Lucha Underground: Journey Through The Temple

[Jimmy Redman]

I've been meaning to dive into Lucha Underground for a long time, but never got around to it. Until now. We'll see how long I keep this up, but for now I'll be having a look, and this is just a place to jot down my thoughts as I go along. Can't promise how detailed they'll be - I'm watching this for fun, not to critique too rigorously.

 

I'm sure I watched the debut episode when it first aired, but I haven't seen any of it since, so I need to start back at the very beginning (which is why I'm staying out of the other thread).

 

Lucha Underground 1.01 "Welcome to the Temple"

 

First off, I have to state for the record so hopefully I don't keep repeating myself that I love the overall presentation of the show. Grandiose openings about ancient Aztec warriors, telenovela style, film-quality vignettes starring Konnan and shit, and the wrestling taking place in a dingy, underground looking (forgive me) warehouse...it's all excellent stuff. Great presentation. I even like that they have episode titles, credits for the executive producers, clips in the opening. If you're going to be a TV show, be a TV show. And I think they do a great job of admitting they're a TV show while still retaining the unique live quality of watching a wrestling match take place.

 

Dario Cueto is the sleaziest person I've ever seen. He is so perfect as the evil heel GM.

 

I was regretting all my life decisions when the first thing I'm hit with is a Chavo Guerrero match with Matt Striker announcing. What is this, ECW circa 2008? Chavo fucking Guerrero, truly one of the worst major wrestlers ever. But he's somehow infinitely more tolerable working a 5 minute old man lucha match with Blue Demon Jr. I ROFLed heartily when he got powerbombed off the top and submitted, so there's that. I'm scared there's going to be far too much Chavo on this show for my liking though.

 

I loved the profile on Sexy Star. Abuse victim who found solace in wrestling and brought herself up to be strong, competing against men for all the survivors and little girls out there...great stuff. Funny how we're just talking about feminism, this is a feminist gimmick if I've ever seen one.

 

Son of Havoc looks vaguely familiar but I can't place him. So again, speaking of feminist issues and inter-gender wrestling...this was inter-gender wrestling done perfectly well. Havoc as the heel underestimates her to his peril, she gets her offense in using her speed and lucha moves, but he catches her with a power move and it's over. I'd forgotten how sweetly Sexy Star hits her shit. This made me super keen to see Sexy Star work again and try to win a match, so this was well done.

 

Dario Cueto trolling Chavo about losing is me. He said something about "a thousand deaths", and although I butcher it constantly, I know enough Spanish to know that Mil Muertes is coming~!

 

I had totally forgotten that Mundo took all that time off wrestling after leaving WWE. Three whole years. Full credit to him because he looks like he hasn't aged a day and wrestles like he hasn't aged a day. And Puma wrestles like...Ricochet in a mask. But I like the strong push for him.

 

I actually liked Mundo vs Puma a lot, even more than I did the first time. This needed to be a showcase, and they nailed it in every sense. Showing off Puma's athleticism, showing off Mundo's athleticism, and incorporating the unique layout of the Temple by doing stuff with the staircase, at the announcers desk, etc. And all the while still working a match that built logically and was filled with hard-hitting and exciting work. This ticked all the boxes and was a super fun time. Exactly what they needed for the first episode.

 

And then the SWERVE~! Budget Homicide, Budget Low Ki and BIG ZEKE invade and beat up the faces for Dario Cueto. Going full blown heel didn't take long.

 

This is a great debut episode, getting over the "feel" of the show, introducing storylines and showcasing key players without giving away the store. I am eager to dive in from here.

 

[Death From Above]

They are playing season 1 on TLN (hispanic/Italian specialty cable channel) here in Canada on Sunday nights. It's in a block of wacky sleaze programming with the TV series version of From Dusk Till Dawn of all things. I've really enjoyed much more of it than I've disliked. It sort of has an ECW kind of vibe to me where I rarely remember any of the specific matches, I just remember "hey a bunch of crazy shit happened in that hour and I really enjoyed it". I think I've only missed a couple so far, through forgetfulness.

