Lucha Royale is a new concept on the WA scene. The first show will be held on March 19 at the Perth Town Hall. Tez got the opportunity to speak to the promoter Cam, to find out all about Lucha Royale and what WA wrestling fans should expect from the company.
Photo: Distorted Lenns PhotographyWPW: Can you explain the concept of Lucha Royale?
CAM: Essentially it’s a mix of Lucha-inspired wrestling, burlesque/cabaret acts, circus performers, audience participation, music, dancing and whatever else we feel would be fun to have in the show. Its mainstays of entertainment are of course, the “Luchadores” and the Cabaret Performers, but we’ve always got our eyes open and ears to the ground in search of new acts to have on our shows to make them as entertaining as possible!
Plus there will be stalls with alternative fashion, accessories and other goodies, a photo booth for you to have your pictures taken by our professional photographer with our performers, prizes for best or most creative dress, giveaways and surprises and much more!
WPW: What is Lucha Royale’s target audience, with the variety of entertainment on show?
CAM: Anyone from 18-118 who likes to have fun and be entertained! It’s a VERY different show from anything Perth has ever seen before so we’re not really targeting any audience at this point. I think anyone who comes to the show will struggle to not find something that they enjoy, but due to the slightly more mature content of the shows, they will remain 18+ (Sorry kids… Stay in school).
WPW: When did the idea for Lucha Royale come to you and how long has it been in the planning stages?
CAM: Well the basic idea of Lucha wrestling plus burlesque has been going on for a few years now in the US and UK. But Australia’s never seen anything like it, so we thought not only will we bring the fun over here, but also throw in more entertainment than the crowd has bargained for, with crazy matches, circus, audience interaction, drag and more!
We felt this kind of show would also serve as the ultimate cross promotion tool amongst all performers in Perth. I think it’ll really open some doors for some entertainment styles that would have otherwise remained firmly shut.
Planning hasn’t been too long and/or arduous since everyone we’ve wanted on board has loved the idea and has been very committed to making the show a success. Azure Entertainment has a very established base of amazing performers and EPW, well may I say best in Australia at what they do (yes I may!).
WPW: Will there be structure to the way matches are set up, like a champion, contenders etc. Or will wrestling just be another side to the entertainment with random feature matches?
CAM: The wrestling will be a main feature, but there won’t be any real hierarchy structure per se.
The characters can be so far-fetched and silly I think it would be a discredit to anyone anywhere who’s ever been crowned a champion should we decide to call any of ours the same. Plus I like to think everyone puts as much effort into their performances as the next guy. So the real “champions” can be determined by the crowd reactions.
Every show will end with a final bout called “The Lucha Royale” which in one way or another will feature every performer on the show. Kind of a way to say “Thank you” and a sort of “Final-bow-while-still-performing” hybrid.
WPW: What should the wrestling fans expect from the non-wrestling side of Lucha Royale?
CAM: EVERYTHING! Dancers, performers, music, comedy, competitions and much more.
The wrestling won’t be anything like what fans in Perth would come to know/expect from what they’ve seen in Perth previously. Gone are ring psychology and staredowns and in are high-flying craziness and giant moster battles! So I think it’ll be a new experience for everyone involved.
Photo: Distorted Lenns Photography
WPW: Will shows be held on a recurring basis, are there any plans set after the first show or are you waiting to see how the event goes?
CAM: We would love the Lucha Royale to grace our fine city every 2-4 months, but it really depends on a lot of factors. Of course initial show reception is a key factor, but I’ve got so many awesome ideas for future shows already, it’d be a crying shame if they went to waste!
WPW: The wrestling talent will be from EPW and photos of the wrestlers wearing luchadore masks have recently been uploaded on the Lucha Royale Facebook page. What sort of names will the guys be wrestling under?
CAM: Some of the crazy talents we’ll have are: “The Silver Fox”, “El Loco Homo”, “Professor Cycloptopus”, “The Tequila Mockingbirds - Junior and Senor”, “Pandita: The Short-fuse Panda”, “Player 1 and Player 2”, “Night Monkey”, “Anthony T. O'Donnell A.K.A.: The A.T.O.” and many more.
WPW: Are there any plans for a website in the works?
CAM: There are! We’re in the middle of it now. Stay tuned!
WPW: What will the rundown of the show be like, will there be multiple things happening at one time or will there be separate sessions for each of the different types of entertainment?
CAM: Ideally the show will flow from one act or match to another with show hosts/emcees in between setting up for the next acts and letting the audience know what’s coming up next. The hosts are also the commentators for the action, just to keep things interesting. But I think more than one act at a time would be too chaotic even for our show. It’s theater style seating, but there will be plenty of room and time to check out the stalls, take photos, buy drinks, etc.
WPW: When will tickets be going on sale and where will people be able to book them through?
CAM: RIGHT NOW! BUY LOTS!!! (Laughs) Yes they are available on the Azure Website at www.lucharoyale.com. Check it!
WPW: On a personal note, you wrestled as “The American Nightmare” Brock Freeman and Los Freemanos between 2002 and 2006, winning the inaugural EPW Rookie of the Year award in 2002. Have you missed the business in the five years you’ve been away and will we see the return of Los Freemanos in the Lucha Royale ring?
CAM: Ahhhhh! SOMEBODY has done their homework! (Or is stalking me, which if that’s the case you’ve made a poor selection on your victim).
The training, the pain, the sweat, the dedication, the hard work, the baby oil, the tighty-whiteys… What’s not to miss!?
Seriously though, I believe Raven said it best in his RF Video shoot when he said wrestling is like “Hotel California” (of The Eagles fame) in which “you can check out anytime you like, but you can’t ever leave”. I’m seriously lucky to have had and currently have such great guys to work/train with. I’ve seen their hard work and dedication from day one and I’ve yet to know of another group of guys and gals who are awesome as them in what they do and who they are.
As for Los Freemanos… He’s a slippery character. He’ll show up in Lucha Royale in one capacity or another. Failing that I’d like to think of the Lucha Royale is just a physical manifestation of his brain as all the madness in our show would make perfect sense to him.
WPW: Thank you for taking the time to speak to WPW, Cam and good luck for the first show.
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