Lucha Underground

[The Dragon Saga]

Meltzer's breakdown, if anything it takes a lot of pressure people might put onto Lucha Underground off.

AAA's Lucha Underground series debuted on 29/10 on the El Rey Network to an audience of 18,000 viewers. El Rey's management were expecting more along the region of 25,000 - 30,000 viewers with the hardcore wrestling audience dying for an alternative. They didn't think anymore then that would tune in. Disappointed with the viewership they feel that through word of mouth tonight's second episode should do much better. Lucha Underground also aired on Spanish-language channel UniMas on Saturday at 4pm EST. The Spanish version likely drew more, but Lucha Underground's goal is to succeed in America through El Rey, not UniMas. The show gained a lot of praise for its movie-like production, backstage segments, set deign and feel. Mark Burnett is the investor behind the series. AAA are contributing funds but not as much as Burnett. Roughly $2million went into getting the first round of episodes taped. They've already paid most of the talent for the first series, which will last 39 episodes.

I've seen a lot of people react to the number like it's a poor start. Many feel that the El Rey Network has a lot of coverage in the US and that Lucha would be matching TNA for ratings. This was never and will probably not be the case. The El Rey Network is still considered a start-up and is only available on certain satellite and cable providers. The promotion for Lucha Underground was done almost completely online. They've but an emphasis on word of mouth. I never saw a single advertisement off the El Rey Network for the show and until a couple of weeks ago I didn't even know I had the channel. Other then 'From Dusk Till' Dawn' an El Rey original series, LU was the most watched show on the network. Tonight it will air for four hours in a five hour period, they're repeating last weeks episode before tonights.

From a technical standpoint the show is in a position much like Ring of Honor's original series ROH on HDNet. When ROH on NDNet began airing it received rave reviews. Its original timeslot was 8pm on Saturday nights but it received such good reviews that HDNet officials moved it to 10pm EST on Monday's so it could start right after Raw on USA. I often refer to the show as the best wrestling show nobody ever saw. HDNet, now AXS TV, was a network with about the same range as El Rey only it had no audience to appeal to. It tried being a pop culture station but never took off. El Rey is appealing to a Latin fanbase who are supposed to grasp onto LU and be hooked. The wrestling on last weeks show wasn't anything special, the main event was good but having seen Ricochet (Prince Puma) in Dragon Gate all year I think he could have done much better.

LU isn't intended to compete with anybody. Realistically who can it compete with? It can't compete with any WWE programming, on or off the network. While TNA's future is still in the air they won't draw even half of what TNA gets for Impact, maybe that could better TNA's pitch to networks. ROH has a broader market range and airs on syndicated TV, I'd say more then 18,000 people watch ROH on their website every week. Championship Wresting from Hollywood also tapes in Los Angeles but it's not competition. LU can't compete with anybody and it shouldn't have to. Their first goal should be to get people interest and put out a quality product. The people behind it, Mark Burnett and Chris DeJoseph see it as a long-term project, is long-term 39 episodes? 39 episodes is 39 weeks on TV. By the end of the first series we should know where LU is going.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

Just started.

This is uh....


Different.

 

[Wrestlingaholic]

I enjoyed the debut. I didn't expect a great deal from the opener as Chavo has always been a solid but unspectacular worker, and my knowledge of Blue Demon Jr came from a Ring of Honor show, Supercard of Honor IV, the day before Wrestlemania 25, and it was probably the worst match I saw that weekend.

The second match was unusual, all the more so given the promo for Sexy Star (though why she had English subtitles when her English was pretty audible I don't know, agree with the previous poster that a Spanish promo would have worked better), and that Son of Havok wasn't afforded a proper entrance. There's potential there with both.

The main event, whilst I wouldn't say a contender for match of the year as some have suggested, was very very good. Despite Matt Striker repeatedly talking of Mundo's ring rust there was none on show, and Prince Puma will be their standout star. The post-match was good, and draws the viewer into the next episode.

I loved the feel of it, in a dingy old warehouse, which helped the atmosphere. If I could change anything I feel the backstage skits need to be grittier/more 'real' - the Chavo one was better but the Konnan one was like a segment from CSI; the camera shots were generally good but they cut to the overhead shot too often and the commentators FAR too often - who needs to see Striker wiggle a pen so much? Finally it got confusing at times who was talking as Striker and Vampiro have similar voices.

