It might be lights out at LA historic Mayan Theatre, but no one is planning to hang up their tights in the long run for the city’s longest running wrestling variety show, Lucha VaVoom de La Liz.
The 23-year-old Lucha VaVoom de La Liz is very close to announcing its new venue in the next month with a show planned for November. Tonight it’s Lucha‘s finale at the Mayan in a show that’s titled “The Good, the Bad, the Fabulous”.
The September shuttering of the 98-year-old Mayan was announced back in July, the theater being home to such film shoots as The Bodyguard and The Night at the Roxbury.
“[T]he past five years have delivered an unrelenting barrage of adversity,” The Mayan’s President Chao said in a statement to the LA Times. “We’ve done everything possible to stay afloat, adapt and serve, but the path forward has been eroded beyond recognition. We have given this business everything we have — and more — and come this far, so the decision to close is not so much one of defeat, but of necessity and truth.”
LVVDLL’s owner and producer, Liz Fairbairn, shared: “The Lucha VaVoom de La Liz familia would like to send a huge and heartfelt thank you to The Mayan’s president, Sammy Chao, and his entire team. You’ve welcomed and nurtured us from day one. The Mayan hosted our first show in August 2002, and it has been a perfect fit ever since. Although we are leaving The Mayan behind, it will always be home in our hearts and minds. We feel extremely honored to have been a part of this one-of-a-kind venue’s history.”
Among the distinguished wrestlers who have graced the mat at LVVDLL are queer icon Cassandro who is one of the show’s biggest breakouts, AEW superstar and 4x AAA Reina de Reinas champion Taya Valkyrie, former WWE cruiserweight champ TJ Perkins and UFC fighter, WWE pro-wrestler and Olympic Bronze winner Ronda Rousey.
Each show is hosted by comedian MC Blaine Capatch, who’ll be joined tonight by celebrity co-host Drew Carey (legendary comedian, actor, and talk show host). Ring announcer extraordinaire is Ignacio Serricchio, along with celebrated referees Joyce and Sergio “Platanito” Garcia.
Tonight’s lineup includes Misterioso Jr., Rey Horus, Psychedelic Assassin, XTREME Tiger, Magno, Mariachi Loco, Los Chupacabras, Lady Pink, Los Vaqueros de VaVoom, sizzling hot Hunter J Gallagher (aka Sugar Baby), Valioso, Gypsy Mac, and the first-ever female Viet-American professional wrestler Viva Van. Other wrestlers confirmed include fan favorites Paquita VaVoom (and her terrifying chancla), Los Crazy Chickens, and the scatological master of lucha libre, Dirty Sanchez.
LVVDLL‘s Fairbairn directed a special tribute show in September 2023 that dropped on Prime Video honoring Cassandro. In addition, studios have teamed with LVV on movie cross-promotions, i.e. Sony with Bullet Train and Warner Bros with Blue Beetle.
