NXT Flashback Review: October 17th, 2012 (NXT #18)

NXT has a pretty good formula of four matches per show (the other WWE hour long shows such as Superstars and Main Event average only two or three) and when they don't have a divas match it seems to flow a lot better.    I'm still not sold on any of the WWE divas on the main roster or in NXT currently so it's hard to sit through their matches.   It's not that the women themselves are bad so much as the fact that WWE has seemingly given up on the division and it's going to take a lot of work to bring it back to good.

Our first match saw Alex Riley defeat Jinder Mahal.   This is interesting because Jinder Mahal is currently gone from WWE (which I am none too sad about) and Alex Riley does commentary for NXT but is also currently campaigning his way back into the ring.   Who would have thought that of these two the one still with the company would be the same one who was once paired with The Miz?    This wasn't a bad match but it wasn't great.   Jinder Mahal really reminded me of Muhammad Hassan and that just sends me through the motions of how WWE feels the need to have at least one token roster member for most every race other than white.   (Hideo Itami is thus the new Asian because of Yoshi Tatsu's departure.   That's right, Itami could become the next Funaki)   A-Ry has just never really clicked with me and I'm kind of surprised he hasn't been future endeavored, even though Jinder Mahal really had no direction in WWE anyway.

After a run in last week, Trent Barreta defeated Jake Carter in the second match.   The Son of Vader really looks like Jack Swagger in the face.    He'd actually probably get over better in WWE if he was repackaged and brought back with more of a Vader look to him and he was called "Son of Vader".   Maybe WWE is just waiting for that opportunity?    This was an interesting match if only because these two superstars are no longer in WWE but both- in my opinion- most certainly should be.    Trent Barreta has a better deal now on the indies than he did in WWE, so I'm fine with all of that, but really, who dropped the ball on Jake Carter?   Why isn't the Son of Vader a bigger star right now??

Following a promo, Damien Sandow defeated NXT jobber Brandon Traven who does not go on to become anyone currently in WWE or NXT so, yeah, he must just be a jobber.   Okay, I just did a quick google search and apparently Brandon Traven was signed to NXT so he might become a regular jobber I see.   He did, however, get released back in earlier 2013 along with Percy Watson, so the fact that he's being lumped together with Percy Watson does him no favors with me.    This was basically a way to get Damien Sandow over before bringing him to the main roster, or maybe he was on the main roster at the time and was just making a special appearance, I don't know.   But this was a filler match.

The main event had Richie Steamboat teaming with The Usos to take on Kassius Ohno and The Ascension.    Interesting notes are that Bram is still one half of The Ascension and The Usos had matching corn rows.    Jim Ross sat in on commentary and kept calling them simply "Uso" or "the Uso" because he couldn't tell them apart.   I'd like to say this was a great match but it kind of sucked.  It made me realize why tag team wrestling became so awful and stale, especially in WWE.    One of the Usos (I don't care enough to remember which one) was basically worked over by the heel trio the entire match before finally getting the hot tag.   And I mean, isn't that what so much of tag team wrestling used to be, but then it became overdone and so even seeing it in 2012 is kind of sad.   You have six talented men in the match, half of which would end up on the WWE main roster (Congrats on finally getting that call up, Konnor!), and all you can do is a basic formula for a tag match that we've seen way too many times before.    I know NXT is going to get better, so I just feel like I need to sit through this nonsense now to make the eventual payoff that much sweeter.  

NXT Flashback Review: October 10th, 2012 (NXT #17)

As we get further into the episodes of NXT (Well, three deep now for my Flashback Reviews) we have reached a much anticipated point where Seth Rollins defends the NXT Title for the first time since winning it against Curtis Axel.    It's kind of funny because this is a showcase of those who are currently on the WWE main roster and those who, well, are no longer employed by WWE.
The first match saw Bo Dallas defeat Johnny Curtis.   Bo Dallas is being built up as a tough kid, but h doesn't seem to have much of a gimmick right now other than having his liver split in half.     Johnny Curtis is... strange, but I still like his weirdness in this setting better than Fandango because no one wants to be a ballrom dancer and professional wrestler.

Okay, sure, Fandango is a good throwback gimmick to the 1980's because even though others should come closer it really does remind me of something like El Matador (I know, Los Matadores are closer than that, but you get the idea, right?)   I mean, you have a guy who fight bulls, fighting humans.   Ballroom dancer just doesn't make sense as a gimmick in professional wrestling.   At least The Goon got tossed out of professional hockey for getting into too many fights!

Match number two was a divas tag match with Audrey Marie (?) and Paige defeating Alicia Fox and Kaitlyn.   As we all know by now, in the future present, Kaitlyn has had her run with WWE and is gone and forgotten.   The only thing I really know Kaitlyn for is being one of the few WWE divas I've actually seen an action figure for at mass retail but passed on it because I still don't even want it.   (I've only seen maybe three diva figures at mass retail and one of them I did end up buying)    Alicia Fox is still kicking around and I have no idea who Audrey Marie is, so there's that.    At this particular moment in NXT, Paige is the hot shit so needless to say her team got the win because she was pretty much untouchable at this point it would seem.   (Or at least my history books will paint her as such.   I don't mind Paige as much as the other divas, but I really don't have a favorite WWE diva anyway so it's a losing battle no matter what)

In the third match Leo Kruger crushed Dante Dash and actually had some words for NXT afterwards.    I vaguely remember those Adam Rose vignettes about when he was going to debut and up until now even with his string of pointless matches on the main roster, a lot of which have been on either Superstars or Main Event... I just can't help but feel that if done properly, the vignettes leading up to Leo Kruger's debut could have been miles ahead of anything Adam Rose has done thus far in his WWE career.     You know how WWE (or whoever in there is responsible for it, probably the man himself) took a huge, steaming pile of crap such as Husky Harris and turned him into this generation's Undertaker in Bray Wyatt?   Yeah, it's *almost* like the reverse of that by having Leo Kruger replaced by Adam Rose.

Our main event of course was Seth Rollins retaining the NXT Championship over Curtis Axel and why wouldn't he keep it in his first title defense since winning?   CM Punk made a special appearance on this show and said that Seth Rollins should beat the respect into Curtis Axel.   It's kind of funny since Seth Rollins has kind of become the CM Punk of WWE.     In any case, this isn't about Rollins because he is really talented and this match only shows that further, but what about poor Curtis Axel?  
The guy has been a part of more failed attempts in WWE than... Well, there is no comparison because of how many chances he's had.   He couldn't get over as a Paul Heyman Guy!    This match made me wonder why someone like Jake Carter or Richie Steamboat could no longer be with WWE and yet Curtis Axel still is.   They can't be keeping him around for his lineage and so if it's for something else then what?   You know what Richie Steamboat and Jake Carter have done on the indies since being released from WWE?   Exactly.    If WWE can't bring out the best in Curtis Axel then he surely isn't going to find his groove in Impact Wrestling, Mexico or even Japan.    They just need to cut him loose.    This match is over two years old but he hasn't improved since it.   He needs to go.

REVIEW: Ring of Honor ROH TV Tag Wars 2014

I only recently learned that episodes of ROH TV are available on their website after they air on syndicated television somewhere.     A lot more episodes are in their archives but you have to be some kind of member to watch them.   So for about a week they have the latest episode up to view for free and if you stay on top of it you can watch along with ROH TV at home, regardless of whether or not they're broadcast in your area.  

Now before I get into this review I need to say a few things.   The last time that I watched ROH- I kid you not- was when it was under the power of Gabe.   When I actually think about it, and think back to it (It is kind of sad and makes me feel old) I haven't really watched ROH since Bryan Danielson left because he was really one of the last guys I remember seeing there.     I also remember seeing Samoa Joe and other TNA talent in ROH a lot and then they no longer can go there.

(Side Note: I was at the live show in Connecticut where Samoa Joe said something about TNA and him getting hurt there which then put into motion the idea that TNA wrestlers were no longer allowed to freelance around as much, which seemed harsh at the time but looking at it now seems to have helped ROH really grow their own talent and a somewhat more stable roster)

I've still been reading about ROH online and while they've had their dark periods they also seem to have their good ones as well.   The first time I watched ROH TV recently on my laptop was when the main event saw AJ Styles take on Matt Sydal and that was well worth it.    As I've been watching it somewhat regularly now I've just been waiting for the time to start writing about it again.   Hopefully one day I can get into all of the other promotions I used to watch again as well but only time will tell (And I only have so much time, so CZW, PWG, CHIKARA, etc. might be a bit much)

Onto the show!

Ring of Honor is brought to us by the Health Alert Hotline, though I feel like this is something that should have been sponsoring WCW in their end days because everyone was old and subject to bad things at any second.     Oh well.  Whatever pays the bills.

The Briscoe Brothers start things off with a promo about how this is going to be Tag Wars and I guess this is as good a time as any to pick up the reviews, huh?   They say what is old is new again and they plan on being nine time tag team champions.   Wow, is that right?   I wonder why they haven't been in WWE yet (Though they might be bad for business, no pun intended)

I actually really like the Ring of Honor opening video.   The music combined with athletics and bits of commentary make it look like something you want to watch.   All too often the downfall of a promotion can be their cheesy opening sequence, but this is pretty fitting.

Kevin Kelly and Steve Corino check in on commentary.   I wish Steve Corino was calling Wrestle Kingdom 9 with Jim Ross instead of that lousy Matt Striker.   They explain that there will be matches for Tag Wars and the winners will go into a four way match against ROH Tag Team Champions reDRagon, who are arguably one of the best tag teams in the world today.


Match 1: Jay Lethal (ROH Television Champion) & J Diesel (w/ Truth Martini) vs. The Briscoes (Jay Briscoe is your ROH World Champion)

During the opening moments of the match the commentary teamed hyped up the matches coming up in Tag Wars and Steve Corino talked about his one year old son being a fan of Jay Lethal.  My son will be three soon enough and he is a fan of  Erick Rowan, Vader, Alberto Del Rio and pretty much all masked wrestlers (lucha libre in general, not masked like Kane sometimes is)   There was good back and forth action before the break with a lot of focus being put on the singles champions.  After a Jaydriller on J. Diesel, Mark Briscoe hit the top rope elbow for the pin and the win.  


