In lucha libre, throws and open-handed slaps may look alarming but are calculated to cause minimum damage.

ECONOMIST: Wrestling moves upmarket

AAA, to rival the traditional World Council of Lucha Libre.

ECONOMIST: Wrestling moves upmarket

Lucha libre, as it is called, is the country's second most popular sport after football, drawing over 7m a year to live matches, with many more watching on television.

ECONOMIST: Wrestling moves upmarket

He is one of the main characters in the professional wrestling league Lucha Libre USA, which aims to spread into the American market one of the most popular forms of entertainment in Mexico - freestyle wrestling.

BBC: Lucha libre in the US: The wrestler who taunts Latino fans