BRM Reviews the 11/26/2014 Lucha Underground
Posted: Nov 29th, '14, 22:25
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.
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.