Project Lucha Underground: S1E11 "Last Luchador Standing"

 

Good Morning!

Welcome back to Project Lucha Underground. It’s an exciting week here at Let’s Watch Some Wrestling HQ, and a short one as well. My beloved wife got some well-deserved camping time in last weekend, while I held down the fort, hung out with my doggos, and got some housework and writing done. Our week here ends today, since tomorrow we’re flying out to meet my already-beloved first and only niece, who was born back in January but lives with my sister and brother-in-law out in Tennessee. As theme park enthusiasts, we’ll also be hitting up Dollywood for the first time on Friday, because my sister’s working and we will need to pass the time somehow. It’s all very exciting.

Unfortunately, being gone over the weekend means I’ll be missing AEW’S ALL OUT show on Saturday. Not a huge deal -- I’ll just stay off social media for the weekend and check it out late Sunday or Monday. I think I miss one or two AEW PPVs every year because of life overlaps, and while I usually go back to see what I’ve missed, I’m not the type of fan to lose their mind over not being able to watch live. It’s cool.

Speaking of not being able to watch live, my buddy just sent me this story from Awful Announcing that says ESPN users who watch on Cox, Sling TV, Comcast and YouTube TV -- the latter three being major cable services in my area -- would have to pay to access the new ESPN app that will be airing WWE’s PLE this weekend, since ESPN Unlimited isn’t yet accessible by them. The rollout for this whole thing has been sketchy, rushed, and very confusing for fans from what I’ve seen, and I imagine that’s going to come to a head Saturday when Fed fans go to watch their new favorite 5-match show only to be met with an ultimatum -- double pay for ESPN or don’t watch John Cena versus Brock Lesnar, version 19. I myself don’t really partake these days, but I know many, many more people than me do, and it sucks that they can’t get their shit together to let fans know how to watch their product just because they’re in such a rush to counter-program AEW’s pay-per-view shows. 

But we’re not here to talk about current day wrestling, despite the ALL OUT card looking solid and Wednesday’s three hour AEW September to Remember airing tonight. That’s what BlueSky is for. No, we’re here to watch some telenovelas with a few matches mixed in. So let’s get back on the clock.

Last Time On Lucha Underground

“Law of the Jungle” was kind of a soft reset for Lucha Underground after the crowning of the first LU champion the episode prior. Aztec Warfare gave us our new champ, Prince Puma, and then “Law of the Jungle” showed us which feuds would continue, and which were being put to bed. The Man Called Cage got to participate in a match after weeks of build, and performed well against three other new additions to the Lucha Underground roster. He also made it known that he’s got Prince Puma in his sights, attacking the champ after he defended his title against Fenix to end the show. We also saw Blue Demon Jr., fresh off his return in the Aztec Warfare match, address Chavo Guerrero, Jr.’s apology by beating the man with a steel chair and flipping him the double bird…so I guess that rivalry’s over and done with. Drago and King Cuerno continued their ongoing battle and fought to a DQ after Drago dove from the top of Dario Cueto’s office onto a table with a prone Cuerno on it, so we’ll have to see if either man survived and if they’re still mad at each other (probably). And, uh, I think we’re all caught up. So, without further ado…

LET’S WATCH SOME WRESTLING!

Lucha Underground: Season 1, Episode 11: “Last Luchador Standing”

You know, I had thought I was really clever coming up with that “last time on Lucha Underground” bit. But I guess it wasn’t very original, since Lucha Underground started doing something very similar over the last few episodes. We kicked this one off with a little video package showing Big Ryck signing his contract and participating in Aztec Warfare, along with Pentagon, Jr. arriving at the Temple. We also got a recap of the trilogy of matches between Drago and King Cuerno, which went 1-1-1 after last week’s double countout. OH, I think I just realized what might be coming with this week’s episode title now…Jesus Christ, I’m really not the most observant viewer, am I?

