Firebug called me in on this one, because I've been toying with some Shadowrun Lucha things myself, and because I'll talk her ear off about it if I get half the chance.
I recently came up with a Shadowrun plothook where the PCs are hired to find the missing mask of a legendary Luchador named Silver Phoenix, under the pretense of that if he dosen't show up to a huge wrestling match or shows up without his mask, it will cause great dishonor to him and his family. This plothook is happening in the backdrop of a pro wrestling company called the IEWF or the International Extreme Wrestling Federation.
I have a question though, what would Pro Wrestling be like in the world of Shadowrun and how would it affect the wrestlers?
First, as far as I've personally seen, the only mention of professional wrestling itself is its inclusion in Run & Gun as one of several mechanically distinct variations on Wrestling as a Martial Art:
Run & Gun (Pg. 134)
WRESTLING (PROFESSIONAL STYLE)
Professional Wrestling is a mix of wrestling and theatrics loosely based on the sporting style rules of wrestling. Make no mistake, though—whether the outcomes are pre-determined or not, the style requires significant strength, coordination, and athleticism. Originating in the early twentieth century, the Professional style includes the basic classic techniques, which are then enhanced in spectacular displays. A sacrificial throw in professional wrestling is a suplex, while a sacrificial move is called a spear. Professional wrestling has various cultural and dramatic flavors. Someone may think that this is not a style of martial arts—until they get a flying elbow to the face.
Available Techniques: Clinch, Jiao Di (Charge), Karmic Response, Sacrifice Throw, Tricking, Yielding Force (Throw)
Now, starting with your plot hook idea... For a true Luchador, that mask is a symbol of everything they believe in, everything they fight for. To lose one's mask as a result of Luchas Apuestas is to lose your identity, your soul--- in the old days, it meant you couldn't wrestle there ever again (but if someone almost identical in build and appearance to you happens to show up to fight at the next show with a brand new mask, then that's just fine.) Removing a Luchador's mask without beating him for it is one of the most evil things you could do to him, and to
steal it from him in the dead of night is almost unthinkable--- however...
I would suggest having Silver Phoneix's mask be a focus of some kind, since due to the very personal nature of the mask, it's a perfect choice for the spiritual link needed to bond a focus, and in addition to the social and cultural stigma, maybe Phoenix just isn't capable of going out and fighting without whatever bonus it gives him, which also makes it very valuable to the right people.
Now, to add what little I can add from the Wrestling side of this equation, to help with what Firebug has added from the Shadowrun side...
In real life, Pro Wrestling is different in every country, and sometimes it can be wildly different between the big companies and the smaller ones. For our purposes, I'd say that the big three are America, Mexico, and Japan, with the largest promotions in each helping form my personal concepts of the ways it would change in the Sixth World.\
The largest professional wrestling company in the world today is World Wrestling Entertainment (
WWE for short), headquartered in Stanford, Connecticut, USA. They are a publicly traded corporation, with a heavy focus on commercialization and heavily promoting specific break-out talents, such as Hulk Hogan, Stone Cold Steve Austin, or John Cena. Given the corporate structure of the company today, it's very likely that either they would be their own A-rank Corp, or perhaps that they would be bought out by Ares at some point. While the march of technology and the advent of the Awakening would drastically change was truly was possible, WWE has had IRL, in no particular order, undead wizards, a cult of druids, a Houngan, and a plethora of very large, very strong men. If anything, this style of professional wrestling which focuses on putting on a show would only be
more believable when it's a known fact that people can actually just throw lightning and fire around, and that Bubba the Love Troll could have a very promising career pretending to squeeze people's skulls in with his bare hands.
The biggest names in Lucha Libre today are
Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (meaning World Wrestling Council,
CMLL for short), and
Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (
AAA). Both companies exemplify a modernized continuation of the tradition and history that Lucha Libre has, with a heavy focus in the past few decades on athleticism and technique over storylines and television production. This is the version of Pro Wrestling that I personally see changing the most, as the violent and bloody resurrection of the Aztec ways and the cultural shift from Mexico to Aztlan has likely forced many Luchadores to either hang up their boots, find work in another country, or start training for Gladio. I personally find it extremely unlikely that Lucha Libre as we know it lives on in the dark heart of Aztlan, and it's possible that, like Catholocism, it is treated as a foreign element from the Spaniards that is to be erased.
As of today, the Japanese promotion with the largest cultural impact is New Japan Pro Wrestling (
NJPW). They carry on the Japanese drive for perfection and dedication, putting on far fewer shows throughout the year than any American or Mexican promotion. The focus is on storytelling both within a single match, and as a continuation of previous events, and as of 2017, Japanese Strong Style wrestling is literally Anime. The performers of the Japanese style are some of the toughest and most skilled in the world, capable of making even a crowd of thousands of stoic sararimen weep. Whether this tradition would be able to continue and grow due to the influence of the Japanese megas, or if it would have been stamped out in favor of more traditional Japanese martial arts is hard to say. I guess we'll have to wait for the next season of Shadowrun Missions to find out more.