Wrestling at its finest and television at its greatest Lucha Underground returned to our screens last week and instantly picked up where it left off last year by carrying on the epic and exciting storylines that made it must watch TV.
We open with a fantastic grindhouse style movie of Vampiro’s rehab. His eery calmness hides his violent memories and thoughts as he kills the doctors in his mind before he is granted his release on the condition he does not return to the people and the places that caused his return to the dark side.
New proprietor Catrina now resides in Dario Cueto’s office and turned it into a shrine of evil complete with candles, lotions, potions and goat heads an all. The Temple in a much darker place this time round and I dig it.
The action kicks off like only Lucha Underground can do, with a Gift from the Gods Championship match pitting title holder, Fenix vs King Cuerno as Mil Muertes watches the proceedings from a black throne aloft the ring entrance like an evil Zeus from a human skull decorated dark Olympus.
The match was the usual high standard of high-flying, strong-style Lucha Libre that fans of the show have become accustomed to. The action went back forth with both competitors pulling of a string of near falls after top rope and impressive power moves until Cuerno hit a cradled twisting tombstone for the win.
The best trio in wrestling, Team Havoc return to The Temple and are met by the sultry Catrina who informs them they are to face each other in match and the victor will receive a title shot. Tonight. Oh hells yeah!
The 3-way match is met with rapturous applause and did not disappoint. The action was thick and fast telling the story of the miss-matched trio in a fury of violence, comedy and fun. Son of Havoc was as always impressive, Angelico as acrobatic as ever and Ivelisse proving she can easily hang with big boys by getting the pin fall with a cradle to become number one contender.
After a brief vignette shows Black Lotus luring three unsuspecting bros to the “underground fight club” we return as Mil Muertes slowly rising from his throne of death to face a worried looking Ivallese now supported by her Team Havoc teammates. However the Disciples of Death enter and quickly dispose of her backup as the giant Mil Muertes forces her to watch before tossing her to the ground.
The referee holds the title aloft as Lucha Underground is about to make history. Ivelisse unloads with a flurry of elbows and kicks that do no damage and she is disposed of with a clubbing forearm to the back. The beat down continues as Mil Muertes smashes and throws her around the ring with ease until Ivelisse snaps on a armbar and spikes Muertes with a vicious 360 tornado DDT for a close fall. Catrina enters the ring for a distraction, which backfires as Ivelisse’s sharp movements means Catrina falls victim to Mil Muertes’ spear allowing Ivelisse to attempt roll up for another near fall as the crowd goes wild. The time for games is over and after a huge power slam and a flatliner Muertes pins his valiant opponent. But the assault hasn’t finished yet and as Mil Muertes sets a barely conscious Ivelisse for a second flatliner to a chorus of boos that turn to cheers when fan favourite and breakout star of last year, Prince Puma makes the save and gets one over on his on the only opponent to defeat him in series one.
Puma and Ivelisse make their exit and exchange fierce looks with Mil Muertes until Pentagon Jr strikes and hits Muertes with a Codebreaker and does what he does best and breaks his arm with a Fugiwara armbar as his master, Vampiro looks on.
Black Lotus returns to Dario Cueto with the unsuspecting dudes and after paying $20 each they enter the warehouse one turns back and asks “who’s fighting tonight?” Cueto smirks and replies “you are” as he shuts the door on their blood curdling screams. Nice.
I watched with a smile on my face from start to finish as the best wrestling show triumphantly returned to TV. There was everything and more one would want from an episode top notch action, fantastic story line and character development, and uber cool vignettes.
It is storylines like Ivelisse vs Mil Muertes for the Lucha Underground Championship that make Lucha Underground so special. There is no weight class, no mid-card, no divisions because of gender, it is a world without barriers and therefore the most free and exciting wrestling on the planet.