http://www.cheap-heat.com WWE, TNA, ROH, NJPW - Blogs, Reviews, Top Lists, Indy News & Results Tue, 22 Sep 2015 02:25:57 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=4.3.1

http://www.cheap-heat.com/viva-la-lucha-libre-lucha-underground-72215/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/viva-la-lucha-libre-lucha-underground-72215/#comments Thu, 23 Jul 2015 15:20:00 +0000 Mark Adam Haggerty Indy/Puro/Lucha Reviews Alberto El Patron Dario Cueto Fenix Johnny Mundo Lucha Underground Marty the Moth Matt Striker Mil Muertes Prince Puma Ricochet Texano Jr. Vampiro http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=13132 We are now standing on the precipice of Lucha Underground's season finale, dubbed "Ultima Lucha." Welcome to Cheap-Heat, my name is Mark Adam Haggerty, and this is "Viva La Lucha Libre." As the weeks progress, we begin to see a greater emphasis placed on the "Aztec Medallions" that Dario Cueto is awarding certain individuals. The […]

We are now standing on the precipice of Lucha Underground's season finale, dubbed " Ultima Lucha ." Welcome to Cheap-Heat, my name is Mark Adam Haggerty, and this is "Viva La Lucha Libre."

As the weeks progress, we begin to see a greater emphasis placed on the "Aztec Medallions" that Dario Cueto is awarding certain individuals. The show opens on a shot of the cosmos—I use the word "cosmos" instead of "sky" because it's a really nifty purplish blue rendition of the night sky with stars swirling in each and every direction. Below, we find the Lucha Underground Temple—wherein Chavo Guerrero finds himself at the mercy of Blue Demon. �Demon attacked Texano Jr. last week, claiming that "he is Mexico," and challenged the former Mega Heavyweight Champion to a match at Ultima Lucha . We head into Dario's office. An interesting side note about this office: according to producer Eric Van Wagenen, Cueto's office was already a fixture in the building before they came in. When the location scouts first saw the warehouse facility that would one day become the "Lucha Temple," they planned to gut the office, but structural concerns kept them from completing the task. It was decided that the office would remain part of the show, and according to Van Wagenen, "very little was changed—that's basically the way the office looked when [they] found it." Dario is speaking with Big Ryck, who he hopes to see "eye to eye" with. That's a pun, in case you didn't catch it—Big Ryck wears an eyepatch. Cueto says that he had big plans for Ryck, and wants him back in the spotlight. He holds a satin pouch before Ryck, and says that he will reveal the power of his Aztec Medallions tonight . "What's more important to you," Cueto asks, swinging the pouch suggestively, "Money or Power?" Ryck asks why he should choose when he can have them both. Cueto hands Ryck the medallion and a stack of hundred dollar bills. The one-eyed former ECW champion says: "We finally see eye-to-eye."

Tonight's musical guest is Sergio Arau, the first bandstand leader to make a return to the �Temple since the show's premiere. Vampiro is rocking harder than anyone else inside the building, so much so that Matt Striker has to reel him in to introduce the product. Tonight's opening match features one of the biggest stars on the LU Roster, Johnny Mundo—in one on one competition against Texano Jr. Both of these athletes will be featured at Ultima Lucha; Johnny is looking to square off against Alberto El Patron, while Texano will be tested by the aforementioned Blue Demon. This is a fun clash of styles between "the pretty boy working on his abs," as Vampiro refers to Johnny, and a former AAA world heavyweight champion. These matches between heavyweights are far more akin to the "Sports Entertainment" style that most mainstream fans will recognize. Mundo hits Texano with a slew of educated feet, while Texano comes back with an onslaught of knife edge chops. Johnny appeared on "The Steve Austin Show: Unleashed" last week, and the "Texas Rattlesnake" said that Johnny Mundo is looking better than ever before. Mundo—the former Morrison—says that he always wanted creative control over his character, and is finally getting it as part of the Lucha Underground roster. Halfway through the competition, the Crew hits the ring and puts the boots to Texano. Alberto El Patron makes his way down to ringside to clear the ring and even the odds. He and his former adversary stand side by side, as Texano whips the Crew with his signature bull rope.

Dario Cueto is back in his office, this time alongside Hernandez. He hands Super Mex a Miller Lite, while he drinks a brown cocktail of sorts. He tells Hernandez that the fans inside the Lucha Underground Temple are not fond of him, and he's ready to give them their comeuppance. Dario says that Hernandez and Drago will go head-to-head in a "Believer's Backlash" match—a lumberjack-style bout wherein the "Believers" will be cast as lumberjacks, and outfitted with leather straps. Hernandez takes a sip of his beer, and cheers Cueto, eager for the opportunity.

"The following Lucha is scheduled for one fall," Melissa Santos is inside the ring, and introduces Willie Mack. She says that Willie is from "South Central Los Angeles," and introduces his opponent as being from the "559." Both are analog descriptions of Los Angeles and Southern California. This is the second match in as many weeks between Brian Cage and Willie Mack. Last week, "The Mack," as he is referred, walked away with an impressive victory over the former Lucha Underground number one contender. This week they'll take their battle one step further. The bell rings and Cage hits the Mack with an arm toss into a backbreaker. The Machine is off to a definitive start against Willie; Cage hits Mack at full speed with unprecedented velocity, but Mack reverses him into a sunset flip for a quick and decisive victory. After the bell, Cage proceeded to punish Willie Mack for daring to win a match. Mack got a second wind and started bringing the fight back to Cage. They fought up the stairwell and out of the �Temple, amidst a sea of chants: "Let them fight." Dario Cueto interrupts the brawl and says, "If you two really want to fight so bad, then I'm going to get every and anything that I can find in my sacred �Temple lying around. And I'm going to put it all around the ring and I'm going to let you use it to rip each other apart!" Dario says that we are starting Ultima Lucha NEXT WEEK! "Ultima Lucha is so big that it requires two weeks!" Next week is the preamble to Ultima Lucha and will feature a "Falls Count Anywhere" battle between the "Machine" and the Mack.

Dario says that he is finally ready to tell the fans what the Aztec Medallions represent; a horn blares and Dario's "bull fighting" theme pops the �Believers inside the �Temple. "For weeks, Luchadors have been competing for this," Dario begins, "Together, these Aztec Medallions make up what I like to call—the 'gift of the gods.'" Dario reveals a championship title belt with seven slots—he says that the holder of the special strap will be afforded a championship opportunity whenever he wants. "But there's a twist," Dario says, "I like to promote my championship matches. So there will be no cashing in." When the title holder wants his championship match, he must tell Dario one week in advance. "But if you wait too long for your championship match, you'll have to defend the title!" Dario says that there will be a 7-way match at Ultima Lucha , wherein the winner will be gifted the inaugural Aztec belt. He invites the wrestlers who possess medallions to join him in the ring. This is includes Jack Evans, Argenis, Aerostar, King Cuerno, Bengala, Sexy Star, and of course—Big Ryck. "Now, you must put your medallion into the belt to ensure your spot in the �Gift of the Gods' match." Each of the participants drop their circular medallions into the designated spots on the belt. Cueto says that the only problem is the absence of Fenix: "He held the seventh medallion, but Mil Muertes destroyed him. So I have no choice but to put his medallion back up for grabs tonight. So we're going to have a Battle Royale! But since this is Lucha Underground, we will improve on the standard battle royal. When there are two luchadors left, the only way to win is by pinfall or submission!" Before the �Royale can begin, Fenix arrives. "Fenix so good to see you," Cueto starts, "But you're a little late. But since I'm feeling generous, ghow about you ever the battle royale?"

We head into commercial and once we return, it's time for the Battle Royale to determine the final participant in the "Gift of the Gods Match." Fenix is surrounded by members of the roster including Ricky Mandel, Daivari, Killshot, Famous B, Super Fly, Marty the Moth, and more. This is a fun multi-man match with an array of high spots and specialty moments; Famous B makes a name for himself in the early going with a DX-style crotch chop and an elimination on Ricky Mandel. Killshot hits Famous B with his patented variation of the Diamond Cutter, only to be thrown from the match by Delavar Daivari. Marty the Moth and Daivari work together to eliminate Famous B, and then focus on the former medallion-holder, Fenix. Daivari is soon thrust to the outside and this match comes down to a one-on-one between Fenix and Marty the Moth. Fenix dazzles the �Faithful' inside the Temple; Marty really is the perfect foil to any number of Luchadors on the LU roster. He's built like Damian Sandow, and moves like Santino Marella. Fenix gets a quick cover, and upsets the Moth by earning his Aztec Medallion with a 1-2-3.

This week's episode of Lucha Underground closes with a breakdown of the bouts we're fixing to see at Ultima Lucha on August 5 ^th . Before the cameras fade out on the inside of the �Temple, Melissa Santos introduces the LU Champion, Prince Puma. Puma is without Konnan—as the former K-Dawg was locked away inside a casket last week on television. Puma is wearing a yellow hoodie, and asks for the microphone for the first time in almost a year. Before he might speak a word, Mil Muertes appears wearing—a three piece suit. Seriously, it is the sexiest suit you've ever seen—complete with the demonic �Muertes mask. Muertes is flanked by Catrina per usual, and makes his way toward Puma. The �Prince' drops the microphone and lays the title on the floor, as a proverbial line that Muertes must cross. Muertes and Catrina continue their slow descent down the stairs, and stop midway; just then, the Disciples of Death enter the ring and team up on the Lucha Underground Champion. Puma is able to fight them off, with a GTS Kick to the face of the finale combatant. The �Believers' chant "Lucha, Lucha, Lucha," as Puma planchas onto the fallen Disciples on the outside. Muertes has seen enough and hits the ring to fight Prince Puma. Puma hits the big splash and walks away with his head held high, but who's to say what will happen in two weeks at Ultima Lucha ?

Until next time, please LIKE "The B+ Players Podcast" on Facebook , and FOLLOW me on Twitter for all the latest and greatest updates courtesy of Cheap-Heat and Daily Wrestling News !

http://www.cheap-heat.com/viva-la-lucha-libre-6315/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/viva-la-lucha-libre-6315/#comments Thu, 04 Jun 2015 22:35:06 +0000 Mark Adam Haggerty Other Reviews Reviews AAA Angelico Brian Cage Dario Cueto Lucha Libre Lucha Underground Matt Striker Pentagon Jr. Pro Wrestling Sexy Star Texano Vampiro Willie Mack wrestling WWE http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=12222 Bienvenidos amigos! It's your favorite gringo that HABLA's the LINGO! What's happening on this bright and beautiful Thursday morning? My name is Mark Adam Haggerty and I am back again to talk about the number one Lucha Libre promotion north of the border. Of course I'm talking about Lucha Underground, where the action is fast […]

Bienvenidos amigos! It's your favorite gringo that HABLA's the LINGO! What's happening on this bright and beautiful Thursday morning? My name is Mark Adam Haggerty and I am back again to talk about the number one Lucha Libre promotion north of the border. Of course I'm talking about Lucha Underground, where the action is fast and furious and the competition is electric! Let's not waste any time with the usual pleasantries. I'm jumping right into this week's episode, starting with the opening festivities.

This week's episode started with a slew of vignettes and videos per usual, revolving around the Trios Championship Titles and the ongoing saga of Black Lotus and Chavo Guerrero. Chavo Guerrero has been tasked with keeping an eye on Black Lotus as she hunts for the man who killed her family. Chavo isn't on Lotus's trail however, but rather sitting down inside Dario Cueto's office. He tells Dario that Lotus is there and looking to kill Dario's brother, Matanza. Dario says that it was Chavo's job to get to Lotus before she could reach the Temple, but Chavo says Dragon got to her first. "In fact," Chavo continued, "He's offered to erase my debt down in Mexico if I agreed to protect her." After a moment's hesitation, Chavo assured Dario that "a Guerrero is only truly loyal to the highest bidder." Cueto smiled, "I want Black Lotus on a silver platter." He opened his desk drawer and began to retrieve stacks of hundred dollar bills. "So what does that cost me?" Chavo told Dario that instead of money, he wanted "round the clock protection from Mexico." Dario dropped the dollars back into his desk and said, "Fine. Now that we've got that out of the way. Tell me what you really want."

The Temple is on fire—or en fuego—and burning up to the beats of Los Rayobacks, while Vampiro and Matt Striker sit ringside. The first match tonight is a one-on-one match between the insanely agile Jack Evans and Argenis. Jack comes to the ring, walking on his hands and showing off his one-of-a-kind talents. Once inside the ring, Evans got up close and personal with a camera man at ringside, and told the cable television world that he is "the best ever," and that he "invented modern lucha libre." Matt Striker tells us a little something about Jack Evans before the match might even begin: he was trained in the "Hart Family Dungeon." Before the bell, Dario Cueto exits his office and calls to Argenis: "You come from a great family of luchadors, but let's face it—nobody really cares about you." Jack Evans hyped Dario's claim by once again playing to the camera: "That's true! That's true!" Dario continued, much to the chagrin of Evans: "And Jack Evans, you've had one match with us. And as impressive as you are—you lost! So why would I care about this match? Because Dario Cueto's going to make it interesting!" Dario held another Aztec Medallion, one of the seven he began bestowing upon his competitors just a few weeks ago. Dario says that the Medallion will "bring great fortune to the man who holds it."

This match starts off with both wrestlers receiving considerable support from the crowd, but Jack Evans gets the advantage in the early going. He betrays Argenis during the initial handshake and this match is off and running. Argenis launched Evans into the air and kicked his tailbone—sort of like a GTS but in the rear end. Jack came back with an innovative maneuver wherein the referee was used for support. Picture a 619—but the official is the top rope. If kicks were water then the ring would be drenched; both men use their educated feet to the best of their ability, until Jack Evans heads to the top rope in an attempted finishing sequence. Argenis knocks him from his perch, but Evans counters with a flying reverse arm bar, almost earning him a victory via submission. This match is all about Jack Evans, who is a true SUPERSTAR, in every sense of the word. Argenis gets the upper hand and provides a high flying plancha to Evans on the outside. Evans comes back with a moonsault from the ring apron, followed by an attempted hurricanrana, turned to a power bomb against the balcony railing. Back inside the ring, both individuals jockey for position, in mirrored unadulterated attempts at earning the Aztec Medallion. After much back and forth, Jack Evans achieved victory with a backslide pin in the center of the ring. Very awesome opening contest; with three competing promotions on Wednesday night, this might have been the best opener.

