Project Lucha Underground Season One, Episode Six: "The Key"

 

Good Morning!

Welcome back to Project Lucha Underground Season 1. As we ease into reviewing Episode Six, “The Key,” things continue to roll on here at Casa Pequeño, with me succumbing to a newfound addiction to Balatro on our tablet, and my wife elbow-deep in Blue Prince on the Xbox. We’ve also knocked out four of the seven Mission: Impossible movies in our attempt to watch them all in time to check out the new one when it releases on Friday, in a project we’re calling Mission: Mission: Impossible. [We’re big on naming projects around here -- makes them feel more important, and therefore more finish-able.] If you’re on Letterboxd, give me a follow and I’ll do the same. Oh, and we checked out the new Final Destination movie, Bloodlines, on opening day. A fun, barebones story, imaginative kills, and a genuinely touching last scene for series mainstay and horror god Tony Todd added up to a fun afternoon at the local AMC for me and Mrs. Pequeño. 

It’s a lazy Sunday here so I figured I’d get another episode of LU under my belt before I watch some stressful Game 7 hockey a little later. That said, let’s watch some wrestling!

All Images: El Rey Network

Last Week On Lucha Underground

Episode five, “Boyle Heights Street Fight,” felt like one of those episodes that leans more into storytelling than wrestling. That happens from time to time, especially on a show still in its infancy like this one was. It’s hard to find balance, and so much of wrestling is that. Balancing story development with in-ring action, measuring what your audience wants to see in the ring, and figuring out where things like comedy, drama, action, and tension all fit in. Pro wrestling can be at its best when it’s a perfectly balanced variety show; it can also just cater to a niche audience and go hard into one aspect of the show, like comedy or hardcore matches. LU is basically a telenovela with fights, and it’ll be interesting to see how things shake out as we get past what I remember and into the unknown.

Drago has been pitted against some heavy hitters the last few shows, too, barely making it past King Cuerno two shows ago only to get hit with finishers from both Cuerno and Mil Muertes on the last episode. Sexy Star and Chavo Guerrero continue to have issues stemming from Guerrero attacking both Star and Blue Demon, Jr., , and now they have aligned with Fenix and Pentagon, Jr., respectively. 

Son of Havoc tried to make an example of mini-estrella Mascarita Sagrada, only to have the lil’ guy come out of their match with a victory. Konnan set up a street fight for his protege, Prince Puma, against current main baddie Big Ryck, but even with the help of Johnny Mundo, the numbers game (and an accidental chair shot from Mundo to Puma) caught up to the good guys and the Prince was left lying after being put through a table just like Mundo was the week prior. And with that, I think we’re all caught up.

So let’s get back underground!

Lucha Underground: Season 1, Episode 6: “The Key”

Some dramatic camera work took us through different areas of the Temple, and while it all fits the aesthetic I think Dario Cueto could afford to have a cleaning crew run through the place. Leave the graffiti on the walls, sure, but I don’t think the wrestlers should have to worry about acquiring tetanus every time they use the locker room. Black mold is real and it is scary, man.

Pay somebody to clean the place, Eric!

Dario and Big Ryck are seen in Cueto’s office, where Ryck lit a cigar and Dario went over Ryck’s new “big-money exclusive contract.” Ryck demanded a signing bonus in cash, which Dario agreed to and will totally not welch on, I’m sure. In wrestling, it’s important to tell the viewers that every wrestler gets paid top dollar, despite the contrary being true 99% of the time in real life. Dario loves him some violence, and he’s happy Ryck brings it. 

It's Pimpi!

Match 1

Son of Havoc (with Ivelisse) versus Pimpinela Escarlata

Ivelisse and Son of Havoc were in the ring, with Ivelisse complaining that SoH’s first two matches were against a woman and “half a man.” Havoc issued an open challenge, and he was answered by everybody’s favorite exótico, Pimpinela Escarlata. Pimpi is one of those performers that stuck out the first time I watched Lucha Underground, as his androgynous persona was treated with respect and good fun by the audience and the announcers. From Gorgeous George to Goldust, with dozens of examples in between, wrestling has always been welcoming to the “outsiders” in society, and I think that’s one of the reasons so many of us love it. 

