Lucha Underground 4×4: Pain, Love and Sacrifice to the Gods

this always looks great, even with a weird yellow light treatment

Matches

Jake Savage beat Big Bad Strong Steve (2:07, anklelock, ok)

Taya & Johnny Mundo beat Daga & Kobra Moon (6:22, Taya curbstomp Kobra Moon, good)

Matanza defeated Mr. Pec-tacular (0:47, Wrath of the Gods, ok )

King Cuerno beat Chavo Guerrero for an Aztec Medallion (9:52, Thrill of the Kill, ok)

Status Check

Champion: Pentagon Dark

Gift of the Gods: vacant

Aztec Medallions: Dragon Azteca, King Cuerno, the winner of Mil Muertes/Cage + 4 TBD

Trios Champions: Killshot, the Mack, Son of Havoc

Died This Season: Jeremiah Crane (casket), Fenix (casket/lifeforce absorbed), Mr. Pec-tacular (sacrificed)

Happenings

flecha negra

After three episodes of big events, the fourth episode of the season was smaller in scale, mostly setting up things for later. As usual for these sort of Lucha Underground episodes, the Aztec Medallions were back in play.

King Cuerno won a Medallion over Chavo Guerrero, in a match which seemed to exist for the announcers to tell us Chavo was one of the best of all time, but also evil and that meant Cuerno was now a good guy. It was more notable for the office vignette which set it up. Antonio Cueto would like the Gauntlet back for the Order. Cuerno’s story is it was stolen from him. Antonio in no way believes this story but can’t do anything about it for this moment. Instead, he tries bribery. Cuerno’s offered not just a medallion match against the man who beat him in Aztec Warfare, but the specific medallion which represents his tribe. Cage interrupts the meeting to ask for a title shot of his own. Antonio’s not big on getting a title match just by attacking the champion and tells Cage he’ll have to earn it, starting with a Medallion match with Mil Muertes next week. Antonio says Muerte’s tribe’s medallion will be on the line, which is also shown to the camera.

Both the Cuerno (Deer?) and Muertes (Death?) tribes & medallions had been guessed at by people watching the show. This appears to be the first time the show has outright stated those last two ones. That means off referenced about seven tribes are:

  • Deer (or something like that): King Cuerno
  • Rabbit: Paul London, Mala Suerte, Saltador
  • Moth: Mariposa & Marty
  • Reptile: Kobra Moon, Daga, Drago, Vibora
  • Eagle: Dragon Azteca Jr.
  • Jaguar: no known active currently members in LU
  • Death (or something like that): Mil Muertes, Catrina
shibata style

In other show mythology, a vignette with Catrina served as a coda to the three-way Grave Consequences match from last week. Catrina sucked the lifeforce out of Fenix with a kiss, then dropped off her half of the immortality amulet with Melissa as a reminder. Melissa has no idea what it is, but the show did a good job reminding us of the amulet’s meaning in the previously vignettes. They also showed a brief clip from a season 1 (!) episode where Catrina outright said stealing Fenix’s lifeforce was her goal – this plan seemed to come suddenly the last few weeks, but they’d laid a seed for it years ago. Catrina’s lifeforce absorption came with an outfit change into a red dress. I think it’s the outfit she was wearing in the western poster that hinted at her old age in an episode long ago, but I can’t remember which one to check.

On top of all that, Matanza is now sacrificing people to the gods by having the lights go off, a special effect noise play, and the person being disappeared when the lights came back up. Mr. Pectacular was the first victim, getting in no effective offense against the newly charged up monster.

Big Bad Steve didn’t fare any better against Jake Strong, losing an uncompetitive match and getting his ankle broken. Strong stole part of Steve’s gear too. Brenda was with Steve but Famous B was not – Matt Striker said B was in danger of getting his leg amputated because of the damage from Strong’s anklelock. They asked that people send well wishes to 1-423-Get-Fame

Maybe the most normal thing on the show was the feud between the Hollywood types and the snake people. Kobra Moon’s first in-ring action since season 2 ended in a loss, though it wasn’t without interference. PJ Black cracked her with a kick to the head to set up Taya’s curbstomp. The victory was short-lived, as Vibora was able to take out three present members of Worldwide Underground in revenge. Kobra Moon vowed Johnny Mundo would bow before her.

