BRM Reviews the 4/15/2015 Lucha Underground

[Big Red Machine]

DARIO CUETO & AERO STAR MEET ON THE ROOF- well… now I’m a bit wary of what this “unique opportunity” is.

TRIOS TOURNAMENT FIRST-ROUND MATCH: Cage, El Texano Jr., & King Cuerno vs. Johnny Mundo, Hernandez, & Prince Puma- 7/10
Puma is again mocking Cuerno’s headdress gimmick. That’s douchy.
So Cuerno is just randomly given a title match and loses… then pins the champion the next week? Does that seem a little backwards to anyone else?

DARIO BOOKS A THREE-WAY MATCH- thus allowing the heel to look brave and valiant by fighting two fresh guys even though he himself has just wrestled. That’s backwards, too.

TRIPLE THREAT MATCH: Cage vs. The Mack vs. Son of Havoc- 6/10
All spots. Not bad, but… I just don’t see what the point of it was. I’d have much rather had more time for the opener or the main event or had a video package to advance another story, like the Matanza/Black Lotus stuff or Sexy Star vs. Pentagon Jr or a segment where Angelico/Son of Havoc/Ivelisse try to decide that they will work together but end up arguing. Or even just a match with some guys that aren’t doing anything at the moment. Where has Chavo been? Where are Fenix and Catrina. What’s up with Mil Muertes now? What’s Alberto El Patron up to?

DARIO CUETO & DRAGO SEGMENT- pointless, but I got a good laugh.
“Drago. I remember the first time we spoke. It was in this very bathroom.” I laughed my ass off. Also, I was quite surprised that Dario actually used the dirty dingy bathroom. He seems like the kind of guy who has his own private bathroom that he keeps immaculately clean.

PENTAGON JR. & SEXY STAR FEUD BUILD-
I like how Pentagon Jr. dragged her around the ring TWICE before Vampiro decided that he was going to get up and do something about it. What a f*cking idiot. This was one of those times where the guy has to do way too much stuff to kill time so that the babyface can come out and make the save in such a way that it doesn’t look like the babyface was just standing there at Gorilla when the whole thing started, and as a result it didn’t come off quite as well as it should have. It was still very good, but between Pentagon uncharacteristically throwing Melissa Santos around rather than just going for the arm breaker and Vampiro waiting forever before deciding to do something, it just came off to me as extremely obvious that there were waiting for Sexy Star to run out and make the save. I think it would have been better to have Vampiro immediately go and save Melissa only to get taken down himself and then have Sexy Star come out and save him (Pentagon Jr. needing to lay some beating on a legend before being able to break his arm makes a lot more sense than him needing to lay in a beating before doing it to the helpless untrained ring announcer).
Also, Sexy Star’s dialogue SUCKS. “I’m not afraid of you! I’m not!” COME ON! Can we please have her say something that sounds like a badass (maybe something along line the lines of “you wanna fight? Come at me!”) rather than something that makes her sound like someone desperately pretending to be a badass. I mean come on! She’s supposed to be a professional fighter!


FINAL MATCH IN THEIR BEST OF FIVE SERIES FOR A “UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY”: Aero Star vs. Drago- 6.5/10
Dario did the intros for this match. Strangely, he didn’t mention that this was a No DQs, no Count-outs match. I say strangely because later on in the match, when Drago pulled out a table, Striker told us that this match was No DQs, No Count-outs per Dario’s orders.
Aero Star overshot his hive and appeared to land right on his forehead. He seems okay, so that’s good. The match was good, but I really wish they’d gotten more time so that they could really give us something worthy of blow-off months in the making.

WHAT IS DRAGO’S UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY?- he gets a Lucha Underground Title shot… but if he loss, he is banished from Lucha Underground forever. I don’t see them taking the belt off of Prince Puma, so I guess this is the end for Drago, which makes me sad.

Striker talks to us about “how sacred the masks are.” Throughout the entirety of this show there was NO MENTION WHATSOEVER of Super Fly losing his mask last week.

A good show from Lucha Underground, but it felt like it should have been more than that. Also, I think Shawn Daivari is in the crowd and they cut to him a lot.

