IMG Credit: Lucha Underground

Lucha Underground
Date: June 13, 2018
Location: Lucha Underground Temple, Los Angeles, California
Commentators: Vampiro, Matt Striker

It’s time for a new season and it’s going to be a very new one. The promotion managed to survive to a fourth season, albeit on a much smaller budget and in a new building. It’s not clear what will have changed but things are certainly going to be different. Last season ended with Dario Cueto being shot and Pentagon Dark as Lucha Underground Champion. Let’s get to it.

We open with a long recap of the end of last season, including Pentagon Dark becoming the new Lucha Underground Champion and Dario Cueto being shot. As he was dying, he reached for his phone and called his dad.

And now, Dario’s funeral! There are only two people there: Winter (the man who shot Dario) and Dario’s father Antonio…..who is Dario in a gray wig with a cane. It’s hard to mistake that voice. Anyway Antonio is now fully in charge of Lucha Underground and has move out of the Temple because of the people who attacked Dario there. That’s cool because Antonio has a place he used to run shows. Winter reminds him that the wrestling is just a cover for their real purpose. War is coming. Antonio takes the key from Dario, meaning Matanza will be released.

The new Temple is a little brighter and the ropes are blue and yellow for some reason. Other than that, everything looks about the same so it’s not the biggest change.

In the new Temple, we get a ten bell salute to Dario, which is interrupted by Antonio. He throws the picture of Dario out of the ring and promises that we will likely be crowning a new champion tonight…..IN AZTEC WARFARE!

Back from a break with two of the three Trios Champions the Mack and Killshot in the ring with Antonio. The three of them will be in Aztec Warfare but since Dante Fox is missing, Killshot and Mack are starting the match at #1 and #2. Whoever #3 is will be their new partner as the new Trios Champions. Well that’s certainly starting fast.

Lucha Underground Title: Aztec Warfare

Pentagon Dark is defending in a 20 man Royal Rumble with pinfall or submissions only for eliminations. The Mack is in at #1 and Killshot is in at #2 but before they start, Son of Havoc is in at #3, making him their new championship partner. The new champs brawl to start with Havoc dropkicking Mack to the floor but not out. Joey Ryan is in at #4 and immediately handcuffs himself to the top rope. The entrants speed way up as Mr. Pectacular (Jesse Godderz) is in at #5.

The champs waste no time in beating the heck out of him but Killshot rolls Mack up for the first elimination. Pentagon Dark is in at #6 and we take a break. Back with Sling Blades dropping everyone but Ryan, who uncuffs himself to avoid horrible pain. A rollup gets rid of Ryan and a package piledriver into Havoc’s shooting star gets rid of Killshot. Tommy Dreamer (ERG!) is in at #7 and it’s time for the weapons because that’s how Dreamer has to do things. Pectacular is gone and it’s Dreamer vs. Pentagon in the hardcore showdown. Mariposa is in at #8 as Dreamer ties Pentagon in the Tree of Woe for the running dropkick.

With Dreamer heading to the outside, Pentagon dives over the top but gets knocked out of the air. Havoc cutters Mariposa for an elimination and Dreamer gets dropped on some thumbtacks on the steps. That’s good for a pin back inside and it’s Vinnie Massaro in at #9. He gets a pizza delivered on the way to the ring, making sure to shove the delivery guy down. Knowing Lucha Underground, the pizza guy is a future champion. Pentagon hits the Pentagon Driver to get rid of Massaro as it’s Hernandez in at #10, giving us Son of Havoc, Pentagon and Hernandez.

A quick snap of the arm gets rid of Hernandez in about thirty seconds, leaving Havoc to take the Backstabber to leave Pentagon alone. Johnny Mundo is in at #11 for a heck of a showdown as we take another break. Back with Johnny chopping him down as….no one is here at #12.

That was supposed to be Angelico but he’s nowhere to be seen so it’s Ricky Mundo, with a creepy doll, taking his place. The fans don’t like Pentagon getting double teamed but Ricky keeps looking at the doll. Johnny gets his attention so Ricky rolls him up for two. That earns him a kick to the face so Johnny can get the easy elimination. Fenix is in at #13 and that should pick things up a bit.