Backstage Daivari Delavar and Big Ryck are rejoicing about their Trios Title opportunity tonight. They need to find a third member, and Ryck suggests his "cousin," the Mack, better known to independent audiences as Willie Mack. Brian Cage comes out of the shadows and asks why they would pick Mack if they could have him? Cage delivers a cheap shot to Willie Mack, and two square off in a highly stylized backstage brawl, with Ryck and Delavar on hand as spectators. Cage wins without issue and the three leave as the Mack is left lying on a pile of wreckage.

Down the hall, Chavo Guerrero is chatting with Black Lotus. He tells her that he had the chance to talk to Dario Cueto, and he agreed to let her compete inside the Temple. She asks about Matanza, and Guerrero responds with: "All in good time." He tells her to get ready, because her first match inside the Temple is tonight. Lotus doesn't trust Chavo, and can sense something might be coming. She turns and Chavo goes to attack; she swings the locker door open and fights back, causing Chavo to call out for back up. The Crew make their entrance and Lotus makes quick work of them before being blindsided by Chavo with a steel pipe. Chavo is holding a set of handcuffs, and the scene fades out to the sound of the cuffs clicking around Lotus's wrists.

We head back into the Temple for our next match—the Trios Championship is on the line between the title holders and the team of Daivari, Ryck, and Cage. Vampiro says that he "isn't feeling" how Big Ryck comes to the ring smoking a cigar, nor does he like how Daivari drinks a cocktail while making his entrance. Ivelisse is still on crutches, although she hasn't had any trouble in mixing it up alongside her partners since being injured. In fact, the audience is chanting for Ivelisse as she hobbles down the steps, while Angelico carries her crutches. Things start off between Angelico and Brian Cage. I know his name is just "Cage" in Lucha Underground, but I prefer to call him by his full name. The SoCal powerhouse takes his liberties with the South African high flyer. Cage has had his sights set on the championship scene since arriving in Lucha Underground. Believe it or not, his in-house quest for gold predates the Trios Titles themselves, and tonight he might just be on the path to success. Delavar Daivari and Son of Havoc are the next Luchadors to enter the fray, and the heel team captained by Delavar remains seated in firm control. After a quick return from Angelico, Cage uses his strength to overcome the champion, and plants him in the middle of the canvas with a power slam. Big Ryck enters the match for the first time, which coincidentally or not, is the first time that Ivelisse isn't lobbying for a tag. Angelico is on the receiving end of a three-on-one assault, clear across the ring from his partner, Son of Havoc. Cage hits Angelico with a beautiful delayed brainbuster, with a little support from Big Ryck. Angelico fires back, but can't regain the edge, suffering a power bomb in the process. For the record, I would have loved to see Cage versus Mack, but this match is pretty entertaining considering the "squash element" of it all. Ivelisse popped up on the apron in an attempt to tag her partners, despite her obvious ailment. Daivari attacked Ivelisse, which garnered the attention of the official long enough so as to afford Texano the chance to make a run-in! He clubbed Big Ryck across the back of the skull and distracted Daivari from Angelico and Son of Havoc. Havoc finished this match with a Shooting Star Press to Delavar Daivari, retaining the titles for his team in the process.

We're back in Dario's office once more when Chavo arrives, and orders the Crew to "bring her in." Dario smiles, looking up from whatever he was working on. Black Lotus is brought before "El Jefe" with a gag in her mouth, and her arms behind her back. Dario says that he has something special place for her—right across from his brother, "so he never gets lonely again."

Tonight's main event is a submission match between two arch rivals in Pentagon Jr. and Sexy Star. Don't be fooled by her name or looks, Sexy is without question one of the top female performers in the world. She was part of the original Aztec Warfare match to declare the first ever Lucha Underground Champion, and is now defending a number of male competitors, who were crippled at the hands of Pentagon Jr. Sexy was forced to wrestle her friend Super Fly in a mask versus mask match, that resulted in Super Fly's exodus from Lucha Underground. Following the match, Pentagon struck and broke Super Fly's arm with his dreaded arm bar. We head into commercial, and when we return, Pentagon Jr. is regaling the �Faithful' with a tale comprised of zero fear: "Sexy Star, tonight I promise that I am going to break you. It's a sacrifice that I'm making for my Master." Before Pentagon could finish his monologue, Sexy attacked with a forearm smash, signifying the official start to this match. Senior referee Marty Elias is on hand to call the action, and does so while Pentagon goes to work on Sexy Star. He hammers away with a number of strikes and offensive blocks, rather than going straight to his strength, which is submission wrestling. When Pentagon finally takes things to the mat, Sexy is quick to return the action by rolling Pentagon and applying a front under-hook face-lock. Pentagon got out of harm's way and this match degenerated to a fight on the floor where the high flying Sexy Star reigned supreme. This was an impressive back and forth match where both luchadors were forced to cater to the others' style; Sexy Star had to meet Pentagon in terms of mat technique, while Pentagon needed to contend with Sexy's aerial arsenal. Sexy had the match won, when Super Fly returned and attacked Sexy Star. He kicked her in the head and powerbombed her, before feeding her to Pentagon Jr. Pentagon applied his patented package driver and finished Sexy with a modified stretch, not unlike a bow-and-arrow hold.

The bell rang and Pentagon wasn't finished with Sexy Star! He threw referee Marty Elias to the outside of the ring, and sought to break Sexy's arm, the same as he did countless other wrestlers in week's past. Vampiro saw this from the commentary position and threw his headset to the table. He sprinted toward the ring and dove into action for the first time since the debut of Lucha Underground last year! Vampiro hit Pentagon with a huge body block, giving Sexy Star the chance to escape. They stared one another down as the fans chanted for Vampiro. Vampiro was ready to fight, but decided to leave the ring instead. After the credits rolled, Vampiro was in the backstage area, staring into a dirty mirror while the voices in his head began to drown out his conscious thoughts. He head butted the mirror several times, until he show faded out, leaving us with a ton of questions.

What do I think? I think this might go one of two ways. I think the obvious guess is that Vampiro will return to in-ring action as the conquering savior over the evil powers of Pentagon Jr. But how about this idea—Vampiro is Pentagon's master. He stopped Pentagon because he didn't want to see harm come to someone he cared about, perhaps? A reverse Anakin Skywalker deal? Maybe? Possibly? Or maybe he didn't want Pentagon to take it that far—yet. I like how they're using Vampiro as a character for the first time, after allowing him to be featured as a peripheral part of the show for so long. Very intrigued by what's to come, and excited about the possible news on the way regarding the future of Lucha Underground.

Until next time, please LIKE "The B+ Players Podcast" on Facebook, and FOLLOW me on Twitter for all the latest and greatest updates courtesy of Cheap-Heat and Daily Wrestling News!

http://www.cheap-heat.com/viva-la-lucha-libre-52715/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/viva-la-lucha-libre-52715/#comments Thu, 28 May 2015 22:25:33 +0000 Mark Adam Haggerty Reviews John Cena Konnan Lucha Underground Matt Striker NJPW NXT Prince Puma RAW Ring of Honor ROH The El Rey Network TNA Vampiro WWE http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=12047 Bienvenidos amigos! Damas y caballeros, mi nombre es Marcos y esto es Viva La Lucha Libre! Marcos Adam Haggerty, to be precise. Welcome to my weekly Lucha Underground recap, featuring move-by-move reviews and analytical insights based on what we've seen thus far. This has been an absolutely insane week for professional wrestling; Lucha Underground and […]

Bienvenidos amigos! Damas y caballeros, mi nombre es Marcos y esto es Viva La Lucha Libre! Marcos Adam Haggerty, to be precise. Welcome to my weekly Lucha Underground recap, featuring move-by-move reviews and analytical insights based on what we've seen thus far. This has been an absolutely insane week for professional wrestling; Lucha Underground and NXT have long been established as the Wednesday night wrestling shows, but come next week, they'll have two new programs with which to compete. Destination America is moving TNA Impact to Wednesday, and will be adding Ring of Honor TV to their lineup as well! Hump day is fast becoming my favorite day of the week, and hopefully after reading this review, you'll have a better understanding as to why!

This week's opening video is dedicated to the return of Mil Muertes and the impending "Death Match" with his arch rival Fenix. In addition, we are reminded of the anarchy surrounding the Lucha Underground title; Hernandez is the number one contender to Prince Puma's belt, but Johnny Mundo and Alberto El Patron have their sights set on the prize as well. The show begins with Chavo Guerrero confronting Black Lotus. He tells her that he's been given the task of watching over her as she seeks retribution from Dario Cueto, and revenge against his brother Matanza. Chavo tells Lotus that if she really wants revenge, that she has to do it in the ring so that the entire world can see. "My grandfather was there the day he killed your parents," Chavo told Lotus, referring to the savagery associated with Matanza. "Los Guerrero's—we hate the Cueto's as much as you do."

Inside the Temple, the �Faithful are rockin' and rollin' to the velvet fog of Los Rayobacks—not to be confused with Ryan Reeves, aka El Rayoback. Matt Striker and Vampiro put over the main event match between Mil Muertes and Fenix, and then send things to Melissa Santos who introduces the opening contest. Johnny Mundo is set to compete against Aerostar, and arrives to a mixed response from the Temple fans, a result of his recent decision to attack Alberto El Patron. The fans chant for "Aerostar" as the bell sounds and this match is underway! Johnny was never the biggest guy on the WWE roster, but towers over the majority of his opponents now that he's battling it out in Boyle Heights. He has no trouble overpowering Aerostar and immediately sends him on a first-class trip toward the canvas with vapid effort. Johnny is allowing subtle heel tendencies to sneak through his otherwise cheerful demeanor, and actually reminds me of Kurt Angle during his WWE rookie year. Aerostar counters Johnny's offense with a series of high flying tactics, including a picture-perfect plancha from inside the ring to an unsuspecting Mundo on the arena floor. Johnny takes a cheap shot on Aerostar's knee and uses the advantage to lay into the smaller performer with a ground and pound game, capped off by a side-Russian Leg sweep. Johnny maintains firm control over Aerostar, despite an obvious advantage in terms of fan support. During the match, Vampiro asks Matt Striker, "Did you know that there's a drinking game for every time I say brother?" He then proceeded to say brother eight times in rapid succession. Back to the bout—Aerostar countered Johnny's "End of the World" signature finishing move, but that wasn't enough to keep the record-setting WWE tag team champion down. He hit Aerostar with a "Northern Lights Fling," according to Vampiro, a modified suplex-turned-throw, only to finally hit the "End of the World." Johnny Mundo picked up the win over Aerostar, as anybody might have predicted.

The Vampiro interview segments are quickly becoming my favorite part of this weekly series. Each time he appears, the program flashes red and freezes with the words "VAMPIRO: Announcer/Legend" superimposed on the screen. He doesn't take shit from his interviewees, as was the case last week with Johnny Mundo and in the past with Brian Cage, Texano, and even the Trios Tag Team Champions. Tonight Vampiro is sitting down with one of the most talented female competitors on the planet—Sexy Star. Vampiro asks about her rivalry with Pentagon Jr., and she responds en Español: "Pentagon Jr. is nothing but a bully. I don't care who he is, I'm not afraid of him and I can assume the consequences." Vampiro appears worried for Sexy, and Sexy Star wonders if Vampiro would ask her about her safety if she was a man? She says that she hasn't heard from Super Fly since their Mask vs. Mask match wherein Super Fly lost his "identity" and was subsequently crippled by Pentagon Jr. Sexy says that she's not afraid, and looks forward to her upcoming Submission Match against Pentagon next week on the El Rey Network.

The Lucha Underground Championship is on the line between Hernandez and the current title holder—accompanied by Konnan—Prince Puma. Puma enters the Temple to a wild ovation, whereas Hernandez was introduced as being from "Ooston, Tejas." I think that's Houston, Texas. I think. Maybe it's like Baja California—not actually in California, but in Mexico. Anyway. This is NOT the main event, which is mighty telling of what's to come from Mil Muertes and Fenix later on. Hernandez is an extraordinary talent considering his size, his age, and his obvious limitations. That being said, he has no issue soaring through the air with the best of the Luchadors, and tearing it up between the ropes alongside talented individuals like Patron, Mundo, and even Prince Puma. Matt Striker says that Puma is "using space to his advantage," referring to the way in which Puma would strike Hernandez while keeping on the run. Hernandez finally achieved the advantage through a slew of slow-paced power moves, and a cringe-worthy display of knife-edge chops. Konnan attempted to get into the match, but merely served as a distraction for his protégé Prince Puma to strike with a steel chair. Puma caught Hernandez in the skull and followed up with a high flying flip up and over the top onto the already grounded Hernandez.

The man sometimes known as Super-Mex powered back and powerbombed Puma on the crux of the ring apron. He went for a second, running crucifix power bomb, but Puma escaped and grabbed the ledge of the balcony. He twisted and turned almost instantly and, returning the offense to the monstrous Hernandez. Senior Official Marty Elias made the count, and both men returned to action before the ten. The crowd chanted, "This is Awesome," because that's what wrestling fans do, and Prince Puma went for his patented 630 Senton Splash, and missed! Hernandez delivered his finishing move, but failed to earn the three. The match continued and Hernandez sought to solidify his spot as the second Lucha Underground Champion ever with a front powerslam followed by an attempted top rope splash. Puma raised his knees and caught Hernandez in the chest, and fired away with a number of hard kicks directly to the cranium of the veteran Hernandez. Puma put the final nail in his opponents coffin with a successful 630 Senton to retain his world title.

