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.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book, KB’s Complete 2014 Raw and Smackdown Reviews Part I at Amazon for just $3.99 at:

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

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

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).

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book, KB’s Complete 2014 Raw and Smackdown Reviews Part I at Amazon for just $3.99 at:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LY6766K#nav-subnav

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

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

Lucha Underground
Date: November 2, 2016
Location: Lucha Underground Temple, Boyle Heights, California
Commentators: Vampiro, Matt Striker

We’re only a few weeks away from Aztec Warfare and that means things are about to pick up in a big way. With Matanza seemingly unstoppable in singles matches, the best way to get the title off of him is to throw everyone at him at the same time, even though that didn’t work so well last year. Let’s get to it.

The opening recap….is cut off by an ad for a movie marathon airing this Saturday. It seemed to be talking about the undercover cops and Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Chavo Guerrero in a loser leaves the temple match.

It’s time for Dario’s Dial of Doom and the spin lands on Dario’s Choice. After a tease of Mysterio, Dario has a surprise for us.

Lucha Underground Title: Matanza vs. Cortez Castro

Castro is challenging and has a broken arm. Striker asks if we should get the Bob Orton Jr. jokes in now or save them for later. See, it’s because Matt is the wrestling fan and overly smug. Matanza kicks him in the arm and breaks the cast in two. That actually gives Cortez an opening as he swings the broken cast at the champ, only to get smacked back down. Wrath of the Gods retains the title at 2:27.

Dario calls Castro a rat in a rare instance of the backstage stuff being mentioned in front of the cameras.

Dario and Joey Ryan are laughing in the back when Son of Havoc comes in with Mascarita Sagrada. Mascarita wants to face Famous B. so Dario makes Havoc vs. Dr. Wagner Jr. If Havoc wins, Mascarita gets to pick the stipulations for the match with Famous B. If Wagner wins, he gets to pick.

Here’s Prince Puma to address the crowd for one of the only times ever. He pinned Mil Muertes a few weeks back but that’s not enough revenge for Muertes putting Konnan in a coffin. Therefore, Puma wants Grave Consequences. Catrina comes out to accept almost immediately but here’s Muertes to jump Puma. The Prince fights back and clears the ring, complete with his backflip into the pose.

Dr. Wagner Jr. vs. Son of Havoc

The winner gets to pick the stipulations for next week’s Famous B. vs. Mascarita Sagrada match. Wagner gets clotheslined to the floor at the bell and Havoc follows with back to back suicide dives. Havoc sends him into the barricade but gets spun inside out off a clothesline back inside. Famous B. goes after Sagrada due to reasons of evil as the fans chant 423-YOU-SUCK. The clothesline is returned to put Wagner down and the shooting star gives Havoc the pin at 5:25.

Rating: C-. This might be better if it wasn’t designed to set up a glorified comedy feud. I mean, does anyone really care about Mascarita Sagrada beating up his former manager? This feud has gone on for months now and they were really smart to bring in some fresh names but it’s still not interesting whatsoever.

Mascarita picks Believers Backlash, meaning fans bring the weapons. I’m not sure how that helps him but I’ll just be glad for this feud to end.

The White Rabbit Tribe is still coming.

Grave Consequences is confirmed for next week.

Rey Mysteiro Jr. vs. Chavo Guerrero Jr.

Loser leaves the Temple and unfortunately that means we have to hear about how great and legendary Chavo is. Chavo headlocks Rey down to start as Dinero talks about how many times this match has taken place over the years. Not the best argument, but neither is having Chavo in a featured role.

Rey headscissors him out to the floor for another headscissors into the crowd but the fans are too busy chanting for Chavo Classic (Chavo Senior, in the crowd tonight). Back in and Rey’s hurricanrana is countered so Chavo can start in on the leg for a smart move. Chavo throws Rey off the top but gets powerbombed down for a double crash. A tilt-a-whirl backbreaker sets up Three Amigos on Rey but he comes right back with a headscissors. Cue Chavo Classic with a chair…..to hit his son and that’s a DQ, meaning REY IS GONE!

Actually never mind as here’s Dario to say we’re restarting this match under No DQ rules because Chavo Classic isn’t ruining his main event. Classic takes the 619 but Chavo Jr. rolls through a top rope seated senton into a half crab. Rey gets out but his leg is really banged up. The Gory Bomb gets two more on Mysterio, who comes back with a basement dropkick. Now the 619 and springboard splash get rid of Chavo at 13:40.

Rating: B-. Chavo is a great example of someone skilled but not interesting. Aside from his time with Eddie and the last few months of WCW, I don’t remember a single time where I was interested in seeing a Chavo Guerrero match? The guy is just there and probably wouldn’t be on this show without his last name. The false finish was good stuff though and the match was solid for an off weak main event. Chavo being gone is for the greater good and that’s the most important part.

Overall Rating: C. There’s a different feeling around here because Aztec Warfare gives us something to look forward to. You can only get so much out of short form stories like Lucha Underground has been doing for months now and this is the big upgrade that the show has been needing. It’s still entertaining enough and I’m looking forward to the big gimmick matches they’ve got coming up. In other words, Lucha Underground is getting back to what works and that’s very good.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book, KB’s Complete 2014 Raw and Smackdown Reviews Part I at Amazon for just $3.99 at:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LY6766K#nav-subnav

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

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

Lucha Underground
Date: October 19, 2016
Location: Lucha Underground Temple, Boyle Heights, California
Commentators: Vampiro, Matt Striker

Things haven’t been great around here but this week will see Prince Puma facing Mil Muertes. If that’s not going to help things out around here, there’s nothing that’s going to. Other than that we’re likely seeing more in the never ending Chavo Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio feud. Let’s get to it.

