The term Lucha Libre became well known for this fan back in the mid-1970s. A popular television station called Univision, KDTV Channel 14, would have wrestling every Wednesday night on cable.
For this wrestling fan, and the fans in the San Francisco Bay Area, this was important. Wrestling in our area was beginning to decline due to network television not carrying the product. It became more of a word of mouth and seeing promotions in the previous Sunday newspaper.
The Wednesday shows were televised live from the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles. Promoter Gene LaBell was doing the shows then. There would be a revival in the Southern California area with the Lucha Libre style of wrestling. Wrestlers such as Chavo, Mando and Hector Guerrero would join long time carry-overs such as Freddie Blassie, John Tolos and others. Roddy Piper, an interesting wrestler out of the Portland, Oregon area would develop a feud with the Guerreros over the years.
Also, wrestlers from out of the area such as Andre The Giant, Pat Patterson, Dory Funk Jr. and more would make appearances. Lucha Libre, like many promotions throughout the United States, would fade early in the 1980s when the Territory Era faded. Then, wrestling would eventually be a two promotion stand for awhile with the WWF (later WWE) and WCW (World Championship Wrestling).
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