 

They do a really good job of framing individual characters and angles in ways that make it very easy to figure out what the hell is going on at a glance. In that sense I feel it's a much better show than RAW, which feels so goddamn bloated to the point I've basically lost interest off the back of a lackluster Wrestlemania.

[Ricky Jackson]

I love Lucha Underground. I'm just getting into it too. I watched the first 13 or so eps then decided to start cherry picking because I'm not a binge watcher and it would take forever for me to catch up. The casket match in ep 19 is freakin amazing. Aztec Warfare I and II (the only ep of season 2 I've seen) are both great, especially II. Just a bunch of great characters and vignettes, with the matches being mostly secondary in importance

[El-P]

It sort of has an ECW kind of vibe to me where I rarely remember any of the specific matches, I just remember "hey a bunch of crazy shit happened in that hour and I really enjoyed it".

 

Pretty much. Probably why I enjoy it too.

[Grimmas]

I liked the start of Lucha Underground but fell off for a while during season 1. Once I got back into it for the last 1/3 of season 1 it was some of the best wrestling tv ever. This season has ruled as well. Keep that in mind, that there is a rough patch.

[Phil Schneider]

Over at SC we have reviewed every show (haven't done last weeks yet), here. Show overall is really hit or miss, the highs are super high, but some of the booking is Russorific dipshittery at its worst

 

http://segundacaida.blogspot.com/2014/11/complete-accurate-lucha-underground.html

[El-P]

some of the booking is Russorific dipshittery at its worst

 

Not even close. Bad yes. But not even close to Russo at is worst.

[Phil Schneider]

The current Sexy Star storyline is as bad as anything Russo ever did, maybe worse

[Luchaundead]

The current Sexy Star storyline is as bad as anything Russo ever did, maybe worse

If only Byg Ryk had pulled a knife on one of the crew

[shoe]

I enjoy the show a lot. Though their is some weirdness to it. Like how the announcers don't know about the vignettes unless they are in the vignette

[Grimmas]

I enjoy the show a lot. Though their is some weirdness to it. Like how the announcers don't know about the vignettes unless they are in the vignette

It's a show about a Wrestling show. They don't know it's a show, so they aren't aware of the vignettes.

[Bierschwale]

The current Sexy Star storyline is as bad as anything Russo ever did, maybe worse

And... is all that I'll say. Those who know know.

[Phil Schneider]

 

I enjoy the show a lot. Though their is some weirdness to it. Like how the announcers don't know about the vignettes unless they are in the vignette

It's a show about a Wrestling show. They don't know it's a show, so they aren't aware of the vignettes.

 

 

Yeah that is another dumb thing about it

[Ricky Jackson]

I think that is one of the things that make it interesting. The fans in the temple are also unaware of the vignettes, making the TV viewers the only ones that are aware of the whole story. It's a new kind of kayfabe in a sense

[Grimmas]

I think that is one of the things that make it interesting. The fans in the temple are also unaware of the vignettes, making the TV viewers the only ones that are aware of the whole story. It's a new kind of kayfabe in a sense

I kind of adore this.

 

It's not like the WWE where the wrestlers are the only ones who don't know things are being filmed backstage and the announcers and audience do. It's like taking that stupid troupe and making it awesome.

[Death From Above]

I think the consistency of how they present those segments is really key to keeping the show from falling apart. Otherwise you get into WCW territory with Hogan seeing Warrior in the fucking mirror while Bischoff is like "wtf you on bro" and the announcers are right there commenting on it and it's just a mess. They haven't stepped on this landmine yet because they have way more discipline about what their format actually is.

 

Lucha Underground is constructed as "a TV show that happens to be about wrestling" as opposed to what every other wrestling show in America has always been "wrestling that happens to be on tv". WWE tries to stage itself like TV but doesn't go nearly as far as LU does with how they stage things like all the Cueto's Office segments, the editing, the slick production, the great/cheesy TENSE SOAP OPERA MUSIC, and at first it seems really weird but the fact it's always presented that way makes it work.

