Entrevista/Preguntas con Hip Hop Man (Versión en Español)

Como pueden ver por el título, tuve la oportunidad de hablar con Hip Hop Man. Es una leyenda del wrestling argentino y siento un inmenso respeto por todo lo que ha hecho en sus más de 20 años de carrera. Su trabajo fue sin duda mi introducción al wrestling argentino y sé que esta es otra entrevista breve, pero espero que alguien pueda aprender algo al leerla y tal vez se anime a buscar más información sobre él.

Me respondió muy rápido a esta idea y se mostró dispuesto a hacerlo tan pronto como yo quisiera, por lo que le estoy muy agradecido.

Mis palabras están en cursiva. Las palabras de Hip Hop Man están en negrita.

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Soy un gran admirador tuyo y estoy en Estados Unidos, pero no soy el único admirador que tienes aquí. Tienes muchos seguidores aquí y en todo el mundo. Hablando de eso, has estado luchando en Japón durante los últimos meses. Ya hiciste un viaje similar en 2023, pero ¿hay alguna diferencia con respecto a esta vez? ¿Cómo ha sido la experiencia y qué significa para ti luchar en Japón?

Si, bien fueron 70 días y la primera vez fueron 90 días, realicé más luchas esta vez, fueron 37, por momentos muy cansado pero feliz. 

Japón es mi lugar en el mundo, si bien aún me falta por luchar en Estados Unidos, por el momento viviría y lucharia sin problemas en Japón.

Es increíble ver lo bien que te has adaptado a un entorno de lucha libre completamente diferente al de México; de hecho, ¿dirías que hay mucha diferencia entre cómo luchas en México y cómo lo haces en Japón? ¿O incluso en comparación con Argentina?

El estilo argentino es más parecido al japonés, así que me adapte fácilmente, claro que los 12 años de luchar en los Rings mexicanos y la presión que te pone la gente acá, ayuda a qué en Japón todo sea más fácil. 

Hoy la gran diferencia es que en Japón soy feliz luchando, en México ya no, por eso lucho poco.

Además, se te atribuye el mérito de ser creativo para la IWRG y varios luchadores de la IWRG (Ajolotl, Luka, Luki) también han seguido tus pasos en Japón. Dado tu papel en la promoción, ¿participas en la decisión de qué luchadores viajan a Japón y cosas por el estilo?

Este año pude ayudar a Ajolotl, Luka, Yorvak, Radiactivo, Noisy boy, Spider Fly, Hijo de Dos Caras, anteriormente Alebrije, relámpago. Todo aquel que me pide ayuda, trato de ayudarlos a cumplir su sueño de luchar en Japón. 

Ya veo. Lamento que no te guste tanto la lucha libre en México como en Japón, pero me alegra que hayas encontrado un lugar en Japón donde puedas ser feliz con lo que haces. Y aún mejor es que estés ayudando a otros luchadores a alcanzar esa misma felicidad.

Esta es la última pregunta sobre tu estancia en Japón: ¿Hay alguien con quien te hubiera gustado enfrentarte en Japón?

No tengo un rival en Japón, si me gustaría en algún momento, poder luchar en New Japan Pro Wrestling.

También quería hablar contigo sobre tu carrera en general. Llevas más de 20 años dedicándote a la lucha libre y hay quien te considera el mejor luchador argentino de la historia. No sé qué opinas al respecto, pero ¿te sientes orgulloso de que te tengan en cuenta en ese debate? ¿Cómo te sientes al saber que la gente te considera un referente de la lucha libre argentina?

Yo hago mi carrera para ser feliz yo, si consideran que soy el mejor, siempre es bienvenido ese halago, pero no busco ser el mejor. Solo busco cumplir mis sueños y ser feliz con lo que hago.

Creo que es una forma estupenda de enfocar la lucha libre, y me alegro de que parezcas más feliz incluso después de 23 años de carrera.

Te he robado parte de tu tiempo, así que solo te haré unas cuantas preguntas más, si te parece bien.

Has luchado en más lugares que la mayoría de los luchadores: Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, México, Guatemala, Japón y Catar. Sé que ya hemos hablado un poco sobre Estados Unidos, pero ¿hay algún otro lugar en el que te gustaría luchar y aún no lo has hecho?

Sueño, solo Estados Unidos. Si se dan otros países sería más por un tema de viajar y conocer el país, pero que realmente sea un objetivo, Ee.uu

Tiene sentido, estoy seguro de que hay muchos fans aquí (incluido yo mismo) a los que también les encantaría verte en Estados Unidos.

Esta pregunta es un poco más divertida y desenfadada que las anteriores: te llaman «Hip Hop Man» y el hip hop siempre ha sido una parte importante de tu personalidad y tu imagen. ¿Tienes alguna canción o artista favorito en este momento? ¿El hip hop es realmente tu género musical favorito?

Eminem en su momento, y veo competencias de freestyle de Argentina. Pero solo fue un personaje que me dieron en un producto televisivo, en Argentina me hice muy famoso y entraba bailando. Ya cuando llegué a México en 2013 era difícil empezar enmascarado o con otro nombre, decidí seguir con el Hiphopman y hasta la fecha.

