BRM Reviews the 11/26/2014 Lucha Underground

[Big Red Machine]

KONNAN AND DARIO CUETO IN CUETO’S OFFICE- great.
Konnan is fantastic on this show. He doesn’t always take the morally right stance and he sometimes comes off as overly harsh (almost like a heel trying to control the young babyface Puma’s career), but he does not leave even a shred of doubt in your mind that he is truly acting in Prince Puma’s best interests, helping smooth things over in political ways that Prince Puma is just to green and too young and impulsive to understand yet.
Konnan is pissed that Castro and Cisqo jumped Prince Puma from behind last week. Cueto claims that he wasn’t behind the attack and that Castro and Cisqo are really Big Ryck’s henchmen, not his. Konnan says that if this is true, he won’t mind letting Prince Puma get some revenge on Big Ryck tonight… in the form of a Street Fight! Cueto likes this idea. Then Konnan was a bit of a dick in a very in-character way, and you could tell that Cueto took offense to this. I love how Cuteo comes off as a man whom it is legitimately dangerous to f*ck with.

Melissa Santos, the ring announcer has a new hairdo. She looks a lot more generic now. I don’t like it.

DRAGO vs. MIL MUERTES (w/Catrina)- 4/10
We got some loud “DRAGO!” chants at the beginning of the match, and I was chanting right along with them because Drago is awesome. They did a spot in this match which I’ve only seen one other time before. This spot is best described as one of the announcers (either Dave Prazak or CM Punk, I believe) called it the first time I saw the spot (the famous Samoa Joe vs. Necro Butcher match from IWA-Mid South Something To Prove: (paraphrasing) “he just powerslammed him onto his forehead.” Unlike that match, though, when these guys did it, it looked like that was actually their intention, rather screwing up a move as it looked like Joe and Necro did.
Anyway, the match was short, but great for the time it got. King Cuerno watched the match from a platform on the upper level of the temple.
“The seductive lick of death.” Matt Striker actually said this. Later in the show, he would utter the phrase “street-throne.” I’m thinking of coming up with a unique feature for my Lucha Underground reviews called “Ridiculous Matt Striker Phrase of the Week.”

After Muertes and Catrina left, King Cuerno got into the ring and hit Drago with a move that I assume is his finisher.

JOHNNY MUNDO VIDEO PACKAGE- awesome!

DARIO CUETO BUMPS INTO MIL MUERTES & CATRINA BACKSTAGE- Catrina warns him that he cannot hide the darkness within him from Mil Muertes.

MASCARITA SAGRADA vs. SON OF HAVOC (w/Ivelisse)- 4.5/10
Mascarita Sagrada tried to jump Son of Havoc when he wasn’t ready. What a jerk.
Striker notes that Son of Havoc has been booked first against a woman and now against a mini, and wonders if this means that Dario Cueto does not take him seriously. Striker then criticized Son of Havoc for being willing to beat up a woman and a midget. This was horribly unfair for a few reasons:
1. In both cases, the opponent jumped him.
2. He actually said that he didn’t want to wrestle Sexy Star and tried to get her to take a count-out loss, so it’s clear he didn’t WANT to fight her. He was forced to when SHE ATTACKED HIM from behind.
3. Dario Cueto is the guy booking these matches. What do you want Son of Havoc to do?

During this match, a mystery woman appeared wearing a poor Black Widow costume. She stood on the stairs, then ran away. Neither Striker nor Vampiro had any idea who she was. It was entirely possible that the fans didn’t even notice her because they were too busy chanting loudly for Mascarita Sagrada. The wrestlers and referee did not appear to notice her either. I think Ivelisse may have.
Ivelisse was an awesome heel, and she got her comeuppance in the form of a big dive from Sagrada.

Also, if anyone was wondering what type of porn Matt Striker likes, apparently it involves masked midgets chasing women in circles. To each his own, I guess.