This was a solid match but there was never really any concern on my part that the Briscoes weren't going to win it.   The continual hyping of them being eight time tag team champions as well as Jay being the ROH World Champion certainly didn't hel matters any.   There was also quite a bit of talk about how reDRagon takes exception to the fact that the Briscoes are often times referred to as the best tag team in ROH so you could definitely feel the seeds being planted.

None the less, I'm really not a fan of J. Diesel as he feels like a rip off of Montel Vontavious Porter, who was actually in ROH once upon a time, and so having the veteran time who actually got promo time win over the sort of newer, makeshift team makes the most sense here.     Not a throwaway match really but not too great either.

Jay Lethal cut a poorly timed promo about knee and back pain for the Health Alert Hotline.


Match 2: The Addiction (Christopher Daniels & Frankie Kazarian) vs. The Decade (BJ Whitmer & Jimmy Jacobs)

I'm wondering if this was taped before or after Jimmy Jacobs was a Rosebud.   This was a good match where it did actually feel as if either team could win.  Jay Lethal did cut in for another commercial, which is kind of funny to me.   At one point, Christopher Daniels sent Jimmy Jacobs into BJ Whitmer causing Jacobs to spear Whitmer.   Frankie Kazarian eventually picked up the pinfall over Whitmer for the win.  


As Kazarian had Whitmer covered, Jimmy Jacobs looked hesitant to get back into the ring and break up the attempted pin because he must have thought Whitmer would still be able to kick out.   After the three, Jacobs sold frustration by hitting the mat and it's just the little things such as this that make storytelling in matches that much better.  (Works a lot better than Jacobs just standing there like a doof)

When I came back from pause, there was a graphic up with one of the teams missing but updated now to include The Addiction, yet the video had sped up without the picture and was in the middle of the main event.    Get it together, ROH!

Going into the next match I will tell you that I am not really a fan of the Young Bucks but fully expect them to win based upon the makeshift duo of Matt Sydal and ACH.    I'm hoping this match will at least give me a chance to see ACH, who I haven't really seen much of before, as he is one of the three opponents announced for Alberto Del Rio's ROH stint.


Match 3: The Young Bucks vs. Matt Sydal & ACH

I never really paid attention to the Young Bucks as they've always reminded me of a worse version of the Hardys and I never thought they could be singles stars the way that Jeff and Matt have become, but isn't kind of funny that Matt Jackson of the Young Bucks is the one that reminds me of Matt Hardy?   It's like I've gone back in time and I'm left wondering if the Young Bucks sew their own in ring gear.    The Young Bucks will, however, be on Wrestle Kingdom 9 as they are part of the Bullet Club in New Japan so maybe they can impress me there since this isn't doing it.    Matt Sydal is the MVP of this match by far.     The Bucks had this match won and Sydal broke it up at a very close three.   A misplaced superkick and the newly formed team of Matt Sydal & ACH advance in Tag Wars.


Wow, that was a bit shocking.   It did nothing to help me like the Young Bucks any more than I already don't, but it did help me to love Matt Sydal that much more and I am also impressed by ACH a little bit here.    He can hit some nice moves for a larger guy, you know.

So overall we had three tag team matches and I thought that the last one had its fate sealed but boy was I wrong.    The second could have gone either way for me, but you couldn't really make a case in the opener for the Briscoes losing.     So it's going to be an insane match in two weeks when the three teams who won on this show take on reDRagon for the ROH Tag Team Titles.

If this was any other company and you had to pick their tag team champions to go up against reDRAgon I don't know how it'd play out.   James Storm and Abyss are a makeshift team in Impact Wrestling right now, which sort of calls into question whether or not Impact Wrestling has any steady tag teams or not (Team 3D maybe, but even Magnus and Bram, EC3 and Brodus Clay are still fairly new)   Maybe the American Wolves but, hey, they were already in ROH anyway so that wouldn't be a good fit to add to a match of this nature.  

In WWE, The Miz and Damien Sandow are tag team champions while they have steady teams such as The Usos, Los Matadores, A New Day, Goldust and Stardust, Vaudevillains, The Ascension and Lucha Dragons.   If we couldn't get Finn Balor and Hideo Itami up here to represent WWE I'd probably vote in the Usos.

Wouldn't it be something to see reDRagon (ROH) vs. Team 3D (Impact Wrestling) vs. The Usos (WWE) vs. umm... I don't really have a fourth company to put here, since reDRagon hold the tag titles in Japan as well.   Lucha Underground doesn't really have a tag team division and with PWG and other promotions on that level it feels too close to ROH, so we could just leave it at three teams and say, yeah, what ROH is doing is going to be miles better.

REVIEW: Lucha Underground Episode 8 (first aired on 12/17/14 on The El Rey Network)

This will be the last new episode of Lucha Underground for a few weeks as I've heard that they're taking Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve off.    I am not 100% certain as to whether or not I will continue reviewing episodes of Lucha Underground as it does take its toll on time and other activities, but we shall just have to wait and see.   Regardless of what happens with my reviews I will continue to watch Lucha Underground and hope that all fans of professional wrestling do the same.


The show opens with about half the roster already in the ring.   Matt Striker and Vampiro check in on commentary and basically say that there are ten guys in the ring but they don't know why.    I feel like everyone is wearing a mask except for Big Ryck.     The ring girl I never bothered to learn the name of introduces Dari Cueto.     Cueto, who is wearing rather large sunglasses to sell his beating, said these luchadores would be competing in a ten way lucha match, which I assume will have nine different pinfalls or submissions rather than just one pin to win.    The rules were not really made that clear though.     Cueto says that there will be another ten men fighting tonight as well and each winner will have the chance for something special.    Though Cueto wouldn't say what that something special was, he said it wasn't money.


Match 1: Ten Way Lucha - Big Ryck vs. Prince Puma vs. Super Fly vs. Pentagon Jr. vs. Mascarita Sagrada vs. Drago vs. King Cuerno vs. El Mariachi Loco vs. Son of Havoc vs. Fenix

The match began with everyone else trying to take out Big Ryck.   Matt Striker noted that it only took one pinfall to win this match, a piece of information that would have been useful to know before the bell rang and I'm not sure how Matt Striker knew it since Dario Cueto didn't say anything about it, but yeah, those are the stakes now.      Danny Trejo was also shown at ringside again, which I'm sure is because he got a great bulk rate on tickets and not because this was taped with last week's show.    There was a lot of high flying and even power moves by Big Ryck.    It's hard to call this a spotfest because of the way that everything just flowed.    It was just hit after hit after hit.    At one point during the match Matt Striker noted that with this and the other announced match there would be twenty competitors and he wondered what other companies might have a roster that deep.  Umm... If WWE only had a twenty man roster then they'd have to fire about half of their current "superstars".   At the same time though, I don't want to think too hard into whether or not there are twenty wrestlers I actually like in Impact Wrestling (since I'm going to ditch the "TNA" name now) but there certainly are in New Japan.    Other promotions like ROH and PWG have a lower number though.    Anyway......  I was expecting for Prince Puma to win this then go on and have Johnny Mundo win the next one, but somehow PP took a modified piledriver from Fenix and pin to make the first winner of these two matches Fenix.     This was a showcase of sorts of what has been happening in Lucha Underground up until now, with the feuds and character development, and it served as that really well so I was quite pleased by this match.


After the commercial break we come back for what is announced as a Boyle Heights Battle Royal.   This will most likely not have as much high flying as the previous match then because when you go outside the ring and both feet hit the floor you're done.     Nine of the ten competitors were already in the ring and Matt Striker named them off one by one before the entrance of Chavo Guerrero Jr.    It is also worth noting that Striker called Big Ryck's henchmen "The Crew", which also gave B-Boy his new name of "Bael" in a somewhat anti-climatic manner.    Striker also didn't name Ricky Mandel in his run down because apparently even he is embarrassed by him.


Match Two: Boyle Heights Battle Royal featuring Johnny Mundo, Cortez, Cisco, Bael, Famous B, Mil Muertes, Pimpinela Escarlata, Sexy Star, Ricky Mandel and Chavo Guerrero Jr.  

Sexy Star jumped off the apron onto Chavo Jr. before the bell rang so she wasn't eliminated but it's that kind of stupid thinking that does get you eliminated from these matches.   I really kind of wish that had been her elimination right now.  Matt Striker referenced William Regal and it was awesome.    I imagine one day there being a British Invasion wrestling promotion run by William Regal featuring wrestlers primarily from the UK including but not limited to Drew McIntyre, Mason Ryan, Bram, Magnus, Doug Williams and Harry Smith.   Think about it.    Famous B was the first elimination by Pimpinela Escarlata and as Matt Striker said earlier about there being twenty of the best luchadores here I have to call into question these two names I just typed about.    Ricky Mandel was shown just holding Mil Muertes' leg up on the ropes and it looked awkward, like some sort of video game glitch where the two characters were just frozen.     The Crew (fka "The Johnsons") then dumped Ricky Mandel to the floor thankfully.    Following a spear, Mil Muertes threw Pimpinela over the top rope like a bad 1980's cliche.    Once again forgetting the rules and that high flying might not be the best idea, Sexy Star went for a cross body off the top rope, was caught by Chavo Jr. and dumped over the top rope for another elimination.     Since Fenix won the first match I feel like this is the rudo match as it seems likely Mil Muertes or Chavo Jr. will win.    Matt Striker said that everyone on social media was buzzing about last week's ladder match and I take that to mean that he reads my reviews.     Johnny Mundo used leg scissors to take out Cortez and as Chavo Jr. came up from behind to push Cisco over Matt Striker chimed in with the poorly worded "Chavo dumping out the other members of The Crew".    Um, no.   Bael stayed in.   Striker jumped the gun on that one and it looks like we're back to playing ways in which Matt Striker is wrong.    Bael takes a spear from Mil Muertes who then tosses him over and it's down to the final three.     Johnny Mundo held on a lot and eventually planted Chavo Jr. crotch first on the top rope then hit a shining wizard type move off of the top rope to knock Chavo Jr. over and out.     After a hard fought back and forth, Mundo went for Starship Pain but it was blocked by Muertes' knees.     Muertes then hit Mundo with a nasty clothesline to send him over and out.    Mil Muertes wins this match in a powerful fashion.


