Lucha Underground Season 3 Episode 7: Payback Time
Welcome back once again to Lucha Underground, the best wrestling show out there today.
This week, we open with Prince Puma in the locker room, getting ready for his long-awaited main event match against Mil Muertes tonight. Vampiro comes up to him and tries to offer some advice, but Puma makes it inescapably clear that he wants nothing to do with Vampiro. Regardless, Vampiro wishes Puma good luck and walks off.
We go to arena to find Matanza standing in the ring. You know what that means! It’s time for, DARIO’S, DIAL, OF, DOOM! Dario spins the wheel and the name that comes up is… Killshot!
Match #1: Killshot vs. Matanza: Lucha Underground Title Match
Going into this match, Killshot was still spotting the wounds of war from his incredible Weapons of Mass Destruction match against Marty the Moth. Because of that, Matanza dominated the majority of this match. Still, Killshot was still able to mount a decent offense and even pulled off some impressive and innovative moves. Still, the overwhelming power of Matanza and his own injuries were too much for the unknown soldier to deal with and Killshot fell to wrath of the gods.
Winner: Matanza
After the match, as Killshot recovered in the ring, someone sporting dog tags similar to his own came out to the ring to confront him. I have been told that this is AR Fox, a well known wrestler in the indies whose work I’m largely unfamiliar with. Anywho, Killshot, upon seeing Fox, looks like he’s just seen a ghost. Killshot takes a moment to touch Fox to make sure he’s real, and then embraces him, the two clearly having once been brothers in arms during Killshot’s time in the military. However, Fox has no interest in a happy reunion and lays Killshot out before echoing the words written on the charred piece of paper from two weeks ago: You left me for dead.
After that impressive debut, we get another vignette that tells us to follow the White Rabbit.
Next up, we get the Trios Champions, Fenix, Drago and Aerostar, coming out for a match, but before we find out who their opponents are, Dario Cueto has something to say. Cueto says that in four weeks time, we will being seeing the return of Aztec Warfare, the very match in which Matanza was crowned Lucha Underground Champion. So great is Dario’s confidence in his brother, that he’s opted to enter the champion into that match at number one, much to the relief of Fenix who has entered the match at number one for the past two years. Dario says that this time, he’s giving Fenix a unique opportunity for Fenix to enter at the coveted number twenty, but, as with all of Dario’s unique opportunities, there’s a twist: the number twenty spot has also been offered to Drago and Aerostar, but to get it, they have to face one another in a triple threat match in which the losers will be barred from being able to enter Aztec Warfare.
Match #2: Fenix vs. Drago vs. Aerostar
This was a superb match featuring three of the best athletes in the entirety of Lucha Underground. There’s actually an interesting progression to the match as the three friends start out exhibiting a great deal of sportsmanship towards one another, but as the match goes on, things get more violent and the tension between the three champions continues to grow. There were a lot of impressive spots in this match both high and low and Fenix even got busted open. Every second of this match got your adrenaline pumping in a big way. Ultimately though, it was Drago who got the win and the number twenty spot in Aztec Warfare.
Winner: Drago
Later on, we join Drago in the bathroom staring into the mirror when in slithers the seductively sinister sapphire serpent, Kobra Moon. And by the way, I do mean slither. I absolutely love the way Kobra almost glides across the floor as she enters the room. It’s both beautiful and unsettling at the same time, which, in many ways, is perfectly befitting of a snake. The only word I can find to describe it is well… slithering. Kobra says that the scales have tipped in Drago’s favor and soon he’ll be bringing the championship back to their tribe. Drago says that he left Kobra’s tribe one thousand years ago and that he will never return before letting out a mighty roar and walking away. To punctuate the scene with a touch of humor, we have Vinnie Massaro eating a slice of pizza spotting Kobra and saying, “I’m sorry, I thought this was the men’s room” causing Kobra to leer and angrily hiss at him. We don’t see what happens after that, but if you told me that Kobra ate him, I’d believe it.
Next up, we go into Dario Cueto’s office where Johnny is once again demanding a shot at Sexy Star, only this time, Johnny’s come prepared. In the first season, Johnny won one hundred thousand dollars from Dario Cueto and he’s been saving it for a rainy day. In exchange for the now ninety-four thousand and thirty-seven dollars in that briefcase, Dario has requested a Gift of the Gods title match against Sexy Star, and Dario agrees to make the match for next week.
Main Event: Prince Puma vs. Mil Muertes
Call me crazy, but I thought this encounter between Puma and Mil was even more engaging than their match at Ultima Lucha. Mil and Puma beat the holy hell out of one another, and even fought amongst the believers. Both men looked strong, both men pulled out some amazing moves and both men left in all in the temple as they revisited their epic rivalry. However, when it came down to it, Puma was the one with the greater drive to win and finished off his old foe with a spectacular six-thirty splash as a very satisfied Vampiro watches on from the announce table.
Winner: Prince Puma
Tonight’s episode draws to a close with Rey Mysterio talking to Chavo’s father, Chavo Guerrero Sr., a wrestling legend in his own right. Rey says that he has nothing but respect for the Guerrero family, but what Rey is fighting for is bigger than him and Chavo, asks Chavo Sr., if he does what he needs to do, where does he stand with the Guerreros. Chavo Sr. doesn’t give a direct answer, but asks if taking out Chavo is the only option, to which Rey responds, “The Temple isn’t big enough for the both of us, either he leaves, or I leave.”
Match of the Night: It’s a photo finish, but I have to give it to Drago vs. Fenix vs. Aerostar. Puma vs. Mil was excellent, I’m not disputing that, but I felt the triple threat match told a much better story. As I said, the match started out with a great deal of sportsmanship between the three but as the match escalated, you can see that sportsmanship dissolve in favor of brutal animosity as they battle for the prestigious prize. I especially liked Fenix’s devastating super kick. Another nice subtle touch I liked here was the attire of the luchadors. Fenix was wearing all white, Aerostar all silvery grey and Drago all black, perhaps signifying how this alliance represents a balance between the light and the darkness, or perhaps signifying me reading too much into things, you can take your pick.
Spot of the Night: Again, a tough call, any of the spots in the triple threat could have taken it and I came dangerously close to giving it to AR Fox’s impressive finisher on Killshot, but I have to give it to Puma leaping from the top of the bleachers onto Mil Muertes. Moves from great heights are always exciting and this one was no exception.
Segment of the Night: Yet another incredibly tough one to call, but I really have to give this one to Kobra Moon confronting Drago. The season three trailer seemed to indicate that Kobra Moon had a big role to play in the events of this season and the seeds of that are planted here. I have no idea what is going to transpire between these two, but even the simple revelation that they have a history with one another is enough to get my attention. And, as icing on the cake, we get to see Vinnie Massaro again for the first time since season one. Everything I’ve heard about the guy seems to indicate that he’s a pretty cool guy and I hope we get to see more of him this season.
Final Thoughts: This was yet another incredibly strong outing for Lucha Underground. The matches were top knotch, the storylines were continued nicely and the believers were left wanting more. All in all, this was precisely what an episode of Lucha Underground is supposed to be