Es una historia muy interesante que probablemente la gente de aquí no conozca sobre ti y el personaje Hip Hop Man. Gracias por compartirla. Me alegra saber que hay artistas de hip hop que te gustan.

Por último, ¿hay algo más que quieras compartir sobre lo que estás haciendo? ¿Algún comentario final sobre el futuro de Hip Hop Man y lo que quieres que sepan tus fans?

Que me sigan en redes danyhiphopman en Instagram y TikTok, Hiphopman Wrestler en facebook y mi canal de Youtube "lucha libre argentina Hiphopman." (Nota del editor: su página de Twitter/X también es «@danyhiphopman», para quienes se lo pregunten.)

Espero visitar el próximo año estados unidos, sigo intentando el tema de la visa de trabajo, desde 2019 que lo intento pero no sé da, esperemos que pronto pueda ir y así comenzar ya mi retiro de la lucha libre.

Muchas gracias por tu tiempo, me lo he pasado muy bien. Espero que consigas el visado de trabajo y continúes con tu gran carrera durante todo el tiempo que desees. ¡Muchas gracias!

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¡Y eso es todo! Sé que ha sido bastante breve, pero me ha parecido increíble poder hablar con un luchador tan genial tanto dentro como fuera del ring como Hip Hop Man. 

¡Espero que hayas disfrutado leyendo esto! Si no es así, tampoco pasa nada. Si tienes alguna opinión, crítica, idea o lo que sea, déjame un comentario o ponte en contacto conmigo a través de mi página de Twitter/X.

Interview/Q&A with Hip Hop Man (English Version)

As you can see from the title, I got the chance to talk to Hip Hop Man. He's an Argentinian wrestling legend and I have an immense amount of respect for all that he's done in his 20+ years of wrestling. His work was definitely my introduction to Argentinian wrestling and I know this is another shorter one, but I hope someone can learn a thing or two from reading this and maybe consider seeking out more from him.

He was super quick to respond to me about this idea and was willing to do it as soon as I wanted, so I am very grateful for that.

My words are in italics. Hip Hop Man's words are in bold.

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I'm a huge fan of yours and I'm in America, but I'm not the only fan you have here. You have a bit of a following here and across the world. Speaking of which, you've been wrestling in Japan for the past few months. You took a similar trip back in 2023, but is there anything different about wrestling there this time? How has the experience been and what does wrestling in Japan mean to you?

Although it was 70 days [this time] and the first time it was 90 days, I fought more this time, 37 matches in total. At times I was very tired, but happy.

Japan is my place in the world. Although I still have to fight in the United States, for now I would live and fight without any problems in Japan.

It's amazing to see how well you've adjusted yourself to a completely different wrestling environment than Mexico; in fact, would you say there's much of a difference between how you wrestle in Mexico compared to Japan. Or even compared to Argentina as well?

The Argentine style is more similar to the Japanese style, so I adapted easily. Of course, the 12 years of fighting in Mexican rings and the pressure that people put on you here help make everything easier in Japan.

Today, the big difference is that in Japan I am happy fighting, but in Mexico I'm not anymore, which is why I fight less.

Also, you are credited with creative for IWRG and several IWRG wrestlers have followed your trip in Japan as well. Given your role in the promotion, do you have a part in deciding which wrestlers travel to Japan and such?

This year, I was able to help Ajolotl, Luka, Yorvak, Radiactivo, Noisy Boy, Spider Fly, Hijo de Dos Caras, and previously Alebrije and Relámpago. I try to help everyone who asks me for help to fulfill their dream of fighting in Japan. 

I see. I'm sorry to hear about your love for wrestling in Mexico compared to Japan, but I'm glad you've found a place in Japan where you can be happy with what you're doing. It's even made better by the fact that you're helping these other wrestlers achieve that same happiness.

This is the last thing I'll ask about your time in Japan: Is there anyone you wish to have faced in Japan?

I don't have a rival in Japan, but I would like to fight in New Japan Pro Wrestling at some point.

I also wanted to talk to you about your career as a whole. You've been wrestling for more than 20 years now, and some people have called you the greatest Argentinian wrestler ever. I'm not sure how you feel about that debate, but do you pride yourself on even being considered in such a conversation? How does it make you feel that people consider you a representation of Argentinian wrestling?

I pursue my career to make myself happy. If people consider me the best, I always welcome that compliment, but I'm not looking to be the best. I just want to fulfill my dreams and be happy with what I do.

I think that sounds like a great way to go about wrestling, and I'm glad you seem to be happier even 23 years into your career.

I've taken up some of your time, so I'll only ask a few more questions if that's alright.

You've wrestled in more places than most wrestlers ever will: Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, Mexico, Guatamala, Japan, and Qatar. I know we spoke a little about America earlier, but is there any other places you'd want to wrestle that you haven't yet?

