IWRG Ruleta de la Muerte

Last updated

In Lucha libre , the Mexican version of professional wrestling, the Ruleta de la Muerte ("Roulette of Death") is a type of professional wrestling tournament where the loser or losers of a match would advance in the tournament instead of the winners. The finals of a Ruleta de la Muerte tournament featured the losing teams wrestle each other under Lucha de Apuestas , or "bet match" rules, where the loser would be forced to either unmask or have all their hair shaved off as a result. Various Mexican promotions have held Ruleta de la Muerte tournaments; some like International Wrestling Revolution Group (IWRG - sometimes referred to as Grupo Internacional Revolución in Mexico) have held these tournaments on a regular basis.

Contents

The first documented IWRG-promoted Ruleta de la Muerte tournament was held in 1998 with Mega defeating Judo Suwa, forcing Suwa to be shaved bald as a result. Since the first tournament, IWRG has held at least six additional Ruleta de la Muerte tournaments with a total of eight wrestlers being shaved bald as a result: Suwa, Dr. Cerebro, Chico Che, Temerario Infernal, Oficial AK-47, Bugambiglia, Eterno and X-Fly. While masked wrestlers have participated in the tournaments, none have lost their mask as a result. In 2009 IWRG began using the Ruleta de la Muerte as the name of the entire event as well and not just the tournament. Since 2009 IWRG has been held a total of six times, with the most recent being the 2019 Ruleta de la Muerte show.

Event history

Mexican lucha libre , or professional wrestling, has a long-standing tradition around the wrestling mask and its role in both lucha libre and the culture of Mexico itself. In 1940 the Lucha de Apuestas , or "Bet match", was invented where a wrestler would either bet their mask or their hair (or on rare occasions their career) on the outcome of the match. [1] If a masked wrestler lost the match he would be forced to remove his mask, state his given name and then never be allowed to wrestle with that mask on again. [2] If an unmasked wrestler lost a Lucha de Apuestas he or she would be forced to have all his/her hair shaved off while standing in the middle of the ring, suffering the humiliation in front of everyone in attendance. [2] Over time the Lucha de Apuestas matches became more prestigious than championship matches in Mexico and would often headline major shows. It's unclear exactly when the Rouleta de la Muerte (Spanish for "Roulette of Death"), some times also referred to as Ruleta Rusa (Russian Roulette), tournament concept was created. [3] The concept of the tournament is similar to another lucha libre staple, the Parejas Suicidas ("Suicide Teams") or Relevos suicida ("Suicide Relays") match. In a Parejas Suicida, teams of two, often composed of rivals, have to wrestle against each other; the losing team is then forced to fight each other as "punishment" for losing the match. In a Ruleta de la Muerte the number of teams is expanded, often to four or eight teams. These teams face off and the losing team in each match moves on to the next round, until the team that loses the finals of the tag team portion are forced to face off for either their mask or their hair. [3]

The earliest recorded Ruleta de la Muerte was held on October 11, 1975 at the Plaza de Toros Mexico in Mexico City. In the tournament As Charro and Gallo Tapado defeated Chicano Power and Sangre Fria, forcing them to unmask, as well as winning 40.000 Pesos. [4] Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL), the world's oldest wrestling promotion, held a pair of high-profile Ruleta de la Muerte shows in 1998 and 1999. The 1998 show saw the team of Mr. Niebla and Black Warrior defeat the team of El Hijo del Santo and Guerrero del Futuro, forcing them to face off. In the end Guerrero del Futuro was forced to unmask. [5] [6] The 1999 tournament saw the team of Olímpico and Blue Panther defeat Shocker and Rey Bucanero, which led to Shocker defeating and unmasking Rey Bucanero. [7] [8]

IWRG held their first Ruleta de la Muerte tournament in 1998 as well, part of their Arena Naucalpan 21st Anniversary Show held on December 20, 1998, and saw the masked Mega defeat Judo Suwa, forcing the Japanese wrestler to be shaved bald as a result. [6] In 2006 they held another Ruleta de la Muerte tournament, this time as part of their 2006. For this event the tournament format was slightly modified, using two first round matches where six wrestlers fought to stay out of the final Lucha de Apuestas match. In the end the masked Coco Verde pinned Dr. Cerebro, forcing Dr. Cerebro to have all his hair shaved off. [9] In 2009 IWRG held the 2009 Ruleta de la Muerte show, with the eponymous tournament as the focal point. In the end Gringo Loco defeated Chico Che after the team had lost two matches to get in the finals. [10] The 2012 Ruleta de la Muerte show ended with an unusual result as Temerario Infernal and Oficial AK-47 wrestled to a draw; as a result both men were shaved bald. [11] After not holding a Ruleta de la Muerte show in 2014, IWRG held two shows under that name in 2015. The first Ruleta de la Muerte of 2015 saw a different type of Ruleta de la Muerte: instead of a tournament IWRG had a four-man steel cage match where all four of the competitors were chained together. To escape the cage a wrestler had to unlock the chain, then climb over the top of the cage to get out. The last man in the cage, in this case Eterno, had all his hair shaved off. [12] The November version of La Ruleta de la Muerte was a traditional tournament, with Danny Casas defeating X-Fly in the finals. [13]

