IMG Credit: Lucha Underground

Lucha Underground
Date: November 7, 2018
Location: Lucha Underground Temple, Los Angeles, California
Commentators: Vampiro, Matt Striker

It’s the final show of the season and that means we should be in for something good. If there’s one thing that Lucha Underground knows how to do, it’s the big show at the end of the year because this is where you’ll get to the good stuff. The big match is Pentagon Dark challenging Marty Martinez for the title and you know something bad is going down there. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you’re interested.

The opening video looks at a lot of the backstage stuff from over the series, with a big focus on the Cuetos and their bosses trying to take over the world.

Johnny Mundo is warming up with the gauntlet as Taya isn’t sure about this. He seems a little too excited about it and asks if Taya is going to be there tonight. She wouldn’t miss it for the Mundo. Johnny says he loves her in case he gets sacrificed tonight and leaves. Ricky Mundo’s doll loves Taya too because she’s the perfect host. Taya seems to have been possessed, which is never a good sign.

El Dragon Azteca Jr. vs. Fenix

2/3 falls, no countouts and no DQ. They go straight to the loud kicks to the head to start with Fenix getting the better of things and sending a charging Dragon into the corner. A sunset bomb gives Dragon two and he sends Fenix outside for the big springboard dive. Back in and Fenix avoids the 450 so Dragon heads up top, where he gets caught by a palm strike to the face. The Black Fire Driver gives Fenix the first fall at 2:22.

We take a break and come back with Fenix bringing in a chair and a table. That takes too long though and Dragon hits some clotheslines before they go head to head. Dragon is right back with the tornado DDT for the second fall at 4:23. This brings out Antonio Cueto to say let’s make the third fall falls count anywhere.

We take another break and come back with Dragon throwing him to the floor and grabbing a table. Fenix gets in a shot of his own and now it’s his turn to throw in a table of his own. Dragon goes back to the floor though and they climb into the crowd with Dragon hurricanranaing Fenix through the table. That’s only good for two, allowing Fenix to put Dragon on the other table for a Swanton…and the table doesn’t break.

Back in and they both head up to the same corner, with Dragon hitting a wheelbarrow driver through another table. A chair gets added to the mix but Melissa Santos begs for them to calm down. The distraction lets Fenix BLAST Dragon with a chair and drive him through another table. A second Black Fire Driver finishes Dragon at 15:22.

Rating: B. Now that’s how you open a big show as both guys beat the heck out of each other and Melissa getting involved keeps Dragon somewhat safe. Dark Fenix is a heck of a villain and the kind of guy who could go a long way. Dragon is still growing on me, but that high flying is hard to ignore, even against someone as talented as Fenix.

Melissa can’t make the announcement and leaves in tears.

Back from a break and Antonio says Melissa has left the building. Therefore, here is your new ring announcer: Shaul Guerrero. Well that’s certainly lucha royalty. Shaul says she’s honored to be here and starts introducing the next match but here’s Famous B. to interrupt. He’s the only guest announcer we can have around here and doesn’t know Shaul or her family. If she wants to REALLY be famous, she can call him. Shaul: “EXCUSE ME!” Well you know that’s getting a pop.

She lists off her family members, including her father Eddie. Apparently the B stands for b**** and a fight is teased but here’s Chavo Jr. for the save. A shot to the face allows Shaul to hit Three Amigos and Chavo adds a frog splash. I’m not big on Chavo but this was excellent and the best feel good moment this place has had in a long time.

The Mack vs. Mil Muertes

Death match so Mil wheels out a casket with DEATH MATCH painted on the top. Mack’s early kick to the face is caught, meaning it’s a loud “OH S***!” A running knee to the head rocks Muertes and he gets sent outside for a flip dive from Mack. They fight on the apron with Muertes getting the better of it and going to find a second casket. An X Factor drops Mack face first onto one of them and Muertes fires off clotheslines in the corner.

The tenth misses though and Muertes gets dropped in the corner for a Cannonball. Mack goes to find out what’s in the casket….and it’s a bunch of weapons, including an ax. This is going to hurt isn’t it? He spends a long time looking though and it’s a suicide dive to take him down instead. Muertes clears out the rest of the coffin (including a brick and a sickle among other things) before throwing Mack back inside.

Mack misses a swing with an ax (well, death would make sense) and gets ice picked in the head. A running clothesline gets Mack out of trouble and it’s time for a metal trashcan. Mack manages a Coast to Coast with said can for two but Muertes is right back with a swinging chokeslam. They head outside with Mack going for the mask (a rarity for Muertes), which seems to shake Muertes.

Back in and Mack gets two off a running DDT, followed by the standing moonsault for the same. The Flatliner gets Muertes out of trouble for two (BIG pop for the kickout) as Vampiro is rather pleased that Striker is enjoying the violence like this. Mack is right back with a pair of Stunners, followed by a BRICK to the head and another Stunner (complete with middle fingers and an F bomb) for the pin at 12:53.

Rating: B+. That’s the kind of Mack that makes you see the kind of star he really can become. He has some great charisma and I’m still curious as to why WWE let him go so soon. Beating Muertes is a big enough deal but to do it in a match where Muertes should excel is even better. That’s a big win for Mack and I’d love to see more of him in the next season.

Post match Mack throws him in the casket and pours some beer on top for a little Austin flavor.

Johnny Mundo vs. Matanza

Mundo has the gauntlet, which the announcers recognize for a change. Antonio freaks out about Johnny having it…and no one notices that because Matanza comes out in a sacrificial headdress and a skull mask. He’s now wrestling in gear and I’m going to need a second to get used to this. Johnny chokes him down with the gauntlet so Matanza takes it off without much effort. Well so much for that. Johnny flips out of a suplex but gets caught in something like a swinging Boss Man Slam.

A German suplex drops Johnny again but he slips out of Wrath of the Gods and scores with the Moonlight Drive. End of the World mostly connects for two so Mundo goes up, only to get caught in a belly to back superplex with Mundo landing on his face. With Matanza going near the gauntlet, Johnny dives underneath the ring to distract him. That’s enough to get the gauntlet but Matanza doesn’t let him get it on. Matanza throws it up onto the balcony for some reason so Johnny goes for a climb and jumps for it….but gets caught and slammed face first into a wall. Again, well so much for that.

Matanza can’t powerbomb him onto the fans though and Johnny goes up top and finds the gauntlet. He STILL can’t get it on though so Matanza throws him through the roof of the freezer. The announcers say it’s over but Johnny comes out of the freezer with the gauntlet on and of course hits his pose. A right hand knocks a chair into Matanza’s face and he bails into the ring. Matanza looks scared but hits Wrath of the Gods…for two. Some more punches, including a SUPERMAN PUNCH from the top (ok that was awesome) finishes Matanza at 11:53.

