Lucha Underground – Season One Episode 22 – 8th April 2015
Mask vs Mask
The Trios Championship Tournament continues at pace this week with the unlikely trio of Ivelisse, Son Of Havoc and Angelico seeing action for the first time. They face an athletic masked threesome in the form of Drago and Aero Star (one week out from the climactic encounter in their Best Of 5) plus Fenix in his first match since Grave Consequences. We also have an LU Title defence for Prince Puma against King Cuerno, plus a Lucha de Apuestas match pitting Sexy Star against Super Fly – neither of which make total sense on paper given previous events so I’m assuming Dario Cueto will be heavily involved in some chicanery which throws those together this evening. We head to The Temple in Boyle Heights, CA to join Vampiro and Matt Striker.
Dario Cueto has the Lucha Underground Champion in his office, flanked by Konnan. El Jefe wants the Trios Titles to be prestigious so orders Puma to find two partners and compete in the tournament. Next week he and whomever he chooses faces a team handpicked by Puma’s main event opponent. Which is King Cuerno…and the LU Title is on the line!
Son Of Havoc/Ivelisse/Angelico vs Fenix/Drago/Aero Star
The winner of this advances to join the Big Ryck/The Mack/Killshot trio in the finals. We know that Cueto is a mischievous sort, and he threw the recently separated Son Of Havoc, Ivelisse and their rival Angelico in a team together since neither of them won very often as singles competitors. Can they get over their differences to progress? There may be dissension on the opposition team too since Drago and Aero Star are just one week away from the fifth match in their series and tensions continue to simmer between them. Like Pentagon Jr last week, Fenix is the x-factor here – with no apparent allegiances and a growing reputation of his own that he needs to protect.
Angelico starts with Fenix, and his partners are soon shaking their heads in frustration and forcing him out after Fenix double stomps his back. Drago dives in and SPIKES Ang with a flying DDT for 2. Aero climbs up Fenix on the top rope…FENIX JUMPS OFF THE TOP, AND STAR JUMPS OFF HIS SHOULDERS INTO A SENTON! That was awesome but it’s noticeable that Fenix is having to play peacekeeper with Aero and Drago. Havoc is still inexplicably over and the crowd go nuts as he tags to land a Red Star Press on Star. Fenix BACK DROPS DRAGO INTO A CORKSCREW PLANCHA! SPRINGBOARD CORKSCREW PLANCHA BY AERO…but he only takes out Drago! Running DDT from Ivelisse to Fenix! SOMERSAULT PLANCHA BY HAVOC! INSIDE OUT CORKSCREW DIVE BY FENIX! Ivelisse is pissed that people keep stealing her thunder! TOP ROPE SOMERSAULT DIVE BY HER! ROPE WALK TREE OF WOE ELBOW TO THE FLOOR BY FENIX! These six are letting it all hang out! Aero and Drago still can’t get on the same page…but neither are Ivelisse and Havoc since she refuses to tag out to him! Drago and Aero come to blows! Ivelisse has left! SHOOTING STAR PRESS BY HAVOC! He wins for his team at 08:12
Rating - *** - A relentless, spot-heavy start to the show; these six tore each other to shreds in a breathless exhibition of high-flying silliness. I was pleased that the two dissension storylines on either side were, for the most part, prioritised over and above flips and dives as this would have felt a little vapid and shallow without that. Angelico, Havoc and Ivelisse winning certainly offers more mileage in their odd-treble chemistry as we enter the final. The Aero/Drago stuff set up their concluding match next week nicely too. The only downside here was this felt like a huge waste of any momentum Fenix had after Grave Consequences. We’ve not seen him for a couple of weeks, and he returns right back into the same spotty, undercard filler role he always had before Muertes.
Konnan basically tells Prince Puma that Hernandez is on his team, but is then left speechless as it turns put Prince has already recruited his other team-mate…in the form of Johnny Mundo! Konnan warns Puma that Hernandez will destroy Mundo if he steps out of line.
Super Fly vs Sexy Star
Last week Fly almost became another victim to Pentagon’s destructive rampage. Only Sexy’s last minute intervention prevented Penta from snapping his arm. Naturally, Dario Cueto’s first instinct was to put them in a match together this week then. Star has been on a crusade to compete and be taken seriously in intergender matches since she stepped foot into The Temple. This marks another opportunity for her to demonstrate her credentials against a male competitor.
El Jefe pops his head out of his office with an extra measure to ensure these two friends are competitive with each other tonight. He makes the match MASK VS MASK! That’s a huge dick move and the Latin American crowd let him know it. Super is the first to step up; aggressively punting Star in the head. She retaliates with a sit-out facecrusher and starts literally dragging him around the ring by the mask. He doesn’t like that one bit and PUNCHES her in the face! She dives out of the corner with a flying headscissors and scales the ropes again as Fly leaves the ring. TOP ROPE CROSSBODY TO THE FLOOR! This is an all-out fight now, with Star mounting Fly to throw chops and strikes…before the male luchador throws her aside and dishes out some violent kicks to the ribs. Tornado DDT lands and gets 2 for Sexy. DIVING POWERBOMB by Super Fly…but he misses a moonsault! La Magistral by Star, giving her a big win at 05:46
Rating - ** - Making this Mask vs Mask was a great move. It would’ve been a forgettable, filler undercard match without the stipulation – but throwing it in furthered Cueto’s reputation as a bloodthirsty, remorseless promoter and added some genuine intensity (something which Super Fly and Sexy Star singles matches don’t always have). Fly actually lost his mask in Mexico in between Lucha Underground taping dates so this won’t have been a real surprise, but is a great example of how the LU writers can work on the fly to make something special happen. The wrestling itself was a typical Sexy Star match – slightly sloppy, but with some truly outstanding moments and the way she uses her facial expressions and body language to garner sympathy (despite wearing a hood) is a real art.
