The opening has the history of Dragón Azteca Jr. vs. Matanza, the gauntlet, and Prince Puma vs. Johnny Mundo.
Friday, October 20, 2017
Thursday, October 12, 2017
Lucha Underground Review (S3E39, 2017-10-11): Última Lucha Tres, Part III
The opening recaps the craziness that was Hell of War, The Mack's win of a Unique Opportunity, the Sexy Star vs. Taya feud, and the route that Pentagón Dark and Son of Havoc took to a ladder match for the Gift of the Gods championship.
Wednesday, October 4, 2017
Lucha Underground (S3E38, 2017-10-04) Review: Última Lucha Tres, Part II
The opening recaps Última Lucha Tres Part I, the feud between Catrina and Ivelisse (from a loooong time ago), and the events leading up to the Fénix vs. Marty the Moth lucha de apuestas.
The episode proper starts with Ivelisse in the bathroom with Jeremiah Crane. When Ivelisse reveals that she has a match against Catrina, Crane admits that he loves Catrina, not Ivelisse, who proceeds to kick him into one of the stalls.
Battle Royal for a Unique Opportunity: eh
Elimination is by going over the top rope and having both feet hit the floor. The order of elimination ends up being: Vinnie Massaro, Son of Madness, Joey Ryan, Cortez Castro, Paul London, Msla Suerte, Saltador, Argenis, Pimpinela Escarlata, Mascarita Sagrada, Ricky Mandel, PJ Black.
This is more of a comedy-based plot device rather than an actual match. It's worth noting that a similar battle royal was a dark match in Última Lucha Dos.
The Mack wins, and Dario's Unique Opportunity for him is a trios title match next week vs. Pindar, Víbora, and Drago. But Dario gets to choose The Mack's partners, and they happen to be Killshot and Dante Fox, who nearly destroyed each other in a crazy match last week.
Ivelisse vs. Catrina: ok+
Early in the match, Catrina locks herself inside Dario's office, and uses that positional advantage to bust Ivelisse wide open by smashing a bottle – or rather, a few of them – over her opponent's head as she manages to barge her way in.
Toward the end of the match, focus shifts to Catrina's rock, which Ivelisse manages to grab and use against Catrina, setting up a DDT for the win.
After the match, Jeremiah Crane runs out and whacks Ivelisse with a hammer, allowing Catrina to reclaim her rock.
There's a lot of effort here, but this match doesn't really work for me; it's a bloody mess without the same sense of intensity, escalation, or wackiness as last week's Hell of War – or even of many other matches in Lucha Underground's history. I think that the intent had been to make the struggle over Catrina's rock feel like the climax of the match, but it comes off as just another prop in this context. And it really shouldn't, given the long build over its powers, but actions speak louder than words, and there's just not enough here, in this match, to get people invested in that particular object.
Fénix vs. Marty the Moth [mask vs. hair]: great
As usual, Marty comes out with Mariposa, who interferes with Fénix twice early on, but leaves in disgust after Marty lets her eat Fénix's tope con giro. The match reaches a turning point when Marty drops Fénix onto an exposed turnbuckle, busting him wide open. We've still got a while to go in the match, and Fénix loses blood at a pretty steady pace for the rest of the way, at least until Marty opens new wounds with scissors toward the end of the match.
This match definitely centers on how much a Fénix can bleed, but in terms of actual wrestling, there are some cool counters and reversal sequences throughout.
The ending comes a bit oddly and abruptly when Melissa Santos interrupts Marty's scissors experiment to plead with him. Marty does not take this well, and pulls her into the ring. Melissa fouls her attacker, allowing Fénix to hit an Ángel Azteca Jr. springboard 450 splash for the win.
Marty tries to escape his haircut by running up the Temple stairs. At the top, he finds Mariposa, who chairshots her brother and handcuffs him to the staircase handrails to allow Fénix and Melissa Santos to give Marty his haircut.
