Lucha Britannia Explained

Lucha Britannia
Acronym:LB
Established:2006
Style:Lucha libre
Vaudeville
Location:Bethnal Green, London
Founder:Garry Vanderhorne
Owner:Garry Vanderhorne
Website:http://www.luchabritannia.com/

Lucha Britannia is a British lucha libre-style professional wrestling promotion based in Bethnal Green, London since 2006.

History

Lucha Britannia was created by Garry Vanderhorne in 2006 from Rock & Metal Wrestling Action (RAMWA), as an alternative form of physical theatre, music, cabaret, comedy and professional wrestling. In 2007, Lucha Britannia held the first of its six sell-out shows at Bethnal Green Working Men's Club. By November 2007 The promotion had outgrown the Working Men's Club and moved to SeOne, a large nightclub beneath London Bridge station. In December that year they were listed by Time Out in their (London) top five Best alternative nightlife of 2007.[1]

In the summer of 2008 Lucha Britannia featured on the BBC's coverage of the Reading and Leeds festivals and in October that year they co-hosted the inaugural Bizarre Ball in conjunction with Bizarre Magazine.[2] In 2009, Lucha Britannia became the first UK based wrestling promotion to feature on live British television in twenty-five years when they featured in their coverage of the Brit Awards after-party at Earls Court hosted by Rufus Hound. Later that year they returned to co-produce and host the second Bizarre Ball again for Bizarre Magazine.[3]

During 2011, Lucha Britannia put on seventeen events in London and around the UK. In 2016 the promotion increased to hosting semi-monthly shows called Lucha Underground at the Resistance Gallery in Bethnal Green, East London on Friday nights.

Events continued at the Resistance Gallery until 2020 when it briefly closed during the Covid Pandemic. It triumphantly returned in April 2023 at Village Underground in Shoreditch where there are now regular shows.

Style

Lucha Britannia combines the Lucha Libre style of wrestling that is characterized by the wearing of colourful masks, rapid sequences of holds and maneuvers, tag-teams and "high-flying" with the traditional British technical style, North American and Japanese Puroresu wrestling format.Aside from wrestling, Lucha Britannia events also include risqué cabaret performances, comedic interludes and side acts.[4]

All the characters and performers in Lucha Britannia loosely fit into a fantastical narrative called the "RetroFutureVerse" wherein a fractious band of outlawed prize-fighters (known as the "United Resistance Movement") battle for justice and dignity against the dastardly representatives of tyrannical rulers (known either as "The State" or "The Yankee Boche") in an ornately cruel, futuristic dystopia.[5]

The promotion runs regular monthly shows from the Village Underground – a venue in Shoreditch in London's East End. Lucha Britannia spawned the London School of Lucha Libre, Lucha Britannia's own professional-wrestling training academy,[6] [7] as well as hosting a variety of other events.

Lucha Britannia has also been an attraction on television and at major UK festivals including the Glastonbury Festival, Download Festival, Reading Festival, Leeds Festival and The Brit Awards.[8] [9]

Regular events include immersive theatre with many elements of wrestling, comedy, and sinister cabaret in their shows.

World Championship

As only months are known, each reign is listed as beginning on the first of the month although this may not be true.

