It was Jaguar de Juarez, sharp as a tack in an immaculate black suit and gold silk tie. It took only a second for me to register the deep wrinkles around the eyes and wattles of flesh beneath the hem of the hood, the shorter, thicker body and the arthritic gait, but that second felt like a century as painful emotion crushed my heart in a brutal hammerlock, forcing me to close my eyes and choke back a wave of dizzy sorrow.
The old man came to my bedside and took both my hands in his. His hands were large and swollen, nearly swallowing mine.
“Thank you for what you have done,” he said in soft, strongly accented Spanish. “For my son. For our mask. For Hoodtown.”
I could see in his dark eyes that he knew the story I fed the Skin cops was bullshit but I had no idea how much he really knew. As for the cops, Pinkwater was happy to bury the Davis Trent angle, the fact that Black Eagle had been able to pass as a Skin, along with his own involvement, for a whole host of reasons, not the least of which that he really believed Black Eagle had been the killer. The victim’s hoods and the knife that killed them were all found at the scene. I knew there would be no real investigation because the fairy tale ending I’d written for the case of the Hoodtown Ripper was too perfect to ever be questioned. In reality, no one wanted the ugly, messy truth. They wanted good and evil, right and wrong, face and heel. Clean, simple angles and black and white storylines that made the gray chaos of their every day lives seem worth living.
When Jaguar Senior asked me what he could do for me, I knew there was only one thing left in life that I really wanted. It still took me several long, shellshocked days to build up the nerve to ask.
It wasn’t until a cool, hazy dawn found me crouching over a rickety wooden cross, one of hundreds on this scrappy, cheerless hill between a junkyard and a gravel quarry, that I was finally able let it all go. To see the possibility of something like a future. My hands shook as I took the green charm from around my neck and hung it on the grave marker. With a pilfered pen, I scratched out the number 32330 and over it wrote DULCE.
I put my palm on the earth below.
“It’s over, Dulce.” I said and I knew it was true. It really was over.
I went straight from there to Jaguar Senior’s office in the A.C.L.L. building. I knew he would want me out of town for the funeral and the media frenzy surrounding it, but he promised if I signed onto this tour, he would build me up like never before. Rather than burying the Blue Velvet thing, he wanted to work it, to have me finish every match with the martinete, to build an angle where I take down every técnica in the league, working my way back to the Telco Arena, where they would have no choice but to bring Rosa de Oro out of retirement to stop me.
Medics came hustling through the curtain, with the first match’s técnico on a stretcher. As soon as the curtain dropped, he hopped up, pressing a rag to the wide exposed triangle of gigged forehead beneath his torn mask.
“Break a leg, X.” he said, slapping my shoulder with a bloody hand.
Then a soft, rustling hush and suddenly, my old theme music, thundering from the ancient speakers. I had to force myself to breathe, my heart ready to burst in my chest. I waited ten endless seconds and then pushed the curtain open and stepped out into the blinding light.
A tidalwave of boos and whistles and passionate heat engulfed me like a thunderstorm and I felt everything that had happened slip away. I shook out my arms and cracked my knuckles, cocking my neck from side to side. Giving the audience my stoniest ruda stare, I strolled down the ramp and into the ring, where I belonged.
FIN
A GLOSSARY of HOODTOWN SLANG
alma: (al’-ma) soul, often used as an endearment
angle: storyline, often generated by promoters, pitting wrestlers against each other to sell tickets
aruchu: (a-roo’-choo) a drunk
asesino/a: (a-se-see’-no) killer, assasin
baita: (by-ee’-ta) bitch
barrio: (ba’-rri-o) neighborhood
Barrio de las Estrellas: (ba’-rri-o de las es-tre’-yas) literally “neighborhood of the stars” — the Beverly Hills of Hoodtown
bonkura: (bong-ku’-ra) stupid
bozu: (bo’-zu) kid
bump: wrestling trade vernacular for a fall or crash, or the act of taking or being on the receiving end of a severe impact or elaborate stunt
cabrón/a: (ka-brone’, ka-brone’-a) a classic Mexicanism — technically an insult but most often used affectionally, it means literally “like a goat” and the feminine “cabróna” is similar to bitch, but has more positive connotations of admirable toughness
cementerio: (se-men-te’-ree-o) cemetery
callejera: (kai-ey-he’-ra) prostitute, literally “streetwalker”
compadre: (kom-pa’-dre) term of affection (male) like “brother” or “buddy”
carnicería: (kar-ne-ser-ee’-ya) butcher shop
carnitas: (kar-nee’-tas) braised pork
caída: (kai-ee’-da) literally meaning a fall, but specific to lucha libre, a round, or the period of fighting which ends in a pin-fall
chica: (chee’-ka) see machi no chica
chichis: (chee’-chees) breasts
chinga tu máscara: (ching’-ga too mas’-ka-ra) the phrase that will get your ass kicked in Hoodtown — the very worst possible insult, never said in jest, literally “fuck your mask”.