Speaking of coffins. The next match is the main event and it is a "Death Match" between the recently "resurrected" Mil Muertes and the fiery Fenix! Fenix looks like the third member of the "Mega Maniacs"—the tag team combination of Hulk Hogan and Brutus Beefcake. He's wearing red and yellow and walks across the ropes with ease. Mil Muertes comes to the ring wearing an elaborate costume that is removed by a group of men wearing skull masks to conceal their identities. Catrina is also part of Mil's entourage, and looks on from ringside as Mil makes short work of his most hated enemy since debuting on Lucha Underground. Fenix goes for a plancha but is immediately thrown off his game by a series of brutal strikes and closed-fist punches to the face. This is a "Death Match," so anything goes and Fenix will have to fight for his life if he hopes to survive until next week. Muertes talks to Fenix as they fight—probably to plan their next move but—apparently trash talking and wishing him ill-will. Mil Muertes climbs to the top rope, which is where the big man is taken off his game. If only for a moment.

Fenix attacks Mil, who becomes crotched in the corner of the ring; Fenix ascended the opposing ropes and walked across the top to drop kick the ghastly Muertes. This match goes outside the ring and Mil is once again in control after a heinous lariat leaves Fenix unable to respond. Mil introduces a steel chair to the bout and slams it across the top of his opponent's head. He then slammed Fenix repeatedly into the guard rai with a brutal tenacity that isn't oftentimes seen in any sort of professional wrestling. Muertes flew from the top rope to the outside in a beautiful cross body, then hit Fenix with the chair once more. He mounted Fenix across his shoulders and carried him to the top of Dario's office. He carried Fenix like he weighed nothing, as he swung the door to the roof open and proceeded to powerbomb him through the roof and into the office. Marty Elias screamed for help as we head into the final commercial break of the evening.

When we return, Muertes is in the center of the ring, and Catrina's masked "druids" are retrieving Fenix's body from the wreckage. They bring him back to the squared-circle, where Mil Muertes finishes the job with a flat liner for good measure. Your winner as a result of a pinfall is Mil Muertes. This guy only has incredible matches.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Until next time, please LIKE "The B+ Players Podcast" on Facebook, and FOLLOW me on Twitter for all the latest and greatest updates courtesy of Cheap-Heat and Daily Wrestling News!

http://www.cheap-heat.com/viva-la-lucha-libre-lucha-underground-31115/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/viva-la-lucha-libre-lucha-underground-31115/#comments Sun, 15 Mar 2015 05:18:40 +0000 Mark Adam Haggerty Other Reviews Reviews Angelico Argenis Brian Cage Cage Catrina ECW Fenix Ivelisse Ivelisse Velez Johnny Mundo Josh Barnett King Cuerno Konnan Lucha Libre Lucha Underground Matt Striker Melissa Santos Mil Muertes MMA NJPW NWA Pentagon Jr. Prince Puma Son of Havoc Vampiro WCW http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=10412 Viva La Lucha Libre Lucha Underground 3/11/15 Written by Mark Adam Haggerty I was walking down the street in Beverly Hills just yesterday morning when what should I see, but a group of teenagers wearing gray and black "Lucha Underground shirts." Viva la Lucha Revolucion! Ladies and gentlemen my name is Mark Adam Haggerty coming […]

Viva La Lucha Libre
Lucha Underground 3/11/15
Written by Mark Adam Haggerty

I was walking down the street in Beverly Hills just yesterday morning when what should I see, but a group of teenagers wearing gray and black "Lucha Underground shirts." Viva la Lucha Revolucion! Ladies and gentlemen my name is Mark Adam Haggerty coming at you from the sunny and sandy beaches of Southern California where I am literally sitting on the edge of the Pacific Ocean with my feet in the water. I'm here with you as always to break down the comings and goings of Lucha Underground on the El Rey Network, so without further ado, let's talk about the good and bad from this week's episode.

The show begins with a series of flashbacks to previous weeks involving several luchadors and their already established programs. Pentagon Jr. is still praying to an unknown leader; Ivelisse and Angelico prepare for intergender competition with Son of Havoc as referee; and King Cuerno is still on the hunt for his most sought after prize—Johnny Mundo. The crowd inside the Temple is just as electric as always, ready for some of the highest impact wrestling action in America. Amandititita is performing once again, getting the �Faithful psyched for the opening contest as Vampiro and Matt Striker introduce ring announcer Melissa Santos.

Pentagon Jr. enters the arena amidst a sea of fog and strobe lights. The crowd chants "Zero Fear" in Spanish, referencing Pentagon's own mantra. Argenis makes his way down toward the ringside area—we haven't seen much of Argenis since his initial debut with Lucha Underground, but he'll prove to be Pentagon's greatest challenge in over a month. Pentagon's highly impressive skill set gets the best of him when he immediately rolls into a kick by Argenis, allowing the smaller luchador the opportunity to send him spinning with an airplane head scissors. As is the name of the game in Lucha Underground, both men spill to the outside of the ring where Argenis capitalizes with a high-risk aerial assault. Argenis brings his opponent back into the squared-circle, where Pentagon Jr. jumps up to meet his attack. Back in action again, Pentagon turns the tables, only for Argenis to reverse into a hurricanrana from the top rope. The camera leaves the ring for a moment to show the most recent celebrities in attendance, including wrestler, MMA-fighter, and NJPW broadcaster Josh Barnett. Argenis fights valiantly but is bested by the ruthless Pentagon Jr. who achieves victory after employing a litany of offensive maneuvers, sealing the deal with his dreaded arm-hook submission. Following the bell, Pentagon reminded us who he is—he is "ZERO FEAR!"

Back from the break and Catrina is tip-toing around the locker room where Fenix is contemplating the current love-triangle threatening to end his career. She emerges from the shadows and warns Fenix what he's up against in a warrior like Mil Muertes. She claims the only way to defeat him—is to bury him. The backstage segments continue with another vignette highlighting the ongoing feud involving Konnan, Prince Puma and Cage. Konnan is working toward forging a solid steel cane that he then displays by breaking cinder blocks with a single swing.

Melissa Santos introduces the South African sensation Angelico who waits patiently for his opponent, the "baddest bitch in the building," Ivelisse. She enters the arena dressed like a boss, with a scarf stretched across her face, playing to the cameras and fans inside the Temple. Finally, Santos introduces the special guest referee Son of Havoc. Matt Striker and Vampiro both act as if this wasn't already announced, but I'll chock that up to bad broadcasting, not poor producing. Havoc enters the ring and right away tells Ivelisse that he's prepared to call this down the middle. The same as last time, Angelico is unprepared to deal with wrestling a woman, instead opting to duck her kicks and reverse the rest of her offense. Eventually they're both forced to engage in a meaningful way which leads both luchadors to an advantage. Ivelisse twists and turns from the top rope to the outside where Angelico is thrust into the front row of the audience. Ivelisse enters the ring, waiting for Angelico, and gives Son of Havoc—the referee—a high five. The fans grow angry with the heelish tendencies of both Ivelisse and the official, backing Angelico as he gains the offensive in whatever way he can. Angelico lifted Ivelisse into a suplex lasting a 5-count from the crowd until the former developmental Diva turned the momentum in her favor by applying a full body submission hold. Angelico gets out of the hold and signals for his finishing maneuver, a variation of the razor's edge, but Havoc drags Ivelisse out and to safety. Angelico kicked Ivelisse in the head, knocking her out and proceeded to make the pin in a very provocative way, forcing Havoc to make the count.

Mil Muertes is alone in the locker room staring into a mirror. He lifts his head and pulls his mask on. Catrina's voice is all that becomes audible, reminding Mil of his troubled past and promising a match with "grave consequences." Next week Fenix will go one-on-one with Mil Muertes in a "Coffin Match."

The main event is already set to take place with the first-ever cage match in Lucha Underground history. Melissa Santos explains the rules and three ways to win—pin, submission, or climbing out. King Cuerno enters the Lucha Underground Temple to a regal reception from the Temple Believers. He carries the buck head crown per usual, placing it on the corner turn post. His opponent is the former ECW champion Johnny Mundo, who can't seem to break away from his dumb "Shaman of Sexy" pose and fur coat, no matter how ridiculous they look. The cage is similar to the cages of old, used in the NWA and WCW, where the top only reaches 8-10 feet in height. Senior official Marty Elias is inside the steel cage as the action starts kicking up right from the bell. This match is quite different from the majority of bouts we've seen in LU since its inception; most Lucha Underground competition involves a number of high spots to-and-from the outside of the ring. Mundo is the first to leap from an elevated position, hitting the steel cage in its corner and spring boarding back onto King Cuerno. Johnny Mundo is far more experienced in this sort of match, but it doesn't take long for King Cuerno to find his bearings and gain the upper hand. Cuerno climbed the cage and stepped to the center, off of which he leapt onto Mundo with a vicious splash. Neither man is keen to escape the ring just yet as their feud is based on pure hatred, rather than competition. Johnny Mundo proceeds to take a header directly into the bottom of the cage, and Cuerno rakes his face across its grating. Cuerno is the first to try and escape, pointing toward the top of the cage and started his ascent toward victory. Johnny Mundo sprung back into action, stopping the "King" and struggling to keep the offense. Johnny tries for a series of pins—because why would a good guy escape the cage—but to no avail.

This show is phenomenal with booking these kinds of matches sans commercial breaks, and that's because the owner of the network—Robert Rodriguez—is heavily involved with the production of Lucha Underground. Cuerno continues trying to escape the ring while Johnny tends to rely more on pin falls or submissions to attain victory. When Johnny does try and escape, Cuerno comes back with a powerbomb off the cage and down to the floor. The crowd begins chanting "this is awesome," standing on their feet and competing with alternating rounds of "Johnny Mundo" and "Let's Go Cuerno." King Cuerno goes for the win, but Johnny stops him by attempting to pull off his mask. Cuerno starts to lose his mind, as King Cuerno's face has legitimately NEVER been seen—that's a shoot. They both fall from the top of the cage and Marty Elias begins the double count, reaching seven before they can get to their knees and begin to rise to meet the other's punches. Johnny switches from punches to forearms and sends Cuerno into the steel cage. They trade shots on one another, each using the steel as an inanimate tag team partner. A huge European uppercut by Cuerno and Mundo is on the ground, but not for long. Mundo hits Cuerno with a big Spear, leveling both individuals until Elias is forced to make his count again. Johnny hits his feet after the count of six, and starts to climb the cage in the same corner as the buck head mask. Vampiro points out the danger of the buck's antlers in such close proximity to the action; Johnny slams Cuerno's face into the cage, sending Cuerno down onto the mat below. Johnny is inches from victory by jumping to the outside but instead decides to jump INTO the ring, hitting King Cuerno with a variation on Jeff Hardy's "Whisper in the Wind" for the 1-2-3. Johnny Mundo closes out Lucha Underground by climbing the cage and raising his fist with the rhythm of the crowd's roar: "Lucha! Lucha! Lucha!"

Another excellent edition of a television series that appears to be growing by the week. After listening to several interviews with producers and talent alike, courtesy of "The Wrestling Compadre Slamcast" on the Afterbuzz Network, I'm more excited than ever to see what's in store in the coming weeks, months, and even YEARS ! Until next time this has been Mark Adam Haggerty, reminding you to keep checking out Cheap-Heat and to follow me on Facebook by LIKING "Mark Haggerty's Pro Wrestling."

http://www.cheap-heat.com/viva-la-lucha-libre-lucha-underground-3415/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/viva-la-lucha-libre-lucha-underground-3415/#comments Fri, 06 Mar 2015 00:15:25 +0000 Mark Adam Haggerty Other Reviews Reviews AAA Alberto El Patron Angelico Bael Big Ryck Cage Catrina Cortez Castro Dario Cueto Dos Caras Jr. El Hijo de Havoc El Texano Jr. Fenix Johnny Mundo King Cuerno Konnan Lucha Underground Matt Cage Matt Striker Melissa Santos Mil Muertes Mr. Cisco Prince Puma Ricky Banderas Ricky Banderes Sexy Star Son of Havoc Texano The Crew TNA Vampiro WWE http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=10231 Viva La Lucha Libre Lucha Underground 3/4/15 Written by Mark Adam Haggerty If it seems as though I took a week off from my regular reviews, you're not going crazy, I did in fact take a break from the wrestling scene in an effort to refocus my creative efforts. I'm pleased to report that I'm […]

Viva La Lucha Libre
Lucha Underground 3/4/15
Written by Mark Adam Haggerty

If it seems as though I took a week off from my regular reviews, you're not going crazy, I did in fact take a break from the wrestling scene in an effort to refocus my creative efforts. I'm pleased to report that I'm back and prepared for another exciting installment of "Viva La Lucha Libre." The Luchador landscape is changing by the week as new challengers present themselves at every turn. Tonight's episode of Lucha Underground featured the long-awaited American showdown between El Texano Jr. and former WWE champion, Alberto El Patron. Let's dive directly into the fascinating fast-paced world of Mexican wrestling with the opening segment…

This episode begins with a montage of events from previous weeks, and fades into Dario Cueto’s office. The door with Dario’s name is dirty, but inside his office is the world renowned Alberto El Patron. Patron is standing across from Cueto who is sitting at his desk, gushing over Alberto’s ring debut this evening. Cueto says that he’s happy to finally see Alberto perform inside his sacred Temple, leading the AAA Champion to question who his first opponent might be. Cueto says that Patron needs a warm up and suggests he goes one-on-one with Famous B. Patron wants nothing to do with an enhancement match and demands a match against his rival. Cueto then says he needs at least two weeks to promote such an attraction, and says, “How about Alberto El Patron versus El Hijo de Havoc?” Patron grew even angrier and wiped Dario’s desk clean of all knickknacks and paperwork. Without nearly as much apprehension, Cueto finally agreed and gave Patron what he wanted–a match against El Texano Jr. Inside the Temple, Matt Striker and Vampiro welcome the audience at home to another thrilling hour of excitement, and introduce the world to the new house musician, “Amandititita.” The commentators hype the main event between Patron and Texano with colorful clips of either man standing in the back hallway preparing for battle. The spotlight shines down on ring announcer Melissa Santos who gets ready to introduce the opening contest.

