Lucha Underground - Premiere Episode: Impressions, Results & Afterthoughts

Lucha Underground (originally Lucha: Uprising) premiered Wednesday, October 29, 2014. The weekly television series is set to air on the El Rey network, featuring professional wrestlers from Mexican wrestling promotion Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (AAA) as well as the American independent circuit.

Presentation

I love this Grindhouse, gitty, comic book-style to this show. This feels like a dark crime/noir-flavored primetime drama, and I totally see myself getting behind this style. You can sense Robert Rodriguez's cinematic handiwork has obviously influenced this product, especially in the brilliant video packages used to introduce the talent between bouts and backstage segments used to fuel the narratives.

Results

Before we even get to the show, let's talk about that introduction/opening to the show. That was some shit out of a freakin' comic book or action-drama. Then to cut to a montage of luchadors wondering the world until they found this "temple" where Lucha Underground was being held adds a bit of mystery and flair that mainstream hasn't seen in a long time. Mainstream professional wrestling (WWE, TNA, etc.) are so caught up being "real" that they forget that wrestling is supposed be "larger than life" and obviously fictional, much like a comic book. 

Matt Striker and Vampiro on commentary. That shocked me immediately going into this. Striker won me over as a commentator back on the WWE version of ECW, while I have nothing but respect for everything that Vampiro tried to bring to the wrestling world with Wrestling Society X a few years ago.

Melissa Santos serves as Lucha Underground's hot and sexy ring announcer.

I can get behind the whole Tony Montana (Scarface), mobster-style gimmick for Dario Cueto as the on-air authority figure of Lucha Underground.

Opening Match: Blue Demon, Jr. vs. Chavo Guerrero, Jr.
WINNER: Blue Demon, Jr. via submission

I was kinda surprised to see Chavo and Blue Demon work a slow-paced technical match for this opener, but I could get behind this as I'm sure most audiences (much like myself) were expecting a spot-fest for the first match.

As a result, I couldn't ask for anything better with two of the most recognizable families in lucha libre fighting first on this broadcast. That being said, I was rather surprised to see Chavo go down with a loss here in his first appearance on this broadcast, but after the segment later in the show, I can tell they want to do a fall-from-grace"

Segment #1 

Konnan meets with Dario Cueto to put over his new protege, Prince Puma, (Ricochet - former CHIKARA, Evolve and DragonGate USA, NJPW, and Pro Wrestling Guerilla alumni) who will face Johnny Mundo (WWE's John Morrison/Johnny Nitro). Cueto wants Konnan's client to educate Mundo about respect and use him as an "example" about how serious he wants his "temple" (the company) to be taken.

Video Package #1 - Prince Puma

Konnan runs down the history of a luchador's mask and puts over his new protege, Prince Puma.

Singles Match - Sexy Star vs. Son of Havoc
WINNER: Havoc after pulling the tights

Son of Havoc is apparently Matt Cross/M-Dogg20 from Wrestling Society X and WWE's Tough Enough Season 5. Sexy Star received a WWE tryout a few years ago but declined to join the roster when she was ordered to unmask. At least now, mainstream wrestling fans have a chance to see both of these stars and what WWE missed out on.

Intergender matches, featuring women wrestling against men, are hard enough to book to begin with, but I'm a little split on how they booked this match. I felt that Sexy Star should've pulled out a win on her debut, especially in her first big exposure to mainstream audiences AND that captivating video package to introduce her. It didn't have to be against Havoc here, but against another female wrestler to groom her "ready" to face men later down the road. Unless they have an underdog storyline in the works, it felt like they clipped her wings prematurely. Maybe I have spoken too soon and they have a long-term plan on what they want to do with her. For now, I'm not going to be too critical about this. 

Video Package #2 - Sexy Star

I absolutely LOVED this video package that aired before the match with Sexy Star narrating how her mask represents empowerment and how all women are "sexy" and can be "stars". I'm very anxious to see more of her on Lucha Underground for sure. 

Segment #2

Dario Cueto ridicules Chavo about his loss tonight and how he has disgraced the legacy of the Guerrero family name. I wonder who Cueto has in mind of bringing in? I hope it's not Hernandez or we'll be retreading the same waters that both Chavo and Hernandez left back in Impact Wrestling...

Main Event: Johnny Mundo vs. Prince Puma
WINNER: Johnny Mundo via Fin Del Mundo (Split-Legged Corkscrew Moonsault)

This was a spectacular 13+ minute contest to end Lucha Underground's premiere main event. Mundo and Puma deserved the standing ovation after this main event - BIG TIME. That aura of awesomeness was diluted after what I felt like Lucha Underground did too much too soon with the finish to this show with the nWo-style faction already being brought in to end the premiere broadcast. This was something that should have been saved for the second or even the third episode in my eyes.

From left to right: B-Boy, Big Ryck (Ezekiel Jackson), Cortez Castro (Ricky Reyes)
with owner Dario Cueto after laying waste to Johnny Mundo.

Closing Thoughts

I liked a LOT of things about this premiere episode. They didn't do too much, but they brought enough here to the table to separate themselves from both WWE and Impact Wrestling. One thing that will definitely draw in new fans is their very impressive presentation style. That alone separates them from almost every other alternative that tries so hard to copy WWE's success. Lucha Underground has it's own visual identity that's recognizable for it's product.

In terms of wrestling and creative control, it could use some very minor fine tuning (for example, I'm not as impressed seeing a woman or anyone do a headscissor takedown as I would have been two decades ago), but I'm cutting them a LOT of slack since this is only the first episode.

All things considered, I could definitely see myself watching this on a weekly basis, adding to my non-WWE wrestling fixes of Ring of Honor and Impact Wrestling. I hope it turns out for the best and doesn't end up like Wrestling Society X did. I was sad to see that show go too, because I thought they had a good thing going...