The opening recap looks at Prince Puma’s rebirth, Killshot being stalked, the Worldwide Underground vs. Sexy Star and Dario’s Dial of Doom.

Vampiro goes up to Puma for some advice but the Prince wants nothing to do with him.

We open with Dario’s Dial of Doom for the Lucha Underground Title shot.

Lucha Underground Title: Matanza vs. Killshot

Killshot is challenging but has a bad back coming in. Matanza is smart enough to go after the ribs and throw Killshot down onto the back. Some backbreakers have Killshot in even more trouble and Matanza shrugs off anything Killshot throws at him. Killshot goes up and has to escape a super tombstone of all things. Instead it’s a superkick to crotch Matanza into an elevated DDT. The double stomp misses though and Wrath of the Gods retains the title at 4:08.

Rating: C. I kind of like the idea of Killshot winning one of these in a glorified squash. Matanza doesn’t always have to be vulnerable and Killshot’s back injury prevents this from killing Killshot’s credibility. He’s already got a story going and isn’t a main event name so let the big name beat him decisively while he can move on.

Post match a guy with more dog tags (Former Evolve Champion AR Fox.) comes in to see Killshot. After an awkward hug, the unnamed man kicks Killshot in the face and gives him a fisherman’s buster. With Killshot down, the guy throws the dog tags on him and says Killshot left him for dead. I’m digging this story and the matches should be awesome.

The Rabbit Tribe is still coming.

Drago vs. Fenix vs. Aerostar

This is for one of Dario’s unique opportunities and that could mean anything. If nothing else it should mean a sweet match. Speaking of sweet, Dario announces AZTEC WARFARE returning in four weeks. Matanza will be entering at #1 and the winner of this match will be entering at #20, though the losers are OUT. That certainly is a unique opportunity.

Fenix is on the apron to start as they’re actually having tags. Feeling out process to start until Aerostar is sent outside, meaning Fenix can legally come in. The tags are quickly forgotten (as they should be) and things speed way up in a hurry. Fenix gets slammed face first into the mat to bust him open, leaving Aerostar to kick Drago in the corner. That’s fine with Fenix who superkicks the heck out of Aerostar, setting off the streak of dives to the floor.

Back in and Aerostar gets two off a DDT with Drago making the save. Drago puts Aerostar on the apron and Fenix on the top, only to have the latter take him out with a high crossbody. Fenix grabs his standing Indian deathlock on Drago but gets caught in a Black Widow at the same time. I know they look cool but I’m not a fan of spots where they’re clearly working together. Fenix is sent outside and Drago grabs a running Blockbuster for the pin on Aerostar at 8:47.

Rating: B-. This is the kind of lucha match that the show has been lacking. Just have three people (who happen to be the Trios Champions) go out there and fly around for a bit so the crowd can have fun. It’s an idea that worked really well before and it’s working well now. Fenix and Aerostar being out of Aztec Warfare is interesting, even though Fenix would have been a dark horse contender.

Drago is in the back when Kobra Moon crawls up to him. She wants him to bring the title back to their tribe but he says he left years ago. Vinnie Massaro of all people comes up eating pizza and saying this is the men’s locker room.

Johnny Mundo comes in to Dario’s office and STILL demands to be Lucha Underground Champion. Mundo gives Dario most of $100,000 for a shot at the Gift of the Gods Title.

Mil Muertes vs. Prince Puma

Puma strikes away to start but the headscissors is broken up with a knee to the ribs. A springboard clothesline only gets Puma so far but he avoids a charge and hits two straight dives. That’s fine with Muertes who spears Puma in half and hits him with a wooden chair. For some reason Muertes stops to look at the stone though and Puma hits a huge dive off the balcony to take him down again. What a sweet looking spot. There’s nothing else that needs to be said there: he went up really high, dove off, and looked cool. Sometimes that’s all you need.

Back in and Mil snaps off a powerslam before forearming Puma out of a spinning kick. A painful looking swinging chokeslam gets two on Puma but a superkick sets up the 630 for the completely clean pin on Muertes at 8:50. I know Muertes has taken a backseat to Matanza in the last year or so but that’s still a big win.

Rating: B+. This is the kind of match I love seeing on Lucha Underground. It’s an old feud and they beat the heck out of each other with a bunch of big spots. Puma is someone who could be rocketed right back to the top of the card and this is the kind of win that could do that for him. The same is true of Muertes, who will get to rebound from this kind of a loss.

Rey Mysterio is talking to Chavo Guerrero Sr. about his respect for Chavo Jr. Sr. respects Rey as well.

Overall Rating: B. Now that’s more like it. This was an action packed show but more importantly they now have something to look forward with Aztec Warfare. That match is the kind of thing that feels unique to Lucha Underground, which is something they’ve been missing for a long time now. Then again, maybe it was the lack of Chavo as that’s always a good thing.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book, KB’s Complete 2014 Raw and Smackdown Reviews Part I at Amazon for just $3.99 at:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LY6766K#nav-subnav

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

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

Lucha Underground
Date: September 28, 2016
Location: Lucha Underground Temple, Boyle Heights, California
Commentators: Vampiro, Matt Striker

This season is still off to a rocky start as we’re still waiting for the big stories to really take off. There are a bunch of minor stories going on but nothing is really picking up and making me want to stick around and watch a lot of this stuff. Then again, the Lucha Underground tradition is to make things look horrible and then turn it around in a hurry. Let’s get to it.

The opening video looks at Rey Mysterio Jr./Dragon Azteca Jr./Chavo Guerrero Jr., the Worldwide Underground, the cops investigating Dario Cueto and Vampiro getting in Prince Puma’s head.