Before we continue, allow me a brief tangent. I’m no contract lawyer, but it seems to me that if you sign a contract, and are offered a signing bonus in said contract, you would receive said bonus after signing said contract. Again, not a lawyer, but that all seems pretty straightforward. Dario Cueto had Big Ryck sign a contract, and Ryck even demanded his signing bonus in cash. Rather than paying the money agreed to, Cueto later offered up the briefcase with this cash as a reward for the winner of the first ladder match in Lucha Underground -- a match won by Johnny Mundo. Shouldn’t Big Ryck have some kind of legal maneuver he could make to get that cash? He shouldn’t have to “earn” that bonus -- that’s literally the whole point of a bonus! It’s an extra incentive to do something!

But I digress. The wrap-up wrapped up, the title card was displayed, and we got our usual helicopter views and time-lapsed shots of beautiful Los Angeles before our rockin’ house mariachi band hyped up the crowd. The announcing duo of Vampiro and Matt Stryker welcomed us to the show on behalf of the El Rey Network (RIP, although technically it’s not dead, just relegated to streaming on Roku) before confirming my suspicions and announcing a Last Luchador Standing match between Drago and King Cuerno. Our opening match was then announced:

Pimpi and Mascarita, friends 4 eva

Opening Match

Mr. Cisco and Cortez Castro (with Bael) versus Pimpinela Escarlata and Mascarita Sagrada

“We celebrate the variety of life here at Lucha Underground,” yelled Matt Stryker as the unorthodox pair of mini and exotico headed down the Temple stairs to the ring. I appreciate that, even if he and Vampiro immediately got into some good natured early-oughts homophobia afterward…

ANYWAYS, Big Ryck headed to ringside as the match began, since you’ll remember the three baddies also serve as his henchmen. He looked very confused when the crowd cheered Pimpi on, and Pimpi responded by dominating the match early, being taller and more agile than the cholos. Sagrado was nowhere to be seen when the tag team specialists got the better of Pimpi, though, and an extended beatdown segment threatened to kill the crowd until Mascarita got the hot tag. Vampiro wasted no time declaring he’d punt Mascarita Sagrada, as he has in every match Sagrada has been in during his time in the Temple, and the unorthodox pair got the crowd back with dives, ‘ranas, and some quick offense. Unfortunately, Pimpi got distracted outside the ring and then was held by Bael while Sagrada ate a Shatter Machine from Cisco and Castro and was pinned. 

A fun opener that let the popular good guys have some fun before their downfall. 5/10 luchador masks for me; Cagematch didn’t rate this one.

After the match, Big Ryck entered the ring to enjoy his cigar and address his enemies through some What chants. After handing Mr. Cisco his cigar, Ryck declared he’d be going after the title no matter who held it, since we all must face the judgment (day) of Big Ryck. He did the Jericho arms-out pose afterward, only to have his knee taken out by Castro! The Crew (as I now realize is the official name of this...well, this crew) stomped the hell outta Ryck and beat him with a kendo stick afterward, effectively ending that partnership. After that, Castro and Bael held Big Ryck on the canvas as Mr. Cisco BURNED HIS FREAKIN EYE OUT WITH THE LIT CIGAR?!?!? 

The cigar, pre-mutilation

After a break, it was revealed that Dario Cueto was the person behind the attack on Big Ryck. He paid each of the three henchmen in stacks of cash, and explained that Big Ryck simply couldn’t see the big picture. Although now he’d have trouble seeing anything! Sick villains’ burn! He then told the trio that he’d have their back if they had his, and demanded a “yessir” from the group. So I guess it’s the old “evil authority figure has active henchmen on the roster” bit. Sure, we’ve seen it before, but have we seen it in an abandoned warehouse designed to look Mayan Temple, replete with dingy locker rooms and a prison cell in the basement?

I THINK NOT.

You get a wad, and you get a wad, and you get a wad

Back in the Temple, our intrepid announcers let us know that Big Ryck had been taken to a “local medical facility,” an old Vince McMahon-ism for “hospital.” Vampiro then hosted a little sit-down interview with The Man They Call Cage, which I guess is his full Christian name in this universe? I’m not typing all that, he’s Cage. And he’s not interested in making friends…he’s interested in winning championships.

This picture does more for Cage than any mic time would

He’s already demanding a title shot after attacking Prince Puma, despite only being here a week, because he’s the best. As he’s said about 15 times in this two minute interview. Vampiro challenged Cage a bit, and immediately backed down after a little threat. It…well, it sure did re-establish to Cage followers why The Machine is in the ring way more than he’s on the microphone.