Rating: C+. This is the kind of goofy fun that has been missing from Lucha Underground for so long. It was so over the top and insane with cool visuals and nothing more than a hero fighting a monster. The Superman Punch alone made it look like a scene from a comic book. What more could you possibly want from this?

Post break, Aerostar tries to get the gauntlet back from Johnny but he’s not sure. Aerostar convinces him to take it off though and Johnny is off to celebrate with Taya.

Lucha Underground Title: Marty Martinez vs. Pentagon Dark

Martinez is defending and anything goes. They both bring chairs and Pentagon pelts his at Marty’s head to start. Marty gets kicked around the ring and a posting busts him open. That means it’s time to bring in the weapons and DANG Martinez is bleeding badly. Pentagon blocks a whip through a table and superkicks Marty, only to get sent through the table a few seconds later.

A few kendo sticks rock Pentagon and they head inside for the first time with Marty rips at the mask. It’s time for a lunchbox, and of course that means the fork going into Pentagon’s forehead. They head outside and Marty buries him underneath a bunch of chairs. Shockingly enough, Marty is capable of rolling out from a pile of chairs and hits a package piledriver on the floor. That’s only good for two back inside and Marty gets him caught in the Tree of Woe, complete with a trashcan around Pentagon’s head.

Marty finds a baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire to beat on the can a bit….and let’s have some gasoline. Pentagon gets doused but he kicks the lighter away. The shot with the bat hits the rope and bounces back into Marty’s head because he’s not bleeding enough yet. They head outside again with Pentagon sending him through a well placed glass window (Striker: “OH S***!”). Pentagon sets up six chairs back inside and a package piledriver through them is enough to give Pentagon the title back at 12:33.

Rating: B. That’s exactly what this needed to be: mindless violence and destruction with Pentagon winning the fair (ish) fight. These guys beat the heck out of each other and got into the higher levels of carnage, which is what these matches call for. I don’t think anyone bought Marty as a long term champion and Pentagon has been the star of this place since the beginning. This made sense and was a lot of fun, but you know things aren’t over yet.

Post match Reklusa runs out for the beatdown but Vampiro gets up for the save. Vampiro hands him the title…and kicks him low. The fight is on but another masked man (smaller than Pentagon but looking rather similar) comes in to chair Pentagon down. Vampiro introduces him as his master, who hits a shooting star off the entrance onto Pentagon. They head inside again with the guy hitting a Red Arrow…and here’s Jake Strong. You know the drill.

Lucha Underground Title: Jake Strong vs. Pentagon Dark

Strong is challenging and the ankle lock goes on. Pentagon’s ankle is snapped and the referee calls it at 40 seconds to make Strong champion, with the fans being rather displeased (you can imagine their chant).

Dragon Azteca, King Cuerno and Aerostar meet to talk about the gauntlet. They agree it must go back into hiding but Dragon says they need to strike now to give them the advantage they need. Dragon gets to take it and mentions a she that needs to use it.

Black Lotus comes in to see Matanza, who she knows killed her parents. She has the gauntlet….and RIPS HIS BEATING HEART OUT, killing him (in theory of course). Dragon comes in to say her parents can finally be at peace. She says Dragon can be too and leaves. Strong, wearing the title and a suit, comes in to break Dragon’s ankle and takes the gauntlet, saying it belongs to “us”.

Johnny comes in to see the still possessed Taya, saying it’s time for their honeymoon. Taya says she’s not his wife and chokes him against a locker. The laughing doll can be heard and Taya says she’s god.

Antonio meets with the big bads from earlier, who say everything is coming together. Apparently the gods have taken human forms and the title is back in their control. Strong comes in with the title, saying the blood on his shirt is Matanza’s. As Antonio is sad, the really big boss (who we still haven’t seen), says the Order will never forget Matanza’s sacrifice. The man says they need a new host before leaning forward to reveal Stu Bennett (Bad News/Wade Barrett) who asks if anyone else has any BAD NEWS. Everyone shakes their heads and Bennett says it’s time to take over the world.

We flash back in time to one year ago with Antonio taking the key from Dario’s coffin. Antonio leaves and Aerostar warps in with Catrina’s amulet. He puts it on Dario, who wakes up and says “What the F….” to end the season. To be continued. Now that’s the kind of cliffhanger you use to end a season.

Overall Rating: B+. This show felt like Lucha Underground trying to make up for a lot of lost time in one night and dang if it didn’t work. They know the right buttons to press and did so to near perfection here with a lot of fun action, but more importantly the over the top stories that make this show work so well. You can’t do the same kind of stuff that you see everyone else here and that’s what they seemed to remember this time. I had a great time with this show and it was a ton of fun.

Strong as the new champion doesn’t seem like the best idea as the fans just don’t care, but him being part of the big group of bads makes sense. The problem is it takes them WAY too long to get back to those stories and that hurts things a lot. What matters here though is the show feeling fun and I REALLY hope we get another season, even if it’s the last one to wrap everything up. They seem convinced that another is coming, and with that ending it almost has to. Really good show, though it doesn’t quite make up for the weak season.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2003 Smackdown Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/09/07/new-book-kbs-complete-smackdown-2003-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

IMG Credit: Lucha Underground Twitter

Lucha Underground
Date: October 3, 2018
Location: Lucha Underground Temple, Los Angeles, California
Commentators: Vampiro, Matt Striker

It’s definitely Ultima Lucha time as we’re starting to see the card coming together. As of last week we have the Lucha Underground Title match, though there’s always the chance that things are going to change before we get there. Other than that, Mil Muertes is going to be facing the Mack in what should be destruction but might be something a little more interesting given the stage. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Opening recap looks at the variety of stories going on around here.

Melissa Santos and Aerostar are on top of the Temple, talking about Fenix changing. Aerostar says Fenix is evil now because Catarina’s spirit possessed him, but Melissa thinks she can save him. That’s a no from Aerostar because he’s seen the end…of everything. Well that’s creepy.

The announcers talk about Marty the Moth Martinez winning the Lucha Underground Title two weeks ago, much to Matt’s shock.

Joey Ryan/XO Lishus/Ivelisse vs. Rabbit Tribe

It’s a brawl to start with Ivelisse armdragging London down, though he seems to like it. El Bunny (I love this team) comes in instead and springboard crossbodies Lishus to take over. The slingshot Bronco Buster connects as the White Rabbit isn’t exactly pleased. London drops Lishus on his head as the White Rabbit shakes his head no.

Ivelisse comes in and starts cleaning house with Joey getting the tag to throw London into Lishus’, uh, hips. The Rabbits send everyone outside though and White Rabbit tags himself in for the menacing stare at Joey. Back to back superkicks have no effect so White Rabbit Saito suplexes Joey down. Ryan is done so the White Rabbit pulls out a white glove and puts on a Mandible Claw for the knockout at 5:20.

