The Strange Life and Bizarre Times Of The Masked Hunt
By José Luis García
When my editor broached the subject of covering one of Mexico’s true sporting enigmas with me I thought he was joking. As a crime reporter I had heard the stories of what had supposedly happened to the Lucha Libre star from the late 70s but everything relating to the case seemed fantastical.
Still somewhat confused by the request but also slightly intrigued I decided to do a little digging around and get myself at least a little more acquainted with the stories.
The Masked Hunt’s official bio read as a pure work of fiction but did hold a few kernels of truth. The Hunt had grown up an orphan in one of Mexico’s poorest regions, this much was true. Being raised in the wild by animals like some kind of Disney fantasy was exactly that, fantasy. From the few fan sites online and some old magazines I learned that he grew up as a fairly unremarkable child. His education was standard as was his ascent into adulthood. This, however, is where things become a little strange. Some accounts have The Hunt going to a Lucha Libre show with some friends and falling in love with the flying masked wrestlers who seemed to defy gravity with their acrobatics. Others suggest The Hunt had been drunk at the show and heckled the wrong guys. It was not uncommon to hear tales of certain wrestlers singling out hecklers and inviting them backstage after the show to show how tough they were.
From here there are some huge holes in the backstory of The Hunt. The day after the show The Hunt seemed to disappear from existence.
In the mid 70s Lucha Libre exploded and from out of nowhere appeared a young star who quickly became the number 1 ‘Técnico’ (good guy). The story goes that one day, as the vendors and workers began to arrive at a local arena, a handsome young man approached a well known manager of wrestlers about joining up with the company. The manager, thinking this was just another starry eyed hopeful, decided to have some fun and agreed to a try out match with one of the toughest guys from his stable.
The young man dispatched his opponent flawlessly and from that day on the legend of The Masked Hunt began.
The music accompanying this article was compiled by The Hunt. An avid music lover, The Hunt would use music as his primary source of communication after his horrific car crash.
To be continued next month when we look at The Masked Hunt’s rise to stardom.
JLC