Lucha Underground – Season One Episode 27 – 13th May 2015
Ancient Medallions
We left last week with the double whammy of an epic main event between Johnny Mundo and Alberto El Patron followed by the shocking revelation that Catrina has brought Mil Muertes back from the dead. Tonight El Patron meets Hernandez to determine the undisputed top contender to Prince Puma’s championship, Dario Cueto reveals his latest innovation to offer as an incentive to those that fight within his Temple, plus Jack Evans is the latest talent to make his way from AAA to the promotion which (as a long-time ROH fan) I’m rather excited about having not seen him for sometime. Boyle Heights, CA is our taping location. Matt Striker and Vampiro will talk us through it…
Dario talks to Matanza, who remains hidden from view, and reveals he has spent half of their father’s fortune locating the seven ‘medallions of the ancient Aztec tribes’. He plans to enjoy watching the luchadors within his Temple fight over them…
Aero Star vs Jack Evans
This is the first time Aero has been seen since losing the Best Of 5 Series to Drago, and ironically his career is now in a much better place than Drago’s as a result of that loss. Nevertheless he wants to rebuild his reputation and has the opportunity to do so against a recognisable debutant with a big reputation. Evans was a revolutionary figure on the American independent scene over a decade ago, and after fading away from places like ROH and Dragon Gate has made the AAA promotion in Mexico his home. He’s another guy who was part of the failed Wrestling Society X project and is looking for one last shot to become a major name in the US.
Jack walks to the ring on his hands, does a few back flips and repeatedly shouts ‘I am the man’. It’s nice to know things haven’t changed! He looks in great shape and is quick to antagonise the Believers, who raucously cheer as Aero hits a TIGHTROPE WALK FRANKENSTEINER for 2. Evans back flips to the apron, so Star kicks him to the ground and hits a STEP UP PLANCHA. Still Jack throws out flips, but this time into a rugged judo throw on the masked man, followed by a straightforward punt to the spine. He’s come a long way from the scrawny kid in the do-rag who did Generation Next’s highspots! He has the crowd in the palm of his hands, and blasts Star with a corkscrew enzi then a standing corkscrew moonsault for 2. NECK DROP GERMAN! HIPTOSS TO THE FLOOR by Aero! He flips out after his opponent and flapjacks him into the metal railings of The Temple! Apron 619 by Evans, who then scales the railings for a 450 SPLASH TO THE FLOOR! That’s nuts! And still Jack is a cocky prick. He takes an eternity to set up a Phoenix Splash – so long in fact that he misses it! Both men battle on the ropes…FLIP PILEDRIVER OFF THE TOP F*CKING ROPE BY AERO! You’d best believe it’s over! Aero wins at 08:30
Rating - **** - Where the hell did that come from!? I enjoyed Jack just fine back in his ROH days, but the more recent stuff of his that I’ve seen (mostly PWG) hasn’t impressed me much so I didn’t know what to expect. Thankfully he was on top form here, and looked like a superstar player from the second he entered The Temple. It’s not easy pulling off those kind of insane high spots and still keeping yourself over as a rudo, but he managed it and would need to be brought back for his interactions with the fans even if he hadn’t just killed it in his debut. Aero gets a much-needed victory, but he gave Evans more than enough to make an impression, and the fact that it took such an extreme finish to beat Jack means his credibility is only minimally damaged by the loss. What a great way to start the show!
Big Ryck sullenly counts his money, and accuses his cousin The Mack of taking his eye off the ball with his ‘fancy moves’ and showboating. Ryck is all about the cash and would even beat up his own family members if the price was right.
Seven luchadors – Fenix, Sexy Star, Pentagon Jr, The Mack, Killshot, King Cuerno & Cage – have been invited to the ring by promoter Dario Cueto. El Jefe informs them that they have the privilege of being the first competitors to get a chance to win one of the Aztec Medallions…but declines any further comment on what getting a medallion will actually mean
Fenix vs King Cuerno vs Cage vs Killshot vs Pentagon Jr. vs Sexy Star vs The Mack
So as we now know, the winner here gets the first Aztec Medallion. This is a unique group in that we have a number of athletes who have teamed up before – Fenix & Sexy Star, Killshot & The Mack, Cuerno & Cage – and also a number of big rivals, no more so than Pentagon and Sexy who are in the midst of an increasingly violent feud. Although nobody knows what getting a medallion will mean, they all recognise that wins get them closer to Prince Puma and the Lucha Underground Title, so it will be all guns blazing for victory here.
