Since its debut in the Wrestling world, Lucha Underground has grabbed the attention of fans worldwide and we have been lucky enough to witness several fantastic matches jam packed full of excellent storytelling, brilliant character work, and simply amazing must-see wrestling. With season four only recently kick-starting we have more to look forward to in the coming months but we here at SteelChair believe its time to take a look back and reflect on what the company has given us so far and have decided to list our top ten Lucha Underground matches of all time! Diving into some of the standout matches from Season one to season four it’s time to take a walk down memory lane.
Fenix VS Marty the Moth Martinez – Victoria Tezangi
One of the most personal and intense rivalries fans witnessed from Season three of Lucha Underground was, of course, Marty the Moth Martinez vs Fenix and their collision at Ultima Lucha Tres has gone down as one of the best matches In Lucha Underground history. The story between these stars really did have the time to grow. Fans were able to witness their intense rivalry grow over the course of weeks where we saw the pair develop a more personal rivalry. Adding the involvement of Melisa Santos and Mariposa and we really did have a must-see feud with so much potential. This match was blood thirsty, saw both men own a certain amount of control of the action and with Fenix being such a top face in the company fans rallied behind him and the satisfying ending was a perfect conclusion to their story.
Taya vs Brian Cage (Season 2, Episode 7) – Steph Franchomme
Intergender matches have been one of Lucha Underground specificities. Ever since Season One, the company has made the tradition of Lucha Libre grow, and a man facing a woman has been a part of this tradition. Putting a monster like Brian Cage is front of Taya, who was used to wrestle against men in Mexico, could be considered as a suicidal act. This match was a Boyles Height Street Fight, which means weapons were allowed. It could have been something awful, unbearable to watch. Brian Cage and Taya made it a moment of majesty. Because Brian Cage watched Taya as a wrestler and a fighter, not as a woman. So, they dished out a great deal of punishment and nothing was off limits. That night, they set the bar extremely high for anyone who wants to compete in intergender competition. They were teaching how to do it properly
Mariposa vs Sexy Star – Victoria Tezangi
Women in Lucha Underground have been paving the way from the get-go, taking the women’s Revolution that has been going on in the world of pro wrestling to new heights. A prime example of this exact statement is the one on one contest between Mariposa and Sexy Star. Taking Place back in season two the two women had established yet another personal rivalry and collided for the final time in one heck of a must-see main event. Putting it all on the line these two women pushed each other to new heights. We got an insight as to just how personal this rivalry was when we saw Mariposa attempt to remove the mask of Sexy Star several times throughout this match but this contest really did highlight how far women in this company are willing to push themselves. Wrestling all around the temple bodies was flying everywhere & these women raised the bar to brand new heights
Johnny Mundo vs The Mack (Season 3, Episode 20) – Steph Franchomme
The first part of Season 3 ended with The Mack being #1 contender for the Lucha Underground Championship and Champion Johnny Mundo making the choice to defend the title in an All Night Long Iron Man match, but fans had to wait five months late to be able to watch this match! The Mack is a big man, he’s agile and a master in high-flying moves while Mundo had his gang, The Worldwide Underground, with him. The Mack, of course, had the backing of the believers. This match was like a good movie, with all the twists and turns you can expect from it. Interferences, weapons, and in the end a 3-3 draw result that led to another match the following week (this time a Falls Count Anywhere match). If Johnny Mundo was already a star, that night The Mack became one, by being the superhero of the movie, he was the star of.