Johnny breaks up Fenix’s opening springboard with a chop so Fenix just bounces onto the top rope and springs back up to take them both down again. Fenix hits a big dive and it’s Jeremiah Crane in at #14. A slam onto a chair gets two on Fenix and it’s Mil Muertes in at #15. He runs over everyone so everyone goes after him, capped off by Fenix’s top rope double stomp to the back for the pin in less than a minute. Unfortunately that means no more Catrina and it’s Daga in at #16.

A suplex backbreaker has Mundo in trouble but Crane dumps Daga because Heaven forbid someone who isn’t a big name gets to showcase themselves. Chavo Guerrero Jr. (Striker: “A living breathing lucha legend.” No.) is in at #17 and Pentagon uses the distraction to hit a Pentagon Driver on Crane for the elimination. Chavo suplexes Fenix for the pin (Fenix deserves better) and dives over the top onto Pentagon. Daga comes back in and is eliminated in short order by Mundo. King Cuerno (POP) is in at #18 and gets to kick a bunch of people in the face.

The big suicide dive drops Pentagon and it’s El Dragon Azteca Jr. in at #19. Mundo gets planted with a tornado DDT and here’s Kobra Moon (Daga’s manager) to send Vibora (not in the match) to chokeslam Mundo. Marty Martinez is in at #20, giving us a final group of Pentagon, Mundo, Guerrero, Cuerno, Dragon Azteca and Martinez. Actually hang on as Vibora Tombstones Mundo so Marty can get the easy pin.

Back from a break with Azteca charging into a chair to the head, setting up Chavo’s frog splash for the elimination. The final four all get inside with Pentagon kicking away until Cuerno knees him out of the hair. Chavo is back in with a Gory Bomb to get rid of Cuerno but a low superkick gets rid of him as well, leaving us with Martinez vs. Pentagon. Marty likes getting chopped really hard but knees Pentagon in the face for two.

A curb stomp gets two more but the Backstabber out of the corner gets Pentagon out of trouble. Marty bites his fingers and hits the double underhook implant DDT for an even closer near fall. Pentagon gets up a superkick out of the corner and hits a middle rope Canadian Destroyer. The package piledriver retains the title at 43:21.

Rating: C-. That….was not very good. The eliminations came WAY too fast and I never bought Pentagon as being in any real danger. It went flying by with the timing being horrendous, making even the Royal Rumble look good by comparison. Some of the names felt like a big deal but Mil Muertes, the big bad of season 1, can’t even last two minutes here? That’s really all they’ve got? I get that they need to rush some eliminations, but don’t fly through one of your best matches this fast.

Pentagon breaks the arm to break in the season. Antonio comes out again and says he’s not Dario, so Pentagon won’t have to fight again right now. Instead we’ll wait to next week when he defends against Matanza.

Overall Rating: D+. I have to downgrade the thing a little bit, just for how bad that wig looked. I understand the idea behind putting one of your big, blow away matches on to jump start the season but it doesn’t have the same impact when I could go for a memory jobbing on who a lot of these people are and why I care about them. Save this for later and it can have a better impact, though I can at least see the thinking here. I really doubt this is indicative where the season is going, as Lucha Underground is about the long form storytelling rather than the individual shows. Not a great start, but it’s just a start.

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Lucha Underground
Date: November 16, 2016
Location: Lucha Underground Temple, Boyle Heights, California
Commentators: Vampiro, Matt Striker

It’s time to go big with AZTEC WARFARE. In other words it’s the Royal Rumble but with pinfalls or submissions only for eliminations, meaning the entire show is going to be spent on one match with the Lucha Underground Title on the line. This is almost always a blast and hopefully that continues today. Let’s get to it.

Dario Cueto is walking through the back when he runs into Johnny Mundo, who promises to become a double champion tonight. Taya comes up with a camera of his own as Johnny, who is entrant #12, says he’ll be cashing in his Gift of the Gods Title next week. That’s fine with Dario, who rips up Johnny’s #12 card to make him #2.

Lucha Underground Title: Aztec Warfare

There are twenty entrants with 90 second intervals. Matanza, defending here, is in at #1 and Mundo is in at #2 (taking Sexy Star’s spot). Johnny gets to the apron for a kick to the face but Matanza pulls it out of the air and throws him with a suplex. Son of Havoc is in at #3 and the duo wisely joins forces to go after the champ. A spinning crossbody/legsweep combo gets two and it’s Jeremiah Crane (great name) in at #4.