I do think that the ending detracts from the match a little bit, but not enough to drop it from the "great" rating. I tended to go a bit lower on a lot of the matches in the buildup to this one, but the intensity of the finale here makes up for it. This isn't on the same plane of existence as the Hell of War match, but it definitely is a satisfying conclusion to this angle.
OVERALL: Fénix vs. Marty is definitely worth watching, with the caveat that Fénix's blood loss is pretty epic. I thought that Ivelisse vs. Catrina was lackluster, but some people will probably enjoy it more than I did.
The episode proper starts with Ivelisse in the bathroom with Jeremiah Crane. When Ivelisse reveals that she has a match against Catrina, Crane admits that he loves Catrina, not Ivelisse, who proceeds to kick him into one of the stalls.
Battle Royal for a Unique Opportunity: eh
Elimination is by going over the top rope and having both feet hit the floor. The order of elimination ends up being: Vinnie Massaro, Son of Madness, Joey Ryan, Cortez Castro, Paul London, Msla Suerte, Saltador, Argenis, Pimpinela Escarlata, Mascarita Sagrada, Ricky Mandel, PJ Black.
This is more of a comedy-based plot device rather than an actual match. It's worth noting that a similar battle royal was a dark match in Última Lucha Dos.
The Mack wins, and Dario's Unique Opportunity for him is a trios title match next week vs. Pindar, Víbora, and Drago. But Dario gets to choose The Mack's partners, and they happen to be Killshot and Dante Fox, who nearly destroyed each other in a crazy match last week.
Ivelisse vs. Catrina: ok+
Early in the match, Catrina locks herself inside Dario's office, and uses that positional advantage to bust Ivelisse wide open by smashing a bottle – or rather, a few of them – over her opponent's head as she manages to barge her way in.
Toward the end of the match, focus shifts to Catrina's rock, which Ivelisse manages to grab and use against Catrina, setting up a DDT for the win.
After the match, Jeremiah Crane runs out and whacks Ivelisse with a hammer, allowing Catrina to reclaim her rock.
There's a lot of effort here, but this match doesn't really work for me; it's a bloody mess without the same sense of intensity, escalation, or wackiness as last week's Hell of War – or even of many other matches in Lucha Underground's history. I think that the intent had been to make the struggle over Catrina's rock feel like the climax of the match, but it comes off as just another prop in this context. And it really shouldn't, given the long build over its powers, but actions speak louder than words, and there's just not enough here, in this match, to get people invested in that particular object.
Fénix vs. Marty the Moth [mask vs. hair]: great
As usual, Marty comes out with Mariposa, who interferes with Fénix twice early on, but leaves in disgust after Marty lets her eat Fénix's tope con giro. The match reaches a turning point when Marty drops Fénix onto an exposed turnbuckle, busting him wide open. We've still got a while to go in the match, and Fénix loses blood at a pretty steady pace for the rest of the way, at least until Marty opens new wounds with scissors toward the end of the match.
This match definitely centers on how much a Fénix can bleed, but in terms of actual wrestling, there are some cool counters and reversal sequences throughout.
The ending comes a bit oddly and abruptly when Melissa Santos interrupts Marty's scissors experiment to plead with him. Marty does not take this well, and pulls her into the ring. Melissa fouls her attacker, allowing Fénix to hit an Ángel Azteca Jr. springboard 450 splash for the win.
Marty tries to escape his haircut by running up the Temple stairs. At the top, he finds Mariposa, who chairshots her brother and handcuffs him to the staircase handrails to allow Fénix and Melissa Santos to give Marty his haircut.
I do think that the ending detracts from the match a little bit, but not enough to drop it from the "great" rating. I tended to go a bit lower on a lot of the matches in the buildup to this one, but the intensity of the finale here makes up for it. This isn't on the same plane of existence as the Hell of War match, but it definitely is a satisfying conclusion to this angle.
OVERALL: Fénix vs. Marty is definitely worth watching, with the caveat that Fénix's blood loss is pretty epic. I thought that Ivelisse vs. Catrina was lackluster, but some people will probably enjoy it more than I did.
