By John Moore, Prowrestling.net Staffer (@liljohnm)
Lucha Underground on El Rey Network
Aired October 10, 2018 – Season 4 Episode 18
Taped in March 16, 2018 in Los Angeles, California at the Union Central Cold Storage Warehouse
This week’s LU intro teaser focused on Fenix getting corrupted by the dark energy, Marty Martinez winning the Lucha Underground Championship, Ricky Mundo and his creepy doll, and Johnny Mundo and Taya Valkyrie’s wedding. This week’s Lucha Underground was titled “Spiders and Skeletons”…
The show went right to the temple this week, no cinematic. Matt Striker and Vampiro checked in on commentary. There was a new house pand this week with El 43 providing the music for the show. This usually means we’re in a new set of tapings. Matt Striker announced the upcoming matches on the show which included Pentagon Jr. vs. Reklusa (Chelsea Green)…
John’s Thoughts: Okay, So I think this is the set of tapings I attended and Pentagon vs. Chelsea might be that match I’ve been hyping up for so long. Interested to see how this goes.
Taya Valkyrie was in the ring and called Antonio Cueto a piece of shit. Taya called Antonio out and Antonio came out of his office. Taya recapped how Matanza crashed her wedding and sent her and Johnny to the hospital. Taya said Matanza also sacrificed two of their friends (Jack Evans and Joey Mercury). Taya demanded a match against Matanza Cueto. Antonio said he likes that Taya is a woman who knows what she wants. Antonio said he knows that Antonio wants a sacrifice to the gods…
1. Matanza Cueto vs. Taya Valkyrie in a loser gets sacrificed match. Taya went right at Matanza right as he entered the ring. Taya dominated the match. Taya gave Matanza a roundhouse to the back of the head and then stompped a mudhole in him in the corner. Taya gave Matanza a meteora in the corner. Matanza gained control with a shove. Vampiro said he respects Taya but said Taya shouldn’t be risking her life. Taya fended off Matanza with front kicks. Matanza countered Taya into a Suplex but Taya countered the counter with a sleeper.
Taya gave Matanza a few slaps and gave Matanza two of the softest low blows in the history of low blows. Vampiro called it a double kick to the doubles. Taya then caught Matanza with an RKO. Taya hit Matanza with a moonsault for a two count. Matanza was about to hit Wrath of the Gods on Taya but Johnny Mundo ran in and gave Matanza a superkick for the DQ.
Matanza Cueto defeated Taya Valkyrie via an apparent DQ in 2:37.
I guess Taya doesn’t get killed if the match ends in a DQ. Johnny took down Matanza with a low sweep and Moonlight Drive. Johnny Mundo hit Matanza with Starship Pain to end the segment. Matanza then quickly got up after Johnny took Taya to the back. Striker said no one has ever gotten up that quickly to Johnny’s finisher…
John’s Thoughts: Of course, since Taya is probably still under contract with LU, you had to assume they weren’t going to kill her. I didn’t know the storylines leading to that point when I attended and I assumed that. You also knew they wouldn’t let Matanza lose so this was 100% expected. The match was good for what it was, but Matanza’s sacrifice run has been pretty disappointing. All he did was beat up a bunch of comedy wrestlers and people they wanted to kill off the show. To give you guys some hope, I remember Matanza and Johnny Mundo having a good sacrifice match which was set up by this match…
Matt Striker ran through the Ultima Lucha 4 card which had Johnny vs. Matanza in a Sacrifice of the gods match…
John’s Thoughts: Something LU’s been missing, even going back to when they had more money, long build towards matches. This wasn’t that long, but the minimal amount of build is welcome.
2. El Dragon Azteca Jr. and Willie Mack vs. Fenix and Mil Muertes. A tornado brawl ensued. Mack and Fenix were tossed out of the ring. Mil and Azteca were left alone. Mil caught Azteca and hit him with a chokeslam. Azteca caught Mil with an X factor and swinging knee drop. Fenix broke the subsequent pin attempt. Fenix did some of his signature rope running to elude Azteca. Fenix gave Azteca an armdrag to the outside. Mack and Fenix then had a lucha agility exchange. Mack gave Fenix a huracanrana. Mack then gave Fenix a face slap.