Dario comes in to see Sexy Star and suggests that she’s going to lose the Gift of the Gods Title soon. It won’t be tonight though as she’s teaming up with the Trios Champions against the Worldwide Underground. Cueto leaves and Johnny Mundo comes in to officially introduce himself to Star. You would think they would have met somewhere in there. He promises to take the title from her but she squeezes his hand.

Siniestro De La Muerte vs. Prince Puma

They run the ropes to start and flip over each other until a snap hurricanrana puts Muerte down. Vampiro seems VERY pleased with the more aggressive Puma, who grabs something like a suplex but kneels down and bends Muerte’s leg over his head. Puma tries to run a bit too much though and gets caught in a reverse powerbomb out of the corner. A big spinning kick to the face drops Muerte again but here’s Mil Muertes to distract Puma. That isn’t a DQ for some reason so Puma hits a modified Michinoku Driver and a Flatliner (with a look at Muertes) for the pin at 4:51.

Rating: C. This was a good showing for the new Puma as he almost had to evolve to stay relevant in the rapidly changing Lucha Underground. It’s also cool to see the promotion use somewhat big names as jobbers as Muerte hadn’t been around in a while but still has enough credentials that beating him means something.

Muertes goes after Puma but Catrina drags him away.

Cortez Castro goes in to see Dario, who gets up and hugs him. Dario is going to do everything he can to bring Cisco’s killer to justice. You can hear Melissa Santos introducing Castro for his match so he leaves the office as Dario sneers.

Cortez Castro vs. Pentagon Dark

Castro clearly isn’t ready and didn’t know he was having a match. Cortez elbows him in the mask to start but gets kicked down almost immediately. The package piledriver gives Dark the win at 1:11.

Post match, Pentagon breaks Castro’s arm and says he wants to do the same to Azteca or Guerrero.

Worldwide Underground vs. Drago/Aerostar/Fenix/Sexy Star

The women start things off and run the ropes a bit before Star’s hurricanrana sends Taya over for a tag. Evans comes in for a bunch of flips (literally, and with the announcers mocking him for them) before handing it off to Black. That’s fine with Drago, who legsweeps Black a few times before the good guys start speeding things up. Mundo cuts that off almost immediately with a superkick to Fenix. You can’t have one superkick in a row though so Fenix superkicks Mundo right back down, followed by a Helluva Kick.

Instead Fenix drops Star into a legdrop for two but it’s time to start the quadruple teaming in the bad corner. Taya hits some running knees in the corner and Star is busted open. Mundo hits Star by mistake though and the hot tag brings in Drago to speed things up again. Everything breaks down and they trade strikes before it’s time for Fenix to hit the dives. Star sends Taya outside (where Taya seems to injure her ankle or leg) but gets superkicked by Johnny, sending her into a backslide for the pin at 8:52.

Rating: B-. This is more like it with the fast paced people flying all over the place and looking awesome like Lucha Underground is supposed to do. Mundo is likely going to wind up as the big bad of the show, which in a way is more interesting than having some supernatural character for a change. These tag matches are one of the things Lucha Underground does best and it worked well here too.

Catrina and Muertes aren’t pleased with Muerte’s latest loss. His punishment: CATRINA SUCKS OUT HIS SOUL, which she blows into Mil. She wants him to do the same thing to Puma. Stand there while she spits a soul at him?

Dragon Azteca Jr. vs. Chavo Guerrero Jr.

Mysterio is guest referee. Feeling out process to start until Chavo shoulders him down for a headlock. A springboard into a rollup gets two for Dragon and he grabs an armbar of his own. They head outside with Striker saying this is like a professional team playing a college team. I’m assuming he means Chavo is the pro team, assuming that means he’s older, slower, and less popular.

Azteca gets posted on the floor and clotheslined back inside for two before it’s back to the chinlock. A half crab is broken up thanks to a rope grab but Chavo shoves Rey down for breaking the hold. The distraction lets Dragon grab a rollup out of the electric chair for the quick pin at 7:15.

Rating: C. As is so often the case around here this season, this was really just there. Chavo really isn’t that interesting and his just average matches aren’t going to cut it around here. Then again that’s probably why he’s a heel. Going somewhere with Azteca and Mysterio would help a lot but that’s not seeming likely right now.

Black Lotus is praying (I think?) at a shrine (Maybe?) to her parents (In theory?) and promises to have her Triad avenge them against Pentagon Dark.

Overall Rating: C+. The wrestling helped here but the same problem persists: what’s the point of this show right now? Dario is of course the top villain but there’s no real advancement with most of his stuff. The wheel deciding challengers for Matanza doesn’t really help either as it’s just him beating up people that we know he can beat up without much effort. Other than that there’s the Worldwide Underground which isn’t exactly top level stuff after we’ve had Matanza and Muertes around. This show was better but they need to actually do something soon.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up my new book, KB’s Complete 2014 Raw and Smackdown Reviews Part I at Amazon for just $3.99 at:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LY6766K#nav-subnav

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

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

Lucha Underground
Date: September 14, 2016
Location: Lucha Underground Temple, Boyle Heights, California
Commentators: Matt Striker, Vampiro

Tonight is about focusing on a midcard story for a change with a main event of Killshot vs. Marty the Moth Martinez in a Weapons of Mass Destruction match. It’s quite different to see a match at that level getting such attention but things don’t always work like normal here in Lucha Underground. Let’s get to it.

The opening recap focuses on Dario Cueto returning to the Temple, Famous B. vs. Mascarita Sagrada and Martinez vs. Killshot.

We look back at the cops trying to arrest Cueto and realizing that he’s more than just a regular street thug. Captain Vazquez (Castro’s boss) tells him to see the bigger picture because there’s a war coming.