Back from the break, Mil Muertes and Fenix are in the ring and joined by Dario Cueto, who is holding a championship belt.     Cueto says that in three weeks on the first show of 2015 (and their next show mind you) there will be a match to determine the first ever Lucha Underground Champion.    Cueto named the match "Aztec Warfare" and didn't really give too many details about it.   He said that Muertes and Fenix would have a match right now and the winner of the match would have the advantage of entering Aztec Warfare last while the loser would have to enter Aztec Warfare first and outlast nineteen other competitors.    So, from what I can gather Aztec Warfare will be like a gauntlet/Royal Rumble type match where people enter but whether or not there will be more than two in the ring at a time remains to be seen.   I really hope it's like the Royal Rumble in the way that more than two can be out at the same time but also that they do pinfalls and submissions over the battle royal feel because then that makes the high flying better.     Either way, it's somewhat disappointing that one of these men will have to enter first which basically says "Hey, you may have won your match before but you're still no better than Famous B".


Match 3: Mil Muertes vs. Fenix

Matt Striker just restated on commentary what I wondered about the Aztec Warfare match-- he didn't really add any new information to it.   Vampiro did say what I wrote though about how it isn't really fair to the loser of this match.   Through some high flying and the quickness of Fenix, Mil Muertes just managed to overpower him and pick up the victory.   I'm not sure if there is some sort of prejudice term for preferring masked wrestlers over those who are not, but I'm certainly glad that the two men in this match were both wearing masks like traditional luchadores.    If the first ever Lucha Underground Champion is not masked it will just seem rather... odd.


My hope for the new year in Lucha Underground is that the first show with twenty competitors for the first ever championship will have some new names in it that we didn't see in the show tonight.    Not only should names like Ricky Mandel and Famous B be excluded from Aztec Warfare, I don't even think that The Crew should be in there because they're more of sidekicks to Big Ryck than actual contenders to be champion.   I mean, when you look at it, you want to have twenty people in there who could be the champion.   You don't want to throw in the obvious jobbers who you know don't stand a chance.    At least I hope that's the case.       Either way, my Lucha Underground reviews will return next year (probably) as we crown the first ever Lucha Underground Champion and hopefully things can only get better from here.       These first eight episodes of Lucha Underground have had their down sides, but overall it has been a rather fun run to end out 2014 on.

Tables, Ladders, Chairs and Stares... Trying to Outdo Ourselves (WWE TLC 2014 Preview)

Coming off a hot NXT Takeover R Evolution special, the WWE main roster has some big shoes to fill so luckily they have a total of nine advertised matches (What is this- Wrestlemania?) that include almost everyone on the WWE roster.     It might just be me thinking this, but if you've been left off this WWE TLC card and you're not injured then you might want to watch your phone in the coming weeks to be wished the best in your future endeavors.

It's also worth mentioning how much younger talent fills out this card and how awesome it is that the Wyatt Family and The Shield are both being represented in singles matches (with the obvious exception of Roman Reigns who is still injured... probably)  I'm not sure this card can handle another match, but if filler is needed for some reason I do expect Tyson Kidd and Cesaro to take on Los Matadores since there aren't many roster members left after that.


A New Day vs. Goldust & Cody Rhodes

This is our pre-show match and it doesn't have a stipulation.  On Smack Down! we saw a thirty second video for The Ascension, and as such they should take note of what is happening with A New Day here because it is most likely to be their path soon enough as well.   Easy enough to book, the new tag team in A New Day picks up the win and further speculation rears its ugly head of a Goldust vs. Stardust match at Wrestlemania.


Big Show vs. Erick Rowan (Stairs Match)

This battle of big men in quite possibly the first Stairs Match ever should be slow and painful.    Erick Rowan is emerging as a singles competitor now so he kind of needs this win, yet Big Show should be coming off momentum of his twenty seventh heel turn so he should win.     Really, it doesn't matter who wins here because this will just be clunky.   I suspect that Big Show will get the win though, to give him some force going into the Royal Rumble and that is something Rowan can certainly recover from easily enough.    If WWE booking has taught me anything it is that Big Show is due for another feud with Rusev (after Swagger and then Mark Henry go around again), which is something I really would rather not see.


Ryback vs. Kane (Chairs Match)

I remember there being a Survivor Series show once and they ran short on time so one of the matches had to get cut and pushed to RAW the next night.   If they did that with this match I wouldn't complain.   Kane has nothing to gain by winning this match, as he is just driftless since The Authority disbanded and, well, Ryback is out to be the man who should be feared most of all yet he somehow keeps coming up short in the big matches.     So obviously this is kind of like the inverse of the Big Show vs. Erick Rowan match in the sense that Ryback should win to hype him being in the Royal Rumble and Kane can still recover from yet another loss and hopefully show up in the Rumble match back under his mask.


Nikki Bella vs. A.J. Lee (Divas Title Match)

This has become so much of a running gag now that "After this pay-per-view, AJ Lee is through".   Yeah, that's what internet rumors reported last month at Survivor Series.   Though I don't see there being a lot for A.J. Lee to do and WWE most likely won't let her appear on UFC pay-per-views with her husband (You know, just in his corner, though sitting in the crowd might be fine) and so it's not so much about whether or not A.J. Lee will leave WWE after this match but if she doesn't what is really left for her to do?

Simple booking here sees Nikki Bella go over with a little help from Brie.   If you noticed Brie has been acting like nothing happened between her and Nikki when they had that falling out/slavery deal going on, so it's time for Brie to stand up for herself and take out her twin sister.    This does build on our Road to Wrestlemania as I expect there to be a most unfortunate Bella vs. Bella match then.


Rusev vs. Jack Swagger (U.S. Title Match)

One of the first big feuds Rusev had coming into WWE, as an anti-American guy, was against the All-American American Jack Swagger.   Somehow we have opened up a rift in the time vortex and gone back to repeat this feud because, well, WWE obviously hates us all.   If Jack Swagger wasn't destined to break the undefeated streak of Rusev the first time around then why would he do it now when Rusev has more momentum than ever and Swagger is, well, slipping further down the card.

This will play out a lot like their first go around and Jack Swagger will most likely be left off the Wrestlemania card while I'm still trying to figure out who might face Rusev.


The Miz & Damien Mizdow vs. The Usos (Tag Team Title Match)

I really have two scenarios for how this plays out and either one is good, so it's just a matter of whether or not Team Mizdow keeps the titles or not.   On one hand, if they keep the titles then they can lose them at Wrestlemania, Miz finally turns on Damien Sandow and that becomes a huge moment of cheers and Sandow ends up getting the better of The Miz.    That should be the payoff, right.     On the other hand, if they lose the titles tonight The Miz can say he's going to be in the Royal Rumble and then Sandow can somehow cause The Miz's elimination or just not go over the top rope with him, which could anger The Miz and lead to a Miz vs. Mizdow match at Wrestlemania.

As much as I like the idea of Team Mizdow being in the "every man for himself" Royal Rumble match, I still think it's too early to take the tag team belts from them but this shouldn't be a clean win either so that the feud with the Usos can progress.    Something heel-ish can happen here, like Miz takaes the count out loss.


Luke Harper vs. Dolph Ziggler (IC Title/Ladder Match)

Here is a match that could very easily steal the show.   You have Dolph Ziggler, who has proven time and time again what he can do in that ring and the big man Luke Harper who has a more seasoned background than Erick Rowan and quite frankly with ladders being involved in this I can only see that as working towards their advantage.  

My trouble predicting this is that I'm not sure where either men should really go from here.   Winning the IC Title (yet again) really feels like a step back for Dolph Ziggler at this point if WWE is serious about getting behind him for a major push.   At the same time, if he was to win the IC Title here then he could have a rematch with Harper at the Royal Rumble and go on to face someone at Wrestlemania in what could be the likes of Savage vs. Steamboat.  

At the same time, I feel like it would be bigger for a heel champion to drop the IC Title at Wrestlemania to a hungry contender and building up Luke Harper from this point going forward seems like the right idea.    There aren't really a lot of choices as to who could face Luke Harper at Wrestlemania as seemingly everyone on the roster is stuck in a standstill:  Each individual superstar has either already held the IC Title so it doesn't matter or seems to be either above it or below it.    Someone like John Cena or Sheamus challenging for the IC Title seems as ridiculous as Sin Cara or Fandango (I like Sin Cara, but given WWE's booking...)

One of the few people who I think could challenge Luke Harper, maybe by winning a battle royal or some such thing would be Cesaro.    There is money in Luke Harper vs. Cesaro at Wrestlemania even if WWE can't decide on whether Cesaro should be a face or not.    So let's go with that and hope for something else for Dolph Ziggler.    Yeah, let's have Luke Harper win this one.


Dean Ambrose vs. Bray Wyatt (TLC Match)

This is my match of the night in the sense that after it's done I'll probably go to sleep and finish watching the rest of the show in the morning.   These two will continue their feud until Wrestlemania if all goes as planned in my mind and I'd still like to see them in an "I Quit" match at Wrestlemania, and brawling through the Royal Rumble match, eliminating each other.

Perhaps WWE's best feud is being overshadowed by the whole Authority nonsense that has dripped down into the remains of Team Cena vs. Team Authority on this card.   Ambrose and Wyatt are having some of the best promos and interactions and you really just buy into these two guys hating each other.    What's funny and makes this different than any other feud in WWE right now though is that they don't have a reason to hate each other so much as they just want to fight.

When Dean Ambrose feuded with Seth Rollins you could feel the hatred oozing out of the television set, as Rollins turned his back on his brother and sold his soul to the devil.   Ambrose and Wyatt don't have that kind of story, but this is a lot more fun in ways because it's two guys who can brawl and talk just wanting to beat the hell out of each other.