Overall a solid start, and I will be watching this week's episode to see if it continues

 

[Mighty NorCal]

That match was nothing near MOTY quality. Bunch of fancy schmanzy moves, nothing to great story-wise.

Shit, the most intersting thing on the show was the bosses' guys coming in and cleaning hours.

The atmosphere is cool, but they could fit more people in that place. They should.


The vingettes are fuckin' awesome. Yes, please.

I have some form of hope that we will see varied types of wrestling on here, hopefully at least one match per show. I get that its a Lucha show, so one should expect mostly that type of action, but hopefully its at least a 35 - 65 blend.

 

[ABMorales787]

That match was nothing near MOTY quality. Bunch of fancy schmanzy moves, nothing to great story-wise.

Shit, the most intersting thing on the show was the bosses' guys coming in and cleaning hours.

The atmosphere is cool, but they could fit more people in that place. They should.


The vingettes are fuckin' awesome. Yes, please.

I have some form of hope that we will see varied types of wrestling on here, hopefully at least one match per show. I get that its a Lucha show, so one should expect mostly that type of action, but hopefully its at least a 35 - 65 blend.

You've got Ezekiel Jackson, Son Of Havok, Hernandez, Brian Cage and others on the roster. So yeah, expect some more WWE-ish stuff.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

You've got Ezekiel Jackson, Son Of Havok, Hernandez, Brian Cage and others on the roster. So yeah, expect some more WWE-ish stuff.

I would prefer more NWA/WCW-ish stuff, but, yea, American/British/Stampede stuff.


Lets get some spectators on those balconies and such!!


Also Stryker was pissing me off.

"Oh you wont see little kids in bright shirts cheering here!"

"Yea its ok here to acknowledge other styles, and to use the interenet"


...Stop. Just stop.

Its fucking bush league. Let show the show speak for itself as far as the differences go.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

Also, Sexy Star, you have yourself a fucking fan over here.


Color me geuinley surprised Prince Puma isnt in the developmental center. Kid is a beast. Damn sure better than Botch-Cara and Super toddler Kalisto

 

[Vega]

Anybody watching the second episode right now? The time lapse is getting on my nerves.

 

[ABMorales787]

I would prefer more NWA/WCW-ish stuff, but, yea, American/British/Stampede stuff.


Lets get some spectators on those balconies and such!!


Also Stryker was pissing me off.

"Oh you wont see little kids in bright shirts cheering here!"

"Yea its ok here to acknowledge other styles, and to use the interenet"


...Stop. Just stop.

Its fucking bush league. Let show the show speak for itself as far as the differences go.

Yeah, he's bad. But Vampiro seems to be out to start race wars.

"He's not Mexican, he's Spanish. And Mexican's hate him."

"They're bringing Johnny Mundo in to make an example of."

I was expecting him to say Puertorican's hate Blue Demon to keep the theme going. Which is true.

Oh, and the fans are all plants.

Also, Sexy Star, you have yourself a fucking fan over here.


Color me geuinley surprised Prince Puma isnt in the developmental center. Kid is a beast. Damn sure better than Botch-Cara and Super toddler Kalisto

You'd be surprised how different Botch-Cara is right now. WWE turned the guy down a few months back despite being impressed.

And thing I learned, depending on where it airs, you get a different broadcast team.

Hugo and Vampiro in Spanish and for English you get Striker and Vampiro. They're superimposed into the show.

Also, they have their first celebrity appearance:

Spoiler

 

[Vega]

Hugo and Vampiro in Spanish and for English you get Striker and Vampiro. They're superimposed into the show.

Okay, that's poor. Wrestling is all about tricking people, but still.

I read the plant claims were debunked?

€dit: Just read it is half fans, half plants.

 

[Vega]

2nd episode thoughts:

Spoiler

- As I said, get away with time lapses. You have very fast-paced workers to begin with and I feel treated like an idiot. The rapid cuts are annoying as well.
- Mundo is made of pure awesome.
- Shockingly, Ryck seems to have a good amount of charisma.
- Nice ending in the second match. Chavo works better as a face and SoH doesn't look as bland as he did on Tough Enough.
- The segments are nice, but all have a similar style. Get out of the gritty dungeon for a change.
. Main event didn't do a lot for me. Don't see the appeal in Demon. Is there more than heritage? MM is a tank.
- So, Chavo's a heel after all? Eh, okay then.