Pimpinela and Havoc had a solid back-and-forth match, with Ivelisse constantly getting involved and Havoc heeling it up by mocking Pimpinela Escarlata. The odds were eventually evened (that cannot actually be a word) with the appearance of Mascarita Sagrada, who chased off Ivelisse and slid between Son of Havoc’s legs during the pursuit. That distraction let Pimpinela lay a big ole smooch on Son of Havoc, possibly awakening something in him but definitely distracting him enough for Pimpi to roll him up for the victory.  Son of Havoc was shocked and appalled, and Ivelisse comforted him while Pimpi and Sagrada danced in celebration. 

Dance magic dance

This was good fun, and a smart test of how the audience might react to someone like Pimpinela Escarlata. Turns out, they passed the test with flying colors. The mask was fast and fun, and I enjoyed the hell out of it. The bad guy looked bad, the good guy looked good, and the comeuppance was sweet. 5/10 luchador masks. 

While exóticos like Pimpi have been performing in lucha libre since the 1940s, their American equivalents were seldom treated as the good guys in their feuds. That has changed tremendously as time has passed, and these days wrestlers of all stripes play all sorts of roles in everything from indie promotions to AEW and WWE. 

Just make sure to wash your hands, fellas

In the horrifying bathroom of The Temple, we’re treated to Dario Cueto using the nasty toilet. Johnny Mundo confronted him there, shoving him against a stall and assuring him that he’ll keep getting up when Cueto sends Ryck to knock him down. Mundo demanded his 100k, and Cueto assured him he’d get it in cash as long as he didn’t attack him. Mundo backed off, but took the mysterious key Dario wears around his neck as insurance. 

Match 2

Famous B versus Mil Mascaras (with Catrina)

Aw poor Famous B. He got real dead in this match, possibly the squashiest squash we’ve seen to this point in Lucha Underground. Famous B got absolutely zero offence, and after throwing B around the ring and destroying his opponent with a spear, Mil Muertes finished Famous B off with a Flatliner and a pin. As far as reminding us what Mil is capable of, this would get a 7/10 in squash. It’s a different scale, but squashes will always have a place in wrestling shows to let the audience know who to fear and respect. Catrina followed the match with the “lick of death” but in a vertical position, with Mil Muertes holding up Famous B for the, um, tongue lashing. 

Interestingly, Famous B is still performing today! Cagematch lists his in-ring career as ending in 2019, yet he’s been performing in Australia for years. After Lucha Underground shut down (spoilers, I guess) he went over to Battle Championship Wrestling to perform in a three night event called Lucha Downunderground, where he participated in four matches. After that, B took a breather, but in 2023 he returned to various Australian promotions and continues to wrestle to this day. So, Mil Muertes did not kill him on this night; I guess we’ll probably see him again as we keep the Project rolling. 

The dragon man has nunchuck skills!

A tremendous video package followed, with Drago taking center stage. A little girl’s voice narrated the piece, talking up the legends of dragons, their powers, and how they had to adapt as time went on, which explains why our Drago is in the form of a man. Meanwhile, Drago did some nunchuck stuff on the LA rooftops, fought some dudes, and generally looked awesome. I love this guy! 

Match 3

Drago versus King Cuerno

This is the second match between these two, and while Drago beat Cuerno in Cuerno’s debut match, Drago suffered a nasty attack from Cuerno on the last show after he was defeated by Mil Muertes. Mid-match, we got another visit from the mysterious lady in the vinyl catsuit, who scowled and walked off after about a minute of watching the match. 

Drago and King Cuerno had a tense match, with both guys hitting bursts of moves before retreating. Dives, throws, and near-falls all led to Cuerno hitting a tope suicida, followed by him tossing Drago back in for “Thrill of the Hunt,” his fireman’s carry into a sitout power bomb. Cuerno got the pinfall, and picked up Drago’s head to yell that “the hunt has just begun,” which, uh, you just killed him dead, buddy. Hunt over! 