CHAVO GUERRERO JR. vs. SEXY STAR- no rating. Decent segment.
What the hell?! Why was there no hype for this?!
The match, while it lasted was good. In fact, THIS was exactly what the Son of Havoc vs. Sexy Star match from the first episode should have been. As for the stuff that happened after the match… well… the idea was good, but the execution was quite bad.
First, the nut-shot to the ref felt completely dickish. Then Chavo, rather than run away, decides to get on his knees and beg. Then Pentagon Jr. came out to make the save for Chavo in terrible Russo-swerve fashion. Then the two heels took FOREVER to do anything to Sexy Star because they had to ensure that they were in the right position so that Fenix could make the save by doing a cool move (actually, I’ll blame this more on Pentagon Jr. than Chavo. If he hadn’t been holding the chair up the whole time, it wouldn’t have looked anywhere near as bad).

BOYLE HEIGHTS STREET FIGHT: Prince Puma vs. Big Ryck (w/Cortez Castro & Cisqo)- 7/10
A great match. Prince Puma was a great babyface and Big Ryck showed a lot of personality. Johnny Mundo came out to make the save after the henchmen’s interference became too much for Prince Puma to overcome, but wound up accidentally hitting him with a chair, costing him the match. It should be interesting to see how Konnan spins that, and even more interesting to see Prince Puma’s reaction to however Konnan spins that.

Definitely one of weakest episodes so far, but still great.

STUPID ANNOUNCER QUOTES:
1. Vampiro felt the need to point out to us that “Son of Havoc is much bigger than Mascarita Sagrada.”
No sh*t.

2. Matt Striker tried to sell us that there were “close to a thousand” people in the arena. AT MOST, it looks like there is a fifth of that.

[cero2k]

MASCARITA SAGRADA vs. SON OF HAVOC (w/Ivelisse)- 4.5/10
Mascarita Sagrada tried to jump Son of Havoc when he wasn’t ready. What a jerk.
Striker notes that Son of Havoc has been booked first against a woman and now against a mini, and wonders if this means that Dario Cueto does not take him seriously. Striker then criticized Son of Havoc for being willing to beat up a woman and a midget. This was horribly unfair for a few reasons:

to be fair, on mascarita's defense, the only reason Son of Havoc wasn't ready was because he was laughing at mascarita



STUPID ANNOUNCER QUOTES:
1. Vampiro felt the need to point out to us that “Son of Havoc is much bigger than Mascarita Sagrada.”
No sh*t.
no shit indeed, but when i was watching the match, i thought that m-dogg is not that much taller than a lot of the minis in the AAA mini division

[Big Red Machine]

MASCARITA SAGRADA vs. SON OF HAVOC (w/Ivelisse)- 4.5/10
Mascarita Sagrada tried to jump Son of Havoc when he wasn’t ready. What a jerk.
Striker notes that Son of Havoc has been booked first against a woman and now against a mini, and wonders if this means that Dario Cueto does not take him seriously. Striker then criticized Son of Havoc for being willing to beat up a woman and a midget. This was horribly unfair for a few reasons:

to be fair, on mascarita's defense, the only reason Son of Havoc wasn't ready was because he was laughing at mascarita
Is that what was going on? It looked to me like he and Ivelisse were having a nice moment together.


STUPID ANNOUNCER QUOTES:
1. Vampiro felt the need to point out to us that “Son of Havoc is much bigger than Mascarita Sagrada.”
No sh*t.
no shit indeed, but when i was watching the match, i thought that m-dogg is not that much taller than a lot of the minis in the AAA mini division
I could be wrong but I think Sagrada might be a bit taller than the average mini, too. When he was walking by the railing I couldn't tell if he was a mini or just a short regular-size competitor.

[KILLdozer]

I'm on the season 1 episode with the 20 competitor Aztec Warfare... Who's the third bald Hispanic dude ?

I figured you would know​ who that Asian woman is lol.