The first match is a one-on-one bout between the aggressive Mil Muertes and his arch rival Fénix. Mil is now flying solo en route to the ring, as his former valet Catrina has made her choice to align with Fénix. The action begins immediately as Fénix descends the staircase toward the ringside area. Muertes evacuates the ring to meet his smaller statured opponent head-on, but is ultimately caught off guard by a flying hurricanrana from the sixth step. Muertes gains control with a series of powerful strikes but is taking off his game with a highly effective super kick courtesy of Fénix. The action spills into the ring where the match is finally underway; Phoenix springs toward the downed Muertes from the top rope with an Alabama Jam leg drop. Fénix continued his dominance over the monstrous Muertes, but soon succumbed to the sadistic brutality of Mil. Since day one of Lucha Underground I’ve had my reservations about Mil Muertes; I never enjoyed his work in TNA nor down in Mexico and never expected Ricky Banderes to click—but he has! A swinging reverse neck breaker from Muertes, similar to a Diamond Cutter, and suddenly Fénix was the one flat on his back. The audience in the Temple is supportive of both competitors, with a slight edge going to the consummate babyface, Fénix. According to Vampiro, Fénix is the only member of the Lucha Underground roster to own a victory over the diabolical masked Mil. Suddenly, a light cast down from the ceiling centered at the top of the staircase where Catrina made her surprise appearance. Although certainly distracting, this didn’t throw Mil off his game as it did in weeks prior and continued to break down the fan favorite Fénix. Catrina paced about the ringside area holding the seemingly sacred piece of cloth that Muertes appears to value. Fénix gains the upper hand with a twirling leap over the top rope, causing the audience to go absolutely insane, cheering for the match above any particular individual. Mil continues fighting his way back; the clash of styles between the brutish super heavyweight and the flashy highflyer is incredible, leading one to wonder who exactly has the advantage. Fénix climbed the ropes in an effort to end the match and earn a second pin fall over Mil Muertes, but was instead caught by a heinous uppercut and a top rope Code Breaker. Instead of pinning Fénix, Muertes goozled the mask superstar while staring daggers through Catrina on the outside. He hit him with the dreaded Flat Liner and walked away with yet another win. Following the bell, he summoned his former valet to the ring where he once again ordered her to lick the face of his fallen opponent. Upon denying his request, Catrina was dragged over the ropes and into the ring, but was once again saved by the heroic Fénix. After Fénix finished his foe, Catrina proceeded to apply the “lick of death” to Mil Muertes himself.

Back from break and Konnan is standing in the rain, in what is perhaps the most beautifully-framed shot since this show has hit the air, and that’s saying something. There are clips from his heated altercation with the “Machine” Cage several weeks ago, spliced with phrases such as “Appear weak when you are strong.” Dario must be keeping regular office hours this evening as another Luchador is seeking a main event spot from the petulant promotor, but this time it’s the beautiful-yet-brutal Ivelisse. She says she deserves a championship opportunity since she’s been triumphant twice in as many weeks. Regardless of whether Angelico is a mid-carder or not, her decisive victories over the South African sensation were highly impressive, and could in fact warrant some sort of reward. She starts to go off again about how she’s the “baddest bitch in the building” and Dario comically interrupts, “I know, I know—I got your calls and texts and emails.” Dario says that she only beat Angelico because Son of Havoc became involved; next week Ivelisse will have a rematch with Angelico, and to ensure that Havoc doesn’t interrupt, he will be the special guest referee. This is all very interesting as spoilers dictate that these three wrestlers will capture the inaugural Lucha Underground Trios belts in just a matter of weeks.

The Lucha Underground Champion Prince Puma is attacking the bag backstage when Alberto El Patron rolls up with encouraging words. “That’s right brother! That’s right,” he began. “I don’t know what Konnan told you to motivate you—what I do know is that if you want to survive, you’re going to have to man up. Because next time you see Cage, you have to make sure you let all that aggression out, amigo. Because you’re not going to need it.” Patron started to back away, but left Puma with the following warning: “If I were you, I would pay close attention to my match tonight. Because if you keep that title, you know I’m coming for it after.” The action is set to continue inside the squared-circle with inter gender competition featuring the dynamic Sexy Star and the returning Big Ryck. According to Melissa Santos, the winner of this match will get a 3-on-1 opportunity against the Crew—is that a prize? Big Ryck is now wearing an eye patch over his right eye, thanks to the diabolical actions of his former allies, the Crew. Sexy Star makes her way to the ring along with an uproarious ovation from the Boyle Heights fans. The crowd chants, “She’s so sexy,” although everyone inside the Temple knows what this incredible woman is capable of between the ropes. Big Ryck immediately warns Sexy that she should probably just lay down and accept the defeat, to which Sexy begins attempting to chop down the tree-sized super heavyweight. Although Ryck has been commonly featured as a heel for the majority of his career, he’s beginning to turn a corner into “Tweener Territory,” where he may be rough and unapologetic as long as he maintains a glimmer of decency. Even though Ryck needs to win so that he may finally exact his revenge on the Crew, he isn’t willing to completely obliterate a female competitor to do so. When the final fall occurred, it was after Ryck gingerly placed Sexy Star on the mat, and held her shoulders for the 1-2-3. He immediately relinquished the pressure when the bell sounded, which is when the Crew decided to strike. Cortez Castro, Mr. Cisco and Bael emerged on the scene to attack Ryck, but didn’t count on Sexy sticking around to help even the odds. The Crew tried to break Ryck’s arm with their signature kendo stick, but the Guyanese powerhouse turned the tide and vanquished all three before they could finish the job.

The main event is finally here, and regardless of who wears the AAA Mega heavyweight title, Albert El Patron is the first to be introduced. An outstanding video package plays before Texano may enter, highlighting Patron’s journey from Dos Caras Jr. to an American household name. El Texano Jr. arrives to a litany of heat from the audience, as he prepares to engage the man who ended his 735-day championship reign. The bell sounds and both competitors immediately tie up, with senior referee Marty Elias calling the action. Patron begins each of his matches wearing a T-shirt, and after the first set of spots, disrobes and throws it to the crowd. Both Texano and Patron work much differently than the rest of the Lucha Underground roster and employ a style similar to any mainstream American product. Off the ropes and back again, each wrestler uses a series of headlocks and rest holds before this bout can truly get underway. Despite taking enormous bumps, neither man sells for the other out of pride, which helps promote this rivalry as a true catch-as-catch-can contest. Texano heads to the outside after a big hip toss from Patron, and beckons the current champion to join him. Alberto chases Texano around the squared-circle and back inside, where the 30-year old rudo was able to catch him off guard. More than five minutes in and Patron still has yet to remove his sleeveless T-shirt. Although nobody expected to see any high flying offense from either individual, Patron surprised the Temple audience and brought them to their feet with a crisp suicide dive to the outside. Texano fights back and goes for a big move off the top rope that comes up short, grounding both competitors until they reach their feet and begin exchanging heavy right hands. Vampiro reminds the audience at home that there’s over five hundred-pounds of talent in the ring right now, which might not sound like a lot to a WWE Universe fan, but dwarfs the average Luchador duo by almost two hundred-pounds. Texano planted Patron on the top turnbuckle in a reverse tree-of-whoa, and kicked him directly in the top of the head. He then crossed the ring to the opposing corner, where he began untying the turnbuckle pad. This was clearly a distraction-tactic, as Marty Elias sought to tie things back up, allowing Texano the chance to use his bull rope behind the referees back. Elias didn't see the rope, and therefore couldn't disqualify Texano. The despicable heel, now in complete control, attempted to suplex Patron from the top rope. Patron stopped him and instead hit the former-champion with a double-foot stomp. Alberto called for his signature submission, but Texano scouted the champion well-enough to catch him with a sit-down powerbomb. Texano was unable to get the pin, and opted to resort to his bull rope once again. Patron countered the attack and hit Texano with a tornado DDT. Alberto El Patron had Texano defeated but instead of going for the pin, took the rope and proceeded to beat Texano senseless. Marty Elias called for the bell, but Patron continued the assault with nearly a dozen strikes, including one to the face. Alberto walked tall to the sound of his own entrance music—regardless of who won the match Alberto El Patron won the day.

The past few weeks have been hit-or-miss for the generally positive Lucha Underground; the introduction of several outside personalities such as Patron and Texano were welcome surprises, but are now starting to occupy far too much time on TV. This week was more of the same but also presented numerous cues for what's to come in the near future. I imagine business will begin to pick up as we delve farther into the Spring as Lucha Underground is signed with El Rey through August, with plans to start touring as early as this summer. Next week Lucha Underground will present their first-ever cage match between Johnny Mundo and the "Hunter," King Cuerno. Until then, this has been Mark Adam Haggerty, reminding you to keep checking out Cheap-Heat and to follow me on Facebook by LIKING "Mark Haggerty's Pro Wrestling."

http://www.cheap-heat.com/viva-la-lucha-libre-lucha-underground-21815/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/viva-la-lucha-libre-lucha-underground-21815/#comments Sat, 21 Feb 2015 01:16:50 +0000 Mark Adam Haggerty Other Reviews Reviews AAA Alberto El Patron Angelico Bael Big Ryck Black Lotus Brian Cage Cage Castro & Cortez Chavo Guerrero Dario Cueto Ivelisse Ivelisse Velez Lucha Underground Mascarita Sagrada Matanza Matt Cross Mil Muertes Mr. Cisco NXT Pimpenela Escarlita Prince Puma Sexy Star Son of Havok Super Fly Texano Texano Jr. The Crew Vampiro Wrestling Society X http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=9867 Viva La Lucha Libre Lucha Underground 2/18/15 Written by Mark Adam Haggerty It's another down-and-dirty week for the stars of Lucha Underground, who left no shortage of blood and tears inside the squared circle. In fact I'm positive Sexy Star finished the main event with fewer teeth than before. The developing controversy involving "Black Lotus" […]

Viva La Lucha Libre
Lucha Underground 2/18/15
Written by Mark Adam Haggerty

It's another down-and-dirty week for the stars of Lucha Underground, who left no shortage of blood and tears inside the squared circle. In fact I'm positive Sexy Star finished the main event with fewer teeth than before. The developing controversy involving "Black Lotus" is further explored over the course of the broadcast, but the real story inside the Boyle Heights Temple is the championship title hunt. What will become of the Lucha Underground championship, and how will the AAA heavyweight rivalry between Patron and Texano affect the legitimacy of the homegrown belt? This week was action packed from start to finish, "book-ended" by duel main events, featuring the surprise return of Big Ryck. So let's take a few moments and celebrate this week in Mexican wrestling excitement—it's "Viva La Lucha Libre!"

Matt Striker is the first face we see this week, as he and Vampiro sit ringside per usual, preparing for an epic night of international athleticism. The opening contest is the first of the "book-ended" double main event, featuring Chavo Guerrero in his quest to defeat the sinister Mil Muertes. This rivalry stems from their initial interaction during Lucha Underground's debut, where a then-babyface Chavo Guerrero came to aid Blue Demon against the monstrous Mil. Muertes is without his usual valet Catrina, which makes no difference as he sets to square off against Chavo. Mil gains the upper hand from the early going, using his size-advantage and knowledge of the ringside area to dissect the former world champion. Before long, Catrina appears on the staircase and descends down into the Temple, where Mil soon becomes distracted by her venomous allure. Chavo attempts a Dragon-steiner out of the corner but is caught by Muertes, who commands respect out of the life-long "cruiserweight." Mil becomes enamored with Catrina once more, allowing Chavo the chance to reach a steel chair at ringside. He wallops the giant, but doesn't cause any damage—Mil Muertes stood his ground. Senior referee Marty Elias called for the bell, awarding the match to Mil on account of disqualification. But the battle was far from over. Muertes took Chavo in one arm and delivered a flooring Flatliner onto the chair. Catrina attempted to leave, but Mil forced her into the ring and guided her face alongside that of Chavo's. He commanded her to lick Guerrero's face, the same as she has done to Mil's previous victims. When she refused, Mil decided to give her a Flatliner as well. The crowd screamed as Muertes prepared to break her neck, but the carnage came to a screeching halt thanks to Fenix. The high-flying luchador sprinted to the squared-circle, retrieved Catrina, and retreated from whence he came. As they escaped, Catrina looked back at Mil and punctuated the predicament with a deep kiss to her hero, Fenix.

Just before the commercial break, we see Black Lotus, the mysterious Asian woman from weeks past, picking her way into the dark hallway leading to Matanza's cell. Back from the break and Dario Cueto is in his office speaking with the Crew. The trio is now official, sporting identical jerseys with their names embroidered on the back. This is especially helpful for those of us having trouble remembering which one is Cisco and which one is Castro—we all know who Bael is! Dario tells the group that he is rewarding them for their hard work with a main event match tonight. But "El Jefe" requires proof that the way they dismantled Big Ryck was more than just a fluke, he wants them to take out whomever may oppose the Dario Cueto regime. Tonight the Crew will need to defeat "three unlikely heroes"—Sexy Star, Mascarita Sagrada and Pimpenela Escarlata. Dario calls them freaks, saying that he's sick of how popular they've become, and wants the Crew to "hurt them so bad, that they never come back."