[cero2k]

TRIOS TOURNAMENT FIRST-ROUND MATCH: Cage, El Texano Jr., & King Cuerno vs. Johnny Mundo, Hernandez, & Prince Puma- 7/10
Puma is again mocking Cuerno’s headdress gimmick. That’s douchy.
i don't take it as mocking him at all, those ornaments are from the Aztec times that the warriors would use for their battles, so i just take it as Puma has achieved an honorable warrior status in LU. I blame it on commentary that they make it seem like he's mocking Cuerno

DARIO BOOKS A THREE-WAY MATCH- thus allowing the heel to look brave and valiant by fighting two fresh guys even though he himself has just wrestled. That’s backwards, too.
Backwards is what makes LU so unique sometimes.

TRIPLE THREAT MATCH: Cage vs. The Mack vs. Son of Havoc- 6/10
All spots. Not bad, but… I just don’t see what the point of it was. I’d have much rather had more time for the opener or the main event or had a video package to advance another story, like the Matanza/Black Lotus stuff or Sexy Star vs. Pentagon Jr or a segment where Angelico/Son of Havoc/Ivelisse try to decide that they will work together but end up arguing. Or even just a match with some guys that aren’t doing anything at the moment. Where has Chavo been? Where are Fenix and Catrina. What’s up with Mil Muertes now? What’s Alberto El Patron up to?
i thought the same thing, but with the exception of a brawl between all teams, this was a good way to (1) remind you who is in the match, and (2) to further build Cuerno's team as the unstoppable heel team so they can play an underdog story with Havoc's team maybe?

DARIO CUETO & DRAGO SEGMENT- pointless, but I got a good laugh.
“Drago. I remember the first time we spoke. It was in this very bathroom.” I laughed my ass off. Also, I was quite surprised that Dario actually used the dirty dingy bathroom. He seems like the kind of guy who has his own private bathroom that he keeps immaculately clean.
if Aerostar got one, it was just fair Drago got one too

PENTAGON JR. & SEXY STAR FEUD BUILD-
I like how Pentagon Jr. dragged her around the ring TWICE before Vampiro decided that he was going to get up and do something about it. What a f*cking idiot. This was one of those times where the guy has to do way too much stuff to kill time so that the babyface can come out and make the save in such a way that it doesn’t look like the babyface was just standing there at Gorilla when the whole thing started, and as a result it didn’t come off quite as well as it should have. It was still very good, but between Pentagon uncharacteristically throwing Melissa Santos around rather than just going for the arm breaker and Vampiro waiting forever before deciding to do something, it just came off to me as extremely obvious that there were waiting for Sexy Star to run out and make the save. I think it would have been better to have Vampiro immediately go and save Melissa only to get taken down himself and then have Sexy Star come out and save him (Pentagon Jr. needing to lay some beating on a legend before being able to break his arm makes a lot more sense than him needing to lay in a beating before doing it to the helpless untrained ring announcer).
Also, Sexy Star’s dialogue SUCKS. “I’m not afraid of you! I’m not!” COME ON! Can we please have her say something that sounds like a badass (maybe something along line the lines of “you wanna fight? Come at me!”) rather than something that makes her sound like someone desperately pretending to be a badass. I mean come on! She’s supposed to be a professional fighter!
I actually thought this was 144% perfectly executed.

- Melissa Santos sold the shit out of this and her acting was smart, not the typical i'm trapped by the ropes, no, she actually tried to escape as soon as she could.

- Pentagon is always awesome, and it makes sense he didn't immediately break the arm, he likes to set them up middle of the ring and look at the camera

- Sexy Star, as you said, took time getting there, which made it seem more natural, and for what it's worth, what she said in Spanish was actually quite appropriate and good, it's the kind of thing you would tell a bully, i didn't really pay attention to the subtitles, but i can believe they didn't really capture the feeling of the words

- Vampiro, yeah, he was slow as fuck, but it also makes perfect sense, seems natural as real life. He's an announcer, he shouldn't be jumping on the ring without thinking about consequences or just to any reaction, but at least he got up and was ready to fight. I think this was a natural reaction to someone being caught off guard. You should be hating on Striker who didn't even lift a finger.


A good show from Lucha Underground, but it felt like it should have been more than that. Also, I think Shawn Daivari is in the crowd and they cut to him a lot.
it does seem like he'll be some sort of middle eastern investor type of guy, which seems more manager type than luchador, we'll see

[Big Red Machine]

TRIOS TOURNAMENT FIRST-ROUND MATCH: Cage, El Texano Jr., & King Cuerno vs. Johnny Mundo, Hernandez, & Prince Puma- 7/10
Puma is again mocking Cuerno’s headdress gimmick. That’s douchy.
i don't take it as mocking him at all, those ornaments are from the Aztec times that the warriors would use for their battles, so i just take it as Puma has achieved an honorable warrior status in LU. I blame it on commentary that they make it seem like he's mocking Cuerno
Then shouldn't everybody else be doing it, too?

