Lucha_Britannia
Lucha Britannia
British professional wrestling promotion
Lucha Britannia is a British lucha libre-style professional wrestling promotion based in Bethnal Green, London since 2006.
| Acronym | LB |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2006 |
| Style | Lucha libre Vaudeville |
| Headquarters | Bethnal Green, London |
| Founder(s) | Garry Vanderhorne |
| Owner(s) | Garry Vanderhorne |
| Website | http://www.luchabritannia.com/ |
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.
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.
As only months are known, each reign is listed as beginning on the first of the month although this may not be true.
| 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 | 56 | ||
| 35 | El Ray Anansie | July 27, 2019 | Lucha Britannia | London, England | 2 | 1 | ||
| 36 | Triffidos | July 28, 2019 | Lucha Britannia | London, England | 2 | 80 | ||
| 37 | Hanuman | October 16, 2019 | Lucha Britannia | London, England | 1 | 30 | ||
| 38 | Cara Noir (Pava Real) | November 15, 2019 | Lucha Britannia | London, England | 2 | 63 | ||
| 39 | Disco Diablo | January 17, 2020 | Lucha Britannia | London, England | 1 | 1,273 | ||
| 40 | Bradford W. Bush | July 13, 2023 | Lucha Britannia | London, England | 1 | 133 | First match after the Pandemic | |
| 41 | Marduk Malik | November 23, 2023 | Lucha Britannia | London, England | 2 | 120 | ||
| 42 | Bullito | March 22, 2024 | Lucha Britannia | London, England | 1 | 0 | Champion for only eight minutes! | |
| 43 | La Diablesa Rosa | March 22, 2024 | Lucha Britannia | London, England | 5 | 54+ | ||
- Time Out (London), Clubs: Best alternative nightlife of 2007, 19 December 2007 Archived 12 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- Bizarre Magazine (online), Bizarre Ball: 2008 Archived 2012-05-29 at the Wayback Machine
- Bizarre Magazine (online), Bizarre Ball: 2009 Archived 2012-06-01 at the Wayback Machine
- Hutchinson, Kate (29 October 2007). "Clubs: Mexican Wrestling". Time Out (London). Archived from the original on 23 January 2012.
- "Lucha Britannia's United Resistance Movement". Lucha Britannia!. Archived from the original on 7 August 2012. Retrieved 12 March 2012.
- The Prisma (Online), Lucha Libre in London, 3 July 2011 Archived 11 January 2012 at the Wayback Machine
- BBC News, Mexican Wrestling takes hold in UK, 21 May 2011 Archived 2 June 2012 at the Wayback Machine
- BBC News (Derby), Photos: Download Festival 2010, 14 June 2010 Archived 19 June 2010 at the Wayback Machine
- Kreikenbohm, Philip (20 January 2012). "Lucha Britannia - Event @ Resistance Gallery in London, England, UK". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
- Kreikenbohm, Philip (19 October 2012). "Lucha Britannia - Event @ Resistance Gallery in London, England, UK". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Kreikenbohm, Philip (21 March 2014). "Lucha Britannia - Event @ Resistance Gallery in London, England, UK". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
- Kreikenbohm, Philip (16 May 2014). "Lucha Britannia - Event @ Resistance Gallery in London, England, UK". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
- Kreikenbohm, Philip (20 June 2014). "Lucha Britannia - Event @ Resistance Gallery in London, England, UK". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
- Kreikenbohm, Philip (15 August 2014). "Lucha Britannia - Event @ Resistance Gallery in London, England, UK". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
- Kreikenbohm, Philip (31 October 2014). "Lucha Britannia - Event @ Resistance Gallery in London, England, UK". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
- Kreikenbohm, Philip (16 January 2015). "Lucha Britannia - Event @ Resistance Gallery in London, England, UK". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
- 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.
- Kreikenbohm, Philip (19 June 2015). "Lucha Britannia - Event @ Resistance Gallery in London, England, UK". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
- Kreikenbohm, Philip (20 November 2015). "Lucha Britannia - Event @ Resistance Gallery in London, England, UK". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
- Kreikenbohm, Philip (18 December 2015). "Lucha Britannia - Event @ Resistance Gallery in London, England, UK". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
- Kreikenbohm, Philip (8 January 2016). "Lucha Britannia - Event @ Resistance Gallery in London, England, UK". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
- Kreikenbohm, Philip (15 January 2016). "Lucha Britannia - Event @ Resistance Gallery in London, England, UK". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
- Kreikenbohm, Philip (18 March 2016). "Lucha Britannia - Event @ Resistance Gallery in London, England, UK". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
- "Jerry Bakewell is our new Lucha Britannia world champion!". Twitter. Archived from the original on 11 April 2018. Retrieved 22 October 2016.
- "Last night marked the start of a new era in @luchabritannia..." Instagram. Archived from the original on 11 April 2018. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
- "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.
- Kreikenbohm, Philip (21 September 2018). "Lucha Britannia - Event @ Resistance Gallery in London, England, UK". Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved 13 July 2022.