Lucha Underground: Report and Analysis
Airdate: February 18, 2015 (Episode 15)
Written by Rudy Cabrera
Last week was a very strong week for Lucha Underground. Big Ryck cut an awesome promo in a confessional swearing vengeance on the Crew, looking like a cold blooded Suge Knight. Easily the best promo he’s ever cut and it was one of the highlights of the night. Alberto El Patron debuted and got the biggest reaction in the history of the show. He came off like a megastar and the different lighting setup along with a vibrant Boyle Heights crowd really made his debut feel like something monumental, something that could change wrestling forever. It has been his best promo to date in what seems to be a trend set by Lucha Underground, mainly that talent is confident, free to be themselves and as a result flourish behind the microphone and on camera. Texano Jr also debuted and from what I understand AAA is officially bringing the AAA Mega World Championship feud to America. This is unprecedented and only adds prestige to the Lucha Underground product. The feud feels important on an international level and maybe Alberto will change wrestling forever.
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This week’s episode opens with a video package recapping Ryck’s promo and his issues with the Crew, the Fenix-Mil Muertes feud over Catrina, Black Lotus and Texano’s attack on Alberto. Muertes comes down without Catrina, and let me just say that aside from Brock Lesnar there is no one in the industry with a physique like this man. He looks scary dangerous, ruthless and his presence is definitely felt. Chavo makes a mean entrance as well and he looks ready for a fight. You can see the Guerrero fighting aura all over him and with this more intense and focused Chavo we have the closest thing we’ll ever have to Eddie Guerrero. We miss you Eddie. Your nephew’s work continues to uphold the great family name.
They started off slow but once these two got going this was an exciting display of ring psychology and creative spots in what I personally would’ve booked as the main event. They wanted to start off strong however and indeed this was the way to do it. Chavo begins working the left leg and at one point does a sick running dropkick on the left knee of Mil Muertes. He then locks his left leg on the bottom rope, jumps over the apron to the outside and falls on it with all of his weight. These guys are intelligently selling offense. Eventually Muertes recuperates, picks him up for an electric chair drop and is now hitting Chavo in the face with hard hitting rights that could be heard all over the building. Muertes hits a clothesline from Hell that JBL would be proud of as he nearly decapitates Chavo. The crowd is all over this match. Catrina  comes out looking sexy as ever and distracts Muertes with an Aztec stone, allowing Chavo to grab a chair and hit Muertes in the back for the DQ. Muertes no sold it, hit Chavo with the flatliner onto the chair and stood over him like a legit monster. Muertes begins to flex and the announcers say “you can see the hate rippling through his chest”. Catrina was about to leave but Muertes tried to make her lick Chavo and when she refused Muertes hooked her for the flatliner. I really thought we were going to see it but lo and behold Fenix shows up for the save! Catrina then kissed Fenix while staring down Muertes and let me tell you, there was nothing sexy about that. The announcers say her kiss will quench the fire from which the Fenix will never rise again. The wrestling was perfectly solid and it advanced the Muertes/Catrina/Fenix angle. I still think this should have been the main event.
A shot aired of Angela Fong at an undisclosed location unlocking a door and walking up a flight of stairs…
The Crew entered Dario Cueto’s office looking like straight thugs. He praised them for taking out the overpaid Big Ryck by “blinding him with the bright lights” of their talent. For those of us who are not aware Big Ryck wears an eye patch now because the Crew burned his eye with a cigar. Cueto tells them if they want to stay in main event matches they need to prove it by destroying three “unlikely heroes” in tonight’s main event. He said their only job was to hurt the “three freaks” so bad that they never come back…The scene was shot in a way that made Dario Cueto look like a mob boss from one of the five families sending out his henchmen to take care of business. Again, if there is a word than can accurately describe this show, that word would have to be ‘original’. In a television era where everybody is trying to produce original content, Lucha Underground has become the standard bearer.
We go to the ring with Son of Havoc and Ivelisse mid-ring with a mic and new gold chainmail over her biker shorts. Ivelisse says that since Havoc’s been losing week after week, she’ll handle Havoc’s battle for him tonight. She called out Angelico to fight the “baddest b**** in the building”. Angelico comes down while Striker and Vamp talk about how she’s practically challenging his manhood and neutering him. What a way to make Havoc look weak. A mistake in my opinion.
