Los Angeles, CA – What the 2300 Arena means to Philadelphia as the birthplace of ECW, The Mayan can be seen as a spiritual home of the promotion Lucha Va Voom, which catered to “Sexo Y Violencia” to its dedicated fans. But recently, The Mayan will be shutting down on September 13, 2025, and VaVoom wanted to perform their last show in this historic building.
Built in August 1927, the venue has had its share of entertainment from musical comedy to showing pornography, and has even been featured in music videos and movie productions. The venue was used in The Bodyguard, starring Kevin Costner and the late Whitney Houston. It was also used for the first season of GLOW (Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling. Stiles O. Clements originally designed the building, and the façade of the Mayan Theater includes stylized pre-Columbian patterns and figures designed by sculptor Francisco Cornejo.
The Mayan Theater is a prototypical example of the many ornate exotic revival-style theaters of the late 1920s, in this case. The well-preserved lobby is called “The Hall of Feathered Serpents,” and the auditorium features a chandelier inspired by the Aztec Calendar stone.
Founded in 2003, Lucha VaVoom (or more recently, billed as “Lucha VaVoom de la Liz”) has made it a showcase for lucha libre, mixed with burlesque dancing and comedy. The promotion has hosted stars like El Hijo de Santo, Blue Demon, Jr., and the “Liberace of Lucha Libre” Cassandro, lock up with their homegrown stars like Magno, The Crazy Chickens, and Dirty Sanchez.
(Author’s note and Warning: Just look up the last one as “Dirty Sanchez Wrestler.” Don’t look for other variations.)
This writer had seen the promotion with friends over the years, the last time being in 2014, as we saw the final match of Cassandro in the squared circle. The night was capped off with him performing a traditional Aztec dance to the delight of the crowd.
Knowing this was the last time we would see anything like this again, it was appropriate for Slam! Wrestling to come and bear witness. As we drove downtown to L.A., a conversation came up between my friends Billy and Julie about VaVoom’s significance to the SoCal wrestling scene. Billy mentioned he told his co-worker about the show, and they responded that he had never heard of it, let alone followed lucha libre, which was odd since he was raised in Mexico. That prompted Julie to reply, “That’s B.S.! Lucha Libre is in our DNA!”
Truer words were never spoken.
We arrived at about 6 pm, but there was already a line forming and it stretched from the entrance of The Mayan on Hill St, all the way to the corner of 11th. Once the doors opened and we entered the building, all kinds of fans came to pay their last respects from all races, creeds, and colors.
Of course, no visit to a Va Voom show is complete without a visit to the merchandise table. All kinds of tees, tote bags, and Lucha figures were for sale. Julie scored a deal in a crop top and tote with the Lucha VaVoom logo.
We sat up top the balcony to view the ring and performers. It was already humid on this Friday in Los Angeles, but inside it was nearly stifling, and many fans were fanning themselves with fliers for the Mayan’s final shows. The show was supposed to start at 8 pm, but it would be another sweltering 45 minutes until the show kicked off with the music of Adelaide Pilar (a first for the VaVoom show). A Texas native, she is an accomplished singer and trumpeter who helped set the mood for one of the burlesque dancers with an Herb Alpert tune.
Finally, at 9:15 pm did comedian and MC Blaine Capaitch welcomed the fans to the show, seconded by Drew Carey. Capaitch deadpanned that “The Mayan is closing due to the 21st Century.” Plus, if you ever wondered what Carey is like outside of The Price is Right, check out this set:
It was 9:23 pm when the wrestling and the burlesque dancing finally got into swing. For those new to a VaVoom show, what typically happens is as the match takes place, Capaitch and the co-host (in this case, Carey) comment on a mic what is taking place with some one-liners. It’s like if Mystery Science Theater 3000 combined with the squared circle.
While there were tons of excitement and titillation on this night, there were moments of introspection that brought in the dramatic heart. Capaitch giving a rousing speech at the end of the show, the moment that had the most heart was in the middle of the show, when El Mariachi Loco brought out Lucha VaVoom favorite, Lil Cholo.
Most folks remember the two from their time in Lucha Underground, but on this night, there were some gasps from the crowd as Cholo was confined to a wheelchair. Apparently, he has suffered some health issues, and he acknowledged this was not how he wanted to present himself to his fans. “I was here for the first show,” he said to the Mayan crowd, “and I wanted to be here for the last.”
While that drew a big pop, the part that symbolizes the hope of the future of Lucha VaVoom came when Cholo set aside his footrest on his wheelchair and stood under his own power. He then said the following, which serves as an inspiration for the future of this promotion when he said this: “I may be down right now, but I’m not out! And chinga su madre, la Migra.”
Top Photo: Lucha VaVoom’s last show at The Mayan in Los Angeles, CA on August 22, 2025. Photo Credit: Tommy “Milagro” Martinez
