Lucha Underground TV Report 2-18-15

By Jeremy Peeples/@Jeremy_Peeples 

 Setting the Stage

 Last week, Big Ryck cut a promo in a confessional swearing vengeance on the Crew and debuting a new eye patch. He's coming to kick a bunch of ass and it should be a lot of fun. Alberto El Patron debuted as well, and got the biggest reaction in the history of his show. He came off like a megastar here and they went with a completely different lighting setup that really helped his promo stand out that was further helped by this being his best promo yet. Texano Jr debuted during this by attacking him and they're taking the AAA Mega World title feud to America.

The show begins recapping Ryck's promo and his history with the Crew and then a rundown of the Fenix-Mil Muertes feud over Catrina. Black Lotus's issue with Matunza is touched on, and the video closes with Texano's attack on Alberto. After about a month of being in 4:3, the show returns to being in letterboxed widescreen. Mariachi El Bronx plays us in while Striker says that the temple is buzzing, complete with a bee buzzing effect and we'll get bookend main events with Muetes facing Chavo to start the show. Muertes comes down without Catrina, resulting in a "Where's Catrina?" chant. Chavo comes down and gets booed.

Match 1 - Mil Muertes vs. Chavo Guerrero Jr.

Striker calls this a battle of size versus Chavo's Guerrero-ness, so whatever that is, this is a battle of it. Chavo sends Muertes to the floor and baseball slides him, but Muertes chucks him into the steps and then presses him into the ring. Chavo cheapshots him with an eye poke and then dives onto him. Muertes no-sells a punch on the apron and Chavo knows he's in trouble, so he goes for the knee with a dropkick and kicks on the mat. Chavo hops over the rope to attack the knee and Vamp says it's very much like Hector, his uncle, who is older, wiser, but just as ugly. Chavo crotches him on the post and Vamp says it's like his father. Muertes grabs him and punches his - he's got the best punches on TV right now. Chavo tosses Muertes to the floor and Catrina appears on the top of the steps and gets a chant. Chavo goes for the mask on top of Muertes's shoulders, but he gets electric chaired and they talk about how the loss of Catrina has hurt Muertes. Chavo misses a corner charge and eats another punch. Big lariat hits and Chavo gets tossed tot he floor after avoiding a Flatliner.  

Catrina has Mil's stone, distracting him, while Chavo gets a chair. Chair to the back gets no reaction, and he punches the chair into Chavo's face, then hits the flatliner onto the chair. He wants her to give Chavo the lick of death, and Striker calls her the leather-laden licker. Striker says it's alluring him to see Catrina avoid the kiss, and then Mil pushes her head into the position, she refuses and he grabs her throat and sets up a flatiner, leading to Fenix coming down for the save and a French kiss with Catrina. I'm not sure what the exact deal is in this since Mil kind of turned face, but he also tried to attack Catrina, which would seem like a heel move. Black Lotus is in her black catsuit unlocking the door to the area that Dario's monster has been held in.

We return to the Temple with Cueto talking to the Crew. Thank God they finally have jerseys with their names on them. He praises them for blinding Ryck with the bright light of their talents and will reward them with a main event spot tonight in a trios match and he wants them to take out their opponents tonight - Pimpi, Sexy Star, and Mascarita Sagrada. Their job is simply to hurt them so much that they don't come back. We go to the ring with Son of Havoc and Ivelisse mid-ring with a mic and new gold chainmail over her biker shorts. Ivelisse says that since Havoc's losing week after week, she'll handle Havoc's battle for him. Oh snap. Angelico comes down while Striker and Vamp talk about how she's basically neutering him.