Dr. Wagner Jr. vs. Mascarita Sagrada

Famous B., now with his phone number on his tie, handles Wagner’s introduction. Sagrada tries a waistlock but gets hit with a Doctor Driver for the pin at 53 seconds. I’m very glad that Wagner wasn’t just a one off appearance at Ultima Lucha II.

We go back millenia in time (somehow that works around here) and see a dying father giving a young girl an amulet which only works on females. Once she puts it on, she will never die. All that matters is fighting the coming war and then the father dies.

In present day, Captain Vazquez is seen looking at half of the amulet when Cortez comes in to see her. She suspends him and says to stop worrying about Cueto because there are more important things to worry about.

Argenis vs. Mil Muertes

Argenis tries some right hands to start and is quickly powerbombed. A chop and moonsault actually give Argenis a one count but the Flatliner gives Muertes the pin at 1:34.

Catrina gives Argenis the Lick of Death but here’s Prince Puma to springboard in and take out Muertes with some dropkicks. So Puma is listening to Vampiro, as he probably should.

Joey Ryan comes in to see Dario and admits that he’s an undercover cop who knows Dario killed Cisco. He gets right to the chase: Joey wants to be on the right side of the war, unlike Castro, who Joey outs as a fellow cop. Dario gives him some money to pay child support.

Castro tells Vazquez he wants to be on her side in the war. He leaves and she looks at the amulet.

Marty Martinez vs. Killshot

Weapons of Mass Destruction match with Killshot attacking in the aisle. They head to the balcony which is covered in sandbags as the arena has a military theme. Marty is thrown over the announcers’ table to draw a THIS IS AWESOME chant. The bloody Martinez throws Melissa Santos at Killshot for a breather before hammering him into the crowd. Killshot fights back so Marty bails to the floor, only to have Killshot dive off the balcony to take him down.

Marty stops to set up some tables but opts to suplex Killshot onto the apron. This has been the kind of violent brawl it should have been so far. We get a ladder bridged between the ring and the barricade but Killshot throws a blanket over Marty and kicks him down. Another ladder is dragged inside as Striker makes military analogies. A spinebuster puts Killshot down onto a big crate and a superplex onto the same crate makes things even worse.

Somehow Killshot pops and hits a Death Valley Driver onto the ladder, followed by a top rope double stomp for our first near fall. It adds so much when they don’t do those every thirty seconds. Marty is fine enough to powerbomb Killshot over the top and through two tables at ringside for a really sick looking crash. That’s only good for two though and Killshot grabs a quick Killdriver for two. Marty laughs because he’s not all there.

Since two ladders aren’t enough, here’s a mega ladder to make it even worse. The ladder is set in the middle of the ring and there’s a table at either side. Both guys head up the ladder but here’s Mariposa to go after Killshot, only to have him knock her down through a table. With no one left to make a save, Killshot grabs Marty low and steals the dog tags back. A HUGE double stomp drives Marty through the other table and gives Killshot the pin at 22:33.

Rating: B+. Sometimes you just need to crank up the violence and let two guys beat the heck out of each other for a long time. This is the biggest win of Killshot’s career and he’s ready to move on to something more important. The blood on Marty’s face was a great visual and both guys looked awesome throughout. It’s a perfect way to blow off a feud like this and Marty can keep being creepy with someone else.

Muertes is beating up a helpless locker when Catrina comes in. Mil wants Puma, and I know this because he shouts I WANT PUMA. Catrina says patience is a virtue and she’s been waiting hundreds of years for something. She holds up the other half of the amulet to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. This show did a lot of good about moving the stories forward. You can see the major story being set up and tonight was about moving a bunch of pieces around a chess board. Lucha Underground is a rare company where the stories are so different than what you see in the ring as there’s a whole other world outside of the arena. It’s hard to say where this is going but there’s potential to have a lot of fun.

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Lucha Underground
Date: July 13, 2016
Location: Lucha Underground Temple, Boyle Heights, California
Commentators: Vampiro, Matt Striker

It’s week two of Ultima Lucha Dos and now we should be moving on to the bigger matches instead of last week’s unannounced mini tournament and that means we’re likely getting a title match this time around. This should be a lot of fun as Lucha Underground knows how to do the big shows. Let’s get to it.

The opening recap focuses on the Gift of the Gods Title and King Cuerno vs. Mil Muertes in a death match.

Gift of the Gods Title: Siniestro de la Muerte vs. Daga vs. Mariposa vs. Marty Martinez vs. Sexy Star vs. Killshot vs. Night Claw

Elimination match, the title is vacant coming in and this is Claw’s debut. Killshot goes after Marty to start and there are no tags here. Speaking of tags, Marty puts the stolen dog tags down his trunks. Star kicks Mariposa in the mask to knock her outside but Daga kicks Star outside as well.

The other three start slugging it out in the middle with some quick rollup attempts for two each. Claw gives Daga a 619 but Muerte takes Claw down with a lifting reverse DDT. Daga drops Claw with a clothesline but gets kneed in the head, followed by a standing C4 to eliminate Muerte at 2:55.

We take a break and come back with Star knocking Mariposa off the top for a crash onto Daga, followed by a parade of dives. Back in and Daga grabs a guillotine choke on Marty, only to have Claw break it up with a guillotine legdrop. Well to be fair no one ever cared about logic around here. Claw makes up for it a bit with a super hurricanrana and Phoenix Splash to get rid of Daga at 11:10.

Everyone heads outside and Claw moonsaults off Dario’s office for your biggest spot of the season. As is so often the case in Lucha Underground though, there’s almost no time to let it soak in though as Killshot is up with a Death Valley Driver to send Mariposa into the apron. Claw comes back in to superkick Killshot for two but the Phoenix Splash misses, allowing Killshot to hit something like a One Winged Angel to put Claw away at 13:50.

