Lucha Underground – Season One Episode 16 – 25th February 2015
Caged Animals
The hunters and the hunted take centre stage this evening. Cage and King Cuerno (the hunters) stalk their targets – Prince Puma and Johnny Mundo – and now look to swoop in for a decisive kill within this episode. If that weren’t enough we also have the Drago/Aero Star rematch many have been waiting for. We are taped in Boyle Heights, CA with Matt Striker and Vampiro on comms.
It appears that yet another mystery character is in play. A new masked assailant pulled Black Lotus away from Matanza’s cell last week…and the episode this week opens with him racing across town in a car holding Lotus captive in the trunk.
Aero Star vs Drago – Best Of 5 Series Match 2
It looks like the order of broadcast has been chopped around, because Striker and Vampiro repeatedly refer to the first match between these two taking place ‘last week’ (it actually aired three weeks ago). Drago won the initial encounter then sportingly shook the hand of his fallen adversary. Now we get a rematch with Aero still in search of his first Lucha Underground victory.
Aero starts with a completely NUTS rope run, into a springboard, into a diving plancha to the floor! There aren’t many athletes who back themselves to be quicker than Drago, but evidently that is his strategy…and apparently Drago believes it too as he starts using power moves to nullify Star! The way he muscles the Spaceman from a Gory special into a facecrusher is remarkable. He can fly too of course; kicking AS through the ropes to take flight with a tope atomico! Somehow Star back flips over the turnbuckle from the apron (is that even possible?) then gets INSANE hang-time on a tope suicida up the aisle! SUPER ARMDRAG BY DRAGO! Dragon’s Tail COUNTERED by Aero Star for 2! RUNNING SPRINGBOARD SUNSET FLIP BOMB TO THE FLOOR! The way Aero moves is unreal! He follows it with a springboard splash back in and picks up the win at 04:56
Rating - *** - This is exactly the kind of match which makes guys like Jim Cornette tear their hair out when talking about Lucha Underground. There were very few traditional wrestling sensibilities in play here; it was just two guys looking to top each other doing whacky skits and spots in a whirlwind, attention-grabbing frenzy of activity. Both of these two are so unique – Drago looks different to any other masked wrestler out there, and the amount of balance and coordination Aero possesses to pull off some of his elaborate dive sequences almost defies physics. For me this was better than their first encounter, but you still feel like they have much better matches inside them…
Aero returns the favour from weeks earlier as he pulls Drago to his feet and offers a handshake. Dario Cueto emerges from his office and informs them that since they ‘love each other so much’ they can spend more time together…and formalises their series as a ‘Best Of 5’. The winner will receive a notorious ‘Unique Opportunity’!
Spectacular cinematography captures King Cuerno in a training ring honing his skills and perfecting his ‘Arrow From The Depths Of Hell’ dive…
Prince Puma vs Cage
We haven’t seen Puma since he retained his LU Championship against Cage via disqualification. That evening we witnessed The Machine deliver a bloody assault on Puma’s trainer Konnan, then destroy the LU Title belt he worked so hard to win at Aztec Warfare. Cage believes he is the de facto champion, and has been promised a championship rematch if he can defeat Prince P tonight.
No Konnan in Puma’s corner this evening, and the masked man sprints down the steps straight into a fight with his colossal opponent. It’s scrappy, nasty, ugly…but it’s supposed to be a damn fight so that’s ok. Cage proves can get extremely ugly too by dropping Puma ON HIS HEAD with a violent clothesline from the apron to the floor. The champion is totally dazed, ducking his head and exposing himself to a dead-lift superplex back into the ring from The Machine. A benchpress fallaway slam dumps Prince again, and Cage looks to be piling more and more pressure onto the spine. An ocean cyclone suplex kills off more momentum for the champ who is clinging on by his fingernails right now. Cage gets cocky and misses a springboard moonsault offering the champ a precious opportunity. ROPE RUN DOUBLE SPRINGBOARD SSP TO THE FLOOR! HOLY SH*T! SPRINGBOARD 450 SPLASH BACK IN FOR 2! He ducks Cage’s discus lariat…but Cage blocks the Benadryller in return! Gutwrench death bomb COUNTERED to a snap rana by Prince for 2! PHOENIX SPLASH MISSES! DISCUS LARIAT! FOR 2! GMSI nailed…but still Puma refuses to stay down. Cage decides he wants to snap him in half with the Horse Collar, as Konnan ambles into The Temple; making his return to cheer on his protégé. ROLLING POWERBOMBS! WEAPON X! Cage is like a shark smelling blood and pounces upon Puma – pummelling him with mounted strikes. Konnan thinks his man isn’t defending himself, so throws in the towel handing victory to Cage at 08:41
Rating - **** - This was considerably better than their first match, and is actually one of my favourites from the entire series so far. It wasn’t long or complicated, but within the confines of what Lucha Underground sets out to accomplish as a promotion this was hard to fault. Puma did crazy sh*t, and this was also one of his best displays as a courageous, masked babyface. Cage has had a few episodes to get comfortable with his LU character too, and did a far better job than last time as the monstrous villain. Most crucially, the match told a straight-forward and well-executed story. Cage wanted the title so was unendingly violent, Puma wanted payback so fought ferociously. Great action, and exactly the kind of product which is making this promotion such an enjoyable and easy watch so far.