A solid match in which both guys did a good job of telling the hunter/prey story, with Cuerno respecting Drago’s abilities more this time around. I liked what they did in the ring, and that they didn’t feel like they had to go out of their way to explain what was happening. I’ll go 6/10 for this one.  

Huh, I think what followed was the first ever in-ring promo in Lucha Underground. It was incredibly well-shot, using interesting camera positions to keep the promo feeling unique and kinetic despite it being your standard promo train. 

Johnny Mundo called Dario Cueto out, demanding his $100k. He counted, but it was Big Ryck who responded. Rick threatened Mundo, and Mundro responded by flying from the ring at the big guy, laying him out. Johnny resumed his count only for Konnan to respond next. Konnan claimed that Johnny actually owed Prince Puma the $100k for their match, but after Johnny Mundo’s actions last week, Puma would no longer have Johnny’s back. That distraction allowed Big Ryck to attack Johnny Mundo from behind, but despite Konnan’s speech, Prince Puma was right there to make the save. The good guys took out Ryck with a double drop kick, but then Puma and Mundo exchanged blows, knocking the key off Johnny’s neck in the process. After officials separated everybody, Dario Cueto finally showed up with a briefcase he claimed had Mundo’s money inside it. But since Big Ryck was conveniently also awaiting a contract bonus in cash, Dario Cueto proposed a $100,000 three way ladder match. I don’t think that’s how contracts work, but I’m no lawyer.

Main Event

Sexy Star and Fenix versus Chavo Guerrero, Jr. and Pentagon, Jr.

The announcers noted that while this was considered a mixed tag match, Star could engage and be engaged with anyone. Fenix started things off quickly, dumping Chavo out of the ring, but Penta grabbed Star by the hair and tossed her from the ring, leaving the brothers in for a short fight before Pentagon took a powder. Chavo dove back in, slowing the pace and grounding the high-flying Fenix. Once Fenix got free, he tagged Sexy Star in for a little revenge against Chavo, but it was short lived. The baddies took control, with Penta using his power advantage over Fenix and Chavo doing the same against Star before Fenix was double-teamed and Star was taunted while it was happening. 

Fenix eventually hit Penta with a rebound handspring cutter, and got to Sexy Star for the hot tag. She took advantage, taking out both Penta and Chavo, and there was a helluva spot that saw Chavo getting Star into a Boston Crab, Fenix tagging himself in and stomping Chavo’s back from the top rope, and Penta grabbing Fenix from that and release German suplexing Fenix into the turnbuckle. Sexy and Fenix both hit some massive (and dangerous, given proximity to the staircase) dives to the outside, but when Sexy went for a crossbody on Chavo in the ring she was caught and slammed down. Pentagon went for a package backpack bomb that Sexy reversed, and Fenix followed with a MASSIVE meteora onto Penta from the turnbuckly, letting Sexy Star get the pin on Penta and the victory as a medic ran in to check on Penta. The good guys celebrated to end the show, and that was that!

While Chavo and Penta did their best to slow the pace to benefit their style, the match never felt like it slowed down. People ran around constantly, and when the heels were in control it mostly felt like it was needed to let the good guys catch their breath. I like this a lot, and Fenix and Star picked up a win, clean as a sheet. 6/10 -- good, not great, but entertaining throughout. Cagematch gave this, the only match on the show they rated, a 6.74, and now I feel a little stingy. 

Closing Thoughts

Another solid show with some fun debuts and some good wrestling throughout. I think I’m gonna start adding a “match of the show” here, since it feels like a good place to do so. And while I enjoyed the main event a lot, I think I’ll give it to Drago and King Cuerno because of the storytelling work that they did in the ring. 