 

It's not organic at all, which seems to go against what wrestling is about, but it is really interesting they've found a way to make that work. If you'd just presented the concept to me without seeing it I'd have sworn it would be awful and I'd hate it because it just doesn't sound like how wrestling works. But it absolutely has worked as a signature of their style. Hell, I look forward to seeing what dirty deal will be cut in Cueto's office every show. That shit is great.

[Jesse Ewiak]

They are playing season 1 on TLN (hispanic/Italian specialty cable channel) here in Canada on Sunday nights. It's in a block of wacky sleaze programming with the TV series version of From Dusk Till Dawn of all things. I've really enjoyed much more of it than I've disliked. It sort of has an ECW kind of vibe to me where I rarely remember any of the specific matches, I just remember "hey a bunch of crazy shit happened in that hour and I really enjoyed it". I think I've only missed a couple so far, through forgetfulness.

 

They do a really good job of framing individual characters and angles in ways that make it very easy to figure out what the hell is going on at a glance. In that sense I feel it's a much better show than RAW, which feels so goddamn bloated to the point I've basically lost interest off the back of a lackluster Wrestlemania.

 

Both LU and the Dusk 'til Dawn show runs on Robert Rodriguez's El Rey cable channel, so they were probably sold as a block.

[shoe]

Plus the characters have gimmicks like in the 80's WWF so it's old school, but modernized and current.

[shoe]

I'm not a binge watcher and it would take forever for me to catch up. e

Code for my old lady calls the shots. Lol

[Ricky Jackson]

She would actually probably dig LU more than any other wrestling now that I think of it...

[TonyPulis'Cap]

For all the craziness of the vignettes and the bits with people having their hearts ripped out/time travelling/flying into space etc. it has some of the best booking and most logical (in a building storyline's way rather than the aforementioned paranormal activity) week to week wrestling television I've seen in a long time. In that sense it's positively old school at times...

[Matt D]

That's the biggest intersect with NXT in my mind. Wins GENERALLY matter. Losses generally matter. Titles matter. Feuds transition from one to the next. Things are remembered from week to week and even season to season so far. Characters develop. It's fundamental stuff, basic stuff, but it's been so rare in the US scene since, what, the early 90s? It stands out.

[Jimmy Redman]

Lucha Underground 1.02 "Los Demonios"

 

We open at the close: Big Zeke and the Budget Rottweilers in the ring. Now they have names! Cortez Castro sounds like the worst possible FCW/NXT name generator result for some Hispanic guy they signed. Poor Budget Low Ki. Budget Homicide fared better with Sisqo, because it reminds me of the Thong Song and that is a fun time. Big Zeke is now Big Ryk! I'm gonna be completely honest here, I legit thought his shoot name was pronounced "Rye-klon" not "Rick-lon", so whenever I read LU news I thought he was going around being called "Big Rike" and thought it was stupid. Now, I get it. His name is Rick. Anyway Johnny Mundo comes out for revenge, Puma joins in and Dario Cueto becomes even more awesome because he sticks his head out a door and makes a Teddy Long Holla Holla Smackdown Tag Team Match, Playa!

 

First of all, Big Ryk sitting on the staircase smoking a cigar watching the match is the bossest thing ever. Again, I'm glad they're taking advantage of the different environment and different layout of the Temple. This was a super fun tag team match, really good pace and going just the right amount of time. The Rottweileritos are a perfectly solid bumping, stomping heel team. And Mundo and Puma are a great running, diving, flippydo face team. I like how by the end of the match they we're getting comfortable and daring to do wacky spots playing off each other, ending in the final double 450 finish. Mundo DIED on that missed tornillo on the outside. This was a rollicking good time.

 

I like how during the match the announcers were speculating that Konnan wouldn't like Puma tagging with Mundo, and then later we get a vignette that shows Konnan telling Puma not to have friends. I like this angle of the young face who remains likeable even while being corrupted by the heel manager. As time goes on I feel like Konnan will exert more control over him and force him to do things he's conflicted with, and it becomes a battle for Puma's soul. I can only hope.

