Professional wrestling might not be real, but the word defined to protect it is now a real word you can find in the dictionary.
Merriam-Webster released its latest update on Friday for September 2023. 690 words, acronyms, and definitions were added to America’s most trusted and respected dictionary.
Goated, Mid, Padawan, Simp, Bracketology, ngl, and Kayfabe are some of the words now officially recognized by the famed publisher.
Diehard enthusiasts who follow wrestling are aware of many behind-the-scenes terms. Kayfabe protects the suspension of disbelief for the audience.
WWE Hall of Famer fka Edge, now using his real name Adam Copeland, is the newest signee to AEW. Copeland debuted at WrestleDream in Seattle, Washington, on Sunday evening following the main event, where Christian Cage defeated Darby Allin in a two out of three falls match to retain the TNT title.
Christian, Luchasaurs, and Nick Wayne, who turned on Allin, laid out Allin and Sting. Christian was about to deliver a conchairto to Sting when the lights went out, and a Grindhouse video played of a man in a leather jacket driving down the highway and over the words “Rated R Superstar” as fireworks emerged from a nearby stadium.
The familiar “You think you know me” followed by the iconic Alter Bridge song ‘Metalingus’ blasted from the speakers as Copeland emerged and did his WWE entrance and pyro deal on the way to the ring.
There is a moment early in the film where the titular character is sulking in the locker room after another stinging but expected loss in the ring. A fellow wrestler gets cute and nonchalantly yells to Saúl, “You should be an exotico.” Saúl defiantly says no because “Exotico’s always loose.”
What seems like another case of someone looking to improve their station from perennial loser to superstar riches is a journey searching for much more.
Cassandro tells the inspiring true story of Saúl Armendáriz, a gay Mexican wrestler from El Paso, Texas, who rises to fame after becoming ‘Cassandro’ the “Liberace of Lucha Libre.” In the process, he upends the macho wrestling world and his own life.
Gael García Bernal (Marvel’s Werewolf by Night) rounds out a stellar cast, poignantly delivering engaging performances that serve the story unrestrainedly. Gael García Bernal is powerfully sensational as Saúl/Cassandro, and equally remarkable is Perla De La Rosa as Yocasta,
Saúl’s mother. The mother/son relationship between Saúl and Yocasta is the heart of the film. De La Rosa exudes a mother’s love as Yocasta fiercely loves her son, but that doesn’t stop her from throwing a painful truth in Saúl’s face from time to time. One might ask themselves how she could constantly remind her son of so much pain.
It’s love, and it’s not perfect. It’s an example of the depth that Academy Award-winning director Roger Ross Williams produces nearly from moment to moment.
Saúl’s trek to stardom begins as a jobber named El Topo, a wrestler whose job is to lose while making the stars look good. Eventually, he blossoms into the international sensation, Cassandro.
An Exótico wrestles in drag and has an androgynous flair to their performance in the ring. It’s nothing new in Lucha Libre. However, it’s always been considered a subgenre in Mexico that is good for a laugh but rarely dignified.
The dignity of the role is what Saúl is talking about when he says they always lose. It’s not that exóticos are winless in the ring, but they are easily cast aside, almost considered second-class citizens, like the struggle many LGBTQIA+ individuals have found themselves in throughout their lives. When Saúl finally decides to wrestle as Cassandro, he initially has some trepidation and quietly assumes responsibility for the role.
“I’m going to be the exótico that wins” is more than a cash grab or a way to glisten under the bright lights; but a mission to flip the script on art imitating life. Roger Ross Williams and co-writer David Teague take a superb hand with how this aspect of the movie unfolds.
Cassandro’s path to dignified superstardom is not a bombastic call to arms but a quiet personal voyage that inspiringly sets the stage for something more, and how it resonates with people who identify with Cassandro, who is a proud gay man who is being himself.
The pro wrestling element of the film does a good job of conveying how Lucha Libre is ingrained in Mexican culture. Lucha Libre translates to free fight, and Cassandro often refers to his in-ring encounters as fights instead of matches, bringing authenticity to how wrestling is talked about south of the border.
Similar to the independent wrestling scene in the U.S., the lower levels of Lucha Libre can be a dirty grind, even more so due to its cultural significance.
While how Bernal and the other wrestlers lock up to start the match could use some improvement in this former wrestler’s opinion, it’s a minor detail that only diehard wrestling enthusiasts would notice. Bernal handles wrestling’s physicality well, augmenting his performance as he brings Cassandro to life inside the squared circle.
