Jump to content

The Lucha Libre Thread

Vamp

By Vamp
in UK Fan Forum

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 1.6k
  • Created
  • Last Reply
  • Paid Members
LaGoosh Grand Master

LaGoosh

Posted
  • Paid Members
Posted

There were reports out last year that the first season cost 20 million dollars but in a Reddit AMA the showrunner said the real figure was significantly lower than that so no one knows really. I'd imagine production wise it's probably comparable but LU is filming 4 shows in one location per weekend, pays it's wrestlers significantly less and isn't paying for dozens of trucks filled with shit to travel around the country 52 weeks of the year. There crew will also be much smaller too. In the AMA the showrunner said a lot of the production crew are working for less than usual because of the filming location in LA for LU is really good for work/life balance compared to a lot of other shows filmed in LA. Probably the main cost of LU is the vignettes which they spend a lot of time and cash on compared to WWE who do there's in 5 minutes with one camera, lazy lighting, no set etc.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
RIDDUM_N_STYLE Veteran

RIDDUM_N_STYLE

Posted
Posted

So I'm 25 episodes into season one and I am really enjoying it. Despite their problems in the previous weeks, I thought the combo of Angelico, Son of Havoc and Ivelisse worked brilliantly together in the Trios final and the subsequent bonus match against Cueto's goons. Prince Puma has been excellent in his title defences and the Drago/Aerostar series was just phenomenal. That Pentagon Jr is a right bastard though, that armbreaker move he's been using is brutal

Link to comment
Share on other sites
paltaper Enthusiast

paltaper

Posted
Posted

25 years ago, I'd have killed to see what voodoo nonsense Papa Shango got up outside the ring. What The Undertaker and Paul Bearer were doing. The backstory of the Berzerker... And that's what this is. It's wrestling taken to its logical conclusion: who are these people, what are these people, where did they come from, why are they fighting, and why are these matches being made?

 

But, if it's not for you, it's not for you.

 

Oh yeah, you're right - I loved Jake locking the Undertaker in the casket. I also loved OMG becoming Akeem. That was goofy stuff alright and I liked it a lot. So, in principle, I don't have any problem with the idea of wacky stuff. Perhaps it's more the execution. I find most of the skits awful. I did find Texan's funny though where he beat up the two guys and then sucked down his beer only to squash his glass in his fist because he's a goddamn manly man, that was great! More of that, less of the Sexy Star piss poor acting. Maybe if there writing staff could be better.

 

The show should be for me. I've been watching lucha on and off for 23 years now. Doesn't make me an expert or anything, but it proves I want to watch it! And I'll give any lucha show a chance.

 

 

It's been around for over a year and Cornette's the only one who thinks it's rubbish and that their business plan is awful? If it's compared to any other promotion that ever existed, that was created to engage an audience so much that they pay money, how does it fare then?

It's business plan is different from traditional wrestling shows because it's specifically a TV show, not a wrestling promotion. It's plan is to provide high quality TV which leads to good ratings first and foremost. Everything else is distant second. They don't run live events and the TV tapingd are free. They aren't run like a wrestling promotion. They are run like any other TV drama. It's run by executive producers. Currently it gets low ratings but this is due to being on a relatively new TV station that isn't available or known to a lot of the US. They have already been renewed for season 3 so arguably their business model IS working as any TV shows goal is to last as long as possible.

 

 

They're not going to get very far though with this model are they? Historically it hasn't worked so well. Jarrett is trying to do the same thing, except pinching pennies and not gambling all their money up front like these guys. 

 

Take up business wise is almost stagnant for these guys and the loss of a Mexican TV deal is a bad sign. So are the other money problems and inability to keep top names (despite the seven year contract things). What's the delay in selling this show around the world? Is it on anywhere else but El Rey and TLN in Canada? The season 3 tapings might be the last if they don't start earning something soon.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
paltaper Enthusiast

paltaper

Posted
Posted

Not trying to sound funny, but does anybody actually watch the lucha libre from Mexico anymore? 

 

If not, will you watch AAA's show when it comes out in English?

 

Volador Jr. faces Negro Casas tonight in Arena Puebla for Volador’s NWA Welterweight Championship. It'll be live on CMLL's website, though at about 2am here VideosOficialesCMLL - YouTube It'll be archived straight after. The only real problem is Puebla matches are often rushed through. Still, it's Negro Casas.