 

Since the last show I figured out that Son of Havoc is Matt Cross. He joins fellow Tough Enough alum Ivelisse. And here to bring me down, Chavo Fucking Guerrero. Is there a single Chavo match ever that doesn't mention His Uncle Eddie, the Late, Great Eddie Guerrero? I'd feel sorry for him living his life as Eddie Guerrero's Nephew, but then I remember...it's Chavo.

 

Like last week's Sexy Star match, I enjoyed this and feel like they're doing inter-gender well. It's interesting to think about that there's sort of an extra layer of working on the part of the wrestlers for this kind of match, where they have to be careful that Chavo as the babyface doesn't get into a position where he looks like he's beating on a woman too aggressively. When he's in there with Ivelisse he's basically just defending himself from her attacks. So there's kind of a higher degree of difficulty there, match layout-wise. Just something that struck me.

 

Ivelisse looked good for maybe the second time I've ever seen her work. I liked the double teaming and the ongoing story of Sexy Star wanting at Havoc. I popped for the girls' mad brawl in the middle of this. And I laughed at Vampiro making the big speech for gender equality, and then like 30 seconds later he starts screaming "Catfight!" Baby steps, guys. I also wasn't wild about Chavo basically having the match won and then letting Sexy beat a defenseless Havoc as her big "revenge" and making it all about Chavo being such a gentleman, but whatever. Baby steps.

 

I've enjoyed the Mil Muertes introductory stuff. I don't know what it says about me that when Catrina licked Demon's face I was like "eww, gross!"

 

I feel like Muertes as put on like 50 lbs. since I saw him last. He's a big boy. Blue Demon Jr must be like a hundred years old right? I was kind of surprised at how even this match was, but I suppose they're trying to push Demon as a thing too. The spear at the end looked nasty because Demon is solid and it looked like he ran into a brick wall...and knocked it down. The flatliner though. Really?

 

Cue the beatdown and then Chavo Fucking Guerrero making the save! I like how in the beginning they're doing a lot of this beatdown/run in stuff to establish who is a face and who is-WOAHBAM~! OK, as a wrestling fan I should have seen that coming. Chavo beats the shit out of everyone. Then Sexy Star comes out to reason with him, and while I knew THIS was coming because it's 2014 and we're a promotion of gender equality, it was still a BIG moment when he brained her with the chair. THIS is a heel turn motherfuckers. And he goes back to killing Demon. OK, Chavo sitting down on the chair joyfully watching the paramedics cart Demon off is one of the best things Chavo Fucking Guerrero has ever done. And he's still not done and they basically have to grab the stretcher and run away with it to get away from this maniac. This was done so well I'm not even mad that the show is being built around Chavo Guerrero: Top Heel.

[Jimmy Redman]

Lucha Underground 1.03 "Crossing the Border"

 

Alternate title: "Why Chavo Why?" Answer: Who gives a shit, it's Chavo Fucking Guerrero.

 

Dario Cueto and Konnan having Godfather conversations in Dario Cueto's Office are the gangsterest shit ever.

 

I loved Dario Cueto trolling the crowd with the most stereotypical Mexican gimmick ever. But then Mascarita Sagrada! This has improved. The minorities of wrestling - women, minis - always seem to debut against typical American jobbers...wearing masks. This was fun for being everything you'd expect - heel underestimates minority and gets surprised with a bunch of rana-themed offense. I did like the finish though, a guillotine choke into a rollup is a pretty out there finish that I was not expecting.

 

And here's Chavo Fucking Guerrero out to beat him up. Boo Chavo, boo, you are so mean, etc. Also, Vamp going from leading a "MAS-CA-RI-TA" chant to "I'm so glad Chavo beat that midget up" for no apparent reason was kind of stupid.

 

Chavo cuts every Heel Justifying A Heel Turn promo ever in his sit down with Vamp, but it is made interesting by the way that they shoot it. LU production makes everything better.

 

Speaking of which, everything involving Chavo in the hallway here was AWESOME, from Konnan sending him a warning from the streets of Mexico, to him turning around into Mil and Catrina giving him her own warning. Chavo wanted to be a bad guy, but to do that he's pissed off just about everyone, so now he has to walk the walk. Seriously these vignettes are sick.

