Reviews

Lucha Underground Review 03/16/16 by Mark McAllen

TJR Wrestling

Taped in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles, California this is Lucha Underground for Season 2 – Episode 8.

Before Lucha Underground begins with their usual video package, a black screen with white lettering appears saying that this week’s episode is “Dedicated to the Memory of Eiji ‘Hayabusa’ Ezaki.” Classy move. Hayabusa passed away earlier this month. He meant so much to so many people. He will certainly be missed.

Fenix is in the locker room when the lights flicker and Catrina appears. She tells Fenix she’s tried everything to destroy him, but he keeps rising from the ashes. Catrina: “It’s no secret, it’s your powers I desire. They could give me life again.” The two hold hands. Catrina says that sometimes she wonders if she made the wrong choice; If she should have stayed loyal to Fenix and accepted her fate, and they would be ruling The Temple together. The two of them kiss. Catrina says tonight Mil will destroy Fenix once and for all, “and you will bring me back from the dead.” The lights flicker again and she’s gone.

We now head straight to ring announcer Melissa Santos who lets us know that the following match will be for the Lucha Underground Trios Championship. Santos also mentions that if Son of Havoc, Ivelisse and Angelico do not win the Trios Championship, they have agreed to leave The Temple forever.

Trios Championship Match: The Disciples of Death (w/Catrina) vs. Son of Havoc, Ivelisse & Angelico

All six competitors are in the ring and attack each other right away. SOH, Ivelisse and Angelico take control, trapping the Disciple of Death in the corners. The action eventually spills outside while Ivelisse and Purple DOD are left in the ring. Purple takes control of Ivelisse and slows down the pace. He hits a couple of big moves on Ivelisse gets a nearfall at two. Purple and Ivelisse go back and forth with a series of reversals until Ivelisse is able to make the hot tag to her ex-boyfriend SOH. Havoc starts laying waste to the DOD as many of the members of the DOD are entering without tags being made. Havoc hits one DOD member with a flatliner and the other with a DDT, at the same time. Angelico makes a blind tag and hits a series of kicks on the DOD. While all members of the DOD are at ringside, Angelico, SOH and Ivelisse perform running dives outside the ring onto the DOD. Angelico gets back in the ring with one of the DOD and hits what is called The Fall of the Angel, it’s when Angelico has his opponent up in position for a Razor’s Edge and throws him into the turnbuckle. Havoc then hits a big Shooting Star Press off the top rope and Angelico covers for the three count after 5 minutes.

Winners by pinfall and NEW Trios Champions: Son of Havoc, Ivelisse and Angelico

Evaluation: That was a fun five-minute match to watch. They made the most out of the time they were given. Good for SOH, Ivelisse and Angelico for winning the belts. I really like them as a team and they definitely deserve to be holding the Trios Titles. My only complaint about the match is that the referee had zero control over it. I was confused as the match started as I didn’t know whether it was a traditional six-man tag or a tornado tag. Then, aside from the new Trios Champions, I don’t know if the DOD did any tagging. All three members just kind of ran in the ring and wrestled whenever they wanted.

(Commercial)

Prince Puma is backstage hitting a heavy bag when Johnny Mundo walks in. He tells Puma he’s sorry about Puma’s loss last week during the LU Championship match. He asks Puma if he’s ready for Aztec Warfare this year and says that he took it easy on Puma last year by letting Puma make it to the end with him. He won’t be as nice this year. When Mundo wins Aztec Warfare and subsequently the LU Championship, he told Puma that he’s going to have to take his giraffe tights and head to the end of the line. Mundo leaves and Puma punches a whole through the heavy bag in rage.

We’re back at the mysterious location where Rey Mysterio is training Dragon Azteca. He tells Azteca that his training is complete and hands him a formal invitation to The Temple to compete in Aztec Warfare. Azteca asks Mysterio if he’ll be going with him. Mysterio flashes his formal invitation as well, “Of course. You’re not the only one with something to prove. May the best man win.”

Evaluation: I love the way Aztec Warfare is being hyped up for next week. I’m also glad Azteca’s training with Mysterio is finally over. It took nine weeks, but next week we’ll finally get to see Mysterio make his LU debut.

