Patrick B. Posted February 4, 2015 Share Posted February 4, 2015 From Brandon Stroud's Uproxx review of the most recent show:"Here’s why this works … the Puma/Cage stuff, not Backlund/Graham. Backlund/Graham worked because it was 1980 and Bob Backlund was a sweet boy. Prince Puma is the show’s Latino superhero. As mentioned in that assumptive Link stuff in the previous paragraph, he’s a representative of the people watching. He does incredible things, but he’s basic enough to allow you to live through him vicariously. He can win Aztec Warfare, he can bounce back from defeat and beat his friendly rivals, and he will stand up against threats to not only himself, but his manager and his business. Cage is the opposite of that. He’s a muscular white guy who cuts bad promos. He’s WWE. He’s WWE in the shape of a man. He thinks lucha libre tradition is just Mexican people handing each other capes, and he doesn’t respect it. He doesn’t respect the style or the showmanship. Doesn’t respect the pageantry. He just wants to get in the ring and rip shit up for money. There’s no pride or honor, just bad wrestling business. When Puma faces Cage, it’s lucha libre standing up for itself in an American market. That’s important. This show’s raging against convention and the expectations of a bored, complacent audience. It’s saying, “here’s what we can give you. This is different. This is for you.” Some people are going to pick up on it, and some people will be resistant. Cage is that guy. Cage sees Lucha Underground and says “I’m better than this.” He says, “what I do works.” There’s no teamwork or fellowship; it’s about aggressively picking sides." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlfredoE Posted February 4, 2015 Share Posted February 4, 2015 I'm in the same boat as tromataker in that I've seen Mr. Cisco, Bael and Cortez Castro in the L.A. indies & lucha scene for so long, that I can tell them apart. I also like that they're in a trio/gang and are all different nationalities which is hilarious given they were supposedly a "gang" in LA. It was even stranger when Ryck was in the group/gang. My actual problem when recapping the show is trying not to type their indie names since I'm so use to them. I also gotta agree about Vampiro as the "interviewer". He's kinda dopey doing it, but it kinda works since he keeps calling guys "dog" or "brother" and then flip-flops on his opinions throughout the interview. Its funny. Far more enjoyable than hearing him call matches with Striker. Vamp with Hugo has gotten better on the Spanish UniMas broadcast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mistah Na1m4rk Posted February 4, 2015 Share Posted February 4, 2015 From Brandon Stroud's Uproxx review of the most recent show: "Here’s why this works … the Puma/Cage stuff, not Backlund/Graham. Backlund/Graham worked because it was 1980 and Bob Backlund was a sweet boy. Prince Puma is the show’s Latino superhero. As mentioned in that assumptive Link stuff in the previous paragraph, he’s a representative of the people watching. He does incredible things, but he’s basic enough to allow you to live through him vicariously. He can win Aztec Warfare, he can bounce back from defeat and beat his friendly rivals, and he will stand up against threats to not only himself, but his manager and his business. Cage is the opposite of that. He’s a muscular white guy who cuts bad promos. He’s WWE. He’s WWE in the shape of a man. He thinks lucha libre tradition is just Mexican people handing each other capes, and he doesn’t respect it. He doesn’t respect the style or the showmanship. Doesn’t respect the pageantry. He just wants to get in the ring and rip shit up for money. There’s no pride or honor, just bad wrestling business. When Puma faces Cage, it’s lucha libre standing up for itself in an American market. That’s important. This show’s raging against convention and the expectations of a bored, complacent audience. It’s saying, “here’s what we can give you. This is different. This is for you.” Some people are going to pick up on it, and some people will be resistant. Cage is that guy. Cage sees Lucha Underground and says “I’m better than this.” He says, “what I do works.” There’s no teamwork or fellowship; it’s about aggressively picking sides." That's an interesting exegesis but I didn't get that from the character development at all. All I saw was another big goon saying "I'm gonna kill everyone and take the belt." