Project Lucha Underground: Season One, Episode One

Variety, El Rey Network

 

Good Morning!

Welcome to the first edition of Project Lucha Underground Season 1. I’ve wanted to rewatch this series for a while now (read here for more on that) and I’m excited to finally sit down and do it. The catchphrase my wife and I have been throwing around for 2025 has been “Just fuckin’ do it” and it’s served us well so far. So, I did it!

I’ve never done a review of a regular TV show, and since these are relatively short programs at around 45 minutes a pop, I figured I can sum up scenes and then talk a bit about each one after. For matches, I’ll tell you what I thought, along with some of the spots I liked. And, where possible, I’ll add the ratings from Cagematch, too. I don’t do star ratings -- if we’re being honest, I don’t feel like I’m at all qualified to establish the difference between a 4 ½ and a 4 ¾ star match. We’ll evolve a template as things go on, letting us ease into a system around here instead of me rambling and inserting asides and digressions wherever. Until then, well, we will be doing those things.

Speaking of …I was pleasantly surprised to see the overall ratings for Lucha Underground on Cagematch; the promotion as a whole currently sits at an 8.79, and the lowest ratings (aside from the ones in German) are pretty consistent in their criticisms -- it’s “not real lucha libre,” it’s “overhyped,” and “they’re running a house show and giving away tickets” probably seemed like edgy criticisms when they were posted in 2016. Today, it just feels like the tribalism we see in everything, all the time, every day (sighs). Overall, though, it seems like the show is largely regarded as a success, and one that a lot of people still love to this day, based on the more recent reviews. And, even if that’s not the case, who cares? I love this stuff, and I hope it holds up!

Before we get into it, I should mention some notes/disclaimers. Lucha Underground touches on some themes that get a bit dark, like violence, the occult, depression, and murder. It’s not, like, super gory or super deep, but if that stuff bugs you, this may not be for you. It’s also deeply rooted in Latino culture, a culture that I feel deeply connected to; however, there are terms that are thrown around that might get a little … culturally insensitive, and I won’t quote a lot of that here unless it’s for context, or to make a specific point. And finally, there are some performers on this show who, either at the time Lucha Underground was made or in the time since, have made some pretty shitty life choices. If I’m aware of it, I’ll mention it -- we’ll have to do that in this first episode, unfortunately -- and life will go on. 

Ready? Then strap in and let's go underground!

LINK SIX UNDERGROUND VIDEO FOR FUNSIES

Lucha Underground: S1E1 “Welcome to the Temple”

We open in a dimly lit alley, with a dude in a hoodie fighting some other guys. He’s quickly overwhelmed, but then a masked fella in a hoodie and jeans joins the fight, does some cool lucha libre stuff, saves the day, and offers his hand to the downed hoodie man. We then got that sweet sound cue and the first look at the Lucha Underground logo. 

El Rey Network

From there, we’re off to ancient Mexico for a history lesson on lucha libre from the two guys who won the fight in the intro. Seven tribes of our ancestors, warriors who built the Aztec empire, things of that nature. A tall, thin man with slicked back hair and a suit then introduced himself as Dario Cueto, the on-screen owner of Lucha Underground. A clip from AAA TripleMania XXII, which happened three months before this series premiere, showed Cueto emptying a briefcase full of cash in the middle of a ring for any luchadores willing to compete for him. We’re then treated to the first showing of the Lucha Underground intro, and we’re officially ready to begin.

After that introduction, an LA flyover brought us to the Lucha Underground Temple, where Melissa Santos welcomed us to Lucha Underground. Melissa has worked in TNA and AEW, and she’s also done some voiceover work and acting. Oh, and after a quick scroll on her Insta I learned she’s also been married to Brian Cage since 2019! [More on that guy later in the series.] I think she’s excellent as the ring announcer for Lucha Underground, adding the right amount of authenticity to Latino names, and showing a good balance of professionalism and irritation when working with Dario Cueto right off the bat.

El Rey Network

We got a live mariachi band (I’d assume this is the Robert Rodriguez influence), some excited fans, and announcers Matt Striker and Vampiro talked up the show and its fans. Matt Striker was in the WWE for about five years, and has over 600 matches under his belt according to IMDB. Vampiro was tentatively retired (in storyline, anyway) when he was brought in as Lucha Underground’s color commentator -- in real life, he’s wrestled over a thousand matches, with the majority being in Mexico and the US, and he's still semi-active to this day. Like Konnan, Chavo Guerrero, Rocky Romero, and countless others, Vampiro worked in the ring while developing relationships, and politicked his way into the good graces of management of several different organizations including AAA, which was sort of the big brother to Lucha Underground. That standing allowed Vampiro some say in booking, and he worked as kind of a liaison behind the scenes while also providing on-screen commentary.

