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!

Project Lucha Underground: Season One, Episode Two

 

Good Morning!

Howdy! Welcome back to Project Lucha Underground Season 1. We’re back in Boyle Heights for the second episode of our foray into the history of Lucha Underground, and we’ve already got the beginnings of some mysteries on our hands. What’s Dario Cueto’s whole deal? Is Konnan as bad as Vampiro seems to think? Is Son of Havoc a misogynist, or just a jerk? Who is Cueto bringing in to “finish the job” against Blue Demon, Jr.? And, finally, who were the three guys who attacked Prince Puma and Johnny Mundo after the main event of Episode One? Maybe we’ll find out tonight! Let’s go Underground!

Lucha Underground: Season 1, Episode 2: “Los Demonios”

We open with a little recap of episode one narrated by Matt Striker, which I kind of just provided so, um, you’re welcome? Then we got some cool twangy music during the opening credits as we fly over LA’s Boyle Heights neighborhood, where the Lucha Underground Temple is located, and those three dudes who attacked Puma and Johnny are in the ring, being roundly booed by the fans. So, hey, no waiting for the big reveal! 

El Rey Network

The smallest of the three, a Latino fella in cargo pants (as was the style at the time) tells us that he’s Cortez Castro, and he and his buddies are here to hurt people and take their money. Cisco and “The Boss” Big Ryck introduce themselves, and then Johnny Mundo slides into the ring to attack all three men. Surprisingly, Johnny didn’t have any trouble scaring them out of the ring, but when Castro and Cisco grab what appear to be wooden folding chairs -- unique in the world of pro wrestling -- and Dario Cueto comes from his office to announce that we’re getting a tag match. 

Match 1

PRINCE PUMA and JOHNNY MUNDO versus CISCO and CORTEZ CASTRO

Rick Knox is officiating this one with a broken arm/wrist, but since he’s largely been ineffective his entire career I can’t imagine it’s too big a loss. (I kid, I kid.) Fun teamwork between Mundo and the Prince in this one, with both men using their athleticism to speed the match along and lead their more inexperienced counterparts to a good match. 

Apparently Los Angeles’ indoor smoking laws were more lax back then, because Big Ryck was smoking a cigar while watching the match from the steps of the Lucha Underground Temple. Hell, my mom used to make my old man smoke his Salem Lights outside in the middle of Chicago winters, and I’ve never had a cigar anywhere near a door or window of anywhere I’ve ever lived, so I can’t relate. 

El Rey Network

Pretty standard “basic heels vs flippy faces” tag match, here. The good guys hit some fun combo moves -- a double step up enzuigiri stood out early -- and the bad guys are basically designed to be forgettable, with Cisco in a black tank top, khaki shorts, and long white socks and Castro in dark cargo pants. 

El Rey Network

Striker and Vampiro are reminiscent of current-day Excalibur and Taz on commentary -- although Vampiro is also extremely anti-Spanish, something I noticed but didn’t mention in episode one in regards to Dario Cueto. Here, the last name of Cortez draws Vamp’s ire, as he explains that in Mexico the name Cortez reminds people of Spanish conquistadores. 

Mundo hit a Moonlight Drive for a near-fall, followed up by Prince Puma flying out of the ring with a corkscrew dive over the ropes and onto Castro outside the ring. After an awesome up-and-over drop by Mundo, immediately followed by a Puma dropkick, the good guys hit simultaneous 450s from opposite corners to get the double pinfall victory. Big Ryck walked to the top of the main Lucha Underground staircase and looked back at the ring before heading out.

Cagematch gives this one 6.76 stars, which seems pretty fair. It served as a showcase for rivals-turned-teammates Prince Puma and Johnny Mundo, and Castro and Cisco didn’t do anything so jarring that it took the spotlight away from the faces. I’d go six, but a fun six. 

El Rey Network

After a break, we’re in the locker room with Prince Puma getting a post-match real talk session from Konnan. Konnan jabs his finger into Puma’s chest, telling him that Johnny Mundo’s fight isn’t Puma’s, Johnny isn’t his friend, and Konnan is Puma’s ONLY friend. He continues the time-honored American television tradition of asking a question in Spanish and immediately following it with the English translation, and a sad-looking Prince Puma nods in agreement as the two leave together. I don’t remember if Puma ever speaks, and if not, maybe that’s why Ricochet took so dang long to get comfortable on the mic -- hell, he never really seemed to get there in NXT or WWE.