 

You can also watch the Tuesday Arena Mexico shows too live or archived in the same place. And Fridays are live, but unarchived apart from Luchablog on Clarosports.com 

 

AAA post their shows often before national broadcast, here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMA4MOXJ3L5K9jKEDyFX6LQ

 

I know most people know about the links, but just throwing them out there as they seem a little neglected here ;)

 

I never thought I'd see the day when you can see almost every show live, or a few days later and almost all in HD. Good times. Well, it'd be better if it was 1992 but what can you do :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
paltaper Enthusiast

paltaper

Posted
Posted

Meltzer said that it costs 400,000 Dollars per episode.

 

That seems outlandish. Old Dave runs with some strange stuff these days since The Young Bucks and PWG took over his brain.

 

The shows don't look cheap, but they don't look $400,000 good.

 

If Combat Zone threw a few decent filters on their footage they'd be have way to LU's visual style. Slight exaggeration there perhaps. 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
paltaper Enthusiast

paltaper

Posted
Posted

Oh and if anybody's wondering what Mistico/Sin Cara/Myzteziz/Caristico is up to these days, he's apparently gone from never being allowed back to having the book for Arena Mexico's Sunday shows billed as Elite. And yes, I had to copy and past "Myzteziz" :)

 

Here he is from Sunday vs. La Mascara:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0N6D6jtWJY

 

^Is it possible to embed that here?

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • Paid Members
IANdrewDiceClay Grand Master

IANdrewDiceClay

Posted
  • Paid Members
Posted

I dont believe its $400,000. Its common knowledge Konnan is Dave's Lucha source, and he was the bloke who told Dave that Alberto was on a $1.4 million a few downside with WWE. Which was fishy as fuck as soon as someone uttered those words, and was immediately shot down. That $400,000 per episode figure sounds like something Konnan came up with in the middle of calling people fags and bragging about smoking pot as if he's doing it behind his Mam's back.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
paltaper Enthusiast

paltaper

Posted
Posted

Edit: Tried to embed it for you, but usual method isn't working.

Cheers anyway, would hate to make it any more difficult for people to watch Caristico than it is already ;)

 

I dont believe its $400,000. Its common knowledge Konnan is Dave's Lucha source, and he was the bloke who told Dave that Alberto was on a $1.4 million a few downside with WWE. Which was fishy as fuck as soon as someone uttered those words, and was immediately shot down. That $400,000 per episode figure sounds like something Konnan came up with in the middle of calling people fags and bragging about smoking pot as if he's doing it behind his Mam's back.

 

This post was top notch, BOOM!

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • Paid Members
Linus Mentor

Linus

Posted
  • Paid Members
Posted

I'm still watching AAA and watching the important CMLL matches, so there is some lucha watching still going on.

 

Re: Lucha Underground's business model... It's tempting, to those of us in the wrestling bubble, to try and understand it from that point of view. But the wrestling is the backdrop - it could be Kung-fu, or laser tag, or whatever - and the economics are what TV shows cost to make. Quite why they haven't seeded it in other places - DVD, on demand, NetFlix etc - I have no idea.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
paltaper Enthusiast

paltaper

Posted
Posted

I'm still watching AAA and watching the important CMLL matches, so there is some lucha watching still going on.

 

Re: Lucha Underground's business model... It's tempting, to those of us in the wrestling bubble, to try and understand it from that point of view. But the wrestling is the backdrop - it could be Kung-fu, or laser tag, or whatever - and the economics are what TV shows cost to make. Quite why they haven't seeded it in other places - DVD, on demand, NetFlix etc - I have no idea.

 

I find the AAA shows far more fun to watch than Lucha Underground. Of course there's some crap sometimes, but you don't get any 3 minute matches and there's a (usually) big crowd of enthusiastic people that have plonked down money to see the show. And all the LU favorites are all over the show, Pentagon, Aerostar, Evans, Angelico, Fantasma etc. And you don't have to have any of the crap Americans like Killshot, The Biker Fella (might not be his name), Kobra Moon, and smaller doses of Johnny Mundo. And you get some older fellas, and Psycho Clown, Dinastia etc. too. And best of all, if you like NWO knock offs in 2016, you have the never ending Sociadad angle~! You also have no Vampiro/Striker, what a bonus that is!

 

Negro Casas, aged 55 years young, put on a hell of a performance last night in Puebla vs. Volador:

 

https://youtu.be/XTAI27Bkp04?t=1h52m42s

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...