[cero2k]

I'm on the season 1 episode with the 20 competitor Aztec Warfare... Who's the third bald Hispanic dude ?

I figured you would know​ who that Asian woman is lol.

I think you're talking the Crew, so that would be Cortez Castro, Mr Cisco, and Bael.

[KILLdozer]

Yeah, they identified during that match actually. Puma is now the inaugural champion... That's where I'm at.

Lol I keep expecting every slim bald Hispanic dude in shorts to be Homicide.

I've noticed something about Cueto though... in the office, and especially behind the desk, he reminds me of Michael Corleone from The Godfather Part II with the slicked hair and suits and the drinking. It's like almost a calm, cool, but subtlety so dangerous thing.

[KILLdozer]

I've noticed as well that Vampiro really loves to switch between heel and face whenever he feels like it lol.

[cero2k]

that's not far from it, i'm sure he used tons of godfather to inspire Dario Cueto

[KILLdozer]

I can't be the only one who doesn't wanna see Ezekiel Jackson here though. It's like an insult to the entire product lol. I really don't wanna see him anywhere.

[cero2k]

I can't be the only one who doesn't wanna see Ezekiel Jackson here though. It's like an insult to the entire product lol. I really don't wanna see him anywhere.

I like what he brings, he's a huge guy, so he makes Puma and Mundo look like underdogs and fast, but yeah, he does kinda suck.

[KILLdozer]

I can't be the only one who doesn't wanna see Ezekiel Jackson here though. It's like an insult to the entire product lol. I really don't wanna see him anywhere.

I like what he brings, he's a huge guy, so he makes Puma and Mundo look like underdogs and fast, but yeah, he does kinda suck.

He seems to have put on some weight and lost major definition in some places... Mainly his back.

He just feels out of place, Even Cage and Mil Muertes can move and keep up.

[cero2k]

He seems to have put on some weight and lost major definition in some places... Mainly his back.

He just feels out of place, Even Cage and Mil Muertes can move and keep up.

yeah, i think you're already far in that you can tell that they tried to start LU using mexican legends and former WWE guys, so slowly you start to see guys that can move more and more

[KILLdozer]

Angelico kind of surprised me... He.. Doesn't wear a mask lol. I just finished the one where Cuerno and​ Mundo busted part of that wall in lol .

[KILLdozer]

Del Rio arrived a little ways back...

[Big Red Machine]

I can't be the only one who doesn't wanna see Ezekiel Jackson here though. It's like an insult to the entire product lol. I really don't wanna see him anywhere.

I like what he brings, he's a huge guy, so he makes Puma and Mundo look like underdogs and fast, but yeah, he does kinda suck.

I thought he worked fine for the role he was placed in.

[KILLdozer]

I can't be the only one who doesn't wanna see Ezekiel Jackson here though. It's like an insult to the entire product lol. I really don't wanna see him anywhere.

I like what he brings, he's a huge guy, so he makes Puma and Mundo look like underdogs and fast, but yeah, he does kinda suck.

I thought he worked fine for the role he was placed in.

He's not really bad at all for the character and what he's been doing, and I'll admit I prefer him more after the face turn -he's wearing the eye patch, I just don't wanna see no Ezikiel Jackson on Lucha Underground lol.

[cero2k]

He's not really bad at all for the character and what he's been doing, and I'll admit I prefer him more after the face turn -he's wearing the eye patch, I just don't wanna see no Ezikiel Jackson on Lucha Underground lol.

yeah, exactly, the character was great and he played it well, it was just inside the ring that he wasn't all that awesome, especially once Cage and Muertes took off

[Big Red Machine]

He is an excellent example of a character who served his purpose at the time he was used and when they didn't need him anymore they didn't use him. It's good booking.

[KILLdozer]

He's also The Mack's cousin! Who knew?

[cero2k]

He's also The Mack's cousin! Who knew?

ha! totally forgot about that