Back ringside, Matt Striker tells us that Dario Cueto has brought Mil Muertes to the Temple tonight to deal with Blue Demon, Jr. We then cut to a creepy backstage vignette with a feminine voice telling us that “a thousand deaths are coming.” We then see flashes of the big, masked man in a cape before we watch him head down a dimly lit hallway as we go to break. 

Match 2

SON OF HAVOC and IVELISSE versus CHAVO GUERRERO, JR. and SEXY STAR

We met three of these luchadores last week, and Ivelisse is introduced in this match. She is a stalwart in indie wrestling, and as of today has over 360 matches under her belt. She’s been featured in All Elite Wrestling, Shine Wrestling, FCW, and even had a cup of coffee with the Fed. She’s usually billed from Puerto Rico, although she was born in Chicago (hell yeah) and she’s got a reputation as a tough, brawler type -- but it’s also said that she’s difficult to work with behind the scenes, and a no-sell situation with Thunder Rosa led to her disappearing from AEW.

Following up from last episode’s match between Star and Havoc, and Vampiro points out that “the other guys” won’t let women mix it up with men…but “this is 2014 … this is equal opportunity, dog!” Vampiro tells us that Chavo is almost a mentor to Sexy Star, and he has her back in this one. The fellas match up first, with the crowd firmly behind the faces. Matt Striker reads Chavo’s Wikipidia page on air as Ivelisse gets tagged in and stomps the hell outta Chavo. 

Sexy Star did get a hot tag soon after, and got to go after Havoc with a few quick moves before she ate an elbow to the face. When both women were in, Vampiro had a tough time deciding whether he wanted to focus on them being “kickass chicks going toe to toe” or whether gender wasn’t an issue, since this is technically an intergender match. Later, though, both commentators fail to live up to those standards of gender neutrality. It doesn’t really matter to the match itself, it’s just a little jarring to hear today, even though intergender wrestling remains a little bit of a taboo in North American pro wrestling. If I call it out every time, these recaps will get tiresome, so just assume I’m rolling my eyes when you hear something questionable if you’re watching along at home.

Chavo hit a Frog Splash and tagged Sexy Star in to get the pin, which was decent of him to let her get her win back after Son of Havoc used her tights to get the pinfall in their last match. 

Cagematch gave this one a 4.68, and I’d go with a 4 myself. Not to shade the participants, but Ivelisse was barely given a chance to do anything aside from stomps and head slams, and neither Chavo nor Son of Havoc have the explosive movesets that helped set Lucha Underground apart. It was fine, I’ve seen worse, and it’s the second match on this show with a throughline from episode one, which gives it a little story continuity.

El Rey Network

After a logo flash and a break, we’re back in the Lucha Underground locker room with Blue Demon, Jr. He’s warming up as we cut to a blurry shot of a woman in a dress walking into the room, and there’s some cool shots of Blue Demon from behind as she approaches and the camera switches between the two. We see her finger tap Demon on the shoulder from behind, but she’s not there when he turns around. She jump scares him from the front, and introduces herself as Catrina, an associate of Mil Muertes. She says Mil sends a message, and licks his mask, saying it’s a taste before a thousand deaths. So, um, are we to infer that Mil wanted to lick the mask himself but didn’t have the time? Did he think the blue mask was blue raspberry flavored? 

Sometimes stuff sounds cooler before it airs, I guess. Or maybe I’m misinterpreting, who’s to say?

El Rey Network

We’re back with the announcers briefly before cutting back to another cinematic, this one focusing on Prince Puma. Konnan narrates Puma’s backstory, saying that he has “a friend we probably all know” who found Puma, getting beat up in a back alley. At first, I thought maybe we were describing the opening of episode one, but Konnan said this kid didn’t need any help, and that hoodie guy was getting his ass kicked, so I guess not. We see Puma working a heavy bag while Konnan tells us that Puma is a direct descendent of the fiercest renegade tribe of the Aztecs, and he’s bringing Prince to Lucha Underground because it’s his calling. Puma knocks the heavy bag off its hanger to end the segment. I love the sparse lighting in these cinematic segments, but I worry these guys are gonna trip over something in the locker room; after all, their peripheral vision is already hampered by their masks.

