Mexican wrestling on the streets of Sao Paulo


The Virada Festival in Sao Paulo, Brazil offered up a tremendously broad range of performances. One of the most entertaining was the Mexican Wrestling matches that were staged. I certainly didn’t expect it but it turned in to a great way to pass an hour of time.

They were setting up the ring as I wandered past and, uncertain of exactly what was coming, I grabbed a ring-side space against the railing and waited for the show to start. Soon enough the crowd started to stir, chanting for their favorites. Out came the wrestlers, dressed in their uniforms/costumes and we were treated to quite the entertaining display.

a wrestling match in a ring with a crowd watching

Lest there is any doubt, the entire thing was scripted. It was clear as some of the moves missed and were repeated that these guys had worked out their script in advance, including who would win and lose each round. But that certainly didn’t take away from the entertainment. They were pretty impressive to watch as they lifted, flipped and tossed each other around the ring, all the while playing to the crowd and hamming it up.

There was plenty more going on all over town, and I was still delusional that I might be able to save my original itinerary, so it was time to move on. Next stop: The Mercado Municipal for some fantastic foodie scenes and a delicious lunch!

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Seth Miller

I'm Seth, also known as the Wandering Aramean. I was bit by the travel bug 30 years ago and there's no sign of a cure. I fly ~200,000 miles annually; these are my stories. You can connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

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