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scraylo187 Posted February 4, 2015 Share Posted February 4, 2015 From Brandon Stroud's Uproxx review of the most recent show: "Here’s why this works … the Puma/Cage stuff, not Backlund/Graham. Backlund/Graham worked because it was 1980 and Bob Backlund was a sweet boy. Prince Puma is the show’s Latino superhero. As mentioned in that assumptive Link stuff in the previous paragraph, he’s a representative of the people watching. He does incredible things, but he’s basic enough to allow you to live through him vicariously. He can win Aztec Warfare, he can bounce back from defeat and beat his friendly rivals, and he will stand up against threats to not only himself, but his manager and his business. Cage is the opposite of that. He’s a muscular white guy who cuts bad promos. He’s WWE. He’s WWE in the shape of a man. He thinks lucha libre tradition is just Mexican people handing each other capes, and he doesn’t respect it. He doesn’t respect the style or the showmanship. Doesn’t respect the pageantry. He just wants to get in the ring and rip shit up for money. There’s no pride or honor, just bad wrestling business. When Puma faces Cage, it’s lucha libre standing up for itself in an American market. That’s important. This show’s raging against convention and the expectations of a bored, complacent audience. It’s saying, “here’s what we can give you. This is different. This is for you.” Some people are going to pick up on it, and some people will be resistant. Cage is that guy. Cage sees Lucha Underground and says “I’m better than this.” He says, “what I do works.” There’s no teamwork or fellowship; it’s about aggressively picking sides." That's an interesting exegesis but I didn't get that from the character development at all. All I saw was another big goon saying "I'm gonna kill everyone and take the belt." I got it from his "No one handed me a mask and a cape" line, which they could have made a bigger deal of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobra Commander Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 I missed part of this to watch a Big 10 game, but the ending.... we knew it was coming, but... wow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curt McGirt Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 Upon review, I like both the six-man and the title match from the last show a lot better second time around... actually, the first one too, so all of them. And I can identify the Crew now! All it took was a little thought: one's not wearing a shirt, one is, and Cisco is the lil' squat dude that reminds me of Gedo. Cage crushing the bottle was way too funny, plus they added in the stock grunt sounds when the guys got hit. Lucha Underground Report 2/4/15 Mariachi El Bronx is your band for the evening. Vampiro's jacket is your gaudy fashion for the evening. Along with Ivelisse's pants. Angelico vs. Son of Havoc: Speaking of fashion, wow is Angelico's gear bright. He's at least a head taller than Havoc and throws some nice knees. The size disparity makes Havoc's reverse atomic drop completely fail. They do some goofy stuff with Ivelisse at the end for a rollup finish and this could have been better. I like Angelico though, his character reminds me of Vega from Street Fighter, tall vain skinny guy who can work as either a face or a heel. Havoc continues to underwhelm. He could at least have not faked his crazy Tiger Drop variation. Mundo calls Cage a hambone and suggests Dario get a new belt. Hopefully one that doesn't tear as easy! (yeah, I know it's Cage, but it made the belt look super cheap/flimsy) Famous B. vs. Pentagon Jr.: Is this a new segment for Pentagon? I remember he already had one. Pretty cool with him taking out different kinds of fighters in a dojo somewhere. Squash with the package piledriver and an armbar which he concludes by snapping the arm back violently and the crowd eats it up while the refs check B. and Pentagon gloats. Pentagon could be their La Parka if they work it right. I don't know what the deal on the mic with him saying "master, I'm ready" is about but we'll see soon enough. Dario is down in the basement talking to his monster who apparently is Matanza. The Asian gal is named as the Black Lotus and Dario talks to the grunting monster and fondles his key. The tension builds! Drago vs. Aero Star: Vampiro says this might be a clasico and it doesn't live up to that sadly. Striker says the match is like driving in a race car at 55 and that's really what it felt like, a face vs. face match that never got out of second gear and was more like a short exhibition. There are two cool dives and the blockbuster DDT (or whatever they called it) was mean looking but these guys needed more time and a little heat between each other to really light the fuse on it. Still pretty fun. Fenix is working the heavy bag and Catrina creeps up and kisses him. More Fenix/Muertes is A-OK by me so bring it on. Johnny Mundo vs. Cage: Cage comes out wearing the broken belt pieces like a necklace! Bwahahaha. This is your WWE Main Event of the evening. Striker makes a crack about Tony Atlas liking boots to his face. Cage misses a big moonsault; Mundo hits a stiff Shining Wizard. Fuck, Mundo hits a huge tornillo over the post on Cage and King Cuerno starts stalking down to the ring then starts beating up Mundo. He chairs his leg against the post and Cage waves it off and starts to walk away... until Dario comes out and restarts the match? Cage immediately goes