Project Lucha Underground: Season 1, Episode 8: A Unique Opportunity

 

Good Morning!

Welcome back to Project Lucha Underground Season 1. I know! I’m as surprised as you. 

So, two things. First, I’m going to start this post with a chunk of blog that I apparently wrote the day after some friends and I attended Fyter Fest here in Denver, but never actually posted to Let’s Watch Some Wrestling: 

We’ll jump back into our regularly scheduled episode recap in a little bit, but since I just attended AEW Fyter Fest last night, I wanted to write about the live experience while it’s still fresh in my mind.

This was the fifth AEW show in Colorado, but the first in Denver proper. That’s big for the company, because the other venues they’ve used -- the now-defunct 1st Bank Center in Broomfield, the Broadmoor World Arena in Colorado Springs, and most recently the Blue FCU Arena in Loveland -- have all been at least an hour drive out from the biggest city in the state. Factor in things like rush hour traffic because doors are at 4:30 Mountain Time, and the fact that most of these shows were three-four hours because of Collision or Rampage tapings, and you’ve got a limited amount of wrestling fans willing to basically have to take half a day off AND be trashed the following day at work. Hence, those shows filled about half of those hockey-sized arenas.

AEW solved both of those issues by performing at the Mission Ballroom for Fyter Fest. Located just off the highway in Denver proper, the Mission is a popular concert venue that my wife and I had never been to in our dozen-plus years in the state. 

IM FROM CHICAGO VIDEO

We attended the show with our constant AEW companion and our buddy who just recently got into wrestling, and the whole time was a blast. I don’t know whether it was the venue, AXS ticketing, or AEW who decided to offer a digital parking pass with tickets, but it meant getting underground garage parking right under the venue, which was cool. Up a flight of stairs and we were right in the line, and we even spotted Sammy Guevara and Tay Melo bringing their tiny baby into the building next to the arena. Everyone in line who noticed them was really cool about doing little waves but not shouting or freaking out, which was decent of them as wrestling fans, especially when one has seen how people can act towards these performers. Good job there, Denver wrestling enthusiasts!

Once inside, I realized the arena wasn’t quite what I thought. Seating charts implied a balcony and floor, and I assumed that meant an overhang and two floors. Instead, there was kind of a wall of stadium-style seating behind the announcers, with balcony seating extending to either side of the ring, and floor seats in front of and below those seats. The stage had a ramp that led directly up to the ring, a setup we’ve seen on several of the recent AEW shows at smaller buildings, and I don’t think there was a bad seat in the house. The balconies in particular looked great -- they had little counter-style tables running in front of those seats, and if we get another show there I’ll definitely try for those seats. 

It was a blast, in short, but I have been considering taking some time to think about whether I want to attend another wrestling show before just reflexively buying tickets because they’re in my area. I’m still enjoying what AEW is producing, though, and since that’s pretty much all I watch these days (aside from Lucha Underground, that is) I’ll probably just shut up and tell them to take my money next time they’re in Colorado.

Now that that’s out of the way, I’d like to apologize to the tens of you that kept up with Project Lucha Underground when I was doing it semi-regularly. There’s some stuff going on right now in both the world [general] and in my world [specific] that have conspired to simply not keep me on track. I’ve felt flustered and … you know that feeling when you walk into a room and you’re not sure why you did? I’ve felt that way about a lot of rooms lately. Fuzzy, I guess. So I went ahead and put together a little schedule for myself, one that prioritizes my house cholo duties, but also sets aside time for both paid writing work, most of which you’ll find at SlashGear, and this project/blog, which you’ll find, well, here. 

I think that, going forward, posting on Thursdays or Fridays might work best for our purposes, although I don’t want to lock in a schedule because a) I may not stick to it and b) Lucha Underground happened in the past so I can kinda just watch one whenever I want. Also, we’re off to a roaring start because I haven’t yet watched Dynamite because of a work party Wednesday night, and Forbidden Door is fast approaching on Sunday!

Anyways, there we go! All caught up, sorta. The TL;DR version is that I’ve not been busy, but I’ve lacked focus, and that’s no good for anyone. Now there’s a dry erase board for my daily schedule, and a Trello board for the weekly duties. I feel more ready to be productive than ever!

That being said, let’s get back into the delightful world of Lucha Underground. Now more than ever, escapism is important for all of us, and a show that gives us little people teaming up with exóticos and masked superstars representing both good and evil might be just what the doctor ordered. Hey, why isn’t there a doctor on this show? I feel like wrestlers that are just dudes doing jobs, like Irwin R. Schyster or Issac Yankem DDS, would fit right in with the possibly-undead Mil Muertes. But I digress.

