Jaysin Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 I'm just finishing up Lucha Underground's very first episode and this has been a really fun hour. I won't post any spoilers, but I figured I'd leave some of my thoughts from the show. I'm a little sick of heel authority figures, but Dario Cueto's character seems different. Kind of comes across like a drug cartel leader. Matt Striker and Vampiro are the announce team and I've been a huge fan of Striker behind the booth for years so this pleased me greatly. I always liked Vampiro as a wrestler. So far they are a fun, but not distracting announce team. Chavo Guerrero Jr actually wrestled like Chavo instead of trying to wrestle like Eddie. Matt Cross's Son of Havoc character looks sweet, simple, but cool. Striker referencing Charlie Brown and Red River Jack to describe his attire was dead on. Main event is awesome. Prince Puma(Ricochet) and Johnny Mundo(John Morrison) work great together and put on a strong showing for the show's first ever show. Production values for the show are awesome. The "Temple" is a cool venue and the ring has a very cool look. The Aztec backstory for Prince Puma is unique and I dig the return to having a "character driven" type wrestling program. Prince Puma's attire is awesome. Anyone else give it a shot? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teh_Showtime Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 Did not know Son of Havoc was M-Dogg at all (in hindsight how did the beard not give it away?). I really dug the episode. The presentation is fantastic in that it's not shot like a typical wrestling company with the dingy arena and bleacher seats, but the camera work and everything else is top notch are really fresh (as opposed to WWE who has stayed the same and TNA who is based on WWE with slight changes). To me the company feels like a TV show centered around wrestling (not a wrestling show on TV) except in most TV shows centered around sports you never get to see the actual action and this was the best of both worlds. Puma vs Morrison was a fun match and great to establish the company. No doubt they could do even better with some heat and sustained storytelling but they both worked what was essentially an exhibition to perfection Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hellboy2 Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 it looks amazing i take it i can't watch it in the UK, is it an El Rey exclusive Ricky Banderas is Mil Muertes i take it, looks so good Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaysin Posted October 30, 2014 Author Share Posted October 30, 2014 it looks amazing i take it i can't watch it in the UK, is it an El Rey exclusive Ricky Banderas is Mil Muertes i take it, looks so good Yes he is. It is an El Rey exclusive, but check your PMs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayelek Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 This is the first time I've heard of Lucha Underground and I am immediately intrigued by this thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russelrules44 Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 Lucha Underground eh?...Hmmmm, I'll take a look it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rickymex Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 I'm just finishing up Lucha Underground's very first episode and this has been a really fun hour. I won't post any spoilers, but I figured I'd leave some of my thoughts from the show. I'm a little sick of heel authority figures, but Dario Cueto's character seems different. Kind of comes across like a drug cartel leader. Matt Striker and Vampiro are the announce team and I've been a huge fan of Striker behind the booth for years so this pleased me greatly. I always liked Vampiro as a wrestler. So far they are a fun, but not distracting announce team. Chavo Guerrero Jr actually wrestled like Chavo instead of trying to wrestle like Eddie. Matt Cross's Son of Havoc character looks sweet, simple, but cool. Striker referencing Charlie Brown and Red River Jack to describe his attire was dead on. Main event is awesome. Prince Puma(Ricochet) and Johnny Mundo(John Morrison) work great together and put on a strong showing for the show's first ever show. Production values for the show are awesome. The "Temple" is a cool venue and the ring has a very cool look. The Aztec backstory for Prince Puma is unique and I dig the return to having a "character driven" type wrestling program. Prince Puma's attire is awesome. Anyone else give it a shot? The best description I've heard of Cueto is as a FarCry Villain. Lucha Underground just keeps reminding me of Eisen-Verse LAX wrestling project that never got rolling. From What I hear the shows just keep getting better and better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teh_Showtime Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 From what I read, they had contractual/scheduling problems with the first few tapings that didnt allow for a few Mexican wrestlers to make the shows and they show up for the second round. I'm definitely intrigued in seeing how the company takes shape Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcxbox Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 i like that they shoot it on actual film and not digital video like wwe /roh/tna the presentation is really cool. it gives you that kinda grindhouse feel to it. and its a tv series within a wrestling universe and not just a wrestling show on tv. ricochette was awesome as prince puma against johnny nitro/john morrison now known in lucha underground as johnny mundo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TakerNGN74 Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 I watched the show and I really liked it, the production is really smooth and unlike anything I have ever seen from a wrestling show. They aren't afraid to be different which in this day and age every new company seems to want to emulate others. The presentation was very well done and easy to follow, I loved the fact that aside from the three matches they took the time to explain the history of Lucha and the promotion so that new viewers would be able to familiarize themselves with it and not feel lost while doing so. The main event was fantastic I wasn't sure about having Johnny Nitro (Mundo) in the company and how he would fit in but I am pleasantly surprised by how well he