Lucha Underground – Season One Episode 21 – 1st April 2015
Uno! Dos! Tres!
The last few weeks have felt like Lucha Underground hitting their peak and looking to blow off some major feuds. Fenix/Muertes, Puma/Cage, Mundo/Cuerno and Alberto/Texano have all come to an end recently…so as we tick into the second half of the series perhaps it is time to take stock and start our build towards the season-ending extravaganza that would come to be known as Ultima Lucha. To that end, tonight Dario Cueto will announce a tournament to crown inaugural Lucha Underground Trios Champions which will span several weeks and serve as a launchpad for a number of new creative threads. Vampiro and Matt Striker will guide us through all the action, taped in Boyle Heights, CA.
Dario Cueto is polishing up a championship belt in his office when Big Ryck (flanked by two new faces) marches in. They are introduced as Killshot (CZW’s Shane Strickland under a mask) and Ryck’s ‘cousin’ The Mack (aka PWG’s Willie Mack). Ryck accuses El Jefe of ordering The Crew’s hit on him, which Cueto denies. He offers the trio the first spot in the tournament to crown the inaugural Lucha Underground Trios Champions.
Angelico vs Johnny Mundo
As ever, when he steps into a Lucha Underground ring Johnny has a target on his back. He is a major name and a top tier player, so represents a real chance for Angelico to elevate his own stock at his expense. Angelico has been bogged down in issues with Son Of Havoc and Ivelisse, which means any championship aspirations he may have are on the backburner. A win here instantly puts him right at the front of the contenders queue for Prince Puma, and also one-ups Havoc who lost to Mundo recently.
Mundo tries to grapple with the rangy South African, perhaps fearing his speed and athleticism; a huge compliment to him. They go back and forth with an AWESOME fight-scene flippy strike exchange which just doesn’t stop! Angelico leaves the ring…Mundo misses a corkscrew pescado BUT LANDS ON HIS FEET! He jumps at Ang, who ducks…so Johnny CLINGS TO THE WALL OF THE TEMPLE! Then hops over the barrier into the crowd! CORKSCREW ENZI OUT OF THE CROWD! Back in the ring he cracks Angelico’s jaw with a running knee, but hasn’t done enough to set up Fin Del Mundo. Showing his desire to win Ang comes at the veteran with a barrage of elaborate pinning combinations…which don’t succeed but do wind him sufficiently for the younger man to land a double stomp to the chest. Kicks and knees land, then he beats Mundo at his own game with a parkour roll over him into an enziguri strike from a crouching position on the ground. SPRINGBOARD enzi by Johnny in retaliation! FDM misses! SYURI KNEE! FALL OF THE ANGELS! Mundo gets a foot on the ropes! Angelico tries it a second time…but Johnny clings to the ropes to protect himself. Both men battle to the top rope. SPRINGBOARD SUPER RANA…COUNTERED WITH A TOP ROPE POWERBOMB BY MUNDO! FIN DEL MUNDO! Johnny wins in a crazy 07:44
Rating - **** - These two threw everything they had at this match. Fun little bouts that come out of nowhere and take your breath away are one of my favourite things about Lucha Underground right now. These two aren’t feuding, they both have other creative directions to concentrate on, and it’s the opening match of the show. They could be excused for coasting, taking it easy and getting by with the bare minimum. Most promotions would actively encourage them to do that…but not here. They were given license to go out and try all kinds of whacky spots. They are extremely similar in stature and style…and had fantastic chemistry as opponents. Their strike exchanges were exceptional, the skit with Mundo climbing the wall of The Temple was great and the finishing sequence looked brutal.
We finally catch up with Black Lotus! She is writing a diary and is now apparently grateful that her abductor prevented her from killing the mysterious figure Dario Cueto holds captive in a cell. The man she is now with is El Dragon Azteca; a descendent of one of the original Aztec tribes…and a witness to the murder of her parents at the hands of Cueto’s monster. He is now training her for the day she can finally get the revenge she craves (and thankfully that is emphasised with a loving Kill Bill-esque tribute training montage).
Alberto El Patron applauds Johnny Mundo as he reaches the locker rooms after his match. Mundo accuses Alberto of taking an easy payday, so El Patron belittles his accomplishments. It’s a tense scene and obviously not the end of matters between these two.
El Jefe wants Sexy Star in his Trios Title tournament, but knows her friends Mascarita Sagrada and Pimpinela Escarlata are still injured. He’s ordered Super Fly and Pentagon Jr. to team with her instead, and booked her against her old rival Big Ryck (and his new team) in the first tournament match.
Aero Star vs Drago – Best Of 5 Series Match 4
Aero currently holds a 2-1 lead in the series so could round out victory and earn the promised ‘Unique Opportunity’ if he can beat Drago for a third consecutive time. Their matches remain respectful, but the ferocity of the combat escalates with each encounter that passes. With the finishing line now in sight the stakes couldn’t be higher. Who will cope with that pressure best?