Pictured: scary skull man and crash test dummy

Match 2

Super Fly versus Pentagon, Jr.

Pentagon, Jr. was the victim of a Chavo Guerrero, Jr. chair shot during the Aztec Warfare match, so it’s probably safe to say that the two are going to fight somewhere down the road. For now, though, Penta gets jobber-to-the-stars Super Fly. The two traded superkicks to start, and then Penta took advantage of a Super Fly backflip off the ropes by catching him in a backstabber for a near fall. Zero Miedo chants already started rolling through the crowd at this point, giving Penta more of a “cool heel” vibe than that of a full on rudo, which makes sense now after the turn from Chavo. 

Oh your poor chest...

Penta followed up that chop with another outside the ring, and continued to dominate in this extended squash. We did catch a glimpse of the mysterious Asian lady, but this week she’d traded her vinyl catsuit for a LU shirt and a crew pass.

I noted Stryker and Vampiro don't even mention her if she's not in skin-tight vinyl

Super Fly did get a little hope spot by way of a springboard handspring over the ropes, but overall this was Penta’s match to show out, and he did, finishing things up with his signature small package pile driver, which I think he still uses as “Made In Japan.”

Made In Japan (?)

This was largely a squash, but it was a fun one, and Super Fly got a few hope spots in to keep me from becoming disinterested. We got all of Penta’s greatest hits, and it didn’t eat up too much time, so I’m going 6/10 for this match. Cagematch says 6.09.

After the match, Penta grabbed a microphone and called Chavo a fraud -- but there’s someone out there willing to join forces. Ooooo we got a mystery partner on our hands, folks!

She's a star! And a hero (citation needed)

Match 3

Sexy Star versus El Mariachi Loco

We’re told El Mariachi Loco worked in a restaurant a couple blocks away from the Temple in Boyle Heights, and one day he took off his hair net and started training to become the Luchador he is today. Fun! He disrespected Star, who was being talked up as a role model by Vampiro because hindsight allows us perspectives he did not have access to. Star tossed El Mariachi around a bit, tossing him from the ring before pump kicking him in the face when he climbed back in. Loco pulled some hair to turn the tables and gain a little momentum, following that up with a submission attempt and some slaps to the face. But Star baited the crazy Mariachi, and she dumped him outside the ring and hit him with a “modified cross body,” or a meteora to our Mercedes Moné fans. 

Some Irish whips were reversed, and Sexy hit a nice cross body turned arm drag off the top rope. El Mariachi Loco looked like he was about to pick up the win with a top rope shooting star press, but Star rolled out of the way and locked in a surprise roll up (the most devastating move in all of wrestling) to pick up the win.

This one was short and painless, much like the match before it. I don’t think Star’s win was ever in doubt, and this one did seem a little unnecessary right after the squash that preceded it. For those reasons, I’m going 4/10. Cagematch says this was also too short to rate.

Main Event

Drago versus King Cuerno in a Last Luchador Standing match

This will technically be the rubber match, since the rivalry was at 1-1 going into last week’s match that ended in a double DQ. Drago came out hot for this one, quickly yeeting Cuerno out of the ring as he got an 8 count before rolling back in. We’re doing the standard 10-count anywhere in the arena rules for this one, and Cuerno quickly took another long lie-down before he popped back up and dropped Drago outside the ring with a running power bomb. We’re reminded of the timing these two have perfected as they…lie down for a long time between spots. 

One of several long mid-match naps

Cuerno had a nice double-german-into-brainbuster combo right in the middle of the ring, and just after Drago recovered he ate a punt kick right to the face! Some back and forth followed, and a cool spot where Cuerno tossed the ref between the luchadors only for Drago to run off the ref’s back and hit a hurricanrana finished that sequence. Drago then had a weird hesitation while trying to fly out of the ring, like his gear caught the top rope, but he got over it eventually. Marty Elias, Lucha Underground’s head official, started to get some grief for not starting his counts earlier from the announce team and King Cuerno. Cuerno hit that nasty Arrow From Hell dive he does from the ring to the outside, and then he grabbed a table from beneath the ring. Last time he set one of these up, things ended badly.