Match 2 - Ivelisse vs. Angelico

Ivie goes for some kicks to the legs and then she eats a drop toehold. She tries to sweep the leg and he avoids it. He avoids all contact that doesn't involve him catching her and being silly, so she kicks his chest. He puts a hand behind his back, and she responds by slapping his face off the top and then hitting a flying rana. Now he's ready to fight, but she knows he's vulnerable, so she lures him into a false sense of security and kicks him. Angelico hits a flapjack which Striker calls a $12,000 fall and Havoc snaps the neck to result in him falling over in a schoolboy position and her winning. Angelico says he wants to go one on one with her again, without Havoc around and he quickly grabs her and takes her to the back. This was different and set up a future serious match between Angelico and Ivelisse. They recap the Alberto-Texano issue setting up Texano's debut match here next.

Match 3 - Super Fly vs. Texano Jr

We return to the Temple with Super Fly mid-ring and then Texano comes out from the back with his full cowboy getup. Striker cuts to an interview Vamp did with Texano with Vamp saying Texano's the former champ, and we see clips of him dominating AAA over the course of his two year title reign, and then Alberto beating him and him beating up Alberto with his bullrope. Texano says he's going to take his title back and make Alberto prove himself here. This was the first all-Spanish interview we've had on the U.S. version, and it was interesting to see. Texano takes Fly down and gets  quick 1, but traps him in the corner for chops. Fly gets a chop mid-ring and then misses a crossbody before eating a big legdrop for 2. Death valley driver into a neckbreaker gets the win. Texano stands over Fly while the crowd chants for Alberto. Alberto comes down and Texano runs away strategically to attack him on the floor. Alberto chcuks him into the barricade and his some kneeling punches before getting his bullrope and whipping him here just like Texano did to him. I love this - we're seeing the story play out here between two shows, and it's pretty cool. Texano escapes and Alberto uses the rope to avoid the security team while Striker talks about the AAA Title being defended here in Lucha Underground and the main event being up next. 

 We return to the Temple with Cueto in his office and Cage coming in his with the destroyed belt around his neck demanding to be called champion. Cueto says that he wants Cage as champion, but he lost - next week, he'll face Puma in a non-title match and a win there gets him a title match. Cage tosses the belt onto his desk. Chavo comes in and says he's quitting to go home to his family, resulting in Cueto wishing him the best in his future endeavors and Chavo leaving angrily. Chavo's acting here was terrible. Black Lotus meets with Matunza and says she wants to kill him with her bare hands. After a break, The Crew is mid-ring before the faces come down. Sexy Star has new bright pink boxing shorts and Striker says that if you're into any of the wacky babyfaces, there's an app for that.

Match 4 - The Crew vs. Sexy Star, Pimpinella Escarlata, and Mascarita Sagrada

Bael tosses Sexy to the floor while Pimpi goes for a kiss with Cisco. Pimpi gets caned by Castro and choked with it. Pimpi is taken out with the choke. Sagrada eats a big boot from Cisco, but he gets the flying rana. He kicks the leg and gets an iffy tilt a whirl armdrag sending them tot he floor. Cisco hits an apron powerbomb to Sagrada. Sexy's ready to fight and chops Cisco before eating a big kick. Bael hits a death valley driver onto Sagrada before they do a chair-assisted curb stomp onto him. It's down to Sexy against three men, two try to trap her on the floor and she runs in and slaps Cisco. Castro gets armdraggd and Cisco gets low-blowed. Tornado DDT to the floor from Sexy leads to Cisco coming in and grabbing her, but she fights back. She gets a sloppy swinging fisherman's neckbreaker. Sexy hits some slaps to Cisco up top, going for a rana and teasing a superbomb before getting the rana for 2. The group gets her mid-ring and stomps her down. Big Ryck comes down clean-shaven in nice jeans distracting Cisco, who eats a running rolling cradle and loses! Ryck and Sexy celebrate mid-ring, and Sexy looks like a total badass emerging victorious here with a busted-up lip. This wasn't the best show bell-to-bell, but it each match was either fun to watch or furthered the story, and they've reshuffled the deck a bit losing Chavo at least temporarily while gaining Texano and Alberto.