This spring has been nuts. No. Really. This has been by far the busiest season for me since I’ve started training lucha libre. Between shows, travel, and (*gasp!*) a film premiere, I’ve barely had a rest since February. Mind you, I’m not complaining. This is a huge sign of growth for LLV as a company, myself as a performer, and for the future of lucha libre in the Pacific Northwest as a whole.

The season kicked off on February 28 with an in-house LLV demo show. I tagged with the then yet un-debuted Fantasma X against Guerrero Águila and El Roughian. Long story short, a swift dropkick to my throat/ shoulder region impeded our collective ability to cut those two down to size and I ended up pinned under not only the opponents but (inadvertently) my own tag partner as well.

A little over a month later I was off to the Yakima SunDome! Ave Rex, by way of a contact in the American Pro wrestling scene, had been invited to wrestle at Death Match 2K15- hosted and promoted by Big Ryck Stephens (AKA WWE’s Ezekiel Jackson). I had the good fortune to be invited along for the adventure, along with Gringo Loco and Guerrero Águila. In the locker room we rubbed elbows with high-profile wrestlers such as Lucha Underground’s El Mariachi Loco and Brain Cage, Famous B, Willie Mack, and many other folks who I’d heard reference to before but never imagined I’d meet in real life. Deathmatch 2K15 was a huge networking opportunity, and an overall positive experience, solidifying my opinion of the professionalism and camaraderie that can be found in the worlds of lucha libre and American Pro Wrestling.

Pre-show in the Yakima SunDome at Death Match 2K15.

Next came Lucha de Sound 4 on April 18. I shan’t bore you with those details here since I already covered it in my last post, but it was an awesome show, as usual (1).

Then there was that one time I wrestled 7 matches in 4 days… On Saturday, May 2 I teamed up with my former enemy, the pink bitch Faviola Astral, and Fantasma X (this time making her official public debut) to take on El Roughian, Trueno Verde, and El Chicano at this year’s Taco Libre Truck Showdown. We wrestled outside of Seattle’s Union Station in front of a raucous crowd of 200-400 fans, all of whom were practically shoehorned in around three sides of the ring. As far as I’m concerned, they win for “best crowd of the season” so far.

We won! Faviola is being sassy about it, as usual.

The very next day Ave Rex, Gringo Loco, Guerrero Nocturno and myself (plus dog and camera guy) turned around and hit the road to wrestle two days worth of shows with Portland Lucha Libre at the Cinco de Mayo Fiesta (2). And it would turn out that when I say “two days worth of shows,” I mean two matches plus a battle royale each day. That whole weekend was a true test of my creativity and durability, and by the end of it I was exhausted but ecstatic.

Under the Morrison Street Bridge for the Portland Cinco de Mayo Fiesta.

…But I wasn’t out of the woods yet! The day after the last show in Portland I drove back up to Tacoma to pack all my worldly belongings into a U-Haul and move them across town to my new house. This wouldn’t have been such a big deal if I didn’t have to contend with a serious limp from an injured right quad. I’m still not exactly sure how that happened, but I *will* say that it’s not an experience I’d recommend.

Last but not least, I’m proud to announce that “Luchadora,” a short documentary directed, shot, and produced by Amber Cortes, made it’s world premiere at the Seattle International Film Festival over Memorial Day Weekend. The film focused mainly on me and my time training and performing with LLV. Amber says she was fascinated when she found lucha libre here in the Pacific Northwest, and wanted to use this film as an opportunity to encourage others (particularly women) to explore the sport. The film was well-received at the premiere, and I’m exceptionally happy that Lucha Libre Volcánica gained recognition at this prestigious festival.

With director Amber Cortes at the world premier of “Luchadora.” We clean up pretty nice, eh?

Throw in a guest appearance at the Q Nightclub in Seattle, an evening out to support fellow local performers at the SIFF red carpet premiere of “Bodyslam, Revenge of the Banana,” and a gig hoisting piñatas for the Piñata Bash at Re-Bar, and that about rounds out my public appearances for May. As it stands, the summer is shaping up to be just as fun-filled and action-packed as the spring was. Don’t miss a minute of the action; keep an eye on my Facebook page and Lucha Libre Volcánica’s page for the latest event news!

___________________________________________________________

(1) Footage from Lucha de Sound 4 and the Taco Libre Smackdown are now up on Lucha Libre Volcánica’s YouTube channel.

(2) You can check out footage from the Portland Cinco de Mayo Fiesta shows on Mega Boy’s Portland Lucha Libre YouTube channel.