Lucha Underground – Episode #36: The Beginning Of The End

Lucha Underground – Episode #36: The Beginning Of The End
Date: July 15, 2015
Location: Lucha Underground Temple, Boyle Heights, CA
Commentators: Matt Striker, Vampiro
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Previously on Lucha Underground…

Dario Cueto began giving out Aztec Medallions that he promised would make one warrior as powerful as the gods themselves. Sexy Star unmasked Super Fly in a Lucha de Apuestas match. Super Fly defeated Sexy Star upon his return from injury. Dario Cueto promised the best fights for Ultima Lucha. Pentagon Jr. attempted to force Vampiro to face him at Ultima Lucha.

We open in Dario Cueto’s office as he admires an Aztec medallion. Cueto promises that he will give away three more medallions tonight. The camera pans up to reveal him talking to Pentagon Jr. Cueto asks Pentagon if he’s sure he does not want to compete for a medallion. Pentagon shakes his head. Cueto tells Pentagon he is considering giving him one just for the terror that Pentagon has unleashed on the temple. Cueto reminds Pentagon that the medallions are a key to a power that might be of great interest to Pentagon and his master. Pentagon responds that him and his master don’t care about the medallions. Pentagon tells Cueto that if his master wanted the medallions, Pentagon would have broken Cueto’s arm and taken them all. Cueto asks what Pentagon and his master want. Pentagon replies he wants to destroy Vampiro. Pentagon says he’s going to force Vampiro to accept his challenge tonight and face him at Ultima Lucha, and if Vampiro will not face him, he will show Ian Hodgkinson (Vamp’s real name) why he is Cero Miedo. As Pentagon exits, Cueto asks when he will get to meet Pentagon’s master. Pentagon replies the master will reveal himself when Pentagon is ready. Pentagon’s charisma is off the charts. This guy is seriously a fantastic performer.

Matt Striker and Vampiro welcome us to the show while Mexican Dubwiser plays on the bandstand. Striker teases a face to face confrontation between Prince Puma and Mil Muertes, moderated by Dario Cueto, in the ring tonight. Striker then says our first of three Aztec medallion matches will take place right now.

Match #1 – Aztec Medallion Match: Bengala vs. Delavar Daivari (w/ Big Ryck)

This is just the second appearance of Bengala, I believe. Daivari makes his way to the ring with a lowball glass of liquor and flings the drink at the crowd. Vampiro says “I just want to go and kick this guy in the face as hard as I can.” Me too, Vamp. Me too.

Bengala starts by grabbing Daivari’s arm, and does a sitdown springboard off the top rope, into an arm drag, which immediately sends Daivari running to the outside. Bengala follows up with a cool looking tope through ropes that wipes Daivari out. Bengala slides Daivari back into the ring and climbs to the top, but Daivari pulls the referee down to look at his eye, allowing Big Ryck to shove Bengala off the top rope. Daivari immediately gets to his feet and goes for a cover for a near fall.

Daivari follows up with knees to the back, followed by a dropkick to the back, and another cover for two. Daivari throws Bengala to the outside and distracts the referee again while Ryck hits Bengala again. Daivari slides Bengala back into the ring and covers again for another near fall. Daivari goes for a back suplex, and Bengala flips out of it. Bengala ducks a clothesline, and hits a flip into the ropes with a bounce back into a back elbow that takes Daivari down. After the two trade blows, Bengala hits a DDT into a small package for a close two count.

Daivari escapes to the corner after the pin, and Bengala charges, but Daivari catches him with a boot to the face. Daivari charges with a clothesline, but Bengala ducks it and catches Daivari clean with a superkick for a two count. Bengala goes for a whip, which Daivari reverses, but Bengala uses the momentum from the reversal to fly over the top rope in a suicide dive onto Big Ryck, taking him out. Bengala celebrates and then climbs to the top rope, but Daivari jumps up to meet him and hits a superplex, and then covers for two.

Daivari motions for Big Ryck and Ryck climbs onto the apron. Daivari goes to shove Bengala towards Big Ryck so Ryck can level Bengala with a punch, but Bengala reverses it and Ryck clubs Daivari. Bengala rolls Daivari into a pin, but keeps rolling, and pulls Daivari up into a german suplex, hits it, and bridges it for the pin.

Winner: Bengala via pinfall
Rating: *1/4
Reaction: The match wasn’t given a ton of time, but it was one of Daivari’s better ones since he arrived in Lucha Underground. Bengala has shown a lot of promise between this and his Trios match debut. I’d like to see what he can do against a better opponent.

