Showing posts with label Lucha Libre. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lucha Libre. Show all posts


Filmmaker Robert Rodriguez and producer Mark Burnett of One Three Media announced the birth of an hour long TV show now known as Lucha Underground with affiliations to the promotion AAA. Lucha Underground made it's official debut on October 29 2014. The show's premise is as follows:


"Lucha Underground introduces U.S. audiences to the high-flying, explosive moves of lucha libre. An ancient combat tradition, watch as good and evil wage war in a gritty battleground called The Temple."
 Dario Cueto, the owner and businessman of the show, is introduced. He gives us a brief history on Lucha Libre and what he plans to do with it in the future. He offers wrestlers worldwide to step up to the challenge of competing in the ring to win $100,000 while promoting ancient values such as honor, courage, and violence. What i loved about this segment was that it introduced Lucha Libre, a new style, to the mainstream audience in America and connected it to ancient history. It blended Kayfabe with reality T.V and a very interesting storyline.




Blue Demon Jr. vs. Chavo Guerrero: What i loved most about this match was the introduction of Blue Demon Jr., the adopted son of Blue Demon who was a legend and one of the greatest wrestlers in his time. Blue Demon is an iconic figure among Mexicans and Lucha Libre fans so to see his son make an appearance in Lucha Underground was amazing. Even more thrilling was the fact that he competed against Chavo Guerrero, a wrestler from a newer generation. The match itself was intense and high flying as Lucha Libre is but also applies technical wrestling holds as well. A great way to start off the first episode.


Konnan and Dario Cueto segment: I was also thrilled see Konnan, a wrestler who's participated in many promotions such as WCW, TNA, AAA, and other indies being introduced. We could see that Dario Cueto is not at all what he seems and has interior motives in his plans. What i loved about this segment was the introductions and also how the plot develops so smoothly in a Telenovela format.

The debut of Prince Puma - The descendant of an ancient and fearsome Aztec tribe, luchador Prince Puma makes his debut on Lucha Underground. I found this to be a very interesting backstory as it blends the present with the past. Already we can see Prince Puma has alot of talent boiling up inside and a strong will to prove himself at Lucha Underground. He carries on the ancient traditions of his ancestors and the spirit animal of the Jaguar. Judging by his training segment, you can only imagine how ferocious he would be in the ring as the episode rolls on.

Sexy Star vs. Son of Havoc:

Sexy Star made her stunning debut as a charismatic woman reformed by her mask and newly taken identity as a luchador in a sport dominated by men. Her backstory is very empowering to men so when she was scheduled to face son of Havoc, you are already hyped up to see what she has to prove especially when son of Havoc says he will not wrestle a woman. She exhibits such athletic high flying moves that seem to be based on more than just Lucha Libre. After watching this match, i've learned that Sexy Star is very aggressive despite her small size and will not back down from any man in the ring.


Prince Puma vs. Johnny Mundo: Highly entertaining match with tons of flips and agile moves done by both wrestlers especially when Prince Puma gets knocked down but instantly jolts up like nothing happened. Johnny Mundo, AKA Johnny Nitro in the WWE, put on a surprising performance in and outside of the ring. I found this match to be quite interesting not only because of the moves, but also because of the shocking plot twist that occurs at the end.



Overall, i loved the first episode of Lucha Underground. It was a breath of fresh air. Every talent was evenly pushed. The matches are done differently from the norm, the storylines are highly intense and unpredictable, the characters are very believable, the fans are respectful and passionate, etc. Lucha Underground is for the wrestling fan and non-wrestling fan alike. I recommend it to anyone looking for action packed drama, innovative storylines, and a new environment from the typical wrestling shows.
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After watching Vampiro vs. Pentagon Jr. "Cero Miedo" match, i already became a fan of Lucha Underground. As a Mexican, i am excited to see a pro-wrestling promotion that is centered on Lucha Libre and Mexican culture. While it's geared generally towards a Hispanic audience, Lucha Underground also welcomes all other ethnicities. If your an American, it's important to have a basic understanding of the wrestling in Lucha Underground.

Lucha Underground often gives a "novella" feel when they film promos or any other short clips usually of masked wrestlers. Why are they masked? Enter the tradition of Lucha Libre.  

 The rules of Lucha Libre are basically the same as American matches with some differences. Luchadores can only remain for 20 seconds outside of the ring. It's also legal for Luchadores to simply touch the floor in order for a tag team partner to switch places with them. 

  Lucha Libre is characterized by Luchadores (wrestlers) wearing masks which can be symbols of gods, animals, ancient heroes, or other archetypes. Lucha Libre date as far as the Aztecs. Luchadores will remain masked unless they are retiring or ending a gimmick and starting anew. The mask is so sacred, a Luchador can get disqualified for trying to remove it. It is the custom for Luchadores to wear their masks and conceal their identity at all times. The mask is the Luchador's pride, honor, dignity, and reputation. If it's removed, the Luchador looses all of it on top of his career. El Santo (left) is an example of a Luchador who continued to wear his mask till death and was buried with it. Although not every Luchador wears a mask.