(Commercial)

Chavo Guerrero Texano

Bullrope Match: Chavo Guerrero vs. Texano

Chavo stole Texano’s bull rope the last time these two met, so that’s why we’re having this match. One end of a bull rope is tied to Chavo while the other end is tied to Texano. There’s no disqualification. The Crew is at ringside with Chavo. Chavo orders The Crew to jump Texano, but The Crew’s had enough. They give each other a fist bump and leave Chavo to fend for himself. Texano hits Chavo with a clothesline and throws him into the corner where he hits with some hard chops. Texano throws Chavo outside and hits him with the cow bell attached to the bull rope. Chavo gains control by choking Texano with the rope and throwing him into the floor seats. Chavo throws Texano back in the ring and strangles him with the rope some more. The two men then trade a punches in a “boo, yay” sequence. Chavo heads to the top rope while Texano’s laid out on the mat. While Chavo’s standing on the top turnbuckle, Texano pulls the bull rope sending Chavo to the mat. Texano hits a big sit down powerbomb on Chavo for the three count after 6 minutes.

Winner by pinfall: Texano

Evaluation: I’m not the biggest fan of the Bullrope Match concept. It was just never that exciting to me. I also think the rope used in this match was too long. It was used as a weapon plenty of times, but if the rope is shorter it makes the men feel more constricted to their surroundings. Aside from two moments in the match where being tied to the rope came into play, I almost forgot that they were tied together by it. With that being said, I thought the match was solid. I’m just not that invested into Chavo and Texano’s feud. I’m ready for these two to move on, and I think they will after Texano’s win tonight and Aztec Warfare just around the corner.

(Commercial)

Back in the locker room, Mil Muertes is shown torturing the Disciples of Death for losing their Trios Titles.

In a scene 375 miles from Boyle heights, Dario Cueto is standing outside his new establishment with Black Lotus. You can hear screaming voices coming from inside the building. Cueto tells Lotus that they should get out of here. He says his guy is ready and that it’s time to take back his Temple. Cueto unlocks the door to his building and out comes a monster of a man in a black mask covered in blood. It’s his brother Matanza that was teased in season one.

Evaluation: Expect Cueto, Lotus and Cueto’s new weapon Matanza at Aztec Warfare next week. It’s shaping up to be a big episode!

It’s main event time! For the first time ever, the Gift of the God’s Championship is being traded in for an opportunity at the Lucha Underground Championship. Both Fenix and LU Champion Mil Muertes make their way to the ring.

(Commercial)

Lucha Underground Championship Gift of the Gods Championship

Lucha Underground Championship Match: Mil Muertes (w/Catrina) vs. Fenix

As they do every week, the El Rey Network’s YouTube channel uploaded this week’s main event in its entirety. You can watch the full match below.

The bell rings and we’re underway. Muertes throws Fenix into the ropes and Fenix acrobatically dodges Muertes and nails him with a springboard dropkick. Fenix tries to springboard off the ropes again, but Mil catches him with a big knee to the gut. Fenix gets out of Mil’s clutches and hits him with a springboard cutter (ala Jay Lethal’s Lethal Injection). While Fenix is standing on the apron outside the ring, Mil spears him through the ropes out onto the floor.

Mil brings Fenix back into the ring, but Fenix escapes Mil’s grasp. He heads to the top turnbuckle, walks across the top rope and springs off of it looking to hit Mil with a cross body. However, Mil catches him in mid-air with a cutter. Mil goes for the pin, but Fenix kicks out at two. Mil tears away at Fenix’s mask, trying to rip it off. Mil tears off a chunk of Fenix’s mask on the right side of his face, but that’s all as Fenix fights back forcing Mil to catch his breath outside. Mil pulls a steel chair out slowly from under the ring, making it look like he’s having a tough time getting to his feet. Fenix looks to suicide dive outside onto Mil, but Mil catches him in the ropes with a steel chair to the head. Fenix looks to be busted open the hard way as he’s starting to bleed and has a huge bump on his forehead from the chair shot. That doesn’t look good for Fenix. Mil starts to pound away at the gash on Fenix’s forehead, opening up the wound even more. Mil even begins to bite at the wound.

Mil hits Fenix with a big DDT and Fenix looks like he’s out cold. Instead of going for the pin Mil dumps Fenix outside the ring. Mil drags Fenix upstairs, into the crowd. Fenix starts to fight back with punches and superkicks. He starts balancing himself on the barricade, walking towards Mil. However, instead of throwing him off the barricade down towards the ring, Mil throws Fenix straight into the crowd. Mil walks back down to the floor and begins to head for the ring. Before he gets there Fenix walks quickly across the barricade and dives onto Mil with a big cross body. Fenix got a lot of air on that one, it was a far leap. The two stumble toward the announce table and Mil powerbombs Fenix onto it. That looks like it hurt considering the table didn’t budge one bit. Mil throws Fenix back into the ring and plants a kiss on Catrina before getting in himself. With Mil on the apron outside the ring, Fenix hits him with a series of kicks. He heads to the top rope and nails Mil with a double foot stomp to the back. With Mil lying on the apron, Fenix now begins to rip off the mask of Mil. He just rips off the top of Mil’s mask, exposing his hair, before Mil fights back and hits Fenix with a big spear. Outraged, Mil climbs on top of Fenix and punches Fenix with closed fists relentlessly. Mil brings a steel chair back into the ring, but Fenix gets a hold of it and hits Mil with chair shot after chair shot until Mil hits the floor. Fenix does as well from exhaustion. This has been a great match.