Dean Ambrose got the upper hand last month with the burying of Bray Wyatt, which lead to this match.   I can only assume that Bray Wyatt will have his revenge and win this match so as to continue the game of one-upsmanship between the two.    Bray Wyatt taking the pin- after these two men destroy each other- may or may not feel like the end of the feud, but luckily they can always re-establish that feud at the Royal Rumble.


John Cena vs. Seth Rollins (Tables Match/If Cena loses he is no longer number one contenda)

There was once a time- and this was the first time I recall it happening- when Shawn Michaels won the Royal Rumble.   On his Road to Wrestlemania he got into a feud with Owen Hart and at a throwawy PPV of sorts he put his Wrestlemania title shot on the line.   Ever since then I've always only ever seen these matches as filler between shows.   Brock Lesnar isn't working this pay-per-view and that's okay.   I actually prefer Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena at the Royal Rumble if only because it keeps Cena out of the Rumble match.

So J&J Security will run interference, trying their best to put Cena through a table, but this won't end the same way as when Sheamus was able to put Cena through a table to win his first WWE Title.    Randy Orton and maybe even Roman Reigns will come down to even the odds, as John Cena will get the eventual win and go on to face Brock Lesnar at the Royal Rumble.

What this means is as follows:  Seth Rollins, Randy Orton and Roman Reigns will all take their problems into the Rumble match itself.   John Cena will ultimately lose to Brock Lesnar- again- and he won't know where to go from there.    Feeling lost and as if he is on his version of a losing streak, John Cena will be given a pep talk from Hulk Hogan which will then turn into a Wrestlemania match.   Yup, John Cena vs. Hulk Hogan at Wrestlemania.   Make that money, booker man.


Heading into the new year, my Wrestlemania card looks like this on paper.   I really *don't* want Roman Reigns to win the Royal Rumble match but it seems somewhat inevitable now it's better for me to just pencil it in so I don't have to move spots around later.

- Brock Lesnar (WWE Champion) vs. Roman Reigns

- John Cena vs. Hulk Hogan

- Sting vs. HHH (With HHH off television though I'm not sure how they get here)

- Dean Ambrose vs. Bray Wyatt in an "I Quit" Match

- Luke Harper (IC Champion) vs. Cesaro

- Seth Rollins vs. Dolph Ziggler (This could be a ladder match, but it might not.   It also may or may not be for the MITB contract, I haven't decided yet.   I like the idea though that Dolph defeats Seth Rollins in this match, then after the Brock-Reigns match Rollins cashes in successfully and Dolph feels he deserves a title shot)

- Team Mizdow vs. a bunch of other tag teams and then Miz finally turns on Damien Sandow

- Randy Orton vs. Rusev

- Erick Rowan vs. Kane as "Big Red" begins a new The Streak

- Bella vs Bella

REVIEW: Lucha Underground Episode 7 (first aired on 12/10/14 on The El Rey Network)

Perhaps the most anticipated episode of Lucha Underground promises a three way ladder match for the $100,000.    On one hand, this is going to be high flying (because of jumping off of ladders) but also just violent when the ladder comes into play as a weapon.    I've been really impressed with Lucha Underground these past few weeks and this feels like it could be an even bigger show than what we've seen so far, so I'm excited going into this.

A recap is shown of the making of the ladder match last week and a few other bits leading up to it.    It was the perfect amount of time as it gave the vital points of the plot without straying too far away from what needed to be told to new viewers or what others might simply need to be reminded of going into the match tonight.    Also, it really made the match feel that much more important.
Big Ryck looked particularly upset at the ladder match announcement.   Perhaps he knows that the big guy is usually just put in there to throw around the back stock of Home Depot and they rarely ever seem to win the thing.  (See: Kane in *almost* every ladder match he's ever been in, especially Money in the Bank)

Matt Striker checks in on commentary and introduces Danny Trejo as being in the crowd.    That's actually kind of cool.   Striker says social media has been buzzing and I'm hoping he's talking about all of my tweets.    Vampiro mentions Twitter and now I will have to tweet to him as well.     Striker sends it to the ring for the first match.

Interestingly enough, the briefcase is already hanging above the ring, so what if someone before the main event wants to grab a ladder and climb up there and get it?   What if Danny Trejo does it?    Just a thought.

King Cuerno is introduced and he comes out to a different setting than before.    The luchadores used to walk down stairs between the crowd, but now he's got a short distance to the ring but with an actual sort of walkway like old school ECW or ROH.  

Matt Striker says that it's "Eat, sleep, hunt and self defense" for Cuerno which is interesting because I would absolutely LOVE to see Matt Striker locked inside the Octagon with Brock Lesnar.  
Super Fly is introduced as the opponent and Vampiro says he's made his mark in Mexico in the last five or six years.    If you are like me and follow AAA as well as Lucha Underground (You can subscribe to the AAA YouTube channel as well as that of Lucha Underground) then you will know Super Fly because he has been building up his feud with Aero Star and they will have a match on December 7th at Guerra de Titanes.   Okay, so the match already happened because I'm typing this on December 11th but I haven't read results about the show and am waiting for it to come to the AAA YouTube channel so I can watch it (and probably review it) myself.    It is the same show where Alberto Del Rio will be challenging for the title held by El Texano.  

Match 1: King Cuerno vs. Super Fly

King Cuerno started out with the advantage because he is slightly larger.    He took Super Fly down with a clothesline and began stomping on him.   Matt Striker noted that Super Fly was part of a group of wrestlers in Mexico that had four others and he was the one chosen to represent them in the U.S.   (Spoiler Alert: They actually turned on him in Mexico and he is back in AAA as a technico now, for those of you keeping up with AAA at home)  (Side Note: I checked the AAA YouTube channel again, as I have every day since Monday, and Guerra de Titanes is still not posted.   Hopefully I can watch it this Sunday then since my Saturday looks to be busy)     Drago is shown looking on from a balcony and as a correction to what I said about the arena earlier it does appear to be the same place and set up with the stairs, they just happen to have created a different path for the luchadores to get to the ring.    I was too busy thinking about what I knew about Super Fly from AAA when he entered to pay attention, but he did in fact come down the stairs as well so I don't know what that King Cuerno entrance was about and if it's only for heels or the first one out or what.     Vampiro noted that Super Fly has spent time in Japan and I just found my next YouTube search key.    Matt Striker then mentions that Super Fly defeated Super Calo in a mask vs. mask match in Mexico.   He says "anyone can learn" if they just do their research.   So maybe they should have researched when this would air and how it would come into play with Super Fly already having his mask vs. mask match with Aero Star just three nights earlier.   At the very least they could have updated Super Fly being part of a stable that turned on him but honestly, man, I'm kind of glad they didn't talk about what happened on Guerra de Titanes because I want to see it first.     Super Fly performed an amazing cartwheel into standing flip over the top rope to land on Cuerno on the outside.   Not sure how he went over the top rope from a standing position with seemingly no force behind him (the cartwheel couldn't have done much) but that was simply awesome.     Back in the ring, Cuerno hits a dropkick on Super Fly, a clothesline and then a shining wizard which Matt Striker- the play by play guy- calls a big kick to the back of the head (Hurricane Helms Note: What's up with that?) and then as Cuerno has Super Fly in a fireman's carry he stares down Drago in what I assume is his finisher, which they gave a name last week but make no mention of this week.


This was a really good match.   I'm not that surprised that Super Fly lost because he was facing King Cuerno who lost his debut as well.   With Drago looking on though, it was not to actually see a match play out where Cuerno did *not* lose because of that distraction (Would have happened in WWE or TNA)    The future holds a different path for Super Fly in Mexico but I do hope to see him back in Lucha Underground as well.   Maybe he can return with his stablemates only to have the turn play out on Lucha Underground as well?   I don't know how things need to sort of connect between Lucha Underground and what's happening in Mexico and the idea of a stable staying together in Lucha Underground but broken up in Mexico isn't that weird to me.    It would give them this alternate universe feel and I would absolutely love that.  


A video is shown for Pentagon Jr. and it shows how he learned the way of the samurai but then broke away from the pack of the other Pentagons because he chose to follow the dark arts and now has zero fear.  


Back in The Temple, Chavo Guerrero is introduced for a match and he has Pentagon Jr. in his corner which is a smart move because Konnan told Chavo Jr. that all of Mexico would be coming for him.    Matt Striker makes the ridiculous observation that last week Chavo Jr. tucked his tail between his legs and ran against Fenix but now there would be nowhere to hide.    I'm pretty sure this isn't going to be a cage match or a lumberjack match or a dog collar match or... Well, you get the point.   So why can't Chavo Jr. simply leave the ring and take a count out loss if he should so choose?     Fenix is introduced with Sexy Star and as much as I like Fenix this will not end well for anyone here.

I don't watch a lot of television in terms of scripted shows but I do watch "Workaholics" and last night I was watching an episode of Season 4 where the guys basically explained that it is sexist for a man not to hit a woman because if women want to be treated as equals to men then saying you can't hit her because she's a woman is inequality.    Yes, this is the type of strange logic that presents itself in this Chavo Jr.-Star feud.

Match 2: Chavo Guerrero Jr. (w/ Pentagon Jr.) vs. Fenix (w/ Sexy Star)

There were loud chants of "Let's go Chavo" before they became dueling with "Let's go Fenix".    Apparently some of the fans in The Temple are as confused and frustrated as I am with this whole Sexy Star nonsense.    The high flying Fenix put Chavo Jr. in an arm bar submission hold which was... unexpected.    In a cool spot, Fenix came off the top rope onto Chavo Jr. knees first but after landing on his back Chavo Jr. rolled through it and hooked a single leg Boston crab onto Fenix.     Chavo Jr. spends time working over that leg and then after some kicks seems to have hurt his own leg.   Matt Striker calls that "ironic" and I call him moronic as I wonder where exactly he got his degree to become a teacher before wrestling (Wasn't he an English teacher too?)   Fenix hit a big top rope move onto both Chavo Jr. and Pentagon Jr. on the outside.    When trying to get back in, the ref was counting and the crowd didn't count along in Spanish and that kind of surprised me.   Fenix put Chavo Jr. back in the ring then came off the top rope only to be met with a dropkick from Chavo Jr.    Vampiro said that anything goes in the Lucha Underground and there are no rules, which kind of makes sense since I don't think we've seen a DQ yet but that near count out just moments ago would beg to differ.    Even ROH did away with count outs at one point because they thought that they were stupid (and they sort of are)   Chavo Guerrero was on the top rope, in the corner and Fenix jumped up next to hit and hit him with a jumping kick to knock him down.    Fenix then went up to the top rope for what was likely to be his finisher, but Sexy Star got on the apron on the other side of the ring which distracted the ref enough for Pentagon Jr. to pull the leg of Pentagon.   Chavo Jr. switched places with Fenix, hit the frog splash and it was over.  