I like the rapport these guys have so early in their partnership; Striker often deferred to Vampiro despite having a good amount of in-ring experience himself. It’s probably because I watched too much Psych and listened to the Smashing Pumpkins that led me to refer to them as “wrestling Shawn Spencer and Billy Corgan” throughout the episode. And yeah, actual Billy Corgan has become wrestling Billy Corgan, but real life isn’t nearly as fun. But I digress.

Dario Cueto was introduced and headed to the ring, and after briefly bullying Melissa Santos, he announced that whoever impressed him the most tonight will get the briefcase he’s holding, with $100k. He sold the importance of the temple, and of the combat to follow. He’s one of the stronger actors in the show, because he’s not a wrestler. He’s got 121 credits on his IMDB page, and it looks like he’s still acting to this day. So, you know, we should expect a little more from him! 

El Rey Network

MATCH 1

BLUE DEMON, JR. versus CHAVO GUERRERO, JR.

Striker and Vampiro put over Blue Demon’s father as a luchador that transcended the sport, since he was in movies like El Santo and Mil Mascaras. [One of my favorite lucha movies, “The Mummies of Guanajuato,” featured all three of these legendary luchadores.] Vampiro compared them to the Guardians of the Galaxy, a reference that reminded me that this series isn’t as old as I originally thought. And Chavo, well, we know Chavo, right? The beloved nephew, rival, and tag partner of the late Eddie Guerrero, and a superstar in his own right, Chavo has worked in just about every promotion in the world. He also played Kerwin White in WWE, in possibly one of the dumbest and most offensive characters of the Attitude Era -- and that’s really saying something. 

This was a great introduction to the kind of wrestling we’d see in Lucha Underground. While it was the classic “honorable battle between two evenly matched faces,” there was a good amount of creativity, both in the match itself and in how it was shot. Chain wrestling started us off, and whenever a submission or pinfall was broken, a rotating overhead camera was used. It focused on the center of the ring, allowing the iconic Aztec-inspired symbol that adorned the middle of the mat to always be visible during important moments. If Lucha Underground survived to today, that probably would have been replaced with a logo for Trejo’s Tacos or Modelo. Actually, Danny Trejo staring up into the camera during a wrestling match would probably be pretty cool. 

El Rey Network

The match didn’t go too long, which was good because both of these performers, while still able to work admirably, weren’t exactly spring chickens. Blue Demon, Jr. won by submission in the middle of the ring, both men showed respect afterward, and … oh my God, that’s famously useless AEW official Rick Knox in the striped shirt! I’m shocked nobody cheated just on instinct. 

Cagematch says…5.04 stars, which feels a little harsh on a ten point scale. I’d lean towards six, personally. I liked the chain wrestling in this match that started things off, and the unique setup outside the ring came into play a bit -- near the entrance, the fans are on a riser, making it a little dangerous to go outside. I still don’t have a good feel for the dimensions of the Temple yet. It’s kind of like an MLB stadium, versus an NFL one. You know where certain things are, but they’re all a little different in this venue. 

El Rey Network

Dario Cueto’s incredible looking office was the scene for the next … scene. Cueto was seated behind his desk, enjoying some tequila with Konnan, and thanked the influential veteran wrestler for wanting to work for him. Konnan didn’t like that… he said he’s not here to work for Cueto, but to bring in the best luchador around, a guy from right here in the barrio. Cueto said nah, he already signed the best free agent. He’s brash, he’s cocky, and he’s had many names (Drip Drip comes to mind) but here, he’s Johnny Mundo. BUT Cueto said Mundo doesn’t respect the Temple, and he only signed him to make an example of him. Cueto proposed that the pair have Konnan’s man make an example of Mundo and maybe earn that 100K briefcase.

We returned after a break to catch Johnny Mundo just doing the most Johnny Mundo chin up things while covered in roughly a gallon of baby oil. Our announcer pals then tossed us over to some training videos to introduce us to Prince Puma. Konnan narrated, saying he’s been in THIS BUSINESS for 3 decades. I love the phrase THIS BUSINESS, and I turn into a cross between Booger Red Undertaker, FTR Bald, and Foghorn Leghorn whenever I read it. 

Konnan referenced the 7 Aztec tribes, each with a champion. He made a Game of Thrones reference, once again establishing the time this show aired, and said if those luchadores lost, they lost their heads -- these days, that dishonor is now represented by their masks. If a luchador loses his mask, he loses his entire livelihood. 

Prince Puma’s from here in Boyle Heights, and his spirit animal (yeah, we used that phrase then) is a jaguar. Konnan’s gonna help Prince Puma see his glory. 

MATCH 2

SON OF HAVOC versus SEXY STAR

Star came out wearing a mask and cape, and she narrated her own vignette that got into some triggery subjects like suicide ideation and abuse, but told us that her mask helped her to find her strength. Star laces up her boots and trains for every girl out there who needs a hero. “Every woman is sexy, every woman is a star, and I fight for them all.” Nice stuff. HOWEVER, this is the part where we need to talk about Sexy Star, if only for a moment.