Rating: D+. Just a way to introduce the White Rabbit here and that was rather successful. That being said, wouldn’t it make a little more sense to do that earlier in the season instead of doing it with a month to go? He has a great look (it’s awesome in TNA as well) and can wrestle a monster style quite well, but I’m not sure how much time they have to get anywhere with him at this point.

The glove is bloody as it comes out of Joey’s mouth.

Ultima Lucha is two weeks this year and starts on Halloween night. Freshly announced: Fenix vs. Dragon Azteca Jr. in a 2/3 falls match.

Killshot vs. Son of Havoc

Havoc slugs away in the corner to start and a dropkick puts Killshot on the floor. The suicide dive is countered into an F5 into the barricade and Killshot steps on the hand while going after the mask. They go face to face for some yelling until Killshot gets low bridged to the floor. He lands on his feet so Havoc is right there with a dive to take him out.

Back in and Killshot goes for the mask again, only to get get taken down with a cutter for two. Killshot puts him in the corner though and a knee to the back sets up a running Killstomp for two more. An exchange of loud shots to the face goes to Killshot but he can’t get in a cross armbreaker, allowing Havoc to reverse it into a cradle for the pin at 6:36.

Rating: C. They beat each other up well enough here and you can pencil them in for a mask vs. mask match at Ultima Lucha. This has been a good feud where the matches have made up for a not that interesting (though not bad by any means) story and that’s perfectly fine. These two hitting each other really hard for twelve minutes will be more than fine, even with Striker ranting like a moron.

Post match Killshot jumps him from behind and unloads with brass knuckles shots to the head. The mask comes off with Havoc covering his face on the mat. Cue Antonio to make the mask vs. mask match.

Here are Marty Martinez and his still unnamed female friend for a chat. Martinez talks about this journey beginning when Sexy Star embarrassed his family. That’s why he sent Reclusa (the woman) after her and now she has Star’s mask. So there’s your explanation for where she went. The only person to humiliate Martinez more than her was Pentagon Dark and now Martinez has his championship. The only person left is his sister Mariposa, to whom Martinez owes a huge thank you. For that thank you, come have a title shot.

Lucha Underground Title: Mariposa vs. Marty Martinez

Martinez is defending and this is No DQ. A headbutt doesn’t bother Marty as he kicks Mariposa low and hammers away in the corner. Striker: “This is like making love in a hammock.” They head outside with Mariposa being sent into a variety of things and getting busted open in the process. Marty: “BLEED SISTER! BLEED!”

That’s only good for two back inside and Marty smiles as only he can. They’re back outside in short order with Mariposa sending him into the barricade a few times, only to get posted for her efforts. Reclusa sends in a chair which of course goes across Marty’s back as the fans are behind Mariposa.

The chair is pelted at Marty’s head and since that works so well, Mariposa buries him under about eight chair, throwing each one at him about four times each. Somehow Marty isn’t dead so Mariposa drop toeholds him into a chair inside for a rather near fall. A Samoan drop through the chair gets two but Reclusa breaks up the Butterfly Effect. The package piledriver retains the title at 9:14.

Rating: B. Now that was a lot of fun as they managed to make what should have been a dull match into something very entertaining. Mariposa throwing the chairs at Martinez went on so long that it went from silly to awesome, which is a hard trick to pull off. Marty winning was obvious, but it was a good time to get there.

Post match Marty cradles Mariposa and thanks her for his new focus. As for Pentagon, he wants Ultima Lucha to be a Cero Miedo match, which he’ll dedicate to Mariposa. Speaking of Mariposa, Martinez breaks her arm ala Pentagon. Cue Pentagon to chase Marty off and accept the challenge to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. Now we’re getting ready for Ultima Lucha and while I’m still not blown away by a lot of the things they have going on, I like it a lot more than I did just a few weeks ago. The main event should be fun but given how this place works, you know they have something planned for a surprise. Good show here, and that’s what the series needed at the moment.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2003 Smackdown Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/09/07/new-book-kbs-complete-smackdown-2003-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

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.

Post match Marty runs in to beat Pentagon down…and Antonio says let’s wave that one week rule and have the title match RIGHT NOW.

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.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2003 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/09/07/new-book-kbs-complete-smackdown-2003-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

Lucha Underground
Date: October 4, 2017
Location: Lucha Underground Temple, Boyle Heights, California
Commentators: Vampiro, Matt Striker

It’s night number two of Ultima Lucha Tres and they have a big bar to live up to after last week’s main event. The good thing is we’re likely about to move up the card a bit and see some of the bigger stories played out, which is exactly the point of a show like this. Hopefully we get some more of the big story tonight too. Let’s get to it.

The opening video looks at last week’s show and previews tonight’s three matches.

Ivelisse and Jeremiah Crane get in an argument over him having feelings for Catrina. She doesn’t need a man so after she beats up Catrina, she’ll beat him up too. A hard kick to the chest sends Crane into a locker.

Battle Royal

Joey Ryan, PJ Black, Ricky Mundo, Vinnie Massaro, Mascarita Sagrada, Argenis, Mala Surete, Saltador, Paul London, Cortez Castro, Son of Madness, The Mack, Pimpinela Escarlata

For a unique opportunity, which could mean anything. Massaro gets superkicked out to start and the Rabbit Tribe dances around Madness as they are known to do. It actually works as they get together and toss him out, followed by Sagrada knocking Castro and Ryan off the apron for a double elimination. Yep it’s going to be one of those battle royals.

London thrusts his crotch at Escarlata so he bites said crotch and dumps Paul. Suerte and Saltador are out in a hurry, followed by Escarlata kissing Argenis and eliminating him, only to fall out as well. Black kicks Sagrada low (kind of difficult to do) and throws him out. Mack dumps Mundo and a Stunner gets rid of Black to give Mack the win at 3:32.

Rating: D-. I’m really not sure what to think of these battle royals where everyone is thrown out in the span of a few minutes. Most of the people were just there for the sake of being there and it’s not like Mack getting the win was a surprise, though the match was pretty much over before I had a chance to start caring about anything. I get that it’s the point but sweet goodness give it a few more minutes or have less dead weight.

Dario Cueto comes out to announce the unique opportunity: a Trios Titles match next week, but with Dante Fox and Killshot as his partners, assuming they’re still alive.

Catrina vs. Ivelisse

This was set up at the start of the season and we’re just supposed to remember why they hate each other (Catrina cost her her first two Ultima Lucha matches). Ivelisse sprints to the ring and the fight is on in a hurry. Catrina shows some fire though and slugs away into a standoff. Vampiro cheers for a wardrobe malfunction (they’re basically wrestling in swimsuits, which is far from a complaint) as Catrina runs into Dario’s office in a way to fill in some time.