Matanza gets kicked out to the floor and the three others start fighting for some reason until Pentagon Dark (POP) is in at #5. Back from a break (such a rarity around here) with little having changed and Pentagon cleaning house. Matanza gets back in and knocks Pentagon to the floor, likely in a preview of a HUGE rematch down the line. PJ Black is in at #6 and gets two on Crane via a top rope Lionsault.

Mariposa is in at #7 as we’re hitting the midcard portion. I know it seems that I’m skipping a lot of stuff but it’s your standard battle royal without much going on between entrances. Matanza picks up Crane and swings him into a German suplex for the first elimination. A swinging chokeslam gets rid of Mariposa as Rey Mysterio comes in at #8 for the superhero staredown with Matanza.

Back from a second break with the Worldwide Underground preventing Rey from getting in (I’m very glad they’re pausing the show during commercials, if nothing else so I don’t have to figure out who has come in or been eliminated) and then hiding under the ring. Dr. Wagner Jr. is in at #9 and it’s Marty Martinez in at #10 without much going on. At the moment it’s Matanza, Mundo, Pentagon, Black, Mysterio, Wagner and Martinez.

Marty and Matanza slug it out to make things more interesting. The fight goes outside with the champ getting the advantage until Jack Evans is in at #11. The Worldwide Underground triple teams Havoc for an elimination and it’s Sexy Star in at #12 as we go to the third break. Back again with a little bit clipped (balderdash) and Star being thrown outside so the dives can be unleashed. Ricky Mandel is in at #13….and is promptly package piledriven.

Pentagon loads up the arm but here are Black Lotus and three other good looking women to beat the heck out of him. A standing Canadian Destroyer from one of them is enough for Mundo to steal the pin and the elimination. Black pins Mandel and it’s Mascarita Sagrada in at #14. Wrath of the Gods gets rid of Sagrada in about ten seconds as they’re clearing the ring out a bit. Famous B. is in at #15 and tries to sign Rey up, earning himself a 619 and springboard splash for another elimination. Marty comes in and cleans house until Rey grabs a rollup for a fast pin.

The Mack is in at #16, followed by Joey Ryan at #17. Just like last year, Ryan handcuffs himself to the guardrail to hide….but it’s Mil Muertes in at #18. Mil BREAKS THE HANDCUFFS (ignore the camera cut) and throws Joey inside for a Flatliner. Matanza gives Wagner Wrath of the Gods at the same time and it’s a double elimination. That means it’s time for the big monster brawl and it’s the still useless Kobra Moon in at #19.

Mack Stuns Evans for an elimination and does the same to Black for the same result. Drago is in at #20 to give us a final field of Matanza, Mundo, Mysterio, Star, Mack, Muertes, Moon and Drago fighting for the title. It’s a wild brawl all over the place with Matanza piledriving Muertes on the floor, leaving Drago to roll Moon up for the elimination. The champ runs in and powerbombs Drago to get us down to six as things settle down in a hurry.

Everybody goes after Matanza and it’s finishers a go-go with a 619 looking to set up…..another 619, only to have the champ catch Rey in mid swing. That’s reversed into a quick Code Red and Matanza is eliminated as we go to what is likely the final break. Back with Matanza going nuttier and beating the heck out of Rey before SHOVING DARIO DOWN. Johnny pins Rey and we’re down to four.

The referees check on Rey’s back as the eliminated Black and Evans come back in to beat on Star. Mysterio is taken out on a stretcher but cue the returning Angelico to dive off the balcony to take out the Worldwide Underground for the big dive. Star actually pins Mundo for the big surprise, leaving us with Star, Muertes and the Mack. The spear and Flatliner get rid of Mack (good as there was no chance he was winning), leaving Muertes to beat the heck out of Star. Due to reasons of ECW IS AMAZING, it’s table time instead of Mil just finishing Star off like he should be able to do with all of no effort.

Star reverses a chokeslam into a DDT onto a chair and a series of chair shots gets a great false two. The spear only hits the table and Star gets two more off a rollup. Mil PUNCHES HER SQUARE IN THE JAW (that sounded great) but stops to get another table (boy you stupid). The super Flatliner is broken up with Mil being shoved through the table, meaning it’s a top rope double stomp to give Star the pin and the title at 56:58.