Let’s watch some wrestling!

Last Week [well, two months ago for us] On Lucha Underground

“The Top of the Ladder” featured one of the best Lucha Underground matches to date in the promotion’s first ladder match, a barn-burner between Big Ryck, Johnny Mundo, and Prince Puma. Mundo was able to collect the $100,000 briefcase and knocked out Dario Cueto for good measure, although he did return the boss’s key by laying it on his knocked out body to end the show. I’m sure that won’t come back to bite Mundo in the ass, right?

We also had a couple matches to keep the rivalries between King Cuerno and Drago, and Chavo Guerrero, Jr. and Sexy Star, going. The main event was the focus of the show, though, and it was fantastic. We’ll see what happens next as, for the first time in a long time, we head back underground. As always, I’ll recap each segment after I watch, and will provide my own ratings out of ten lucha libra masks. After I’m done with the show, I’ll check Cagematch for the general consensus, so we can all compare notes.

Lucha Underground: Season 1, Episode 8: “A Unique Opportunity”

Why are we in here again?

We opened with the usual shots from around Boyle Heights: trainyards, industrial areas, highways, and then the Lucha Underground billboard atop the temple. Inside, the ring was packed with familiar faces (and masks). Our announce team of Matt Stryker and Vampiro are as confused as I am, saying Dario Cueto invited these ten wrestlers to the ring but nobody knows why. Fortunately, here’s Dario to clear things up. He’s wearing sunglasses to cover a nasty bruise from where Johnny Mundo punched him last week. Cueto overcomes some What chants (ugh) to let us know these guys are gonna be involved in a “truly epic event tonight” that begins with this match, and will be followed up with another ten-person match later tonight. We’re not going to be fighting for money, says Cueto, but rather a unique opportunity. Vague! So, let’s get to the match!

Half the LU roster, ready to fight

Opening 10-Person Match

King Cuerno versus Super Fly versus Fénix versus Penta versus Drago versus Big Ryck versus Prince Puma versus Son of Havoc versus Mariachi Loco versus Mascarita Sagrada

Brawling began before the bell with several dudes jumping Big Ryck before getting tossed like cartoon characters. Mascarita Sagrada continued his violent assault on Ryck, pausing to do some push-ups and show off his footwork. Ryck responded to this threat by grappling with Sagrada in an extended assault, before some of the other guys got involved. Cuerno and Drago paired off for a while, while Penta and Mascarita Sagrada had some fun in the ring. Puma and Havoc were highlighted next, with Puma getting the better of Havoc and flying out of the ring to make room for Mariachi and Fénix to work on Ryck some more before everybody started throwing themselves at the big guy and getting their collective shit kicked in. Fénix and Puma paired up after a while , giving us a mini-match that would have ruled in AEW if their paths crossed -- hopefully they get a chance to have a match during the LU run. 

Drago and Cuerno met up in the ring next, and Cuerno managed to hit his finisher before the pin was broken up by Mariachi Loco. Penta then took Mariachi out with Made in Japan, although I guess it hadn’t gotten that name yet because Stryker called it a running Muscle Buster. Some more near falls followed, and eventually the main story of “everybody vs Big Ryck” came through before we got back to Prince Puma versus Fénix, part two. Puma landed a 450 on Ryck but Fénix took advantage with a tilt-a-whirl DDT, followed up by a dragon sleeper into a piledriver to pick up the pinfall victory.

For a big brawl, this was a lot of fun! I liked the pairings used when the ring cleared, dug the flow of the match, and enjoyed that they kept going back to Big Ryck as the recognized threat everyone would naturally focus on. Mascarita Sagrada got some big pops in there, too! Seven lucha libre masks outta ten for this one for me -- Cagematch gave it 7.98.

HE BIG

After the match, our announcers put over everybody and the overall performance, and Cuerno again called out Drago afterward. And then we moved on to another Cage vignette, this time featuring the big guy doing his own narration over some video of him working out in an industrial setting, flipping big tires and shaking big ropes and hitting said big tires with a big hammer. He said that he’s pushed himself to the brink of evolution, and he’s not a man -- he’s a machine, and they call him Cage.

Konnan and Prince Puma face off in a mirror

We were then thrust into the awkward position of watching Prince Puma get dressed down by Konnan in the Temple’s dingy locker room. Konnan yelled that people would kill to have him for a mentor, and that if Puma keeps letting these opportunities pass by, the opportunities AND Konnan will be gone. Puma looked a little angry, and a little sad, but since he’s apparently mute that’s as much as we got before we headed back into the Temple for the second ten-person match. 