In 2017 -- that would have been around season 3 of Lucha Underground -- Sexy Star was in a match with Rosemary, who’s known for her career in TNA, in which she intentionally injured Rosemary by way of an armbar. Star tried to use the excuse that she didn’t know she was torquing Rosemary’s arm; she also said she was defending herself after she thought other participants in the match were “going after her.” After Star tried to convince others that the whole situation was a work, Rosemary went on social media to say that wasn’t the case, and that several other workers (including Vampiro) had to diffuse the situation. It was a mess, and ended with Star being fired from AAA and blacklisted from several companies; Cody Rhodes and Road Dogg were notable in saying they would never work with Star. 

So that’s unfortunate, but as with a lot of wrestling stories, we’ll have to separate the character from the person under the mask. AAA did; in 2021, the company ended up re-using the Sexy Star character with another wrestler, which is a common practice in lucha libre. 

Tangent over. Back to the show!

Son of Havoc, who didn’t get an entrance, said he ain’t wrestling no woman so Star should leave his ring. Shockingly, Star leaves the ring…only to slide back in and attack SoH from behind after the ref gets to five. Contrary to what you might expect from that setup, Son of Havoc actually got a lot of power offense, dominating the match despite Sexy Star hitting a few good reversals and speed moves. Star looked tough as shit by fighting back after eating several ground and pound sequences in the corner along with powerful reversals to her stuff. 

SoH wins the short match with a backbreaker and a handful of tights. No Cagematch for this one, as it was kind of a squash to establish Star as a tough underdog and Son of Havoc as a dickhead for a future rivalry.

El Rey Network

After a break, we’re in the darkest locker room I’ve ever seen, non-condemned-building division. Chavo was hunched over on a bench dripping sweat, and was approached by Cueto. Cueto talked up the Guerrero family before laying into Chavo for tapping out. What would your grandfather think? Your uncles? Cueto says Chavo ain’t getting money, and he will have to bring someone in next week to finish the job against Azul (Blue Demon, Jr., that is). “One thousand deaths might be coming for us all.” FORESHADOWING? 

It’s been 3 years since Johnny Mundo has performed, per Matt Striker. He did the same entrance you’re familiar with if you’ve seen his work elsewhere, with the same pose and wind machine.  Konnan walked out with Prince Puma, who was introduced as being from Boyle Heights, where the Temple is located. Vampiro called Konnan a cancer to the company which…pot, kettle, black. Maybe setting up a faction war? I legitimately don’t remember most of the storylines on this show, so this is legitimate speculation (and probably wrong, given my history).

El Rey Network

MAIN EVENT

JOHNNY MUNDO versus PRINCE PUMA

Marty Elias is our senior official, and therefore officiated the main. Striker was having a blast talking up other wrestlers, promotions and styles like Dynamite Kid and World of Sport style in England. “We can talk about these things here…go, they exist, use the internet, learn about all the great styles…” We still pop when we hear these kinds of references today in the big promotions, so it’s nice to hear a similar reference from nearly ten years ago. Vampiro continued to talk about Konnan’s evil influence, and that Puma may be corrupted, but he never really gave any examples of Konnan’s evil deeds. So I’m led to believe we either were expected to know about Konnan at the time, or I’m just naive. Or they’re planting seeds for later, who’s to say?

I noticed that there’s a little platform for the cameraman in the corner where Cueto’s office is, a great use of the space. Wrestlers enter from a door on the balcony and take stairs down to the ring. It’s unique!

The match itself was legit. Johnny Mundo was really good, leading the match and using his athleticism to sell the cocky, but not bad, character. Puma (who goes by Ricochet these days) was instantly recognizable, and I’d argue that you may have noticed even if you weren’t aware of who he is today. His moveset has evolved, but the raw athleticism Puma had is quick and powerful. Those arm gauntlets did look a little silly, though.

Fin de Mundo (Starship Pain) called for, Puma says nay…we continue. Puma springboard 450 miss, Moonlight Drive for two. 

C4 Spanish Fly, Fin de Mundo, pinfall victory for Mundo. Cagematch gave this a 7.55, and that feels about right to me. I’d probably go 8 because I like whole numbers and thought this really set the tone for what I hope, and vaguely remember, this series provided in terms of in-ring action. At the end of the day, even with the strong emphasis on production and storylines, a wrestling show still needs some good wrestling to hook the audience. This match showed that LU has that in spades.

After the match both competitors shook hands, hugged, Mundo raised Puma’s hand and vice versa. Dario Cueto arrived to some theme music with his briefcase. He congratulated Johnny and opened his briefcase o’ cash, but snapped it shut when Mundo reached for it. Both guys then got jumped by the most stereotypical cholos you’ve ever seen, and then a very large man climbed up to the apron and pounded Puma’s chest in. The good guys continued to get beat down, and a  HUGE chokeslam from that big dude to Johnny ended the brutality. Dario said it’s not just luchadores that’s gonna fight here, and these guys work for him. Welcome to Lucha Underground. 