Ivelisse follows her in and gets blasted with a bottle to draw some serious blood. Dario looks out as she carries Ivelisse up the steps and shuts the door in a good visual. A kick to the head knocks Catrina back down the steps and they get inside for a change of pace. Catrina scores with a spear and a double arm DDT before grabbing the stone. That earns her a spinebuster before Ivelisse takes the stone away and knocks her silly. A DDT ends Catrina at 6:17.

Rating: D+. This was far less of a match than it was a spectacle and there’s nothing wrong with that. Catrina has some in-ring experience but that was a long time ago so there’s no point in trying to do more than this. Ivelisse beating her was all that matters and it felt like a big fight, though I could have gone with a lot more. It’s a shame that Ivelisse was injured for so much of Lucha Underground as I would have loved to see what else she could have done.

Post match Crane runs in and hits Ivelisse’s ankle with a hammer, allowing Catrina to steal the stone again.

We run down the remaining card.

Fenix vs. Marty Martinez

Mask vs. Hair. They slug it out to start until Mariposa grabs Fenix’s leg. The distraction lets Marty grab a belly to belly superplex and send Fenix outside. They switch places in a hurry though and Fenix tries a dive, only to have Marty pull Mariposa into the way instead. That’s it for Mariposa and she’s out, with a double middle finger to Marty. Back in and Fenix kicks her in the head, only to get taken down again.

Marty rips half of the mask off but settles for a powerbomb instead. Fenix is dropped face first onto an exposed buckle and the blood is flowing again. A TKO gets two on Fenix but he’s right back with a rolling cutter onto the apron. The mask is pretty much worthless now as you can see half of his face, making it a glorified eye patch. There’s a Lethal Injection to drop Marty but he’s right back up with a running clothesline to put both guys down.

Marty goes up top for some reason, allowing Fenix to pull him back down with a Spanish Fly to knock both of them silly. They slug it out from their knees until Marty hits a running curb stomp for two more. That sends him over to a lunchbox to find some scissors. That’s enough to get Melissa onto the apron for a low blow, allowing Fenix to hit something like a Kinshasa to the back of the head. A springboard 450 with Melissa climbing on top as well ends Marty at 12:22.

Rating: B-. I can go for a match based on emotion and that’s what we had here. These two beat the heck out of each other than that’s all it needed to be. Fenix is one of the unsung heroes of this show and that’s a very valuable thing to have. The fans buy into him and want to see him win, especially with the Melissa stuff. Fun match here but the ending is what matters most.

Marty tries to bail but Mariposa blasts him in the head with something made of metal. She even handcuffs him to the railings and the big haircut ends the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This didn’t have the big match of last week but it was a better show top to bottom. We’re starting to get into the bigger stuff now and the second and third matches were more than enough to make this work. It’s a fun show, but you could cut out something like the battle royal and make it even better. The big time stuff starts next week though.

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Lucha Underground
Date: September 20, 2017
Location: Lucha Underground Temple, Boyle Heights, California
Commentators: Vampiro, Matt Striker

It’s the go home show for the first (of many) week of Ultima Lucha Tres. Therefore, it’s time to get ready for the biggest show of the year and the card, as long as it is, seems mostly set. The question now is what will we be seeing on the shows, which could be in quite the interesting order. Let’s get to it.

The opening recap, uh, recaps things, like the Gift of the Gods Title match and Melissa Santo being drawn into a mixed tag to deal with the Martinez family.

Fenix is training Melissa Santos for her in-ring debut. She pins him down and asks to take his mask off but he slips out. He says he’s Fenix with or without the mask and he’ll lose everything if he loses it. Melissa says he won’t lose her and bends him back for a kiss.

Famous B. is doing commentary. I doubt he’ll rock the outfits as well.

Dante Fox vs. Texano

Texano yells at B. so Fox jumps him from behind to take over. A big dive to the floor is teased but Fox settles for a moonsault off the apron instead. Killshot is watching from the balcony and Fox throws him a point before hitting a Swanton for two. Texano gets the same off some clotheslines and elbows to the jaw. A cutter out of the corner drops Texano but he’s right back up with the powerbomb. That’s countered as well though and Fox gets two off a crucifix bomb. A tiger backbreaker plants Fox….and B. gets in the ring to declare Texano the winner. The distraction lets Fox grab a rollup for the pin at 5:40.

Rating: D+. This was fun while it lasted but I’m getting tired of this Famous B. stuff. He’s not funny and he’s not interesting but for some reason he’s been around for the entire history of the show. Fox vs. Killshot has serious potential, though that was barely getting any kind of focus compared to the Famous B. stuff.

Texano tries to kill B. but Dario Cueto says no because he needs a ring announcer. Instead he’ll be facing Texano next week at Ultima Lucha. Famous B.: “But I have a broken arm!” Dario: “Then I guess it will be a handicap match!” And that’s why he’s awesome. If Famous B. wins, Texano is his new client.

The Aztec Medallions are turned in before the Gift of the Gods Title match tonight. Dario calls in medics for later.

Marty Martinez/Mariposa vs. Fenix/Melissa Santos

Melissa is uh, shale we say…….sweet goodness what was I talking about again? Mariposa cranks on Fenix’s arm to start until he smacks her upside the head. It’s off to Marty as things speed up, including some forearms and a kick to the head. A Lethal Injection gets two on Marty and there’s a big dive to the floor. Back in and Fenix keeps backing into the corner so Melissa can tag herself in. For some reason it doesn’t count and Marty drags Fenix back to the corner.

Mariposa kisses him before it’s back to Marty for a chinlock. Fenix fights up and shoves Marty into a kick from Melissa. The hot tag brings her in for a top rope seated senton and a double superkick to Marty. Mariposa gets sent face first into Marty’s crotch as Fenix drops Melissa onto Marty a few times for some near falls. Fenix gets crotched on top though and Mariposa ties him to the ropes. Oh this could get bad in a hurry. Mariposa and Marty surround Melissa and it’s an assisted Pedigree for the pin at 8:43.

Rating: C. This was much more storytelling than anything else and there’s nothing wrong with that. Melissa was great for a one off though I’m glad it seems to not be something they’re going with long term. Fenix vs. Marty should be a lot of fun, especially if the women get involved as a bonus. This probably should have been the Ultima Lucha match but I get why they went with it here….I think.

Fenix breaks out and makes the save before anything else can happen.

We run down the Ultima Lucha Tres card.

Gift of the Gods Title: Paul London vs. Mala Suerte vs. Saltador vs. Cortez Castro vs. Drago vs. Son of Havoc vs. Pentagon Dark

One fall to a finish. It’s a wild brawl to start and I’m in trouble trying to keep up with this. Pentagon and Havoc clear the ring to start but Saltador breaks up the showdown. Saltador gets kicked like he owes Pentagon money, only to pop up with a hurricanrana. Drago cleans house for a bit until Pentagon takes care of everyone else and stands tall. London is thrown over the top onto a pile of people as this is just random spots so far. It’s Suerte coming in with a crucifix for two but Drago comes in with his running Blockbuster for the same

Saltador gets his own near fall off a springboard Fameasser but Havoc saves Castro. Drago kicks London down but Saltador comes in to take him down as well. It’s Havoc diving onto various people until London and Saltador double team Pentagon. Not that it matters as he package piledrives both guys, only to have Son of Havoc add a shooting star for the pin on Saltador at the same time Pentagon pins London at 6:44.

