Lucha Underground Review: 11/12/14

Each week I will review Lucha Underground, but do to availability in my area I will not be posting until Saturday.

This week’s episode opened up with a video package. They recapped Chavo’s loss to Blue Demon Jr.  in week one. They also highlighted the loss Blue Demon Suffered to Mil Muertes, and the attack by Chavo after the match. The package also showed the ongoing storyline between Johnny Mundo and Prince Puma, and there issues with the men hired by Dario Cueto.  

My View: These video packages are great; they are well done and done in a way that will catch fans that missed last week up quickly.

The show begins with Konnan looking out a window into the ring. He says to Dario Cueto that everyone is coming out of the wood works. He then tells Cueto to wait until he sees the guys that he is bringing in from Mexico. He names three wrestlers that he is brining, Cueto ask about the issues with visas, Konnan says he has it handled. Cueto says he will put all three men in a match against each other tonight.

My View: Another great video, this is the stuff that that gives the show an edgier feel than other pro-wrestling shows on television.

Matt Stryker and Vampiro welcome us to ringside. Vampiro gives an update on Blue Demon Jr. saying he is in stable condition at a local hospital. Dario Cueto makes his way to the ring. He says people are complaining there is not enough Lucha in Lucha Underground. He says he gives the people what they want and he has Lucha for them. He introduces the masked wrestler in the ring as El Mariachi Loco. Cueto says Loco plays a mean trumpet, and that he discovered him on his own down the street. Cueto says there is no challenge to big for Loco, out comes mini wrestler Mascarita Sagrada.

Mascarita Sagrada vs. El Mariachi Loco

Loco laughs at Sagrada, and teases Sagrada with a lock up, but Sagrada can’t reach. Loco gets on his knees and suffers a kick to the head by Sagrada. Sagrada then completes a head scissors on Loco. And then a body scissors, that takes Loco to the outside. Sagrada then completes a dive to the outside taking out Loco. Back in the ring Loco kicks Sagrada half way across the ring. Sagrada jumps to the top rope and completes another head scissors/body scissors combination. He goes for the pin and gets a two count. Loco gains control with another kick. Loco goes for the pin but picks Sagrada up at the one count. He continues to destroy Sagrada in the ring. Loco goes for a maneuver from the top rope and misses, Sagrada jumps up and hits a tilt-a-whirl DDT for the two count. Sagrada locks a choke hold on Loco then turns it into a small package, and Sagrada gets the win.

Winner: Mascaritia Sagrada

After the match Chavo Guerrero comes to the ring, he attacks Sagrada with a kick to the head. He continues to attack Sagrada.

My View: This is the first time I have been disappointed by this program. The match was ok, and El Mariachi Loco worked very hard to make Sagrada look good against the bigger wrestler. My big problem was the commentators, too many little people jokes and references, seemed too much like WWE. They have done well to build up the women as warriors that compete with the men; they need to do the same with the mini wrestlers.

Back from the break we continue to re-cap Chavos’s destruction over the past two weeks. We go to an interview segment taped earlier in the week between Vampiro and Chavo Guerrero. Vampiro says it seems Chavo has always ridden on the coattails of the Guerrero name and wants to know what Chavo is going to do differently here in Lucha Underground to change that. Chavo says he is finally leading the Guerrero family his way. Vampiro references the two historical families in the Guerrero’s and Blue Demon’s. Vamprio says instead of winning Chavo tapped out, and then attacked him the next week. Chavo says Blue Demon Jr. is not a legend; he is only a legend because he wears the mask that his father passed down to him. He said he put Blue Demon out, and Blue Demon sucked. Chavo said he is tired of anyone that thinks they can bring him in and disrespect him, Chavo says he is a star and he is going prove that in Lucha Underground. He says Dario Cueto wants violence and he is bringing that. Vampiro ask Chavo what he would say to Blue Demon. Chavo says he would tell him that he does not hate him what he hates is for one second he thought Blue Demon may be better than him.

My View: This is was what we have come to expect from Lucha Underground. Chavo was great in this interview, very intense and angry. This is a side we have not seen of Chavo in a very long time.

Backstage we see Chavo and Konnan, and Konnan says Chavo is like family. Konnan says the streets are talking, the Larazza are upset with what Chavo did, and that they are coming for Chavo and that Chavo should become extinct. There is then a stare down between Mil Muertes and Chavo, Catrina says Chavo took something that does not belong to him and Mil Muertes never forgets, she then says someday Chavo will belong to Mil Muertes and licks his face sexually. Chavo walks slowly down a dark hallway.

In the ring Ricky Mandel awaits mil Muertes accompanied by Catrina. We see a video package about Mil Muertes. The video references an earthquake that killed thousands in Mexico City in 1985. Mil Muertes barely survived, while losing his whole family. When he emerged from the rubble he brought the cold and death with him. They show the death stone that Mil Muertes carries with him.

Mil Muertes vs. Ricky Mandel

The match starts with Mil throwing Mandel around the ring. Mandel tries to get some offense but Mil clotheslines him hard. He continues to punish him with hits and kicks. Mill misses a splash in the corner and Mandel hits a drop kick, Mil lifts Mandel to the outside apron where they exchange blows. Mandel Jumps from the top rope where Mil nails him with an uppercut. Mil hits the flat liner and gets the pin for the win.

Winner: Mil Muertes

My View: Not a bad match, they are building Mil Muertes as a monster which he is. I am not sure where he goes from here; they need to get him into a feud.

Backstage we see Johnny Mundo trying to see Cueto. He is stopped by Cortez Castro and Cisco, he attacks both of them taking them out. He enters Cueto’s office and tells him to relax, Johnny says he wants a match with Big Ryck next week and he will show Cueto violence. On the way out he says when he’s done with Big Ryck, Cueto is next.

We then see money exchanging hands between Cueto and Big Ryck. Cueto says he does not care how much it cost next week Mundo goes to the hospital.

We then see a video package hyping Prince Puma. They showed Puma working out in an abandoned warehouse. They build the tradition behind the mask that Puma wears. Konnan is narrating the video; he says Puma does this for his ancestors.

My View: These three segments did a great job building the feud between Big Ryck, Cueto and Johnny Mundo. Also putting the Puma segment right with the Mundo segments makes you wonder if they are going to continue to mesh the two storylines.

Drago vs. Pentagon Jr. vs. Fenix

This match is far too fast paced for me to give a play-by play. The announcers hyped this as the debut for all three wrestlers on American soil (I do not know if this is factual or another storyline). This match was extremely high flying and intense. Each wrestler showed their skills in the ring, and why they are stars in Mexico. Fenix did an amazing cork screw from the top rope to the outside. Pentagon had a series of amazing kicks on Drago. Fenix did an amazing hurricanrana after being thrown into the air by Pentagon. Drago did an incredible dive to the outside of the ring, where he and pentagon laid. Fenix had disappeared for a bit only to be shown high in the arena; he jumped close to 30 feet onto Pentagon and Drago. The crowd chanted “Lucha” very loudly, then a “this is Awesome” chant. Fenix wins the match with an amazing move I have never seen. Stryker called the move a reverse hurricanrana-piledriver-brainbuster.

Winner: Fenix

My View: This match was amazing, if you’ve never seen these three which I hadn’t you must. They worked hard, and the announcers marked out several times.

After Stryker and Vampiro sign off we see Cueto backstage. He says Johnny Mundo thinks he can threaten him and get away with it, but he will not be threatened by anyone.

Overall Show, My View: Once again another great show by Lucha Underground. They continue to improve each week. This may not sit well with some people, but if they get an adequate TV deal that puts them in more homes they will become an alternative to TNA.