We’re down to Mariposa, Marty, Star and Killshot and all four head to their own corner. They pair off as you would expect with the good ones taking over with some double teaming. Star dives over the top to take out Marty, leaving Mariposa to grab a sunset bomb for a quick two on Killshot. Marty curb stomps Killshot though and Mariposa adds the Butterfly Effect (Vertebreaker) for the elimination at 16:01.

Back from another break with Star getting a Fujiwara Armbar on Marty until Mariposa makes the save. The family starts double teaming but Marty punches his sister by mistake, allowing Star to grab a quick pin at 22:29. Star tells Marty to come back in and we get a KILL THE MOTH chant. A Black Widow has Marty in trouble but he pretty easily powers out and punches Star in the jaw for two. Star isn’t done though and grabs a cross armbreaker out of nowhere for the submission at 25:51.

Rating: B. That was the best possible winner as they’ve built Star up so well this season that you have to go somewhere with her at some point. Having her beat Mariposa and Marty back to back is a great way to cap off their feud as well. Night Claw was looking great at first and then was just out in the middle, which is one of the issues with these massive elimination matches. No one else really stood out here but the only thing that really mattered here was the winner anyway.

Joey Ryan and Cortez Castro tell Mr. Cisco that he’s cleared of all charges if his wire gets information on Dario Cueto.

Preview for next week’s two hour finale.

King Cuerno vs. Mil Muertes

Death match, which I believe means hardcore. It’s a brawl to start with Mil throwing him to the mat but Cuerno gets in a few shots in the corner to take over. Mil is sent outside for the running Arrow but comes right back with a TKO to plant Cuerno. Some chair shots don’t seem to do much good as Cuerno kicks him away and dives off the balcony with a big cross body.

They both stagger to their feet and go up to the musical guest area with Mil hitting him in the head with a mic. Cuerno is kicked off the stage for a crash and it’s time for a ladder and a table. Mil takes too much time setting up said ladder and Cuerno kicks him in the head back inside, followed by a running clothesline to put him on the floor. Vampiro keeps calling this all violent and insane but it’s not exactly that much.

They head outside again and go up the steps with Mil going head first through a glass window. There’s no effect of course so Cuerno goes through it as well, leaving him to fall back down the steps. He won’t stay down again though and it’s a tornado DDT off the wall. Cuerno finds another table, prompting Matt to wonder how many can possibly be underneath a ring. The table isn’t used quite yet though as Mil wins a slugout and moves the steps around instead.

Cuerno backdrops him onto the ladder though and pulls out ANOTHER table, giving us four around the ring. As so many have before, Cuerno makes the mistake of going after Catrina and gets speared through a table. Back to back powerbombs put him through two more tables and Cuerno is basically done. A crowbar shot to the head destroys Cuerno even further and a Tombstone puts him out of his misery at 13:49.

Rating: B+. The ending really made this one as Cuerno set the monster off by going after Catrina, which has long since caused Muertes to lose his mind like this. Cuerno getting closer and closer but just not being enough to stop Muertes was a good story as well and the violence helped move things along. It’s not quite as good as some of the other brawls like this but Muertes is in his element here and it showed.

We look at Vampiro vs. Pentagon Jr. from last year to set up Matanza vs. Pentagon Jr. next week.

Vampiro pours out his medication and says it’s time for him to go get his student ready.

We go to Dario’s office where he meets with the wired Mr. Cisco. Apparently Cisco is just here to check in but Dario doesn’t need anything. Cisco insists that he’s a loyal soldier but he sounds a bit too nervous. Dario won’t let him leave and asks if Cisco is wearing a wire. The wire is found so Dario grabs the mic and tells the cops to come get him. Dario picks up a bull statue and BEATS CISCO TO DEATH. He picks up the red phone and anxiously tells someone that it’s time to end the show.

Overall Rating: A-. Now that’s more like it. Last week’s show was a lot of fun but this felt like they were actually going for something important. Star winning was a good idea and the main event was one heck of a brawl. The interesting thing about Ultima Lucha though is that it the first two weeks really are just setting the table for the big showdowns next week, which really do a great job of making you want to see the finale. Well done here and the show was awesome like I was expecting coming into this season.

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Lucha Underground
Date: June 29, 2016
Location: Lucha Underground Temple, Boyle Heights, California
Commentators: Vampiro, Matt Striker

It’s the last regular show before the first week of Ultima Lucha, which will run for the next three shows. You can probably figure out most of the card from here but only a few matches have actually been announced. It should be interesting to see what Lucha Underground comes up with to get us there as they have some rather unique ways of setting up matches. Let’s get to it.

The recap looks at Mil Muertes’ latest death and feud with King Cuerno, plus Prince Puma challenging Rey Mysterio for Ultima Lucha Dos.

The Trios Titles will be on the line at Ultima Lucha with Fenix/Drago/Aerostar challenging PJ Black/Johnny Mundo/Jack Evans. The show now has its own graphics to really make it look important.

King Cuerno vs. Mil Muertes

That’s quite the opener. Cuerno gets Muertes to chase him around to start but Muertes just spears him down back inside, which Striker says is like the reaper’s trident. He’s kind of a weird guy. Muertes fires off some chops, which Striker say are designed to disorientate your opponent. I thought they were designed to hurt your opponent’s chest but that’s just me. A chokeslam gets two for Mil but Cuerno comes back with a running knee and dropkick to set up the big dive through the ropes.

The referee gets taken out as well so Cuerno grabs a chair. Of note here, Striker talks about some soldiers being in the crowd and then calls the bumped referee a casualty of war. Bad choice of words there. Muertes no sells a chair to the head and blasts Cuerno with a clothesline. The chair to Cuerno’s back makes it even worse but Mil misses a charge and goes head first into the chair in the corner, allowing Cuerno to grab a rollup (and the ropes) for the pin at 4:30.