Rating: C. I have no idea what to say about a match like this as it’s just carnage until the ending. Havoc and Pentagon winning is fine as you can imagine the next match being added for one of the next four weeks. It’s an entertaining match but don’t waste your time if you want anything more than a spot fest.

Dario makes a ladder match for the title at Ultima Lucha.

Dario gets into a limo to meet Councilman Delgado’s replacement. He has the gauntlet with him but the replacement isn’t happy. Dario suggests that either Jeremiah Crane or Mil Muertes would be a good choice to hold it so we’ll have a triple threat with those two along with Cage for the gauntlet. The replacement is offered to come to the temple next week and a cigar is lit by someone in shadow to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. We’re to the point now where they just need to do Ultima Lucha and probably end the series once and for all (hopefully not on a cliffhanger). The wrestling wasn’t much of a point here and there’s nothing wrong with that on a show designed to set up the biggest month of shows of the year. Good show but more important for the future than this week.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the Complete 2002 Monday Night Raw Reviews in either E-Book or Paperback. Check out the information here:

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Lucha Underground
Date: August 30, 2017
Location: Lucha Underground Temple, Boyle Heights, California
Commentators: Vampiro, Matt Striker

We’re into the final stretch of the season now (after what feels like 183 years) and that means we’re on the way to Ultima Lucha Tres. With the main event set, there shouldn’t be too many more weeks to go before we get to the big show. That being said, this is Lucha Underground so we’ll likely have three tournaments and ten new characters before we get there. Let’s get to it.

The opening video looks at Marty Martinez being creepy, Cortez Castro being unmasked, Son of Havoc vs. Son of Madness and Johnny Mundo retaining last week.

Dario Cueto comes in to see Matanza, whose protection he now requires. In two weeks, Matanza gets to face Mysterio one on one.

Ultima Lucha Tres starts in four weeks and will be four weeks long this year.

Son of Madness vs. Mascarita Sagrada

Sagrada comes out in the biker vest given to him by Son of Havoc. Madness kicks him in the back to start and stomps him down in the corner as this is looking squashish. Sagrada gets in a kick of his own but a suplex puts him away at 2:13.

Son of Havoc comes in for the save as Dario makes Havoc vs. Madness in a Boyle Heights Biker Brawl for an Aztec Medallion later tonight. As he’s making the announcement, Paul London comes out to carry Sagrada away.

Marty Martinez vs. Argenis

Marty drives him into the corner for some rapid fire shots to the face and chest but misses a charge. A springboard….something is broken up with a faceplant and it’s time for Marty to start after the mask. Marty gets sent outside for a big dive and a hurricanrana off the steps. Since it’s just a hurricanrana, Marty sends him into the post to draw some blood. With his blood on Marty’s shoulder, Argenis comes back with a neckbreaker as Striker talks about platelets falling. Marty loads him up for a Dominator and flips it into a Codebreaker (cool) for the pin at 5:11.

Rating: C-. The blood was a nice touch and the finisher was cool as Marty looks like a killer all over again. That’s the kind of thing you get around here that’s missing from other promotions and it helps a lot. You can pretty much guarantee Fenix vs. Marty at Ultima Lucha and I’m actually looking forward to that one a bit, especially with Fenix’s great in-ring performances more often than not.

Post match Marty beats on him even more and steals the bloody mask. Marty gets in Melissa’s face, saying he wants Fenix’s mask. He’ll get it at Ultima Lucha Tres. Fenix comes out for some kicks and issues a challenge for mask vs. hair.

Joey Ryan vs. Sexy Star

Watch your arm Joey. Star hammers away in the corner as Striker babbles about smart women loving smart men. A tornado DDT gives Star two and a victory roll gets the same. Joey pulls her down by the hair and here’s Taya with a sign to mock Sexy and her fans. I’m not sure how many fans she has but then again Lucha Underground has blown her importance WAY out of the water for a long time now. Star biels him around by the chest hair, followed by Three Amigas for two. She dives onto Taya instead of following up though and it’s a superkick to give Joey the pin at 4:57.

Rating: D+. Just a match here but Star’s recent actions have somehow made me care about her even less. She’s already one of the most overpushed wrestlers I’ve seen in a long time and now there’s only one thing you can think about when she’s out there. Joey getting the win is a nice surprise, though we’re just waiting on Castro to come out for the brawl.

Post match Joey tries to put the lollipop in Star’s mouth so Castro comes in for the save with a kendo stick.

Back from a break with Castro coming into Dario’s office. He should arrest Dario right now but Dario gives him a street fight with Joey for an Aztec Medallion next week.

Aztec Medallion: Son of Havoc vs. Son of Madness

Street fight. Havoc knees Madness (thankfully in a vest so we can tell them apart) in the face to start as the vest is already off. A trashcan shot drops Havoc and they fight into the crowd as Striker makes Repo Man jokes. They take turns being sent into various objects with some fans catching Havoc as he’s thrown into the crowd again.

Madness gets thrown back to ringside for a dive out of the crowd, only to have Havoc knee the barricade by mistake. A backdrop sends Madness into the same barricade though as Striker talks about how you would do some of this stuff in a bar fight. Back in and Madness clotheslines him down (I think. Having these two looking identical is really annoying.) as Striker keeps making jokes about the beards, completely missing the point of something that is supposed to be so serious.

Havoc sends him outside again and into the steps, setting up a handspring elbow in the corner. A cutter gives Havoc two but Madness drops him again and goes to find a toolbox. Instead he picks up a garbage can for a Death Valley Driver. Now it’s time for a hammer but Havoc charges into a beer bottle to the head. The shooting star gives Havoc the pin at 13:03.

Rating: B-. Good brawl here with both guys beating each other up, though it was rather difficult to keep track of which was which most of the time. Havoc winning is the right move as Madness seems like a one off character. The match was fun enough and felt like a fight, save for Striker being more annoying than he’s been in months with all of his unfunny jokes and talking about how you wouldn’t do this stuff in a biker brawl. But Striker isn’t going to change and the match was still good so it’s hard to complain about all that much.