I also want to mention the Johnny Mundo promo. While Mundo was fine, and Ryck was, well, he said his lines, I thought the production for the segment was great. It feels like they’re really getting to use the space they have in that Boyle Heights warehouse, and shots like the one below show me that they either intentionally set the building up for cool looking viewpoints, or they simply discovered them while working in the Temple week after week. I don’t think the why really matters; I’m just happy it looks so cool and unique.

Given that episode seven is “Top of the Ladder,” I’m gonna go ahead and assume that the ladder match that Dario Cueto announced will take place on the next episode. Lucha Underground has plenty of long-term stories brewing already, but they don’t really announce matches far into the future -- it feels to me like they most they’ll do is announce something for the next show. That’s smart, especially for a fledgling company -- let the new, curious viewer know that if they like what they see, they’ll get something cool if they tune in again next time. I’m no Eric Bischoff, but that seems like solid short term audience building strategy to me.

So Long For Now

Follow me on BlueSky for updates and live watch-along commentary for AEW Dynamite (and occasionally Collision). 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!

Project Lucha Underground: Season One, Episode Four "Thrill of the Hunt"

Good Morning!

Howdy! Welcome back to Project Lucha Underground Season 1. I really need to decide on a day to watch LU and have a more regular schedule, or we’re gonna be watching this show long past the debut of AAA guys in WWE. Not that there’s a hard deadline or anything, I just think we’d all benefit from consistency on my part, you know? That being said, I think the next several weeks are pretty calm here in the Let’s Watch Some Wrestling studios…the next big stuff isn’t until June, when we’ve got AEW tickets, a wedding, and my wife heading to Europe. But that’s a ways off, so this is the time to really get into a rhythm, right? 

Last Week On Lucha Underground

Episode Three was an odd one, but by no means a bad one -- the main event was literally the best match in The Temple up to this point. “Cross The Border” spent a lot of time setting up Chavo Guerrero, Jr. as a villain after his double-cross of Blue Demon, Jr. I liked a lot of how they did this, though, especially since they let Chavo show a little vulnerability, like he’s maybe being manipulated. I could be reading too much into it, though, we’ll see. 

Match-wise, we had a mini-estrella pick up a surprise victory before getting beat up by Chavo, and a vanilla jobber get beat up by Mil Muertes. That main, though…Drago versus Fenix versus Pentagon, Jr. in a triple threat match? Yes, please. More of that!

We know from Johnny Mundo’s meeting with Dario Cueto that Mundo will face Big Ryck in the main event of this show, marking Ryck’s in-ring debut with the company. Big Ryck was known as Ezekiel Jackson in WWECW, the half-assed revival of the beloved Philly brand, and in fact was the last official champion of that brand before it was shuttered. He’s an odd duck: big but not huge, strong but not “holy shit” powerful, not terribly charismatic, not great in the ring or on the mic. I’d hesitate to even say he was serviceable, but he did have a presence. However, that’s all based on his Fed time; we’ll have to see how he looks in the Temple.

Anyways, let's go underground!

Lucha Underground: Season 1, Episode 4: “Thrill of the Hunt”

After our usual L.A. flyovers and some sweet mariachi music from the Lucha Underground temple, we were welcomed into the show by our announce team. They discussed Chavo’s heel turn a bit, and then Sexy Star was introduced, oddly, after she’d already gotten into the ring. She cut a short promo where she called out Chavo Guerrero Jr. for being a coward, for attacking beloved mini Mascarita Sagrada, for attacking her, and generally for being a turd. She then said she’d end the Guerrero dynasty, and Ivelisse was introduced as her opponent. Ivelisse had a mic on the stairs, and said Star wasn’t a badass and didn’t belong with the boys. 

All images credited to El Rey Network

Match 1

Ivelisse versus Sexy Star

“We’re not gonna be calling a lot of wrestling stuff here, we’re gonna see a lot of hair-pulling, punching, and kicking.” Are we? Are we gonna make dumb noises and squeal, “Cat fight wheeeeee” too, Matt Stryker? Sorry, sorry, I said I wasn’t gonna make a big deal about decade-old misogyny, it’s just annoying when there are capable wrestlers in the ring. And he even acknowledged that they’re both great luchadores early! Also, we learned that Son of Havoc was romantically linked to Ivelisse, after which Vampiro replied “I thought they were brother and sister,” and Striker fired back with, “Whatever floats your boat!” which made me chuckle. 