Vampiro and Striker disagree passionately about whether Konnan was right or wrong to stop the match, and each wonder whether his motives were concern for Puma or because he has his own agenda. After commercials in the locker room Konnan tries to console an obviously upset Puma and urges him to maintain his focus on ‘the plan’.
Sexy Star has crashed into El Jefe’s office to protest about the amount of times other male athletes have intervened in her matches. She wants a fight with all of The Crew to get revenge for Pimpinela and Mascarita…but Cueto reminds her that Big Ryck wants that as well. He books Sexy Star vs Big Ryck for next week with the winner getting the ‘prize’ of a match with Castro, Cisco and Bael. For some reason Sexy smiles and nods like she has a good deal there?
Pentagon Jr. vs Vinny Massaro
I believe this is Massaro’s LU debut. His goal is simple – to keep his arm intact and avoid being Pentagon’s latest ‘sacrifice’ for his unknown Master. With Famous B and Ricky Mandel already sent to the hospital with broken arms, Penta is starting to rack up quite the body count.
Vinny looks horrible, even in the context of LU’s grimy production and theming. I know this is a job spot but was there nobody better than this in all of the Cali indies? Thankfully he gets in no offence at all, and succumbs to Pentagon’s new finish (the Pentagon Driver) at 01:01
Rating - N/A - The crowd were into Pentagon before but the way LU have turned the heat up on this gimmick and fed him a few enhancement matches to build him up is getting him some huge ovations. This was perhaps his most dominant showing yet…
Pentagon isn’t finished, scooping Massaro up for a RUNNING POWERBOMB THROUGH A TABLE! THE SACRIFICE! Another victim is on his way to hospital…
King Cuerno vs Johnny Mundo
Cuerno arrived in Lucha Underground as a hunter and has backed up that reputation ever since. His first trophy was the mythical dragon creature Drago, eventually besting him in a dramatic Last Luchador Standing Match. Once that was done he targeted bigger game – the biggest name in LU, Johnny Mundo. Wanting to use his name value to further his own reputation, he violently attacked Johnny’s leg during his match with Cage…then attacked him again a week later following a victory over Son Of Havoc. You could look at this as Mundo’s chance at some payback, but after assaulting him repeatedly, you might also consider this a huge opportunity for Cuerno to seize a main event spot in Lucha Underground.
Cuerno explodes out of the blocks, but Mundo doesn’t back down and knocks him to the ground with a running knee strike. King retreats…ROLLING PARKOUR DIVE OVER THE TOP ROPE TO THE FLOOR! Evidently Johnny is a threat, so Cuerno has to devise a plan to counteract him…and lunges into a dropkick to the knee he injured a couple of weeks ago. It leaves Mundo favouring the leg and enables King to counter Moonlight Drive. Thrill Of The Hunt blocked too, but still Mundo continues to limp and visibly slow. He lands a springboard knee and a rolling senton soon afterwards though…and follows those with Moonlight Drive so seems fine. But then King whacks his leg out again when he attempts Fin Del Mundo. ARROW FROM THE DEPTHS OF HELL! Now Johnny is seriously limping and in pain – trying to run away from Cuerno now. ARROW FROM THE DEPTHS AGAIN, INTO THE ANNOUNCE TABLE! Cuerno back into the ring…ARROW OF DEATH UP THE AISLE NAILED! He is putting his body on the line in his quest to put Mundo’s head on his mantelpiece! It seems like neither man can get to their feet to answer the fall now…and are counted out at 07:29
Rating - *** - It’s such a shame they chose to end it like that, because the crowd were REALLY into this and it felt like they were really creating something special. Johnny’s selling of the leg was patchy (albeit effective enough for a seven minute sprint), but between them they told and sold a compelling little story of the motivated, driven and dangerous young pretender looking to take down the old lion. Fingers crossed they can recapture this magic and intensity in their eventual rematch…
The end of the match doesn’t stop the brawl continuing…and Mundo dives through the turnbuckles into a tackle which wipes out Cuerno. The masked luchador staggers like a drunk and flees up the steps. The LU referee desperately trying to separate them is punched out as they brawl around the upper balcony viewing area…before Mundo POWERSLAMS CUERNO THROUGH THE SET!
The show ends with a man in a mask stopping the car and asking his hostage Black Lotus what she knows about Lucha Libre…
Tape Rating - *** - After a couple of slower weeks this was a hell of a way to rebound. The non-finish to Cuerno/Mundo was admittedly disappointing, but they still packed in plenty of quality before that…and afterwards drew massive heat as they fought all over The Temple. Beneath that the clear highlight was the outstanding encounter between Prince Puma and Cage. It hasn’t gotten as much love as some other high profile Lucha Underground matches, but for the style of this promotion that really was a joy to watch. Drago/Aero Star topped what they’d done previously…and those two book-ending snippets featuring Black Lotus and her masked kidnapper add plenty of intrigue to the ongoing ‘Matanza’ saga too. What this company is doing well right now is giving you just enough each week so that you enjoy what you’re watching, but always keeping enough back to keep you coming back. It’s a hallmark of good television and they are very much in that groove.