chingón: (ching-gon’) a stud or tough guy, literally “fucker”
chorizo: (chor-ee’-zo) Mexican sausage
churro: (choor’-ro) long sticks of fried sweet dough covered in cinnamon and sugar, even filled with cream and jelly
clothesline: (aka the Lariat) a takedown in which the wrestler’s arm is stuck straight out to the side and used to knock a rushing opponent feet-over-head in a whirlwind — an effect similar to running into a chest-high clothesline in a dark backyard, coined partly by former football terror and Blacksploitation film legend Fred ‘The Hammer’ Williamson
cojones: (ko-ho’-nes) testicles
columpio: (ko-loom’-pee-o) swing — a swinging submission hold wherein the standing aggressor lifts the victim by his or her legs and arms and swings them until they submit
conchudita: (kon-choo-di’-ta) the diminutive, feminine version of “conchudo” meaning a tough guy, a hardcase — someone with a hard shell
chupada: (choo-pa’-da) a blow job
dinero: (dee-ne’-ro) money
drop toehold: tripping an opponent by scissoring one’s feet around one of their ankles
empeño: (em-pen’-yo) pawn (as in Pawn Shop)
en serio: (en se’-dee-o) seriously
ese yaro: (es’-e yah’-ro)a complex insult with both Japanese and Mexican elements, its literal translation is misleadingly benign; “that guy” but it comes from the old fashion “kono yaro” – fighting words in Japan – combined here with the bordertown slang standard “ese” (also used to refer to people and also meaning “that”). Other words can be inserted into the middle of this to make it worse - example “ese impo yaro”
face: short for “babyface,” a good guy/gal, a hero, see técnico/a
finish: a move or sequence of quick events that climaxes a wrestling match
fireman’s takedown: a wrestling throw similar to the method firemen use to carry victims over their shoulders
Full Nelson: a near-inescapable Greco-Roman wrestling hold in which a wrestler puts their arms under the arms of the opponent and up around the shoulders, locking their hands behind the opponent’s neck
gig: to cut the forehead (usually one’s own) with a hidden razor during a wrestling match, often for extra pay
gimmick: from somewhat negative 1950’s wrestling vernacular for promoter-created characters, storylines or feuds generated to sell tickets, rather than reliance on the athleticism of the competitors, gimmick can refer to just the mask alone but also means the whole identity, the name, persona and mask design chosen upon reaching sexual maturity
gracias: (gra’-cee-as) thank you
gringo/a: (gring’-go, gring’-ga) an American
Go: a Japanese strategy game played with black and white stones on a wooden board
güero: (weh-do) whitey, a person with pale skin
hammerlock: a wrestling hold that involves twisting an opponent’s arm behind their back
headscisors: a move in which a wrestler traps the opponent’s head between their thighs, to choke them out, or if done from a standing or flying position, sends a person end over end like a judo throw done with the legs
heat: the amount of “heat” generated by a wrestler in the ring is how much interest they receive from the audience, most often used to describe negative attention such as boos, whistles and insults, which for ring villains is a barometer of their success
heel: bad guy/gal or villian, see rudo/a
hidoi: (hee-doy) a very feminine exclamation indicating disgust
highspot: an acrobatic, crowd-pleasing move that involves jumping off a high object, most often the ring-posts or ropes
hijo de la chingada: (ee’-ho de la chin-ga’-da) can be used either as an exclamation or a strong insult, similar in usage to “son of a bitch”, but nastier
hijo de puta: (ee’-ho de poo’-ta) another very strong insult, literally “son of a whore”
hola: (o-la) hello
horchata: (or-cha-ta) rice milk with cinnamon
Hood: when capitalized it refers to a person who wears a mask or “hood”
huevos: (weh-vos) literally “eggs” but often used to refer to testicles
Idolo de los Ninos: (ee-dohl’ o de los nee’-nyohs) Idol of the Children
impo: (eem’-po) impotent
irasshai-mase: (ee-ras’-shai ma-say) welcome, a greeting for customers entering a restaurant
jobber: a loser, a lesser known wrestler who’s only reason to be in the ring is to lose to a more popular wrestler and make the other guy look good
kip up: a move used by both martial artists and wrestlers in which they go from lying flat on their backs to standing by rocking the legs and hips back and then using the momentum to spring to their feet
kuso: (koo’-so) shit
llave: (yah-ve’) a wrestling hold or lock
luchador/a: (loo-cha-dor’, loo-cha-dor’-a) a pro wrestler
lucha libre: (loo-cha lee-bre) Mexican professional wrestling
limpia: (lim-pee’-a) a spiritual cleansing (not to be confused with golden age lucha vernacular ‘limpio’ – referring to a clean wrestler who fights within the rules – a term later replaced by the more popular téchnico)
loco: (lo’-ko) crazy
machi no chica: (ma’-chee no chee’-ka) From the Japanese “machi no onna” meaning prostitute, in Hoodtown the word “chica” alone, which in Mexico is quite common and benign and means simply “girl,” is never used to describe any other female and is always short for machi no chica