After the match, Ryck chases Bengala out of the ring.

Striker again teases the Puma/Muertes summit for later tonight. Striker asks Vampiro for his thoughts on that, and Vampiro abruptly says he has to do something, takes off his headset, and gets up from the announce table. Vamp heads to the ring, as Striker throws it to commercial.

Commercial Break

Vampiro is in the ring with the house mic. Vamp says he spent 30 years of his life traveling the world and wrestling. Vamp says over the last couple of weeks, Pentagon Jr has been pushing him to do one more match. Vamp says his time has come and gone, and even though Pentagon came here last week and covered him in gasoline and tried to light him on fire, he can dig that, because it reminds Vamp of himself.

Pentagon’s music hits, and Pentagon makes his way to the ring and grabs a mic. In Spanish, Pentagon tells Vamp to stop crying. Pentagon says he came here demanding an answer, and tells Vamp that if he isn’t scared, face him at Ultima Lucha. Vampiro says that his name is Ian Hodgkinson. Pentagon interrupts Vamp, mocking his name, and asks Vamp again if he’s going to face him. Vampiro again repeats that his time has passed, and says he loves his job at Lucha Underground. Vamp tells Pentagon that he will give him an answer. Vamp says that Ian Hodgkinson is not the guy that Pentagon will face at Ultima Lucha. With that, Vampiro turns his back to Pentagon Jr and starts to exit the ring, but stops. He continues, “Because, the guy who is going to kick your ass, his name is Vampiro!” Pentagon takes a swing at Vampiro, but Vamp grabs Pentagon by the throat and plants him with a chokeslam. The crowd goes nuts. Vamp immediately runs into the crowd and they gather around him chanting Vamp’s name. The level of over that both these guys are with this crowd is ridiculous. On a lesser show, this angle might be cringe inducing, but because the crowd treats these guys like such huge rockstars, especially Vampiro, it’s really coming off well. Pentagon is as charismatic a star as there is in the company and he doesn’t speak a word of English (at least on the show).

Commercial Break

A camera pans a row of lockers. Sexy Star is eventually revealed, suiting up for a match. She reaches into a purse in front of her, and pulls out Super Fly’s mask. She looks at it with a pained look on her face. Clips of the Sexy Star/Super Fly Lucha de Apuestas match are cut into the vignette. Sexy Star sets down Super Fly’s mask and walks off camera.

Back in the temple, Vampiro rocks back and forth at the desk, sweating after his confrontation. Striker tells Vamp he looks fired up. Vamp says “I’m freaking out, brother. I’m gonna kill somebody. I don’t need to wait until Ultima Lucha.” Striker tries to settle Vamp down and throws it to the ring.

Match #2 – Aztec Medallion Match: King Cuerno vs. Killshot

Both men lock up and Cuerno backs Killshot into a corner before a break. Both men restart and Cuerno hits Killshot with kicks and a chops. Cuerno whips Killshot to a turnbuckle, but Killshot flips away from it, and hits Cuerno with a dropkick sending him into the turnbuckle. Killshot follows up with a back elbow, then a snap mare, then a single leg dropkick to the head, into a pin for a one count.

Killshot picks Cuerno up, and places him in a side headlock. Cuerno breaks the hold by shoving Killshot into the ropes. After two passes, Cuerno plants Killshot with a dropkick, sending Killshot to the outside. Cuerno signals for his tope and goes for it, but as he’s about to dive out, Killshot hits an enziguri to to the head that rocks Cuerno. Killshot climbs back onto the apron, leaps the top rope, rolls into a somersault, pops up, and hits a cutter/RKO, and covers for a two count.

Cuerno rolls outside to gather himself, and Killshot runs the ropes and leaps over the top into a handstand on the apron and then seamlessly flings himself into a hurricanrana from that position, and connects, flooring Cuerno on the outside. Killshot’s moveset here is really bizarre. Clearly his height helps him do some unique things. I’m not sure a shorter guy could pull off some of these moves as fluidly, considering how much ground he’s covering to execute them.

