some don't. If it's not just for some people, lucha would be a LOT more popular. Also, if you see no problem at all with lucha getting almost no coverage in the WON and WON awards, the torch, etc.. etc... that's fine. I think that seems wrong and doesn't seem like those things are accurately covering wrestling. EDIT: I am just saying I think there is a problem here, I'm not upset or angry or sad or flipping out.

Learn to read, never once said it was racism. Just said completely dismissing it seems wrong. Others have asked, why would anybody care that wrestling coverage follows America and puro and ignores almost everything else? It seems pretty obvious that people would want wrestling coverage and fandom to not ignore a giant country like Mexico. A few have come back with lucha is just not for them, which is completely fine. However, I feel like that is too simple of an answer. Would lucha be as hard to get into if it was covered like puro and if the tapes flowed as freely. Would it be as hard if people talked about MS-1 vs Sangre Chicano like they do 6/3/94? Also, maybe Trauma vs Lupus is a bad example. Looking back Atlantis vs UG was 4th match of the year in the WON. That's not too bad at all, of course it's the only lucha match to place or get honourable mentions. Would that be the case with a different narrative and history?

I watched 30 seconds in the middle of this match and gave up. Unbelievably terrible. Matches worked slower than a training demonstration? I'll pass. Way to put in the effort.

So, how would this change? What could be done to get lucha viewed as favourably as puro? EDIT: For example, something like Trauma I vs Canis Lupus is a match that most are calling a MOTY, maybe even a MOTD. What are the chances it finishes number 1 for the WON Awards? Top 3? Top 5? Top 10? What could be done for future matches like that to place high and be treated in the same breath as top puro matches?

Ironically, this might be the grossest statement of outgroup homogeneity in the thread. Also, in the 80s when Japanese tape-trading started (well before my time), wasn't there a wave of anti-Japanese sentiment in America during the Japanese economic boom? An essentially identical argument shows that Japanese music is more popular in the US than black music, which is laughably false. If your proposed explanation for why puro is more popular than lucha can't separate true conclusions from false ones, I'm not sure how useful it really is. No, it doesn't at all.

It's amazing people want to think I am claiming racism is the reason. I am just saying it's stupid to dismiss it so easily. Racism towards Mexicans is a long issue. In fact the majority of Americans feel they should deport "illegal immigrants". Again, I'm not calling anybody here a racist. It could very well be all the reasons stro said, but I don't see why racism gets completely thrown out without any discussion. Is it really that ridiculous to think it could have slightly influenced the people who influenced others? For example, stro mentioned more Japanese people working in America, but why did less Mexicans work America? Was it all Mil Mascaras keeping them out, or is there a chance some racism towards lations could had come into play? Racism may not have been an issue at all, but to dismiss it and get pissed at anyone saying it's a possibility seems ludicrous.

You think racism towards Mexicans started with Trump??

To establish the claim that lucha is less popular than puro because of racism, at some point you have to actually point out someone being racist, rather than just softly and broadly appealing to racism in the surrounding culture, which doesn't predict one way or the other whether someone will like or dislike lucha. And who are you talking about with the "overall coverage"? PWO is such a small cross-section of total wrestling fandom, yet you are asking personal questions of people posting in this thread. Wrestling coverage that we follow and the narratives built are American. Americans think Japan is cool, and have a lot of issues with Mexicans. Those are true statements. Lucha is dismissed by overall coverage, so we are left with few explantations 1) lucha is inferior to puro 2) lucha is very difficult to get into, and that barrier is too much 3) there is something else going on here Is it ridiculous to think that a culture that thinks Japan is really cool and that is ok with voting in a President that says he will deport all illegal Mexicans and build a wall around Mexico, would lead to some racist issues? I am no way calling someone like Parv a racist. He's not. However, since he got into other wrestling outside American, puro has been praised greatly and lucha dismissed. AJPW is greatest ever, El Dandy is a joke, , etc... etc... those narratives came from American coverage. It's probably a mix of a billion things, but to just dismiss any racism seems foolhearty. stro can keep saying all he wants that people are claiming it's all about racism, but nobody has said that. He's either trolling or just can't read.

You miss my point oj. It's not that anyone here is being racist, however to pretend the reason Lucha has gained no ground and has no coverage or narratives has nothing to do with racism seems bizarre. Japan is neat and cool. Mexicans is nothing. Personal and overall coverage are different things.

