Lucha Underground: Career Opportunities

September 6, 2017 – Los Angeles, California

Drago def. The Mack {Ancient Medallion Match}
This was fun but way too short. That’s a shame as they had a nice power vs. speed thing going. Drago won with the Dragon’s Tail after a distraction from Kobra Moon at 3:45. Mack tries to attack Moon after the match but Pindar and Vibora beat him up. **

Dario Cueto comes to the ring to announce that next week will be the 100th episode of Lucha Underground. El Dragon Azteca will wrestle Pentagon Dark for an Ancient Medallion, The Worldwide Underground will face Prince Puma and partners to be named later tonight in an atomicos match. And Matanza Cueto will face Rey Mysterio in the main event. Cueto tells Mysterio that if he doesn’t leave tonight so that his brother’s main event is untouched he will fire Azteca. Mysterio says he’ll leave, but he’s ending the Cueto family legacy next week. 

Cortez Castro def. Joey Ryan {Ancient Medallion Five-0 Street Fight}
There are police in riot gear and a cop car at ringside and flashing police lights on the turnbuckles. The cops keep Ryan from running from Castro without getting physically aggressive. A brief argument between Matt Striker & Vampiro over the value of cops is interesting, and I could have used more of Vampiro pushing back against Striker’s blue lives matter shtick. Weirdly, I think in-universe the commentators don’t know that either wrestler is a cop. Ryan busts Castro open hardway with a fistfull of handcuffs. He also gives Castro an over-the-pants cavity search. There are a few more creative spots involving the dudes at ringside and other police-related gimmickry, and I really appreciate that when a no-DQ match gets a unique name in LU that some effort is made to make a connection to said name. In the end, Castro sprayed mace in Ryan’s face and hit a Death Valley Bomb onto a riot shield for the win at 13:07. It got a little goofy, but it sure was fun. ***½ 

Matanza Cueto def. Paul London, Mala Suerte & Saltador {Handicap Match}
Predictabel squash here. The Rabbit Tribe got some offense in, but only once got Cueto off of his feet. That led to London hitting the Shooting Star Press and Cueto kicking out even though all three opponents were pinning him. Cueto followed that in short order with the Wrath of the Gods on Saltador for the win at 4:44. They kept it light and fun. **¼ 

Puma comes out to announce his atomico partners, but is interrupted by Johnny Mundo. They go back and forth for a while, hyping next week’s match and the Ultima Lucha title match. Mundo insists that Puma put his mask on the line at Ultima Lucha. Puma says yes. Dario Cueto doesn’t want a redundant stipulation, since Fenix already has his mask on the line at that show. So instead, Puma’s career will be on the line. Vampiro tells Puma to refuse, but Puma ignores him, takes out Mundo with a jumping knee, and agrees. And that’s the end of the show; we never learned who Puma’s partners will be next week.