After the match Sexy Star said she isn't done with Chavo Jr. yet and that he is coming back and he is coming back for Chavo Jr.    Matt Striker pointed out the obvious as this would imply a Blue Demon Jr. return.    No one said anything about Sexy Star seemingly costing Fenix the match and that was kind of weird.   Was I the only one who saw that??


They hype the main event and Matt Striker says "One of these three men will get rich or die trying".   Okay, first off, if you're going to die for the money it should be at least in the millions.   Secondly, does anyone listen to what Matt Striker says on commentary in Lucha Underground?   Matt Striker has basically just guarenteed that two men are going to die tonight and given the premature death rate in professional wrestling it is something that shouldn't really be made light of or talked about in such manners.  Okay, I get it now.   I can understand now why everyone hates Matt Striker on commentary.   The guy is just frustrating in a way that you thought only Michael Cole could be (But at least with Vince in his ear, Cole never would've said something that blatantly stupid)


A vignette is shown hyping Cage coming to Lucha Underground.   He says he's not a man, he's a machine.   He has that jacked up look that would make Vince McMahon's panties wet.     Oh, wait, I just looked him up.   Apparently he was in WWE's developmental territory from 2008-2009 and was released for unknown reasons.   He has some brief appearances in TNA (Who doesn't?) and has been PWG Tag Team Champion with Michael Elgin.    I really need to get into PWG again.   I kind of wonder how Lucha Underground decides who gets a video package prior to their debut, such as this, and who just sort of debuts out of the blue like Super Fly earlier tonight.   But then I also wonder how this 'roided freak is going to do in the world of lucha libre.


After commercials we're back in the ring and the ladder match is announced.    It's pretty early on in the show still so I like it.    Big Ryck is out first, by himself though I doubt that will last long.    Johnny Mundo is out next.   Someone asked me if he was JoMo is WWE does that make him JoMu now and I said "Please no".    Prince Puma comes out with Konnan, which is odd he is the only one to come out with someone, right?

Match 3: Big Ryck vs. Johnny Mundo vs. Prince Puma (w/ Konnan) $100,000 Ladder Match

Matt Striker had to throw in another 50 Cent mention of how someone was going to die and up in wrestling heaven the Ultimate Warrior just rolls his eyes.    Johnny Mundo and Prince Puma started things off in the ring.   Mundo left the ring to get a ladder and was jumped by Big Ryck who was seemingly just idling out there.    Vampiro began talking about his ladder match with X-Pac and I can only assume he's referring to WSX which should probably never be brought up again in Lucha Underground.    Prince Puma gets a ladder and brings it into the ring.   Matt Striker begins talking about how Johnny Mundo and Prince Puma fought earlier and their first match was supposed to be for the $100k.   Stupid Thing #453,281 Matt Striker says: "Many people thought that was match of the year".   Umm... No.   It was a good match, but there have just been far too many more that were better.   Sorry, guys.   I don't think anyone outside of Lucha Underground would think of it as match of the year quality, let alone those in the world of professional wrestling who talk about such things.    Unless all wrestling in Japan is not eligible this year for some reason.    Mundo pulls Prince Puma off the ladder and the two go at it in the ring with Big Ryck once again taking a powder.    Matt Striker notes that PP has a bit more of a stank to his style now (His words, not mine) and Vampiro says he sees this for two reasons... No, wait, three reasons.   Next Week: Vampiro learns to count.   Mundo and PP fight atop the ladder and Big Ryck finally wakes up to come push them off the ladder and down onto the mat.    Big Ryck picks up the ladder and Matt Striker asks "What is he doing?  Why wouldn't he climb?" like an idiot.   Ryck uses the ladder as a battering ram and knocks both Mundo and PP out of the ring.   Vampiro points out, "See, he had a plan" and while the other two men were down in the ring, yes, climbing the ladder might have been a bad choice.   Clearing the ring first seems like a better option which just goes to show why Matt Striker's in ring career bombed harder than Sable as an actress.   (Big surprise on neither)   Big Ryck was halfway up the ladder, then came back down and called for his associates to come out.   Ryck made Cisco and Cortez climb the ladder for him, which is kind of weird because then you think they might just keep the money and not need Ryck anymore, right?   Mundo and PP each hit Ryck with kicks to the back of the head and then clear Big Ryck's Johnsons from the ring.    I know I decided to name the faction Big Ryck and the Johnsons if only because Chris DeJoseph has his hand in Lucha Underground, but the way that the one guy moves who is not Ricky Reyes just reminds me of Big Dick Johnson taking bumps in WWE.  It's just so awkward and the guy doesn't feel like a wrestler at all.   Mundo and PP continue to fight in the ring, as Mundo gives PP a back body drop onto the ladder.   Rather than focusing on taking out PP and climbing the ladder as he should, Johnny Mundo instead runs up the ladder and dives outside onto Big Ryck and the Johnsons.   This leaves Prince Puma alone in the ring which is probably not a smart move.   Matt Striker spends time asking Vampiro how those ladders feel and I wish someone would just show Striker so he'd shut up.    Vamp tries to defend Mundo's choice to go outside the ring by saying he's a showboater rather than just plain dumb.   Mundo seemingly spends little time down outside though and finds a table.    Mundo sets up two tables in front of Danny Trejo and a lot of this action has spilled out in front of Trejo as well, which I hope is not leading to him getting involved physically.   Now Matt Striker wonders why Johnny Mundo is "wasting his time" beating up on Cisco and Cortez when they're not even in the match.   Vampiro tells him that in a match with no rules you have to take out everyone that is in your way and this is true.    Striker once again comes off looking like a dope for not realizing that even though they are not officially part of the match they still play a factor in the outcome so Mundo (or PP) needs to take them out.   Hopefully Striker gets quiet now because I'm running out of different ways to call him stupid.    Mundo climbed up a ladder with Cisco on the table and Prince Puma woke up in the ring and stopped Mundo from putting Cisco through the table.   Here is the time to question the intelligence of the wrestlers, as PP should have just let Mundo crash through the table with Cisco as it would have seemingly made it easier for him to climb a ladder in the ring and grab the briefcase.   I'm not sure what the logic is here as PP didn't have anything to lose by Mundo putting Cisco through a table but of course Striker won't make mention of that.    PP tries to get Mundo but ends up flying through a ladder and to the outside onto Big Ryck and the Johnsons.   Striker calls them "his crew" but I like my name better.    Mundo shoves the ladder down onto PP who manages to feel none of the blow as he ends up standing in the gap at the top where he dove through just moments before.   Mundo jumps out of the ring and misses but lands on his feet.    PP gets back in the ring to set up a ladder and is quickly followed by Mundo though Matt Striker has to correct himself by saying Prince Puma has no one there to stop him.    It's like Striker could hear the stupid coming out of his mouth as he said it that time.   Mundo gets trapped in the corner by a ladder and PP uses the leverage to give Mundo a swift kick to the head.   Matt Striker says that the kick "took Johnny's head off" and I feel now as if everything coming out of Matt Striker's headset is being said simply to troll fans of professional wrestling.   PP climbs the ladder but Mundo soon joins him.    The two fight it out and eventually PP gets the better of it with a huge RKO-like neckbreaker off of the ladder on Mundo.   This knocks out both men, which was not smart by PP (Though I have to make his initials "PP" because I refuse to call him simply "Puma" since that dude is Manik in TNA, so he perhaps been doomed from the start) and Big Ryck makes his way into the ring.  For those scoring at home: Big Ryck has had zero offense in this match and took only a few moves otherwise.   Ryck works over PP as the Johnsons set up the ladders to climb.    The trio also works over Mundo as the crowd chants "This is awesome".   Mundo eventually comes back and puts the non-Ricky Reyes Johnson through a table.    Mundo and Ryck were both holding ladders and Mundo threw his at Ryck, which caused him to drop the one he was holding.     Big Ryck looks sleepy in the corner (He needs to stop smoking) and Mundo looks like he's out cold as PP fights Ricky Reyes in the corner.     And PP rides Cortez (I always forget who is and who isn't Reyes) through a table as Johnny Mundo sparks to life.    PP eats a ladder courtesy of Mundo who then climbs but is stopped by Big Ryck.    Mundo and PP both hit finishers off of the top rope onto Big Ryck, who is on a ladder, and he rolls out of the ring.   PP hits a huge roundhouse kick on Mundo and that sends Mundo out of the ring as well.     PP sets Mundo up in the corner on a ladder, though he probably could have won the match by now, and as he went to the top rope Big Ryck got back into the ring.   As PP jumped off, trying to hit Mundo, Ryck grabbed him and slammed him down with a powerbomb.   Even putting on PBS Kids for my son cannot drown out the blatant stupidity of Matt Striker as he says Big Ryck powerbombed Prince Puma through the mat, yet the mat stays intact.    Ryck then powerbombs PP onto Mundo, who is still on that ladder, and this is the aggresive monster we have been missing all match.    Ryck hits a nice one arm slam on Mundo, then presses Prince Puma over his head and dumps him outside of the ring and onto a ladder, which folds up in half.     That was a hell of a spot.    Ryck sets up two ladders in the ring because apparently he needs one for each shakey foot, and as Matt Striker does the predictable "send it home even though it's not done yet" speech, Johnny Mundo is coming back into the ring.    Mundo hits Ryck with a low blow and reaches for the briefcase.   A masked man in camo shorts and a black t-shirt comes in and attacks Mundo.   The announcers don't seem to know who he is, but Matt Striker says he's seen him around after he takes his Pentagon Jr.-looking mask off.    Outside the ring, the two brawl and Mundo hits him with a superkick that seemingly knocks him out.     As Mundo tries to re-enter the ring, Ryck fights him off long enough for the other Johnsons to climb one of the two ladders still set up.    Mundo pulls the head of Ryck down over the rope much like a female sidekick would behind the ref's back.   Mundo jumps over the top rope, onto the ladder that doesn't have Cisco and Cortez on it and kicks over their ladder sending them crashing down.    This allows Johnny Mundo to grab the briefcase and win the match.  

