You see Nacho Libre with Jack Black? Then you know what lucha libre is…
I’m such a sucker for a good deal. As soon as I was told the price on these figures by the vendor at the flea market I immediately looked online and found them for 50 percent less on eBay. Of course I excused myself and checked my phone out of his sight. I’m not rude. I paid $18-shipped for the both of them!
These remind me so much of my UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) figures made by Round 5. They’ll fit in quite well should I decide to pose them together. They look so similar, in fact, that I wonder if it’s the same maker. After all, Round 5 was based in Ontario, Canada, and this company, Five1Nine, was also based in Ontario. In fact, their addresses are a mere 20 minutes apart from one another. I mention this because Round 5 closed its doors abruptly and under mysterious circumstances, leaving many collectors with questions and vendors with unfulfilled invoices. Conspiracy!
My Mexican dad bought me a lucha libre mask as a kid. It was patterned after Mil Máscaras, a lucha libre icon and uncle to WWE’s Alberto Del Rio. I loved that mask. What the hell happened to it?! A couple years ago I inherited a friend’s lucha libre mask after he died of brain cancer. I thought it was weird to wear my dead friend’s mask so I took it to Goodwill. Stupid!
If articulation is your thing these might not be for you. Like Round 5 figures, these guys are more like figurines rather than action figures. They both have neck, shoulder and waist swivel and that’s it. But I ain’t mad. They stand on their own surprisingly well so there’s no need for their accompanying display stands, which are nice, but feature no pegs (and the figures feature no peg holes). So really, what’s the point of a stand?
I don’t know who either of these guys are – Averno and Místico, nor what organizations they have wrestled for, not having followed wrestling in many years. There’s a popular live show here in Los Angeles called Lucha VaVOOM, which also features comedy and burlesque performers, and damn it, one day I’m finally going to go see it!
I gotta hand it to guys that can wrestle in masks. This past Halloween I tried on a few masks at the costume store and felt like I was being suffocated and smothered. So kudos to lucha libre guys that can be smothered yet still wrestle. American fans might be familiar with WWE’s Rey Mysterio who dons a lucha libre mask. Seeing as how he represents the 619 (San Diego, CA area code) perhaps the name of this company is a sort of homage: Five1Nine.
In honor of my Mexican heritage, I’ve long wanted to write a Go Figure News 'Postcards...' or shoot a YouTube video featuring my Mexican figures and figurines: Averno and Místico will now appear, but also Mattel's Rey Mysterio, Alberto Del Rio and NECA’s Danny Trejo as Machete! I’ll throw in Jessica Alba from Sin City by NECA, even though she’s only about 30 percent Mexican. Oh and Diamond Select’s Edward James Olmos as Commander Adama from Battlestar Galactica!
Here’s a pic of Averno and Místico with UFC champs Ronda Rousey (who will kick Holly Holm’s ass at UFC 193) and Jose Aldo (who will kick Conor McGregor’s ass at UFC 194). Notice how similar they appear? Same sculptors? Same company? Is Round 5 also Lucha Legends? I’d love to tell you but both of their websites are down. Conspiracy!
Sal Rodriguez began collecting figures upon discovering UFC and WWE figures by Jakks Pacific. He lives in Los Angeles with his two cats, Fluff Daddy and Little Mister, and over 2,000 action figures. Subscribe to his YouTube channel.