Closing Thoughts

There was a time when AEW Rampage was dubbed “the fastest hour in television.” You usually got four matches, a few promos, and that was it. When it worked, it was because the booking worked in its favor. There was good wrestling on the show, as is the expectation for AEW, and storylines worked because they were just a continuation from Dynamite, and later Collision. But Lucha Underground, a show that focuses on its storylines over the in-ring action, does kinda suffer from that shorter runtime. At the time, the show was so unique that many of us probably didn’t notice. And now, with the benefit of owning literally the entire run of Lucha Underground, I could just watch a couple episodes back-to-back. While that’s not what I plan on doing, because I want to digest each episode and write about it before moving on, I think that’s how I’d suggest watching to someone else if I gave them my portable hard drive after I finish this project.

That being said, I really enjoyed this episode. Dario Cueto was firmly established as the slimy authority figure, albeit one with an air of mystery around him. The Temple already began to shine as a unique venue, with the entrance stairway, close quarters to fans and barriers, and cameraman platforms in the corners already coming into play during matches. We began to touch on what made this show so important for Latinos as well -- themes of family, history, and legacy came up in the vignettes between matches. I think the acting was as good as one can expect -- we’ll get into it as more characters are introduced, but several of the managers and non-wrestling characters are played by actual actors, and it shows. 

So that’s episode one! I hope you enjoyed reading through and if you’re able, watch along as I go through this series. It’s not hard to find for download.

So Long For Now

Follow me on BlueSky for updates and live watch-along commentary for AEW Dynamite and Collision (occasionally). And, if you’re looking into purchasing anything from a smart fridge to a new drill, check out the tech writing I do over at SlashGear -- my lists are heavily researched, and ranked after thorough aggregation of expert opinions, reviews, and my own experience as a professional auto mechanic, an unprofessional handyman and a somehow even less professional homeowner. 

Until next time…Let’s Watch Some Wrestling!

A Lucha Underground Rewatch Preview!

 

Good Morning!

Lucha Underground. That mean anything to you? For me, it was an awakening. The combination of influences like grindhouse cinema, lucha libre and telenovelas, 70s cop shows and kung fu movies, and MST3K fodder like Samson vs The Vampire Women…all put into a blender and presented as a weekly drama that had some awesome wrestling that was different from everything available, and to this day has nothing fully comparable that I’m aware of. 

I’ve watched wrestling since I was a little guy -- SummerSlam 1990 was the first show I watched front to back, on a Coliseum VHS tape in my grandma Celia’s Chicago basement with my cousins -- and WCW and WWF were pretty much all I knew growing up. The second wave of stuff I remember was when TNA started out with its unique weekly pay-per-view formula. I think it was five bucks a week, and I remember having people come over to my second floor apartment in Forest Park for those. Amazing Red and Low-Ki stood out to me at the time, and I think I stuck with them for a while after they got a TV deal on…was it Spike? I’ll have to look that up. That would have been while I was still working at the animal hospital, around 2002.

When Lucha Underground was announced, I remember being incredibly excited for it. I wasn’t young or naive, but my wrestling diet still mostly consisted of North American fare. I was aware of New Japan Pro Wrestling, CMLL, AAA, and Pro Wrestling Guerilla, but I was far from a regular viewer. Hell, before Lucha Underground launched I met Kenny Omega at an empty booth before a Ring of Honor show on WrestleMania weekend in New Orleans, and I was basically just being nice to a guy who looked bored. I looked over while talking to my buddy and my wife, and he waved so I went to say hello. It wasn’t until later that night that I realized who he was, but he was a nice guy regardless. This is all to say, I’m not the most wrestling fan kind of wrestling fan. I’m not super online, and I don’t invest the time a lot of superfans do. I like what I like, and that’s changed over the years. But my love of Lucha Underground -- or the idea of it, anyway…the feeling -- remains.

[Fun side story: at WrestleMania 34 the night after that Ring of Honor show, my incredible wife went to get us some drinks during the event. I think it was during the four-way between Jinder Mahal, Randy Orton, Bobby Roode, and Rusev -- she stayed for the entrances and then went and got this tumbler that we still use for iced tea to this very day!

While in line, a person behind her asked if they could take a picture with the guy in front of her, a man about her height with an incredible head of hair. She thinks the guy thought she was the man’s interpreter. The man in question turned around and my wife took the pic of the two, and then he put a finger to his lips for the both of them. And that, friends, is how we learned that one Hiroshi Tanahashi was visiting WrestleMania 34 as a fan.]