Tuesday, October 3, 2017
Repost: CaraLucha 1st Anniversary (May 30, 2015) Review: WHAT IS HAPPENING BRAIN FRIED
This is an edited repost of a review originally published elsewhere in 2016.
Arena San Juan Pantitlán, Ciudad Nezahualcóyotl, Estado de México, México
May 30, 2015
The subtitle of this article is an exact quote from @RobViper's reaction to this card when it was released:
It more or less accurately sums up what everyone thought when CaraLucha decided to put Volador Jr., Titán, and Flamita in the same match. After my March trip to Mexico earlier in the year, I had decided that I was done with Mexico City trips until September. This card forced me to rethink, and ultimately overturn, that decision, and taught me that, yes, it can be worth it to travel more than 2,000 miles to see a single show.
Arena San Juan Pantitlán, Ciudad Nezahualcóyotl, Estado de México, México
May 30, 2015
The subtitle of this article is an exact quote from @RobViper's reaction to this card when it was released:
WHAT IS HAPPENING BRAIN FRIED RT @luchablog: 05/30 CaraLucha: Volador Jr./Titan vs Flamita/Bestia, Hechicero vs Rush. pic.twitter.com/X0A7vVdJuC— RobViper (@RobViper) May 17, 2015
It more or less accurately sums up what everyone thought when CaraLucha decided to put Volador Jr., Titán, and Flamita in the same match. After my March trip to Mexico earlier in the year, I had decided that I was done with Mexico City trips until September. This card forced me to rethink, and ultimately overturn, that decision, and taught me that, yes, it can be worth it to travel more than 2,000 miles to see a single show.
Lucha Underground Review (S3E37, 9/27/2017): Última Lucha Tres, Part 1
The opening recaps the feud between Killshot and Dante Fox, and Famous B's long quest to make Texano Jr. his client.
Texano Jr. vs. Famous B, Dr. Wagner Jr.: ok
As decreed by Dario last week, if Famous B wins, Texano must sign a representation contract with him. Since Famous B has a broken arm thanks to Pentagón Dark, Dario agrees to allow the choice of a partner; Famous B calls in Dr. Wagner Jr.
This has a few interesting moments, such as Famous B getting tossed from the stairs, but overall it's a very run-of-the-mill match. Famous B rolls up Texano for the win when the latter falls for the distraction of Brenda on the apron and kisses her. It's a bit of a role reversal of sorts, since Famous B has been portrayed as the goof for most of his time in Lucha Underground, and here it's Texano who's played for the fool.
In the end, though, the emotional investment isn't really there for me: Texano had been kind of sort of half-important in the quest for what turned out to be the gauntlet, but after that, this subplot has felt more like a disconnected sideshow – and a less amusing one than the Rabbit Tribe at that – rather than something that weaves into the fabric of the Temple. Perhaps there were or are plans for Famous B's faction to do Something Important in season 4, but at the moment this feels like the second move of a chess game when everyone else is going for checkmate.
Killshot vs. Dante Fox [Hell of War]: classic
This is officially structured as best two of three matches, but given that they occur without a break, and in keeping with longstanding lucha tradition, I'll treat it as two of three falls. Each fall has a different stipulation:
There is an amazing level of video-game athleticism here as well as a disturbing escalation of hardcore spots and implements. Dante Fox should not be able to do a legdrop to the apron from that ledge. Dante Fox should not be able to do that snap Spanish Fly variation. Dante Fox should also not be taking a Storm Cradle Driver onto glass. Oh wait; that was just the end of the second fall.
Fox ends up falling from the band platform through several panes of glass for the big finale bump that allows Killshot to put him in the back of the ambulance.
"Classic" is my equivalent of *****, and it's only the second one that I've given out in a written review. It's difficult to put exactly into words what pushes this match over the edge into that special realm, but there's practically no dead time, and everything seems to fit perfectly into the narrative of the simultaneous escalation of sheer craziness and violence.
