Lucha Britannia
AcronymLB
Founded2006
StyleLucha libre
Vaudeville
HeadquartersBethnal Green, London
Founder(s)Garry Vanderhorne
Owner(s)Garry Vanderhorne
Websitehttp://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.

Key
No. Overall reign number
Reign Reign number for the specific champion
N/A The information is not available or is unknown
+ Current reign is changing daily
No. Champion Championship change Reign statistics Notes Ref.
Date Event Location Reign Days
1 Leon Brittannico January 20, 2012 Lucha Britannia London, England 1 273 Defeated Bradford W. Bush to become inaugural champion. [10]
2 Santeria October 19, 2012 Lucha Britannia London, England 1 147 [11]
3 Metallico March 15, 2013 March Madness London, England 1 77 [12]
4 Dark Brittanico May 31, 2013 The Super Lucha Summer Extravaganza London, England 1 140 [13]
5 Metallico October 18, 2013 October Frightmare London, England 2 <1 [14]
6 Santeria October 18, 2013 October Frightmare London, England 2 42 [14]
7 Anteios November 29, 2013 I Was Santa's Love Slave London, England 1 112 [15]
8 The Bengal Tiger March 21, 2014 Lucha Britannia London, England 1 56 Defeated Santeria for the vacant title. [16]
9 Dark Britannico May 16, 2014 Lucha Britannia London, England 2 35 [17]
10 Glamsexico June 20, 2014 Lucha Britannia London, England 1 56 [18]
11 Leon Britannico August 15, 2014 Lucha Britannia London, England 1 77 [19]
12 Santeria October 31, 2014 Lucha Britannia London, England 3 77 [20]
13 Freddie Mercurio January 16, 2015 Lucha Britannia London, England 1 91 [21]
14 Santeria April 17, 2015 April’s Atonement London, England 4 63 This was a three-way match, also involving Metallico. [22]
15 Cassius June 19, 2015 Lucha Britannia London, England 1 154 [23]
16 Fug November 20, 2015 Lucha Britannia London, England 1 28 This was a three-way match, also involving Santeria. [24]
17 Cassius December 18, 2015 Lucha Britannia London, England 2 21 [25]
18 Freddie Mercurio January 8, 2016 Lucha Britannia London, England 2 7 [26]
19 Cassius January 15, 2016 Lucha Britannia London, England 3 63 [27]
20 La Diablesa Rosa March 18, 2016 Lucha Britannia London, England 1 154 [28]
21 Lord Reginald Windsor August 19, 2016 Lucha Britannia London, England 1 63
22 Jerry Bakewell October 21, 2016 Lucha Britannia London, England 1 28 [29]
23 Malik November 18, 2016 Lucha Britannia London, England 1 28 [30]
24 Cassius December 16, 2016 Lucha Britannia London, England 4 35 [31]
25 La Diablesa Rosa January 20, 2017 Lucha Britannia London, England 2 91
26 Hombre Del Rocka April 21, 2017 Lucha Britannia London, England 1 56
27 La Diablesa Rosa June 16, 2017 Lucha Britannia London, England 3 63
28 Pavo Real August 18, 2017 Lucha Britannia London, England 1 154
29 La Diablesa Rosa January 19, 2018 Lucha Britannia London, England 4 182
30 Jerry Bakewell July 20, 2018 Lucha Britannia London, England 2 63
31 Fug September 21, 2018 Lucha Britannia London, England 2 147 [32]
32 Triffidos February 15, 2019 Lucha Britannia London, England 1 106
33 El Ray Anansie June 01, 2019 Lucha Britannia London, England 1 0
34 Triffidos June 01, 2019 Lucha Britannia London, England 1 20
35 Triffidos June 21, 2019 Lucha Britannia London, England 2 36
36 El Ray Anansie July 27, 2019 Lucha Britannia London, England 2 1
37 Triffidos July 28, 2019 Lucha Britannia London, England 3 19
38 Triffidos July 28, 2019 Lucha Britannia London, England 3 61
39 Hanuman October 16, 2019 Lucha Britannia London, England 1 30
40 Cara Noir (Pava Real) November 15, 2019 Lucha Britannia London, England 2 63
41 Disco Diablo January 17, 2020 Lucha Britannia London, England 1 1,273
42 Bradford W. Bush July 13, 2023 Lucha Britannia London, England 1 220+

