The Lucha Libre Thread

[Arch Stanton]

It's a super forty minute show so far, really enjoying it. Love the production except for the studio audience crowd. There's a real falseness about that which takes you right out of the show. Wrestling Society X was exactly the same. The choppy camera work can be a little disorientating at times, but I give them credit for trying to be different with it. The 'Wile E Coyote cam', as Jerry Lawler would call it, makes for some cool visuals during the matches. The backstage vignettes are just about the best thing about the show so far. They look stylish and progress the storylines nicely.

 

I'm made up that Maxine/Catrina is back on TV, she was great on NXT and is indeed absolutely gorgeous. That Ivelisse in the mixed tag match was hot too, hell of an ass on that one.

[pryko]

I want to echo the love for this show.  Both episodes have been great, and I agree about the backstage segments.  They are brilliant.  Lucha Underground is definitely being watched regularly after this.

[Undefeated Steak]

Finally watched the first episode - it's as if somebody read my imaginary fantasy fed notebook!! Loved it. The worn, grimy canvas is a thing of beauty. I'm hoping this will rejuvenate my passion for modern wrestling that's been missing outside of Wrestlemania season for a number of years now.

[Statto]

Love the opening shots - they remind me of a 1980's film opening.

 

Those establishing shots of the city are trademark Mark Burnett. Watch the beginning of an episode of the US version of The Apprentice, or dig up an episode of The Contender (the Ultimate Fighter style boxing show he did with Stallone & Ray Leonard) - exactly the same style. I love them, too.

[Undefeated Steak]

I enjoyed episode 3 of Lucha Underground. One hour really is the right length for a weekly B-level wrestling show. You're left wanting more and therefore look forward to the next show.

 

Vampiro is a great interviewer - I laughed when he said that Chavo has ridden on the coattails of the Guerrero family his entire career and has never achieved anything on his own. I've always had a soft spot for Chavo but he doesn't help himself when he has barely any charisma.

 

Dario Cueto is one of my favourite characters in wrestling at the minute. He plays his role perfectly. It's a fresh take on the age-old evil company owner gimmick.

 

The Johnny Mundo skit was ace. They've been brave attempting this sort of promo but it's working well IMO. The Chavo skit with him walking down the dark corridor was good too.

 

The 3-way main event was entertaining enough with some pretty spots. There are always moments during 3-way matches (especially with cruisers/luchas) when one or two wrestlers are stood looking awkward and this was no different, but I guess that's just par for the course with this type of match.

 

I hope they continue to progress as they are doing and let the company grow organically. It's a breath of fresh air to wrestling to see a promotion like this and it would be nice to think they're in it for the long haul.

[tiger_rick]

Easily my least favourite of the three episodes so far this week and yet still entertaining. The first half hour was "Stone Cold" Chavo Guerrero central. even that wasn't too bad as the sit down interview with Vampiro was well done. Had to laugh at Chavo saying blue Demon was living off his family name.

 

The opener was OK. Mascarita was entertaining enough but I'm already sick to fuck of Hurricanranas and Frankensteiners. Match was pretty much a set-up for Chavo to get more heat by beating up the midget.

 

Loads of Cueto on the show which is a good thing. Opening promo in the ring was actually a bit clunky but he was great in the backstage stuff again. As mentioned above the Johnny Mundo skit was the highlight. He took out Cueto's lackies with some fairly realistic fight scenes and there was an ace visual as lacky #2 got knocked out, fell backwards and opened the door to Cueto's office. Mundo looks incredible and these skits just about cover up his acting weaknesses. Almost. Cueto pays Big Zeke to fight Mundo next week. Should be good.

 

After the Chavo sitdown, Chavo wanders down the corridor and meets Konnan who does that "we go back a long way, bro" thing that gets on my tits in pro-wrestling. Konnan then warns him that he can no longer walk the streets of Mexico as word has got out what he did to Blue Demon and Mascarita. Cool. Then he turns and Mil Muertes appears. He turns again and Catrina appears and tells him that Muertes is gonna get him. Even though he just walked past him. Catrina licks Chavo which is my new favourite thing ever. For Catrina, not Chavo.

 

Mil Muertes squash match was alright. He's still shite in the ring. Loved the backstory they gave him as a 7-year old who survived in an earthquake that killed his whole family in 1985. Some create creative licence on show here. Of course it's corny as fuck but that's why we love wrestling right?

 

Main event was one of them fucking awful gymnastics showcases. Lots of standing around waiting to be jumped on, bouncing off stuff just because and doing them moves where you're not sure which one is supposed to be hurt. If anyone? Drago looked ace and Fenix did a crazy dive and the finish with some sort of reverse-hurricanrana-driver thing was impressive but otherwise it was shit. I respect the athleticism of these guys but I can't enoy it. They take you out of the moment too often. So yeah, this was a big let down.