Overall Rating: C+. The fact that this season finally has an end date in sight helps a lot but sweet goodness does it really matter at this point? Next week will be a year since this “season” started and it’s still got the better part of two months to go after. At least they’re starting to set up some more stories for Ultima Lucha Tres than just the main event, which is really needing the build up with so little time to go. Good show this week though and that’s important right now.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the Complete 2002 Monday Night Raw Reviews in either E-Book or Paperback. Check out the information here:

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Lucha Underground
Date: July 12, 2017
Location: Lucha Underground Temple, Boyle Heights, California
Commentators: Vampiro, Matt Striker

It’s time for the second round of the Cueto Cup as we’re down to sixteen names. Hopefully that means the end of the squashes which dominated so much of the first round. You can probably guess the winner fairly easily but it’s nice to have some good matches along the way. Let’s get to it.

We open with a recap of the tournament and some first round matches.

Cueto Cup Second Round: Jeremiah Crane vs. Taya

Taya turns up the sex appeal to land an early slap but Crane does the same, minus the sex appeal that is. That sends Taya outside for a suicide elbow, followed by a run around the ring for a flip dive to drive Taya through a chair. Back up and Taya knocks him off the barricade for a dive of her own.

She hammers on Crane back inside, followed by a running boot in the corner as Striker is losing his mind here despite it not being that big of a deal. A series of strikes to the head drops Taya again but she plants him with a tornado DDT for two of her own. Cue Sexy Star for a distraction though and it’s Cranial Contusion to send Crane to the next round at 6:25.

Rating: C. They were beating the heck out of each other here and it was nice to see Taya getting in some offense and hanging in there with Crane for a bit but there’s only so far that she’s going to be able to take something like this. At least Crane can get in a big fight in the quarterfinals and move on from here.

Post match Star knocks Taya out with brass knuckles.

Fenix and Aero Star talk about Drago leaving to join the Reptile Tribe. Aero Star, a time traveler, bets on Fenix, who doesn’t find that exactly fair.

Cueto Cup Second Round: Mil Muertes vs. Paul London

London starts dancing to start as we hear about his time in Ring of Honor with Striker mentioning specific matches. After over a minute of walking around, London gets thrown into the corner, meaning it’s time to head outside for a chase. The fans are entirely behind Muertes here as he unloads on London and throws him around with ease. Ten shoulders to the ribs have London in even more trouble but he snaps Muertes’ throat across the top.

That’s fine with Mil, who sends London into the barricade for a crash. A string of superkicks that would make the Young Bucks tell you to turn it down staggers Muertes and a top rope double stomp to the back puts him down again. The swinging chokeslam drops London though but the Rabbit Tribe comes in for a distraction. London gets two off a middle rope shooting star but it’s a spear and the Flatliner to end Paul at 9:29.

Rating: C+. Much like the first match, it was entertaining but did anyone http://onhealthy.net/product-category/erectile-dysfunction/ really buy another ending? London was certainly game here though and that helps a lot, even if there was no way around anything Muertes had for him. Muertes has to be a favorite in this thing but whoever beats him will get a heck of a rub.

Post match London gets the Lick of Death, which he seemed to enjoy. The fans even call him lucky.

Brenda hits on Texano, who buys her a drink. She calls him boring so he breaks a beer bottle in his hand. A woman’s touch could fix that though and Texano smiles.

Cueto Cup Second Round: Fenix vs. Marty Martinez

Melissa Santos still seems to have a crush on Fenix. Marty creepily rubs his stomach but gets dropped as things speed up. Fenix ducks a charge to send him outside for a kick to the face and a running flip dive. Mariposa offers a distraction though and Marty kicks him down, sending Melissa into a bit of fear.

Back in and we hit the chinlock with Marty ripping at the mask a bit. Fenix gets up and hits a good looking (and loud) running kick to the face in the corner, followed by a double stomp for two. A spring flipping moonsault misses though and Marty kicks him in the face for his own near fall.

Marty flips him forward into something like a Codebreaker (cool move) for two more but Fenix gets in a superkick. Mariposa grabs some kind of box that Marty brought with him but, for perhaps the first time ever, Melissa gets physical and blocks the shot, freaking the crowd out even more. The distraction lets Fenix grab a hurricanrana for the pin at 10:19.

Rating: C+. This was more about the storytelling and anything that involved me getting to see more of Melissa Santos, the better. She and Fenix could be interesting and having Marty and Mariposa around to antagonize them should help a lot as well. The match was good too, especial with Fenix flying all over the place like he does.

Post match Marty hits him with the box and pulls out a fork to carve up Fenix’s head as Melissa is forced to watch. Marty even licks the blood to be extra creepy.

Overall Rating: B. Now that’s more what I was looking for. This show featured bigger matches that felt like showdowns and I’m curious to see where some of these matches are going to go. We should have the final eight set up in two weeks and then the tournament finals three to four weeks later. They’re getting through this tournament fairly fast and that’s a good thing. Solid show here and better than the first round stuff.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the Histories of Saturday Night’s Main Event and Clash of the Champions, now in PAPERBACK. Check out the information here:

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Lucha Underground
Date: June 21, 2017
Location: Lucha Underground Temple, Boyle Heights, California
Commentators: Vampiro, Matt Striker

It’s week #2 of the Cueto Cup Tournament, which likely means four more first round matches as we get closer to the round of sixteen. In other words, we’re still filling in time because this season is WAY too long and they don’t have anything else to use all these episodes on. Let’s get to it.

The opening video recaps the tournament and last week’s match. Oh and that whole Cage murdering Councilman Delgado thing.

Melissa Santos hits on Fenix but Marty the Moth is watching from behind a wall like the stalker he is. That being said, Melissa came up to see Fenix as he arrived so he shouldn’t know Melissa was there. That also being said, that might be the most logical things around here.

Cueto Cup First Round: Cage vs. Vinnie Massaro

Vinnie tries to slap away at the monster to start and that’s probably why he’s not booked around here too often. Cage unloads on him in the corner but a thumb to the eye actually gets Vinnie a breather. It’s just a breath though as Vinnie gets clotheslined to the floor, followed by a spinebuster back inside. The straps come down but Vinnie actually scores with an STO. For some reason he goes after Cage’s gauntlet though, earning himself a bunch of clotheslines in the corner. The Screwdriver ends Vinnie at 3:31.

Rating: D. This should have been more one sided as we’re coming off Cage murdering someone who seemed to be a major power on the show. Massaro is just a jobber and he played his part fine, but this should have been more of domination to really hammer home Cage’s newfound power/aggression.

Cage puts the gauntlet on and beats on Massaro a bit more. A chokeslam puts the bloody Massaro on the floor.

Another video on Rey Mysterio, this time focusing on his mask. They’re certainly treating the title match as something really important, which helps out a lot.

Johnny Mundo, in pants again, trains with kendo sticks.

Cueto Cup First Round: Marty Martinez vs. Saltador

Saltador is the one who looks like a black and white checker board and offers his arm so Marty can put on a hammerlock. Marty grabs the wrist but the odd Saltador walks through the ropes and to the apron for the break. A dropkick sends Marty into the ropes and Saltador ties Marty’s legs in the ropes to continue the odd offense. That’s cool with Marty though who throws Saltador into the wall at ringside to really take over. Fans: “LET’S GET WEIRD!” I’d prefer we get Chinese but I haven’t had supper yet.