Drago sprung to life when Cuerno started to guide him towards that table, and the two traded blows until Cuerno gently placed Drago on it. Vampiro made references to Mayan sacrifices and Cuerno began to climb the ropes, but Drago popped up and shoved his opponent down. More forearm trading followed, and Drago looked like he was trying to set up an uranage from the apron onto the table. Cuerno reversed that into Thrill of the Hunt, his fireman’s carry into a powerbomb, and Drago went through the table and somehow recovered at 9.

This is about to end poorly for that table

Drago was promptly kicked in the face for his trouble, and a furious Cuerno then tossed Drago into the ring and stomped the dragon before hitting a standing dropkick. He followed that with a corner dropkick, and then grabbed some rope from under the ring. Cuerno wrapped Drago with that rope, putting it around the turnbuckle and in his mouth, and that kept Drago down long enough to rack up the cheap victory for King Cuerno. After the match, Cuerno put his headdress on the seated Drago to end the show.

Roped him up like a deer on the roof of a Ford Explorer

That was good! Some genuinely great spots, a finish I’ve never even seen tried before, and a definitive winner to end a rivalry. Who’d have thought one of our first big Lucha Underground feuds could end so cleanly? I’m going 8/10 for this main event match; Cagematch says 6.69 -- nice, but harsh!

Closing Thoughts

I had a good time with this show, although the bread outperformed the meat. The first match had those old WCW lucha match vibes, pitting some good-time crowd faves against some low-level baddies in The Crew. The turn was wholly unexpected, and I’m hoping we get some kind of cool Kano-esque face appliance when Big Ryck recovers. Cage’s interview served a purpose, but he’s not great on the mic, even when working with an interviewer. The back-to-back squashes kind of killed my enthusiasm, but Penta teasing a new partner was some interesting storytelling. The main event was really good, and I loved the unique finish to end the feud.

So Long For Now

Hey, thanks for reading! Follow me on BlueSky for updates on Let’s Watch Some Wrestling, as well as live watch-along commentary for most episodes of AEW Dynamite (and occasionally Collision). And, if you’re looking into purchasing anything from a smart fridge to a new drill, check out the writing I do over at SlashGear -- my automotive, tech, and tool-related 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!

Project Lucha Underground Season One, Episode 7 (plus a Double or Nothing recap)

 

It's America's Sweetheart, Danny Trejo!

Good Morning!

Welcome back to Project Lucha Underground Season 1. Before we dive into Lucha Underground, and the promotion’s first-ever ladder match, I wanted to talk a little bit about AEW -- specifically, Double or Nothing. We watched it with my buddy who we watch every AEW PPV with, but added another couple. They’re not wrestling fans per se, but he’s been to the last couple AEW shows with us and had a good time, and he wanted a little context going into Fyter Fest next Wednesday. 

I loved everything on Double or Nothing on the night, but in rewatching it yesterday while getting some work done I realized the pacing and order of the matches was perfect too, because I zoned in on my work for every other match on the card. That means FTR vs Garcia and Nigel, Hurt Syndicate vs Sons of Texas, Storm vs Shirakawa, and the Callis Family vs Paragon got the short end of the stick as far as my attention went, but it also shows a good sense of scheduling on AEW’s part. Those matches were fine, good even, but the importance of giving your audience some time to recover between five-star matches shouldn’t be overlooked. After all, the best moments of wrestling almost always include a raucous crowd behind the action. 

My buddy and his partner enjoyed a lot of the show, but high points for them as newcomers were Anarchy in the Arena, “Speedball” Mike Bailey (my friend’s new favorite) versus Kazuchika Okada, and Ricochet versus Mark Briscoe. I think Willow Nightingale revealing her “BIG BLACK AND JACKED” shirt alongside Powerhouse Hobbs got the pop of the night from all five of us, although the surprised gasp when Hangman Page got the pinfall victory to end the show was a close second. It’s always fun to try to explain lore to a newcomer, but I can also see how the main event might not grab a new viewer as easily as a big plunder match or a guy who’s just gushing blood for ten minutes. The important thing is we all had a blast, and my friend’s got some context for next week’s show!