Entertaining episode, but I hope for a little more variety next week.

 

[ABMorales787]

Demon's popular because of his feud with Hijo Del Santo and because he was NWA World Champion not long ago. Doesn't change the fact that he sucks after ages of wrestling.

 

[The Dragon Saga]

Demon's popular because of his feud with Hijo Del Santo and because he was NWA World Champion not long ago. Doesn't change the fact that he sucks after ages of wrestling.

He got booed out of the building at an ROH show a few of years ago. Fans chanted, "Nacho Libre". His match was pretty shit. Very slow, doesn't seem to care.

 

[ABMorales787]

He tends to saunter in the ring.

 

[Starkist]

He fucking blows. Chavo couldn't make him look good and Chavo is talented. Prince Puma is a beast.

 

[ABMorales787]

This gem from Konnan in the debut.

"Prince Puma is a descendant of Aztec warriors. His spirit animal? You guessed it. The jaguar."

Hmmmmmmm...... I guess he failed his Zoboomafoo zoology?

 

[Starkist]

I caught that too, and has to do a double take to make sure I heard it right.

I have the network channel whatever it's called so I'll be watching regularly.

 

[Richard Blonoff]

I don't get El Ray, so I have to find some nefarious ways to watch.

 

[Gelgarin]

This show has more executive producers than it does on screen talent. Week 2 was alright I guess; not a lot stood out to me, though I did become marginally more convinced of the viability of Sexy Star as a character.

 

[#tamale]

I would prefer more NWA/WCW-ish stuff, but, yea, American/British/Stampede stuff.


Lets get some spectators on those balconies and such!!


Also Stryker was pissing me off.

"Oh you wont see little kids in bright shirts cheering here!"

"Yea its ok here to acknowledge other styles, and to use the interenet"


...Stop. Just stop.

Its fucking bush league. Let show the show speak for itself as far as the differences go.

Hey, he has to appease to them Bleacher Report fans so they won't trash him on the comment section.

"I'm marking out bro!"

 

[Mighty NorCal]

"I'm marking out bro!"

Just fucking CRINGEWORTHY my god

 

[HBKistheHOF]

So far I've only seen the main event from the series debut between Mundo & Puma. & while I did enjoy it, I can't say I was blown away. Besides the fact that they shoot it on film, I didn't really think it had all that much going for it. Or at least nothing that really stood out to me. It seems different but not different enough. It just sort of seems like a WWE/Chikara hybrid to me right now & I'd rather just watch one of those instead. Also as mentioned by others the commentary is very hit & miss. I've never cared much for Vampiro in any kind of role & Matt Striker did come off as very bitter towards WWE (although I did like his line talking about how there's is other kinds of wrestling in the world & he encouraged people to look up all kinds online. Not only was it one of the more fun & playful jabs at WWE but it was honestly just nice to hear someone acknowlege the sport of wrestling & encourage viewers to go consume as much of it as possible).

So all in all, It was good but I'm not sold yet. I'm curious to see what talent will come & go. But either way it's cool to see a new promotion & it's always cool to see deserving guys like Morrison working in the business again.

 

[ABMorales787]

"This moment has just become instantly classic!"

Gettit? Gettit? Cause Christian's nickname in TNA was "The Instant Classic"?

He calls Blue Demon Jr. a 3rd generation star. Ummmm.... Nope. He tries to pronounce the name like they do in Spanish. He fucks that up too. I'm kinda shocked he hasn't gone "Hey, these guys also appear in AAA! And you can watch their shows for free on Youtube! Not 9.99, free."

 

[Starkist]

Man, i was never a fan of Stricker. The pairing of the two is beyond weird. I'm not look to critique the product, I'm looking for an alternative from the sad WWE an the becoming better but my end TNA.

 

[ABMorales787]

Jesus Christ what did Banderas do to look so damn ripped in no time?! He looks like a damn tank! I didn't notice Ricky Reyes, but yeah, he's there too.