Mack hit Fenix with a top rope lucha arm drag. Mack caught Fenix with a running leg lariat. Mack and Mil then had a punching battle in the middle of the ring. Mil gave Mack a power slam and sent him outside with a lariat. Mil blocked an Azteca huracanrana. Fenix and Mil then hit Azteca with a tandem power bomb into knees. Mil and Fenix then butted heads due to their fierce rivalry. Fenix caught Mack with his signature slicing springboard Sobat. Azteca ducked a Hart Attack from Fenix. Mack hit Fenix with a Stone Cold Stunner and gave one to Mil too. Mack gave both opponents a double dropkick and Mack followed up with a double Stunner.
Azteca kicked Mil from the apron. Fenix caught Mack with a rolling cutter. Azteca hit Fenix with the DDTJ and gave Mil a Tope Con Hilo. Fenix gave Mil and Azteca a springboard senton. Mack gave everyone a Tope Con Hilo. Fenix crashed and burned on a Swanton Bomb attempt on Azteca. Azteca caught Fenix with a dropping of the dime. Mil then came in and overpowered Fenix. Mack broke up the pin with a Listo Kick. Mil punched a flying Mack. Mil gave Mack a modified Fisherman Suplex for a two count. Mack gave Mil a Samoan Drop, kip up, and standing moonsault for a two count.
Fenix accidentally gave the camera man a Tiger Feint Kick. The crowd then got distracted when we found out the camera man was fine (So Fenix has currently accidentally gave a camera man a 619 and given Antonio Pena’s wife a Tope Con Hilo). Fenix used his superior rope walking ability to hit Mack with a Frankensteiner. Mack gave Fenix a forearm. Fenix came back with a jumping roundhouse and double stomp on Mack. Azteca kicked Mil in the head. Mil caught Azteca with a shoulder. Fenix and Mil tackled their opponents. Mil hit Mack with a Flatliner while Fenix hit Azteca with the Kinniku Buster Driver for the win.
Mil Muertes and Fenix defeated Dragon Azteca Jr. and The Mack via pinfall in 9:51.
Mil and Fenix butted heads after the match due to their animosity. Matt Striker then sent it over to commercial…
John’s Thoughts: This was an expected fun match and everyone got their stuff in. The finish was the right finish too with the heels going over clean to set up their ultima lucha matches. Praise aside, I can’t help but feel that Lucha Underground ran out of money. They ran out of money after blowing it all on that cool Aerostar cinematic. This couldn’t be helped, but I can’t help but feel a bit saddened seeing this once cool show starting to wilt away.
Famous B and Brenda were already in the ring. B cut a promo while Brenda was mic’d up. Famous B recapped getting attacked by Matanza at the Johnny Mundo wedding. Famous B then started acting like a tool talking about how he can wrestle again. Ricky Mundo walked out to set up a match with Famous B. Brenda called Ricky “Ricky Retardo”…
3. Famous B (w/Brenda) vs. Ricky Mundo. The match was pretty much one sided in favor of Ricky Mundo. Ricky clawed at the head of B. B caught Ricky with a pele kick. Ricky turned B inside out with a running lariat. Ricky hit a modified STO for the win.
Ricky Mundo defeated Famous B via pinfall in 1:27.
Ricky crawled over to his creepy doll. Ricky said he knows that Johnny and Taya left the building but he now whats to let them know that he unleashed Matanza on their wedding. Ricky said Johnny treated him like a nobody for years but now he’s a somebody who ruined their perfect day. Ricky then acted jealous of Taya. Ricky challenged Taya for a match at Ultima Lucha. Ricky then gave Brenda a Crossface to make an example of her to Taya. Vampiro said somebody should go in there and do something (then why not you vampiro? You’ve been the knight in sining armor to women in the past on this show?)… [c]
John’s Thoughts: I already said my thoughts about B in a past review and it doesn’t help that he doesn’t get cinematics too. Now Ricky’s promo was fine but knowing this what reason does Johnny have to wrestle Matanza now that his ire should be directed at Ricky? Johnny and Taya will hear this. Why doesn’t Johnny just not show up to Ultima Lucha now since Jack Evans already established that the smart thing to do is not walk into a match were the odds are against you to die?