DARIO BOOKS A THREE-WAY MATCH- thus allowing the heel to look brave and valiant by fighting two fresh guys even though he himself has just wrestled. That’s backwards, too.
Backwards is what makes LU so unique sometimes.
Except that it doesn't seem to be in the service of telling a good story. It's the detailed storytelling and overall mystery and backstage segments that made LU so unique.
TRIPLE THREAT MATCH: Cage vs. The Mack vs. Son of Havoc- 6/10
All spots. Not bad, but… I just don’t see what the point of it was. I’d have much rather had more time for the opener or the main event or had a video package to advance another story, like the Matanza/Black Lotus stuff or Sexy Star vs. Pentagon Jr or a segment where Angelico/Son of Havoc/Ivelisse try to decide that they will work together but end up arguing. Or even just a match with some guys that aren’t doing anything at the moment. Where has Chavo been? Where are Fenix and Catrina. What’s up with Mil Muertes now? What’s Alberto El Patron up to?
i thought the same thing, but with the exception of a brawl between all teams, this was a good way to (1) remind you who is in the match, and (2) to further build Cuerno's team as the unstoppable heel team so they can play an underdog story with Havoc's team maybe?
Maybe, but I think video package would have done a better job at both reminding us who was in the match (because I had honestly forgotten than Ryck's team was in it) and at building up a story. This feels like what every other promotion (aside from ROH and the Gabe Promotions) would have done, and LU is at its best when it doesn't feel like its just another promotion.

DARIO CUETO & DRAGO SEGMENT- pointless, but I got a good laugh.
“Drago. I remember the first time we spoke. It was in this very bathroom.” I laughed my ass off. Also, I was quite surprised that Dario actually used the dirty dingy bathroom. He seems like the kind of guy who has his own private bathroom that he keeps immaculately clean.
if Aerostar got one, it was just fair Drago got one too
Okay, but don't have Dario be the guy coming out of the stall and pulling his pants up. Just have him walk in on Drago contemplating himself in the mirror.

PENTAGON JR. & SEXY STAR FEUD BUILD-
I like how Pentagon Jr. dragged her around the ring TWICE before Vampiro decided that he was going to get up and do something about it. What a f*cking idiot. This was one of those times where the guy has to do way too much stuff to kill time so that the babyface can come out and make the save in such a way that it doesn’t look like the babyface was just standing there at Gorilla when the whole thing started, and as a result it didn’t come off quite as well as it should have. It was still very good, but between Pentagon uncharacteristically throwing Melissa Santos around rather than just going for the arm breaker and Vampiro waiting forever before deciding to do something, it just came off to me as extremely obvious that there were waiting for Sexy Star to run out and make the save. I think it would have been better to have Vampiro immediately go and save Melissa only to get taken down himself and then have Sexy Star come out and save him (Pentagon Jr. needing to lay some beating on a legend before being able to break his arm makes a lot more sense than him needing to lay in a beating before doing it to the helpless untrained ring announcer).
Also, Sexy Star’s dialogue SUCKS. “I’m not afraid of you! I’m not!” COME ON! Can we please have her say something that sounds like a badass (maybe something along line the lines of “you wanna fight? Come at me!”) rather than something that makes her sound like someone desperately pretending to be a badass. I mean come on! She’s supposed to be a professional fighter!
I actually thought this was 144% perfectly executed.

- Melissa Santos sold the shit out of this and her acting was smart, not the typical i'm trapped by the ropes, no, she actually tried to escape as soon as she could.

- Pentagon is always awesome, and it makes sense he didn't immediately break the arm, he likes to set them up middle of the ring and look at the camera
Melissa was good, but this is already the second time I've had this problem with Pentagon doing a bad job of making it look good when he is trying to kill time for a babyface to get out there (the was a segment where he and Chavo were going to hit Sexy Star with a chair and he held the chair up in a horribly unnatural way for a very long time just to make sure it was in the right position when someone kicked it into his face to make the save. It just screamed "I'M SETTING UP A SPOT!"