 Masks can be put at stake to settle a heated feud. The loser will have his mask removed in a match. 

 The style of Lucha Libre relies on high flying acrobatic and aerial moves within the ring. Luchadores catapult themselves into their opponents usually from the outside of the ring. Luchadores usually execute high flying moves in the ring to pin their opponents as opposed to severely hurt them like Jeff Hardy does which would get them disqualified in a Lucha Libre match. Tag teams are usually made of 3 Luchadores and have a captain. The match can be won if both members are pinned or the captain is pinned. If a Luchador rolls out of the ring or is knocked out, a tag team partner can take his place. There is a code of honor expected from Luchadores. They are for instance expected to take the shame of having their masks removed than failing to honor their wager. Rudos (heels who brawl) are expected to turn into technicos (faces with technical skills like Martial Arts) after a career defining event. 

 Now that you have a basic understanding of Lucha Libre, be sure to take note of every action taken by the Luchadores in Lucha Underground. That being said, i hope that you take full appreciation of Lucha Underground. 
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Vampiro is notoriously known for his feud with Sting at WCW but other than that, he wasn't given much of a push for stardom. In fact, he stated he was mistreated in WCW. He also tried applying for WWE but was turned down.









Before his career, he worked setting up rings and training with wrestlers. He was trained by Abdullah the Butcher and at age 16, became a pro-wrestler. The inspiration behind his character was based on the character "Dracula" who was misunderstood by all and alternative music.

He began his early career as a jobber at CMLL but the promotion didn't take him seriously due to his look. Surprisingly, he became popular among fans despite his limited moves. He soon participated in hair vs. hair matches.

Realizing his popularity would not last long unless his ring performance improved, he combined his martial arts with Lucha Libre style wrestling.

At WCW, he was known for his memorable feud with Sting, the Great Muta, Konnan, the Demon, and Eddie Guerrero. Due to WCW going out of business, Vampiro returned to CMLL then traveled to many other promotions worldwide.

Why did Vampiro need a major push in american promotions like WCW and WWE? Because of his ring performance, mic skills, unique appearance, and charisma. He has excellent balance and his maneuvers are impressive. Vampiro may have looked skinny but he was just as strong as any other wrestler like Hulk Hogan. He also had unpredictability and played mind games like Sting.

More importantly, he participated in many hardcore matches namely in AAA. He was one of the few pro-wrestlers willing to take pro-wrestling to the extreme. He had his back hit with fluorescent lamps and was legitimately set on fire.

Most recently, he's been successful in a new wrestling promotion: Lucha Underground when he was booked to face Pentagon Jr. in place of another wrestler who backed out. He also serves as a color commentator for both the English and Spanish airings of Lucha Underground.

Vampiro could have been a major legend in mainstream american promotions like WWE and TNA if they booked him properly. In my opinion, he wasn't pushed because of his "scrawny" and unprofessional appearance compared to other "professional" wrestlers. For whatever the reason was, we cannot deny his uniqueness as a talented pro-wrestler. Despite the opportunities lost, my hope is that new ones will arise during his time in Lucha Underground.
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When i was a kid, Rey Mysterio became one of my favorite wrestlers. I loved his entertaining high flying moves. Rey Mysterio despite being short proved that you didn't need to be tough or strong to compete. I also was inspired by his heart and passion for wrestling. He played such a great face even during his feud with Eddie Guerrero and Batista. Even after Eddie's death, Rey Mysterio continued his legacy. I loved Rey Mysterio for his agility, quickness, and cleverness but it was also because of his Mexican heritage. It's not everyday for a hispanic to accurately represent the Mexican culture in front of a wide American audience. He's helped inspire appreciation from Americans of Mexico. Rey Mysterio has competed well against American wrestlers and fits well with WWE. Being a Mexican myself and coming from a Mexican family, he was a folk hero. My father and i took a strong liking to him because of that.

Lucha Libre, the Mexican traditional of wrestling, is characterized by high flying maneuvers and agility as opposed to brute power. Luchadores rely on complex submissions and other acrobatic combinations of attacks usually done out of the ring. The masks worn date back to the ancient Aztecs and are symbolic. They bear the reputation of the Luchador and represent archetypes (gods, heroes, animals, nationality, etc.) When a wrestler is defeated, he must remove his mask and suffer humiliation.


Rey Mysterio reflects Lucha Libre very well in WWE while still having a good understanding of how American pro-wrestling works. Rey Mysterio also deeply loved his fans and built great fan interaction.

Rey Mysterio left WWE a legend and now continues to compete in Mexican wrestling promotions.
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