Sexy Star is almost in tears at having to take Super Fly’s mask…but he drops to his knees in a show of respect and orders her to take it. She removes his mask before they embrace. Striker and Vampiro ponder whether this will be the end of his LU career. And they may be proven right as Pentagon Jr runs in and gives him the FEAR FACTOR! SACRIFICE ARMBREAKER! HIS ARM IS BROKEN! And Pentagon leaves pointing at Sexy Star as if to say she’s next!
Prince Puma vs King Cuerno – LU Title Match
The champion has Hernandez and Johnny Mundo in his corner, whilst Cuerno is flanked by his partners for next week. They are Texano and Cage! Cage and Hernandez have issues stemming from the conclusion of The Machine’s most recent LU Title shot at Puma, whilst Mundo is in Prince’s corner to offer advice on Cuerno – a man he has successfully defeated in the past. King will know this is something of a fortunate opportunity (he hasn’t earned a title shot) so will look to capitalise on the uncertainty and distractions of so many characters at ringside to grab the top prize in the company.
They circle each other cautiously, each looking to the outside and at the intimidating presences surrounding the ring. Cuerno bails to evade the fast feet of the champion…and as Puma tries to dive out after him with a somersault plancha Cage and Texano are in place to catch him! They feed the champ to King for a POP-UP NECKBREAKER ON THE FLOOR! Tex then keeps Hernandez and Mundo at bay with his bullrope as Cuerno chokes Puma on the ground. Cuerno now has the chance to work at his signature, cerebral pace – aided at multiple junctures by Cage and Texano who keep popping up to land cheap shots behind the referee’s back. Prince rallies by upping the pace…and at last does get to wipe the challenger out with a somersault placha. RUNNING PARKOUR DIVE FROM MUNDO TO TEXANO! Hernandez and Cage get in each other’s faces too, then separate to help their respective combatants back into the ring. A weary Puma messes something up coming off the top rope, but Cuerno is equally sluggish in landing a sloppy diving uppercut. SPRINGBOARD 450 SPLASH MISSES! ROLLING GERMANS BY CUERNO! Hernandez distracts Cuerno as he sets up Thrill Of The Hunt…and as Cage hops onto the apron to even the score Prince gives him a superkick! The champ yells at Hernandez for getting involved, then heads upstairs for the 630 SENTON! Puma retains in an explosive 09:03
Rating - *** - I’m not sure this needed to be a championship match, and actually found it a little devaluing to the fledgling LU Title to have it considered as such. But I won’t pretend this wasn’t extremely entertaining to watch as a TV main event. There were so many guys at ringside all getting involved, all doing interesting things and all helping to make the nine minute runtime of this match go by in a flash. Cuerno and Puma had a natural chemistry as opponents since the speed and razzmatazz of Puma’s work contrasted nicely with King’s more rugged methodology. I could actually have done with seeing more of those two and a little less of the four extra guys on the periphery. The booking of Puma is one of the weakest elements of Lucha Underground – he’s supposed to be believable as a top talent, yet is so often booked to look like a gullible, fortunate and naïve competitor. That was no different here as it looked like he was about to lose until Hernandez helped him out. If that’s what they are going for then fine, but the way they’ve presented him seems like a waste of Ricochet’s skills. In fact, it’s only because Ricochet himself is so good that the Puma character has gotten over, I’d go so far to say.
Cage jumps Puma before he can get his hand raised…which of course leads to Hernandez, Mundo and Texano piling in as well. As the closing credits roll all six men are brawling around the ring. They meet again next week in the tournament…
Rating - *** - On paper this was a clear filler episode, so that it was as good as it was is testament to the skill involved in Lucha Underground’s ongoing storytelling and completely unique presentation style. To give an example, in the span of two weeks we went from a thrown together trios team of Sexy Star, Super Fly and Pentagon, to having a Mask vs Mask match, to what now looks to be a growing issue between two of the breakout stars of the entire season in Penta and Sexy. The dysfunctional chemistry between Ivelisse, Son Of Havoc and Angelico was everything you’d hope it would be in the chaotic opening match, and our main event turned what would’ve been a throwaway defence of the belt for Prince Puma into an action-packed, high-stakes brawl-for-all as six big personalities stood toe-to-toe and set the scene for a blockbuster final qualification match in the Trios Title Tournament. This could have been a completely forgettable hour of television – instead thanks to a little effort from both writing staff and in-ring talent it was hugely entertaining. A real example of why Lucha Underground has gained such a cult following.