Lucha Underground 1×16: Caged Animals

ropes work differently when you’re Aerostar

the matches

  • Aerostar b Drago (4:56, springboard splash)
  • Cage b Prince Puma in a non-title match (8:41, towel thrown in)
  • Penagon Jr. b Vinny Massaro (1:01, “3 Up 3 Down” half cradle powerbomb driver)
  • King Cuerno DCOR Johnny Mundo (7:28)

gifs here

the developments

Black Lotus was shown to be trapped in a car at the start of the show. Later, at an unknown location, the trunk was opened, and a mystery person asked her what she knew about lucha libre. The person was shown for a brief instant – and it was the mystery masked man who saved Prince Puma in the vignette that opened the series.

Puma got amtracked

After Aerostar defeated Drago, Dario Cueto announced they would be spending more time together. Drago & Aerostar will continue in a best of five series (tied 1-1) and the winner will receive a Unique Opportuinty.

Cage dominated most of the match with Prince Puma. Konnan appeared late to encourage Puma to make it to the ropes after a hold. Cage later dropped Puma with his Weapon X finisher, but opted to punch Puma in the face repeatedly instead of covering. Konnan yelled for Puma to cover up, grabbed a towel, and threw it in to call the submission. Later in the locker room, Konnan told Prince Puma that Puma just needed to stick to the plan – it appeared at least part of what we just saw was that plan, but it was unclear what part.

Sexy Star confronted Dario Cueto in his office. She was sick of men bailing her out, and wanted the Crew all by herself. Cueto suggested a match with Big Ryck, but Sexy insisted on going it alone. Cueto clarified: Big Ryck wanted the Crew as well, so he and Sexy Star would have a match next week and the winner would get to face the Crew. Sexy Star was satisfied with this.

Pentagon Jr. defeated Massaro with ease, even doing his #0M pose while holding Massaro, then dropping him with a piledriver, then powerbombing him thru a table and then armbarring him.

King Cuerno’s tope got a vignette! It made a lot of sense later, as three straight topes lead to both men being counted out. Mundo and Cuerno continued to brawl around the ring, up the stairs and finally thru a fence.

random thoughts

Pentagon Jr.’s master demanded more violence

I kind of feel like I know as much as what’s going on with Lucha Underground as anyone who doesn’t actually work for them, but I have no idea what’s going on in multiple cases! I never thought we’d see the mentor type guy from the first episode again, just writing that of as a thematic bit, but there he was and I have no idea why. I’d assume the trunk bit was to sneak Black Lotus away from where Cueto might spot her, but he could just as much be the guy Dario was talking to on the phone about the situation. I dunno!

I also have no idea about Konnan’s scheme but also want to know what it is. My first assumption was Konnan meant the towel throwing was part of the plan, but maybe I shouldn’t limit Konnan’s plans into being so narrow. He’s a world of possibilities.

The thing I do know is this week’s show in-ring was great. The 3 big matches were all great in their own ways – Drago/Aerostar was a fun flying exhibition, the other two combined action with advancing their stories – and even the Pentagon squash match was pretty memorable. (I’m guessing Striker called the finish “3 Up 3 Down” because he hasn’t put together that Pentagon Jr.’s doing “0 M” handsigns – it took a while for me too.) Not to keep criticizing lsat week’s show, but any of those matches would’ve been the best match on that show.

all three topes!

There were a couple of cheap finishes. The Puma bit – both being in desperate enough trouble to need the match stopped and his reaction to Konnan actually doing it – didn’t get enough time to really sink it. The follow up discussion muddies that a little bit. They did sold the Cuerno topes – again 3 of them – as killer to explain the countout, and the brawl after the match was a much better way to keep the feud going than a screwy finish, so that one worked better than it reads.

This was a really good episode of this show.