ВЎFeliz DГa de Gracias, mis amigos! It’s Thanksgiving here in the United States, and today we’re fixing to talk turkey about some Mexican-American Lucha Libre competition courtesy of the El Rey Network. This week’s show seemed a bit slow compared to previous episodes in my opinion, but served to help connect various athletes in new and interesting ways.
After a sweeping display of Downtown Los Angeles to set the scene, we are lead into the grime-covered back office of Lucha Underground’s owner Dario Cueto. Dario seems far more troubled than he has in weeks past, and perhaps that’s because he’s getting closer to the action than he ever expected. Konnan is odd to figure out—and I like that! He dips in and out of defined character archetypes such as hero and villain. Konnan had some health issues in years past, and I’m not positive on where he is medically. That being said, and perhaps it was just the stylized lighting, but he looked horribly unhealthy throughout the entire segment. His skin was so pale that it almost appeared green and his eyes seemed even smoggier than the LA skyline. Granted, that could be due to the natural medicine available in Southern California. Nonetheless, I questioned his decision to ultimately accept Dario’s cocktail offer after undergoing a kidney transplant in 2007. I was intrigued when Konnan first mentioned the “Boyle Heights Street Fight,” and even more so taken with Konnan’s apparent loyalty to Prince Puma despite his working arrangement with Cueto.
We’re played into our first lucha by the same house band we were introduced to last week, and I believe tonight may have been the first time Matt Striker named the ring announcer—Melissa Santos. The opening contest featured my least favorite member of the Lucha Underground roster, as many of you may well know, Mil Muerte. While I’m generally unenthused to see him in the ring, I found at least some comfort in that he was booked first and I wouldn’t have to see him for very long. I was genuinely surprised to see Drago standing across from Muerte tonight, as Drago doesn’t strike me as the kind of character who should necessarily be fed to the monstrous Mil. But by taking down Blue Demón in his debut match, Muerte has already set a precedent as the newest “legend killer” in wrestling. This was a squash match, although Drago achieved more offense on Muerte than did previous challengers. Toward the tail end of the bout, cameras picked up King Cuerno perched high above the ring, looking down at Muerte and Drago. After stalking his prey for a moment, the hunter entered the ring and attacked Drago.
One of the few criticisms I have of Lucha Underground is in the callbacks to the WWE and previously established talent. Johnny Mundo says that he’s gone by many names, and has refused to play games or kiss ass along the way. John Morrison always struck me as a company man, so I feel as though some more realistic dialogue could have been written for the former 3-time intercontinental champion. Another backstage segment airs with Dario Cueto approaching Mil Muerte, prompting his ‘handler’ to tell Cueto, “You can’t keep the darkness locked away forever.”
It’s good to see Matt Cross on national television again. I missed seeing him on Wrestling Society X, and I’m enjoying his Son of Havoc gimmick alongside former NXT Diva Ivelisse. His opponent this evening is the mini Luchador Mascarita Sagrada—who is rocking some excellent entrance music. Another fun contest serving to embarrass Havoc. At one point, an unnamed woman appeared at the top of the entrance stairway. She didn’t say anything and didn’t interfere with the match, but most certainly made an impact. At one point Sagrada attempted an over-the-top rope senton splash on Ivelisse, but appeared to come up a bit short, landing on his head. As the masked mini chased Havoc’s valet around the ring, Matt Striker noted, “Normally this is what I watch on the Internet!” And people wonder why he doesn’t do New Japan commentary. After his match versus Sexy Star on the debut edition of Lucha Underground, Havoc was especially eager to earn a victory. However embarrassment befell the masked bearded one once again, as he suffered a loss to the near 50 year old 4 foot tall superstar, Segrada.
I’m never a fan of intergender wrestling, but Lucha Underground does it in a completely different way than I could’ve ever conceived. As Chavo Guerrero and Sexy Star get set to do battle, the commentators make very little mention of their physical inequalities. They treat the match the same as they would had a heavyweight been wrestling a cruiserweight. That being said, it wasn’t a very good match. But that’s perhaps due in part to the personal rivalry which ultimately prompted Star to equip herself with a steel chair against Chavo. PentagГіn Jr. makes his way to the ring where he and Chavo double-team their adversary, until she is saved by the high flying FГ©nix. The events that transpired after the match were far more enjoyable than the contest between Chavo and Sexy Star.
It’s time for the Boyle Heights Street Fight! Big Ryck makes his entrance alongside his cronies Cortes and Cisco. I noticed at the beginning of this match that Vampiro speaks quite a bit of Spanglish for a Canadian. I really enjoy the Prince Puma character because the company seems to rally behind perhaps the most deserving talent on the roster—Ricochet. Ryck takes control early and maintains dominance throughout the majority of the fall. The deck is stacked high against Puma, leaving him with no option other than to overcome the odds. At one point, Cisco threw a trashcan from the floor into the ring and clipped the referee. This was the beginning of the end for this match. As more weapons were introduced, Johnny Mundo appeared in an effort to even the odds and save his friend. Sadly for the Shaman of Sexy, his efforts were thwarted by the crafty combination of Big Ryck, Cortes and Cisco. By the end of the broadcast, Prince Puma was driven directly through a table, with Vampiro blaming Johnny Mundo from the sidelines. The villains have won the battle once again.
This was an important show because it helped link separate programs and rivalries with seemingly unconnected characters. Being that this show is produced more like a television series and less like a sports broadcast, it’s easy to assume that the entire three seasons to which Lucha Undergound is committed are already written. This is a tremendous advantage because it allows producers the opportunity to book according to the outcome of a long-term program, rather than relying on new information from week to week. The show is continuing to grow in outstanding ways, leading me to look forward to writing this review each and every week. Sometimes, sitting down to discuss certain events can be tedious. But so far, I’ve had a blast covering Lucha Underground and I can’t wait until next week. Until then, I’m Mark Haggerty—have a safe and happy Thanksgiving weekend!
