Lucha Underground – September 19, 2018: The Moth Effect
IMG Credit: Lucha Underground
Lucha Underground
Date: September 19, 2018
Location: Lucha Underground Temple, Los Angeles, California
Commentators: Vampiro, Matt Striker
It’s another big match tonight with Lucha Underground Champion El Dragon Azteca Jr. defending against Marty the Moth Martinez, who bought his shot at the title last week. Martinez also asked Antonio Cueto for something else, which wasn’t specified but sounded Matanza related. Let’s get to it.
Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.
The opening recap looks at Fenix going evil and the Gift of the Gods Title match.
Fenix vs. Aerostar
Melissa Santos is understandably upset to have to introduce Fenix. Aerostar doesn’t want to fight so Fenix kicks him in the face and takes him into the corner for another one. The fans are split (because they’re odd around here) as Aerostar gets two off a sunset flip. Fenix bails to the floor so Aerostar hits a big springboard dive to take him down. That’s about it for Aerostar’s offense as Fenix sends him into the post, stares at Melissa, and sends Aerostar back inside for two off a springboard splash.
A LOUD kick to the back gets two and the fans are actually cringing. Aerostar is right back with a Canadian Destroyer and a slingshot DDT for two of his own but Fenix shrugs off some kicks to the face. Fenix puts him on top and hits a quick dropkick, followed by the Muscle Buster driver for the pin at 6:23.
Rating: C-. This was a fine way to establish Fenix as the monster and that’s the right idea. Having him shove Melissa last week was a great way to start things off and having him win a competitive match is fine. You know this is going somewhere big for Ultima Lucha and I’m curious to see where that exactly is.
Post match Fenix stays on Aerostar and Melissa says this isn’t him. Dragon Azteca Jr. comes out to get between Fenix and Melissa so Fenix gives him the Muscle Buster driver on the floor. That’s some pretty bad timing as Antonio comes out to say the title match is next, but Dragon will have to forfeit. Dragon wants to fight so let’s have the match.
Gift of the Gods Title: Dragon Azteca Jr. vs. Marty Martinez
Dragon is defending and Marty runs him over without much effort. The beating is on in the corner and Dragon can barely do anything. Some kicks to the head stagger Marty for a few moments but he avoids a charge and Dragon gets caught in the corner. Dragon shoves him off the top and hits a slingshot hurricanrana though, followed by the DDTJ for two. Not that it matters as the implant double arm DDT gives Marty the pin and the title at 4:44.
Rating: D+. There wasn’t much of a way that you could have Dragon keep the title here. He wasn’t the most thrilling champion in the world and someone taking his title, especially by cheating, was the right way to go. Throw in the Fenix attack before the match and there was little reason to buy the idea that Dragon was retaining here.
Paul London finally gets to see the White Rabbit and says that having the failures of the tribe being sacrificed were to prove his loyalty. The White Rabbit wants to go to the surface along with El Bunny (a masked mini), telling London to lead the cage.
Lucha Underground Title: Pentagon Dark vs. Mil Muertes vs. King Cuerno
Dark is defending. Muertes wastes no time in clotheslining both of them in the corner before throwing Cuerno into a different corner. A double dropkick puts Muertes on the floor, only to have Pentagon chop the post by mistake. Muertes is right back with a running clothesline to Pentagon as the mask is half ripped off. That’s not enough for Muertes, who throws Pentagon into the crowd before going back inside to get kicked by Cuerno.
Pentagon runs back in to break up a cover off a powerslam and kicks Muertes in the face a few times. The Sling Blade sets up a top rope double stomp for two as Cuerno is back in. A chokeslam puts him down so pentagon kicks Muertes to the floor, setting up the Fear Factor to pin Cuerno at 6:03.
Rating: C+. I could have gone for more of this as the three of them get to beat the heck out of each other, which they can do as well as anyone else on the roster. That makes for an entertaining match, which really could have gone on longer. Pentagon continues to survive as champion in one of the more entertaining stories of the season.
Lucha Underground Title: Pentagon Dark vs. Marty Martinez
Marty is challenging and Pentagon is dead. An early cover is only good for two and the beating is on. Marty even ties the mask to the ropes and hammers away but Pentagon gets out and hits a quick Destroyer. With Marty on the floor, cue the debuting (and unnamed) Chelsea Green for a Destroyer of her own to Pentagon. Marty comes back in and hits a Fear Factor of his own for the pin and the title at 3:36.
Rating: D. Angle instead of a match here and the right way this needed to end. You can only have Pentagon survive as champion against so many odds and this would have been too much for him to overcome in one night. I’m sure he’ll get a rematch where he likely gets the title back and if that means more of Green, so be it.
Overall Rating: B. This was one of those shows where they hit everything in stride and the stories flowed from one match to the next. That’s the kind of booking that you don’t get very often but they pulled it off incredibly well here. It was a tight episode that didn’t miss anything and the wrestling was taking a well deserved backseat to the booking. Very fun show here and one of the strongest in a long time.
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