 

It's still a cracking 45 minute wrestling show but when it's 50% Chavo Goldberg, a shit main event and no Puma - it's easily their weakest show so far.

[Linus]

Hey, it's that lucha show!

This is a fucking great show. Seriously. While some think a wrestling show should live or die by its in-ring action, and some of that hasn't hit the heights you'd probably want, everything else on the show makes it a must-see. Yeah, it's not ***** classics every match but the way things are shot, and acted, and the look of the competitors, and the hotness of the women... best wrestling show on TV today.

Aaaanyway, we start with a recap of Chavo's turn last week, which neatly wrapped it all up. While it assumes that its viewers will know the basics of TV wrestling shows, it doesn't leave too much open. Which is as it should be. Every show is someone's first, am I right?

Dario Cueto is in his office talking with Konnan. Konnan says he's got some guys from Mexico in - Drago, Pentagon Jr, and Fenix. Cueto wants a big name, and Konnan says he'll get it, so that'll be Alberto Del Rio, who needs a better name than Alberto El Patron. Cueto puts Konnan's guys in a three-way in the main event.

Back to the ring, and Cueto is there, saying that people were moaning that Lucha Underground didn't have enough lucha, so he's brought in El Mariachi Loco, who will sing after he's fought. Spoiler: he does not. Loco is fighting Mascarita Sagrada, who is the less good one of the little Sacred Masks. They do a fun big man, little man match, and Sagrada goes over, turning a spinning gullotine into a pin. Evil Chavo then hits the ring and kills the mini. Evil!

In a pre-recorded interview that just about broke all the traditions of pro-wrestling interviews, Vampiro got Chavo to explain his actions. This was great. Both men were so watchable here. They even buried Blue Demon Jr for his shit ring work. They put over that Chavo is being such a dick that even Vampiro, who is a dick himself, is disgusted.

Because you can't get enough Chavo, he's shown walking backstage, and bumps into Konnan, who gives him a heads up that la Raza, the Mexican wrestlers, have heard about what he's doing to their friends and will be out to get him. He walks a bit further and bumps into Mil Muertes. He walks a bit further still and bumps into Katrina, who licks his face. I want my face licked. He does not bump into anyone else, though concievably this could have filled a whole show.

They showed the origins of Mil Muertes, and his rock. He was buried alive in an earthquake that killed his whole family and found the rock when he got out. He was 7. This was dumb but beautiful, and ended with a cracking shot of Katrina's arse.

Back in the ring, it's another match, with Ricky Mandel (no, me either) fighting Mil Muertes. Muertes has such an odd look. Black Mil Mascaras-inspired mask, Aztec-y cape thing, and horrible blue stripey tights. Ditch the stripes!

A week (likely the same day) hasn't improved Muertes any, and he's still awful, but Mandel makes him look a little better than Demon did. Muertes wins with his flatliner finisher and Katrina licks Mandel's face. Fair trade. There were bits of this match where Katrina was up on the apron, leaning her tits on the top rope. The ref saw no reason to move her. Good lad.

Oh, people spotted in the audience this week: 50s hipster girl, stereotypical Mexican child, and the murderer from Too Many Cooks.

Backstage, Johnny Mundo beats up Cueto's Choloons and demands a match with Big Ryck next week. Cueto accepts, and Mundo says that Cueto will be next. Cueto then pays Big Ryck lots of money to put Mundo in the hospital. He could just give him a gun, I guess?

We get another Prince Puma video, which is once again great, save for the shot of the cheetah (different continent, different genus). Puma's mask has been passed down generations and ended up on a black fella from Los Angeles.

Hey, it's the main event! It's Drago versus Fenix versus Pentagon Jr. I didn't even know there was a Pentagon Jr. Wait, while I wikipedia him. Huh, it says Pentagon Jr is Kalisto in NXT but he's obviously not. I give up.

Aaaanyway, they have quite the lucha exhibition. You know how it goes, suspend your disbelief and watch three men do MOVES~! on - and with - each other. Crowd loved it, though it was just fluff, really. They hit some really good finishers, and Fenix won. This show does a good job of getting unknown characters over, and all three were given the star treatment here.

The show ended with Cueto talking to someone in a jail cell. We never got to see who. I hope it's New Jack.

A Very Good Show.

[CavemanLynn]

Dammit. In less than 15 minutes total screen time, Catrina may have ruined me for other women.

[TheBullensUltra]

Dammit. In less than 15 minutes total screen time, Catrina may have ruined me for other women.

 

Me too, wonderful woman.