They both get to their feet and Fenix hits a couple of big superkicks, knocking Mil down. Standing on the second rope, Fenix jumps up on the top rope and hits Mil with a springboard 450 splash. One… two… no! Mil kicks out. I thought that was it. They both struggle to their feet. Mil hits Fenix with a big side slam and goes for the cover, but this time Fenix kicks out at two. Loud this is awesome chants from the crowd. I agree. Fenix hits Mil with a big spinning kick. While Mil is dazed, Fenix German Suplex’s Mil and holds a bridge for the pin! Mil kicks out at two. Wow, I didn’t think Fenix would be able to get Mil up like that. Fenix climbs to the top rope, but Mil climbs to the top rope as well and catches Fenix with a neckbreaker. Mil picks Fenix up and goes for his finishing move, the flatliner. BUT, before he hits it Fenix reverses it into a unique roll up. The referee counts, one… two… three! The match went 14 minutes.

Winner by pinfall and NEW Lucha Underground Champion: Fenix

Evaluation: That was excellent. I feel like every week’s main event tops the previous week’s. It’s nothing short of spectacular how Lucha Underground continues to deliver fantastic main events on a weekly basis. This match was great and the crowd was popping at the perfect moments. There were tons of great nearfalls here, especially in the last 5 minutes. Good for Fenix. Season 2 has been his season thus far and he’s proven that he can carry the show when called upon. He’s had two incredible main events against King Cuerno this season and now this. I don’t know if it will be a long reign as Fenix is a smaller guy and since Catrina is in charge I feel that she’ll go out of her way to screw him out of the title. I hope he has a nice long reign, but I don’t know if it’s in the cards. Let’s enjoy it while we can!

Fenix

Post-match, Fenix celebrates with crowd. Catrina gets on the mic and tells Fenix to celebrate while he can, because next week’s Aztec Warfare will be for the Lucha Underground Championship. The bad news continues as she says that Fenix will enter #1 while Mil will be the final entrant at #20.

Evaluation: Wow, that changes everything. My prediction above was kind of correct; I didn’t think she’d change Aztec Warfare though. Aztec Warfare was supposed to be for the number one contender-ship to the LU Title, but for the second year in a row Aztec Warfare will now be for the LU Title. The stakes are upped even more. What’s interesting about this is that I don’t feel like it’s similar to the problem at this year’s Royal Rumble and the Roman Reigns situation. Fenix is the sympathetic babyface that people don’t want to see lose the title, not the forced on us babyface that people are rejecting like Reigns. Also, LU is the type of company that will shock you and can put the title on a number of different people. Needless to say, next week shall be very exciting.

Game Ball goes to…

Fenix – Him and Muertes did an excellent job in the main event. I’m happy for him winning the LU Title. He’s been the MVP of Season 2 so far.

Final Thoughts

– Two solid matches and an excellent main event. Try and find the time to watch Fenix vs. Muertes. On Fridays the El Rey Network’s YouTube channel includes every week’s main event match in its entirety. I’ll include the link above once it’s posted.

– Bad night for Catrina and gang as she no longer has control over any gold in Lucha Underground.

– I’m happy the Chavo/Texano feud is likely over. It didn’t do much for me. The following weeks should be interesting for Chavo as it seems that he no longer has The Crew in his corner.

– Aztec Warfare is shaping up to be a big show. Most of LU’s biggest stars, if not all, will be involved. Mysterio finally makes his LU debut and Cueto will make his return to The Temple as well. It should be a lot of fun!

– Like the Royal Rumble (or like the Royal Rumble should), Aztec Warfare will likely be the start of some different feuds in LU as eliminating someone from winning the LU Title is an easy way to begin a rivalry; so be on the lookout for that.

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That’s it for me. Thanks for reading. If you like Lucha Underground and have other friends who enjoy the show too, then give this review a share. I appreciate any thoughts or conversation in the comment section below.

Pictures used above are courtesy of Lucha Underground.