Back inside the Temple and we get to see my favorite Mariachi band on American television, Mariachi El Bronx! The group plays to an enthused number of fans, as Ivelisse and Son of Havok take the stage. Ivelisse takes the microphone, and tells the Faithful that since Havok can't seem to win a match, she'll take his place tonight against Angelico. This doesn't seem to sit well with Havok, but he does as he's told and vacates the ring, allowing the "baddest bitch in the building" the chance to shine. Angelico enters and is at first unaware of how to mix-it-up with a female competitor. He keeps her at a safe distance and thwarts her offense all he can before tying up and treating her just the same as any luchador. Angelico is an incredible talent who has the total package necessary to succeed. He's talented, he's good looking, he's tall, and he can speak despite having a thick South African accent. I think Angelico is perhaps one to watch in regards to NXT poaching Lucha Underground wrestlers come the tail-end of their contracts. Ivelisse walked away with a hard-fought win over Angelico, proving that she has what it takes, while Son of Havok might not. Following the bell, Angelico asked for the mic and said, "Ivelisse—if you ever want to go one-on-one with me without your boyfriend around, it’d be my pleasure.” The couple staggered out in disbelief while the defeated Angelico winked and stood tall as though winning the bout.

Up next is the highly-anticipated in-ring debut of former AAA world heavyweight champion Texano Jr. In addition to holding the belt longer than anyone in history, over two years, Texano was also the youngest AAA champion in history. That is, until Alberto El Patron reemerged on the Mexican wrestling scene and took it– stole it, as Texano might say. The young former-champion is set to engage with Lucha legend Super Fly, but before the match can get underway, Vampiro presents a pre-recorded interview with Texano en Español! The interview began on a positive note, with Vampiro introducing him as a world renowned wrestler known in Japan and Mexico. But when Vamp' referred to Texano Jr. as an ex -AAA champion, the 30-year old cowboy took exception. "You are in the presence of a top star," he began, "And I will be the next superstar in the Lucha underground.” Vampiro begrudgingly disagreed, saying Patron is the man because he is the one in possession of the title. Texano became enraged, saying that Patron stole the belt, and that the only reason he's in Lucha Underground is to destroy Alberto El Patron and take what's his. The match is finally able to begin where Texano Jr. and Super Fly start with a seesaw of chain wrestling until Texano gains the edge through a series of well-placed knife-edge chops. Super Fly, the veteran, is not to be outdone by a punk kid such as Texano, and leaps from the top rope, catching the former-champion with a flying cross-body. Texano, now groggy, managed to return the favor in the form of a beautiful can-opener leg drop followed by a rolling neck breaker for the 1-2-3. When the bell sounded, Alberto El Patron appeared at the top of the stairs, ready for vengeance following last week's blindside assault. Texano ran for cover, but was cut-off by Patron, who dragged him back into the ring and proceeded to beat him with his own bull rope.

Backstage in Dario Cueto's office once more and the "Machine" known as Cage walks through the door, wearing the tattered and torn title belt around his neck. He demands a championship match, an opportunity Dario would love to give him, but the truth is that Prince Puma is still the Lucha Underground champion. And the last time Cage wrestled Puma, he lost. Dario says that he's going to give Cage another chance—next week the "Machine" will have a non-title bout with Prince Puma, and if he wins, will receive a championship match in the very near future. Cage reluctantly agrees, but warns Cueto he'd better get a "real" title belt and not some "Aztec piece of crap." Cage exits, and passes an infuriated Chavo Guerrero on his way out. Chavo has his gear packed and his bag draped over his shoulder and tells Cueto that he's had enough. He's going home to be with his family—Chavo quits! Dario completely no-sold Guerrero's resignation by simply saying, "Whatever Chavo. I wish you the best in all your future endeavors." Chavo was even angrier, but Cueto assured him that the doors to his Temple are always open.

Black Lotus is sneaking through the darkened depths of the Temple, down in the bowels of Boyle Heights. She's managed to locate Matanza and infiltrate the secret passage without needing to steal Cueto's key. As she drew closer to the caged beast, she spoke soft but definitively: "So this is where he keeps you locked up? When I was a little girl all I wanted to be when I grew up was the woman who killed you with my bare hands."

The final break has come and gone and we're locked in for the main event six-person tag contest. The Crew is already in the ring awaiting the "Freaks," as Dario referred to them. The festive music soon begins to play and Sexy Star leads the mini sensation Mascarita Sagrada and the eccentric exotico Pimpenela Escarlata to the ring. Dario says that he's sick of how popular these characters have been, which begs the question as to why he brought them to his Temple in the first place? The Crew dominates through most of the match with the mismatched trio of Star, Sagrada and Escarlata gaining individual advantages but never as a whole. The Crew is a long-time team and used proper ring psychology to single out each Luchador until they were effectively eliminated. By the midway point, both Mascarita Sagrada and Pimpenela Escarlata were nowhere to be seen, allowing the Crew to capitalize on a 3-on-1 advantage over Sexy Star. The three Mexican gangsters put her through her paces, kicking her face so hard that blood gushed from between her lips as she struggled to regain composure. Sexy is finally able to even the odds by administering an abundance of arm-drags and high-flying offense, as well as a low-blow which pops the crowd like nothing else. While I'm still not one to walk the "Bael Trail," I'm starting to come around to Mr. Cisco and Castro Cortez, a journeyman duo dating back to the dark days of Wrestling Society X. Sexy Star still appears to be the only active member of her team with Sagrada and Escarlata recuperating on the outside mats. The Crew attacked Sexy with a fury of kicks, and simultaneously signaled that the end was near. As the Crew prepared the finish the job assigned to them by Dario Cueto, their arch enemy Big Ryck arrived on the scene. Ryck was now clean shaven and sporting an eye-patch thanks to the attack he suffered at the hands of the Crew. The Distraction played well for Sexy Star as she was able to take advantage of Bael and secure a pinfall in the process. Ryck entered the ring alongside a bloody-mouthed, yet-victorious �Star. The Crew cursed both Big Ryck and the Lucha Underground fans as they retreated into Dario's office, humiliated after having been defeated by Sexy Star.

Big Ryck's return might spell certain doom for the Crew, but what does it mean in terms of his presence in the locker room? For months, Ryck ran roughshod over Lucha Underground, making a number of enemies in the wake of his destruction. Who, if anyone, can Ryck rely on to even the odds against Dario Cueto and the Crew? Next week's episode will feature the long-awaited rematch between Cage and Prince Puma, whereby if Cage is victorious, he will earn a championship title match in the near future. Until then, this has been Mark Adam Haggerty with "Viva La Lucha Libre."

http://www.cheap-heat.com/viva-la-lucha-libre-lucha-underground-2415/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/viva-la-lucha-libre-lucha-underground-2415/#comments Fri, 06 Feb 2015 22:31:55 +0000 Mark Adam Haggerty Other Reviews Reviews AAA Alberto El Patron Angelico Brian Cage Cage Catrina Chavo Guerrero Chavo Guerrero Jr. Dario Cueto Drago El Rey Network Fenix Ivelisse Ivelisse Velez Johnny Mundo King Cuerno Lucha Libre Lucha Underground Mark Burnett Matt Striker Mil Muertes Pentagon Jr. Son of Havok Vampiro http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=9556 Viva La Lucha Libre Lucha Underground 2/4/15 Written by Mark Adam Haggerty Only one month into an electrifying calendar, and the stars inside the Boyle Heights Temple are already delivering "Match of the Year" caliber contests. Welcome back to the most analytical examination of what is quickly becoming the most exciting hour in professional wrestling […]

Viva La Lucha Libre
Lucha Underground 2/4/15
Written by Mark Adam Haggerty

Only one month into an electrifying calendar, and the stars inside the Boyle Heights Temple are already delivering "Match of the Year" caliber contests. Welcome back to the most analytical examination of what is quickly becoming the most exciting hour in professional wrestling in America—Lucha Underground! We're here with another in-depth breakdown of everything going on courtesy of AAA, Mark Burnett, and the El Rey Network. Last week's show was one of the more slower-paced episodes since �Underground debuted in the autumn of 2014, but that's not to say it didn't create buzz over events still yet to unfold. This week continued building toward a larger story but introduced various elements formerly unknown to the television viewers, so let's get right into it with the opening contest—this is "Viva La Lucha Libre!"

The �Faithful' inside the Temple are on fire, rocking to the rhythm of the house band now-known as Mariachi El Bronx. Sitting ringside as usual are Matt Striker and Vampiro who is wearing the coolest jacket—well, the coolest jacket Vampiro's ever worn. The action inside the ring is immediately underway with the introduction of Son of Havok and Ivelisse. Both individuals competed in the Aztec Warfare battle royal for the Lucha Underground title, but neither has been seen on El Rey since. The crowd isn't shy when it comes to telling Havok how they feel about him, chanting "loser" over and over until Ivelisse had enough. "I am tired of reading all the tweets on social media about Son of Havok saying that he sucks," she began, "Let me tell you something: I don't date losers. A'ight? If you have a problem with him, then you have a problem with me too—the baddest bitch in the building!" Havok's opponent in this opening contest is the exhilarating sensation from South Africa known as Angelico. He makes his way to ring side with a spring in his step, representing Lucha Underground to the fullest with his black Lucha t-shirt. The match was off and running and within a few moments of back and forth interaction, Havok gained the lead and even the support of the fans. Through a varied course of high adrenaline offense including a sit-down face buster and a litany of aerial maneuvers, Havok turned the tide and had no problem going hold-for-hold with the fan-favorite Angelico. The end came however, when a series of precarious close-calls involving Ivelisse ended with Son of Havok inadvertently spearing his girlfriend off of the apron. It was just a matter of rolling the masked rudo into a pinning predicament before Angelico walked away with the 1-2-3.

Back from the commercial and the number one non-wrestling personality in sports entertainment, Dario Cueto, is on hand offering an olive branch to a once despised rival. "Welcome back, I haven't seen you since Aztec Warfare." Across from Cueto was Johnny Mundo, inside the Temple again and ready for battle. "I know we've had our issues in the past," Cueto continued, "But since you've been gone, we've both had time to cool off." Dario is a business man who can recognize a good opportunity when it's sitting in front of him, and therefore requests another "5-star match" from Mundo, this time against Cage. "You mean that �ham-bone' that tore apart your title belt," questioned Johnny? "You better get a new one." Matt Striker and Vampiro are still sizzling from the first match-up, and are preparing to introduce Famous B—a Southern California local who is fixing to square off against one of the most fearsome competitors in Lucha Underground, Pentagon Jr. Before the match can get started, a vignette rolls once again highlighting the intricacies of Pentagon as well as his dedication to martial arts: "Look into my eyes! I am Pentagon Jr. No fear!" The match lasts only moments before B succumbs to the incredibly tactile technique of Pentagon, who sets his opponent up for defeat with a vicious spike package pile driver. Once B's skull hit the canvas he was completely knocked out, awakened only by the excruciating agony inflicted by Pentagon, who ended the encounter by ignoring the official and snapping the arm of Famous B.

Deep in the darkened �dungeons' beneath the Temple, Cueto sits solemnly staring into a cell. "The news of this temple and what we are doing here is spreading." Cueto toyed with the mysterious key dangling around his neck, "Such a shame you can't enjoy it with me." The question as to what lock the key might open has been answered, but to whom is Cueto speaking? Another mysterious reveal suggests that the unnamed Asian woman who accosted Dario last week is looking for whoever—or whatever is trapped in the bowels of the Boyle Heights building. The allure of Lucha Libre continues as two babyface competitors take to the ring in a true test of "good" versus "evil." Aerostar is dressed in white, and according to Matt Striker represents the "Heavens" in this metaphorical battle against Drago—a supernatural superstar said to be from the Depths of Hell. Drago's hard-hitting ground game and Aerostar's high-flying airborne assault prove to be complimentary components as this contest roars on with very few moments to rest. The formidable Drago walks away with a win after outwitting the younger tecnico , but neither man leaves the ringside area until they shake hands and hold their arms high in a sign of mutual respect. Backstage before the main event can begin, Fenix is hard at work applying his strongest strikes to the dusty old Everlast bag, perhaps in an effort to hone his greater assets in preparation for his next world title battle. Catrina comes out of the shadows, with Mil Muertes nowhere in sight. She touched the tattoo on Fenix's chest, an artistic rendering of a dream-catcher. "Does this protect you from nightmares," Catrina asked? Before Fenix could respond, she kissed him, deeply and passionately with a final warning, not to let Mil find out: "He'll bury us both alive."

Up next is the main event, an impromptu grudge match having nothing to do with the sort of respect we saw a few moments ago, and everything to do with rising to the top of the Lucha Underground roster: Johnny Mundo is set to go one-on-one with Cage. As the Machine walked to the ring, he wore the tattered remains of the Lucha Underground title around his neck, laughing and taunting the Temple Faithful as he sauntered into the squared-circle. The match was rather even, with a slight edge going to Mundo in the early going until a powerbomb on the outside rendered the former Shaman of Sexy motionless. Vampiro picked this close call alongside the stairs to point out the danger in wrestling so close to the steel steps: "Did you know if you fell and hit your head on those steps you could DIE ?" It was at this time that King Cuerno made his presence known, if only to the television audience, when he began watching from within the rafters. Back inside the ring, Cage's domination continued with an enormity of powerful offense as well as unpredictable agility including a springboard moonsault to a downed Johnny Mundo. An Irish whip sends Johnny into the corner, but a leap-frog hoists him up and over the head of Cage, where he's unfortunately caught in a modified Alabama-jam. The back and forth is intensifying as Mundo attempts his patented "Starship Pain" to no avail, but lands on his feet and soars across the turnbuckle to Cage on the outside. The match ended by disqualification when King Cuerno finished stalking and began to hunt; he struck near the ringside area when he tripped Mundo and knocked him off the apron. Cuerno's assault continued after the bell, attacking Johnny's left leg with a steel chair and the merciless metal turnbuckle post. When all was said and done, Dario Cueto exited his office and restarted the match: "Hold on Johnny! Now that we're friends, I can't let your 5-star matches end like that!" Cage re-entered the equation and proceeded to systematically dissect Johnny Mundo, beginning with his already injured leg. "Is Dario Cueto being a dick," asked Vampiro, who couldn't comprehend why this contest was still going on. Cage finalized the destruction with a Gory Special into a flat-liner, earning himself another victory.