Prince Puma vs. Johnny Mundo (All Night Long) –Tim Birkbeck
As each episode is only an hour long it was very brave of the product to have just one match take up that slot. So for Prince Puma and Johnny Mundo to go all night long for the Lucha Underground championship it had to be something pretty special. Essentially an iron man match, it showcased what these two are best at – their high-flying aerial ability – but also showed a new side that many casual wrestling fans were not used to. There is a bit of a formulaic nature to the match in that the Heel Mundo takes, what you would think is a dominant, early lead going 4-1 up. But with the babyface fighting from the bottom Puma manages to pull things back, but it true Lucha Underground style this isn’t without some insane spots in the crowd. And with barely 13 seconds left before the show goes off air the believers are given what they want when Puma hits the 630 to come out victorious 5-3
Prince Puma vs Pentagon Dark – Career vs Title match (Ultima Lucha Tres – Season 3) – Steph Franchomme
One of the best matches Lucha Underground has ever produced is also one of the most heart-wrenching. Prince Puma was the first Champion of the company and that night he was set to compete against current Champion Johnny Mundo in a Career vs. Title match. As the rumours were spreading high that Ricochet/Prince Puma was about to sign with WWE, it was written in the stone something would happen in the very last episode of an amazing Season 3. After an excellent match against Mundo, Puma was a 2-time Lucha Underground Champion. But here came the swerve. Dario Cueto got out of his office and made another Career vs. Title match. Prince Puma was set to defend against the new Star of the Temple and crowd favourite, Pentagon Dark. He immediately worked on breaking his arm. The Vampiro interference was expected but that night Pentagon was meant to become Champion. And Prince Puma to leave the Temple forever. The image of the man leaving and his mask falling was so beautiful everyone who saw will always remember it.
Aztec Warfare II – Victoria Tezangi
Every single Aztec Warfare has been of such a high standard and never seems to disappoint, however, there has been one in particular that has stood out massively and gone down by many as an all-time Lucha Underground great. Consisting of Fenix kick starting, Rey Mysterio making his Underground debut, Joey Ryan handcuffing himself to the barricade, and the growing tensions between Cage and Mundo. The match also saw collision with some of the biggest and best names on the roster including Rey and Mundo, Rey and Puma, and Pentagon JR and Mil Muertes. While every Aztec Warfare match has been fantastically entertaining there is no denying this action-packed, star-studded second addition tops the list!
Fenix vs Mil Muertes – Jozef Racka
A coffin carried to the ring by onlookers in sugar skull makeup and funereal garb, the man of one thousand deaths, not accompanied by his never-aging sorceress accomplice and the luchador that rises from the ashes. This wasn’t the first time that Lucha Underground had created something special, but this was where everything came together. Not only was this one of the best Casket Matches in the history of that hallowed stipulation but it was one that felt as if it had finally come into its own. Over the following 15 or so minutes, these two would go hell for leather making an incredulous situation feel like, well, life or death as, if we see a luchador’s mask as his face, they literally tore each other’s face apart. That final double stomp by Fenix burned into everyone’s memory, this was a legacy sealed and a new era legitimised. Absolute perfection.
Killshot v Dante Fox (Hell of War) – Tim Birkbeck
When it comes to Lucha Underground the way stories are told are a huge aspect of its draw. The other is the sheer brutality in the matches. This is no more evident that in the Ultima Lucha Tres match between Killshot and Dante Fox. in a Hell of War match (three stages of hell). The feud between the two centered around their time in the military together and how Killshot had supposedly left Fox for dead. With the first fall being First Blood the pair work quickly to introduce weapons for maximum effect. Just for added drama and maximum violence, the first fall ends with Killshot being backdropped through a sheet of glass. If you were to introduce someone to the world of Lucha Underground this would be the one I choose. The match concludes with Killshot grabbing a bottle and breaks it over Fox’s head and he falls through yet more glass set up below. Allowing Killshot to pick up his lifeless body and carries him into the ambulance and puts him in and win.
3 Way to The Grave Match Fenix Vs Jeremiah Crane Vs Mil Muertes – Victoria Tezangi
And finally, the most recent match to feature today and the only season four contest mentioned, we have the three-way to the Grave match between Fenix, Jeremiah Crane, and Mil Muertes. One of the most dramatic and intense matches Lucha Underground has ever provided is, of course, the Grave Consequences contest between Fenix and Mil Muertes but only a couple of weeks back this match was taken to brand new heights when the two collided in the same match, however, this time with the addition of Jeremiah Crane. A standout match up, these three Lucha stars raised the bar yet again taking part in a match that left everyone on edge. We had interference from Ivelisse, the feud between Fenix and Muertes brought back to life, poetic justice, and Catrina’s character even more depth. Fast paced and totally gripping this season four show stealer is a sure Lucha Underground standout.
There really has been so many standout matches that have put Lucha Underground at the top of the wrestling world and while it remains controversial and slightly underrated these ten matches alone prove the Underground is where some of the hottest action is taking place in the world of wrestling entertainment today.
All pics courtesy of Lucha El Rey