Ruleta de la Muerte tournament winners and losers

YearWinnerLoserWagerRef(s)
1998 Mega Judo Suwa Hair [6]
2006 Coco Verde Dr. Cerebro Hair [9]
2009 Gringo LocoChico CheHair [10]
2012 N/A Temerario Infernal and Oficial AK-47 (draw)Hair [11]
2013 La SádicaBugambiliaHair [14]
2015 (April) Mosco X-Fly Eterno Hair [12]
2015 (November) Danny Casas X-Fly Hair [13]
2019 KetzalGato NegroMask [15]

Related Research Articles

Mario Pardo Villagómez is a Mexican luchador, best known under the ring name Oficial AK-47. As Oficial AK-47 he is part of a group called Los Oficiales that has worked for International Wrestling Revolution Group (IWRG) since 2007. The team held the record for the longest reigning Distrito Federal Trios Champions and are the most successful holders of the IWRG Intercontinental Trios Championship, holding it longer than any other trios team and having defended it more times than any previous champions have. AK-47 is also a former one-time IWRG Intercontinental Middleweight Champion. He previously worked as the enmascarado charactersSureño de la Muerte and Black Stone. He is named after the AK-47 assault rifle. Wrestling most his career under a mask, Pardo's true identity was revealed on December 22, 2011, when he lost his mask in a match against Trauma I.

Mercurio (wrestler) Mexican professional wrestler

Abraham Arrieta González is a Mexican luchador, or professional wrestler currently working for the Mexican professional wrestling promotion Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) working under the ring name Mercurio. As Mercurio González works in CMLL's Mini-Estrella division, which does not necessarily mean that Mercurio is a dwarf as several wrestlers who are just shorter in stature work in the "Mini" division. Mercurio's real name was not a matter of public record while masked, as is often the case with masked wrestlers in Mexico where their private lives are kept a secret from the wrestling fans.

Fantasy is a Mexican luchador enmascarado, or masked professional wrestler currently working for the Mexican professional wrestling promotion Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) in their Mini-Estrella division, which does not necessarily mean that Fantasy is a dwarf as several wrestlers who are just shorter in stature work in the "Mini" division. Fantasy's real name is not a matter of public record, as is often the case with masked wrestlers in Mexico where their private lives are kept a secret from the wrestling fans. He has also been referred to as Fantasy Jr. and Mini Fantasy to distinguish himself from his father, who wrestled under the name "Fantasy" as well.

Víctor Gonzalo Barragán Hernández is a Mexican luchador, or professional wrestler. He is working for the Mexican professional wrestling promotion Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) in their Mini-Estrella division. Working in the Mini-Estrellas division does not necessarily mean that Aéreo is a dwarf as several wrestlers who are just shorter in stature work in the "Mini" division. Barragán works under the ring name Aéreo, Spanish for "Air".

Antheus Ortiz Chávez, better known under the ring name Hijo de Pirata Morgan is a Mexican luchador, or professional wrestler currently working for the Mexican professional wrestling promotion International Wrestling Revolution Group (IWRG) portraying a tecnico wrestling character. Hijo de Pirata Morgan's real name was not a matter of public record until March 16, 2013 where he lost his wrestling mask and had to reveal his real name. This is often the case with masked wrestlers in Mexico where their private lives are kept a secret from the wrestling fans while they are masked. He is legitimately the son of professional wrestler Pedro Ortiz Villanueva, better known as Pirata Morgan, and not a storyline family relationship as it sometimes the case in Lucha Libre.

IWRG Ruleta de la Muerte (2012) 2012 International Wrestling Revolution Group event

Ruleta de la Muerte (2012) was an annual professional wrestling major event produced and scripted by the Mexican professional wrestling promotion International Wrestling Revolution Group (IWRG), which took place on September 6, 2012 in Arena Naucalpan, Naucalpan, State of Mexico, Mexico. The focal point of the event was the eponymous Ruleta de la Muerte eight-man tournament where all participants put their wrestling mask or hair on the line. The Ruleta de la Muerte tournament is a Lucha libre stable, a tournament which unlike traditional tournaments it is the loser that advances in the tournament, advancing to the final that is contested under Luchas de Apuestas or bet rules.

