Latino Student Union Brings Lucha Libre Volcánica to WPH
On April 30 during lunch, the wresting troupe from Renton, Lucha Libre Volcánica transformed WPH with the addition of a blue square of mats. The colorful masked athletes dazzled a crowd of about a hundred people sitting ringside with many more watching the show from outside the opened glass wall of Jane Russell Commons.
The Latino Student Union (LSU) brought the wrestlers to UWT as one part of their event series called “Latino Heritage Celebration.” To celebrate Dia de los Ninos (Children’s Day), LSU invited the fourth grade class from Tacoma’s Holy Rosary Elementary to attend the event.
The children cheered for their favorites and even chanted their names in unison. One girl sporting huge afro hair was especially into the exhibition. She jumped up during the match from the front row frequently, cheering for her champion.
The performers threw one another around the ring like rag dolls with fluidity and grace. Their tumbling, rolling, and slamming to the floor created an atmosphere of competition and engagement with their audience. They nearly collided with onlookers when they landed 10 feet outside the ring after being thrown there by an opponent.
The single female wrestler, La Avista, went head to head with her larger male opponents. She used leverage and raw muscle to throw them down. She was so popular with the kids that they lined up for her autograph.