Rating: C+. Striker driving me up the wall aside, this was a good enough brawl to set up the pretty obvious gimmick rematch at Ultima Lucha. Cuerno has always been one of my favorites around here so it’s cool to see him getting a push and the biggest win he’s ever had in the promotion, though I’m sure he’ll get destroyed in the rematch.

Taya and Ivelisse come in to see Dario and get catty with each other from the start. Dario makes a match between them for Ultima Lucha to see who the baddest woman is. As they’re leaving, Catrina comes in and calls Ivelisse a little girl. Apparently Muertes wants a rematch with Cuerno at Ultima Lucha but Dario lists off everything Catrina and Muertes have done to him. Catrina doesn’t care and asks for it to be a death match. Dario actually agrees and Catrina disappears. Dario: “Women.”

Prince Puma vs. Dragon Azteca Jr.

This should be good. Rey Mysterio is out with Azteca. They start fast (of course) by running the ropes with Puma missing a kick to the head and a standing moonsault before they trade armdrags. Striker begs Vampiro to help him with this play by play but he gets a break as the guys shake hands off a standoff. Dragon slaps him in the face and they run the ropes again with both guys sliding to the floor. Azteca runs back in for a suicide dive but gets caught on Puma’s shoulders (surprising power display) and sent back first into the post.

Back in and Dragon’s middle rope hurricanrana sends Puma flying and a springboard hurricanrana takes him off the middle rope. A running forearm to the jaw staggers Puma again, allowing Dragon to hit his pop up DDT (the DDTJ) for two. Back up and Puma pulls Dragon off the middle rope into a Blue Thunder Bomb followed by some rolling suplexes for two. The 630 is broken up as Puma gets crotched and a super victory roll gets two for Dragon. Puma kicks him in the back of the head and a Michinoku Driver gets two more. A dropkick sets up the 630 to finally put Dragon away at 8:44.

Rating: B+. Really awesome stuff here and that’s all it was going to be. Azteca has hit the ground running in Lucha Underground and this does a good job of setting up Puma vs. Mysterio. Unfortunately it doesn’t do much to set up Azteca vs. Lotus, which isn’t the strongest feud in the first place. Still though, great match.

Post match Puma says that’s Mysterio at Ultima Lucha.

Here are Son of Havoc, the Mack, Cage and Texano in the ring for a chat with Dario. The boss has plans for the four of them for Ultima Lucha: the Unique Opportunity Tournament. The winner will receive the most unique opportunity that he’s ever offered so give it everything you have. The tournament starts next week but he thinks they should get a start right now so the brawl is on.

We run down the Ultima Lucha card. Those graphics really do add something.

Johnny Mundo vs. Fenix

Mundo flips off the crowd to make it clear that he is in fact the villain. Thanks for pointing that one out for us chum. Fenix starts with an early rollup attempt before a standing moonsault gets two. Mundo takes him into the corner for some choking, only to get chopped over and over and over. A quick C4 gets two for Mundo and we hit a double arm crank with a chinlock. Mundo spinebuster him for two and Taya gets involved with some choking.

Fenix superkicks him off the ropes though and dives out onto Johnny and Taya at the same time. We get a Super Calo reference before Striker says this is the fight of Fenix’s life. I’d think the Muertes match where he won the title was a bit bigger but who am I to argue with Striker. Fenix gets two more off a sunset bomb but Taya grabs his foot so Johnny can kick him in the head. The End of the World misses as Taya puts the Trios Title belt on the apron. Fenix is right back up and chopping Johnny on the top, setting up a super C4 for no count as Taya has the referee. A belt shot puts Fenix away at 7:53.

Rating: B-. I’m not wild on the WWE style finish but at least it fits Johnny’s character to perfection and helps set up the Trios Titles match at Ultima Lucha. Johnny and Taya are perfect together and you could see them being a thing in real life which always helps. Fenix has very quietly become one of the best performers in this company and it’s always fun to see him in the ring.

Post match the other four members of the trios come out for the big brawl with Ivelisse following them to go after Taya. A huge brawl ends the show with the good guys (and Ivelisse) cleaning house.

Overall Rating: B+. Good wrestling and a VERY strong build towards Ultima Lucha makes this an awesome show. I love the fact that it’s a three week show, basically guaranteeing that the matches don’t have to be as rushed as they were last year. I’m looking forward to the show more than ever now and that’s exactly how I should feel with a week to go. Really well done here as I’ve come to expect from this promotion.

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Lucha Underground
Date: June 15, 2016
Location: Lucha Underground Temple, Boyle Heights, California
Commentators: Vampiro, Matt Striker

We’re approaching Ultima Lucha Dos with just a few weeks to go and the company has turned it’s attention to the big show. Last week six people won a tag match to set up a six way elimination tonight for a shot at the Lucha Underground Title in (probably) the main event of Ultima Lucha Dos. Let’s get to it.

The opening recap focuses on the undercover cops, Pentagon’s destruction and rebuilding, Mil Muertes coming back to life again and tonight’s six man match.

Pentagon Jr. vs. King Cuerno vs. Ivelisse vs. Taya vs. Johnny Mundo vs. Fenix

No tags of course and this is under elimination rules. Johnny and Taya double team Ivelisse to start with the Moonlight Drive and a swinging Rock Bottom getting two each, only to have Fenix come in with some kicks. What’s Up with Pentagon playing D-Von gets two on Johnny as Taya makes a questionable save. We get the big showdown between Pentagon and Cuerno with the former being sent out to the floor.