Post match Cueto comes out and says he wants his key back, which was apparently just hanging on a ring post the whole time so why he didn't just come and take it during the match defies all logic and common sense.   As Dario Cueto got into the ring, Matt Striker said "Dario knows Johnny can't put a hand on him in the ring".  Umm... why?   Because he's not an in ring competitor?   He put his hands on him backstage, so what makes the ring so special?   Cueto requests that Johnny Mundo be a gentleman and give back the key, but in yet another seemingly neverending list of reasons why Matt Striker is always wrong Johnny Mundo decks Cueto.   As he is laid out in the ring, Striker says it might be back to the indies for Mundo.   And what makes Lucha Underground a "major" promotion?  Is it their action figure line?  (Please??)


The match was great and more than lived up to expectations, even though Big Ryck stayed out of a lot of it for whatever reason, but the ending seemed strange as it should have been something with a little more flash than just a kick.     Matt Striker not knowing who B-Boy is (the masked wrestler who unmasked) makes him look dumb because he was in a tag team with Lil Cholo (aka Cortez) in WSX which not only were they talking about earlier in the match but Striker even said you have to do your research.    Even though a pretty sick spot took Prince Puma out of the match and I really don't want to see him as the face of any promotion until he changes his name (Every time Vampiro calls him simply "Puma" all I can wonder is whether we will see Manik or not in the new Impact Wrestling), it seems rather odd that this is a show bragging about lucha libre and the winner of their biggest match thus far was not, you know, a masked wrestler.    Here is to hoping that maybe a match involving Fenix and Mil Muertes down the line can correct that maskless void.

NXT Takeover R Evolution Predictions/Preview

It's kind of odd to me that WWE would have an NXT live special just days before their last pay-per-view of the year, but what are you going to do, right?   Survivor Series and TLC are only three weeks apart anyway so it's not like there was that much time to have this special between the two any way (Well, last Thursday maybe would've been better)    But in many ways this feels like a larger and more important show to me than anything WWE has done all year and especially WWE's TLC pay-per-view.   I'll have my own thoughts/predictions for TLC soon enough but none of those matches really means as much as what will happen at this live special.     Since there is so much to be said here, let's get right into it.

The pre-show has already announced that Corey Graves will have an announcement to makes.   Corey Graves has suffered from at least one concussion and as such this might be his retirement but let's hope instead that he's been medically cleared by doctors and will be returning to the ring 2015.      Right now the best case scenario is an in ring return while the worst case scenario is early retirement and becoming a manager for another talent or creating a stable.     Graves has the potential to become the caliber of star in WWE like Edge and if he is forced into retirement it will be a shame, though I do not advise going against doctors orders in cases such as this.

If any of the other live specials are an indication this should be a two hour show though there are only four matches scheduled as of right now.     Various websites are reporting that we could see Baron Corbin take on Bull Dempsey as both men are just dominant in their matches.   This really doesn't do any good for either man right now so if this does happen I expect it to end in a pull apart brawl more than an actual decision.    But, no, I am not in favor of this match happening this soon.    

I wouldn't, however, mind seeing Tyler Breeze in action so let's give him and Marcus Louis another go around.    Along with a squash match for either Corbin or Dempsey while the other watches on would fill out the card nicely.

We also have the debut of Kevin Owens, who was Kevin Steen on the independent scene.    Whether he will come out to talk or actually wrestle remains to be seen.   A squash of Dash Wilder would be the best scenario here, though I do have some other plans for Owens as well.   I expect him to come out, maybe say a few words or just have a short match and then everyone will think he is done for the night but I won't think he is until the credits roll.


Charlotte is the current NXT Women's Champion and she will be defending the title against Sasha Banks who I really just do not care about but the whole WWE women's division (Yes, including NXT) just doesn't interest me because it has no consistency and far too many problems for me to get into here.     Oh, and does anyone else remember when Charlotte lost last night on RAW to Natalya?
Prediction: I expect Sasha Banks to win, possibly because of mis-interference by Bayley, and after a rematch with Banks, Charlotte can go on to possibly face Bayley even (Though then the Banks-Bayley title match is inevitable) and then maybe depending upon what month it is it'd be about time for Charlotte to go up to the main roster with that stink of loss from last night finally worn off.    Though if WWE wanted to fast track Charlotte to the main roster all they'd have to do is have her lose then debut on RAW and blame Natalya for the loss of her title because it wasn't even a title match or whatever.    I don't know.  I feel like I'm overthinking the women's division because thinking about it at all seems to do that with WWE.


The only match scheduled for R Evolution will see Finn Balor (No, I won't copy and paste his fancy dash) and Hideo Itami take on The Ascension.   Based on the fact that Balor and Itami only recently debuted in NXT I can only imagine that they would win and send The Ascension packing, though really The Ascension would just end up going up to the main roster which should fully happen in 2015 some time... just not quite yet.    You see, everyone expects Balor and Itami to defeat The Ascension and this could be one of the best matches in all of professional wrestling for 2014 up until the end.

Prediction:  Finn Balor turns on Hideo Itami and the match is ruled a no contest.   Balor goes off to do his solo thing, saying he's looking out for number one and doesn't want to be lumped in with a tag team, and thus providing a most excellent Balor-Itami feud because I really don't want to see these two as a tag team when they could shine so high in singles competition.  


The second title match of the evening will see The Lucha Dragons defend the tag team titles against the Vaudevillains.   This is the match I have the biggest trouble predicting because I love both teams.   On one hand, if Balor and Itami don't split then they could somehow become tag team contenders and have a decent feud with the Vaudevillains.   Heck, some Balor & Itami vs. Lucha Dragons vs. Vaudevillains matches would even be great.   I just wonder why Sin Cara is on the occasional episode of WWE Superstars or Main Event but can't seem to find his way to the main roster in a more steady position.    A few weeks back on RAW there was a gauntlet match to determine the number one contenders to the tag team titles and that would have been a good way to bring Sin Cara back to the main roster while also kind of introducing everyone to Kalisto.    Though I suppose WWE might rather do a series of painful vignettes, perhaps explaining how Sin Cara has taken time away from the ring to go down to Mexico and bring back Kalisto with him.   You know, something like that to rip off Lucha Underground (Which is where the original Mistico/Sin Cara might end up soon enough)    So for whatever reason I just don't feel like it's time yet for the Lucha Dragons to come up to the main roster and as such I don't see a title change here.

Prediction: The Lucha Dragons retain while Vaudevillains somehow call shenanigans and want an eventual rematch for the titles.    If Balor and Itami don't break up then adding them to this mix would only make it better.


That just leaves the main event with Adrian Neville defending the NXT Title against Sami Zayn.    In a perfect world where everyone goes home happy, Sami Zayn would win this match and Adrian Neville would go onto the main WWE roster.    But I don't see that happening here if only because it isn't WWE's best option... not when they have a debuting Kevin Owens.    This match is going to be great, sure, but it most likely won't have a finish.   So you know what, take back everything I said prior to this.    Lucha Dragons win clean.   Sasha Banks wins clean.   Balor and Itami win clean.    But this is the match where Kevin Owens comes down and just demolishes Sami Zayn.   Just when you thought it was safe, he will then take out his frustration and rage on Adrian Neville as well.    With both men down, Adrian Neville will somehow get the pin and the win.  

Now what you have to realize is that this isn't a match where the stipulation is official that Sami Zayn retires or leaves if he loses.   Zayn put that there himself and he can just as easily wipe it away if he should happen to lose because of someone else.     It would actually set up a really good storyline with all of these men and really everyone else out there just wanting that NXT Title.    If only the WWE roster didn't seem so scared of Brock Lesnar and they were all chomping at the bit to get his title.   (Seriously, I love Dean Ambrose but the guy had the chance to pick the stipulation for a match against Seth Rollins.   You make him put the briefcase on the line and you go for that title dammit)

So this will set up a number of different options here, but mainly the focus of tonight should rightfully be the debut of Kevin Owens.  If WWE wants to make this a big deal- and they should- then this night should be the defining moment in NXT history as there will be all of that which has happened up until now (Pre-Owens Era) and all of that which will occur because of Kevin Owens.     Do the right thing, WWE.   It's time to build up another top guy.  

My WWE Slammy Award 2014 Votes

So I actually voted on the Slammy Awards and here are my answers with some reasons.   I don't expect them all to be winners, but as usual I'm just so apathetic to so much of it.


Raw Guest Star of the Year: Betty White

This was the least embarassing of the choices.   I swear if Jerry Springer wins and shows up on Raw I'm bailing on the show.


Anti-Gravity Moment of the Year: Adrian Neville's Red Arrow

If you choose anything else, you need to watch more NXT.


NXT Superstar of the Year: Tyler Breeze

While I realize the real competition here is probably between Adrian Neville and Sami Zayn, with Zayn getting the nod due to Neville's recent heel antics, I still see myself as fans of both of those guys since before they were in NXT.   Tyler Breeze is establishing himself in NXT and his character has been one of my favorites that hasn't come from "the indies".


Double Cross of the Year: Seth Rollins

If you chose Big Show for anything... Yeah, everyone thought that Dean Ambrose would go heel so if Seth Rollins doesn't win then I have no hope left in the WWE Universe.


