On Monday, Mexican authorities said that a “lucha libre” wrestler had been discovered dead over the weekend in the state of Guanajuato in the country’s north.
The corpse of a wrestler known as “Maremoto” or “Tidal Wave” was discovered Saturday outside a National Guard barracks in the city of Irapuato, according to the state prosecutor’s office.
Due to the passing of “Maremoto” and a second wrestler known by his ring name “Lepra” or “Leprosy,” local professional wrestling promoters decided to cancel a fight that was scheduled for Sunday.
Match promoters Promociones Freseros Brothers issued a statement saying, “Our event Sunday, August 28 is cancelled out of respect for the family of our colleagues Lepra and Maremoto, and as a symbol of sadness.”
The death of “Lepra” had already been certified by the prosecution’s office. His true name was Salvador Garcia, according to local media, and they speculated that he may have had a day job in the Irapuato municipal administration.
Many wrestlers have day jobs since the sport, at least locally, is not highly compensated.
Last week, both guys were reported kidnapped in Irapuato.
Pictures of a banner with the Jalisco New Generation Cartel’s logo that was discovered next to one of the dead made the rounds on social media over the weekend.
The two guys were charged with working for a rival gang along with a third wrestler who went by the moniker “Juventud Rebelde” and was assassinated in May. The letters CJNG are used to identify the Jalisco cartel.
The banner said, “To the Lucha Libre comrades, the CJNG has nothing against you personally.” The incidents involving Maremoto, Lepra Salvador, and Juventud Rebelde “Jerry” were direct assaults.
According to the banner, they were associated with the Santa Rosa de Lima gang, which has long-running territorial wars with the Jalisco cartel in Guanajuato.
Since the coronavirus pandemic, when practically all bouts were postponed and an exceptionally high number of wrestlers passed away from COVID-19, Lucha libre has suffered. But unlike norteo musicians, drug cartel violence had generally avoided lucha libre wrestlers up until this point.
Mexican culture is best exemplified by the sport of lucha libre wrestling. After soccer, it is the second most popular sport in the nation.
The sport has a history of “tecnicos,” the attractive good men, and “rudos,” the nasty, rule-breaking bad guys. It also includes dramatic antics.
Authorities in Mexico stated in May that they had apprehended a suspected CJNG commander. Francisco Javier Rodriguez Hernandez, often known as “El Seorón,” “XL,” or “Frank,” was captured by naval agents during an operation in Mazatlan, a popular tourist destination in the northwest state of Sinaloa.
More than 340,000 people have died as a result of cartel-related violence in Mexico since the government started a contentious anti-drug campaign with federal forces in 2006, according to official figures.
A special Mexican squad that had been trained by American authorities to combat drug cartels had been disbanded, according to Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, in April. He said this because the unit had been compromised by criminals.