- Sexy Star, as you said, took time getting there, which made it seem more natural, and for what it's worth, what she said in Spanish was actually quite appropriate and good, it's the kind of thing you would tell a bully, i didn't really pay attention to the subtitles, but i can believe they didn't really capture the feeling of the words
Then they need to get sub-title writers who can, because this was eye-rollingly bad.
- Vampiro, yeah, he was slow as fuck, but it also makes perfect sense, seems natural as real life. He's an announcer, he shouldn't be jumping on the ring without thinking about consequences or just to any reaction, but at least he got up and was ready to fight. I think this was a natural reaction to someone being caught off guard. You should be hating on Striker who didn't even lift a finger.
I have kind of erased the career of Matt Striker: wrestler from my mind when it comes to Matt Striker: announcer. I can understand him not doing anything and being afraid. My issue with Vamp was that what he said made it sound like he had just now decided that this was wrong and needed a stop to it, rather than that it caught him off guard.


A good show from Lucha Underground, but it felt like it should have been more than that. Also, I think Shawn Daivari is in the crowd and they cut to him a lot.
it does seem like he'll be some sort of middle eastern investor type of guy, which seems more manager type than luchador, we'll see
They tried that with him in ROH and it lasted about two shows before he was just another wrestler. I'm not optimistic.

[cero2k]

i don't take it as mocking him at all, those ornaments are from the Aztec times that the warriors would use for their battles, so i just take it as Puma has achieved an honorable warrior status in LU. I blame it on commentary that they make it seem like he's mocking Cuerno
Then shouldn't everybody else be doing it, too?
no, definitely not, not everyone is booked as Aztec warrior type of gimmick, only other guy i would expect would be Black Lotus' master, but that's it.

DARIO BOOKS A THREE-WAY MATCH- thus allowing the heel to look brave and valiant by fighting two fresh guys even though he himself has just wrestled. That’s backwards, too.
Backwards is what makes LU so unique sometimes.
Except that it doesn't seem to be in the service of telling a good story. It's the detailed storytelling and overall mystery and backstage segments that made LU so unique.
but it doesn't hurt either, making a heel look strong and overcome odds shouldn't be seen as off or backwards.

TRIPLE THREAT MATCH: Cage vs. The Mack vs. Son of Havoc- 6/10
All spots. Not bad, but… I just don’t see what the point of it was. I’d have much rather had more time for the opener or the main event or had a video package to advance another story, like the Matanza/Black Lotus stuff or Sexy Star vs. Pentagon Jr or a segment where Angelico/Son of Havoc/Ivelisse try to decide that they will work together but end up arguing. Or even just a match with some guys that aren’t doing anything at the moment. Where has Chavo been? Where are Fenix and Catrina. What’s up with Mil Muertes now? What’s Alberto El Patron up to?
i thought the same thing, but with the exception of a brawl between all teams, this was a good way to (1) remind you who is in the match, and (2) to further build Cuerno's team as the unstoppable heel team so they can play an underdog story with Havoc's team maybe?
Maybe, but I think video package would have done a better job at both reminding us who was in the match (because I had honestly forgotten than Ryck's team was in it) and at building up a story. This feels like what every other promotion (aside from ROH and the Gabe Promotions) would have done, and LU is at its best when it doesn't feel like its just another promotion.
100% agree with you, i also felt this match was unnecessary, but i do see the purpose of doing it, plus it was a good match, i won't complain. I would still have had each guy have their trio out there, maybe even get involved and give us a no finish

DARIO CUETO & DRAGO SEGMENT- pointless, but I got a good laugh.
“Drago. I remember the first time we spoke. It was in this very bathroom.” I laughed my ass off. Also, I was quite surprised that Dario actually used the dirty dingy bathroom. He seems like the kind of guy who has his own private bathroom that he keeps immaculately clean.
if Aerostar got one, it was just fair Drago got one too
Okay, but don't have Dario be the guy coming out of the stall and pulling his pants up. Just have him walk in on Drago contemplating himself in the mirror.
We need to be reminded that Dario is not a god and goes to the restroom like the rest of us


Melissa was good, but this is already the second time I've had this problem with Pentagon doing a bad job of making it look good when he is trying to kill time for a babyface to get out there (the was a segment where he and Chavo were going to hit Sexy Star with a chair and he held the chair up in a horribly unnatural way for a very long time just to make sure it was in the right position when someone kicked it into his face to make the save. It just screamed "I'M SETTING UP A SPOT!"
that time yes, but Pentagon + Melissa working together didn't make it feel that way here, at least i didn't feel it

I have kind of erased the career of Matt Striker: wrestler from my mind when it comes to Matt Striker: announcer. I can understand him not doing anything and being afraid. My issue with Vamp was that what he said made it sound like he had just now decided that this was wrong and needed a stop to it, rather than that it caught him off guard.
could be the case too, it was the first time a non-wrestler got attacked like that. I remember he was pissed off too when Mundo punched Dario.