I dream of the United States alone. If there were to be any other countries were mentioned, it would be more for the sake of traveling and getting to know the country, but for it to really be a goal [for wrestling], the U.S.

That makes sense, I'm sure there are many fans here (including myself) that would love to see you in America too.

This one is a bit more fun and lighthearted rather than serious: You are called "Hip Hop Man" and Hip Hop has always been a big part of your character and presentation. Do you have a favorite song or artist right now? Is Hip Hop truly your favorite music?

Eminem at the moment, and I watch freestyle competitions in Argentina. But it was just a character they gave me on a television show. In Argentina, I became very famous and would come on stage dancing. When I arrived in Mexico in 2013, it was difficult to start over with a mask or a different name, so I decided to continue with Hip Hop Man, and I still do to this day.

That's a pretty interesting story that I think people over here probably might not know about you and the Hip Hop Man character. Thank you for sharing that. Glad to know there are hip hop artists you do enjoy though.

Lastly, is there anything else you want to share about what you're doing? Any closing thoughts about Hip Hop Man's future and what you want fans to know?

Follow me on social media: danyhiphopman on Instagram and TikTok, Hiphopman Wrestler on Facebook, and my YouTube channel “lucha libre argentina Hiphopman.” (Editor's Note: His twitter/X page is also "@danyhiphopman" for those wondering.)

I hope to visit the United States next year. I'm still trying to get a work visa. I've been trying since 2019, but I don't know if it will happen. Hopefully, I'll be able to go soon and start my retirement from wrestling.

Thank you for your time, I had a lot of fun with this. Hope you get the work visa and continue your great career for as long as you choose to. Thank you so much!

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And that's all! I know it was pretty brief but I thought it was awesome to talk to a wrestler that is as cool both in-and-out of the ring as Hip Hop Man. 

Hope you enjoyed reading this! If not, that's alright too. Let me know if you have any thoughts, criticisms, ideas, or whatever in the comments or get in touch with me on my Twitter page.

Art of the Apuestas: Bombero Infernal vs Cerebro Negro

There is nothing else in the world like a lucha de apuestas. Engrained in lucha libre culture, an apuestas match is typically gonna be one of the most important in a luchador's career. I read this tweet recently from mutual Chris and it got me thinking a little. What is it about an apuestas match that elevates it? Of course, the emotions will be higher just due to the nature of both participants having something on the line, but it's more than that.

In an apuestas, you're almost always putting something on the line that's bigger than any championship: your mask or hair. If you lose a championship match, you have the opportunity to win it back at some point, but you'll never get back your mask (most of the time) if you lose it. No rematch clause or championship win is going to remove the humiliation of getting your head shaved by an opponent you that makes your blood boil.

If you're facing the chance of reaching the lowest moment of your career, wouldn't you go all out to make sure that doesn't happen? Maybe you do realize that this is going to be it either way and you just want to do anything you can to make sure you make it a match to remember. The lucha de apuestas is the grandest match anyone could have the honor of being in.

Cerebro Negro, 51 years-old, is having a career renaissance in 2025. His work never really got "bad" at any point, but his output this year has been unfathomable for someone who has been going for that long and at his age. You would think that his body has taken such a beating over time that he's physically gotten worse, but no. The man is still wrestling like he's in his 30s.

Bombero Infernal is 52 years-old himself and while I haven't watched as many of his matches this year, what I have seen has been really good. Particularly, he had great performances in his bull terrier match against Cerebro Negro and then also in the preview tag match that took place 3 days before this hair vs hair matchup.

Tensions will always be increased when you have a (literal) blood feud culminating in two guys putting their hairs on the line. The match will have the vibes of a major "winner takes all, win or go home" game seven. There's nothing stopping these two from facing again, but it feels as if an unwritten agreement of "this is it" gets made when two wrestlers face off in a match like this. All the damage they've done to each other has led to this. Even if they do reignite things in the future, this will be the finale, for now.

All the blood these two have shed with each other is instantly multiplied by Bombero Infernal's blade job early in this match. I was instantly in awe of his crimson mask. It felt like he would usually be the primary bleeder in their matches against each other so far but he goes above and beyond here. The blood also ends up creating some insane visuals throughout the match.

Although Bombero Infernal seemed to be the crowd's favorite, I was definitely rooting for Cerebro Negro all the way. Again, this felt so much more meaningful than any other result of any other match, because it was! Sometimes it's nice to watch wrestling where I don't care about who wins and just see two guys go crazy, but I felt so invested in these two and this match. Nearing the closing stretch, I started pacing around the room after every kickout from Bombero Infernal, worried that he'd be able to make his comeback at any moment.

I want to talk deeper about this match at some point and maybe I will, but all else I really could say about this is please go watch it.

Anyways though, I hope you enjoyed reading this! If you didn't, that's alright too. I know this was more of a different post than usual, but I just wanted to speak a little about how I feel about apuestas matches and my experience with this one. Let me know if you have any thoughts, criticisms, ideas, or whatever in the comments or get in touch with me on my Twitter page!