Rating: A-. And this is why Lucha Underground works. Can you imagine this happening on one of the big shows? They would cram it into the last thirty minutes with a ton of talking segments before the match actually started and there’s no way a midcarder would get the belt in the end. Above all else though, the crowd helped this one so much in the end with the big gasps at the near falls. The middle part brings this down a bit as it felt more like having people out there for the sake of filling in spots and that’s not a great feeling. Still though, outstanding stuff here, as is always the case with Aztec Warfare.

Overall Rating: A. Great match, cool moment and a title match set up for next week. Mundo winning by beating a weakened Star would be as perfect of a title win as he could possibly have and it would continue a great story. I had a blast with this show because Lucha Underground knows how to do shows like this. The show is picking up a lot and that’s a very big relief.

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Lucha Underground
Date: March 23, 2016
Location: Lucha Underground Temple, Boyle Heights, California
Commentators: Vampiro, Matt Striker

We’re FINALLY here with Aztec Warfare II, once again for the Lucha Underground Title. Basically it’s a Royal Rumble with nearly the entire roster involved and pinfalls or submissions for eliminations. This was a blast last year and this time Lucha Underground Champion Fenix is entering at #1 and former champion Mil Muertes is entering last at #20. Let’s get to it.

Pentagon Jr. tells Fenix that the title is coming to him tonight. Catrina comes in to say that Pentagon knows nothing about the darkness. He shouldn’t even be here anyway since he isn’t even invited to the match. Pentagon doesn’t care because he only listens to his master. Catrina laughs it off because Pentagon has no idea what real fear is. As for Fenix, tonight he takes his last breath and Muertes takes the title back.

The Aztecs play drums and blow horns to introduce the match.

There’s going to be a lot of play by play here as that’s most of what these matches are about.

Lucha Underground Title: Aztec Warfare

90 second intervals with Fenix in at #1 (just like last year) and REY MYSTERIO is in at #2. Oh yeah this is going to be awesome. Rey gets the better of it to start but a superkick breaks up the early 619 attempt. Both guys spin through the ropes to counter Irish whips before it’s King Cuerno in at #3. Cuerno takes over in a hurry and drops Rey with a kick, followed by the Arrow through the ropes to Fenix. The clock speeds up and the returning Argenis is in at #4.

Cuerno was knocked down off camera so it’s Argenis cleaning house, only to get knocked into the 619, followed by a frog splash (more like a Low Down) to get rid of Argenis. Fenix hits a nice corkscrew onto Cuerno and it’s Johnny Mundo in at #5. Now this could be interesting, or at least it will be after a break. Cuerno stays on the floor as Fenix and Rey work over Mundo in the corner. Mundo and Fenix trade rolling covers while Cuerno and Rey fight outside. Joey Ryan is in at #6 (Striker: “The cold sore on the lip of lucha.”) but opts to handcuff himself to the barricade where he can’t be eliminated.

Cuerno superkicks him anyway and here’s Famous B. to offer Joey his card. That goes nowhere and it’s Prince Puma in at #7. Puma springboards in with a CM Punk style clothesline and a running cutter to Cuerno as things speed way up. A HUGE springboard shooting star takes down almost everyone and it’s Jack Evans in at #8. During the entrance, Mysterio grabs a cross armbreaker on Cuerno for a surprise tap out.

The three masked men go after Evans but Mundo’s contributions aren’t exactly appreciated, earning him a chop to the chest. A big splash crushes Jack again so Johnny pulls him outside as Taya is in at #9. We get the big three on three staredown with the rudos taking over, including sending Puma to the floor where he might have tweaked his knee. Cage is in at #10, terrifying Mundo and giving us Fenix, Mysterio, Mundo, Ryan (handcuffed), Puma, Evans, Taya and Cage.

We take a break and come back with Cage slamming Taya on the floor, only to eat a Flying Chuck off the apron. Cage is thrown through what used to be Cueto’s office window and it’s Mascarita Sagrada (Striker: “Call him a paragraph because he’s too short to be an essay!”) in at #11. Mundo kicks him in the head but Cage no sells the window and gives Johnny Weapon X on the floor for a big crash and a bigger reaction. Puma adds a splash and Johnny is eliminated.

