Lucha Underground: The Phoenix, the Dragon, and the Spaceman

June 29, 2016 – Los Angeles, California

The show starts with an announcement that Drago, Fenix & Aerostar will get a shot at the Trios Championships at Ultima Lucha Dos. 

King Cuerno def. Mil Muertes
Do lucha commentators in Mexico explicitly talk about wrestlers being rudos and tecnicos? I know they tend to come out of different entrances, but hearing Matt Striker call this a rudo vs. rudo match sounds so weird to my American wrestling fan ears. Anyway, I liked this a lot. It was a short, intense brawl capped off with gnarly chair shots to the head from both guys, and then Cuerno using the ropes to sneak in a win on Muertes at 4:33. Clearly they’ll have to go at it again at Ultima Lucha. ***

Dario Cueto has Ivelisse and Taya in his office. He compliments them both as they snipe at each other. Cueto wants to know which one of them is the baddest woman in Lucha Underground, so they’ll fight at Ultima Lucha. I mean, Sexy Star is badder than both of these ladies so the match seems pointless. Catrina walks in as they walk out and demands that Muertes get that rematch. Cueto thinks it’s hilarious that she’d ask anything of him, but when she says she wants it to be a death match Cueto’s interest is piqued. 

Prince Puma def. El Dragon Azteca
The near complete lack of selling here made this feel a bit like a pair of create-a-wrestlers going at it in a video game demo to show off every cool move in the game engine. That said, the moves were very fun to watch and a couple of them were moves done in ways I’d never seen before. Puma won in 8:45 with the 630 senton. After the match, Rey Mysterio stares down Puma. ***¼ 

Cueto brings the Mack, Cage, Son of Havoc, and Texano to the ring. They’ll fight in a tournament at Ultima Lucha Dos for a unique opportunity. Cueto says it’s the greatest opportunity he’s ever offered. He suggests they put damage on each other now to get an advantage next week, so they do. 

Johnny Mundo def. Fenix
This was the same spotty silliness as in the last match, but with more silliness , less innovation, and a crappy ending. Fenix landing on his feet after doing a backflip after being kicked in the face and knocked out? Vampiro mentioned that he’d never seen that before, and that’s because it’s dumb. Mundo got the win with a title belt shot to the face at 7:47, and Striker can’t even pretend not to hate it, calling it with zero enthusiasm and half apologizing for that right after. For once, we all felt like Striker. Jack Evans, PJ Black, Aerostar, Drago, and Ivelisse all run out to brawl so that this can be rationalized as a main event. **½