Ivelisse vs. Angelico
Ivie goes for some kicks to the legs and the announcers sell that she has an extensive MMA background. She goes for a running knee but she eats a drop toehold. She tries to sweep the leg and he avoids it. He avoids all contact that doesn’t involve him catching her and being playful, so she kicks his chest and it sounds so hard the announcers say it’s like getting hit with a baseball bat in the chest. I’m not a big fan of intergender matches but I’m digging this match. He puts a hand behind his back, and she responds by slapping his face off the top and then hitting a flying hurricanrana. Angelico hits a flapjack with elevation so high Striker calls it a $12,000 fall, surely referring to breast implants. It looked painful. Havoc then gets involved and kicks Angelico in the neck which results in him falling over in a schoolboy position and her pinning him for the win. Angelico says if she wants to go one on one with him again but without Havoc around it would be his pleasure and winks at her. She’s mildly distracted by his offer but Havoc quickly grabs her and takes her to the back. Striker says “looks like ladies are leaving their men left and right. In wrestling? That’s unheard of.” Nice, I enjoyed that. The match was easily the best inter gender match they’ve produced thus far and it served as a stepping stone in the buildup of this very intriguing storyline of power, jealousy and control. Still, I think they should place a hold on intergender matches and build a women’s division around Ivelisse and Sexy Star.
 Texano Jr is about to debut in the ring next. We cut to an interview Vamp did with Texano and we see clips of him dominating AAA over the course of his two year title reign. We then see Alberto beating him and and standing over the former champion. Great clips of the wrestling industry in Mexico, which, in case you didn’t know, is a country that happens to take wrestling very seriously. It has prominently been a part of our culture since 1863 and in the future I will share some of its history with you. This was the first all-Spanish interview we’ve had on the U.S. version of the show and it was a gem to behold. Texano came off like an international sensation; cool, cocky and single minded in wanting to get revenge on El Patron. If you haven’t tuned in, you should.
http://youtu.be/hSbTphETjvY
This was a squash match designed to put over Texano as the new sheriff in town. Super Fly tried to get some offense going but missed a crossbody before eating a big legdrop that I’m actually surprised he kicked out of. It looked devastating. Death valley driver into a neckbreaker and the match is over. Texano looked strong and confident while displaying his technical ability and athleticism. The guy can work. He stands over Super Fly while the crowd chants for Alberto. Alberto comes down and Texano runs away strategically to attack him on the floor. Alberto presses him into the barricade and gets some of his kneeling punches in before getting the bullrope and whipping him just like Texano did to him last week. I love this – we’re seeing the hottest feud in Mexico play out between two shows, and it’s pretty awesome. Texano escapes and Alberto uses the rope to scare the security team away, about ten of them who are trying to hold him down, while Striker talks about the AAA Title being defended in Lucha Underground. Alberto is left alone in the ring soaking in the praise and adulation from the crowd. This truly feels like a celebration and Alberto finishes the segment saying “This is my house!”. What a rush.
Cage entered Dario Cueto’s office and said he should be the Lucha Underground champion after “destroying” Prince Puma twice and beating Johnny Mundo. Cueto booked him in a non-title match next week and if he beats Puma he will earn his shot. It’s for sure a match I’m looking forward to. Cage tossed the torn title belt at Cueto and told him next time to get a real title belt.
As Cage was walking out Chavo entered the room and told Cueto to tell “Mexico” that they’re getting what they want and he quit! Cueto wished him the best in his future endeavors and told him the door to his temple is always open. After Chavo stormed out Cueto looked at the title belt and said to himself “the gods will not be pleased…”
Angela Fong was shown at the undisclosed location. She looked into the cage and said, “So, this is where he keeps you.” She continued to say that when she was a girl, the only thing she wanted was to be “the woman who killed you with my bare hands.” It is still a mystery who sits inside that cage and the suspense is making me think there will be a big payoff. . .
There was a great commercial aired for Lucha Underground. Kudos to the production team for exceptional work. On par with WWE on every level. Watch out Kevin Dunn, you’re not as indispensable as you thought you were.
It’s time for our main event.