Cassandro’s match with El Hijo del Santo was a pivotal moment in his career and the life of Saúl Armendáriz. It’s a balancing act that simultaneously brings tragedy and triumph, excellently told through William’s lens and masterfully conveyed by Bernal’s performance. El Hijo del Santo is a big deal in Lucha Libre, and he’s the son of the legend El Santo, whose cultural significance in Mexico dwarfs Hulk Hogan and The Rock’s popularity combined.
Having the real El Hijo del Santo appear in the film to help tell Cassandro’s story was a treat. Cassandro was gaining momentum as an attraction, but his match with del Santo made him a star, proving that Cassandro and exóticos are more than worthy of reaching for the stars.
International megastar Bad Bunny performs as a fixer for a local promoter who books matches for Cassandro. Bad Bunny might be the biggest star on the planet right now, and his first on-screen kiss, while not super crucial to the narrative, could be seen as a strong statement from someone considered a great LGBTQIA+ ally.
While William’s balancing act between Cassandro’s life in and out of the ring prevents the narrative from diving further into the Lucha Libre of it all, what we get is more than enough. Cassandro’s personal life does the bulk of the heavy lifting narratively. Williams often lingers on silent moments in a fashion that often has the loudest voice in the film. Bernal speaks profoundly through quiet smiles, cries, party, and pain.
Part of that pain deals with love on two fronts. Saúl is looking to win over a fellow wrestler who is closeted and married while also looking for his father’s approval. One ends in heartbreak, while the other brings a rousing finality that exemplifies Cassandro’s growth along this journey. Like some of my favorite wrestling matches, I cheered when the moment occurred, and Bernal handled it gracefully.
Revisiting, uplifting, and inspiring will be some of the words used to describe Cassandro. All of the above is correct, but there is more here. It’s a resounding message that doesn’t hit the viewer on the nose. Williams doesn’t go for cheap laughs at Cassandro’s expense, which honors the story and accomplishments of Saúl Armendáriz, highlighting his fearless embrace of his identity.
Cassandro won’t be for everyone, as drawn-out moments of silence might feel like a chore for some. One thing that is undeniable is that Williams leaves it all in the ring with his ability to tell and shape a story, and Gael García Bernal is a name we’re going to see in lights a lot more.
Cassandro is now playing in select theaters and available on Amazon Prime Video on September 22nd.
Cassandro
Directed By Roger Ross Williams Written By David Teague & Roger Ross Williams
Cast Gael García Bernal, Roberta Colindrez, Perla De La Rosa, Joaquín Cosío, and Raúl Castillo, with special appearances from El Hijo del Santo and Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio
Consultant Saúl Armendáriz Produced By Gerardo Gatica, Todd Black, David Bloomfield, Ted Hope, Julie Goldman
Executive Produced By Gael García Bernal, Paula Amor, Mariana Rodríguez Cabarga, A. Müffelmann, Matías Penachino, David Teague, Jason Blumenthal, Steve Tisch
The Rock made a surprise appearance on Friday’s SmackDown. Oh, Pat McAfee was there, too, but it was all about “The Great One.”
McAfee opened the show and was interrupted by Austin Theory, who insulted the people and proclaimed that SmackDown was his show. McAfee reminded him that SmackDown is the people’s show, which brought out The Rock.
In a call back to the 3/25/02 episode of Raw, which hosted the inaugural WWE Draft, The Rock had one side of the crowd say “YOU’RE” and the other side yell “AN ASS***” at Theory.
Eventually, a quick brawl ensued where The Rock drilled Theory with a spinebuster and people’s elbow. The segment ended with The Rock coaching McAfee to hit Theory with a people’s elbow of his own.
Ringside Logic stands with the writers and actors of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. No movies being filmed meant The Rock got to play in WWE’s sandbox again.
The crowd pop when The Rock’s music hit was otherworldly. Yes, a surprise appearance from Hollywood’s biggest star will blow out a few speakers. An advertised appearance would have nearly been as loud, if not the same.
Why?
It’s the difference between a wrestler and an attraction. Larger-than-life personalities sell tickets. Every wrestler should aspire to be as over as The Rock and leg slapping won’t get it done.
History was made last Friday when Gunther became the longest-reigning WWE Intercontinental Champion of all time. Friday was day 455, topping the Honky Tonk Man’s 36-year record.
Honky Tonk Man won the title from Ricky Steamboat in June 1987 and lost it to the Ultimate Warrior at the inaugural SummerSlam in 1988.