Fan Participation Award: Bray Wyatt

This was based on the crowd singing along to "He's got the whole world in his hands".    The rest of the choices were rather lacking but it's the type of thing the Daniel Bryan "Yes!" chants would win if Bryan wasn't injured.


Hashtag of the Year: #NineNinetyNine

WWE never likes any of my hashtags because most of them make light of their lousy booking and Michael Cole's constant mistakes.    This seemed like the least stupid hashtag but I really don't care.


Breakout Star of the Year: Dean Ambrose

Anyone else would just be uncivilized.


Tag Team of the Year: Los Matadores with El Torito

While The Usos should and probably will win this, I just have a hard time voting against Los Matadores because they're probably my favorite tag team on the WWE roster and as for the WWE as a whole, well, Lucha Dragons weren't an option and if they did include NXT then it'd be hard to choose between Lucha Dragons and Vaudevillains.


Tell Me You Didn't Just Say That: Paul Heyman raps

One of the other choices was one of the Bellas telling the other she wished she'd died in the womb.   There really is no winner here, I just went with Paul Heyman because I'm a Heyman Guy.


Best Actor: Mizdow

I'm just trying to push The Miz over the edge.   (Also, I haven't seen "Guardians of the Galaxy" yet and kind of zoned out during The Rock's "Hercules"... Batista wasn't *that* bad in the new "Riddick" but that's only because I knew he was going to die)


Faction of the Year: The Wyatt Family

        This was really the hardest one for me to choose because it was such a toss up between The Wyatt Family and The Shield.    I might have liked The Shield slightly better because I always wanted them to win when they faced off, but I picked The Wyatt Family because I felt like they disbanded under better circumstances than The Shield.    Bray Wyatt also recently stated in an interview that Luke Harper and Erick Rowan could always come home and would always be there if he needed them... unlike the bridges burned between Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose (and Roman Reigns too, sure, why not)


Animal of the Year: Torito

Though I definitely can see The Bunny winning here.


Best Couple of the Year: Tyson Kidd & Natalya

"Nat-tie's hus-band! clapclapclapclapclap"


Tweet It!: @ZackRyder

Though I probably tweeted the most to the Bella Twins out of everyone on the list.  It wasn't ever anything nice though, you see.


Rivalry of the Year: Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose

This has been one of the best ungoing feuds in WWE that I still think was never really settled.  It's best heel turn of the year versus breakout star of the year... how does it not win?


I will be live tweeting during the Slammy Awards @raisedbygypsies until I get bored or fall asleep (Or get so bored I fall asleep) which usually means only the first hour of Raw and then I catch the replay on Hulu Plus and endless recaps on "Main Event" and "Superstars".  

NXT Flashback Review: October 3rd, 2012 (NXT #16)

In my second flashback episode of NXT things start falling into place a little bit more.   The show opened with Kassius Ohno entering the building, being interviewed and then attacked by Richie Steamboat.     These two basically just keep fighting back and forth like this throughout the night and before the respective matches so odds are we're gearing up for another Steamboat vs. Ohno classic.

The opening contest saw Drew McIntyre defeat Richie Steamboat.   I feel like Drew McIntyre was only in NXT to sort of reinvent himself.    Hulu still has some WWE commercials within the show (And I'm sure WWE would have them there on The Network still too, you know, if this episode was available on The Network) and so they do the Raw Rewind or Rebound or whatever.     CM Punk is apparently about to face John Cena at Hell in a Cell.   What does this mean for the main roster placement of Drew McIntyre?   I don't know, but I bet he's just floating around doing nothing until he comes back up as part of 3MB.   By the way, McIntyre was way over with the crowd here and WWE really dropped some sort of ball letting him slip away.

I don't remember if it was after this match or the next match, but there was an interview with Justin Gabriel and Tyson Kidd about their main event match.   It helps you to realize why the two never reeally got over on mic skills.

It also needs to be noted that during this show some time Curtis Axel announced that he was named the number one contender to the NXT Title, which is held by Seth Rollins, and so Rollins' first title defense would be against him.   This lead to an in ring segment with Curtis Axel eventually leaving the ring and not wanting to fight.   So the next episode has that coming.

The second match had Big E Langston squash Aiden English with a five count.   Big E actually did the five count twice more before leaving the ring.    If Big E had this type of energy and dominance in WWE on his initial call up then perhaps he wouldn't be in A New Day right now and in the title picture instead.    Seriously, the way this guy is booked here he shouldn't have to be anyone's hired muscle.  

Kassius Ohno defeated Percy Watson in the third match and as much as William Regal hyped up Percy Watson I was just never a fan of the guy.     Ohno was attacked by Steamboat pre-match but didn't really sell it.   Percy Watson just needs to go away, as this is not something about NXT that I miss.   (Though, admittedly, yes, I do want Ohno back.   For the record, TNA could make a huge impact- no pun intended- by hiring Chris Hero on their rebranding next year)

The main event saw The Ascension defeat Airstrike, which is what Tyson Kidd and Justin Gabriel were calling themselves back then.   So it's good to see that Gabriel and Kidd have been losing to upcoming tag teams since at least 2012, right?  What struck me as the real story here is that The Ascension was made up of Konnor (Who was Conor O'Brian in NXT previously and appeared on the show when it was a competition.  For the record, yes, I do intend on one day going through and reviewing the seasons episode by episode of when NXT was a competition.   Well, up until the final, seemingly neverending season that is.  So maybe only four then)   Now the funny part is that the version of The Ascension that you see on NXT right now (who should be on the main roster next year) is Konnor and Viktor.    This version of The Ascension that defeated Airstrike was Konnor and Kenneth Cameron.   I noticed right away that they were different but then when I looked up who Kenneth Cameron was exactly and why he wasn't in WWE anymore and all... Yeah, he's Bram in TNA right now.

So while TNA has a lot of former WWE stars like Ken Anderson and Bobby Lashley, they also have a lot of former WWE guys who never made it to the main roster really, like how Ethan Carter III was Derek Bateman.   (EC3 is one of WWE's other biggest losses too, if you want to add him to the list with Drew McIntyre)   So it's just funny to see these guys in NXT from two years ago but realize that they now are off doing other things.   I didn't really know a lot about Bram, but I do like him in TNA, so this does also feel like a missed opportunity by WWE.

This episode of NXT had some decent matches, but mostly it opened the doors of who Bram was before TNA for me and that was kind of mind-blowing for me.  (No joke)   The next episode will see Curtis Axel get a title shot against Seth Rollins and so whatever other matches might come on that show, at least we have that as a guarenteed solid match.

NXT Flashback Review: September 26, 2012 (NXT #15)

Only recently did I realize that WWE NXT is on Hulu Plus with a lot more back episodes than the WWE Network has to offer (What's up with that?  Why can't I watch "Tough Enough" or WWE's version of ECW on The Network?  What if I want to see The Sandman vs. Zombie classic?)  and so I started watching NXT from the September 26, 2012 episode as I felt that was a good a place as any to start after the final competition season that seemingly never ended as well as what came after that, which was kind of just a glorified version of "Superstars".


The match listing here was quite interesting, complete with a promo for Paige, who says that you will never really understand her.  

The now Curtis Axel (Michael McGillicutty at the time) defeated Bo Dallas in the opening contest.     This was billed as a big third generational match and rightfully so.   It had me wondering about the positioning of both of these talents on the main roster right now.  On one hand, Curtis Axel (I refuse to continue to try and spell that other ridiculous name) was a Paul Heyman guy, in a tag team with Ryback, went away for a little bit and now the most he's really done since returning is the tag team break up on "Main Event" (Or was it "Superstars"?  Does it even matter?)   Aside from the occasional Curtis Axel vs. Sin Cara match, he hasn't really done anything of note.

On the other hand, you have Bo Dallas- who lost this match mind you- and he has been on the main roster bo-lieving and only absent in recent weeks because I believe he's injured.    Also, Bo Dallas would go on after this match to hold the NXT Title for quite a while and I don't think Curtis Axel ever held it.     With the announcement of a Bo Dallas action figure coming out early on in 2015, I am eagerly awaiting the chance to buy it... while Curtis Axel and HHH warm pegs in a Battle Pack at my local Target.


The second match saw Leo Kruger defeat Jake Carter and wow is there a lot to say about this one.    Jake Carter is "your girlfriend's favorite superstar" and also the son of Vader.   Yes, that Vader.    And no, he is not Ethan Suplee.    Obviously Jake Carter is neither on the WWE main roster right now nor in NXT still so I kind of wonder how someone who is the son of Vader could be released by WWE.     More importantly, I wonder what happened to him in terms of wrestling as a whole because it feels like he could just as easily have made the transition to somewhere such as TNA.     While I won't look into it on any official level, I'll just pretend he's perfecting his craft in Japan and will be back to either WWE or TNA in the not too distant future.   After all, this is from over two years ago now.

Leo Kruger is now on the main roster as Adam Rose, the guy who likes to party all the time and is in a feud right now with the bunny.   Leo Kruger is actually a lot better as a character than Adam Rose and I actually like Adam Rose a little bit.     But what Rose has in that comedy act/cheesy feel that WWE really doesn't need, Leo Kruger has twice that in being a pure villain.    Speculation can begin that Adam Rose will one day go full heel on The Bunny and even if he doesn't take the name of Leo Kruger again I think that as a heel this guy could be bigger than almost anyone else on the WWE main roster today.  


Match three saw Ryback in a return to NXT and he squashed the duo of Aiden English and Francis Remi Dorian.   Ryback was on the WWE main roster at this time so he was just down here pulling double duty I guess, as William Regal referred to it as a special appearance of some kind.    Aiden English will go on to form the Vaudevillains, one of my favorite tag teams in NXT, while I have absolutely no idea who Francis Remi Dorian is.   (A google search brings up the name "Louis Fontaine" but otherwise it's mostly just results for this specific match.   So this guy may or may not still be wrestling... probably)


The main event had Richie Steamboat defeat Kassius Ohno.    We all know that Kassius Ohno is no longer in WWE for whatever reasons, but whatever did happen to Ricky Steamboat Jr.??   Wikipedia says that he had his last NXT match in November of 2012 (so looks like I'll be seeing that soon enough) but then he also had to have back surgery and as such was released from his WWE contract in 2013.    Why he hasn't either come back to WWE or made waves elsewhere in the world of professional wrestling is beyond me as he is one heck of a great wrestler, which should go without saying given who his father is.