worked. That's not a knock on Nitro it's just saying that I wasn't quite sure how he would fit into to a Lucha company but his style is very fitting for it. Something on Commentary that really bothered me was the fact that Matt Striker mentioned that Johnny Mundo (Nitro) hadn't wrestled a match in three years. This fact was wrong because he wrestled for Squared Circle Wrestling (2CW) on April 20th of last year. Aside from that one slip up from Striker I didn't mind the commentary at all, I used to not like Striker in WWE because he came off as a nerd (which is what they probably wanted) but on this show Striker came across as very knowledgeable and really helped the new fans immerse themselves in the product and get familiar with it in case they hadn't ever seen it. Striker also sounded motivated and passionate about the wrestling something in WWE I feel he was lacking not because of his faults but because WWE commentators are often over produced (see the current commentary team for WWE and how terrible they are). Wasn't really that into Vampiro as he seemed out of place but it was what it was and I'm willing to tolerate it because he's not that bad and he could get better. Anyways that's enough of my ranting, in closing though I'm definitely going to make this a part of my weekly wrestling viewing because as I stated earlier it's something that's new, fresh, and exciting. Also I was live tweeting the show on Wednesday night and was able to get a follow on twitter from the official verified Lucha Underground twitter account which I thought was very cool and completely unexpected. Lastly if you are watching the show keep an eye out for Ivelisse Velez who will be a part of the show in the future and who is probably the best pound for pound female wrestler in the united states. The WWE HAD her and I don't know why they didn't capitalize on it but they released her and she was able to gain experience and get really good while in other promotions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teh_Showtime Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 In fairness I heard him say Mundo hasn't wrestled a major match in 3 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingster Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 I found a way to watch it, too and liked the show overall. The "temple" looks great, exactly how an arena should look like for a company that has "underground" in its name. The matches were great, especially the opener and the main event. I didn't care too much about the intergender match. To me, it needs a bit of getting used to. But am I the only one who didn't like the way the office/backstage segments were presented? They reminded me too much of a tv series or a movie scene. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaysin Posted October 31, 2014 Author Share Posted October 31, 2014 I found a way to watch it, too and liked the show overall. The "temple" looks great, exactly how an arena should look like for a company that has "underground" in its name. The matches were great, especially the opener and the main event. I didn't care too much about the intergender match. To me, it needs a bit of getting used to. But am I the only one who didn't like the way the office/backstage segments were presented? They reminded me too much of a tv series or a movie scene. On the intergender match, I feel it was short just to get viewers used to the idea that there isn't a separate women's division. I loved the way Striker and Vamp acted like it was a normal occurrence as opposed to something strange. I can see where you're coming from on the backstage segments. The music and lighting make them come across as scenes from a soap opera. The melodramatic acting didn't help either, but I think it'll be something that will improve with time as they find their identity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TakerNGN74 Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 In fairness I heard him say Mundo hasn't wrestled a major match in 3 years. Oh okay that makes a bit more sense then, that's honestly not what I heard him say but if he did in fact say that I'll take your word for it. I have a habit of tuning out commentary on any wrestling show I am watching and I really shouldn't do that but it happens considering how bad WWE commentary is these days. I keep forgetting that there is good commentary that still exists within the wrestling world due to the example set by the biggest company in existence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nathers7 Posted November 1, 2014 Share Posted November 1, 2014 I'm just finishing up Lucha Underground's very first episode and this has been a really fun hour. I won't post any spoilers, but I figured I'd leave some of my thoughts from the show. I'm a little sick of heel authority figures, but Dario Cueto's character seems different. Kind of comes across like a drug cartel leader. Matt Striker and Vampiro are the announce team and I've been a huge fan of Striker behind the booth for years so this pleased me greatly. I always liked Vampiro as a wrestler. So far they are a fun, but not distracting announce team. Chavo Guerrero Jr actually wrestled like Chavo instead of trying to wrestle like Eddie. Matt Cross's Son of Havoc character looks sweet, simple, but cool. Striker referencing Charlie Brown and Red River Jack to describe his attire was dead on. Main event is awesome. Prince Puma(Ricochet) and Johnny Mundo(John Morrison) work great together and put on a strong showing for the show's first ever show. Production values for the show are awesome. The "Temple" is a cool venue and the ring has a very cool look. The Aztec backstory for Prince Puma is unique and I dig the return to having a "character driven" type wrestling program. Prince Puma's attire is awesome. Anyone else give it a shot? Just finished watching the first episode and this pretty much echoes my thoughts. Thought it was a great start. The only thing I disliked was the Chavo-Blue Demon match though even it furthered storylines with the later backstage segment (Chavo's bitterness, Cueto finding someone else to deal with Blue Demon). The backstage stuff worked well in fitting into the vibe they're going for with this so no complaints there. I actually found it much more engaging then some of the tired backstage segments churned out by WWE. I was expecting to find the heel authority figure