We are getting closer to the season finale of Lucha Underground dubbed "Ultima Lucha," but where does the company go from there? Rumors have been running rampant regarding the potential future of Lucha Underground and what might become of its current incarnation. Speculation aside, I wish nothing but the best for a truly innovative promotion that delivers on a weekly basis. This week's entire hour was dedicated to one match, the first thing this has happened since the show debuted last summer.
This week's episode of Lucha Underground begins with a montage explaining the legacy of Johnny Mundo inside the Boyle Heights Temple. Johnny has been taunted and teased in previous months, the world title alluding him by inches the whole time. Johnny has competed in cage matches, ladder matches, and the inaugural "Aztec Warfare" competition to crown the first ever champion. Tonight is another first for Lucha Underground, when Johnny heads into battle against Prince Puma in an Iron Man Match. The �Temple is rocking, as is the custom, this week swaying to the sexy sounds of Mexican Dubwiser, an eclectic group of guys wearing Nazi caps and aviator sunglasses. Speaking of SEXY, Vampiro introduces himself as well as his "Sexy Partner," Matt Striker. You really get the feeling that these two men get a kick out of working together. Vampiro has been doing commentary south of the border for years, whereas Striker came through the WWE system. When positioned side by side, I dare say they are one of the best twosomes in the industry. Just my opinion though. They throw it to the action almost immediately, because this Iron Man competition will need the entire hour.
"The following match is �One Match, One Show: All Night Long," Melissa Santos introduced the world championship match, starting with the diabolical challenger Johnny Mundo. For my money, this could be John Hennigan's first time playing a heel since he was ECW champion in 2007. This match begins as soon as Prince Puma enters the arena, with both individuals jockeying for an early advantage. The number one contender to the Lucha Underground title is Drago, who will most certainly be watching this match with intent, eager for his opportunity at "Ultima Lucha" later this summer. Puma is the first man to be swept off his feet, and may have even gone into this bout a little over confident. The first man to early a decision will have a particular edge over his opponent; theoretically, the first man to earn a pin fall or submission, would merely have to keep his distance for the remainder of the match. Back and forth they go, with the fans battle chanting "Puma" versus "Mundo." They head to the outside and Johnny misses a dive, on which Puma capitalizes with a plancha of his own. The fans are going wild, and for the first time in this match, one man is decisively in control.
We head into a commercial break, and when the action returns, Prince Puma is still in control, and the fans are chanting: "This is awesome." Puma attempts a pin, but it's no use and the score remains tied at zero-zero. If this was tennis, it would be "Love-All." That is until the first decision in the match! Puma caught Johnny in a tight victory roll, and earned a victory thanks to referee Marty Elias. Puma mocked Johnny by holding up one finger on his right hand, and a zero with the left. Mundo resorts to dirty tactics to regain the advantage and kicks the aggression up from a six to a ten. Just over ten minutes in and Johnny is eager to earn a pin fall, but can't seem to get it done. He continues the onslaught for a number of two counts, before finally pinning puma with the help of the ring ropes.
Puma powerbombed Mundo through—a box? Like—a wooden crate at ringside? Peculiar, but it warranted a "Holy Shit" chant from the crowd. Prince Puma and Johnny Mundo remained tied at one-a-piece for a mere matter of moments before Mundo picked up another fall by smacking Puma across the face with a crowbar. Once again, the audience chanted "Holy Shit," unbelieving the lengths the former member of MNM was willing to go. The champion was now trailing 2-to-1 with about 40 minutes remaining in the bout. Mundo took immediate advantage of Puma as soon as he reached his feet by hitting Puma with his "Moonlight Drive" signature move. Another pinfall for Johnny! The champion was now trailing by two points, and the audience began to chant "Johnny Mundo."
Mundo hit the top rope for the "End of the World," and earned a fourth pinfall. When does the "Slaughter Rule," come into effect? Maybe Puma made a mistake by not allowing Konnan to accompany him to ringside. Puma was out, seemingly unconscious, when Johnny demanded a bottle of water from the timekeeper. Puma digs deep and tries to come back at Mundo, who's leading him by an astounding margin, that I cant recall ever seeing in an Iron Man match.