to the leg and that builds some pretty good suspense for the second half, but Mundo falls to that Gory Special/Sister Abigail that still is as yet unnamed. This really picked up after the interference. DEL RIO IS IN THE OFFICE! We get the wink to close. This is a really good episode for moving along storylines which is necessary after such a workrate-heavy ep like the last one. Lots of good backstage bits and though the matches weren't blow-away great they were all fairly solid. Gotta watch the replay of this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jiji Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 Cage does the stretch muffler. Therefore, Cage is awesome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobra Commander Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 one day Cage is gonna get thrown into an unmarked van and show up suddenly in the WWE. Also, should I read much into the kickouts when Cage does the F5? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tromatagon Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 Dario should keep making stronger and stronger belts each week and Cage should keep breaking them and adding them to his Aztec bling. I hope Dario's monster is like Chessman or Murder Clown or Plague and not Gronda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mistah Na1m4rk Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 I thought this was the best all-around episode yet. The matches were captivating, there was some character development and angle advancement, and the crowd was red-hot and really contributed to the atmosphere. The whole show was just damn *fun*. The mariachi band was a nice touch too. The show needs two hours a week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NikoBaltimore Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 As fun as two hours would be, I'm a fan of one hour shows. It puts a priority on who/what to feature and if done right doesn't cram everything into one episode. I was really impressed by Angelico. Tall guy with some nifty moves made for a fun match. As much as I loved Drago/Aerostar I know there's more they can do. Was a lot of fun though. And Cage/Mundo was what it should have been. Loved the setup with the endless kicks only for that to be taken away with Cuerno's attack. It makes sense and I throoughly enjoyed the story being played out. It's always hard to pick this or NXT as my favorite weekly show, but it truly is worth everybody checking out. The added bonus is it's the one wrestling show my wife looks forward to. She's into everything which is always a plus. I'm really encouraged by the popularity it's getting. Can't go wrong with lines out the door to attend tapings and everybody wanting to see it. If only El Rey can get on more TV providers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scraylo187 Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 Oh man, this episode. This might have been my overall favorite of the run so far. The characters are constantly developing, which means that everyone on the roster is potentially a threat. Son of Havoc would be a jobber in the WWE, but in Lucha Underground you believe it when he shows up to kill a guy, because he's fed up by not being able to kill guys. On the other end, Angelico is so much fun. He's got more 'it factor' than he's got flips, and giving him an underdog feud against Ryck or Cage could be so fun. Johnny Mundo and Cuerto get to have a conversation like normal people that don't like each other would actually go AND get to further their rivalry. Also, HAMBONE. Pentagon Jr. gets a video package where he kills The Hard Master and sets off his rivalry with the Arashikage Clan, and then he kills a dude. And then he swears allegiance to a dark master. Hopefully he uses these new dark powers to fight a dragon, or a space alien, or an earthquake survivor that became an avatar of death. Guys these are all things that can happen on this show and god damn it. Honest question: How long is before RZA gets involved in Lucha Underground somehow, even if its just showing up with Danny Trejo in the VIP section? Do you guys remember that line of Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter GI Joe figures? Can we have Lucha Underground versions of those? I just realized why I love this show. It is the literal translation of every kid's GI Joe wrestling federation. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NikoBaltimore Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 Considering what Rza has done so far with El Rey, it's only a matter of time before he gets involved. And bless Alberto. Within the same week he's on ROH and LU TV which is weird to think about. I can't say I've been a fan of his, but good for him to not only double dip into two US TV shows, but also be in AAA and consider fighting. WWE letting him go was the best thing to happen to him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scraylo187 Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 Considering what Rza has done so far with El Rey, it's only a matter of time before he gets involved. Is he involved? My knowledge of El Rey stops beyond LU and knowing that they show grindhouse movies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawn411 Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 I really like Angelico, I think he would be a star in WWE or TNA. I love LU and ROH on Sinclair, so its going to be interesting to see how both companies book Del Rio. He probably have better matches in ROH since they will be giving more time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curt McGirt Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 RZA's introduced a couple of Shaw Bros. movies on the network. If you want more info on the network, we have a thread over here http://deathvalleydriver.com/forum/index.php?/topic/1762-the-el-rey-network-thread/ where we drool over everything they play. Including Miami Vice! I think LU and ROH both give plenty of time to matches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tromatagon Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 So are there any rumors to who Matanza is going to be yet? If it's Khali I will be so sad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niners Fan in CT Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 I don't want to be spoiled. Which Lucha Underground episode was their version of the 'Royal Rumble'? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Schneider Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 I really like Angelico, I think he would be a star in WWE or TNA. I love LU and ROH on Sinclair, so its going to be interesting to see how both companies book Del Rio. He probably have better matches in ROH since they will be giving more time. I haven't watched this week yet, and thought he looked OK in the 4-way, but Angelico in IWRG was one of the worse wrestlers I have ever seen. He may have gotten better, but it could be smoke and mirrors Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thecubsfan Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 I don't want to be spoiled. Which Lucha Underground episode was their version of the 'Royal Rumble'? Aztec Warfare, episode 9, aired 01/07. I really like Angelico, I think he would be a star in WWE or TNA. I love LU and ROH on Sinclair, so its going to be interesting to see how both companies book Del Rio. He probably have better matches in ROH since they will be giving more time. I haven't watched this week yet, and thought he looked OK in the 4-way, but Angelico in IWRG was one of the worse wrestlers I have ever seen. He may have gotten better, but it could be smoke and mirrors AAA brought him in to be a team with Jack Evans (and a trio with Australian Suicide) and he works in that context. Less trying to do mat work with the Navarros in AAA, still those kicks. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Posted February 6, 2015 Author Share Posted February 6, 2015 I put up my review in my yearly blog update: http://luchareviews.blogspot.ca/2015/02/lucha-underground-caraluchas-aaa-tv.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stoychers Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 How to get RZA involved? Have RZA bump into Famous B backstage after a loss and tell him that the road to victory starts by undergoing a 36 Chamber Shaolin style masterclass and/or sabatical to improve/hone his craft. Bring him back under the moniker Killa B and feud with Pentagn Jr to play on the martial arts link. ... that's the best I got. Also, I loved this episode (something I seem to say every week) but felt Cage came across as less of a monster than he should be doing. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Otto Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 Holy smokes, that Pentagon Jr. video was dynamite. A million bonus points for him fighting a capoeirista at the end! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mistah Na1m4rk Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 So are there any rumors to who Matanza is going to be yet? If it's Khali I will be so sad Yeah, gosh, it's going to be really hard to follow up on that tease isn't it? This is some sort of monster chained up in a basement? I don't think you can trot out your run-of-the-mill guy in a mask to deliver on that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mistah Na1m4rk Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 Holy smokes, that Pentagon Jr. video was dynamite. A million bonus points for him fighting a capoeirista at the end! I'm so happy they're giving him some more screen time and character development. I loved hearing the crowd chanting "Cero Miedo", that's the sort of really distinct feedback I hope to see more of from Lucha Underground and their growing fanbase. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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