Even some potentially unintentional twists seem to play into their favor: On that snap Spanish Fly that I mentioned earlier, Dante Fox's left foot appears to slip off the rope, but they still pull off the spot as if nothing has gone wrong. It actually makes the move look even more impressive as a one-foot Spanish Fly. Oh, and I'm pretty sure that they didn't mean to have a piece of Fox's skin come all the way off, but that only adds to the visceral poignancy of the match.
Lucha Underground has had its share of insane matches and final bumps, and this probably tops them all. I highly recommend this match even though it will take some time after the match to process everything that happens and that two human beings actually willingly worked a match like this for our enjoyment.
The sad thing is that most lucha extrema practitioners in Mexico who watch this will probably have no idea what makes this match different from their matches with 656 light tubes.
OVERALL: Watch the Hell of War match; it's one of the best in LU history. The other match is utterly skippable. Use that time to mentally prepare for Hell of War, if you need to.
Texano Jr. vs. Famous B, Dr. Wagner Jr.: ok
As decreed by Dario last week, if Famous B wins, Texano must sign a representation contract with him. Since Famous B has a broken arm thanks to Pentagón Dark, Dario agrees to allow the choice of a partner; Famous B calls in Dr. Wagner Jr.
This has a few interesting moments, such as Famous B getting tossed from the stairs, but overall it's a very run-of-the-mill match. Famous B rolls up Texano for the win when the latter falls for the distraction of Brenda on the apron and kisses her. It's a bit of a role reversal of sorts, since Famous B has been portrayed as the goof for most of his time in Lucha Underground, and here it's Texano who's played for the fool.
In the end, though, the emotional investment isn't really there for me: Texano had been kind of sort of half-important in the quest for what turned out to be the gauntlet, but after that, this subplot has felt more like a disconnected sideshow – and a less amusing one than the Rabbit Tribe at that – rather than something that weaves into the fabric of the Temple. Perhaps there were or are plans for Famous B's faction to do Something Important in season 4, but at the moment this feels like the second move of a chess game when everyone else is going for checkmate.
Killshot vs. Dante Fox [Hell of War]: classic
This is officially structured as best two of three matches, but given that they occur without a break, and in keeping with longstanding lucha tradition, I'll treat it as two of three falls. Each fall has a different stipulation:
- First Blood: a winner is declared when his opponent bleeds
- No Disqualification
- Medical Evacuation: the fall ends when a combatant is placed into the back of an ambulance and the door is closed
There is an amazing level of video-game athleticism here as well as a disturbing escalation of hardcore spots and implements. Dante Fox should not be able to do a legdrop to the apron from that ledge. Dante Fox should not be able to do that snap Spanish Fly variation. Dante Fox should also not be taking a Storm Cradle Driver onto glass. Oh wait; that was just the end of the second fall.
Fox ends up falling from the band platform through several panes of glass for the big finale bump that allows Killshot to put him in the back of the ambulance.
"Classic" is my equivalent of *****, and it's only the second one that I've given out in a written review. It's difficult to put exactly into words what pushes this match over the edge into that special realm, but there's practically no dead time, and everything seems to fit perfectly into the narrative of the simultaneous escalation of sheer craziness and violence.
Even some potentially unintentional twists seem to play into their favor: On that snap Spanish Fly that I mentioned earlier, Dante Fox's left foot appears to slip off the rope, but they still pull off the spot as if nothing has gone wrong. It actually makes the move look even more impressive as a one-foot Spanish Fly. Oh, and I'm pretty sure that they didn't mean to have a piece of Fox's skin come all the way off, but that only adds to the visceral poignancy of the match.
Lucha Underground has had its share of insane matches and final bumps, and this probably tops them all. I highly recommend this match even though it will take some time after the match to process everything that happens and that two human beings actually willingly worked a match like this for our enjoyment.
The sad thing is that most lucha extrema practitioners in Mexico who watch this will probably have no idea what makes this match different from their matches with 656 light tubes.
OVERALL: Watch the Hell of War match; it's one of the best in LU history. The other match is utterly skippable. Use that time to mentally prepare for Hell of War, if you need to.
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