So, before I wrote this, I thought this show aired like 20 years ago, rather than ten. I would have been around 35 in 2014… by then I was already out here in Colorado. And here I thought I watched all this from my place in Forest Park, IL, or maybe even my first place in Denver, but no, we were already full on suburban homeowners by 2014. Actually, I just peeled the last remnants of a Lucha Underground mask sticker off my 1996 Ford Ranger, which I didn’t have until around 2011…so this timeline checks out, I guess. So these treasured memories aren’t from some bygone era, they’re from like two jobs ago. That makes sense, though, considering the amount of folks from LU that have appeared on AEW. You've got Swerve, Angelico, Ivelisse, Diamante, Penta, Johnny Mundo/TV…and that’s just off the top of my head!

A Very Brief Primer On Lucha Underground

Let's go through the backstory of the show itself, and why I'm so amped to get into the show again, before we dive into an episode-by-episode rewatch:

Why do you care about Lucha Underground?

Lucha Underground aired on El Rey Network, and debuted about a year after the network itself. The idea behind that channel was something that really spoke to me, personally. Per the company’s website:

"El Rey Network is an English-language entertainment brand founded by maverick filmmaker Robert Rodriguez (From Dusk Till Dawn, Sin City, Spy Kids, Machete). Curated by Rodriguez and his artistic collective, the Latino-infused network revels in the courage, capacity, and creativity of ordinary people on extraordinary journeys through its unique original programming. In addition, El Rey Network showcases a wide range of iconic feature films and TV series including genre, cult classics, action, and horror/sci-fi."

As an English-speaking, Latino-infused individual myself, I found that pitch a perfect sell to my own identity. Add to it the fact that my folks raised me on genre stuff like 80s action, sci-fi, and horror, and my own love of Rodriguez and his pal Quentin Tarantino’s stuff, and it was the perfect channel for a slightly younger me. While I wasn’t watching the channel 24/7, and this was before streaming was as big a thing as it is today, I was happy it existed, and spent many a night watching Bruce Lee or Bruce Campbell fight evil in its many forms. These days, El Rey Network lives on via Roku TV, as a streaming channel that shows genre fare, some original programming, and reruns of Lucha Underground.

So, I care about it because both the network and the show spoke to me. I think representation is important in all media, and Latino representation in any media seems pretty thin. So, to get in on the ground floor of a lucha libre promotion like Lucha Underground, to see the beginning of something new and cool looking, that was created by like-minded individuals to myself, felt almost like a responsibility. Speaking of those individuals...

Who made Lucha Underground?

Lucha Underground was a collaboration between a number of talents, but the big names at the top of the bill were Robert Rodriguez and Mark Burnett, a British megaproducer who helped bring about shows like Shark Tank, Survivor, The Voice, and many more. Konnan had some influence on the show as well. He was brought in as an on-screen managerial talent and creative consultant, but he also helped to bridge the gap as a liaison between Lucha Underground's producers and AAA, one of the larger wrestling promotions in Mexico. Former WWE writer Chris DeJoseph was added as a creative head/showrunner type. This was a talented group of people, but their methods of doing business often clashed, leading to some tension between them.

Where it was made, and why is that important?

A Google maps photo of the LU warehouse in 2015

The Temple in Boyle Heights was as much a character in Lucha Underground as any wrestler. From the outside, it looked like what it was -- a hundred-year-old warehouse near the 4th Street Bridge in Los Angeles. But inside, the work of production designer Kelly Van Patter, who also worked with Mark Burnett to design Survivor's Tribal Councils, transformed the former railyard building into a temple. Using the right angles present in the bleachers, balconies, and the ring itself, the idea of kind of an inverted underground Mayan temple was established. Van Patter said that a lot of the set dressing was stuff she found at local flea markets, or things that were already in place in the building. "There's always a special aging that has to go into it, because this is a gritty fight club, so it has to look pretty grungy," she told LAist in 2015. "Some of the things we just take and throw around outside on the ground just to scuff it up and give it a layer of grime." 

And they used that setting to the fullest. I remember segments shot in the locker room, where the camera was uncomfortably close to the talent during intense conversations. Promoter Dario Cueto's office was shot like a 70's cop show, with partially-open blinds, warm colors, and little items on Cueto's desk that helped establish his character. Everything oozed attention to detail, and pride in both the heritage of lucha libre and the city of angels.

LA is known as a city of immigrants, and its heritage is intertwined with that of the Latino community. By basing the promotion in the city, and giving it a connection to it by way of a building that's seen a century of development around it, Lucha Underground was given a head start in relating to both LA residents, and people who identify with, or simply are interested in, Latino culture. 

We actually stayed pretty close to the warehouse in which the temple was housed during our LA trip for AEW Revolution. These days, it's just an empty building, available to rent. But as recently as 2024, the Lucha Bros held a show in the building, and still referred to it as The Temple. Maybe that proximity is what rekindled my love for lucha. Who's to say? 

What set Lucha Underground apart?