Cage and Mack don’t take long renewing hostilities with each other, and bodies scatter leaving long-time rivals (and real-life brothers) Fenix and Pentagon to take centre-stage. Fenix lands the DOUBLE SPRINGBOARD missile dropkick for 2 only to be knocked back by Pentagon’s Slingblade. Cuerno turns Fenix’s lights out with a kick to the face before he himself is taken out by a flipping, springing, unpredictable Killshot. Flying headscissors from Sexy to King! 818 from Cage to Killshot! The two teams that did battle during the Trios Tournament collide once more – with Cage and Cuerno coming out on top landing big moves from the top. RUNNING WIZARD from Mack! LARIATOOOO from Pentagon to Fenix! This is so fast it’s really hard to call. Fenix and Penta scale opposing turnbuckles to hit STEREO TREE OF WOE STOMPS taking out Mack and Kill! Sexy Star somehow takes the fight to both Cuerno and Cage…then hits a ROPE RUN SUICIDE DIVE TO THE FLOOR to take out Pentagon! Cage hits GMSI on Willie Mack, but barely has time to get to his feet again before Fenix is flying at him with twisting body press. 450 SPLASH BY KILLSHOT! Cuerno breaks the fall before it even reaches one and hits THRILL OF THE HUNT! Pentagon KICKS THE SH*T OUT OF SEXY! PENTAGON DRIVER! Mack breaks the fall! Willie then gets his own nearfall with a standing moonsault on Cage. INSIDE OUT CORKSCREW PLANCHA BY FENIX! DISCUS LARIAT ON THE FLOOR from Cage to Mack. He then catches Fenix trying a tope…and as he lines up a stalling suplex on the outside Killshot makes it a dozen times worse by piling on top with a suicide dive of his own! ARROW FROM THE DEPTHS OF HELL on Killshot! Pentagon hooks up rivals Fenix and Sexy Star…for a FEAR FACTOR/GORY DRIVER COMBO! HOLY SH*T! Star recovers in time to rescue Fenix from The Sacrifice…PRESS SLAM LUNGBLOWER ON HER! HEAD DROP REVERSE RANA BY FENIX! STANDING MOONSAULT! HE PINS PENTAGON! Fenix wins at 10:16
Rating - **** - Among the more generous 4* ratings I’ve given in my Lucha Underground reviews thus far, but there were a lot of people to accommodate here and the way they kept moving at incredible speed without missing too many steps and whilst continually upping the drama and excitement was hugely impressive. Everyone got moments to shine, everyone got to hit some cool spots, the feud between Sexy Star and Pentagon was emphasised without taking over, and most importantly Fenix was once again awesome, having looked somewhat irrelevant since Grave Consequences. I really didn’t like Pentagon dropping another pinfall (is his push over already?) but on the whole I had a blast watching this. Fenix leaves with the first Aztec Medallion.
Dario Cueto has invited the Trios Champions into his office. Since The Crew beat Angelico and Havoc last week he is obliged to give them a title shot…and is granting it next week even though Ivelisse still has a busted leg. To make matters worse, she’ll need her legs to win…since it’ll be a Ladder Match! This guy is easily the best heel authority figure wrestling has seen in a LONG time.
Fenix is backstage removing his gear after his match…when the lights go out and Catrina, in ghostly apparition form, confronts him. Apparently her dalliance with him was all a scheme, since by killing and burying Mil Muertes, Mil can now be reborn as an immortal with Fenix’s ‘power of a thousand lives’. She vanishes into thin air, and instead he is left haunted by three sinister masked luchador apparitions (who we’d find out are Catrina’s new team – The Disciples Of Death).
SIDENOTE – In any other promotion this angle would be ridiculous. But with Lucha Underground context (and financing) behind it, damn this is good stuff!
Hernandez vs Alberto El Patron
As has been made clear, the winner earns a shot at the Lucha Underground Championship. Will it be the imposing Hernandez, who has turned his back on a long-time friendship with Puma’s mentor Konnan to focus on his championship aspirations, or AAA Mega Champion Alberto, who looks to add another prestigious accolade to his lengthy career trophy cabinet, that advances to face Prince Puma? Dario Cueto has decreed that this can only end by pinfall or submission, meaning it’s basically No DQ.
They start cagily, each fearing the skillset that the other brings to the party. Hernandez muscles El Patron outside and shunts his back into the apron…so Alberto creates some distance then blindsides the big man with a lungblower for 2. He can’t do enough damage to keep the former LAX man down however…and Hernandez explodes from the mat with a thunderous tackle followed by an Argentine backbreaker for 2. Armbreaker by Patron…into the Superkick which beat Mundo last week! Except it barely gets a 2-count on Hernandez. He lines up Rompe Destinos…but is attacked from behind by Johnny Mundo himself! DDT ON THE FLOOR! MUNDO THROWS ALBERTO THROUGH THE WINDOWS OF CUETO’S OFFICE! And Dario is just sat in there drinking and smiling at the violence! Johnny tosses El Patron back in, giving Hernandez an easy win at 05:07
Rating - N/A - What little wrestling we got here was deceptively decent, but actually, this is one of those rare occasions where a screwy, overbooked finish is better for all concerned. Hernandez advances to face Prince Puma, which is a match we need to see following his interactions with the champ and Konnan. El Patron’s reputation is protected, and his feud with Mundo is progressed…meaning we’ll get that Alberto/Mundo rematch I was hoping for. Presumably this will now let Johnny be a heel for the first time in Lucha Underground, and we know he can pull that off with ease. Lastly, Hernandez isn’t the finest singles worker and this certainly protected some of his weaknesses from becoming apparent. It helps, of course, that they threw in another classic LU stunt spot. I loved the violence of Mundo putting El Patron through the window, and I’m so happy that they included the extra detail of Cueto just hanging out in his office drinking. It would have been so easy (and cheaper) not to shoot his office set-up, and not to pay Luis Fernandez-Gil to be there just for that one little touch of detail…but it was so appreciated.
Hernandez celebrates, Mundo hurls abuse at El Patron from the top of the steps, paramedics attend to Alberto in the ring…and Cueto surveys the carnage from the shattered windows of his office with a broad smile on his face.
Tape Rating - **** - I loved this episode! Aero/Evans came from nowhere to become one of the best opening matches in Lucha Underground history, the first Aztec Medallion match was a ten minute Lucha Libre riot, the brief main event was of real significance to multiple storylines moving forward, we got a HOT Trios Title Ladder Match main event booked for next week and another awesome prelude to the return of Mil Muertes with that stunning Fenix/Catrina sequence. When people ask me why I’m so far behind reviewing other promotions at the moment – it really is becoming right now I’m having so much more fun watching Lucha Underground than anything else!