Gunther beat Ricochet on the June 10, 2022 edition of SmackDown to win the title. In the main event of the 9/4/23 episode of Raw, Gunther defeated Chad Gable to ensure he would break the record.
Seeing a dominant wrestler carry the workhorse title to record-breaking success is nice. Honky Tonk Man could draw more heat than a furnace on Elm Street. However, his work in the ring looked too phony to take him seriously.
Wrestling relies on the build from one show to the next. It gets the masses interested in the drama surrounding an angle and the main event matches.
The uninspired booking over the last several weeks suggested AEW was so concerned with the 81,035 fans that packed Wembley Stadium that they forgot about the 9,495 fans in the United Center.
While All In was a tremendous spectacle, All Out was the better professional wrestling event.
All Out was a last-minute purchase in the Ringside Logic household. In fact, it was ordered 10 minutes into the show as the pre-show was as uninspired as the build-up to the show.
It was going to be an early night until the sudden urge of “Why not” took control of my hand and pressed the order button on the remote control.
The odyssey of CM Punk in All Elite Wrestling ended where it began in Chicago.
AEW has terminated CM Punk’s contract following a week-long investigation over a backstage incident with Jack Perry at last weekend’s All In pay-per-view.
AEW released a statement Saturday afternoon.
CM Punk and Jack Perry had an altercation shortly before Punk’s match with Samoa Joe at All In at Wembley Stadium last Saturday.
Reportedly, the altercation occurred over a comment Perry made during his match with Hook on the All In Pre Show. A spot involving a limo saw Perry slap his hand on the windshield and shout, “It’s real glass. Go cry me a river!”
Prologue: In his first book ‘Have a Nice Day’ Mick Foley wrote about how he always admired Terry Funk’s punches and learned the secret behind the realistic-looking strikes.
“No matter what mannerisms I ‘borrowed,’ I knew that I would never throw a punch like Terry’s, which was truly a thing of beauty. Many people, including me, considered the Funker’s big left hand to be the nicest punch in the business.
A few minutes into the big match, Terry took me into the corner, and I saw him rear back with the big left. This was going to be great. Here it comes.
Thwack.
I felt like I did when I was eight and my mother came clean about Santa Claus. I had just learned the hidden “secret” of the great Funk left hand. It was so simple–I’d been a fool for not knowing the whole time. Terry Funk had just punched me as hard as he could in the forehead.”
The Funker’s response: “Oh, Mick, all this time you thought I was good.”
-Terry Funk 1944 – 2023
The world of professional wrestling received some sad news on Wednesday when one of the true legends of the industry, Terry Funk, passed away at the age of 79. Whether fans remember Funk’s fierce technical wrestling ability that initiated his career in the mid-1960s or the bloody hardcore brawler that defined it, he left an indelible impression on the industry.
Terry Funk could do it all exceptionally well. He could have a great match in any setting and make fans cheer, jeer, smile, cry, and laugh on the microphone. The man would wield weapons against his opponents: ladders, chairs, barbed wire, fire, and beat them with one of the most basic moves, a spinning toe hold.
That shouldn’t work, but Funk made it his trademark, thus one of the reasons he’s celebrated by wrestlers of his generation and beyond. Technical masterpieces or exploding barbed wire death matches and everything else
My introduction to the crazy inhabitant of the Double Cross Ranch occurred when I was eight years old. WWE was my life and the idea that other wrestling promotions existed never dawned on me until a random Sunday afternoon of channel surfing brought me to TBS.
Ric Flair was being interviewed by Jim Ross and Terry Funk entered the ring and challenged him to a title match. Flair rejected the match due to Funk returning from a five-year stint in Hollywood and only wanted to wrestle top-ranked contenders.
Funk fuming over the insinuation he wasn’t worthy disguised his rejection with adulation and gave Flair a congratulatory handshake before blindsiding him with that legendary left hand.
Flair was beaten from pillar to post and piledriven onto a table for the finale. All of this was unfamiliar, ridiculously exciting and more violent than anything I had seen in WWE.
I didn’t see Terry Funk again until several years later. I got my own TV and stumbled upon ECW at 1:00 a.m. However, instead of the bad guy from year’s earlier, he was a highly respected veteran looking for one more run as world champion.
Funk’s portrayal in the role was the polar opposite of what I had seen before, and he was equally as compelling. His trek and eventual title win ECW’s inaugural pay-per-view Barely Legal left the promotion better off than before. An accolade only a handful of wrestlers can claim.