The other half of the roster, ready to compete

Match 2, A Boyle Heights Battle Royal

Sexy Star versus Mil Muertes versus Johnny Mundo versus Pimpinela Escarlata versus Bael versus Chavo Guerrero, Jr. versus Cortez Castro versus Famous B versus Mr. Cisco versus Ricky Mandel

I’m not trying to say this is the lesser of the two matches right out of the gate, but there’s definitely more entry-level talent in this one. It’s Royal Rumble rules -- over the top rope, both feet gotta touch the floor. Chavo got the dramatic last entrance after Stryker ran down the entrants for us, continuing his rivalry with Sexy Star, who immediately went after Chavo to start things off. Vampiro got to profess his love for the mysterious lady in the vinyl catsuit that keeps showing up on the Temple stairs to observe the action, and things devolved into the kind of battle royal action one would expect. I’m not going to try to keep up with everything, but here’s the eliminations in order:

Pimpi dumped Famous B early

Ricky Mandel was tossed by the trio of Big Ryck’s guys

Mil Muertes yeeted Pimpi

Chavo heaved Star to continue their storyline/ rivalry

Mundo threw a Ryck pal, then…

Chavo countered by throwing a different Ryck pal, then…

Mil Muertes answered by chucking the last Ryck buddy in a span of seconds

Mundo got rid of Chavo next

A solid back and forth one-on-one between Johnny and Mil Muertes followed. Mil is interesting because he’s not jacked -- Mundo is actually taller and super-ripped -- but he’s so stout that it’s still believable that Mundo had some trouble doing any effective offense. In the end, Mundo had his finisher set but Mil Muertes got his knees up, leading directly into a lariat to eliminate Johnny and win the Battle Royal.

Cagematch went 6.43 for this match, while I went a little lower with a 6. It was fine, but not as many fun spots as the first match. The finishing sequence with Chavo, Mil Muertes, and Johnny Mundo was good though.

The Lucha Underground Championship

Back from a break, our announcers hyped up the mysterious announcement as Mil Muertes and Fénix jawed at each other in the middle of the ring. Dario Cueto emerged from his office with a microphone and a belt, the Lucha Underground championship. I somehow did not realize we’ve gone eight episodes and haven’t revealed a title yet! Cueto went on to explain that he’s invented a new match type that honors the ancient warriors, and he’s calling it Aztec Warfare. There’s gonna be one more match tonight, and the winner gets to enter Aztec Warfare last, giving them a significant advantage. The loser of this match will enter first, meaning they’ll have to outlast 19 other luchadores to win. 

Mil Muertes and Fénix face off

Main Event

Fénix versus Mil Muertes for the right to be last entrant in Aztec Warfare

Despite having worked a full battle royale right before this, Muertes went right after Fénix, shoving him before the bell even rang. He dominated the first several minutes of the match, with his buddy/lover/keeper Catrina helping by distracting Fénix. Hope spots were few and far between, with Mil Muertes overcoming Fénix’s valiant efforts and laying the smaller man out with a Flatliner to end the match and the show. 

No, I think we're to exit stage LEFT, actually

We got a post-credits scene! Dario Cueto was in that prison-looking area of the temple, talking to someone off screen and holding the Lucha Underground championship belt. He explained that the gold in that belt was from each of the seven Aztec tribes, making it not only priceless, but also powerful. He ended his little speech with, “I’m sorry, I can’t let you touch it [CRASH ZOOM ON HIS FACE] I know how you like to destroy pretty things.” 

Dario admires his belt in front of prison bars

I’ll be shocked if Cagematch has a rating for this -- it was a long squash match with maybe four glimmers of Fénix offense. As a showcase for Mil Muertes’ power, it was fine, and Fénix didn’t come off as a chump, per se, but I would have opened with the Battle Royal so Fénix would look like the more recently gassed of the two, and like he barely survived his last match. As it stands, 4/10 for me. Oh, Cagematch gave it a 6, which feels generous.

Closing Thoughts

This was a great show to get us back into the swing of things, although I don’t know that I would have reacted so kindly when I watched week to week. Having a pair of ten person matches was a nice way to be re-introduced to everybody, and in hindsight the winners felt right and not knowing why they were competing kept me interested to the end. I really thought Muertes was either going to straight-up murder Fénix or Fénix would rally at the end. A squash seemed like a weird choice. But now we’ve got a title match set for a few shows from here, and 18 vacant spots to fill. It should be interesting to see how those slots get chosen.

So Long For Now

Follow me on BlueSky for updates and 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 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!