As for results, while I was thinking Ospreay was going to win, I enjoyed the uncertainty of the main event going in. The rest of the card, while good, did feel mostly predictable,  although I admit that I bit on a number of near-falls in the Okada/Speedball match. And I’m not mad about Hangman winning at all -- Dynamite showed we’ve got a good story to build going into Y’all In, and with seven weeks of shows before that, I think an all-timer of a card can be put together. 

I did want to write a preview for Double or Nothing -- as I’ve said before, previews and predictions are probably my favorite part about writing about wrestling -- but between finishing Mission: Mission: Impossible and some work stuff happening around here, it just didn’t work out. I’ve been trying to put together a list of things I need to take care of, and as a homeowner it’s easy to just keep finding projects that need doing. However, I think I feel a lot better after sitting down and writing in the office, whether it’s paid work or just a wrestling blog. So a better schedule would be nice, but I’m also kind of at the mercy of my wife’s schedule, which is fine but does make for some timing issues. 

But I digress! You’re not here to read about my home life! You’re here for episode seven of Lucha Underground, and I’m here to watch it for/with you! So, in the words of a wise man…let’s watch some wrestling!

Last Week On Lucha Underground

“The Key” gave us a lot in its 45-ish minutes of runtime. We got the introduction of Pimpinela Escarlata, exótoco and pal to Mascarita Sagrada, as he won in a match against frequent wrong-side-of-history-chooser Son of Havoc. We watched a Mil Muertes squash, a solid second bout between Drago and King Cuerno, and a main event that featured the team of Sexy Star and Fenix overcoming Chavo Guerrero, Jr. and Pentagon, Jr. This week, we were promised a ladder match between Big Ryck, Johnny Mundo, and Prince Puma, with Dario Cueto’s briefcase full of cash suspended above the ring. 

We know at least one match on the card, but we don’t know what else awaits us in the Temple of Boyle Heights. So let’s get back underground!

All images El Rey Network

Lucha Underground: Season 1, Episode 7: “Top of the Ladder”

I really noticed the diversity in the opening shots for this episode. As a one-weekend-while-sick visitor to Los Angeles, I don’t know a ton about the city, but I do know that it’s sprawling and huge, and covers a lot of different kinds of land. The usual city flyover we opened with in past episodes had shots of the inner city and open land as well. Nice to see the other parts of this legendary city highlighted. 

We were welcomed by Vampiro, Matt Stryker, and a shot of Danny Trejo in the crowd as Vampiro put over how busy Twitter was with talk about the upcoming ladder match. That’s likely the main event, but we did get a cool overhead camera angle of the ring that looked past the suspended briefcase onto our ring announcer, Melissa Santos. 

Opening Match

King Cuerno versus Super Fly

This was Super Fly’s first match in Lucha Underground, and King Cuerno didn’t give him much time to acclimate himself in the ring before unloading a series of kicks and throws on the guy. Matt Stryker informed us that Fly was part of a four-man group in Mexico, but didn’t elaborate any further as he was distracted by Drago observing the match like a gargoyle (Stryker’s words but I like ‘em) from the perch above Dario Cueto’s office. 

Super Fly did get some offense in, but Cuerno dominated this match, posing to the crowd between knockdowns and generally looking like a badass. Cuerno did eventually spot Drago, and looked in his direction as he got Super Fly up for his finisher and the 1-2-3. Nothing terribly great or bad, so we’ll go 4/10 lucha libre masks for this bout. After the pinfall, both Drago and Cuerno called each other out via hand motions.

Skimming through Super Fly’s Cagematch career page shows a AAA wrestler that has taken a couple trips to Japan, booked the occasional match outside of his main promotion, and continues to wrestle occasionally today. The highest rated matches in his career are in multi-person affairs, but so is the lowest. Honestly, combing through the data and watching this match showed me a guy who’s good enough to stay employed without standing out. That’s not to say that he’s not impressive -- I mean, I’m not out there performing handspring dives over the ropes -- but he’s the kind of masked wrestler you remember more for his mask than his moves, if you remember him at all.

With AAA’s recent sale to WWE, I wonder how many of these performers who have made a career out of being enhancement talent/jobbers will still have work with the company, but I guess only time will tell. 

