When we were approached by a PR about a Lucha Libre mexican wrestling event in London, we thought about hot, sweaty, Spanish muscle men in pretty gimp masks and our interest was piqued but we weren’t sure it was that relevant relevant to Loverboy. Then we learned about Cassandro and the game changed.
One of the sport’s exoticos, traditionally an effeminate character who is the villain of a match and subsequently beaten up, Cassandro was having none of it. Forming an alliance with some of the others, they decided to switch things up and between them the exoticos began to shake off their bad rep and become the underdogs of the game.
We caught up over a glass of mineral water (sparkling naturally) in Central & Co. and talked about the upcoming The Greatest Spectacle of Lucha Libre which comes to London in July, homophobia in sport and his attempted suicide. Plus lot’s more but we’re saving that for our next issue – out in December, seeing as you asked.

Hey Cassandro, how are you? You had a good day?
Yeah, good, thank you! Last night we went out in Soho. I went to some of the bars but I don’t know their names.

Do you go to the pop bars? Or are we talking Vauxhall?
I’ve done it all. It’s just about having fun.

OK, so on to the wrestling. The exoticos, effeminate, camp and essentially gay, are nothing new in Lucha Libre. But you were one of the first openly out wrestlers, right?
Yeah, one of them. There were closeted gay wrestlers or bi-sexuals. Nowadays we even have transgendered wrestlers. But way back then it was just straight people trying to play a gay character. When we came in the late 80s we always tried to treat it with a lot of respect.
I was 17 when I first became Cassandro. When did I come out? Seventeen also. Actually you know what? I didn’t ‘come out’ because everyone already knew except for me. It was more shocking for them that I was being an exotico. I was like, ‘Oh yeah and I’m all you’re gonna get.’

Have others come out publicly since?
Yes. Ones who had been wrestling before me and even ones who wrestle here in the UK. One guy messaged me from London and said, ‘You gave me the strength to come out.’ He said he had realised he was an exotico and he was gay and this was who he wanted to be. I was like, ‘Good for you!’ And all the messages I get like, ‘I didn’t kill myself because of you,’ or ‘I did this because of you.’ They’re all so amazing. Because I’ve been through a lot. I was an abused kid from the age of 6. I was physically, sexually and mentally abused. My background isn’t that pretty but I had to go through what I went through to be who I am now.

Do you have a big gay following?
Yes, but sometimes the gays think that if they support me it will reflect badly on them, like they’ll get attacked or discriminated against. So not always.

The exoticos have historically been the villain in Lucha Libre. Is that still true?
No. Did I change that? I had a part in it, sure. We had to fight twice, three times as hard to prove ourselves while we were in the ring. I was like, ‘Ignore what I wear, look at what skills I’m bringing to the ring.’

What led to you trying to commit suicide?
There was loads of stuff going on and it was all because of my sexual identity. Although coming out when I was 17 was not a problem, it began then. When I was going to go up against El Hijo del Santo everyone was attacking me. He’s like an icon. Press, wrestling commission, promoters and even co-workers were saying, ‘You don’t deserve that.’ I wasn’t going to leave because I was like, ‘This is my opportunity. This was the match I’d always wanted.’
But then as the match got closer I began to have doubts. Because my childhood wasn’t that great, I was like, ‘Maybe I’m just meant to be nobody.’ I started believing the lies in my head, telling myself I wasn’t good enough. Then one night we went out, I was taking drugs and all of a sudden I had a razor blade in my hand. It wasn’t a conscious decision. I knew that the match was the big opportunity I was looking for and then I sabotaged it. When they found me, I was like, ‘Wow, what did I just do??’ I did that match like a week later, and all those haters were suddenly like, Oh my God, like you are the greatest of all.’ I was fighting even though my wrists were still healing. The pain was a motivational factor.

I grew up with WWF and loved Ultimate Warrior and Macho Man Randy Savage….
The colourful ones!

Yeah, I remember when The Undertaker killed Ultimate Warrior. It went down! Have you ever been scared in the ring?
Yes, now that my body has gone through a lot of changes, there’s stuff I can’t do. When I’m in the ring I get so scared. I walk out and I hear the screams of ‘Cassandro! Cassandro!’ and people are the best medication. I’ll start jumping around and be like, ‘Wow, I didn’t even know I could do that.’ But I don’t care, I’m an adrenaline junkie.

Also in Lucha Libre you have matches called Hair Vs Hair, right? Where the loser has to shave their head. Have you ever lost?
Yes! Twice! My hair is the most precious thing I take care of as well! All of sudden you’re having your head shaved in the middle of the ring. It’s happened to me twice in twenty seven years.

What do you make of the response to Caitlyn Jenner?
I’m not going to judge. If she feels comfortable…she obviously did it for a reason, a purpose. I don’t know if her intentions are good, but I know that she has a purpose in life.

You sound like you think it might be bad?
No. We go through all this stuff and I can’t imagine the mental work she must have had to go through to get where she is now. if she feels comfortable then that’s her. If she’s fine with it then I am happy for her, that she took that step up.

Is sport the last area to be LGBT-phobic?
Oh yeah. But we’re everywhere. Just like when WWE’s Darren Young came out, everyone was like, ‘Ah, the first wrestler came out!’ and I was like, ‘Bitches, please!’ Then I went to a WWE show at the Staples Centre and I was talking to a friend, when someone came over and said to me, ‘I love you, you’re such an awesome person.’ Then Darren comes over and says he just wants to hug me. I’m just pleased that every door shut in my face has paid off.

Drag is bigger than ever now. Do you relate to RuPaul and all her queens?
I did that drag thing when I was a youngster. I loved it but that was not for me. I think that’s too crazy for me. It’s just different levels of femininity. Do I watch the show? Yeah, I love the drama. It’s so artistic doing the makeup and costumes. I have so much respect for my sisters.

Are the British getting better at calling you drag not trans?
Yeah. I mean I did a radio interview this morning and they didn’t even refer to me as drag. They called me exotico. I’m like, ‘OK you’re finally getting it.’

Tell me about the event in London.
It’s The Greatest Spectacle of Lucha Libre. The show is on the 11th July. It’s for all ages. El Hijo del Santo is coming, the biggest legend from Mexico. Midgets are coming. The girls are coming – they hit harder than the guys!

That sounds like a Miley Cyrus show! Thanks Cassandro, looking forward to seeing you fight!

The Greatest Spectacle of Lucha Libre is in London from 9th-11th July.
Find out more at http://www.luchalibreworld.co.uk