 

I liked the way they added a piece of Mil's backstory in this, just a tease before the match to give some purpose to the squash. At least now I know why he has a pet rock. Mil's spear is still great.

 

Speaking of sick vignettes, Johnny Mundo has probably never looked more badass in his whole life than when he beat the shit out of the Budget Rottweilers in the hallway and calmly stepped over them to eyeball Dario Cueto in his Office. When I saw him coming down the corridor I had a fleeting panic of "Oh God! John Morrison Acting!!" but I was wrong, this was great. WWE makes this guy look like the most wooden human being to ever emote on this earth. LU makes him look like John Wayne.

 

Mundo's pointed use of Spanish reminded me of another awesome part of Lucha Underground: it is hopefully improving my Spanish which, as anyone who listened to Parejas Increibles knows, is fucking dreadful.

 

Loved the turnaround vignette too, with Dario Cueto genuinely rattled and Big Ryk cashing in by fleecing him for stacks. No honour among rudos. Well if The Authority has taught us anything, it's that heel GMs and their heel champions actually hate each other, but will go to tremendous lengths to protect, support and massively cheat for one another because...reasons.

 

The main event of Fenix vs Drago vs Pentagon Jr was a ridiculous collection of spots, and I mean that in the best possible way. I think it's the most amount of co operative spots I've ever seen in a match where none of the participants never at any point actually teamed up. Again, I mean that kindly. Fenix's big dive off the platform was suitably nutty, although Striker did his best to ruin it with his horribly forced, Cole-esqe "This. Is. Lucha Underground~!!!" call. He also couldn't stop himself from using the phrase "phoenix rising from the ashes" in this match for NO fucking reason, because he is a terrible, terrible commentator.

 

Despite that, Fenix is great and the thing where he gets tossed into the air and does a somersault before coming down with the rana is the coolest fucking thing I've ever seen.

 

When the show began I was wondering why Dario Cueto has a giant ugly silver key for a necklace. Now I have a vague idea. The idea that Dario Cueto has some kind of crazy, vicious monster heel LOCKED UP BEHIND BARS for emergencies is an idea I can get behind. And I am ignorant enough about LU spoilers that I either don't know or have forgotten who this is, which makes it even better.

 

This is a great show.

[Ship Canal]

I've still not managed to make it through anything further than the first half of the first season of LU.

I've actually thoroughly enjoyed a fair deal of the in-ring stuff, the concept, the booking... I'm not particularly bothered about any of the stuff that Phil has highlighted as being dumb either.

But there is one thing about the show that I have found more jarring than any of the above things and that is the way in which the sound of the crowd is recorded/mixed... I am not someone who is even remotely an audiophile in the sense that "bad" or uneven mixing or production usually irritates me but for some reason I find the way its done on LU to really detract from the matches I'm watching. Even when I can see the crowd is super hot and into a match for some mildly inexplicable reason that I can't put my finger on, I feel like it effects the heat of the match. It feels a bit like I'm listening to piped in fan noise as opposed to anything more organic for some reason.

It might seem like a minor thing but I just can't get over it.

On top of this, I do find the sheer amount of episodes that constitute a seasons worth of American TV to be utterly punishing. I can handle 12/13 episodes per season of, say, an HBO show, but even when I watch series I adore like Seinfeld or Battlestar Galactica it just feels like a war of attrition. Bare in mind I'm English and for the most part, at least traditionally, most of our drama or comedy shows rarely extend beyond six episodes at a time and I think LU is something insane like 30 plus episodes a season...

Before anyone makes the perfectly justified comment that this doesn't stop me watching one to three hours of RAW every week for the past 15-20 years, that's different. RAW is by definition a never ending soap opera, not a self contained series.

Are these things barriers to anyone else's enjoyment of LU or is it just me?

I still watch all the highly pimped matches and really enjoy them but I've never yet managed to get a good streak of back to back watching going with the product quite yet for the reasons outlined above.