Marty the Moth is in at #12 and actually starts cleaning house until Evans spin kicks him in the head. That only makes Marty laugh and it’s Drago in at #13 to freak Evans out. Back from a break with Drago misting Ryan by mistake, followed by Rey splashing Marty for an elimination. The Mack is in at #14 and gives Marty a Stunner on the way in. This gives us a big showdown between Mack vs. Cage but the clock speeds up again as Chavo Guerrero is in at #15.

We currently have Fenix (haven’t seen him in a while), Mysterio, Ryan, Puma, Evans, Taya, Cage, Sagrada, Drago, Mack and Guerrero though Chavo makes Sagrada tap out to a camel clutch about ten seconds after getting in. At least they made it quick before it was a Hornswoggle rehash. Taya breaks up a 619 to Cage so Mundo can BREAK A CINDER BLOCK OVER CAGE’S HEAD, giving Taya the easy pin.

Puma grabs a German suplex to get rid of Taya as PJ Black is in at #16. Black suplexes Drago on the steps and here’s Evans to help beat him up. Drago takes them both down, including a hard launch into the post to drop Black. Aerostar is in at #17 as the camera keeps having to cut around the ring to pick up what it can. Back in and Black suplexes Drago, followed by something like a top rope Canadian Destroyer from Aerostar to Evans, giving us a double elimination. Yeah Drago was eliminated off a suplex. Not everything can be great around here.

Dragon Azteca Jr. is in at #18 and starts fast with a dropkick to Aerostar, followed by a spinning kick to Black’s head. A BIG flip dive over the top takes Mack down and it’s Texano in at #19. I’d rather watch Azteca more but we take a break as Texano clears the ring with the bullrope. Back with Texano diving on a bunch of guys and powerbombing Black for the elimination. Mil Muertes is in at #20 to give us a final field of Fenix, Mysterio, Ryan (STILL handcuffed), Puma, Mack, Guerrero, Aerostar, Azteca, Texano and Muertes.

Not so fast though as Pentagon Jr. comes in through the crowd and destroys Muertes with a chair. Rey adds another top rope splash and Puma helps with the cover to get rid of Muertes in less than a minute. Catrina yells at Vampiro for what just happened……but the clock counts down again to bring us Dario Cueto, who introduces MATANZA at #21. The match stops and even Catrina is terrified as he comes down the steps, though the fans cheer for Cueto.

Everyone goes after Matanza but he shrugs them off and grabs a reverse powerslam on Fenix (as in he loads up a powerslam but turns Fenix’s feet towards the mat to turn him instead of head first) for an easy elimination to guarantee us a new champion. Mack gets in a Stunner for no effect and it’s a German suplex (dropping Mack on his head in the process) for the elimination. Another German suplex gets rid of Aerostar so here’s Texano….who is powerbombed for the fourth elimination in about a minute.

Matanza breaks the barricade to get Ryan in the ring for some rolling gutwrench suplexes and a quick elimination. Mysterio, Guerrero, Puma and Azteca try to form strategy on the floor but Chavo goes after all of them like the moron that he is. Azteca goes in for some strikes to slow Matanza down for a bit, only to walk into a swinging chokeslam to get us down to four. Chavo’s deal making goes nowhere so Matanza busts out a standing shooting star to get rid of him as well.

Puma and Mysterio hammer away on the monster and a double dropkick puts him in the corner. That’s about it though as Rey gets thrown to the floor, leaving Puma to get German suplexed for the elimination. Mysterio is all alone and gets in a few kicks to set up the 619, only to have Matanza grab it out of the air. The second attempt works but the top rope hurricanrana is countered into another reverse powerslam to make Matanza champion at 50:26.

Rating: A. This was the show I had been looking forward to all season and it certainly delivered. Where do you even start here? This was AWESOME stuff throughout as it never got boring and went through the whole match without ever letting up. You had multiple debuts to set up multiple matches down the line for some amazing storytelling. I had a great time here, even though the ending was clear as soon as Dario came out. That doesn’t make it a bad thing though, especially when Matanza was amazing to see.

Dario celebrates with his brother to end the show.

Overall Rating: A+. In recent weeks, Ring of Honor, NXT and now Lucha Underground have all had hour long shows but this was the best of them all. I haven’t been this invested in a show in a long time and I had a blast the entire time. This was the show that Lucha Underground has been needing this season and the fire is back, which is a good thing for everyone. Really fun stuff here and one of the best non-Royal Rumble Royal Rumbles I’ve ever seen.

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