Overall reign number
ReignReign number for the specific champion
N/AThe information is not available or is unknown
+Current reign is changing daily
ChampionChampionship changeReign statisticsNotes
DateEventLocationReignDays
1Leon BrittannicoJanuary 20, 2012Lucha BritanniaLondon, England1[10]
2SanteriaOctober 19, 2012Lucha BritanniaLondon, England1[11]
3MetallicoMarch 15, 2013March MadnessLondon, England1[12]
4Dark BrittanicoMay 31, 2013The Super Lucha Summer ExtravaganzaLondon, England1[13]
5MetallicoOctober 18, 2013October FrightmareLondon, England2<1[14]
6SanteriaOctober 18, 2013October FrightmareLondon, England2
7AnteiosNovember 29, 2013I Was Santa's Love SlaveLondon, England1[15]
8The Bengal TigerMarch 21, 2014Lucha BritanniaLondon, England1[16]
9Dark BritannicoMay 16, 2014Lucha BritanniaLondon, England2[17]
10GlamsexicoJune 20, 2014Lucha BritanniaLondon, England1[18]
11Leon BritannicoAugust 15, 2014Lucha BritanniaLondon, England1[19]
12SanteriaOctober 31, 2014Lucha BritanniaLondon, England3[20]
13Freddie MercurioJanuary 16, 2015Lucha BritanniaLondon, England1[21]
14SanteriaApril 17, 2015April’s AtonementLondon, England4[22]
15CassiusJune 19, 2015Lucha BritanniaLondon, England1[23]
16FugNovember 20, 2015Lucha BritanniaLondon, England1[24]
17CassiusDecember 18, 2015Lucha BritanniaLondon, England2[25]
18Freddie MercurioJanuary 8, 2016Lucha BritanniaLondon, England2[26]
19CassiusJanuary 15, 2016Lucha BritanniaLondon, England3[27]
20La Diablesa RosaMarch 18, 2016Lucha BritanniaLondon, England1[28]
21Lord Reginald WindsorAugust 19, 2016Lucha BritanniaLondon, England1
22Jerry BakewellOctober 21, 2016Lucha BritanniaLondon, England1[29]
23MalikNovember 18, 2016Lucha BritanniaLondon, England1[30]
24CassiusDecember 16, 2016Lucha BritanniaLondon, England4[31]
25La Diablesa RosaJanuary 20, 2017Lucha BritanniaLondon, England2
26Hombre Del RockaApril 21, 2017Lucha BritanniaLondon, England1
27La Diablesa RosaJune 16, 2017Lucha BritanniaLondon, England3
28Pavo RealAugust 18, 2017Lucha BritanniaLondon, England1
29La Diablesa RosaJanuary 19, 2018Lucha BritanniaLondon, England4
30Jerry BakewellJuly 20, 2018Lucha BritanniaLondon, England2
31FugSeptember 21, 2018Lucha BritanniaLondon, England2[32]
32TriffidosFebruary 15, 2019Lucha BritanniaLondon, England1
33El Ray AnansieJune 1, 2019Lucha BritanniaLondon, England1
34TriffidosJune 1, 2019Lucha BritanniaLondon, England1
35El Ray AnansieJuly 27, 2019Lucha BritanniaLondon, England2
36TriffidosJuly 28, 2019Lucha BritanniaLondon, England2
37HanumanOctober 16, 2019Lucha BritanniaLondon, England1
38Cara Noir (Pava Real)November 15, 2019Lucha BritanniaLondon, England2
39Disco DiabloJanuary 17, 2020Lucha BritanniaLondon, England1
40Bradford W. BushJuly 13, 2023Lucha BritanniaLondon, England1First match after the Pandemic
41Marduk MalikNovember 23, 2023Lucha BritanniaLondon, England2
42BullitoMarch 22, 2024Lucha BritanniaLondon, England1Champion for only eight minutes!
43La Diablesa RosaMarch 22, 2024Lucha BritanniaLondon, England5+