Keep your bullshit aside please.

Question when you first looked into wrestling from outside America did you watch Puro or Lucha?

To think the way Americans view Mexico and Japan has nothing to do with this is ridiculous

People who are against Lucha seem convinced Lucha fans are irrate when Lucha is put down. How is wondering why it's ignored in coverage and overall narratives being irrate?

Lupus-Trauma for being awesome vs DIY-Revival for being awesome and being there live. One of those two will be number one,but I'm having trouble negating the live bias.

The problem with that is lucha draws incredibly well in America, it's just it never gets talked about or reported. A random indie show in Chicago or where will out draw your random ROH house show.

I missed Konnan on the list, somehow. I think they spelled it weird 1991: 49 1992: 143 1993: 125 1994: 34 Vampiro 1991: unranked 1992: unranked 1993: unranked 1994: 255 Cien Caras 1991: unranked 1992: unranked 1993: unranked 1994: 158 Perro Aguayo 1991: unranked 1992: unranked 1993: unranked 1994: 223

1991 #1 Hulk Hogan #20 Great Muta (highest puro) #111 Negro Casas (highest lucha) #142 Mil Mascaras 1992 #1 Sting #18 Jushin Liger (highest puro) #156 Negro Casas (highest lucha) #187 Mil Mascaras 1993 #1 Bret Hart #19 Great Muta (highest puro) #77 Ultimo Dragon (maybe highest lucha or might count for puro?) #127 Mil Mascaras #328 Silver King (highest lucha) note; Negro Casas and El Hijo del Santo not listed 1994 #1 Bret Hart #15 Great Muta (highest puro) #62 Love Machine (highest lucha) #94 El Hijo del Santo (second higest lucha) #188 Mil Mascaras I think that's enough.

PWI and that British top 50/100? magazines list really demonstrate what I am talking about.

or Grimmas is saying he doesn't feel obligated to watch puro anymore, since puro fans don't feel obligated to watch lucha. That's a completely difference statement. I find this statement really weird. People not feeling obligated to watch wrestling they don't feel emotionally attached to (or that don't like a particular style) is something that happens across the board, not just lucha. There's a ton of fans that don't like or know about indy wrestling and don't feel obligated to seek and watch the most pimped matches. Same for British wrestling, lucha and even puro. I felt obligated for years to try to seek out the best stuff of the year in order to make a best match of the year list or to feel worthy to talk about who is the best. If you only watch your favourites how can you claim to make a best of anything list? Aren't you just making your favourites list then? That was my mindset, but that is a minority mindset, so I'm dropping it. Honest curiosity, are you changing the way you watch wrestling because you think you will enjoy a new/different viewing habits/patterns (or whatever) or are you changing because you don't like that you feel like others (or maybe enough others?) are doing it? I am curious as to why you are changing how you watch wrestling... frustration? fatigue? something else all together? Felt pointless. Why hold myself to a standard that nobody else does? Stick to what I like. Also I feel Lucha needs more advocates and if I cut out boring Puro I I can have more time for Lucha.

True.

What sucks is that it seems some people didn't learn anything. Flair was #1 and that is all that mattered? One thing I feel is needed is more champions for some huge areas of wrestling and a brand new narrative to be constructed.

There is american, puro, and lucha as the three most successful and biggest wrestling. American getting praise makes complete sense, it's our local stuff in our language. Puro and lucha are in different languages and has to bee seeked out. That's the only reason, as a comparison.

or Grimmas is saying he doesn't feel obligated to watch puro anymore, since puro fans don't feel obligated to watch lucha. That's a completely difference statement. I find this statement really weird. People not feeling obligated to watch wrestling they don't feel emotionally attached to (or that don't like a particular style) is something that happens across the board, not just lucha. There's a ton of fans that don't like or know about indy wrestling and don't feel obligated to seek and watch the most pimped matches. Same for British wrestling, lucha and even puro. I felt obligated for years to try to seek out the best stuff of the year in order to make a best match of the year list or to feel worthy to talk about who is the best. If you only watch your favourites how can you claim to make a best of anything list? Aren't you just making your favourites list then? That was my mindset, but that is a minority mindset, so I'm dropping it.