Star makes a hash of an early attempt at a hurricanrana…and is quickly put on the ground with a superkick by Drago. The dragon looks fired up; battering Star into the corner with a kick flurry. DOUBLE SPRINGBOARD dive by Aero…followed by a DOUBLE SPRINGBOARD SOMERSAULT PLANCHA TO THE FLOOR! Aero keeps using the ropes to his advantage, springboarding again into the splash for 2. Drago dropkicks the spaceman off the apron but is noticeable in his insistence on fighting inside the ring rather than trying dives to the floor. He kicks Star in the face again then takes to the air with a CORKSCREW MOONSAULT PRESS! A hugely unique pinning cradle gives Drago the win at 04:27. The series is tied at 2-2
Rating - *** - I actually liked this more than the third match in the series, even though this was half as long and was, at points, a little sloppy. Drago modified the way he wrestled and looked far more aggressive than he has done in previous matches because he was in a must-win situation. And similarly the way an over-confident Aero Star tried endless flips and high spots made perfect sense, and tells way more of a story than some would give these two credit for. The issue they have is that all four matches have more or less hit the same mark in terms of quality. Do they have it within them to step up and deliver something really special for the decider?
They share another handshake…but this time things are much more heated. Each gestures aggressively at the other as tempers flare.
Dario has summoned Angelico, Ivelisse and Son Of Havoc into his office. He is disappointed in their lack of success as singles competitors, pokes fun at the break-up of SOH and Ivelisse…and ends it by forcing them to compete as a trio in the tournament.
Big Ryck/The Mack/Killshot vs Sexy Star/Super Fly/Pentagon Jr.
As we know, this is the first match in the four week tournament to crown the first ever LU Trios Champions. Ryck is debuting his cousin The (Willie) Mack, who gets a big pop from the Believers since he has worked extensively in this part of the country. Killshot is more of an unknown, but Shane Strickland’s work in CZW gets plenty of praise. Ryck and Sexy have clashed before, over their mutual dislike of The Crew. Since that group took out Sexy’s friends El Jefe has given her new partners to ensure he gets her name into the tournament field. Pentagon is the big x-factor here, with a lengthy streak of wins and broken arms now behind him. Can he get along with his team-mates to deliver another victory, or another sacrifice to his ‘Master’ tonight?
Penta makes his own entrance, which doesn’t bode well for the cohesiveness of their team. He refuses to shake the hands of his partners and vows to win the belts by himself. Mack is super over and has the crowd chanting his name as he uses his surprising speed and agility to outwit Pentagon in the first minute. It appears that Penta doesn’t want to tag his partners…and walks into a mammoth Pounce by The Mack , but recovers to deliver a rope-asssisted lungblower for 2. The Sacrifice is blocked though, with Mack tagging Killshot…and Super Fly finally managing to get Penta out for their team. He and Sexy join forces to wear down Killshot. The debutant gives Star some of her best spots and sequences in her entire LU run thus far, before feeding her to Ryck who PRESS SLAMS HER OVER THE TOP ROPE! TANDEM RUNNING MOONSAULTS TO THE FLOOR by Mack and Killshot! Sexy dives at Ryck with a flying crossbody! Pentagon actually drives Big R out of the ring with a kick flurry then goes strike for strike with Killshot…who drops him with the Space Jam for 2. FEAR FACTOR gets 2 for Pentagon! POP-UP LEAPFROG SUPER RANA COMBO BY PENTAGON AND SEXY! Ryck flattens Fly with a spinebuster! The big man starts decking all his opponents on the floor, as inside the ring Kill hits a tumbling Ace Crusher on Super. KILL STOMP! Ryck, Mack and Kill advance at 10:58
Rating - *** - This was a fun main event, albeit nothing overly special. Killshot and Mack are great additions to the roster. Willie Mack is unique in the way he can move and the things he can do (which will become apparent as the weeks go on) but it was Kill who took the plaudits here with some impressive feats of athleticism and skill. Bringing those two in to do Ryck’s heavy lifting made them a decent trio as it meant they could carry the bulk of the work and leave the more limited Big Ryck to come in and club bodies like baby seals every now and then. Pentagon’s personality vastly outshone everyone on his team. I think Sexy Star and her pursuit of equal status with the male fighters was supposed to be more of a focal point, but she just wasn’t as interesting as watching the aggressive, violent and slightly unhinged Penta try to beat three people by himself simply because he didn’t like his partners.
Pentagon is furious at the loss, and wants to vent his anger by breaking Super Fly’s arm. Sexy Star comes to his aid!
Tape Rating - *** - Throw a memorable main event on this and we’d be talking a significantly higher rating. This episode encapsulated a lot of what people really enjoy about Lucha Underground; snappy, short and exciting matches, logical story-telling which makes sense and makes you want to follow it, backstage stuff which actually enhances the in-ring product, a hugely watchable and unique authority figure in Dario Cueto, and some sweeping, stylised cinematography leaving the whole show feeling unlike anything else on TV. Mundo/Angelico was a spectacular match and one of the biggest hidden gems of the entire series so far, finally catching up with Black Lotus was much-needed, and I also loved the tense backstage exchange between Mundo and El Patron. Watching two former WWE stars and huge names in LU trade barbs and lay the groundwork for an inevitable showdown was great.