Behind the Mask: Inside the High Stakes of Triplemanía’s ‘Ruleta de la Muerte’

The trademark mask is everything in lucha libre. After Saturday’s event, one man will lose it forever.

BEVERLY, MA – Sitting in a bite-size taqueria, the aroma of skirt steak on the grill causes mouths to water.

The smells os cilantro and onion permeate the air, and the acute rhythm of those hustling behind the counter provide lyrics to the culinary delights—marinated chicken, brisket, and beef tongue—ready to be wrapped and hand-delivered to the masses. The teeny interior is juxtaposed by the explosion of flavor in its food, but the structure comes to life thanks to artwork featuring icons of lucha libre.

The taqueria, La Victoria, operates in a suburb of Boston, one that sits a hearty 2,775 miles away from Azcapotzalco, a borough of Mexico City and the host city of AAA’s Triplemanía XXX, which takes place later this evening. These two destinations are connected by the unlikeliest of bonds: legendary luchadores. The crown jewel of La Victoria is a painting of Santo and Blue Demon, two greats squeezed into a lime green taxi. It is a scene from the 1970 film Santo and Blue Demon vs. the Monsters, where both men, naturally, are wearing their famed masks.

If you find joy in the mystery and intrigue in these masked superheroes, you have plenty of company. Every single figure on the walls of this taqueria—just like everywhere else across the globe where luchadores are highlighted—is wearing a trademark mask, a signature element of lucha libre.

“Some people thought James Bond was cool, but there were generations of people who grew up in awe of Blue Demon and Santo,” said Konnan, a wrestling superstar in Mexico and WCW, and now AAA’s head of creative, speaking over the phone about the ubiquitous nature of lucha “They were these suave guys, they wore fancy suits, and they always had their masks. They look so eloquent with a suit and a mask. The mask is part of the culture in Mexico.”

There is responsibility behind wearing a mask. It is neither a toy nor a prop. For a luchador, a mask is a way of life. A hidden identity. A whole different personality. Wearing a mask is a commitment to the craft, one built on the sweat and blood of those who wrestled in past eras. This is why losing that mask—which will happen to one masked luchador in tonight’s Ruleta de la Muerte tournament finale, where one luchador will ultimately have to unmask—holds such significance.

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In order to properly celebrate the magnitude of the 30-year anniversary of Triplemanía, the decision was made to make it a three-night event spread out across the year. The dates chosen were April 30, June 18, and tonight, where it airs on FITE TV. There are plenty of outstanding matches on the card, most notably Hijo del Vikingo defending the AAA Mega championship against Fénix. But the title bout is not the main event. That distinction belongs to the Ruleta de la Muerte finals, a tournament where the losers have advanced and the final man to lose will be forced to remove his mask.

The eight luchadores who comprised the field of competition were Pentagón Jr., Último Dragon, Psycho Clown, L.A. Park, Blue Demon Jr., Canek, Rayo de Jalisco Jr., and Villano IV. Over the past six months, the field has been narrowed to two as Pentagón Jr. meets Villano IV in a match where the winner will keep his mask, and the loser will unmask.

“This is even bigger than a title match,” said Konnan, who headlined the first-ever Triplemanía in 1993. “This ain’t the Bruno Sammartino days, so no one is going to have the belt for four or five years. But a mask is different. You wear it for years. It becomes a part of your identity. You almost feel more comfortable when you wear it.

“Villano has worn that mask for decades, Pentagón has had his mask for 15 years. It’s part of their personality, it’s a way to make money. It’s a part of their life. And one of them is about to lose it.”

Konnan lost his mask in 1991 to the late Perry Aguayo. He went on to have a career where he thrived without the mask, though that would be far more difficult for Villano IV. Now 57, he first donned his mask in 1983, and he is just months shy of his 40-year anniversary as a masked luchador.

Pentagón, who is currently starring in AEW as Penta El Zero Miedo, is 20 years younger than Villano. He has been working under a mask for the past 15 years, and is a rare type of luchador—one who became more popular in America than Mexico, largely in part to the following he built working the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla indie shows in California.

