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

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 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!