Thoughts

a new take on the headscissors escape into something idea

This episode had some things for people who are into the Lucha Underground lore, but it didn’t really have much in memorable matches.

Both the Matanza and Strong matches were not much. Matanza is much better at doing an impressive squash at this point. The sacrifice bit was unimpressive; I was preparing myself for something gory, something in the more over the top LU fashion that would get everyone’s who already given up on the show mad at it. It was just the lights out trick instead. Strong needs a direction and a better connection with the LU storylines then beating up people vaguely allied with Famous B. He also needs a better camera angle on his gutwrench suplex, since that was his one impressive spot.

I wasn’t really feeling long Chavo Guerrero matches in 2015. Three more years haven’t improved the situation. The match had a purpose of reminding people who hadn’t seen Cuerno wrestling a real match since season 2 of what he can do and that it’s ok to cheer for him. It still felt more long than good. Lucha Underground Twitter teased this might be it for Chavo for now, which didn’t seem connected to anything mentioned on the show. I hope they know what they’re talking about.

timber

The mixed tag was the best match on the show. Daga got a lot of time for once and made a good impact with it. It didn’t make him by any means, but he’s another guy no one’s seen on this show for nearly two seasons and it at least reminded those people he might be part of good matches. (He also told Mundo “Welcome to Snake Town!”) We’re kind of owed a Mundo/Daga match from AAA and they did enough to make me want to hear it here. Kobra Moon seemed protected early – tagging in, doing the Lita headscissors on Mundo and tagging right back didn’t give me great hope – but she did more later and ended up looking better than she had in the past. (There were some edits though, even I could pick it up for once.) The big surprise was they did a mixed tag match without making a big deal about it for once. Vibora was put over super strong in this match. I still have no idea who I’m supposed to be rooting for in this feud. At least the action’s good.

CMLL Tuesday results, LU preview, Titan versus Fenix on 08/04

maybe one bit too many by Audaz

CMLL (TUE) 07/03/2018 Arena México [CMLL, Lucha CentralThe Gladiatores]
1) Stukita & Último Dragóncito b Pequeño Nitro & Pequeño Olímpico LUCHA LIBRE MARTES DE NUEVOS VALORES DE ARENA MEXICO 3 DE JULIO DE 2018 FUNCION COMPLETA (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL)
tencicos took 2/3.
2) Akuma, Hijo del Signo, Metálico b Astral, Eléctrico, Príncipe Diamante LUCHA LIBRE MARTES DE NUEVOS VALORES DE ARENA MEXICO 3 DE JULIO DE 2018 FUNCION COMPLETA (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL)
Rudos took 1/3.
3) Misterioso Jr., Sagrado, Sangre Azteca b Drone, Fuego, Pegasso LUCHA LIBRE MARTES DE NUEVOS VALORES DE ARENA MEXICO 3 DE JULIO DE 2018 FUNCION COMPLETA (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL)
Rudos took 1/3.
4) Audaz b Universo 2000 Jr. [lightningLUCHA LIBRE MARTES DE NUEVOS VALORES DE ARENA MEXICO 3 DE JULIO DE 2018 FUNCION COMPLETA (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL)
5) Black Panther, Blue Panther Jr., Stuka Jr. b Ephesto, Luciferno, Mephisto LUCHA LIBRE MARTES DE NUEVOS VALORES DE ARENA MEXICO 3 DE JULIO DE 2018 FUNCION COMPLETA (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL)
Stuka replaced Kraneo (moved up). Tecnicos took 1/3.
6) Cuatrero, Forastero, Sansón b Ángel de Oro, Kráneo, Niebla Roja LUCHA LIBRE MARTES DE NUEVOS VALORES DE ARENA MEXICO 3 DE JULIO DE 2018 FUNCION COMPLETA (posted by VideosOficialesCMLL)
Kraneo replaced Diamante Azul (France). Rudos took 1/3.

Promos: Audaz, Hermanos Chavez (Angel de Oro & Niebla Roja), and NGD. The main event kind of set up Sanson/Niebla Roja, but didn’t commit to it.