The show was over and just like always, Matt Striker and Vampiro wished the viewers a wonderful week and thanked them for their continued patronage of the El Rey Network. But instead of fading to black and a Mark Burnett logo, the cameras went back inside Dario's office, where a knock at the door startled the promotor. "Show's over," he yelled, attempting to scare away whomever may be bothering him. But rather than another knock, a voice echoed through the doorway, "Oh no, we're just getting started." Dario turned and stood face-to-face with a world-renowned heavyweight champion from AAA and WWE: "My name is Alberto El Patron," he said with a smile, "But you already knew that."

The unexpected arrival of Alberto El Patron was a perfectly valid reason to fast forward through the show, but why would you want to miss an entire hour jam-packed with the most consistent professional wrestling on the planet? What might we expect to see inside the Temple as 2015 continues to unravel in new and exciting ways? Who is Pentagon's master now that he's seen Chavo Guerrero for what he truly is? Will a new belt be bestowed upon Prince Puma, or will Cage's torn title be the symbol of Lucha Underground? And who the hell does Dario Cueto have locked away in the Temple? Hopefully we'll get the answers, plus a dozen more questions this time next week with another exciting installment of "Viva La Lucha Libre!"

http://www.cheap-heat.com/viva-la-lucha-libre-lucha-underground-12815/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/viva-la-lucha-libre-lucha-underground-12815/#comments Sun, 01 Feb 2015 14:26:19 +0000 Mark Adam Haggerty Other Reviews Reviews Bael Big Ryck Brian Cage Cage Catrina Dario Cueto Fenix King Cuerno Lucha Underground Matt Striker Mil Muertes Prince Puma Ricky Banderas Ricochet Super Fly Vampiro http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=9451 Viva La Lucha Libre Lucha Underground 1/28/15 Written by Mark Adam Haggerty Are you a man, or are you a machine? Whatever you answered, you're probably in the right place if you're looking for the most courageous column when it comes to Lucha Underground on the El Rey Network. Ladies and gentlemen my name is […]

Viva La Lucha Libre
Lucha Underground 1/28/15
Written by Mark Adam Haggerty

Are you a man, or are you a machine? Whatever you answered, you're probably in the right place if you're looking for the most courageous column when it comes to Lucha Underground on the El Rey Network. Ladies and gentlemen my name is Mark Adam Haggerty, here with you each and every week to discuss the outrageous happenings inside the Lucha Underground Temple. This week's episode answered several questions but left us with an inordinate number of plot twists. What will become of the Lucha Underground title and what does Dario Cueto have in store for the competitors in Boyle Heights? Let's find out what happened on this week's episode of Lucha Underground.

The show begins with a recap featuring the events of previous weeks and slowly fades into a musty gymnasium where Cage is pumping iron. Lucha Underground promotor Dario Cueto enters with the same smug grin he had when he paid the Crew to take down Big Ryck. "I've heard of taking the bull by the horns," Cueto tells Cage, "But you take the bull by the huevos !" After complimenting Cage, he informs the new luchador that tonight is his lucky night, tonight he will get his match—with Puma! Inside the Temple the crowd is ready for another exciting night of high flying action courtesy of Mark Burnett, AAA, and the El Rey Network. The band from previous episodes is featured in a much more prominent capacity, complete with a front man dressed as Che Guevara. It seems that every week Matt Striker is getting less formal, sitting beside Vampiro who spends the entire opening segment attempting to "raise the roof." The opening contest on the card is a clash of styles featuring the Brutish Mil Muertes taking on the man who nearly became champion when he battled Prince Puma, Fenix. Fenix's high-risk offense seems to be just the thing to wear down the armor-plated defense of Mil Muertes. For weeks I've cried over my distaste for Ricky Banderas, but I've come around to this most successful demonic character he's created for Lucha Underground. The match doesn't last long and proves to be little more than Fenix dancing around the imposing monster with a plethora of high spots, caught off guard from time to time by a fist or a boot by Muertes. Come the final bell it was Fenix, the underdog, who managed to defy the odds and defeat the terrifying Muertes, a man who is now being sold by Striker and Vampiro as a mere pawn being played by his beautiful keeper Catrina.

One of the most impressive aspects of Lucha Underground since its inception has been the overtly cinematic backstage sequences, used to develop characters such as Prince Puma and King Cuerno. Next in line for a Hollywood-style push is the self-described "Machine" known simply as Cage. Cage walks down the dirty pathways of central Los Angeles, only to be attacked by a gang of ruffians. Their strength in numbers are no match for the sheer force packed into each punch thrown by Cage. One individual even hits the championship challenger over the head with a beer bottle—an action that takes no toll on Cage, other than to anger the monster further. When the scene concluded, Cage was still walking tall and ready to take the title from Prince Puma later in the evening. The in-ring escapades continue with trios warfare, featuring all three members of the Crew as they engage with Argenis, Super Fly, and Aerostar. The Crew is coming fresh off of their turn on former leader Big Ryck the previous week, and even my man BAEL is out for a blood as the Lucha Underground express continues moving at top speed. Trios matches, as described by Vampiro, are commonplace in Mexican culture and have been a part of Lucha Libre since the beginning. Each team had its own series of impressive spots including a top rope hurricanrana by Aerostar on Cisco that took out the remaining members of the Crew. But it was the Crew who would have the last laugh, employing their strong bond to help overcome the formidable trio of tenured AAA luchadors standing across the squared circle.

Following the second bout of the evening, Vampiro and Matt Striker begin to introduce an interview that appears to have the former Juggalo Champion absolutely speechless. Well, nearly speechless as he did say, "You could cut the knife with the intensity." They throw it to the footage from earlier in the day—a sit down featuring Vampiro alongside Konnan and the Lucha Underground Champion Prince Puma. As Vampiro introduces his guests, he begins to ask Prince Puma questions relating to his inaugural reign as champion. However instead of allowing Puma to respond, Konnan jumps in and fields each inquiry himself. Finally Vampiro snaps and tells Konnan how sick he is of him jumping in and shooting his mouth off. The two WCW and Lucha legends continue to exchange words, at one point Konnan says, "You're going to get shredded like ropa vieja!" Uh—okay, so for anyone who doesn't live in Southern California or Texas or any Latino-influenced area, ropa vieja is a Latin American food that literally translates to "Old Clothes." Very strange choice of verbiage, K-Dawg. Before the altercation could become too heated, Puma interjected himself amongst the now seething former champions, both of whom were throwing challenges toward the other.

The main event has happened upon us much quicker than in weeks past, perhaps due to the lackluster undercard and plethora of pre-recorded promos and cinematic segments. Prince Puma enters the Temple with Konnan escorting him to ringside for the first time since the show debuted. Cage is truly a monster who dwarfs Puma, and even makes the portly retired-wrestler Konnan appear small by comparison. During Cage's entrance, Puma immediately delivers a receipt from the previous beat down by performing a beautiful swan dive over the top rope and into the arms of Cage. The match is soon off to a rough start for the champion who quickly begins to realize he's no longer in the ring with Johnny Nitro and Ezekiel Jackson. Cage has no use for flash, and does his talking with powerfully abrasive stiff workmanship inside the ring. A northern lights suplex by Puma is expertly reversed into a chokehold by Cage, which tells the tale of their interplay throughout the bout. As Puma began to mount his offense, Cage pushed the referee into the ropes in an attempt to ground the champion, who was ascending to the top rope. The move was grounds for disqualification, however the referee elected to continue the match—until Cage hit Puma with a deliberate. The bell sounded, but the carnage had just begun as Cage hit Puma with a textbook Flat-liner shades of Chris Kanyon. Konnan entered the ring hoping to stop the Machine from attacking his "padawan" further. Instead Cage used the championship belt to deliver a crippling blow to Konnan, laying him out in the middle of the ring. Konnan was now covered in blood, Puma was decimated, and Cage stood tall with the championship belt in his hands. He raised his arms with the title, and in a display unlike anything I've ever seen, tore the title belt in two. The championship was destroyed. Cueto peered through the venetian blinds of his office, pleased with what he had seen. Suddenly an unexpected presence surprised him and planted him firmly against his desk. It was the mysterious Asian woman TV audiences have seen lurking since the debut of Lucha Underground. She tells Dario she's looking for a man that owes her—a man she swears is inside the Lucha Underground Temple.

One of the slowest installments of Lucha Underground to date, and perhaps my least favorite episode since the show began—nearly four months ago! That's a pretty good record when it comes to must-see wrestling television. While the hour was lacking in adrenaline-pumping excitement, we were privy to a groundbreaking title defense, as well as the first words spoken by the mysterious woman we've seen stalking certain luchadors in the Temple since the debut episode. What will happen now that Cage has destroyed Puma's championship, and incapacitated his mentor Konnan? We'll find out next week on Lucha Underground! Until then this is Mark Adam Haggerty inviting you to keep it here with Cheap-Heat for all the latest and greatest newsworthy nonsense you've come to expect from the wrestling industry.

http://www.cheap-heat.com/viva-la-lucha-libre-lucha-underground-12115/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/viva-la-lucha-libre-lucha-underground-12115/#comments Fri, 23 Jan 2015 01:07:32 +0000 Mark Adam Haggerty Other Reviews Reviews Alberto El Patron Bael Big Ryck Brian Cage Cage Championship Wrestling From Hollywood Chavo Guerrero Jr. Cisco Cortez Dario Cueto Drago Fenix King Cuerno Lucha Libre Mariachi Mariachi Loco Mascarita Sagrada Matt Striker Pentagon Jr. Pimpenela Escarlita Prince Puma Sexy Star Super Fly Vampiro WWE http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=9149 Viva La Lucha Libre Lucha Underground 1/21/15 Written by Mark Adam Haggerty If you're looking for the most up-to-date and consistent coverage of Lucha Libre in America, then you've come to the right place. Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Mark Adam Haggerty and this is "Viva La Lucha Libre"—the once-weekly review and critique chronicling […]

Viva La Lucha Libre
Lucha Underground 1/21/15
Written by Mark Adam Haggerty

If you're looking for the most up-to-date and consistent coverage of Lucha Libre in America, then you've come to the right place. Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Mark Adam Haggerty and this is "Viva La Lucha Libre"—the once-weekly review and critique chronicling the fastest rising wrestling promotion in the industry today, Lucha Underground. A champion was crowned two weeks ago and since then the action has only escalated. How did this week's episode fare by comparison? Let's start talking about the January 21st edition of Lucha Underground.

Lucha Underground begins per usual with a sweeping display of Los Angeles including close-up shots of the US Bank building, the tallest structure in LA. Matt Striker and Vampiro welcome the audience at home while trying to hear themselves speak over the in-house band currently electrifying the faithful inside the Temple. The first match on Lucha Underground this week is a tag team contest pitting the "Crew" of Big Ryck against the colorful duo of Mascarita Sagrada and Pimpenela Escarlata. The Crew consists of Cisco and Cortez, with the enigmatic Bael at ringside as well. Cisco swipes the spotlight from the ring announcer and instructs her to call him Mr. Cisco, and with that the match is underway! Castro Cortez and Mr. Cisco are actually solids hands inside the ring with over a decade of experience each, they might be the last legitimate "journeyman wrestlers" in the industry. Escarlata is by far the most popular Luchador in the match, wowing the Southern California crowd with his seemingly out-of-context repertoire of spectacular stunts. Unfortunately the fiercely formidable team of Sagrada and Escarlata proved no match for the experienced comradery exhibited between Cortez and Cisco. The fancy footwork of Pimpenela Escarlata would be his undoing as Cisco took advantage, lifting the exotico in the air for a stun-gun down onto the knees of Cortez, knocking the air out of Escarlata's lungs and securing the win for the Crew.

Big Ryck who had emerged on the scene halfway through the match entered the ring, cigar-in-hand and ready to deliver a powerful message to the faithful, as well as his cronies standing in the squared circle. Ryck handed his half-smoked cigar to Cisco and proceeded to speak. "I'm here to let every single one of you know," he turned to the Crew, and continued, "Every single one of you. We all must appear, before the judgement—of Big Ryck." With his final words spoken, the Crew launched an unforeseeable assault on their now-former leader, knocking Ryck to the canvas and continuing their onslaught with a kendo stick stashed at ringside. As the brutality ceased, Cisco smoked the cigar Ryck handed him and an even more devious idea dawned on the defunct leader of the Crew. Bael and Cortez used all their might to hold the superheavyweight down to the mat, as Cisco kneeled and lowered the burning ember of the cigar into Ryck's open eye. He held it there against Ryck's thrashing attempts at relief for several seconds, until finally the Crew ceased and exited the Temple. Matt Striker would later tell us that Ryck was off to a nearby hospital and that we'd be updated with his condition, however no news ever came about what would happen to Big Ryck's right eye.

Back from break and Dario Cueto is in his office paying inordinately large sums of money to members of the Crew. He tells them that if they continue watching his back, he'll dig even deeper—presumably for more money, but perhaps a title shot might be in store for members of the Crew? Back at the announce desk and Vampiro has a special interview he filmed with the newest member of the Lucha Underground roster, the man who dismantled Prince Puma after his title match last week with Fenix, Cage. Sitting across from one another, Vampiro has a great interview style that stays objective but pushes boundaries in order to play "devil's advocate." He tells Cage that there's a lot of heat on him, and wants to know what makes him think he deserves a top spot after just one week. Cage tells him that he doesn't care about the heat, that Lucha Underground isn't some high school where he's trying to be the most popular wrestler, and that his time is now. Vampiro scorns the dangerous monster once more saying, "I look at you and all I see is a kid with big arms and a big ego." Cage tells him that anyone who's ever been in the ring with him knows that he's a machine, and even challenged Vampiro to step back inside the ring, should he ever want to try his fate.

