Lucha Underground Season 3 Episode 29: The Hunger Inside

Well, unfortunately, once again, life has gotten in the way of Lucha and as such, I once again missed an article. I apologize to you my readers, but hey, what you gonna do. Here’s the awards from last week.

Match of the Night: I gotta give it to Drago vs. Pentagon Dark. These are two of the top stars in the Temple and their first one on one confrontation did not disappoint.

Spot of the Night: Me, I love it every time PJ does the styles clash, but seeing him counter a Frankenstiener into a Styles Clash was nothing short of amazing.

Segment of The Night: I really liked Son of Havoc’s bar fight with Son of Madness. You get teased by their history with one another without giving the full story. Wherever this story is going I like it. Also, I need to find the song that was playing in the background during this segment, because it was awesome.

And now, on with the show.

We open this week with Dario feeding his brother some raw meat, which, for the sake of my own stomach, I’m going to hope isn’t what’s left of councilman Delgado. (Although that would be hilarious.) Dario has noticed that lately his brother has been a slave to his bloodlust, particularly when it comes to Rey Mysterio. Dario warns Matanza not to become consumed by his bloodlust or the Gods will no longer allow him to keep his humanity. I really like this scene. Not only is it nice to see Matanza again, but also because it gives us some insight into his backstory. We don’t get all the answers, but we do get some clues as to what exactly made Matanza the way he is but we also learn that Matanza still has some humanity within him, buried though it may be.

Match #1: Fenix vs. Pindar: Cueto Cup 3rd Round Match

These are two Luchadors with some unfinished business. Remember, it was the Snakes who took the Trios Titles from Fenix and Aerostar. The two actually had a very impressive match which can best be classified as a typical strength vs. speed type bout with of course, some interference from our favorite Sexy, Seductive, Sultry, Slithering, Superior, Psychotic, Sinister Sapphire Serpentine Senorita, Kobra Moon. Both warriors fought valiantly, but ultimately, Fenix emerged victorious with a top rope double knee strike. Winner: Fenix

After the match, we go to Dario’s office where he’s joined by the World Wide Underground, sans Johnny of course. It seems that Dario isn’t exactly pleased with the World Wide Underground’s performance as of late. Last week it took all of them to help PJ beat Rey Mysterio and they still couldn’t get the job done, as such, Dario has grown bored of them. So, while the World Wide Underground makes some jokes at the expense of Jack Evans who has apparently had his jaw wired shut, Dario announces that next week, the matches to earn the gift of the Gods Medallions begin and Taya, PJ and Ricky will have a chance to qualify but only on the condition that they don’t interfere in Johnny’s match against Dragon Azteca tonight.

Match #2: Prince Puma vs. Dante Fox: Cueto Cup 3rd Round Match

… Holy Shit! I mean… Holy Shit! There are incredible matches and then there’s this. This was a match between two of the most talented wrestlers in the temple if not the entire world and it was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen. The entire match was like one long sequence of counters, and beautifully executed counters at that. I’ve liked Dante Fox since he showed up in the temple and not just because I enjoy showing support for wrestlers from my home state of Connecticut. The dude is genuinely talented and I could see it right away, but it was this match that cemented him as one of my new favorites.

Counter after counter, these two went to war with one another, and though the field of war may provide something of a home field advantage for Dante Fox, Puma, especially with his new found darkness and aggression, is no one to be taken lightly. While the match could have gone either way, it was the veteran, Puma, who walked away with the victory, though neither man had anything to be ashamed of after this one.

Winner: Prince Puma

After the match, as a frustrated Dante lays exhausted in the ring, his brother-in-arms turned arch-nemesis comes out and brutally attacks, seeking a measure of revenge for Dante costing him his match against Jeremiah Crane. After leaving Dante in a broken heap, Killshot gets on the mic and proclaims that Dante was right, things between them aren’t over.

Elsewhere, we see Cortez Castro getting briefed by Captain Vasquez, the first time we’ve seen her since before the mid-season break. The two are reviewing footage from Castro’s match against Cage under the guise of Veneno. It seems Captain Vasquez knows what the gauntlet is and the nature of the power it grants to Cage. She also seems to know about what he did to Delgado. Cortez, being a good cop, suggests that they arrest the guy who murdered a man on camera. Uhh… dude, Cage is a muscle-bound ill-tempered machine of a man who looks like the steroids he’s taking are themselves on steroids WITHOUT the gauntlet. WITH the Gauntlet, he’s was able turn a man’s red into a red stain on the wall with one punch. I’m SURE a guy like that will come quietly and be cooperative. Shut your dumbass! Besides, Vasquez isn’t interested in Cage, it’s the gauntlet she wants. Castro thinks that trying to take the gauntlet from Cage is a fool’s errand, prompting Vasquez to contemplate getting directly involved, staring at the mysterious medallion in her possession as she does so.

Main Event: Johnny Mundo vs. El Dragon Azteca Jr.

This may very well have been an incredible match, but frankly, any match that has to follow Puma vs. Fox has a pretty tough uphill climb if it wants to measure up. While there is simply nothing that can compare to the last match, these two incredible superstars put on a heck of a show with Azteca hoping to prove to Johnny that he’s more than just a stepping-stone on his way to Rey Mysterio. The pressure is on especially with Rey Mysterio’s wife Angie and son Dominic at ringside. Those of you who have followed Rey’s career for a long time will recognize young Dominic as the focal point of a major feud Rey Mysterio and the late, great Eddie Guerrero. Sadly though, Azteca, despite his incredible agility on full display, he couldn’t quite get the job done and Johnny picked up the win Winner: Johnny Mundo

After the match, Johnny decides to punish Azteca some more by taking a steel chair and pressing it against his throat until Rey comes out to make the save. As Rey goes to the back, a dejected Johnny takes a moment to taunt Rey’s family and Dominic in particular. However, Dominic ain’t the eight-year-old kid we remember of old anymore, he’s a grown man, a grown man who seems to have inherited his father’s fighting spirit as he gets right in the face of the Lucha Underground Champion. Rey emerges to protect his family but this was all a trap and to lure Rey out in the open as the World Wide Underground were lying in wait to attack. The WWU starts picking Rey apart and even gets a cheap shot on Dominic, enraging Rey beyond belief. The WWU retreats as Rey checks on his son.

Our show comes to an end with Fenix and Melissa flirting outside the temple as Marty watches from the shadows. From their conversation, Marty has found a new goal, take Fenix’s mask, believing that it will make Melissa love him instead.

Match of the Night:

Like you have to fucking ask. I think I’ve already made my thoughts on the masterpiece that was Prince Puma vs. Dante Fox abundantly clear. This match is easily the best match this entire season so far and I enjoyed each and every minute of it.

Spot of the Night: I’ve had a hard time deciding on spot of the night in the past, but this is the first time I’ve had a difficult time deciding between multiple spot from not only the same match, but also the same wrestler. Seriously, any of Dante’s incredible moves in this match could have taken it. Ultimately I gave it to his reversal of Puma’s Tilt-O-Whirl DDT. Rest assured people, Puma may have picked up the win but the real star of this match was Dante Fox.

Segment of the Night: Lot of strong contenders this week, but I ultimately gave it to Castro and Captain Vasquez. This storyline is really interesting and I’ve been dying to see it followed up on since episode two of this season. I’m especially intrigued by Vasquez herself. We definitely know that she’s more than she appears, but upon seeing her reaction to the gauntlet, I wonder if her intentions are as benevolent as we’ve been lead to believe.

Final Thoughts: God Damn I love this show!