Saltador comes out of the corner with an ankle scissors and a springboard hurricanrana, followed by a very loud superkick for two. Marty has had it with someone being odder than him so he grabs a German suplex, followed by an exploder into the corner. A double underhook into a gutbuster is enough to put Saltador away at 7:12.

Rating: D+. Saltador certainly was odd but Marty moving forward was all that made sense here. The good thing about a promotion like Lucha Underground is the fact that they have enough people and gimmicks running around that you can run a tournament with people you might remember, which keeps things from getting too boring. This was more entertaining than I was expecting and that’s a big positive.

The Rabbit Tribe worships Mascarita Sagrada but he shakes them off and leaves.

Marty hangs out in his Melissa shrine but his sister Mariposa shows up to scare him. She promises to hurt him if they wind up facing off in the next round.

Cueto Cup First Round: Pindar vs. Mascarita Sagrada

The much smaller Sagrada gets thrown around to start and I have a feeling that’s going to be a theme here. As you might expect, Sagrada comes back with a headscissors and armdrag, followed by a running flip dive through the ropes. Back in and Pindar scores with a pop up cutter before hammering away in the corner.

The SI SE PUEDE chants don’t do Sagrada much good but the really spinny headscissors does. Kobra Moon’s interference doesn’t do much good and Mascarita’s moonsault gets two. Pindar has had it with him though and it’s a superkick to knock Sagrada silly. Pindar tosses him into the air for an X Factor and the pin at 5:58.

Rating: C-. This was actually a bit better than I was expecting with Pindar being a good choice to beat the heck out of Sagrada. You can only get so far with someone Sagrada’s size being a featured performer in a tournament like this but at least he only lasted about six minutes.

Cueto Cup First Round: Mariposa vs. Fenix

Santos still has a thing for Fenix. Mariposa isn’t interested in a handshake but Striker is interested in talking as fast as he can and telling us what we can see for ourselves. A tilt-a-whirl DDT plants Fenix and knocks him to the floor for a hurricanrana. Back in and a springboard version of Mysterio’s sitout bulldog gets two. Fenix kicks her in the head for the same and palm strikes her silly, setting up the Fenix Driver for the pin at 5:48.

Rating: C-. Too short to mean much but it was nice to have some kind of storyline development aside from just this massive tournament. The match was decent enough flying around but they needed to do a little more than Mariposa being able to keep up with Fenix. At least Santos being in a story for a change is interesting.

Marty runs in and goes after Fenix, scaring Melissa again.

Overall Rating: D. So let’s recap: we’re taking away the most interesting thing Lucha Underground does and replacing it with short matches that don’t have time to really go anywhere. At least we’re halfway done with the first round but I have a bad feeling about how much time is going to be dedicated to this thing in the name of filling in all kinds of time on this never ending season.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the Histories of Saturday Night’s Main Event and Clash of the Champions, now in PAPERBACK. Check out the information here:

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Lucha Underground
Date: December 7, 2016
Location: Lucha Underground Temple, Boyle Heights, California
Commentators: Vampiro, Matt Striker

We’re in a weird place here as this season is so long that it can take a long time to get anywhere. At the same time though, almost nothing interesting is really going on. We might be able to get somewhere with Matanza going after Rey Mysterio and Vampiro being Prince Puma’s new mentor but it’s hard to say what we might be getting here. Let’s get to it.

The opening video looks at Johnny Mundo’s rise to the Lucha Underground Title, the Best of Five series between Texano and Cage and Sexy Star losing the title.

Angelico comes in to see Dario Cueto and demands a match with Mundo tonight. The title doesn’t have to be on the line but Dario talks about Johnny’s lawyer. Lawsuits are threatened and Angelico suggests putting Dario through a table. Dario brings up a tournament for the #1 contendership. That’s enough for Angelico.

The tournament will be called the Battle of the Bulls with four fatal fourways (one fall to a finish). The winners will advance to a fourway elimination match for the title shot.

Battle of the Bulls First Round: Cage vs. Texano vs. Joey Ryan vs. Dr. Wagner Jr.

Cage jumps Famous B. before he can get done with Wagner’s entrances. So much for him getting fame. It’s quickly down to Cage vs. Texano with the latter scoring off a leg lariat and grabbing his bullrope. A big flip dive takes out Wagner and Ryan but Cage moonsaults down onto all of them for a huge crash. Wagner gets superplexed back in as it’s all Cage early on. For some reason Ryan tries a Blockbuster, only to get caught in a Jackhammer. That’s just awesome.

Wagner starts in on Texano’s knee before snapping off a middle rope cutter. Joey gets two on Cage off a middle rope neckbreaker but Cage is right back up with the Tower of Doom to put everyone else down. Back up with Ryan superkicking Cage into a German suplex from Texano, who sitout powerbombs Joey for two. Cage comes right back in with the bullrope to knock Texano out for the pin at 8:32.

Rating: B-. The Battle of the Bulls name could work really well as this was all about hitting each other really hard. That being said, I really could go for them finishing up one competition before starting up something else in the middle. Cage vs. Texano needs to wrap up so they can be the vessel or whatever it’s going to be so we can get somewhere.

Dario gives Sexy Star a match with PJ Black. If she wins, she gets her title rematch inside a cage. If she loses though, no more title shots ever.

Captain Vazquez sends Cortez Castro back into the Temple despite Dario knowing he’s a cop. She gives him a mask, because all police officers keep those in their desk.

Sexy Star vs. PJ Black

Of note here, Striker explains the stipulations which are sent to his headset. Again: they don’t see the backstage segments and I’ve always liked that. Star starts fast with a hurricanrana but Black doesn’t seem all that worried. A quick throw sends Star down so PJ can pose a bit before blasting her with a shot to the face. The top rope Lionsault gets two but Star avoids a second and grabs a DDT for two. Cue Jack Evans for a failed distraction though, allowing Star to grab a rollup for the pin at 6:30.

Rating: D+. Oh my goodness I am sick of Sexy Star. In case it hasn’t been BEATEN INTO YOUR HEAD enough by now, Sexy Star is a woman and male heels don’t take her seriously. Also there’s something about her fighting back from adversity from years ago which again you almost never hear about because we’re too busy hearing about how amazing Star is. You don’t have to

Kobra Moon tells her tribe that they must bring back the man who deserted them over a thousand years ago. She orders them to bring her the man who used to be a dragon.

Matanza still wants Rey Mysterio but Dario says Rey is injured. Matanza isn’t pleased so Dario tries to calm him down, only to have the monster attack. Now that’s a change.