A good show from Lucha Underground, but it felt like it should have been more than that. Also, I think Shawn Daivari is in the crowd and they cut to him a lot.
it does seem like he'll be some sort of middle eastern investor type of guy, which seems more manager type than luchador, we'll see
They tried that with him in ROH and it lasted about two shows before he was just another wrestler. I'm not optimistic.
This was also prior to Delirious' new run too, right? I just have faith in LU that they'll make it work, so far they have a good track record in using everyone correctly, i don't feel there are wasted roster spots

[Big Red Machine]

i don't take it as mocking him at all, those ornaments are from the Aztec times that the warriors would use for their battles, so i just take it as Puma has achieved an honorable warrior status in LU. I blame it on commentary that they make it seem like he's mocking Cuerno
Then shouldn't everybody else be doing it, too?
no, definitely not, not everyone is booked as Aztec warrior type of gimmick, only other guy i would expect would be Black Lotus' master, but that's it.
I thought that all of the Luchadors (or at least the masked ones) are supposed to be that.

DARIO BOOKS A THREE-WAY MATCH- thus allowing the heel to look brave and valiant by fighting two fresh guys even though he himself has just wrestled. That’s backwards, too.
Backwards is what makes LU so unique sometimes.
Except that it doesn't seem to be in the service of telling a good story. It's the detailed storytelling and overall mystery and backstage segments that made LU so unique.
but it doesn't hurt either, making a heel look strong and overcome odds shouldn't be seen as off or backwards.
Strong? Yes. But putting him at a disadvantage for no reason? Shouldn't do it. This match didn't come off to me as if the point of it was to prove that Cage could overcome odds. It was just a match them to do three-way spots in.

TRIPLE THREAT MATCH: Cage vs. The Mack vs. Son of Havoc- 6/10
All spots. Not bad, but… I just don’t see what the point of it was. I’d have much rather had more time for the opener or the main event or had a video package to advance another story, like the Matanza/Black Lotus stuff or Sexy Star vs. Pentagon Jr or a segment where Angelico/Son of Havoc/Ivelisse try to decide that they will work together but end up arguing. Or even just a match with some guys that aren’t doing anything at the moment. Where has Chavo been? Where are Fenix and Catrina. What’s up with Mil Muertes now? What’s Alberto El Patron up to?
i thought the same thing, but with the exception of a brawl between all teams, this was a good way to (1) remind you who is in the match, and (2) to further build Cuerno's team as the unstoppable heel team so they can play an underdog story with Havoc's team maybe?
Maybe, but I think video package would have done a better job at both reminding us who was in the match (because I had honestly forgotten than Ryck's team was in it) and at building up a story. This feels like what every other promotion (aside from ROH and the Gabe Promotions) would have done, and LU is at its best when it doesn't feel like its just another promotion.
100% agree with you, i also felt this match was unnecessary, but i do see the purpose of doing it, plus it was a good match, i won't complain. I would still have had each guy have their trio out there, maybe even get involved and give us a no finish
That would have been better.

DARIO CUETO & DRAGO SEGMENT- pointless, but I got a good laugh.
“Drago. I remember the first time we spoke. It was in this very bathroom.” I laughed my ass off. Also, I was quite surprised that Dario actually used the dirty dingy bathroom. He seems like the kind of guy who has his own private bathroom that he keeps immaculately clean.
if Aerostar got one, it was just fair Drago got one too
Okay, but don't have Dario be the guy coming out of the stall and pulling his pants up. Just have him walk in on Drago contemplating himself in the mirror.
We need to be reminded that Dario is not a god and goes to the restroom like the rest of us
I'm not saying he doesn't crap. I'm saying he seems like the type of guy who wouldn't put his ass on a dirty toilet seat in a dingy bathroom.


A good show from Lucha Underground, but it felt like it should have been more than that. Also, I think Shawn Daivari is in the crowd and they cut to him a lot.
it does seem like he'll be some sort of middle eastern investor type of guy, which seems more manager type than luchador, we'll see
They tried that with him in ROH and it lasted about two shows before he was just another wrestler. I'm not optimistic.
This was also prior to Delirious' new run too, right? I just have faith in LU that they'll make it work, so far they have a good track record in using everyone correctly, i don't feel there are wasted roster spots
He was brought in during the Pearce Era in 2010, and was one of the guys who was gone after Delirious took over (along with the rest of the Embassy).