Trauma II Mexican professional wrestler

Trauma II is a Mexican luchador enmascarado, or masked professional wrestler working on the Mexican independent circuit and as a freelance wrestler for promotions such as International Wrestling Revolution Group (IWRG), portraying a técnico wrestling character. Trauma II's real name is not a matter of public record, as is often the case with masked wrestlers in Mexico where their private lives are kept a secret from the wrestling fans. Trauma II is a second-generation wrestler, the son of Miguel Calderón Navarro, better known under his ring name Negro Navarro. He is the older brother of Trauma I, who he regularly teams up with under the name Los Traumas.

Los Arlequíns was a Mexican professional wrestling group, called a stable, who worked as a rudo faction. All members of the group started out as masked wrestlers, but several members lost their masks before the group was disbanded.

Guillermo Martinez Cid is a Mexican luchador, or professional wrestler known under a variety of ring names, primarily Bombero Infernal. He was the first person to wrestle under the name AK-47 but was later replaced, he also worked as Matrix, Kraneo, Capitán Muerte and Temerario Infernal. He is a freelance wrestler on the Mexican independent circuit and has worked on a regular basis for International Wrestling Revolution Group (IWRG) over the years. His son is currently wrestling as Matrix, Jr.

Javier Espinosa Romero is a Mexican luchador, or masked professional wrestler best known under the ring name Tony Rivera. As Rivera he is currently working on the Mexican professional wrestling independent circuit portraying a tecnico wrestling character. Rivera worked for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) for over 10 years, followed by him working on the Mexican independent circuit, particularly for International Wrestling Revolution Group (IWRG) and International Wrestling League (IWL). He originally worked as an Enmascarado or masked wrestler under the ring names Paris and Renegado but has used the name Tony Rivera since 1996. Following his departure from CMLL he became an advocate for wrestlers rights and pay, including Rivera organizing a blockade of one of CMLL's major shows, the 2011 Juicio Final.

IWRG <i>Ruleta de la Muerte</i> (April 2015) 2015 International Wrestling Revolution Group event

Ruleta de la Muerte was an annual professional wrestling major event produced and scripted by the Mexican professional wrestling promotion International Wrestling Revolution Group (IWRG), which took place on May 5, 2015 in Arena Naucalpan, Naucalpan, State of Mexico, Mexico. The event was named after the Maine vent match, the Ruleta de la Muerte, a steel cage match where all four of the competitors were chained together. The last man in the cage would be forced to have his hair shaved off as a result. The four competitors risking their hair in the match were Ricky Cruz, Eterno, Veneno and X-Fly. The show featured four additional matches.

The Arena Naucalpan 21st Anniversary Show was a major annual professional wrestling event produced and scripted by the Mexican professional wrestling promotion International Wrestling Revolution Group (IWRG), which took place on December 20, 1998 in Arena Naucalpan, Naucalpan, State of Mexico, Mexico. As the name implies the show celebrated the 21st Anniversary of the construction of Arena Naucalpan, IWRG's main venue in 1977. The show is IWRG's longest-running show, predating IWRG being founded in 1996 and is the fourth oldest, still held annual show in professional wrestling.

The Arena Naucalpan 29th Anniversary Show was a major annual professional wrestling event produced and scripted by the Mexican professional wrestling promotion International Wrestling Revolution Group (IWRG), which took place on December 21, 2006 in Arena Naucalpan, Naucalpan, State of Mexico, Mexico. As the name implies the show celebrated the 29th Anniversary of the construction of Arena Naucalpan, IWRG's main venue in 1977. The show is IWRG's longest-running show, predating IWRG being founded in 1996 and is the fourth oldest, still held, annual show in professional wrestling.

La Fortaleza was a major professional wrestling produced and scripted held by the Mexican Lucha libre promotion International Wrestling Revolution Group (IWRG) on March 4, 2015. La Fortaleza refers to the main event ten-man steel cage match where the last man remaining in the cage would be forced to remove their wrestling mask or have their hair shaved off per Lucha de Apuestas, or "bet match", rules. La Fortaleza featured a team representing IWRG and a team representing the rival AAA promotion, furthering a scripted rivalry between the two companies.

The Mexican professional wrestling promotion International Wrestling Revolution Group produced and scripted a Ruleta de la Muerte tournament on November 5, 2009. The show took place in Arena Naucalpan, in Naucalpan, State of Mexico, Mexico, IWRG's main venue and the site of the majority of all their major shows and tournaments.