“Mask versus mask, it’s the biggest match we do in Mexico,” said Konnan. “There is no bigger prize in Mexican lucha libre than mask versus mask.”

As any luchador can tell you, not all masks are created equally.

The other entries in the Ruleta de Muerte field were not going to lose their masks. Psycho Clown, one of Mexico’s most popular stars, was simply not dropping his mask. Último Dragon, L.A. Park, and Blue Demon Jr. are no longer in their prime, but they can still draw, and part of their allure is an iconic mask. Pentagón is a draw for AEW, and he would benefit from the notoriety of taking someone’s mask. So that left Villano IV, Rayo de Jalisco Jr., and Canek as the candidates to be unmasked. And Villano is now hours away from his judgement day.

WWE star Rey Mysterio, perhaps the single most famous luchador of all-time, is still having difficulty processing the notion that Villano could lose his mask.

“It’s wild to think one of those two will lose their mask, especially when you think about a name like Villano, who has been here for generations,” said Mysterio. “The Villanos, to me, that’s like the Guerreros, with Chavo, Mondo, Hector, Eddie. It runs in the blood—it’s part of their family, it’s part of their tradition. For him, it is going to be way harder for that mask to come off. But at the end of the day, that’s why we’re in this business. We love taking the risks. It makes us feel alive.”

Sharing Mysterio’s sentiment, Pentagón relishes the intensity and distinctive nature of a match like this. He vowed that he will do whatever it take.

“No matter what I have to do, I am going to win,” said Penta, speaking through a translator. “Villano is a warrior, so I know it will not be easy. He is a great legend and I have a lot of respect for him, but I cannot lose my mask. My mask represents everything to me.”

Mysterio, who lost his mask in 1999, explained how life forever changes as a luchador after being forced to remove it.

“If you lose the mask, you become a different character,” said Mysterio. “That’s what happened to me in WCW. I wasn’t happy about it. I remember asking myself, ‘Why? Why is this happening?’ I didn’t want to lose it, but I had no choice.

“Looking back now, if that doesn’t happen, I never would have had the chance to work with the bigger guys. ... It was a game-changer. But that is a major risk to take.”

Villano IV may have no choice but to take that risk. Over the past six months, he has wrestled with the idea that his mask may no longer be part of his future.

“This is not a career, it is my life,” said Villano, speaking through a translator. “My father was a luchador, so was my brother. It took me many years, but over time, I became a luchador. Now I feel more comfortable wearing my mask than with it off.”

There is always extra meaning embedded in the mask’s design, and Villano’s has sentimental value.

“The person who created the design of my mask is my brother,” said Villano. “The designs capture my personality. There is the Pink Panther in my mask, and that brings back memories of my brothers when we were younger. My mask keeps my memories alive.

“My mask is always there for me. I know how Batman feels–there is magic in the air when I put it on. My wife tells me that my attitude changes when I put it on.”

Losing his mask seems inevitable for Villano. Pentagón has never won a mask in Mexico, so this is a major moment for him. It could be a defining moment in his career—which is why Villano is going to make sure Pentagón takes an ass-whooping for the honor.

“I am not meant to lose this mask,” said Villano, who wrestled a match of the year candidate against L.A. Park at the April edition of Triplemanía XXX. “Sadly, in this fight, it is possible. This is my fortune. Someone is trying to take that from me. I will fight for my future. I will fight for my mask.

“I want to bring my mask to my grave. If my time is coming to an end with my mask, it would devastate me. I cannot picture life without my mask.”

In just a few hours, there will be a full, magnificent display of lucha libre. This is not the American style; it is a different way of presenting wrestling. The psychology and storyline are there, manifesting in its own unique manner, and this particular contest will mirror a street fight between two gladiators battling to hold onto their dearest possession. In a meeting of the past and present of lucha libre, Pentagón intends to show why he is also its future.

“Thanks to my mask, I have started to conquer the world,” said Pentagón. “Losing my mask would be like tearing out a piece of my soul. That is why I will defend her like a true warrior.”

Justin Barrasso can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.