It’s good to see marketers are finally moving away from abuelitas, piñatas and moustaches. Now, it seems, the buzz word is: wrestling, or rather Lucha Libre.

While the Cartoon Network is getting ready to launch an animation series featuring Mexican legend El Santo (or the Man in the Silver Mask), Coca-Cola expects to win over the hearts (and wallets) of Latino men by resurrecting Blue Demon, another classic who became famous for fighting vampires, snakes and aliens. In its most recent marketing pitch, Coca-Cola has launched Full Throttle, Blue Demon, a blue agave flavored drink that provides “energy for the everyday fight.” (yeah, whatever!)

Not to be outdone, AT&T Inc. recently announced that it signed an exclusive agreement with World Wrestling Entertainment Inc., and the pair will be launching a number of wireless related services that will bring popular luchadores, including El Hijo del Santo, to users of AT&T mobile services. What is it with the luchadores that have captured the imagination of the ever-creative Hispanic marketers?

I wonder if somebody is already rushing to secure the Mil Máscaras franchise. Anybody?

In his self-published book, Secretos de Impacto, former Univision reporter Pablo Padula speaks of rivalries among celebrities, “biased” news coverage and even some juicy sex gossip involving top executives during the 14-plus years he worked at the Spanish-language network.

Granted. I am not going to take a blank check from someone who worked at Primer Impacto to begin with. But some of Padula’s reflexions are just too amusing to ignore.

Take the cleavage factor.

Does Univision really want us to believe that Jackie Guerrido got a job thanks to her weather expertise? Or that Barbara Bermudo and Myrka Dellanos would be the network’s favorite damiselas if they were over 50, overweight or flat-chested? Does Roxana Franco spring to mind as your ultimate sports expert? I’m not so sure. As they say in my family: “Piensa mal y acertaras.” (Think wickedly and you will be right). Click here to get a taste of what gringos have to say about “Ms. Univision”. (Ladies beware: not politically-correct stuff here).

But I disgress. Padula says he’s surprised Univision has not yet come forward with a lawsuit. And he actually sounds quite disappointed about it. However, from his peaceful refuge in Barranquilla, the former Univision reporter says he’s working on a second book on the Univision saga. Stay tuned.

Full disclosure: Though I’ve never been employed by Univision, I did write a small piece a while ago on “En el hoyo,” Juan Carlos Rulfo’s wonderful documentary on the workers of the Second Deck of el Periferico. You can read that story here