See also

Notes and References

  1. http://www.timeout.com/london/clubs/features/4018/Best_alternative_nightlife_of_2007.html Time Out (London), Clubs: Best alternative nightlife of 2007, 19 December 2007
  2. http://www.bizarremag.com/bizarre-ball-2008/acts/7059/lucha_britannia.html Bizarre Magazine (online), Bizarre Ball: 2008
  3. http://www.bizarremag.com/bizarre-events/bizarre-ball-2009/8143/lucha_britannia.html Bizarre Magazine (online), Bizarre Ball: 2009
  4. Web site: Clubs: Mexican Wrestling. Hutchinson, Kate. Time Out (London). 29 October 2007. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20120123181332/http://www.timeout.com/london/clubs/features/3750/Mexican_wrestling.html. 23 January 2012.
  5. Web site: Lucha Britannia's United Resistance Movement. Lucha Britannia!. 12 March 2012. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20120807234455/http://luchabritannia.blogspot.com/. 7 August 2012.
  6. http://www.theprisma.co.uk/2011/07/03/%E2%80%98lucha-libre%E2%80%99-in-london/ The Prisma (Online), Lucha Libre in London, 3 July 2011
  7. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-13482659 BBC News, Mexican Wrestling takes hold in UK, 21 May 2011
  8. http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/derby/hi/people_and_places/arts_and_culture/newsid_8738000/8738980.stm BBC News (Derby), Photos: Download Festival 2010, 14 June 2010
  9. http://2009.downloadfestival.co.uk/thevillage/item.aspx_id=2838&cid=0.html Download Festival 2009 (Online), The Village: Events Listing
  10. Web site: Lucha Britannia - Event @ Resistance Gallery in London, England, UK. Philip. Kreikenbohm. Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. January 20, 2012. July 10, 2022.
  11. Web site: Lucha Britannia - Event @ Resistance Gallery in London, England, UK. Philip. Kreikenbohm. Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. October 19, 2012. July 13, 2022.
  12. Web site: Lucha Britannia March Madness - Event @ Resistance Gallery in London, England, UK. Philip. Kreikenbohm. Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. March 15, 2013. July 13, 2022.
  13. Web site: Lucha Britannia The Super Lucha Summer Extravaganza - Event @ The Bankside Vaults in London, England, UK. Philip. Kreikenbohm. Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. May 31, 2013. July 13, 2022.
  14. Web site: Lucha Britannia October Frightmare - Event @ Resistance Gallery in London, England, UK. Philip. Kreikenbohm. Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. October 18, 2013. July 13, 2022.
  15. Web site: Lucha Britannia I Was Santa's Love Slave - Event @ Resistance Gallery in London, England, UK. Philip. Kreikenbohm. Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. November 29, 2013. July 13, 2022.
  16. Web site: Lucha Britannia - Event @ Resistance Gallery in London, England, UK. Philip. Kreikenbohm. Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. March 21, 2014. July 13, 2022.
  17. Web site: Lucha Britannia - Event @ Resistance Gallery in London, England, UK. Philip. Kreikenbohm. Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. May 16, 2014. July 13, 2022.
  18. Web site: Lucha Britannia - Event @ Resistance Gallery in London, England, UK. Philip. Kreikenbohm. Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. June 20, 2014. July 13, 2022.
  19. Web site: Lucha Britannia - Event @ Resistance Gallery in London, England, UK. Philip. Kreikenbohm. Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. August 15, 2014. July 13, 2022.
  20. Web site: Lucha Britannia - Event @ Resistance Gallery in London, England, UK. Philip. Kreikenbohm. Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. October 31, 2014. July 13, 2022.
  21. Web site: Lucha Britannia - Event @ Resistance Gallery in London, England, UK. Philip. Kreikenbohm. Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. January 16, 2015. July 13, 2022.
  22. Web site: Lucha Britannia April's Atonement - Event @ Resistance Gallery in London, England, UK. Philip. Kreikenbohm. Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. April 17, 2015. July 13, 2022.
  23. Web site: Lucha Britannia - Event @ Resistance Gallery in London, England, UK. Philip. Kreikenbohm. Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. June 19, 2015. July 13, 2022.
  24. Web site: Lucha Britannia - Event @ Resistance Gallery in London, England, UK. Philip. Kreikenbohm. Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. November 20, 2015. July 13, 2022.
  25. Web site: Lucha Britannia - Event @ Resistance Gallery in London, England, UK. Philip. Kreikenbohm. Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. December 18, 2015. July 13, 2022.
  26. Web site: Lucha Britannia - Event @ Resistance Gallery in London, England, UK. Philip. Kreikenbohm. Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. January 8, 2016. July 13, 2022.
  27. Web site: Lucha Britannia - Event @ Resistance Gallery in London, England, UK. Philip. Kreikenbohm. Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. January 15, 2016. July 13, 2022.
  28. Web site: Lucha Britannia - Event @ Resistance Gallery in London, England, UK. Philip. Kreikenbohm. Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. March 18, 2016. July 13, 2022.
  29. Web site: Jerry Bakewell is our new Lucha Britannia world champion!. Twitter. 22 October 2016. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20180411101202/https://twitter.com/LuchaBritannia/status/789839553414762497. 11 April 2018.
  30. Web site: Last night marked the start of a new era in @luchabritannia.... Instagram. 22 November 2016. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20180411101202/https://www.instagram.com/p/BM_a5wIBrZg/. 11 April 2018.
  31. Web site: Cassius the neon explosion is the new and now 4 time @LuchaBritannia world champion #. Instagram. 19 January 2017. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170202142408/https://twitter.com/LuchaBritannia/status/809907281248788481. 2 February 2017.
  32. Web site: Lucha Britannia - Event @ Resistance Gallery in London, England, UK. Philip. Kreikenbohm. Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. September 21, 2018. July 13, 2022.