I've gotten so jaded watching WWE lately - they have so many talented guys that they just waste, and it's like they have no concept of basic storytelling anymore. I swear, the current Taker/Kane vs. Wyatts feud would make more sense if they aired all of the past months' segments in reverse order.
I'm 10 episodes from the end of Lucha Underground season 1 right now, and it just keeps reminding me why I enjoy wrestling in the first place. I've already showed some LU to a few people I know with NO interest in wrestling, and they were curious enough to want to keep watching.
It blows me away that they were able to get SO MUCH more out of the ex-WWE guys they brought in; I never thought that I'd be as invested in Big Zeke/Ryck as I am now. And it blows my mind that the WWE had Cage and Son of Havoc under contract in the past but passed on them before they got to TV because they didn't see any potential.
Also I bet that Anjelico could be a huge star someday, and I feel like WWE would snatch him up in an instant. It's kind of why I hope Lucha Underground doesn't get to the point that WWE decides they need to start poaching talent and/or burying the company out of spite or fear of competition.
Lucha Underground was supposedly signing people to very long contracts, but ADR and Hernandez going elsewhere makes me wonder how firm they really are.
Yesterday I watched S1E1 of Lucha Underground. This is the wrestling show I've been waiting for. Or at least, it's the first wrestling show I felt like I wanted to watch more of since I was about 12.
I binge watched through to the end of season one during my last work trip. What a ride! The concept of this show sits just right with me, in a way that other wrestling matches or shows never have.
First, the studio setting is perfect. It's great that Dario's office right next to the ring so he can pop out to make announcements. The different levels and nooks and crannies got explored throughout the season. All the crap around the place makes for great out-of-ring antics.
Second, the non-wrestling cast work really well together, with nobody annoying. Matt and Vampyro have good chemistry, Dario Cueto is a perfect sleazy boss I love to hate, Melissa Santo brings extra feistiness to the announcer job.
Wrestling characters and stories I liked:
Everything with Son of Havoc, Evilese and Angelico. All three of them are really good fun. Putting them together into a team was a genius idea. Angelico is just the best. He has the greatest "dazed after a hit" facial expressions and body motions. Also two of the best "holy shit" leaps of death in the whole series. Son of Havoc is a great underdog fighter, and him dumping Evilese was a really funny soap opera moment. That Angelico almost has a lisp and talks like a 14 year old boy is probably the only thing that holds him back from being a serious wrestler, not just a clown.
Everything with Mil Muertes and Fenix. That they kept going back and forth was continually exciting. Fenix going through the store room ceiling was one of the most unexpected "holy shit" moments of the show. And Catrina. This rivalry seems well set up for season two.
Pentagon Jr. is the best. I love he was given a long list of nobodies to just break. Him and Sexy Star'S story was also good fun. The payoff at the end of the series? I honestly didn't see coming. Not sure where he can go in series two though.
Cage. When he arrived, I thought he was going to be nothing but a muscle bound heel. Turns out seeing a big man fly is really fun. And making other people fly. As soon as he was no longer a championship contender and just a big man to throw into the ring with four or five other wrestlers? Give me more! His Ultima Lucha turn with The Mac was stupidly good fun.
I liked how Johny Mundo turned from nice guy into a heel. Him being violent, and putting Alberto el Patron through a window. Him embracing the dark side, especially in the All Night Long match, was just classic. Him hitting Prince Puma in the face with a ladder was another perfect "holy shit" moment.
Also: How Bail became part of the crew, and how he became no longer part of the crew.
I dislike:
Everything about Alberto el Patron. When he turned up, I thought he was a rival promoter or owner. But it turns out the old guy in a suit with no body shape and a receding hairline is a wrestler? And a champion wrestler? Fuuuuck.
I get that he's a big deal elsewhere, but his kind of character and wrestling is the exact reason I've never enjoyed wrestling before, or never got into it. His matches were so tedious I ended up watching them at 5x speed. I also hated that the audience liked him. What the hell? How can they like him? Him turning up in the All Night Long match was one of the lowest points of the whole season.
Good news for you is that no Alberto this upcoming season and Rey Mysterio is coming to the underground, also I need time to marathon it before season two starts!
Wait, isn't season 2 already finished? I thought I'd have it to binge watch on my next work trip in January.
Also, I read back in thread a bit, and it's good to see I'm not the only fan of Angelico, Son of hAvoc, and Evilesse. Also Cage.
Season 2 starts this coming January. Also, I initially didn't care for Son of Havoc, but the SoH, Evilesse and Angelico team was great. Don't agree about Cage though, he was just big strong guy with stupid catchphrase and nothing else. I felt that Big Ryck already did the big strong guy thing well and had some actual character in addition.
Big stupid guy is a good enough character for me. Big Ryck has other motivations like money and revenge to fight for, and other functions in the overall story. Cage can keep being big, stupid and harmless as long as he wants, as long as he keeps not-winning group matches.
I just finished up the marathon of the episodes with Lucha Underground, I can safely say that Ultimate Lucha was the best PPV I have seen in the past 7 years. Highly recommend it if anyone was still on the fence on this.
Nope. I love sports, but it very rarely makes the podcast or anything. The way Lucha Underground will influence me is most likely with Fight Night Combat organizing. I think I'm going to make a challenge title to along with the normal tournaments and rankings.