This episode of NXT taught me a lot about where some of today's current stars came from, but then also with Curtis Axel, Bo Dallas, Jake Carter and Richie Steamboat on here it made me think a lot about multi-generational stars as well.    While having a famous father could open doors for you, the fact is it only matters what you do with it from there.   Just ask Harry "DH" Smith.

REVIEW: Lucha Underground Episode 6 (first aired on 12/3/14 on The El Rey Network)

After a fairly hot show last week, I'm really looking forward to this new episode which is why I'm probably getting around to watching and reviewing it so fast.  


We begin with a recap of last week's main event with Johnny Mundo costing Prince Puma the match and having him put through a table.    Konnan warning Chavo Guerrero Jr. and Sexy Star vowing to do something not sexy are also recapped.

Dario Cueto is in his office drinking while Big Ryck is smoking a cigar.   Cueto says that Big Ryck has signed an exclusive contract with Lucha Underground and he will get a signing bonus which Big Ryck requests in cash.    Perhaps someone should have told Dario Cueto that Big Ryck's options are limited since he left WWE and TNA.    Cueto says he brought Johnny Mundo in so he could make an example of him because he likes violence.   I kind of like that idea, except that it makes Johnny Mundo look really stupid for being there now.    It also makes me wonder who he brought in strictly to be a jobber.

The camera goes to the ring where Ivelisse and Son of Havoc are introduced.    Ivelisse cuts a promo saying that ever since they have been there Son of Havoc has been made to look like a joke.   She points out things that I did last week about how he's been booked poorly.   Ivelisse says that they signed a seven year contract and if they wanted to be treated this way they would have stayed in Nashville.   Not sure what's in Nashville or if that's a hint at Son of Havoc one day going country but congrats to these two for thinking Lucha Underground will be around for seven years.

Son of Havoc challenges any man in the back to come and face him.    Pimpinela Escarlata answers the challenge and I'm back in the 1990's when Goldust was using mind games by kissing other wrestlers.   Seriously, this guy is like the Guerrero that Adrian Street fathered and no one wants to see that.  (Side Note: They do still use kissing other men as mind game in Mexico for wrestling, so we have that to look forward to here)   This type of character is also the reason why I could not enjoy the movie "Rio".    So disturbing.


Match 1: Son of Havoc (w/ Ivelisse) vs. Pimpinela Escarlata

Vampiro pointed out that Gorgeous George may have started this flamboyant style of gimmick but Pimpinela brought it back in the 1980's.   I immediately hate that he brought it back for similar reasons why no one should wear blackface again ala Roddy Piper.   Matt Striker names off others who have adapted this gimmick and says The Miz to nothing but his own laughs.   Seriously, Striker, if you have to laugh at your own jokes then they're not funny.    Son of Havoc got the early advantage with the distraction by Ivelisse but she eventually ended up taking a top rope cross body for her troubles.   The crowd started chanting for the kiss at one point, as apparently that is a signature move of Pimpinela.    Son of Havoc had some good offensive moves while PE was all comedy.   Ultimately, Mascarita Sagrada came out to even the odds with Ivelisse and after a kiss Pimpinela got a rather fast count on Son of Havoc.    Guess who's not looking forward to the inevitable Son of Havoc & Ivelisse vs. Pimpinela & Mascarita Sagrada tag team comedy match?

One of the things that bothered me about this match is that during the commentary Matt Striker made mention that Son of Havoc comes from Wisconsin and there aren't a lot of people like Pimpinela there.    He also said that Son of Havoc has more of a close minded way of thinking, basically implying that Pimpinela represented a gay man and Son of Havoc was like the masked version of Duck Dynasty.    While those ideals may have worked even in the 1980's the fact is that having someone portray a character such as this in the 21st century is the backwards way of thinking.     Not all men who wear makeup are gay and not all gay men wear makeup.    The fact that this could be on television right now and considered okay is a huge blow to the LGBT community no matter what side of it you're on.   In a lot of ways this is as bad if not worse than, say, putting Big Ryck (an African American man) in an angle with Johnny Mundo where he becomes Mundo's slave.    Professional wrestling- in any country- needs to learn to move on from these awful, awful stereotypes and generalizations and give us characters we can relate to because I don't think anyone in their right mind views as black people as acting like Cryme Tyme, all white people as being like Jack Swagger or all Latinos as being like Gobbledygooker.   Okay, I may have lost sight of my point on that last one there, but having to watch this is painful and the idea of this being "only entertainment" really does seem valid.    We're two matches away from a heel turn and the crowd chanting "f****t" at the guy.

Ok.  Off my soapbox.   Back to the show.


Johnny Mundo is shown walking "backstage" where he grabs Dario Cueto by the throat and demands his money or he beats him down.  Cueto says beating him up won't get him his money and he says he can make things right again.   Somehow this just didn't have the same feel of any other professional wrestler putting their hands on their boss.   It actually kind of made Mundo look like a bully if anything because Cueto is not an in ring talent.


Back in the ring, Famous B is introduced to little or no reaction.    When I google his real name (Thanks, Wikipedia!) all I get all links for a Chef of the same name and pictures of his mugshot.  (The wrestler's mugshot, not the chef.   Unless the wrestler is the chef in which case the gimmick seems like a missed opportunity)   Mil Muertes is introduced with Catrina as his opponent and this Famous B guy better hope he has that chef career to fall back on because he is about to be murdered.  

Match 2: Famous B vs. Mil Muertes (w/ Catrina) 

Mil Muertes has theme music kind of like Abyss in the sense that when you hear it you know someone is about to get beat up.   This was a glorified squash match and Famous B never stood a chance.    The fans actually got behind Muertes here and that might not be a good sign if he's supposed to be a monster heel.    On the plus side, I learned Mil Muertes' finisher is called The Flatliner.


A rematch between Drago and King Cuerno is hyped for later on in the night.  A video for Drago is shown.    It's basically a child's voice giving a review of the "How to Train Your Dragon" movies with Drago shown fighting some guys.    Apparently after all the dragons were wiped off the earth one remained and turned into a human.    Lucha Underground has some wacky backstories but I like them.


After a commercial break, we return and Drago is in the ring.   Looks like the rematch happens now.


Match 3: Drago vs. King Cuerno

The mystery woman appeared again during this match.   I got a better look at her now and thanks to my suspicions being confirmed via the Lucha Underground Wikipedia page I can say she is Angela Fong, another former NXT talent who never made it to the big stage.   A decent back and forth match but following his finisher King Cuerno got the clean pinfall victory.   Something I wish I didn't learn in this match: Cuerno's finisher is called "The Thrill of the Hunt".   That's a rather clumsy name.    Post match Cuerno beat down Drago and told him that "the hunt is on".

Given Matt Striker saying that they were 1-1 now and the post match antics I don't see any reason for the rubber match now, do you?


The wrestlers are shown walking forward as Matt Striker says the main event is still to come:  Sexy Star and Fenix vs. Chavo Guerrero Jr and Pentagon Jr.   Wow that was rushed.   At this rate, Drago and King Cuerno might have their rubber match tonight.


Back from commercial and Johnny Mundo was in the ring.  He said he'd give Dario Cuerto to the count of ten to come out and give him his money or he wouldn't get his key back.    As Mundo was counting, Big Ryck came out to tell him why the money was his but Mundo went flying out of the ring and started hitting him with punches.   Mundo went back in the ring and resumed counting when Konnan came out and explained how Prince Puma would no longer have his back.   This gave Big Ryck time to recover and he hit Mundo from behind.   Prince Puma came out to help Mundo in the latest episode of "Konnan is Always Wrong (About Everything)" and once Ryck was out of the ring Mundo and Prince Puma had a pull apart brawl.     Dario Cuerto came out and said he had a briefcase with $100,000 in it and it was Big Ryck's signing bonus but Ryck didn't read the fine print.   Next week, Ryck would have to fight for his $100k in a ladder match against both Johnny Mundo and Prince Puma.  

What I found funny was that after Big Ryck rolled out of the ring his other Johnsons came out to check on him.   Where were they when Mundo and Prince Puma were double dropkicking him??   Also, Matt Striker said that the announcement by Cuerto was "social media and dirt sheet worthy" which just makes him look like a complete and utter baffoon.   If Vince McMahon fed lines to commentators in WWE I wonder if anyone is feeding lines to Matt Striker.   If no one is then Striker may never want to show his face in public again.    We know the money isn't real, Striker, stop acting like such a mark-- you're giving us all a bad name.


Chavo Guerrero Jr. was introduced first and I kind of wish he and Pentagon Jr. came out together for some reason.    Also, Sexy Star has really annoying music.

Match 4: Chavo Guerrero Jr. & Pentagon Jr. vs. Sexy Star & Fenix

This match broke down for me when Sexy Star entered it.   Chavo Guerrero Jr. was being worked over by Fenix, so Sexy Star was tagged in and she hit Chavo Jr. with a flurry.   Everyone- even the commentators- cheered her on, but when the tables were turned and Chavo Jr. gained the advantage the tides turned.   It wasn't a feeling of "Oh, the heel is in control" so much as it was uncomfortable because a man was beating up a woman.   Matt Striker did point out that Sexy Star knew what she was getting into and that she was asking for it without making her sound too much like a victim of domestic violence.     Oh yeah, and I googled "Sexy Star unmasked" and learned she wears a mask for similar reasons as Kane.   After a top rope finisher by Fenix, Sexy Star gave Pentagon Jr. the old 1-2-3.


Now while that wasn't a particularly bad match, as I love the work of Fenix, it didn't really help anything with Chavo Jr. and Sexy Star which means that will unfortunately have to continue.    Why can't Sexy Star just lose to Ivelisse like everyone wants her to?   Not as good of a show as last week but let's hope the ladder match next week makes up for it.