Ivelisse is good in the ring here, but there are a few times where the editing didn’t cut around spots where she was clearly waiting for a move to come to her. Star had some fun stuff, like a Matrix dodge under a lariat, but overall this was clunky, at best. The announcing got better (if still cringeworthy)  as the match went on, and Vampiro had a good line about how he “did the job” after being married for seven years. Ivelisse locked in a LONG choke spot, followed up by a chop battle ending with Sexy Star hitting a Codebreaker. Star got ⅔ Amigos, but Ivelisse argued with the ref after slamming Star’s face on the mat -- a mistake Star capitalized on with a quick rollup for the win.

Ivelisse looked stunned afterward, but no attacks or anything after the victory. The end sequence was weird, to me, as Ivelisse was arguing with the ref because she slammed her opponent’s head down and…was told she couldn’t do that? Between that and the clunky start, I’ll go 4 lucha masks outta 10 for this one. Cagematch rated it 4.67.

One last note: man, I love the crowd shots in Lucha Underground. The fans seem to be having a blast, and it’s nice to see such a diverse crowd showing up for a lucha show. The majority of fans are Latino, as one might expect, but there’s a bit of everything out there and it just makes me happy. But I digress…

After a break, we headed into the poorly lit locker room where Dario Cueto confronted Drago. Cueto admonished Drago for not winning last week, although he didn’t lose either. So tonight, Drago will be facing King Cuerno.

Pentagon, Jr. was announced in the ring for his match, but we got another intro/promo deal as the fans booed Penta. He complained that fans, bosses, and companies didn’t respect him, but thanked Dario Cueto for his respect. And now he’s gonna kill Fenix.

Match 2

Fenix versus Pentagon, Jr.

I don’t think we’ve been made privy to the fact that these two are brothers, but the chemistry they have from the bell is undeniable. A series of quick reversals and near-falls followed by a pose-off started the match, and then Fenix got some time to shine with a few dives in and out of the ring. After a wrist lock to the top rope, Fenix hit a cool top-to-middle-to-top rope springboard dropkick to the delight of the crowd. Penta got some strikes mixed in, but this was a Fenix showcase with a bunch of those corkscrew dives he became known for over his past couple matches. Penta did hit both a package piledriver and Canadian Destroyer -- finishers on most nights -- but climbing up the turnbuckle to do a throat slash was his undoing. Fenix confidently kipped up, hopped from the second to third rope, and took out Pentagon, Jr. with an Avalanche Spanish Fly for the win!

This match was a blast. I know that those familiar with both of these guys would expect nothing less, but imagine watching this matchup for the first time in 2018 after a steady diet of the Fed, WCW, and little else. Just fluid motion throughout, move after move seamlessly transitioning into one another until that finish. Great stuff, 7/10 lucha masks. Cagematch says 6.75.

After that barn burner, we got a video introducing us to King Cuerno. He justified himself by saying that what we call evil, he calls survival, and if we call him a predator, he calls us prey. He’s got a cool mask, trunks with antlers, a cape, and kind of a druish vibe. Druidic? That’s probably right. Basically he’s a heel, but in the vein of a Killmonger type. A justifiable heel.

Today, fans know King Cuerno as Santos Escobar in the WWE, although he’s more slender and less muscular in the Fed. He joined the Fed in 2020, where he came up through NXT as part of La Liga del Fantasma, but I don’t think he ever wore a mask there. His Cagematch page shows that most of his career was in Mexico, where he wrestled with a bunch of different promotions, including both AAA and CMLL, basically the WCW and WWF of Mexico. 