Killshot rolls Cuerno back into the ring, but Cuerno immediately rolls back through to the apron. Killshot goes to grab Cuerno, and Cuerno stuns him with an enziguri. Cuerno goes for a springboard, but Killshot answers back with his own enziguri. Killshot jumps up on the middle rope and grabs for Cuerno, but Cuerno kicks him, and drapes Killshot over the ropes. Cuerno picks Killshot up on his shoulder and powerslams him onto the apron, bouncing Killshot off of it and down to the floor. Holy shit, that looked awesome.

Cuerno rolls Killshot back into the ring, and stomps and kicks him into a corner. Cuerno goes to whip him out, but Killshot reverses it. Killshot charges Cuerno, but Cuerno backlifts Killshot over the corner to the apron. Killshot hits Cuerno with another enziguri, and then Killshot climbs to the top, and hits a high fly flow into a pin for a two count.

Killshot drives Cuerno headfirst into a corner, whips him out to another, and charges, but Cuerno jumps over and behind Killshot and runs for the ropes. Cuerno ducks a clothesline from Killshot, and comes back at him with a running knee. Cuerno then jumps up on Killshot’s shoulders and hits a reverse hurricanarana. Killshot bails to the outside. Cuerno signals for the tope again, and connects this time. Cuerno rolls Killshot back into the ring, and picks him up for Thrill Of The Hunt, but Killshot escapes and hits the ropes. As Killshot comes back to Cuerno, Cuerno hits a flap jack on Killshot and then places him in a surfboard submission, pulling back on Killshot’s neck, which forces Killshot to tap out.

Winner: King Cuerno via submission
Rating: **1/2
Reaction: Fun match. A bit more methodical than the matches we’re used to seeing on this show, but well thought out. I’m a big fan of Cuerno’s in ring work, and Killshot was definitely impressive here, offering some unique offense. Both Killshot and Bengala, guys who haven’t gotten a lot of burn so far this season have shown some promise here.

Matt Striker teases a Sexy Star/Super Fly rematch, which I guess is our in-ring main event for this evening. Oh boy.

Commerical Break

We’re back with more Mexican Dubwiser, including a guy playing an accordion dressed like M. Bison from Street Fighter. We go to the ring for our next match.

Match #3 – Aztec Medallion Match: Super Fly vs. Sexy Star

I was particularly harsh on their last match to the point where I think I said it was the worst match of the season. Let’s see how they do this time around.

Super Fly starts by pinching Sexy’s cheek, causing her to slap his hand away. Sexy hits a chop, but Super Fly responds with a dropkick. Fly grabs Sexy by her hair, but Sexy knees Fly in the balls, hits the ropes, and plants Fly with a tilt-a-whirl into an armbar. Fly taps out. WTF!

Winner: Sexy Star via submission
Rating: N/A
Reaction: Whoa.

After the match, Sexy kisses the medallion and holds it up for the crowd. All of a sudden, Marty The Moth comes stomping down to ringside and grabs the mic from Melissa Santos. Marty jumps in the ring, Aztec Pride shirt and all, and asks Sexy Star if he can call her Sexy. Marty then announces himself, and says he would like to see Sexy Star’s medallion. Marty snatches the medallion out of Sexy’s hand and says that this medallion represents Marty’s tribe, and that it’s only fair that Sexy Star give him a shot to win it right now, and bring it back to his ancestors. Marty taunts Sexy, and Sexy attacks Marty with chops and kicks. The referee calls for the bell starting the impromptu match.

Match #4 – Aztec Medallion Match: Sexy Star vs. Marty The Moth Martinez

Marty shoves Sexy off of him, but Sexy charges and continues to punch and kick him. Marty shoves Sexy off again and charges her in the corner, but Sexy moves out of the way and Marty hits the turnbuckle. Sexy climbs to the top rope, and leaps off into an arm drag taking Marty down.

Marty gets back to his feet and charges Sexy with a clothesline, but she ducks under it and comes back at him with a body scissor into an arm drag. Marty moves into a corner, and Sexy charges him, but Marty lifts her over the turnbuckle and out to the apron. Marty turns and goes to hit Sexy, but Sexy hits him in the midsection with a shoulder, and climbs to the top rope. Sexy goes for a flying crossbody, but Marty catches her and slams her. Marty covers her twice for two counts both times.

Marty picks Sexy up by her hair and yells at her, but Sexy kicks away Marty’s hand and chops him. Sexy hits the ropes, and ducks under a Marty clothesline before taking him down with a cross body for a near fall. Sexy hits the ropes again and charges Marty, but Marty takes Sexy down with a shoulder block. Marty then puts Sexy in a figure four. Sexy reverses the figure four, and Marty breaks the hold by grabbing the ropes. Sexy jumps to her feet immediately and charges Marty with a running kick. She grabs him by his hair and drags him to the middle of the ring. Marty tries to grab Sexy and lift her up, but Sexy reverses it into the tilt-a-whirl into an armbar again, and makes Marty tap out.

