Mexican women take part in wrestling

More and more Mexican women from low income families, or those who have been victims of domestic violence, are taking part in amateur wrestling competitions in order to make a living. Although there are more women taking part every year, the sport faces many challenges due to a lack of funding.Lucha Libre, a popular sport in Mexico, is dominated by men who receive lucrative contracts endorsements.But female wrestles are excluded from most of these circuits and competitions.Fifty-six-year-old Catrina, who named her character after the Calavera Catrina The Elegant Skull, began taking part in this sport 27 years ago to defend herself from her husband who used to beat her and then abandoned her with four children. Catrina, who has no school education, thought wrestling was a good way to make a living and support her family. She takes part in five to six fights on a monthly basis. She gets paid from $10 to $200 dollars per fight.Another fighter known as Dama X, said lucha lubre is dominated by macho behaviour in Mexico.Unfortunately, female wrestlers are unable to pay for medical treatment to treat injurers sustained during battle. Catrina needs weekly physical therapy sessions to treat a torn ligament but most wrestlers train for three hours per day and sustaining an injury could place their livelihoods at risk.Female wrestlers or luchadoras compete in the CMLL World Womens Championship as well as the AAA Reina de Reinas Annual Championship. In 2000, the all female promotion company Lucha Libre Femenil (LLF) was founded.