What Are Técnicos, Rudos, and Exóticos in Lucha Libre and Wrestling?
By Nagual
If you’re new to the world of lucha libre, you need to know that there are three types of luchadores.
Técnicos. These are your good guys. The word técnico translates to technician or tecnical wrestler. In lucha libre, knowing how to fly off the ropes, somersault and apply submission holds is a deep tradition. It defines lucha libre and differentiates it from the world of American pro wrestling. The tecnicos are similar to faces (also known as baby faces) or jobbers (wrestlers who tend to get punished by the bad guys or heels.
Rudos. These are the face of malevolence. They embody it in every way. They are as technically gifted as técnicos, but they use those skills to frighten, to cheat, to punish and humiliate their opponents. The crowds in Mexico detest the rudos, and it’s common to see them yell all sorts of profanities at them during a match. A rudo is very similar to a heel. Rudos are inherently part of lucha libre’s traditions.
Exóticos. They are some of the most venerated luchadores in the artform. They first emerged decades ago as caricatures of queer people, but over time, they have proven themselves to be mighty wrestlers whom the crowd loves. They play with gender norms, and they act as trickster archetypes, disrupting the duality of good vs. evil. The most famous exóticos are and Casandro and Pimpinela Escarlata, who have earned wrestling titles that are as legendary as their outfits and personas.
So which one is Nagual?
I have always been a rudo. I enjoy being a rudo. I enjoy punishing tecnicos and faces.
Fromt time to time, I take on different forms in order to defeat my opponents. If that is confusing to you, it’s because you have not taken the time to understand what a nagual is. Like other naguales (also known as nahuales), I will offer protection and kindness, depending on my disposition. Some might say that part of myself has técnico character. But I always come back to my rudo nature.
Nagual is never afraid of gender or sexual identity, and though not exactly an exótico, you will also find that I embody echoes of exóticos in the stories I create. Those who dare to go further can discover these transformations in the deepest parts of The Cave.