Credit: Variety

The production levels that this show used, first and foremost, set Lucha Underground apart from other televised wrestling. Backstage vignettes had more in common, visually, with Planet Terror than they did with SmackDown. The focus on fantastic storylines that occasionally bordered on absurd, on outlandish characters, and on over-the-top acting made the telenovela aspect of the show shine. Edited matches, something viewers of live shows like WWE's product, weren't accustomed to, streamlined the action and eliminated many of the botches that can happen during a live match. And that logo...man, I love luchador masks anyways, but I love that stylized mask and the font they used with it. Good production means getting little things like that right. 

Why didn't Lucha Underground last?

I mean, I wouldn't call a four-year televised run a failure by any means. In a world where far too few wrestlers were able to remain employed, any contract with a larger company with a TV deal meant a "guaranteed" income and more eyes on your product -- in this case, you, as a performer. Unfortunately, a combination of outside and inside forces conspired against the continued viability of Lucha Underground. Creative issues arose between Konnan and Chris DeJoseph, with the former leading an unsuccesful strike against the show. Konnan tried to use his influence, which is still felt to this day, to convince/intimidate his AAA performers to pressure management to change Lucha Underground to a more traditional lucha libre program, while DeJoseph was more interested in storytelling and presentation. And with megaproducer Burnett reportedly never attending a taping of the show, and his subordinates more interested in production and the appearance of the show, a line was drawn. Konnan ended up taking that loss personally, and as a result was hit with a restraining order after allegedly threatening both staff and performers.

But that's not all. Financially, the show became untenable, as production costs rose and income stagnated. A touring schedule may have helped, and merchandising was said to be limited. I know I had a t-shirt with the show's logo, and a decal that was on my truck for the last ten years, but I ordered those from the El Rey Network store -- I don't remember any individual wrestlers being highlighted for merch.

And then there's the whole contract situation that hampered things near the end. The last two seasons of LU weren't announced as far ahead of tapings as the first two, leading to rushed production of season four. Contractually, wrestlers weren't allowed to seek other employment during those between season  breaks, and after season four several performers ended up suing to get out of those contracts. 

In the end, as it is with most things, money was the problem. Would a Tony Khan-like benefactor have saved the show? Would a deal with a larger streaming deal, a lack of an offseason, or less of a dependance on the partnership with AAA? I don't know. I'm hoping to gain some perspective on the overall quality of the show throughout this project, and maybe I'll have a better answer for you afterwards. As it was produced as more of a telenovela with some wrestling, maybe it just ran out of creative juice. Or maybe it would have gone on to reach incredible heights if backstage drama and financial issues were resolved. We'll see!

Credit goes to Dave Knows Wrestling and Ring the Damn Bell for refreshing me on this stuff.

Let's Watch Some Lucha Underground!

I’m excited to dive back into this world of monsters and luchadores, madmen and snake women. A world where intergender matches were just accepted as the norm, and one where the guy who runs the show is as slimy as any “authority figure” character -- although Dario Cueto did keep his massive brother in, like, the basement of the arena in a prison cell, if I’m remembering correctly. I’ll watch, take notes, and do a little research to keep up with what went down at the time these shows came out. After all, this will be a history lesson as much as a reminder of what we had. I think I’ll have fun, and I hope you do to. You can even watch along once we get a schedule set…or at least watch the episode (however you can find it) before reading the next entry in the series.

In short, my memory is garbage and I’m due for a rewatch. So that’s the plan! I had been wanting to buy a DVD set of all four seasons, but that’s not forthcoming. I found a DVD set of Season 1 in German on Amazon, but that’s about it. So we went to [REDACTED], and sure enough I found and downloaded all four seasons! My plan is to watch one or two shows a week, write about them, and post ‘em here. I know a lot of talent that ended up in AEW, TNA, and WWE made their way through the Temple in Boyle Heights first, and I’m looking forward to being surprised to see who's there, or to learn who's under those gorgeous masks.

So Long For Now

So that’s gonna be where I wrap things up for right now. I’m hoping this is a long-term project that keeps me writing and interested, and given the reverence I have for both lucha libre in general and Lucha Underground in particular, I don’t think that’s a worry. Once I get into a groove we might get a real schedule -- I'm thinking watch/write on Tuesday, publish for Wednesday -- but right now its up in the air. Between trips to hang out with my new niece, wrestling stuff, house projects, and my wife going out of town for a few things, it’s gonna be more of a “I’ll let you know when something drops” scenario. Hope that works for you, brother! I just wanted to do a little primer/introduction before we got into this project. 

Follow me on BlueSky for updates and live watch-along commentary for AEW Dynamite. And, if you’re looking into anything from a smart fridge to a new drill, check out the tech writing I do over at SlashGear -- my lists are heavily researched, and ranked after thorough aggregation of expert opinions, reviews, and my own experience as a professional auto mechanic, an unprofessional handyman and a somehow even less professional homeowner.