maestro/a: (ma-es’-tro, ma-es’-tra) in lucha terms, a veteran ring performer who trains younger workers
Madre de Dios: (ma’-dre de dee’-os) exclamation “Mother of God”
madrino: (ma-dree’-no) a thug or bouncer, hired muscle
maniaco: (ma-nya’-ko) maniac
martinete: (mar-ti-net’-ey) any lucha move designed to bring an opponent’s body weight directly down on the top of their head, aka the Pile Driver, a move that compresses the neck vertebrae and can easily cause paralysis or death — illegal in lucha libre
mark: originally a carny sideshow term for a gullible customer or sucker, in wrestling terms a credulous wrestling enthusiast or zealot, also used to describe someone who believes a prearranged or scripted event is ‘real’
máscara: (ma’-ska-ra) mask
matemático: (ma-te-ma’-tee-ko) mathematician, a person with a number-based gimmick
matwork: ground-based grappling, as opposed to running or flying moves, in a wrestling match, or in this case the grappling equivalent of sparring
midcard: during a wrestling event, the matches after the preliminaries but before the main event, the middle level of success for a wrestler
mini: a midget or “little person,” originally used to describe midget wrestlers (often “mini” version of larger wrestlers) but used in Hoodtown to describe any little person
mira: (mee’-ra) look
moreno/a: (mo-re’-no, mo-re’-na) a person with dark skin
mordelónes: (mor-de-lo’-nes) corrupt cops who take bribes, literally “biters”
muñeca: (moo-nyeh’-ka) a feminine term of endearment mostly used by women, literally “doll”
nada: (na’-da) nothing
nalgona: (nal-go’-na) a woman with a big ass
omé: (o-may’) vagina - from the Japanese “omeko”
over: in pro wrestling terms, acceptance or appreciation of by fans. Being ‘over’ with fans means being cheered and idolized (face) or booed and despised (heel.) A wrestler can also put another wrestler ‘over’ by dramatizing and intensifying the perceived severity of offensive moves or by losing a match.
panocha: (pa-no’-cha) also vagina, literally “brown sugar”
panzón: (pan-son’) a man with a pot belly
pendejo: (pen-de’-ho) an insult, literally “pubic hair”
pesadilla: (pe-sa-dee’-ya) nightmare
piledriver: see martinete
pinché: (peen’-che) a hard to define Mexican adjective that is used as an intensifier to make things worse, used where an American would say “fucking” example: pinché puta meaning something similar to “fucking whore”
pistola: (pee-sto’-la) handgun
plancha: (plahn’-cha) in lucha terms, a dive onto an opponent, can be from the top rope onto a prone victim, or a flying cross-tackle onto a standing foe
poquito: (po-kee’-to) a little
powder out: to leave the ring during a match
puta: (poo’-ta) whore
puta madre: (poo’-ta ma’-dre) a violent oath, used like “Motherfucker!”
quesadilla: (keh-sa-dee’-ya) a cheese filled tortilla
que lástima: (keh las’-tee-ma) an expression like “what a shame” or “too bad”
que pasó: (keh pah-so’) what happened?
que tal: (keh tahl) a greeting like “what’s up”
ratta: (rrah’-tah) from “ring rat” meaning a wrestling groupie or any female that hangs around the arenas looking for sex with pro wrestlers
rudo/a: (rroo’-do, rroo’-da) a bad guy/girl, a villain, a wrestler who does not play by the rules, the opposite of técnico/a
Santo, El: the most famous luchador in history, who as ring champion for four decades, star of over 40 action moves and a million-selling weekly comic book, defined the Mexican masked wrestling genre; now revered in Hoodtown as a true saint, his name is used as an oath, where a Skin might say “Jesus”
sell: a wrestler reacting to a blow or hold to convince the audience of its severity, the opposite being to ‘no-sell’
shoot: to use full strength in a wrestling move with genuine intent to injure the opponent, rather than the usual dramatic pulling of punches
shooter: a person who wrestles with this style, akin to a no-holds-barred “shootfighter”
Skin: a person without a mask
stiff: very hard, strong, a wrestler who delivers unnecessarily strong blows is said to ‘work stiff’ and it is possible to stiff someone by hitting them harder than they expected
squared circle: announcer slang for a wrestling ring
suplex: classic grecco-roman wrestling vernacular for tossing opponent while maintaining a controlling grip, variants include the Standing Vertical, German, T-Bone, and Belly-to-Back
tamarindo: the podlike fruits of the tamarind tree
tap out: to indicate that one has had enough, or “say uncle,” from the way a wrester will tap the mat to show they have surrendered to a submission hold
técnico/a: (tek’-nee-ko, tek’-nee-ka) a good guy/gir
l, a hero, a someone who wrestles scientifically and obeys the rules
teporocho: (te-po-ro’-cho) a drunk
tigrebako: (tee-gre-bah’-ko) the drunktank, the cell where cops put teporochos and people picked up as drunk and disorderly — from Japanese slang “torabako” meaning “tigerbox” and Spanish “tigre” meaning tiger.