4. Pentagon Dark vs. Reklusa. Reklusa caught pentagon with a crossbody during Pentagon’s entrance. Reklusa gave Pentagon a ground and pound in the ring. Chelsea has the size advantage over Pentagon. Reklusa gave Pentagon a knee strike. Reklusa also sent Pentagon into the chairs with a whip and followed up with a cannonball. Pentagon countered with a running cannonball. Pentagon lifted Reklusa and gave her a border toss into the apron. It looked like it hurt since she fell right on her tail bone. Pentagon did one of his signature shhh slaps on Reklusa’s chest.
Pentagon caught Reklusa with a kick. Pentagon took Reklusa outside and gave her a whip into the chairs. Pentagon worked on Reklusa at ringside. Pentagon hit Reklusa with a sign board. Penta gave Reklusa a superkick. Penta kicked Reklusa in the shin inside of the ring. Reklusa caught Pentagon with a boot. Reklusa blocked a One Winged Angel with a huracanrana. Reklusa went to the top rope and caught Pentagon on the outside with a huracanrana. Reklusa caught Pentagon with a suicide dive into a tornado DDT. Chelsea threw her arm guards at Pentagon.
Pentagon recovered and hit Reklusa with a Sling Blade. Pentagon caught Reklusa with a superkick for a nearfall. Reklusa dorpkicked the knee on Pentagon and caught Pentagon with a tornado DDT for a nearfall. Reklusa gave Pentagon with her version of the Yes Kicks (with middle fingers at the end). Pentagon hit Reklusa with the Pentagon Driver for a two count. Reklusa reversed the Fear Factor. Reklusa gave Pentagon a kick and went high risk. Pentagon caught Reklusa with a enzuigiri. Pentagon hit Reklusa with a Fear Factor on the apron.
Reklusa kicked out of the Fear Factor at two. Striker said that Pentagon was kicking out of all of Pentagon’s finishers. Reklusa caught Pentagon with a Canadian Destroyer for a two count. Chelsea started to play to the crowd. Pentagon gave Reklusa a rebound Fear Factor for the win.
Pentagon Dark defeated Reklusa via pinfall in 9:44.
Pentagon was about to go for his sacrifice arm breaker but then stopped to do something else. Pentagon poured thumb tacks inside of the ring. Pentagon was about to Pile Drive Reklusa on the tacks but Marty Moth ran out with a barbed wire baseball bat. Marty the Moth showed cuts on his hands from the barb wire. Pentagon rubbed the bat on the head of Pentagon. Reklusa grabbed a can of “gasoline” from under the ring (since I couldn’t smell gas I’m assuming it’s water). Reklusa then poured the “gas” on Pentagon. Marty took out a Zippo lighter and teased lighting up Pentagon. Lucha Underground ended after Marty said “Cero Miedo”…
John’s Thoughts: A really good match that wasn’t as hot for me the second time around. It’s still the best Chelsea Green/LVN match I’ve ever seen and I was so proud of her in the crowd after going into watching this match with a shrug and a bit of apathy due to being fresh off of reviewing her Impact matches. When people tell you Chelsea’s the real deal, they are telling the truth. Can I say this now? Chelsea Green is a future WWE Women’s Champion if she ever ends up there. This is also conditional of her not playing the drunk TMZ debutante character that a lot of wrestling fans are a fan of. I get it, people get their kicks off of drunk chicks, but she’s too talented to be womanized as a drunk fan service object.
More praise aside, LU still suffering from running out of their Cinematic budget. The past few months have contained little to none in terms of Cinematics. The last real good cinematic we got was Aerostar time traveling one. Maybe they’re saving up for Ultima Lucha but right now LU is just a wrestling show with short matches to fill out an hour. I should be by tomorrow morning at the latest with my Lucha Underground Audio Review for the Dot Net Members.
Check below for the latest Pro Wrestling Boom Podcast with Jason Powell and guest Chris Harrington.
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