Johnny takes him out with a dive as well, only to have Cuerno and Fenix throw Ivelisse on top of everyone else. Back inside, Cuerno snaps off a super reverse hurricanrana on Fenix but here’s Mil Muertes to spear Cuerno down. Muertes adds a powerbomb and Mundo hits the End of the World for the elimination at 4:20.

Back from a break (oh yeah this is going through the whole show) with Fenix refusing to fight Ivelisse as the other three go at it on the floor. Fenix still won’t fight so Taya gets in, allowing Johnny to kick Ivelisse down. That’s fine with Ivelisse who kicks Taya down and snaps off a hurricanrana on Johnny. Taya slams Ivelisse but misses a moonsault. A double stomp to Ivelisse’s chest lets Taya pin Ivelisse at 12:24 as we take a second break.

Back with all four brawling in the ring with Pentagon giving Taya Shattered Dreams and then slapping her chest up against the ropes. Vampiro stares at Pentagon as he kicks Taya in various places. Johnny wants Pentagon inside for a fight and they trade big forearms. Taya grabs Pentagon’s foot though and the Flying Chuck drops him with ease.

That just allows Fenix to come back in for some kicks to the head before Taya tornado armdrags Pentagon down. The heels stomp the good guys down as the fans cheer for Pentagon. Taya’s double knees in the corner stagger Pentagon but he pops right back up with a package piledriver to get rid of Taya at 21:46.

We take a third break with Fenix, Johnny and Pentagon staring each other down and chopping in a circle. A spinebuster plants Fenix for two as Pentagon is sent out to the floor. Fenix sends Johnny outside for a dive, followed by Pentagon hitting one of his own to take both guys down. Pentagon and Fenix chop things off until Fenix gets a running start for a headscissors. Not to be outdone, Johnny busts out a corkscrew dive off the top to put down the masked ones.

Back in and Johnny’s corkscrew shooting star gets two on Fenix, followed by a standing C4 for the same. Pentagon puts Johnny on top so Fenix can jump very high for a big double stomp. Johnny is down so Pentagon tries to roll Fenix up, only to land on Johnny to get rid of Mundo at 30:22.

Another break brings us back to “a garden of violence” according to Striker. They stare each other down and Pentagon lets him have the first shot. Pentagon throws him into the air for a crash and brings the Haas of Pain out of mothballs for a near submission. Fenix gets out and puts on something like a kneeling Texas Cloverleaf. That goes nowhere so Pentagon grabs what looks like a Tombstone, only to tie Fenix’s legs up and bend his back.

Fenix is out as well and grabs a Dragon Sleeper before going with the springboard twisting Pentagon bails to the floor and gets taken down by a big corkscrew dive. Back in and Pentagon sends him into the corner for a big kick to take over again. Fenix catches a charge in the corner but Pentagon gets his legs around Fenix’s head for a swinging piledriver of all things. That’s certainly a new one.

Fenix springboards into a super hurricanrana for two and even Vampiro is stunned at the kickout. The fans aren’t sure who to cheer for until Pentagon scores with back Sling Blades. Fenix scores with a superkick and both guys are down. They head to the apron for a superkick from Pentagon, followed by a Canadian Destroyer to the floor of all things. Both guys slowly get back in and Fenix scores with a backbreaker for two more. They slug it out from their knees with Fenix getting the better of it, only to dive into the package piledriver for the pin at 52:11.

Rating: A-. I don’t know what you’re expecting me to say here. They beat the heck out of each other for the better part of an hour and there were some ridiculous looking holds and moves in the final two. It says a lot that they could get me into a match where the winner was as obvious as Pentagon, but Fenix as runner-up was the best possible option. Oh and we’re almost guaranteed Muertes vs. Cuerno now so everyone wins.

Matanza and Dario appear at the entrance so Pentagon can threaten to break every one of Matanza’s bones to end the show.

Overall Rating: A. If there’s one thing I love about Lucha Underground, it’s the idea of being able to go from the big ideas to something simple like this. Instead of a bunch of stories, this was all about one idea: getting a #1 contender to set up the main event of the biggest show of the year. That’s exactly what they did and threw in a bonus of Cuerno vs. Muertes in what should be one heck of a fight. As usual, Lucha knows how to be efficient which is something almost every other promotion needs to improve on. Really fun show here and it flew by, which is always a bonus.

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Lucha Underground
Date: June 8, 2016
Location: Lucha Underground Temple, Boyle Heights, California
Commentators: Matt Striker, Vampiro

We’re coming off a big show last week where Prince Puma came close to turning heel without actually doing it and Cage came very close to defeating Matanza for the Lucha Underground Title. With Cage’s shot out of the way, it’s time to crown a new Gift of the Gods Champion in a process that may begin tonight. Let’s get to it.

We open with a recap of Jack Evans vs. dragons, Cortez Castro and Joey Ryan as undercover cops and the fall and rise of Pentagon Jr.

Black Lotus comes in to see Dario Cueto and tells him that Dragon Azteca. Jr. knows where Matanza is kept. She stopped him from killing Matanza but if Dario is lying about what happened to her family, she’ll have to deal with everyone. Dario brings up Ultima Lucha Dos and says she’ll be facing Dragon Azteca Jr. so her parents can finally rest in peace.

Matt Striker and Vampiro welcome us to the show and tell us that Ultima Lucha is in four weeks.

Tonight there will be a six on six tag match and the winners will face each other in a six way match next week, perhaps for the Gift of the Gods Title?

Marty Martinez vs. Killshot

Before the match, Marty taunts Killshot with the stolen dog tags and earns himself a quick beating. It actually only lasts a few seconds until Marty comes back and pounds Killshot’s head into the barricade before laughing like a crazy man. The referee stops the count for no apparent reason but a whip into the announcers’ table is enough to end this at 1:14 in a double countout.

