Lucha Underground: Payback Time

October 19, 2020 – Los Angeles, California

Vampiro wishes Prince Puma luck in the locker room. Puma doesn’t want Vampiro’s help, and would rather lose to Mil Muertes than win with Vampiro on his side. Vampiro thinks Muertes will die rather than lose to Puma. 

Matanza Cueto def. Killshot {Lucha Underground Championship Match}
Killshot came up on Dario’s Dial of Doom to get this title shot. This was fun, but short and mostly a squash for Cueto. He won with the Wrath of the Gods at 3:59. Kind of a bummer to see Killshot get that treatment after winning that crazy main event against Marty Martinez. After the match, another veteran gets in the ring. Killshot calls him Dante and he can’t believe he’s seeing him. He gives him a hug, only for Dante to hit him with a pump kick and a cross-armed brainbuster. It’s weird to see AR Fox with short hair after watching all his wild-haired 2019 EVOLVE matches. **¼ 

Tick tock they’ll soon be here. This time the white rabbit video seemed to want to give us the rabbit’s POV, but we were apparently between its ears, which isn’t where a rabbit’s eyes are. 

Drago def. Aerostar & Fenix {Triple Threat Match}
Drago earned the number-twenty spot in Aztec Warfare by winning here, while Fenix and Aerostar are out of that match. Before the match, Dario Cueto said the Lucha Underground Championship will be on the line in that match and that Matanza will be the first entrant. This match begs the question of whether the two-in-one-out tropes are acceptable when everyone involved is friends and nobody wants to double-team anyone. I’d say in this case that’s fair because Vampiro and Matt Striker argued about the issue on commentary, so it became part of the story of the match. Fenix’s nose bled so much in this match it made me feel sick. This match did get a lot more fun when they ditched the two-in-one-out stuff, and when they stopped doing close ups of Fenix’s broken face. It got a little sloppy near the end, but they recovered from the awkward moments very quickly. Drago won in 8:34 with a blockbuster DDT on Aerostar. ***½ 

Drago is in the bathroom (this again?!), where he’s approached by Kobra Moon. Apparently they used to be part of the same tribe, but Drago left and never wants to return. Hey, where’s Daga? Vinny Massaro walks up eating pizza, apparently finally mentally healed from his season one arm-break at the hands of Pentagon, wondering why Moon is in the men’s room. Elsewhere, Johnny Mundo approaches Dario and asks for a title shot again. He’s desperate, and he gives Dario $94,000 of the $100,000 he won in season one (he had to pay someone off because of some photos that popped up online) back to him so he can have a shot at Sexy Star. Dario gives him the match. 

Prince Puma def. Mil Muertes
This was a really fun, dramatic match, and Puma treated winning like it was a massive deal. He fought really hard to get the win, so that works for me. I could have used a lot more of this match. When Muertes is on he’s on. Puma won in 8:45 with the 630 senton. Vampiro gives Puma a knowing nod and smile. ***½ 

Rey Mysterio asks Chavo Guerrero Sr. where it would put him with the Guerrero family if he were to put Chavo Jr. down for good. Senior asks him if putting down his son is the only way to move forward. Mysterio says yes. Man, this show is a fucking blast, even if it ends before we see how the old man reacts.