Mexican masked wrestling, or “Lucha Libre”, came to London on Friday (November 1), with an evening of slams and showmanship that coincided with Day of the Dead celebrations.

Masked wrestlers, known as Luchadores, are professional fighters of Lucha Libre, the Mexican sport of freestyle wrestling.

The spectacle, which took place in East London’s York Hall, will run again on Saturday (November 2) night as part of the farewell tour of Luchador, El Hijo de Santo.

Sixty-one-year-old El Hijo de Santo, whose real name is Jorge Guzman Rodriguez, appeared alongside his son, Santo Jr, who has kept the iconic silver mask that both his father and his grandfather El Santo wore during their careers.

Santo Jr said his father’s retirement felt “surreal” and spoke of his ambition to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps by appearing in films.

The November 2 "Dia de los Muertos", or Day of the Dead in English, is a pre-Hispanic tradition widely observed in Mexico, in which families remember their dead and celebrate the continuity of life.

(Production: Marissa Davison)