Killshot, still with his gear on, kicks Marty’s legs out from underneath him and gets the dog tags back. Apparently he’s not that bright though as Marty sneaks up on him and takes the tags away again.

Castro and Ryan go in to interrogate Cisco with Ryan as the bad cop. The lieutenant comes in to say Cisco should just confess now. When that’s refused, the lieutenant also offers to wear a wire. Apparently Cueto is accused of drug trafficking, money smuggling and murder. On top of that though, she thinks he’s the lynchpin to the end of days. Well that escalated quickly.

Jack Evans/PJ Black vs. Aerostar/Drago

This is a nunchuck match, meaning there are a bunch of them hanging around the Temple for use though you win by pinfall or submission. Evans insists on being introduced as the Dragon Slayer. Striker says we can add these four names to a list including Daredevil, Moon Knight and Michelangelo. Aerostar and Black fight to the floor but Aerostar quickly comes back in to be catapulted into a sunset flip, only to launch Evans into a clothesline.

A double slam gets two on Jack but PJ gets in a brainbuster on Drago for no cover. Evans springboards into a double stomp on Aerostar’s back and it’s time to go after the weapons, only to have the good guys coming in for the quick save. Evans holds the ropes open so Black can dive on both of them, followed by a moonsault to take them out again.

Jack gets the first set of nunchucks from above the entrance and it’s Aerostar taking the first beating. Drago kicks Evans in the head though and grabs another set of nunchucks to take over, followed by a running flip dive to drop the villains. They wind up on top of Dario’s office (that must drive him crazy) but Jack would rather dive off onto Black to avoid taking a beating from Aerostar…..who dives down to take them out anyway. Well that works too. Back in and Drago just beats the fire out of Jack with the nunchucks and blows mist into his eyes, setting up the Dragon’s Tail for the pin at 7:57.

Rating: C+. This depends on your taste as it was mainly about the weapons, which really didn’t do a lot for me. They certainly looked and sounded cool but I could have gone with more wrestling instead of just the violence. At least that Aerostar dive looked awesome. It wasn’t a bad match and certainly wasn’t boring but it really didn’t do anything for me for the most part.

Prince Puma/The Mack/Texano/Sexy Star/Son of Havoc/Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Fenix/King Cuerno/Ivelisse/Taya/Johnny Mundo/Chavo Guerrero

The winning team will face off next week with the winner of that getting the Lucha Underground Title shot at Ultima Lucha Dos. Actually hang on a second as here’s Pentagon Jr. in a wheelchair to say that Chavo was the only one who helped him but now it’s time to destroy Chavo. Pentagon gets up and throws him into the apron and superkicks him down before breaking his arm.

Back from a break before the bell but we’re still not ready as Dario and Black Lotus come out. Dario asks if the fans want Pentagon to take Chavo’s place and is of course told yes. That’s fine with Dario but he warns Pentagon of the long term consequences. Pentagon has no fear so ring the bell.

Prince Puma/The Mack/Texano/Sexy Star/Son of Havoc/Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Fenix/King Cuerno/Ivelisse/Taya/Johnny Mundo/Pentagon Jr.

One fall to a finish. Star sneaks up on Taya with a quick rollup for two and spins out of a hair drag with a cartwheel. Taya is sent outside for a tag off to Ivelisse, who gets to face Son of Havoc. A few kicks and a small package get two on Havoc and it’s time for a staredown. Pentagon tags himself in and the fans are far more interested in a hurry. Mack comes in and misses a charge, allowing Pentagon to kick him in the ribs.

A Backstabber out of the corner drops Mack again for no cover as Pentagon would rather hit a LOUD chop up against the ropes. Fenix comes in with a missile dropkick for two on Mack but he just runs Fenix over with a Pounce. It’s off to Mysterio but his head is kicked into the third row by Cuerno. Somehow this match hasn’t been as insane as I was expecting. Rey comes back with a bulldog for two but Mundo (still in his sunglasses) makes a quick save.

Texano throws Rey into a hurricanrana before getting two on Cuerno off a middle rope leg lariat. An armdrag allows the tag off to Mundo (who Vampiro mistakes for Taya) and it’s Taya coming in to save him from a superplex. That’s fine with Texano as he sends her face first between Mundo’s legs to put them both down. Puma comes in but Johnny throws him into his partners as things start breaking down.

Cuerno hits his suicide dive to take out Texano, leaving Taya to miss a charge at Ivelisse and go into the post. Star dives over the top and onto a big pile, followed by Ivelisse doing the same. Pentagon and Mack chop it out inside until Mack exploder suplexes him outside. Now it’s Mack diving over the top to take Pentagon out followed by Puma flip diving onto too many people to name.

Fenix dives onto all of them as well but Rey’s attempt is broken up by Mundo. Puma starts firing off some kicks to Johnny, setting up Rey’s 619, only to have Mundo send Rey into Puma in the corner. A super Spanish Fly plants Puma for the three count at 12:55, sending his team to the #1 contenders match next week.

Rating: C+. They actually kept this from getting too insane and the match was easy to follow as a result. You knew Pentagon’s team was getting the win here as it’s clear he’s going to get a big match at Ultima Lucha, perhaps even the title match itself. The match was good enough though and it set up something interesting for next week, which is all this needed to do.

Catrina is in King Cuerno’s office and uses the stone to bring King Cuerno back to life again.

Overall Rating: B. Hitting the build towards Ultima Lucha Dos is the best thing they could have done as the shows were just kind of going week to week with no real goal in sight. Now things are starting to wrap up this season and it has the potential to be one heck of an ending, especially with Mil Muertes coming back to be all evil and unstoppable again. Good episode this week and a good way to set things up as the series comes to a close.

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