The next bout features Super Fly in one-on-one action against the highly skilled Pentagon Jr. Pentagon dominates the entire match, using the ringside environment to his advantage. As Super Fly gets some momentum in his favor, the same mysterious Asian woman from episode's past appears in the crowd, this time wearing a "Staff" t-shirt and a backstage pass around her neck. No time to focus on the questionable curiosities of this unknown entity, as this match is over in just a matter of moments. The more conservatively-styled Pentagon hoisted �Fly into a pile driving predicament, only to secure the legs and deliver a decisive package pile driver. Following the final bell, Pentagon spoke in Spanish although subtitled for us gringos: "I thought Chavo Guerrero was a legend. I thought he could help me. But you know what? He is a fraud! But the more important thing is I know there is someone willing to join forces with me, and is willing to help me! Because I am Pentagon Jr! No Fear!" To whom might the Mexican talent with the Japanese influence be referring? Could the mysterious woman we've seen since day one have anything to do with Pentagon's recent revelation, or might it be Blue Demon—the man who got his revenge against Chavo last week? I suppose it could also always be El Patron, but I imagine he has bigger things in mind when he makes his Lucha Underground debut.

Lucha Underground goes in directions than the WWE would ever dream to, especially in the next matchup of Sexy Star versus Mariachi Loco. Mariachi is an interesting character; described by Striker as an Anaheim waiter, working for tips when he's not working for the fans. Striker even says Mariachi has been known to accept dollar bills from the fans at ringside, but apparently only in contests where he comes out on top. When describing Sexy to the audience at home, Striker makes mention of popular WWE women's champions such as the Fabulous Moolah, Trish Stratus, and Lita—to which Vampiro replies, "What?! Come on. Maybe Moolah." Striker asked Vampiro where he would put Sexy in line with those other competitors, leaving the former Juggalo champion almost speechless, "Uh—I mean, I think Sexy is a little bit beyond…" The match moves forward as Sexy Star lays into Mariachi Loco, maintaining the edge from beginning to end until finally nailing the coffin shut with a variety of fantastical maneuvers, earning the 1-2-3 in the process. I'll be interested to see who Sexy Star is booked against now that her bitter rivalry with Chavo Guerrero has presumably come to an end.

<

The main event has been building since the infantile weeks of Lucha Underground when King Cuerno and Drago were first introduced to the faithful inside the Boyle Heights Temple. Cuerno and Drago each enter with their usual fanfare and ritualistic behaviors until finally this, "Last Luchador Standing" match is set to commence. Almost immediately, the �rudo' known as King Cuerno tosses his adversary onto the arena floor where many of the most compelling moments of their rivalry have already occurred. The ovation from the crowd keeps Drago from losing momentum, but the demonic �tecnico' is soon devastated by Cuerno who performs a beautifully executed running sit-down powerbomb on the outside, a maneuver Matt Striker refers to as a "Bubba Bomb." Striker does that a lot, whether it's on Lucha Underground or Championship Wrestling from Hollywood; he even referred to the double-team finisher by the Crew as a, "3D into a Code Breaker." Call me old fashioned, but I much prefer the technical names given to moves that clearly define the action therein. Both Striker and Vampiro touch upon Cuerno being a hunter, citing examples such as the way he physically dissects Drago from a standing position down to one knee. Drago manages to gain the advantage, but only for a short while as Cuerno's lightning quick reflexes make his dreaded "Arrow from the Depths of Hell" virtually inescapable. Former WWE referee Marty Elias, now serving as Lucha Underground's senior official, begins to count Drago while Cuerno rummages around under the ring in search of a weapon. After more back and forth interplay involving the same sort of table from the previous week, Cuerno finally finds the answer to his problem—rope. Cuerno continued his attack on Drago until he lay defenseless in the ring. King Cuerno strung strand after strand of thick rope around the torso of Drago, effectively tying him to the bottom turnbuckle. Try as he might to escape, there was no hope for Drago as Marty Elias had already reached a count of ten by the time Cuerno finished wrapping his enemy in rope.

Another exciting show on the El Rey Network—perhaps less action-packed than previous episodes, but this week's installment helped to set the stage for several programs going forward. Coming out of tonight's event, Big Ryck has a personal vendetta to settle with The Crew; Pentagon Jr. teased someone "willing to help him" in Lucha Underground; Cage spelled out his agenda for Vampiro; and the rivalry between King Cuerno and Drago has reached an insurmountable climax. What else can we expect from the death-defying Luchadors of what's soon becoming the second most popular wrestling program in America? Join me next week for another edition of "Viva La Lucha Libre."

http://www.cheap-heat.com/lucky-thirteen-2-top-13-years-of-the-past-2-decades/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/lucky-thirteen-2-top-13-years-of-the-past-2-decades/#comments Tue, 13 Jan 2015 02:16:40 +0000 Mark Adam Haggerty Blogs Other Blogs Top Lists 2 Cold Scorpio Adrian Neville AJ Styles Austin Aries Batista Bill Goldberg Bobby Lashley Booker T Bret Hart British Bulldog Bryan Danielson Chris Benoit Chris Jericho Christian Christian Cage Christopher Daniels CM Punk CZW Daniel Bryan Darren Young Dave Batista Davey Boy Smith Davey Richards David Arquette Dean Malenko Degeneration X Dwayne Johnson Eastern Championship Wrestling ECW Eddie Guerrero Edge Elimination Chamber Eric Bischoff Extreme Championship Wrestling Four Horsemen Goldberg Hell in a Cell HHH Hollywood Hogan Impact Jake Roberts Jeff Jarrett Jerry Lawler Kane Ken Shamrock Kevin Nash King Booker King of the Ring Kurt Angle Latino Heat Mankind Matt Sydal Mick Foley Money in the Bank Montreal Screwjob Mr. Perfect New World Order Nigel McGuinness Nitro NJPW NWA NXT One Night Stand Owen Hart Paul Bearer Paul Heyman Perry Saturn Phil Brooks Psycho Sid Radicalz RAW Razor Ramon Ready 2 Rumble Rey Mysterio RF Video Ric Flair Ring of Honor Rob Feinstein Rocky Maivia Roddy Piper ROH Royal Rumble Ryback Sami Zayn Samoa Joe Scott Steiner Sean Waltman Shane Douglas Shane McMahon Shawn Michaels Smackdown Starrcade Stephanie McMahon Steve Austin Stone Cold SummerSlam Survivor Series TAKA Michinoku Ted DiBiase The Alliance The Rock TNA Todd Gordon Total Nonstop Action Triple H UFC Ultimate Warrior Undertaker Vampiro Vince McMahon Vince Russo Wade Barrett WCW Wolfpac Wrestlemania Wrestling Society X WSX WWE WWF XFL http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=8812 Lucky Thirteen #2 Top 13 Years of the Past 2 Decades Written by Mark Adam Haggerty I can’t remember back to a time before I was a wrestling fan. I can recall being six-years-old and thumbing through my parents modest little library of movies, suddenly stumbling upon a set of black Disney-like big boxes that […]

Lucky Thirteen #2
Top 13 Years of the Past 2 Decades
Written by Mark Adam Haggerty

I can’t remember back to a time before I was a wrestling fan. I can recall being six-years-old and thumbing through my parents modest little library of movies, suddenly stumbling upon a set of black Disney-like big boxes that contained the first five Wrestlemanias. From that day I was hooked. I began tuning into WWF Superstars and WCW Saturday Night every single week, and by the spring of 1993 I was begging my parents to order Wrestlemania 9 on pay-per-view. Over the past 20 years I’ve had my share of favorite moments, but I often ask myself, what was the best year in professional wrestling? Maybe not best, but how about the most influential? Most impactful? Okay here it is: What was the Most Important Year since I Became a Fan? When other sites limit their lists to Top Ten, we take it a Step Further with the Lucky Thirteen—counting down the Top Years of the Past 2 Decades.

13. 2003
The list had to start somewhere and after cutting away seven years of nonsense I thought, what better place to begin than with 2003. Looking back I feel as though the year felt much bigger than it really was. Momentous occasions like Wrestlemania XIX and Stone Cold's retirement drew considerable attention but it's hard to isolate many other memorable moments. By this point Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and Ring of Honor were both open and doing business, although nowhere near the level of success that they'd each see within a few short years. WCW had been closed since 2001, so WWE was slowly filtering out the Turner-holdovers and rebranding wrestlers like Booker T and Rey Mysterio as WWE Superstars. Twenty-oh-Three was the year Bill Goldberg made his long-awaited debut on Monday Night Raw where he famously told Dwayne Johnson, "You're next Rock!" In addition to a handful of interesting gimmicks and storylines scattered across the calendar, 2003 featured must-see-TV for anyone curious as to what lurked beneath the red and black mask of "The Devil's Favorite Demon" Kane. While it may appear dull in hindsight, 2003 was a fun time featuring the sex and violence of the Attitude Era, mixed with the incredible in-ring action so many of us value today.

12. 2010
Twenty-Ten proved to be an auspicious time for all wrestling organizations. Wrestlemania 26 featured the final match in the venerable career of "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels when he failed to defeat The Undertaker in Glendale. But as one man's career ended, eight more were just getting started; the initial NXT program was a far cry from the extraordinary show we see each week on the WWE Network, but it did introduce the WWE Universe to Superstars such as Ryback, Wade Barrett, Darren Young, and even the future WWE World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan. Twenty-Ten was the year in which the unimaginable happened when Bret "The Hitman" Hart made his return to WWE television after a thirteen year hiatus. But 2010 was big for the competition as well. Not only were independent promotions the world-over hitting their stride due to the added exposure brought-on by social media, but TNA was enjoying one of its most visible years to date thanks to signing Hulk Hogan, Eric Bischoff and a number of other established talents. In addition to inflating their roster, TNA made several changes to their product; they would begin to implement a traditional four-sided ring, and even attempted to compete live on Monday's with WWE Raw. The year 2010 was an exciting time for wrestling fans across the planet, and is the most modern year on my countdown.

11. 2007
It’s true that 2007 can hardly be considered a great year for professional wrestling, let alone the WWE. For a while it seemed that active wrestlers appeared on Nancy Grace more than they ever did on Raw or Smackdown. But if I'm here to countdown the most important years in wrestling, this certainly had its share of newsworthy events. In the summer of 2007, the WWE suspended more than half of its active roster in response to a litany of wellness violations for a variety of substances, most notably Human Growth Hormone. This year was historic for being the official end of "The Ruthless Aggression Era"—a period of time significant for exposing younger talent and transitioning the product out of the overtly controversial Attitude Era. In 2007 TNA expanded its flagship show IMPACT to two hours and embarked on what would be a defining age for the promotion. One of my favorite events in history happened in 2007, "The King of Europe Cup." The �Cup was a one-off event that took place over a two day period in the United Kingdom. A must-watch event that is readily available on YouTube and features well-known workers such as Adrian Neville, Sami Zayn, Matt Sydal, Davey Richards and a man who won the ROH World title in 2007—Nigel McGuinness. Sadly it's safe to say the most infamous moments of 2007 occurred between June 22nd and June 25th as the world became aware of the chilling circumstances surrounding Nancy, Daniel, and of course "The Crippler" Chris Benoit. Unfortunately for all of the positives, 2007 will forever be marred by the heinous actions of a troubled man that led to irreparable changes across the industry and what has been dubbed, "The PG Era."

10. 2006
It would appear as though 2006 was the last year representing any semblance of what was once regarded as a pop culture phenomenon. The ECW One Night Stand pay-per-view the previous year was such a success that WWE officials opted to resurrect Extreme Championship Wrestling complete with a one-hour timeslot on the Sci-Fi Channel. Edge and Rey Mysterio each made history in 2006 by becoming world champion; first Edge at New Years' Revolution and then Rey at Wrestlemania 22 in Chicago. Poised to be a contributing factor in the �New ECW', former champion Kurt Angle shocked the world in 2006 when he signed with TNA Wrestling. This year was famous for launching the career of current TNA Champion Bobby Lashley, as well as helping to define that of former Ring of Honor World Champion CM Punk. There were over a dozen debuts throughout the year due to ECW on Sci-Fi and Smackdown's "New Superstar Initiative." In Ring of Honor, the world title picture was dominated by Bryan Danielson who secured his spot atop the card from September 2005 until December 2006. In addition to WWE and TNA, MTV delivered an over the top unreal wrestling experience known as "Wrestling Society X." WSX only lasted one short season but familiarized fans with future names such as Matt Sydal and reintroduced established stars like Sean Waltman and Vampiro. Twenty-oh-Six was a great year for good storytelling that included Vince McMahon's rivalry with Shawn Michaels, Booker T becoming King Booker, and the continuing drama between Edge and John Cena. Rounding out the top ten, 2006 was an enjoyable year without much in the way of defining moments but never short on excitement.

9. 2000
When the new millennium dawned on the world of professional wrestling, so too did a number of landmark milestones and controversial occurrences. WCW released the unsuccessful "Ready 2 Rumble," starring a variety of World Championship Wrestling athletes and the man who would soon become WCW Champion—David Arquette. Not only was 2000 the year all WCW titles would be stripped and reassigned, it was also the year in which the World Championship was devalued and strapped to a B-list Hollywood celebrity. But not all was bad in the world of sports and entertainment as 2000 marked the first time Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson hosted Saturday Night Live, which he did to rave reviews. While Eric Bischoff returned to WCW, a new set of "Radicalz" debuted in the WWF; Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, Perry Saturn and Dean Malenko all jumped ship and began appearing on WWF TV in the early months of the new millennium. The Year Two-Thousand was a defining era for the Undertaker who chose this year to swap his demonic demeanor for the apparel of the "American Badass." Hulk Hogan would say his final goodbye to his WCW fans thanks to a scenario gone wrong involving the Hulkster, Jeff Jarrett, and head-writer Vince Russo. An exciting year for wrestling of course with Kurt Angle capturing his first of many world titles, but perhaps the biggest thing to happen in 2000 was the debut of Vince McMahon's now defunct football league—The XFL. Whether you're a football fan or an admirer of the "Scream" film franchise, 2000 had something for everybody to get excited about.