Terry Funk’s short-lived alter-ego Chainsaw Charlie & Cactus Jack against the New Age Outlaws in a dumpster match at WrestleMania 14 is the most fun I’ve had watching a wrestling match live.
Internet tape trading allowed me to finally see the culmination of Funk’s attack on Ric Flair. Their legendary I Quit Match at Clash of the Champions 9 is one of the greatest wrestling matches anyone will ever see.
King of the Death Match tournament is literally an explosive performance. The Empty Arena match with Jerry Lawler is more than worth going out of your way to see. A 1998 hardcore match on Raw against Mick Foley injected even more attitude into WWE’s Attitude Era.
Before Austin 3:16 made wrestling wear en vogue, Terry Funk’s iconic Funk U t-shirt revolutionized wrestling couture. It was a clever way of saying f*** you to the man under the guise of celebrating your matriculation to the school of hard knocks.
There are too many memorable moments, superb matches, and unforgettable promos to name them all. Whether you fancy blood, bombs, and barbed wire, a historic reign as NWA World’s Champion, or a middle-aged and crazy veteran who defied the odds, Terry Funk was something for everyone.
Epilogue: Tragedy in the wrestling world continued the day following Funk’s passing. Bray Wyatt passed away at age 36 due to complications from COVID-19 that triggered a heart attack.
Bray Wyatt, real name Windham Rotunda, was a creative force in WWE like no other. From backwater cult leader to puppet toating fiend, Rotunda entranced audiences all over the world.
The Wyatt character was a heel until he was fired by WWE back in the summer of 2021. Wyatt returned to WWE in October 2022 and was a babyface this time around. His last match was with LA Knight on 2/26/23 in Rockford, Illinois.
Loss is a hard pill to swallow. They say it comes in threes. Perhaps, in the realm of wrestling, the third loss occurred on Saturday with the passing of the long-time host of the Price is Right, Bob Barker.
The celebrity general manager era of Monday Night Raw is not remember fondly. However, the one bright spot occurred when Barker was the guest GM and produced a Price is Right-themed episode.
It sounded like garbage to mat mat-crazed enthusiasts of the grappling arts. Once cameras rolled, the staunchest critics sang a different tune. The game show theme fit wrestling’s zany storytelling like a glove and Barker was sensational as the host, making for one of the all time great episodes of the show.
Losing two of wrestling’s best creative minds one day after another, Terry Funk and Bray Wyatt is something we won’t soon forget. Funk is already in the Hall of Fame and next year’s class should include Bray Wyatt and Bob Barker.
Actors, athletes, and musicians have been inducted into the celebrity wing of the Hall of Fame for next to nothing. Barker’s unforgettable contribution to the genre certainly merits entry.
Wyatt will be remembered as one of the most memorable characters of a generation and his career was at the very least on a Hall of Fame trajectory.
My condolences to the family and loves ones of Terry Funk, Bray Wyatt, and Bob Barker. There is nothing else to say, except, Thank you.
Prime Video has released the first trailer for Gael García Bernal’s charismatic performance in Cassandro, a wrestling biopic based on the true story of Saúl Armendáriz, a gay amateur wrestler from El Paso, who rises to international stardom after he creates the character ‘Cassandro,’ the “Liberace of Lucha Libre.”
In the process, he upends not just the macho wrestling world, but also his own life. Based on a true story. Directed by Academy Award® winner Roger Ross Williams. The film is receiving stellar reviews due to Bernal’s stellar performance and holds a 97% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Cassandro stars Gael García Bernal (Marvel’s Werewolf by Night), Roberta Colindrez, Perla De La Rosa, Joaquín Cosío, and music megastar Bad Bunny, who is no stranger to the squared circle, who earned acclaim for his match at WrestleMania 37 and stole the show in May at Backlash defeating Damian Priest in a San Juan Street Fight.
El Hijo del Santo, son of the legendary Mexican cultural icon El Santo is set to make a special appearance in the film. El Hijo del Santo’s career was better than most second generation wrestlers, filled with memorable moments, including his feud with Negro Casas, and was instrumental in the careers of Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio.
South Philadelphia’s wrestling faithful took in a Sunday afternoon collaboration between IMPACT Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling. Multiverse United 2, the third such event of its kind, was more of a house show than a pay-per-view. And you know something? It was just what the doctor ordered.
RingsideLogic.com 