Mundo decides to take this match further than any competitor inside the Temple, and that includes individuals such as Mil Muertes and Angelico! He assembles a set of tables on the floor of the arena, just beneath the awning over the ground-level entrance. (For those that might not watch the show, there are two entrances in Lucha Underground. One is the usual staircase, the other is underneath the audience) Johnny climbed a ladder to the tip-top balcony area of the arena, preparing to strike from an elevated perch. Puma was playing possum though! That, or he was once again able to summon enough strength to fight back. He climbed up after Johnny and the two fought clear into the crowd.
The "Faithful" are cheering for both men, who are putting their lives on the line to compete for the richest prize in Lucha Underground. Puma hits Mundo with a Diamond Cutter-like maneuver on the staircase and hightails it back to the ring. He goes underneath the ring and returns with ANOTHER table! He sets the third on top of the other two, and repeats the process until four tables are stacked two-by-two. Puma climbed back up the balcony and returned the stairs; he attempted to Superplex Mundo, but Johnny fought back and super kicked Puma off the balcony. Puma avoided the tables, and Mundo followed after. He used his expert parkour abilities to "Mario Wall Jump" up to the Bandstand where Mexican Dubwiser is still standing. Mundo acquires the live microphone and speaks to the �Faithful' in attendance: "Hola! Look at the score board! Mundo—four; Puma—ONE!" Johnny is obviously attempting to waste time with a mere 20-minutes left in the match. He tells Mexican Dubwiser to play a song. Matt Striker refers to the lead singer as "M. Bison," so I guess they aren't dressed like Nazis. They're dressed like Street Fighter?
"Hey Bison I know you like to look at yourself, so look at this!" – That's me paraphrasing Jean Claude Van Dam as Colonel Guile to Raul Julia as M. Bison in "Streetfighter." And then Guile did the old hand in the crux of the arm "Fuck You" sign language move. Nicely played, Capcom. Very nice.
The band begins to play as Puma tries to regain his composure. Johnny Mundo is up in the bandstand with �Dubwiser, drinking water and taking a breath. He dances to the music while the fans boo. Puma climbs the ladder and Mundo throws a bottle of water at him, and then attempts to knock him off the ladder with a 2×4. Puma evades the actions and makes it to the top, where he proceeds to strike Mundo with Bison's Mexican flag guitar. It's not wrestling without a superfluous guitar shot! Puma tackled Mundo from up on high, and both men spilled over the edge and through the four folding tables positioned below. The fans chanted, but more importantly, Matt Striker screamed: "HOLY SHIT" on headset. Regardless of how popular Puma's actions might be, he's still trailing by three falls with just over 10 minutes left to go.
We head into commercial and once we return, both men are still struggling to breathe, but Puma is the first to his feet. He struggles to drag Johnny to the ring—the only location where pin falls matter in this outlandish competition. Once they return the ring, Puma is able to capitalize on the carnage to cut the lead in half, and forge a new score of four-to-two. These daring individuals fight back and forth, tooth and nail, and hammer away with closed fists and clotheslines. Puma scores a third pin fall with a GTS into a spinning Michinoku Driver. Johnny is just one point ahead—meaning Puma must earn two more falls, if he wants to regain his championship. Johnny is thrown into the ropes, and catches himself, and hits the outside arena. He flips Puma the bird, and refuses to return, knowing full well that he can win this match by running away from Puma. He runs into the crowd and Puma is forced to chase after him. Mundo continues to run away, until an altercation behind the announce desk affords Puma the chance to catch him, and the champion prepares to deliver his patented multiple-rotation senton bomb. Mundo moved however, and ran back up the staircase, while Puma lay motionless in the ring.
Mundo thought he had the match won, when an unseen individual struck him from behind—it was ALBERTO EL PATRON!! The man that Mundo disrespected and tossed through a glass window! Patron attacked Johnny and sent him back down to the ring with a kick to the face. Patron threw Johnny into the barricade, into the announce desk, and put the screws to him on the outside. Puma was able to capitalize with a springboard 450 splash, tying the score at four a piece with a little more than four minutes remaining. The action is fast and furious with either man afforded the same opportunity to become champion in a matter of moments. Johnny attempted a top rope moonsault, but Puma moved and Johnny fell flat on his back. Thirty seconds remained and Prince Puma looked around the arena. He climbed to the top rope and hit the senton with expert precision, leading the bout for the first time since the initial victory roll that earned him his first fall. Six seconds later, the bell rang and Prince Puma is your official winner.
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