8. 2005
If ever a year signaled things to come it was 2005. For fans of the WWE, 2005 was the year Monday Night Raw returned home to the USA Network after a five year run on Spike TV. Two first-time world champions were crowned at Wrestlemania—John Cena and Dave Batista. But TNA had its own share of successes in 2005: the company made its highly anticipated debut on Spike TV; Christopher Daniels, AJ Styles, and Samoa Joe had the only 5-Star Triple Threat Match in history; and Christian Cage signed a deal, opening the gates to a deluge of ex-WWE Superstars. ECW was in the midst of a resurrection that would culminate in 2006, but 2005 was the year the WWE hosted the first "ECW One Night Stand," in New York City. On the independent scene, a former backyard wrestler named Phil Brooks won the ROH World Heavyweight Championship from the highly decorated Austin Aries, thus placing CM Punk on WWE's radar. Later that year another future WWE Champion would capture the ROH World Title and hold it for over four hundred days—"The American Dragon" Bryan Danielson. Back in the WWE, six daring individuals were getting ready to introduce the world to "Money in the Bank," and later that year Shawn Michaels faced Hulk Hogan for the first time ever at Summerslam. Chris Jericho was fired by Eric Bischoff and then Bischoff himself was released resulting in Eric leaving the arena in the back of a garbage truck. But even in the silliest of times, sadness rears its ugly head and it was in 2005 that the world was forced to say goodbye to the former WWE Champion, "Latino Heat" Eddie Guerrero. From the highs to the lows, 2005 was an important year that no one will ever forget.

7. 1994
Not such an enormous year for the industry-leading WWF, but a landmark time period for much of the competition. Having survived his battle with the US Government, Vince McMahon was back in full control of his company; 1994 was the year of Wrestlemania X and the infamous bout between Razor Ramon and Shawn Michaels that would set the bar for ladder matches to come. The Undertaker mysteriously disappeared at the Royal Rumble and come Summerslam, the WWF fans were privy to not one—but TWO Undertakers! Of course this was the year that the Hart Family rivalry between Bret and Owen kicked into high gear, including a match of the year contender at Wrestlemania and a championship cage match at Summerslam. But outside the confines of the WWF, events began to take place that would lay the foundation for the Attitude Era. The NWA was the longstanding governing body of professional wrestling in the United States and Japan for several decades. In 1994 the NWA title was to be decided in Philadelphia at Todd Gordon's Eastern Championship Wrestling, with Shane Douglas set to win the gold. Instead Douglas disregarded the title, disgracing the NWA in the process by claiming he would not represent a company that, "died, R.I.P. seven years ago!" ECW broke away from the NWA and declared themselves Extreme Championship Wrestling with "The Franchise" as their champion. Down in WCW, Eric Bischoff was moving ahead by leaps and bounds thanks to an array of positive changes in production, including the debut of WCW Saturday Night at Disney's MGM Studios in Orlando. But perhaps there was nothing in '94 as monumental as when WCW signed Hulk Hogan. Bischoff wasted no time in booking the dream contest WWF refused to feature at Wrestlemania VIII two years earlier. In his debut match alongside Mr. T and Shaquille O'Neil, Hulk Hogan defeated "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair for the WCW Title. Who's to say if things had gone differently in �94, the industry of today might be something else entirely.

6. 1998
The Attitude Era might have started in �97, but 1998 was the year in which the world was introduced to the brand new World Wrestling Federation. WCW turned up the heat on the competition by introducing a brand new Thursday night program on TBS titled, "Thunder." This was the year that saw The Four Horsemen reunite on Monday Nitro including Ric Flair who had since left the company. The NWO was continuing to grow and would eventually split into two entities: NWO Hollywood with Hulk Hogan, and NWO Wolfpac lead by Kevin Nash. WCW cornered the video game market in �98 with one of the most prolific wrestling games in history—WCW/NWO Revenge for the Nintendo 64. Over in the �Federation, Superstars were beginning to get "hardcore" and a new title with a 24/7 stipulation was introduced on TV. Not only were the �falls' taking place backstage and in the audience, but from on top of the Hell in a Cell as Mick Foley was launched from the structure, and then drilled through it at the 1998 King of the Ring. WCW continued to beat the WWF in the Monday Night War due to a consistent strategy based on booking their top matches on cable, rather than pay-per-view. Bill Goldberg, who had already made a name for himself by maintaining an unprecedented winning streak made history when he became the WCW World Heavyweight Champion. But Bill was far from the only bald-headed badass to win gold in 1998. Earlier that year, Stone Cold Steve Austin captured his first world title after defeating Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania XIV in Boston. It was a profitable year for all wrestling companies including ECW, but 1998 would be the last year WCW would succeed in dominating the WWF in the ratings.

5. 1996
Maybe it's because Shawn Michaels' boyhood dream came true at Wrestlemania XII; or the initial formation of the NWO at Bash at the Beach; even the insane rivalry between "The Excellence of Execution" and "The Texas Rattlesnake." Whatever it was, my personal favorite year in professional wrestling was 1996. The spring began with a bang as Scott Hall made his first appearance on Turner Television, joined just a few weeks later by Kevin Nash. In June of 1996, Stone Cold Steve Austin broke from Ted DiBiase and became the King of the Ring; during his royal coronation, Stone Cold uttered a phrase that would change his career forever—"Austin 3:16 says I just whipped your ass!" But just as heels began to turn face, so did longtime heroes turn to the dark side. Along with the debut of the New World Order was the introduction of the evil Hollywood Hogan, who won the WCW title in August 1996 and held it just six days shy of one year. The Survivor Series that fall was famous for memorable main event matches as well as a number of debuts including that of the first ever third generation WWF Superstar, Rocky Maivia. Paul Bearer made the turn on �Taker in favor of the far more deranged Mankind; The Ultimate Warrior and Jake Roberts returned for a short period, each feuding with Jerry Lawler; Roddy Piper was featured on both WWF Wrestlemania and WCW Starrcade; ECW was beginning to break out nationwide. But most importantly—the Monday Night War was just getting underway. WCW debuted Nitro on TNT in the autumn of �95, and it was in 1996 that WCW finally succeeded in stealing Vince McMahon's spotlight.

4. 2001
In terms of the industry changing forever, 2001 might have been the most cataclysmic year in wrestling history. It was this year that WCW fans became aware of what was to become of their preferred promotion. Although many familiar faces were involved in negotiating the resurrection of WCW, it was Vince McMahon who purchased his competition for a mere $2.2 million dollars—a price that included licensing, tape libraries, and the contracts belonging to twenty-two WCW performers. In addition to the end of World Championship Wrestling, Paul Heyman signed a deal with Vince McMahon in 2001 some months after ECW was unseated by the WWF as Spike TV's premier wrestling program. The World Wrestling Federation was the winner of the Monday Night War and the Attitude Era was at an end. The summer of 2001 was highlighted by the Invasion storyline featuring an enormity of former WCW and ECW talents rallying together against the WWF with Shane and Stephanie McMahon leading the charge. This would be the year that Stone Cold Steve Austin would turn heel twice, first by joining forces with Vince McMahon at Wrestlemania and then by turning on the WWF and joining the Alliance. Speaking of Wrestlemania, Houston hosted the Seventeenth annual extravaganza—an event like none other that included the highly revered TLC triple threat tag match won by Edge and Christian. On September 13th, Vince McMahon and the WWF Superstars set a national precedent by appearing in Texas just days removed from the World Trade Center attacks in what Vince called, "the largest public gathering of its size since the events of Tuesday." In December of 2001 the two world titles were unified in a competition that would see Chris Jericho beat The Rock as well as Steve Austin in the same night to become the first ever Undisputed WWF Champion in history. The year 2001 was a peculiar period for the wrestling industry as it was the only year in which the WWF was faced with no immediate competition.

3. 1999
With the Attitude Era in full swing, 1999 was an enormous year for the WWF both inside the squared circle as well as on Wall Street. The WWF became the first wrestling promotion in history to go public in 1999, and followed the success with a series of groundbreaking business decisions still in effect today. The company introduced Smackdown on the UPN Network on Thursday Nights as competition to WCW's Thunder on the TBS Superstation. The Rock was enjoying his inaugural championship title reign and would face Steve Austin for their first of three �Mania encounters at Wrestlemania XV in Philadelphia. Unfortunately the good can often be overshadowed by the tragic; on May 23, 1999 the world of professional wrestling lost one of its favorite stars when Owen Hart fell to his death in Kansas City, Missouri. Owen will never be forgotten as his passing was one of the most earth-shattering moments in history—wrestling or otherwise. Behind the scenes, longtime WWF head writer Vince Russo had become disenfranchised by the �Federation and jumped ship to rival WCW where Eric Bischoff was forcibly removed from his post as president. As WCW struggled during turbulent times, the WWF continued to prosper with the continuation of the McMahon/Austin saga, the further explored escapades of Degeneration X, and the debuts of The Big Show and Chris Jericho. The WWF would experience its first Monday night ratings victory since 1996 when Mick Foley defeated The Rock for the WWF Heavyweight Championship on a taped episode of Raw airing January 4th 1999. Titles changed hands that same night on TNT when Hollywood Hogan won the WCW title from Kevin Nash for a fifth time thanks to a booking misstep nicknamed "The Finger Poke of Doom." The Land of Extreme was also abuzz in �99 as this was the year ECW would debut on national cable television thanks to The Nashville Network, soon-to-be-known as Spike TV. The last year of the 20th Century was a period of growth for the WWF, but proved to be an unpredictable era for WCW, making it difficult to compete in the coming years of the new millennium.

2. 2002
If 2001 was the end of an era, 2002 was the dawning of a new age across the varied landscape of professional wrestling. The WWF began by changing its name to World Wrestling Entertainment in light of a conflict regarding the World Wildlife Fund. The campaign was dubbed "Get the �F' Out" and would help introduce audiences to an entirely new breed of "Ruthless Aggression," in the now-WWE. Two new promotions would rise from the ashes of the fallen WCW and ECW. There was former WCW Champion Jeff Jarrett's Southern-based Total Nonstop Action Wrestling—a subsidiary of the National Wrestling Alliance. TNA was originally intended to be a pay-per-view only promotion hosting ten dollar events once a week. In 2002 they crowned their very first Heavyweight Champion, former UFC and WWF competitor "The World's Most Dangerous Man" Ken Shamrock. Meanwhile RF Video—a pro wrestling video distribution company, was looking for a new promotion now that ECW was gone. Rather than working with established groups such as CZW, RF owner Rob Feinstein founded Ring of Honor and ran their first event, "The Era of Honor Begins" in April 2002. Back in the WWE, the entire roster was split into two warring halves—one set for Smackdown and the other relegated to Raw. The year was infamous for the seemingly relentless parade of surprise appearances that lasted the entirety of 2002. Former Superstars like Mr. Perfect and Scott Steiner became part of the current roster once more; Eric Bischoff debuted as the new General Manager of Monday Night Raw; the NWO opened No Way Out; but perhaps most surprising of all was the return of Shawn Michaels after more than four years away from the ring. Michaels captured the World Heavyweight Championship in the first ever Elimination Chamber Match when he defeated five other superstars including Triple H. Maybe one of the greatest years in the past two decades, but not quite number one.

1. 1997
The Number One Year of the Past Two Decades is 1997, and it shouldn’t be hard to see why. This year was the official launch of The Attitude Era in the WWF, signifying Vince McMahon's intention to compete with WCW on a whole new level. The competition didn't waiver however, as World Championship Wrestling was eager to meet the demand of audiences across the world. The "New Generation" made way for D-Generation X, a heel group similar to the NWO featuring Shawn Michaels and Triple H at the forefront. It was DX at the center of one of the most scandalous nights in wrestling—"The Montreal Screwjob." WCW was having its best year since Eric Bischoff took control of the company and bested their direct competition every week thanks to compelling storylines and the introduction of a former Atlanta Falcon named Bill Goldberg. The NWO storyline had yet to run its course and was complimented by the slow-build and impending confrontation between Hollywood Hogan and Sting at Starrcade. The Undertaker would become the WWF Champion for the first time in nearly six years when he defeated Psycho Sid at Wrestlemania XIII in Chicago, the same night Bret Hart and Steve Austin would wrestle their Match of the Year to a stunning conclusion. Paul Heyman's third party promotion dubbed Extreme Championship Wrestling would present their first ever pay-per-view event Barely Legal thanks in part to the promotion they received during the ECW Invasion of Monday Night Raw. The WWF became far more innovative during this period and introduced audiences to the Hell in a Cell and by circumstance the demonic younger brother of the Dead Man, Kane. It was also in 1997 that a hapless play-by-play announcer named Vince McMahon became one of the most detestable villains in professional wrestling history. The WWF would also begin debuting a number of midcard titles including the European Championship first held by The British Bulldog, and the Light Heavyweight Championship won by Taka Michinoku. WCW continued to maintain their edge in the ratings due to quality in-ring performances as well as plot twists and surprise appearances from WWF Superstars-turned-WCW Big Boys. It's not really a question: when asked about the single most action-packed and influential year from the past two decades of wrestling, I don't hesitate when I say 1997.

Conclusion
This list is ripe for discussion and debate, just as any other countdown featured in The Lucky Thirteen. You might agree, you probably disagree, I may have even listed your favorite year toward the bottom. It’s nothing personal, I promise. This list lives outside of the WWE Universe, but is of course greatly influenced by it. In regards to not including 2014, I didn’t want to include a year that hadn't yet concluded when I began compiling my information. I will say however with NJPW, the birth of the WWE Network, the salvation of TNA, and the first ROH Classic PPV, 2014 is sure to climb higher than any other year of the “Reality Era.” Whatever your feelings may be, I hope to see you again next week for another exciting countdown exclusively at Cheap-Heat. My name is Mark Adam Haggerty and this has been—The Lucky Thirteen.