Main Event

BLUE DEMON,JR. versus MIL MUERTES

El Rey Network

Blue Demon’s in the ring as we come back from break, and Mil Muertes’ presentation is dope. He’s “from beyond the grave,” He’s got a cool feathered neckpiece, feathered pauldrons on his shoulders, and a big triangular neckpiece. Catrina gives hims a little red stone in a hankie to sniff (I think it’s a hankie) and even though Mil is presented as a monster, Blue Demon, Jr. shows no fear. Mil responds by attacking from behind and stomping the shit out of the hero. Mil’s pants are patterned with light blue and dark blue pinstripes, but that doesn’t take away from his aura…although I would think black would be more appropriate? Catrina takes some cheap shots at Demon while Vampiro comments on how into stiletto heels he is -- sorry, I said I’d stop pointing this stuff out. Mil’s mask is cool, black with silver and red accents and a kind of overlapping silver M on his forehead. He has a full sleeve on his left arm and pec, and the spear he delivered to Blue Demon while I typed that line was interesting -- impactful, but also weird in that Mil dropped on his chest after delivering it. A flatliner finished off Blue Demon, Jr.

Not quite a squash, but Mil Muertes heavily dominated the match, with Demon only getting a few bits of offense. Cagematch doesn’t have a rating so I’ll go 4/10. Afterward, Mil mounted Blue Demon, Jr. and began punching him when Chavo Guerrero, Jr. slid into the ring with a steel chair to even the odds and chase off Mil Muertes. 

El Rey Network

Ope, nevermind, Chavo done turned on Blue Demon. He clobbers Demon with the chair, then punches out two referees while the fans chant, “What the fuck?” Chavo lays out a couple randos with his chair after that, and then Sexy Star runs into the ring to plead with Chavo. He considers, then drops Star with the chair too. So Chavo made it one whole match before a heel turn, which feels pretty appropriate for him, historically. Medics then head ringside with a board and gurney, loading up Blue Demon as Chavo sets up his steel chair in the ring and laughs. After a lengthy loading sequence, Chavo attacks Blue Demon on the gurney before medics can roll him away to safety. Our announcers dramatically sign off as Chavo take a bow and an ambulance drives off into the night. 

El Rey Network

Closing Thoughts

This was fun! Was it a little too soon for our first heel turn? Maybe. But Heel Chavo is way better than Face Chavo, in my opinion, so episode two is as good a time as any. And now we’ve woven Chavo and Sexy Star into the main storyline (Blue Demon, Jr. vs Mil Muertes) along with Star’s budding rivalry with Son of Havoc, too. 

I like Catrina and Mil Muertes, and they bring the spooky element to Lucha Underground that was born in guys like the Undertaker, the Dungeon of Doom, and Papa Shango, and lives on in current-day promotions with The Wyatt Sicks, the Hounds of Hell, and Alistair Black. LU wasn’t the first to have a supernatural baddie, and they certainly won’t be the last. 

The cinematics in this episode were pretty great, too, further establishing Prince Puma and also introducing Mil Muertes. While I joke about the minimal lighting that they use for those vignettes, they look great and really add to the intimacy in this run-down building. The locker room is fast becoming a focal point of the show, with more interactions starting to take place in there. 

The commentary is already starting to wear on me a little bit. Matt Striker is fine, but Vampiro is increasingly showing his ass in racist and sexist ways, which I do not think was the style at the time…it was barely ten years ago. I’ll do my best to let it go and focus on the show, but I’ve always had a problem trying to block out commentary during wrestling. Which is a bummer in a lifetime where guys like Lawler, Cole, McMahon, and McAffee are constantly honking and braying on the mic.

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!

Project Lucha Underground: Season One, Episode One

Variety, El Rey Network

 

Good Morning!

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

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

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

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

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

LINK SIX UNDERGROUND VIDEO FOR FUNSIES

Lucha Underground: S1E1 “Welcome to the Temple”

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

El Rey Network

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

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

El Rey Network

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

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

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

El Rey Network

MATCH 1

BLUE DEMON, JR. versus CHAVO GUERRERO, JR.

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

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

El Rey Network

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

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

El Rey Network

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

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

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

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

MATCH 2

SON OF HAVOC versus SEXY STAR

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

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

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

Tangent over. Back to the show!

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

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

El Rey Network

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

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

El Rey Network

MAIN EVENT

JOHNNY MUNDO versus PRINCE PUMA

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

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

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

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

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

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

Closing Thoughts

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

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

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

So Long For Now

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

Until next time…Let’s Watch Some Wrestling!