See also

References

  1. ^ Time Out (London), Clubs: Best alternative nightlife of 2007, 19 December 2007 Archived 12 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ Bizarre Magazine (online), Bizarre Ball: 2008 Archived 2012-05-29 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ Bizarre Magazine (online), Bizarre Ball: 2009 Archived 2012-06-01 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ Hutchinson, Kate (29 October 2007). "Clubs: Mexican Wrestling". Time Out (London). Archived from the original on 23 January 2012.
  5. ^ "Lucha Britannia's United Resistance Movement". Lucha Britannia!. Archived from the original on 7 August 2012. Retrieved 12 March 2012.
  6. ^ The Prisma (Online), Lucha Libre in London, 3 July 2011 Archived 11 January 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ BBC News, Mexican Wrestling takes hold in UK, 21 May 2011 Archived 2 June 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ BBC News (Derby), Photos: Download Festival 2010, 14 June 2010 Archived 19 June 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  9. ^ Download Festival 2009 (Online), The Village: Events Listing Archived 2011-11-15 at the Wayback Machine
  10. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (20 January 2012). "Lucha Britannia - Event @ Resistance Gallery in London, England, UK". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  11. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (19 October 2012). "Lucha Britannia - Event @ Resistance Gallery in London, England, UK". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  12. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (15 March 2013). "Lucha Britannia March Madness - Event @ Resistance Gallery in London, England, UK". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  13. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (31 May 2013). "Lucha Britannia The Super Lucha Summer Extravaganza - Event @ The Bankside Vaults in London, England, UK". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  14. ^ a b Kreikenbohm, Philip (18 October 2013). "Lucha Britannia October Frightmare - Event @ Resistance Gallery in London, England, UK". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  15. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (29 November 2013). "Lucha Britannia I Was Santa's Love Slave - Event @ Resistance Gallery in London, England, UK". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  16. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (21 March 2014). "Lucha Britannia - Event @ Resistance Gallery in London, England, UK". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  17. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (16 May 2014). "Lucha Britannia - Event @ Resistance Gallery in London, England, UK". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  18. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (20 June 2014). "Lucha Britannia - Event @ Resistance Gallery in London, England, UK". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  19. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (15 August 2014). "Lucha Britannia - Event @ Resistance Gallery in London, England, UK". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  20. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (31 October 2014). "Lucha Britannia - Event @ Resistance Gallery in London, England, UK". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  21. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (16 January 2015). "Lucha Britannia - Event @ Resistance Gallery in London, England, UK". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  22. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (17 April 2015). "Lucha Britannia April's Atonement - Event @ Resistance Gallery in London, England, UK". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  23. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (19 June 2015). "Lucha Britannia - Event @ Resistance Gallery in London, England, UK". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  24. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (20 November 2015). "Lucha Britannia - Event @ Resistance Gallery in London, England, UK". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  25. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (18 December 2015). "Lucha Britannia - Event @ Resistance Gallery in London, England, UK". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  26. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (8 January 2016). "Lucha Britannia - Event @ Resistance Gallery in London, England, UK". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  27. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (15 January 2016). "Lucha Britannia - Event @ Resistance Gallery in London, England, UK". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  28. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (18 March 2016). "Lucha Britannia - Event @ Resistance Gallery in London, England, UK". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  29. ^ "Jerry Bakewell is our new Lucha Britannia world champion!". Twitter. Archived from the original on 11 April 2018. Retrieved 22 October 2016.
  30. ^ "Last night marked the start of a new era in @luchabritannia..." Instagram. Archived from the original on 11 April 2018. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
  31. ^ "Cassius the neon explosion is the new and now 4 time @LuchaBritannia world champion #". Instagram. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
  32. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip (21 September 2018). "Lucha Britannia - Event @ Resistance Gallery in London, England, UK". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved 13 July 2022.

External links

Professional wrestling in the United Kingdom and Ireland
Categories