A video package about Pentagon, Jr. followed the opener, showing his ascension in Mexico and realization that he’d have to travel to Japan to become a more complete fighter. Samurai were referenced as we got traditional Japanese artwork interspersed with scenes of Penta taking down several guys in gis (gi-guys?) in a dojo. The segment ended with the narrator saying “He is Pentagon Jr. and he has Zero Fear” as our guy took down one last gi-guy and broke his arm. Good stuff, introducing the character’s history and establishing him as a badass.

 Match 2

Pentagon, Jr. (with Chavo Guerrero, Jr.) versus Fénix (with Sexy Star)

One of our main Lucha Underground stories continued with this match, with Vampiro telling us that Penta basically only joined forces with Chavo because he needed a rub from the Guerrero family member to help build his own name. We mixed up the competitors this time, but they each brought their tag team partners from last week’s main event, implying that we’re building to a big match between all four of these wrestlers. 

It just occurred to me that Lucha Underground never got into the pay-per-view model, instead just ending its seasons with a big Wrestlemania-style finale over multiple episodes. I know that’s practically blasphemy from both a business and historical standpoint, but I guess once we’re a few seasons in we’ll have a better understanding of what worked and what didn’t for this company. Until then, I guess I’ll be looking for mid-season events -- think, for example, AEW’s TV model, where every few weeks we get a big show like a Fyter Fest or Fight for the Fallen. I guess a big, pre-announced main event match like a No DQ or ladder match would count, making this week’s episode and episode five’s Boyle Heights Street Fight stand out.

Anyways, I’m getting sidetracked. Chavo’s a dick, Sexy Star stood up to him when he attacked Blue Demon, Jr., and that’s how we got into this rivalry. The crowd was split down the middle for this one, and the in-ring action reflected that with both guys getting a solid amount of offense and some near-falls to start. Chavo had a really impressive reversal of a Fénix meteora that he rolled into a single-leg crab, and Vampiro really leaned into the heel announcer role during that segment, begging Chavo to punish the less experienced Fénix for posing. Chavo worked Fénix’s legs and locked in several submissions to slow the high-flyer down, but Fénix would not be stopped. Unfortunately, Penta knocked Fénix off the turnbuckle, giving Chavo the opportunity to hit a Frog Splash and pick up the victory. A decent match with good storytelling will always cover up an interference victory for me, so I’ll call this 6/10. Cagematch went 5.95.

After the match, Sexy Star grabbed a microphone and let Chavo know that “he” was coming back, and coming back for YOU. 

Before we got to our main event, Stryker threw us to a video package introducing Cage to the audience. Cage narrated his own mini-movie, which showed him working out and wrestling in an industrial warehouse-looking area. He told us that he’s no superhero, and he doesn’t have warrior ancestors. He just wants to win more than anyone else. He’s not a man, he’s a machine. A machine with cool sideburns.

I poke fun, but you know Bryan Cage, right? He’s currently a part of the Don Callis family on AEW, but dude has worked practically everywhere, and he’s been basically the same guy wherever he goes. He’s gigantic, he likes Wolverine, he’s shockingly agile, and he seems like a good dude. His Cagematch page is insane -- in 2017 he worked 123 matches among 48 different promotions! At 41, he’s slowing down a bit, but even so, he’s always been a good worker that never quite broke past the upper midcard area. I genuinely don’t remember much about his run in Lucha Underground, and it’ll be interesting to see if he’s booked any differently than he has been elsewhere.

Main Event

Johnny Mundo versus Prince Puma versus Big Ryck in a Ladder Match

Big Ryck entered the arena first, and he came in through the alternate entrance -- there’s a hallway leading to the ring that is sometimes used instead of the stairs. Johnny Mundo also used the hallway, mostly because that’s where his leaf blower is stationed for his dramatic entrance. Prince Puma used the stairs and was accompanied by Konnan, and he was clearly the crowd favorite as the match got started. The little guys both went after Ryck as Matt Stryker gave a brief and welcome history of the ladder match, and Ryck took a quick powder, leading Mundo and Puma went after each other. I do love that the announcers keep calling Danny Trejo “Machete” when he’s on camera -- it’s a fun shout out to both his most popular character, and to their boss, director and Lucha Underground executive producer Robert Rodriguez. Stryker also took a shot at the Fed in the early going of this match, telling us that the briefcase doesn’t need to be airbrushed for us to all understand its significance. 