to feel samey but Cueto did a great job and felt fresh in the role so kudos for that too. Looking forward to episode 2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaysin Posted November 1, 2014 Author Share Posted November 1, 2014 In fairness I heard him say Mundo hasn't wrestled a major match in 3 years. Oh okay that makes a bit more sense then, that's honestly not what I heard him say but if he did in fact say that I'll take your word for it. I have a habit of tuning out commentary on any wrestling show I am watching and I really shouldn't do that but it happens considering how bad WWE commentary is these days. I keep forgetting that there is good commentary that still exists within the wrestling world due to the example set by the biggest company in existence. They also repeatedly talked about Johnny's potential ring rust. I'm guessing that the character they're trying to portray is one that left WWE and didn't wrestle until Dario's money brought him back to the sport. Just finished watching the first episode and this pretty much echoes my thoughts. Thought it was a great start. The only thing I disliked was the Chavo-Blue Demon match though even it furthered storylines with the later backstage segment (Chavo's bitterness, Cueto finding someone else to deal with Blue Demon). The backstage stuff worked well in fitting into the vibe they're going for with this so no complaints there. I actually found it much more engaging then some of the tired backstage segments churned out by WWE. I was expecting to find the heel authority figure to feel samey but Cueto did a great job and felt fresh in the role so kudos for that too. Looking forward to episode 2. On the Chavo-Blue Demon match- I think it was fine for what it was really. I probably enjoyed it more than most because I've always been a fan of Chavo. He just irritates me because the last few years all he's done is try and be Eddie instead of wrestling as him self. He's never been on Eddie's level, but he's a great talent when he's working as himself. In that match, he seemed to have shed the trying to be Eddie stuff and worked his style. Demon is just old(48) and out of shape. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TakerNGN74 Posted November 2, 2014 Share Posted November 2, 2014 They also repeatedly talked about Johnny's potential ring rust. I'm guessing that the character they're trying to portray is one that left WWE and didn't wrestle until Dario's money brought him back to the sport. If it was said from a pure kayfabe standpoint then I completely understand it, it was just something that I happened to notice on commentary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CQI13 Posted November 5, 2014 Share Posted November 5, 2014 Del Rio will be working with them in 2015, according to an interview. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BHK1978 Posted November 5, 2014 Share Posted November 5, 2014 I could have done without the little min-films with the bad acting in them but other than that I enjoyed the show. I do like how the arena and the whole feel of the company fits in with the El Rey brand that Robert Rodriguez is trying to portray (Meaning the dirty, gritty Grindhouse look). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-laz- Posted November 6, 2014 Share Posted November 6, 2014 OK so watched the first 2 episodes just now and im sold, its so fresh and i actually watch the matches unlike WWE where i find myself skipping alot of the time cos iv seen the same matches so many times. Hope Del Rio comes in with Ricardo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CQI13 Posted November 6, 2014 Share Posted November 6, 2014 Supposedly he is coming in as El Patrón Alberto, the character he has in AAA. I haven't heard anythig about Ricardo, but in his own interviews he has said he wants to wrestle (what he had done for a few years before he was in WWE). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
breakingkayfabe Posted November 6, 2014 Share Posted November 6, 2014 I really like the paring of Matt Striker and Vampiro they just gel well together and they focus on the match more than telling corny jokes and not focusing on the match. Episode one was awesome really liked Blue Demon Jr vs. Chavo and Prince Puma vs. Johnny Mundo (John Morrison) I heard Episode 2 is really good but i don't have the El Rey Network cause it's not available on Dish Network but it does come on one of the Spanish channels a few days later. Really hoping this company succeeds, but one thing i don't like is the matt i know they are trying to paint the picture that it's a underground temple kinda thing but it just doesn't fit well with me at least. but overall not a bad start Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wallbanger Posted November 8, 2014 Share Posted November 8, 2014 Watched both episodes today and came away mostly impressed. Little things here and there pulled me out of the moment, but it's a really solid start and can easily be built on. Highlights: Mundo-Puma was hella fun to watch, then having them team in the Episode 2 opener was a good move. Just in a few segments I've become invested in Puma's character and seeing where it goes with Konnan as his manager/trainer. It's been said before, but Cueto makes for a perfect heel authority figure in this setting. Chavo at the end of Episode 2 was classic Chavo. Lowlights: "Big Rick"? You couldn't come up with anything better for your head enforcer than "Big Rick"? I'm not sold on the intergender booking yet. That being said it's early days and I give them credit for trying, so I take a wait and see attitude for now. You don't give a character like "Mil Muertes/1000 Deaths" the kind of pre-debut buildup they did then send him out to the ring in striped blue tights. My daughter's first reaction was "why is he fighting in pyjamas?" -- from that point forward I couldn't take him seriously. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayW Posted November 9, 2014 Share Posted November 9, 2014 Does anyone know if this will air in the UK at all? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EddieFnG Posted November 9, 2014 Share Posted November 9, 2014 "Big Rick"? You couldn't come up with anything better for your head enforcer than "Big Rick"? It's Big Ryck, his name is Rycklon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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