Match 3

King Cuerno versus Drago

Drago was in the ring as Melissa introduced him, this week in a gold-and-silver getup. While the standard way of thinking is that that’s a bad thing -- we mentioned it in the last show -- I figure it’s a 45 minute show that doesn’t have much in the way of theatrical entrances, why not save time when you can. King Cuerno got the more dramatic entrance, walking into the arena with a full deer head on his head. He’s also pretty jacked -- big for a luchador, maybe bigger than Drago. 

Quick chain wrestling started things off, with Cuerno no-selling several strikes and walking through a hurricanrana afterward. Both wrestlers played into the hunter/prey metaphor, with Cuerno really acting like he was stalking his target. There’s a great spot where Drago ran towards the ropes and Cuerno just threw the ref down, only for Drago to repeat the spot and step off the back of the ref into a head scissors, tossing Cuerno from the ring and `following up with a flip over the top rope. After a step-up enziguri, Cuerno looked to have the match won and rolled Drago back in, but posing allowed Drago to recover. Drago squeezed out of a hold, sprinted to the ropes, and springboarded off the middle rope into a very smooth looking arm drag that he sort of double-rolled through into a pin that pulled Cuerno’s leg over Drago’s shoulder for the pinfall. Good stuff!

This was a really good match with a story told in the luchadores’ movements. Drago was the underdog here and fought like it, taking his shots when he could but moving like he knew he could be caught and taken down at any time. That end spot was fantastic, and Cuerno popped right up and ran after Drago as the winner rolled out of the ring. Cuerno looked strong in his debut, Drago stayed strong with a quick win, everybody went home happy. 6/10 lucha masks for this match. Cagematch didn't rate this one because it went six seconds under the five minute threshold for rated matches.

After the match, we saw Prince Puma working his abs as Konnan joined him in the gym for a chat. Konnan reiterated to Puma that he shouldn’t get involved in the match between Johnny Mundo and Big Ryck, for his own good. Puma doesn’t speak, so he just kinda looked concerned after Konnan left.

Main Event

Johnny Mundo versus Big Ryck

Big Ryck was already in the ring as the main event was announced, with an unlit cigar in his mouth, which feels like a waste.

Johnny was about a head shorter than Ryck, but Mundo started off showing that his quickness was going to keep him competitive in this match. Johnny was in control for the better part of this match, with Ryck occasionally overpowering Mundo until Johnny slipped away. Mundo did hit Moonlight Drive, and Ryck had just about the least convincing kick out I’ve ever seen…not so good, big man.

Ryck had Mundo set up for a choke slam, and Mundo was able to wriggle free and hit a springboard kick that sent us back to the locker room, where Cisco and Cortez (Big Ryck’s associates) beat the hell of Prince Puma, throwing him against the lockers and kicking him while he was down. It was a little weird that commentary dropped out for this part, but it was more of a pre taped cinematic than a live cutaway. 

After that, the pair ran out of the locker room and into the arena, where they attacked Johnny Mundo to force the disqualification. Mundo fought back, but ultimately ate a big lariat from Ryck and got beaten down and put through a table. The baddies stood tall over Mundo’s corpse to end this week’s show.

It was a good enough match before the DQ, so we’ll be generous and give it a 4/10. Cagematch didn't rate this one either, so you're gonna have to trust me.

Closing Thoughts

Not the best episode of Lucha Underground, but a pair of good matches lifted the show. I can see that they’re betting on Sexy Star for the long run, and I’m interested in seeing what other female talent they bring in for future matches -- I legitimately do not remember any other women in LU, save for a late season run by an AEW star to be named later.

It felt like they tried to maximize in-ring action for this episode, with 3 ½ matches padding the wrestling section of our program. Segment-wise, there wasn’t a lot that didn’t immediately get resolved in this episode. Drago got the match he was threatened with, King Cuerno was introduced and debuted, and Konnan’s warning to Prince Puma was heeded, but the good guy still ate shit at the end of the day. 

That also means that, aside from the main event angle, we’re going into the next episode relatively clean. Maybe some new storylines are set to debut, so they wanted to make sure to tie up this first four before moving along. I guess we’ll find out next time.

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!