The Mexican professional wrestling promotion International Wrestling Revolution Group produced and scripted a Ruleta de la Muerte tournament on October 27, 2013. The show took place in Arena Naucalpan, in Naucalpan, State of Mexico, Mexico, IWRG's main venue and the site of the majority of all their major shows and tournaments.

The Mexican professional wrestling promotion International Wrestling Revolution Group produced and scripted a Ruleta de la Muerte tournament on November 29, 2015. The show took place in Arena Naucalpan, in Naucalpan, State of Mexico, Mexico, IWRG's main venue and the site of the majority of all their major shows and tournaments.

Arena Naucalpan 39th Anniversary Show 2016 International Wrestling Revolution Group event

The Arena Naucalpan 39th Anniversary Show was a major annual professional wrestling supercard show produced by Mexican professional wrestling promotion International Wrestling Revolution Group (IWRG), which took place on December 21, 2016 in Arena Naucalpan, Naucalpan, State of Mexico, Mexico. The show celebrated the 39th Anniversary of the construction of Arena Naucalpan, IWRG's main venue.

IWRG La Ruleta de la Muerte Máscaras (2019) Mexican professional wrestling show

The Mexican professional wrestling promotion International Wrestling Revolution Group produced and scripted a La Ruleta de la Muerte Máscaras tournament on December 22, 2018. The show took place in Arena Naucalpan, in Naucalpan, State of Mexico, Mexico, IWRG's main venue and the site of the majority of all their major shows and tournaments, and also served as the celebration of the 42nd anniversary of Arena Naucalpan.

José Antonio Rojas is a Mexican professional wrestler best known under the ring name Demonio Infernal. He is a second-generation wrestler, son of Guillermo Martinez Cid, best known as Bombero Infernal and the brother of wrestlers Matrix Jr., Muerte Infernal, Capitain Muerte and La Bomberita. Rojas made his in-ring debut in 2012, using the name Demonio Imperial.

References

  1. ↑ Lourdes Grobet; Alfonso Morales; Gustavo Fuentes; Jose Manuel Aurrecoechea (2005). Lucha Libre: Masked Superstars of Mexican Wrestling. Trilce. p. 115. ISBN   978-1-933045-05-4.
  2. 1 2 Heather Levi (2008). The World of Lucha Libre: Secrets, Revelations, and Mexican National Identity. Duke University Press. p. 30. ISBN   978-0-8223-4232-8.
  3. 1 2 Madigan, Dan (2007). "Okay... what is Lucha Libre?". Mondo Lucha a Go Go: the bizarre and honorable world of wild Mexican wrestling. HarperCollins Publishers. pp. 29–40. ISBN   978-0-06-085583-3.
  4. ↑ Cage match ref.
  5. ↑ "July 1998 PPV "Ruleta de la Muerte"". ProWrestlingHistory. July 18, 1998. Retrieved February 23, 2010.
  6. 1 2 3 "1998 Especial!". Box y Lucha Magazine (in Spanish). January 9, 1999. pp. 2–28. issue 2348.
  7. ↑ "July 1999 PPV "Ruleta de la Muerte"". ProWrestlingHistory. July 18, 1999. Retrieved February 23, 2010.
  8. ↑ "1999 Especial!". Box y Lucha Magazine (in Spanish). January 10, 2000. pp. 2–28. issue 2436.
  9. 1 2 "Lo Mejor de la Lucha Libre Mexicana duranted el 2006". Súper Luchas (in Spanish). December 23, 2006. Issue 192. Retrieved July 11, 2009.
  10. 1 2 Ruiz Reyes, Eduardo (November 5, 2009). "Chico Che, Perdedor de la Ruleta de la Muerte". Estrellas del Ring (in Spanish). Retrieved May 13, 2016.
  11. 1 2 Redaccion (September 7, 2012). "Bombero Infernal y AK-47 sin cabellera". MedioTiempo (in Spanish). Retrieved January 27, 2013.
  12. 1 2 Lizárraga, Alfonso (April 20, 2015). "La cabellera de Eterno cae ante X-Fly". The Gladiatores (in Spanish). Retrieved April 21, 2015.
  13. 1 2 Mejía Eguiluz, Diego (November 30, 2015). "Noche sangrienta. X-Fly sin cabellera, Relámpago, rudo". The Gladiatores (in Spanish). Retrieved November 30, 2015.
  14. ↑ Mejía Eguiluz, Diego (October 28, 2013). "Sádica rapó a Bugambilia en la Ruleta de la Muerte". The Gladiatores (in Spanish).
  15. ↑ Lizarranga, Alfonso (December 23, 2019). "Con máscaras y cabelleras en juego IWRG cerró su temporada 2019" [With masks and hair on the line, IWRG brings 2019 to an end]. The Gladatores (in Spanish). Retrieved December 25, 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.