Bryan Danielson is going to announce his retirement tonight because of concussions unless something really weird happens. I'm sad to see him done but I am happy that he is getting out with his health. Here are a few independent matches that he was in.
I've been keeping up with Lucha Underground this season. It's pretty good, but I really hope Dario gets back soon.
However, I like a fight to end fairly at least half the time. In the last episode there were four fights, and all of the, ended with an interruption by a third wrestler, the ref being distracted, or other cheating. It's fun a few times per episode, but not every match!
Perhaps the series of dirty finishes is indicative of the fact that Catrina and Mil aren't running as tight a ship as Dario did. Under the new management, everything is more chaotic and the rules have gone out the window in favor of anarchy. We need Dario back so that he can bring order back to the Temple. We know he loves violence too, but he's able to orchestrate it within the rules.
Or maybe I put more thought into it than the showrunners did.
Perhaps the series of dirty finishes is indicative of the fact that Catrina and Mil aren't running as tight a ship as Dario did. Under the new management, everything is more chaotic and the rules have gone out the window in favor of anarchy. We need Dario back so that he can bring order back to the Temple. We know he loves violence too, but he's able to orchestrate it within the
Episode 11 is when he planning begins on taking back the temple. Calling it now.
Comments
I'm 10 episodes from the end of Lucha Underground season 1 right now, and it just keeps reminding me why I enjoy wrestling in the first place. I've already showed some LU to a few people I know with NO interest in wrestling, and they were curious enough to want to keep watching.
It blows me away that they were able to get SO MUCH more out of the ex-WWE guys they brought in; I never thought that I'd be as invested in Big Zeke/Ryck as I am now. And it blows my mind that the WWE had Cage and Son of Havoc under contract in the past but passed on them before they got to TV because they didn't see any potential.
Also I bet that Anjelico could be a huge star someday, and I feel like WWE would snatch him up in an instant. It's kind of why I hope Lucha Underground doesn't get to the point that WWE decides they need to start poaching talent and/or burying the company out of spite or fear of competition.
I binge watched through to the end of season one during my last work trip. What a ride! The concept of this show sits just right with me, in a way that other wrestling matches or shows never have.
First, the studio setting is perfect. It's great that Dario's office right next to the ring so he can pop out to make announcements. The different levels and nooks and crannies got explored throughout the season. All the crap around the place makes for great out-of-ring antics.
Second, the non-wrestling cast work really well together, with nobody annoying. Matt and Vampyro have good chemistry, Dario Cueto is a perfect sleazy boss I love to hate, Melissa Santo brings extra feistiness to the announcer job.
Wrestling characters and stories I liked:
Everything with Son of Havoc, Evilese and Angelico. All three of them are really good fun. Putting them together into a team was a genius idea. Angelico is just the best. He has the greatest "dazed after a hit" facial expressions and body motions. Also two of the best "holy shit" leaps of death in the whole series. Son of Havoc is a great underdog fighter, and him dumping Evilese was a really funny soap opera moment. That Angelico almost has a lisp and talks like a 14 year old boy is probably the only thing that holds him back from being a serious wrestler, not just a clown.
Everything with Mil Muertes and Fenix. That they kept going back and forth was continually exciting. Fenix going through the store room ceiling was one of the most unexpected "holy shit" moments of the show. And Catrina. This rivalry seems well set up for season two.
Pentagon Jr. is the best. I love he was given a long list of nobodies to just break. Him and Sexy Star'S story was also good fun. The payoff at the end of the series? I honestly didn't see coming. Not sure where he can go in series two though.
Cage. When he arrived, I thought he was going to be nothing but a muscle bound heel. Turns out seeing a big man fly is really fun. And making other people fly. As soon as he was no longer a championship contender and just a big man to throw into the ring with four or five other wrestlers? Give me more! His Ultima Lucha turn with The Mac was stupidly good fun.
I liked how Johny Mundo turned from nice guy into a heel. Him being violent, and putting Alberto el Patron through a window. Him embracing the dark side, especially in the All Night Long match, was just classic. Him hitting Prince Puma in the face with a ladder was another perfect "holy shit" moment.
Also: How Bail became part of the crew, and how he became no longer part of the crew.
I dislike:
Everything about Alberto el Patron. When he turned up, I thought he was a rival promoter or owner. But it turns out the old guy in a suit with no body shape and a receding hairline is a wrestler? And a champion wrestler? Fuuuuck.
I get that he's a big deal elsewhere, but his kind of character and wrestling is the exact reason I've never enjoyed wrestling before, or never got into it. His matches were so tedious I ended up watching them at 5x speed. I also hated that the audience liked him. What the hell? How can they like him? Him turning up in the All Night Long match was one of the lowest points of the whole season.
Also, I read back in thread a bit, and it's good to see I'm not the only fan of Angelico, Son of hAvoc, and Evilesse. Also Cage.
Also the marathon has started for me...
Here's hoping they finally do something worthwhile with him once he comes back from injury.
Local wrestler saves anime.
However, I like a fight to end fairly at least half the time. In the last episode there were four fights, and all of the, ended with an interruption by a third wrestler, the ref being distracted, or other cheating. It's fun a few times per episode, but not every match!
Or maybe I put more thought into it than the showrunners did.
Cage is so much fun. Prince Puma and Pentagin Jr are going to make an amazing tag team. Mil is surely going down to Fenix next week, right?
Fenix and Pentagin Jr are brothers in real life? Cool.