Until next time…Let’s Watch Some Wrestling!

Some thoughts on the discourse around Jon Moxley, and a belated recap of my AEW Revolution trip!

 One thing I’ve noticed about Bluesky, as opposed to other social media platforms, is that it learns pretty quickly what you want to see. Not that it’s forcing content on you, just that it respects your curation. Case in point: after this week’s AEW Dynamite, which featured Jon Moxley condensing the old “bed of nails” magic trick onto a 2x4, and then walking around the ring so everyone in the crowd could see that, yeah, that thing was really stuck to his back, I saw a lot of people complain about the perceived incoming complaints from Fed-heads or general tsk-tskers. What I didn’t see was any of the latter -- nary a “that’s too violent for TV” to be seen. 

To me, that might mean either one of two things. Either A, I’ve done such a good job weeding out trolls and bad-faith arguers that I’ve single-handedly turned my feed into a magical land with only the finest in vine-ripened wrestling takes. Or B, people want to argue so badly that they have taken to prematurely picking fights with people that may not even exist. I doubt either of those is completely true -- after all, a quick trip over to the vanilla #wrestlesky feed shows plenty of people still watching and talking about the dozens of pro wrestling companies they support, and hating on the companies they don’t. And I’m sure there were people who did find that match a bit much, but aside from the board spot, we’ve seen far, far worse on both AEW and other shows. 

Then I had a thought, and Googled “Jon Moxley violent.” And, as we mechanics often say with a dirty red rag in our hands, there’s your problem. It’s not regular people saying these things. It’s the hot take crowd. It’s the people who write about this stuff, usually for money or clicks. The first results (after the requisite four ads, and Reddit posts) are from sites like The Sportster, ITR Wrestling, Ringside News. And they all use the most spicy of headlines -- “Jon Moxley’s AEW Match Sparks Outrage…” and “Wild Backstage Reaction To Gruesome Jon Moxley…” 

I get that those sites make their money based on clicks and ads, because I got my start writing for one of them. And I get that sensational headlines are what get clicks. But I think it makes wrestling fandom into my little pug, chasing its tail just because it saw it out of the corner of its eye. Let me explain, because that’s not the clearest analogy. Right now, there’s a certain group of fans that feel defensive of their favorite promotion. You’ve got AEW fans that are aware of smaller crowd sizes, but the product is improving after a lull and there’s plenty of reasons to be hopeful. There’s WWE fans, who get grief for supporting a company that has no shortage of bad press, between the lawsuits and the Saudi blood money deals and the ties to the current US government, but it’s also inarguably the biggest, hottest wrestling promotion on the planet. GCW fans are getting it from both sides as their smaller promotion has gotten in bed, indirectly, with WWE while still doling out its particular brand of ultraviolence.

As a publisher or website owner, you see that powder keg and you can figure out how to get the most engagement pretty easily, rage-baiting fans to click on a sensationalized headline just to scroll down to the comments and argue for their brand. Detractors will reply, and next thing you know the comment section is a mile long and the article -- which probably didn’t have a lot to say in the first place -- makes you a good amount of ad revenue. 

There’s no end to it, and I wouldn’t want to live in a world where all wrestling fans watch and love just one type of promotion. I mostly watch North American wrestling, but as a Latino I love and respect the history of Lucha Libre enough to enjoy the occasional CMLL or AAA show too. I’ve seen some GCW, some New Japan, and checked out Joshi promotions like TJPW and Stardom too. This is to say, I don’t think of myself as a filthy casual by any means (I don’t even think that mythical “casual wrestling fan” exists anymore, but that’s another rant entirely) but I’m not nearly as invested as some fans. Hell, that’s part of why I stay on social media -- it’s great to get recaps and highlights of shows from real, die-hard fans who know the strong points of their favorite promotions. 

However, I don’t understand the constant sniping at other promotions. Nobody wins if a company shuts down, and aside from moral arguments for not watching the Fed, there’s really no reason to go after anybody aside from just being a dick. Don’t yuck someone else’s yum! I guess I’m not the arguing type, and a civil discussion about how far is too far is fine, but when was the last time a civil discussion happened on the internet? 

The AEW Revolution Trip!

Enough monologuing. What I’d like to do is tell you about the trip with my buddy to LA for AEW Revolution! It’s not the most timely recap, but I got a pretty nasty cold on the back half of the trip that I’m still trying to shake, so I haven’t felt up to writing about it. But I woke up early with a rant in my head, and since we’re already here, I figured now is as good a time as any to recap the trip before all my memories leak out of my head.

