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.
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