 

I love this programme, fresh and fun product and I totally agree with Undefeated Steak just leaves you wanting more each week.

[Statto]

I'm glad I'm not the only one to think Mil Muertes has a bizarre dress sense. Those tights are ugly enough anyway, but why the blue stripes? Surely his death gimmick demands black & grey?

[IANdrewDiceClay]

The best thing about Lucha Underground is seeing all the new wrestlers you arent familiar with. I fell in love with Drago as soon as I seen him. What a look he has. The show is so fast paced and exciting and the backstage stuff for the most part are fantastic. It summed up why I loved wrestling originally. Its a bunch of cool looking wrestlers in the space of an hour. When I was little wrestling was only on for an hour, unless it was a big show. This might get tiresome and samey if it was 2 hours, but it really is the perfect amount of time with all kinds of fun in it. By far my favourite show at the minute. You have great wrestlers, high flyers, Konnan and Dario cutting belting promos and you'll get a great main event usually. Its just class. Just like Silver Vision, whether it's bodyslams, side suplexes, clotheslines, dropkicks and powerslams that you're after, you'll get what you came for.

[Zebra Kid Mark]

Another great episode (episode 3).

 

This is the most interested I have been in Chavo since his time when he dominated the cruiserweight division. I really hope he brings back his Gory Bomb finisher, the frog splash annoys me every time he goes for it and with the amount of better high fliers on the show the frog splash looks weak in comparison. Other than that I love his run right now.

 

The triple threat main event was a complete spot fest but I loved every minute of it. Think the finishing move (reverse frankensteiner) was a bit weak considering the move he hit on the other opponent just before was pretty lethal. That move should have ended it.

 

Love every minute of it right now and I wouldn't be ashamed to watch it in front of non wrestling fan friends. Just a cool show. My favourite weekly episode television programme right now (not just wrestling).

[Shane O' Mac Version 2]

Caught episode 3 of Lucha Underground directly before Raw today, really highlighted how much I'm preferring this to WWE right now as a promotion. I have wrestlers on Raw that I know and like more, but as far as presentation, writing and performances, no wrestling show beats this at the moment.

 

Johnny Mundo looked like a massive star this week, and he didn't even step in the ring. Some people might think the segments in Lucha Underground are overly produced, but this suited Mundo to a tee. Minimal talking, not in a live setting, gave his character a bit of depth. Using the gritty atmosphere, ripped jeans, beating up goons with zero flips- he looked like an action movie star. Probably clocked in at 2 minutes and was my favourite part of a great show.

 

Maxine/Katrina is amazing. Could do without Striker's leering that made late 90s Jerry Lawler look tame- just the creepy tone in which he says, "I could watch her clap all day" and "You can bang that mat as much as you like". He even says at the end, "Am I weird?" Afraid so, Beer Can.

 

I like Mil Muertes' general look, and a great little video to give his character some background. Again, very short, but extremely effective to add meaning and layers to wrestlers. WWE could take some notes. The tights suck though, even Vampiro took a dig by saying he looked like he was from the 50s or 60s. I like the little nuances, too, like the ref being hesitant to reach out and raise Muertes' hand.

 

Other quick and effective segments- the Konnan/Chavo exchange. Two heels with a long history, but they still have conflict between them and potential associates. Better than just "all good guys and bad guys get along". The other bit was Big Ryck. I know Lesnar does the "don't fight for free" bit too, but to actually see Ryck intimidating Dario Cueto into giving extra money was brilliant. Paints him as someone who just looks out for himself, has no loyalty and could turn at a moment's notice if not satisfied with his pay.

 

Oh, and Chavo was right, Blue Demon does suck.

 

Triple threat spot fest was just flat out fun. Lacked logic for sure, with the obvious waiting for dives and intricacy of lucha moves, but fuck it, it was cool. I will say though (carrying on from the Sami Zayn discussion in another topic), Drago is on point with his physique, but Fenix and Pentagon Jr could use some work.

 

As always, can't wait to see what happens next week. The epitome of a "can't miss" wrestling show. I don't know how big the viewership can be, but I saw an ad for it during Raw, so who knows. I'd love to see it claim no.2 in the world of wrestling promotions. Hope it doesn't go the way of Wrestling Society X and disappear after filling a TV show slot for a little while.

[Zebra Kid Mark]

Does AAA have a weekly television show and is it easy to get hold of?

[pgi86]

Does AAA have a weekly television show and is it easy to get hold of?

Yes. It's called Sin Limite. AAA themselves upload it every week on their YouTube channel.

 

Also, it's worth pointing out that AAA's 5 big annual events also air on TV, separated in parts. Hence why the latest Sin Limite episode also has "Heroes Inmortales" in the title.