 We arrived early Saturday in Los Angeles, way too early to check in to the hotel. So we did some tourist stuff. Had Randy’s Donuts -- you might recognize the place by the giant donut on the roof, it’s been seen in plenty of movies -- and then went to the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. It was pretty cool, there was an exhibit on transformation that had stages of the legendary werewolf metamorphosis scene from “An American Werewolf in London.” Other exhibits included a study on color in film that featured a rainbow of costumes from various movies, and a temporary exhibit on Cyberpunk in movies that had some props and sketches from films like “The Matrix” and “Blade Runner.” Overall, it was pretty dope! 

After a stop at Trejo’s Tacos, where the kid managing the place noticed my Willow Nightingale shirt and chatted with us about the show, since he was also attending, we got checked into our place, and then headed to Santa Monica for the magic show. 

“A magic show?” you ask, incredulously. “What are you, a small child at a birthday party?” Firstly, I never went to a birthday party with a magician, so there. Secondly, rude. Thirdly, this wasn’t just ANY magic show, it was a performance by former Ring of Honor star and current Collision commentator Nigel McGuinness! The venue was a small place that looked incredible, with a waiting room full of 1950s-looking posters for magic acts and a bar with very friendly bartenders. We got drinks, had a nice guy do a little close-up magic with some quarters for us, and eventually headed into the performance room. 

That room held about 60, and Nigel’s assistant/partner introduced herself to several of us in the room. My buddy and I sat in the front row, and both of us ended up participating in the show. If you ever get the chance, I cannot recommend it enough. It was less tricks and more … I guess “mentalism” is how Mr. McGuinness described it? It was a lot of fun, and as the victim/guest for the finale I still can’t tell you how he pulled off any of it. Nor would I want to! We got to stick around after and chat with a few other fans, as well as Nigel and his mom, who joined the crowd for the second half of the act. All in all, it was a lovely night, Nigel was a lovely person, and the crowd was a good mix of wrestling fans and people who just wanted to see a show. 

The next day was the show. I woke up not feeling great, but not dying, so we headed to a market my friend had heard about. Just an amazing atmosphere, rows of every kind of eatery you can imagine. A nearby farmer’s market had fresh fruits, veggies, juices, and more. Unfortunately, my not-great feeling persisted, and after having a big juice, I opted to go back to the room and crash while my buddy explored the city before the show. 

I survived, felt a bit better after a nap, and we got a ride over to the arena. The Crypto Arena was really nice! The pavilion around the arena had tons of statues of LA Lakers and Kings statues, including Magic Johnson, Wayne Gretzky, and Shaq. We were only lined up for about twenty minutes before heading in, security was light and fast, and we were in line at the merch table in no time. I ended up with a unique looking Hangman Adam Page shirt that I got for my wife and a Kenny Omega shirt and Revolution hat for myself. We met our seat neighbors, grabbed some very overpriced beers, and enjoyed the show.

By now you’ve probably seen Revolution, or at least heard about it. We were right across from Leslie Jones, who delighted fans with her reactions to Swerve/Ricochet and Mercedes/Momo. The crowd definitely was at its lowest at the beginning of the TBS Championship match, but those women fought to get the arena invested and earned the noise they got by the end. And man…Toni Storm vs Mariah May in their brutal Hollywood Ending match, followed by my sweet Cinnabon son Konosuke Takeshita taking on living legend Kenny Omega, followed by a steel cage match between Will Ospreay and Kyle Fletcher was a hell of a triple header. The main event was a bit of a turd, especially after three match of the year candidates in a row, but I think everyone was sent home happy after Swerve Strickland made his presence known, pouncing on Jon Moxley before delivering a promo to the crowd as fans started leaving the building. 

I don’t think it’ll ever happen, but I would like to propose that fans who purchase a ticket to a PPV get a voucher to order a replay of the show, if not for free than at least at a discount. I’d love to watch Revolution with commentary, but I’m not paying another $50 to do so. If any company was gonna do it, AEW would be the one, but I won’t hold my breath.

So Long For Now

So that’s gonna be where I wrap things up for now. Things are still gonna be a little sporadic from here on out -- my sister just had her first kid yesterday (!) so a trip to visit is coming soon. My wife also has a few trips lined up, and with the weather getting nicer I’m trying to commit to doing some yard work for the good of both my land and my body. There’s also college basketball, which will hold my interest until my bracket fails me, as well as my puppy to train up and some other house projects. 

But I’m not abandoning this thing. I love writing about AEW, and I think I may start watching and writing about some other promotions, too. In short, I guess stay tuned to my socials!

Follow me on BlueSky for updates and live watch-along commentary for AEW Dynamite and, occasionally, Collision. And, if you’re looking to buy anything from a smart fridge to a new drill, check out the tech writing I do over at SlashGear -- my lists are heavily researched, and ranked after thorough aggregation of expert opinions, reviews, and my own experience as a professional mechanic, an unprofessional handyman and an even less professional homeowner. 

And in between my stuff, if you’re looking for some good writing, Erika and Suit Williams both do some good work. Anyways, take care, stay safe out there, and we’ll see you next time. Until then, let’s watch some wrestling!