I have not made the necessary time in my life to watch the segunda. I do know it was bad enough that Akuma went on Facebook to apologize about it and ask for chances elsewhere to prove what he’s capable of doing. He doesn’t want to blame anyone else in the match (but Astral had a bad night.) Akuma is a guy I’ve wanted to see get out of CMLL elsewhere to get better because there seems potential there, but he has no star value and no easy opponent like his brother Demus so no indie promoter is going to be going out of his way to use him. I think he’d end up lost in the mix too – he’s still a project and needs someone investing in developing him. CMLL doesn’t seem to be doing that.

CMLL (TUE) 07/03/2018 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara [CMLL]
1) Magnum, Star Black, Vaquero Jr. b Carlo Roggi, Difunto, Guerrero de la Muerte
tecnicos took 2/3.
2) La Comandante, La Seductora, Reyna Isis b Maligna, Mystique, Princesa Sugehit
rudas took 2/3.
3) Esfinge, Titán, Tritón b Dragón Rojo Jr., Okumura, Pólvora
Okumura replaced Kawato. Tecnicos took 1/3.
4) Cavernario, Mr. Niebla, Negro Casas b Flyer, Soberano Jr., Valiente
Cavernario submitted Soberano to set up a title match.
5) Carístico, Dragón Lee, Mistico DQ Euforia, Gran Guerrero, Último Guerrero
Dragon Lee & Mistico didn’t want to help Caristico. Tecnicos took 2/3, the last by DQ when UG fouled Mistico.

Soberano/Cavernario maybe next week. The longer term problem is how to handle Caristico when most of the top tecnicos are also feuding with him. Maybe they’ll just forget about it like the last few times.

Lucha Underground has episode 4×4, “Pain, Love and Sacrifice to the Gods”. Announced matches:

  • Daga & Kobra Moon vs Taya & Johnny Mundo (video clip)
  • King Cuerno vs ? for an Azteca Medallion
  • Matanza offers a Sacrifice to the Gods (which I assume involved a match in some way.)

The photos released for this show indicate Mr. Pectacular is Matanza’s opponent/victim, and Chavo Guerrero Jr. faces King Cuerno. The preview mentions a Catrina/Melissa segment following up last week.

It wasn’t until seeing that video that I realized how awkward it’s going to be to listen to Vampiro call Taya matches now. The clip is less than a minute and he still managed to scoff at her. Probably in character.

If you miss this show, it’ll be repeated next week before the new airing. If you can’t get the show now because of the Sling/Univision dispute, you can buy it tomorrow on Amazon or iTunes.

LA Park (& son) are being advertised for the 08/10 AAA TV taping in Veracruz.

Pagano did an interview with his hometown paper, happy about being on TripleMania for the third year in a row. He has no idea who he’s facing, so falls back to the generic “I’d like to win a title, mask or hair” luchador promo. Pagano talks about his title match with Dr. Wagner proving that he was more than an extreme fighter. That was the not good match where a chair figured prominently.

MexaWrestling in Arena San Juan Pantitlan (Mextasis) on 08/04

This is going to be a good show. Going out on a limb.

LuchaWorld has the latest Lucha Report.

Microman Fever has a recap of Rush’s interview with Box Y Lucha.

A story on the Dversus Mask mask making group

An interview with Siniestro de Durango.

Concept art from a Hijo del Santo anime project that ended up abandoned.

Lineups

CMLL (MON) 07/09/2018 Arena Puebla
1) Asturiano & Meyer vs King Rocker & Sombra Diabólika
2) Arkalis & Black Tiger vs Espanto Jr. & King Jaguar
3) Astral, Lestat, Star Jr. vs Fuerza Chicana, Hijo del Signo, Policeman
4) Rey Cometa, Rey Samuray, Stuka Jr. vs Hechicero, Máscara Año 2000, Templario
5) Ángel de Oro, Mistico, Niebla Roja vs Cuatrero, Mr. Niebla, Sansón
6) La Bestia Del Ring, Rush, Terrible vs Atlantis, Carístico, Euforia [Relevos Increíbles]

That main event looks like it should be Ingobernables/tecnico match, but Diamante Azul isn’t actually back so Euforia gets the call. Semimain is the rematch. The fourth match is about one person from being really promising. Opener could be good too.