Winner: Sexy Star via submission
Rating: 3/4*
Reaction: Well if anyone thought LU may have started to sour on Sexy Star as one of their foundational pieces, this re-established her in a big way. It’s not that Super Fly or Marty are anything more than glorified jobbers, but Sexy making two guys tap out in two separate matches is a big push for her after losing the Pentagon feud. This also likely guarantees her spot for Ultima Lucha. I’m not the biggest Sexy Star fan. Her wrestling is really sloppy. But as I’ve said from the beginning, the way in which LU has tried to build her character is as strong an effort as any promotion has really put behind building a female character as a cornerstone star.

After the match, Sexy poses with the medallion, and Vampiro teases the Puma/Muertes summit.

Commercial Break

Striker runs down the Ultima Lucha card:
-Alberto El Patron vs. Johnny Mundo
-Texano vs. Blue Demon Jr
–Trios Championship: Son of Havoc, Ivelisse, and Angelico (c) vs. The Disciples of Death
-Drago vs. Hernandez
-Vampiro vs. Pentagon Jr
–Lucha Underground Championship: Prince Puma (c) vs. Mil Muertes

Dario Cueto is in the ring. The crowd showers him with El Jefe chants. Cueto tells the crowd that in three weeks, they will witness the biggest match in the history of Lucha Underground. Cueto says he’s a very impatient man, though, and it’s very hard for him to wait for three weeks, so he’s ordered the two men competing for the Lucha Underground Championship to face off right here tonight. Cueto introduces Puma who comes out sans Konnan. Cueto then introduces Mil Muertes who comes out sans Catrina.

Puma and Muertes stare each other down, while Cueto introduces them as the main event for Ultima Lucha. The camera cuts to the top of the stairs and we see Catrina standing up there. As Puma and Muertes get closer, Cueto giggles and says he can cut the tension with a machete. Cueto is the best. The two get face to face and Cueto gets in between them telling them to hold on, and that he doesn’t want this to come to blows.

Cueto then spies Catrina at the top of the temple stairs and tells her she has to leave. Catrina ignores him and makes her way down the stairs. From the locker room, The Disciples of Death start to roll a casket out to the ring. Puma surveys what’s happening and decides to attack Mil Muertes, hammering him with punches. Cueto flees the ring. Muertes plants Puma with a right hand, and the Disciples of Death hit the ring and join with Mil in putting the boots to Puma.

Konnan arrives from the back and starts yelling at the Disciples of Death. DOD backs Konnan into a corner and charge him, but Konnan takes them out with his pimp cane. Catrina then steps up to Konnan, and Konnan preps to hit her, but Mil Muertes comes up behind Konnan, snatches his cane, and drives it into Konnan’s stomach. Catrina’s arm is then grabbed by Puma, and Muertes turns to Puma and lays him out with the cane. Muertes stands Puma up and holds him in place. Catrina hits Konnan in the head with the rock she carries. Then she holds up the rock as the Disciples of Death roll Konnan into the casket. Catrina slams the lid shut on Konnan, as Mil holds Puma in place forcing him to watch. Muertes then hits Puma with a flatliner and poses with the cane and the Lucha Underground Championship. Perfectly fine angle to end the show. Mil continues to get the monster build, not really showing any vulnerability going into this match. If he prevails at Ultima Lucha, the story for a Season 2 really becomes who can challenge Mil Muertes.

Final Thoughts: A little bit of a clean up show in that they tried to settle most of the Aztec medallions tonight. We now have six medallion holders: Fenix, Jack Evans, Aerostar, Bengala, King Cuerno, and Sexy Star. That leaves one more to be decided, and then the reveal of what winning these medallions means (likely: a match between the winners). There was no real stand out match this week, although Cuerno/Killshot was decent. That said, nothing was really bad. The Vampiro/Pentagon segments continue to shine, and I’m about 75% in on the Puma/Muertes match. Muertes has been built fine. Puma feels like he’s coming in a little flat, which may be what is holding me back from being all in on that match. With Ultima Lucha just three weeks away, everything seems to be falling into place for a good finale.