Battle of the Bulls First Round: Marty Martinez vs. Dragon Azteca Jr. vs. The Mack vs. Mil Muertes

Everyone goes after Muertes to start and are easily shrugged off. A second attempt works a bit better and Muertes is dumped out to the floor. Dragon spins way into the air for a DDT on Mack, only to get speared in half by Muertes. Marty gets right in Mil’s face so Muertes fires off ten clotheslines in the corner. Mack actually drops Mil but gets into it with Dragon instead of following up. What a schnook.

A big flip dive takes Mack down but Dragon can’t follow up. Instead Mil spears Marty through the ropes to take the other two down in a big heap. Back in and Mil punches Dragon so hard that he hurts his own arm. Everyone decides to go after Muertes again but for the second time in the match, no one is smart enough to stay on him. The swinging chokeslam plants Dragon but he gets in a hurricanrana to send Muertes into the corner. A 450 crushes Mil and Dragon doesn’t cover with even Vampiro saying that was a bad idea.

Cue Matanza to powerbomb Dragon onto Mil and plant him with Wrath of the Gods. Dario comes out with the key to draw Matanza to the back, leaving Mack to Stun Marty for the pin at 8:26. Striker: “On this night, the Mack was indeed the better man!” Not really. He was the only one who wasn’t an idiot and one of the guys who wasn’t laid out by Matanza.

Rating: C+. The interference was a bit much and Striker got on my nerves more and more every time he talked with the big ending line making it even worse. Still though, good match here as this tournament is entertaining so far. Mack winning is interesting and I’m glad they didn’t go with the obvious choice in Muertes.

Overall Rating: C+. I really can’t get over how much I can’t stand Sexy Star. If there’s ever been a more two note character…..well there probably are several of them but none that really get on my nerves like she does. The tournament matches helped but it still feels like they’re adding in more and more stuff instead of really getting anywhere with the things they’ve already started. The action carries it though and that’s what matters most.

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Lucha Underground
Date: November 9, 2016
Location: Lucha Underground Temple, Boyle Heights, California
Commentators: Vampiro, Matt Striker

It’s a special week around here as we get one of the signature matches from Lucha Underground: Grave Consequences. While most promotions call it a casket match, Lucha Underground turns it into one of the biggest deals in their entire calendar. It helps that the match is between Mil Muertes and Prince Puma, which basically guarantees how awesome it’s going to be. Let’s get to it.

The opening recap looks at Famous b. vs. Mascarita Sagrada (with Son of Havoc and Dr. Wagner Jr. thrown in) and of course Grave Consequences.

Catrina gives Muertes a pep talk, saying she won’t bring him back again if he loses.

Mascarita Sagrada vs. Famous B.

Believers Backlash, meaning fans bring the weapons. Sagrada grabs some football pads and headbutts B. low with the helmet, followed by a splash off the stepladder. Don’t bother asking where the weapons are coming from here as the fans are just handing them over. B. misses a shot with a big bag of popcorn as the comedy is actually working here. How serious can a manager vs. a mini really be?

Some trashcan shots to Famous draw the Duke Droese reference and it’s time for an atomizer full of perfume, which is actually labeled Arrogance. Nice touch. Sagrada pulls out a wizard hat and makes a bowling ball appear for the Al Snow spot. Cue Wagner and Havoc who quickly cancel each other out, leaving Sagrada to blast B. with a portrait of….Famous B. Brenda gets pied (which freaks the fans out WAY more than it should) and a tornado DDT puts B. away at 7:02.

Rating: B-. It was fun and that’s all they were going for. I get really tired of seeing matches like this go from comedy to serious and then back to a goofy finish and that’s not it needed to be. Good, entertaining match here and that’s all it needed to be. Sagrada should have destroyed B. and he did just that.

Sagrada cuts up a big cardboard cutout of B. and Havoc gives him a vest.

Dante is getting ready when Killshot comes in. Apparently Dante has gotten a job and they have to fight together tonight, though neither seems happy with it.

Kobra Moon is still trying to get Drago to join a tribe but gets turned down again. Vinny appears and is still creepy.

Mack/Mariposa/Marty Martinez/Jeremiah Crane/Ivelisse vs. Killshot/Argenis/Dante Fox/Cage/Texano

The winning team is in Aztec Warfare. Crane kicks Fox in the face to start and a Death Valley Driver sends Fox over to tag Killshot. The couple actually starts beating on Killshot but Cage comes in to throw Ivelisse into the corner. The rapid tags that you would expect begin and it’s already time to lose track of everything that’s going on.

We unleash the dives until Fox and Killshot argue in the ring. As with any arguing team, they’re fine enough to work perfectly together and kick Marty and Mariposa in the face. Ivelisse flips out of a suplex into a hurricanrana (sweet) for two….and then crashes to the floor, injuring her ankle again like she did in season one. She screams NOT AGAIN as Fox lays out Killshot so Marty can get the pin at 4:03.

Rating: C. This was a bit too short to mean much but it was the kind of entertaining match you would expect from a show like this one. Fox and Crane are good additions to the roster and the rest all have roles (save for Argenis, who the announcers said was basically just there), making this exactly what it needed to be.

Dario Cueto gives Matanza a pep talk.

Prince Puma vs. Mil Muertes

Grave Consequences and Puma kicks Muertes in the face during the entrances. That earns Puma a whip into the empty chairs, only to have him hit Mil in the mask with the bell. Puma goes to get the casket and is promptly powerbombed onto it. Of course it’s table time because where would we be without one of those?

Unfortunately even death doesn’t make you smart enough to not put a chair in the corner, meaning Muertes goes head first into it. That’s completely no sold though and Puma is speared through the table in the corner. Mil unhooks the turnbuckle (Why not?) and the casket is brought inside. That takes too long as well, meaning it’s a springboard 450 onto Mil on the casket. The lid is slammed onto Mil’s back over and over…..and here’s another table.

Vampiro is WAY too happy about this evil side of Puma and you can feel his inner darkness coming out. Mil can’t quite close the lid and the Flatliner is countered with a kick to the head. As expected though, Puma takes too much time setting up something big and gets chokeslammed through two tables at ringside. Mil goes to the back and finds the same casket that he put Konnan inside. A Flatliner on the floor is enough to finish Puma at 16:03.

Rating: A-. Great stuff here as they beat the heck out of each other with Mil just being too much for Puma when it came to the violence. In addition to getting rid of Puma for the time being, it also helps charge Muertes up before we get to Aztec Warfare next week. We haven’t really seen Muertes vs. Matanza in their big fight last season and a return to that violence would be a lot of fun.

Puma’s casket is carried out to end the show.

Overall Rating: A-. If there’s one thing Lucha Underground knows how to do, it’s set up something big for a major main event. Other than the great main event, we also had the fun opener and more names announced for Aztec Warfare. That’s going to be an even more entertaining show next week as Lucha Underground gets better, despite us only being at the beginning of a forty episode season (that should explain some of the slower pacing).

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