Puma and Mundo were the first to set up and climb a ladder, only for Ryck to give them the first ladder push off of it, before whacking both of his opponents with the ladder to send them out of the ring. As expected, Ryck then called in his buddies to climb the ladder on his behalf, but the good guys recovered in time to toss them off said ladder. Mundo ran up a ladder set against the ropes to flip onto the three baddies, and then set up a pair of tables near a corner of the ring. Mundo continued to assault Prince Puma while setting up a ladder near those tables, and dumped Mr. Cisco on those tables before heading up that double-high ladder. Puma intercepted Mundo by just standing on the ropes and punching Johnny in the head before diving at Johnny…who ducked and pulled down the top rope, sending Puma flying through the ladder and into Big Ryck! 

The baddies took control and slowed things down after Ryck recovered, getting chants of culero from the crowd as Big Ryck, Mr. Cisco, and Cortez Castro overwhelmed Mundo and Puma. Mundo and Ryck had a great standoff spot where they faced off with ladders before Mundo yeeted his at Ryck, pinching his fingers and using that opening to dropkick the big guy. Prince Puma then re-entered the ring and locked up with Castro, leading to Castro going through a table before Mundo took Puma down and … honestly, I cannot keep up with this move for move and I’ve watched it twice. Let’s skip ahead to the finish!

Big Ryck more than pulled his weight in this one

Johnny Mundo had Ryck and Puma down, and was climbing the ladder to grab the case, when it appeared that Pentagon, Jr. ran into the ring and knocked him down. He removed his mask and the announcers said that we’ve seen this dude hanging around the arena, so while it clearly wasn’t Penta, I have no idea who he was. He did check in with Ryck before getting pulled from the ring by Mundo, but by then Ryck was blocking Mundo’s re-entry while Cisco and Cortez began very slowly climbing one of two set ladders towards the case. Mundo knocked Ryck out of the ring, and saved some time by hopping to the top rope and springing from there to the top of a ladder, kicking the other occupied ladder over. That bought Johnny Mundo enough time to undo the little carabiner and grab the $100,000 briefcase.

Seriously, this is 1A in my favorite Lucha Underground matches to this point. And El Rey put the whole match on YouTube, so you have no excuse not to check it out!

I think this earned 9/10, with enough interference, plunder, cool spots, and brutality to make it great. Cagematch rated this one 7.89, and this is the first Lucha Underground match to feature a Wrestling Observer Newsletter rating as well -- Dave Meltzer gave it 4 ¼ stars! For the uninitiated, Dave is probably the best known wrestling journalist in the business, and has been doing it longer than anyone else. He’s generally well-respected, and his star reviews are the industry’s standard. If Dave gives you over four stars, you’ve put on a match worth watching.

After the match, Dario Cueto appeared and congratulated Johnny Mundo on his victory. He hoped that the two could resume a professional business relationship, on the condition that Mundo returned the “insurance policy” that Mundo took from Cueto -- the key. Johnny joked that it was the key to his little diary, and Cueto really sold that he was worried Mundo wouldn’t return it, and the key’s importance. After an interminable amount of time, Johnny just chose to knock Dario out instead -- although he did leave the key on Cueto’s unconscious body afterward, so I guess all’s well that ends well?

Closing Thoughts

What a show! We only got three matches, but the main event was an all-timer and the obvious “match of the show.” The video packages for Pentagon, Jr. and Cage were well produced and stood out for how different they were from each other, with Penta’s focusing on his Japanese influences and Cage’s showing his strength and work ethic. A lot of promotions use match footage for these little vignettes, and while that works, I think it’s cool to introduce a character with something more cinematic. We’ll see them in the ring once they debut, and unless they have a specific big moment that you can somehow score the rights to, it seems wise to save the big moves of your performers for their debuts. 

The Cuerno/Super Fly match was one of those extended squashes that served to further a storyline, in this case his rivalry with Drago, but it served that purpose well and still entertained. Chavo/Fénix ended in a DQ but it was good while it lasted, and that story must continue. Overall, this was a good episode of Lucha Underground with a tremendous main event!

So Long For Now

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Until next time…Let’s Watch Some Wrestling!