Lucha Underground Review - March 23, 2016

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Matanza Cueto Won Aztec Warfare to Become the New Lucha Underground Champion

I haven't seen the first Aztec Warfare since it initially aired, so I can't compare that to this one, but this installment was excellent in its own right. As our own RJ Marceau said in a column earlier this week, Lucha Underground did their version of the Royal Rumble match better than WWE. And I don't want to hear from fans that they copied WWE's idea from this year's Rumble match because this was taped almost an entire month in advance. The temple came unglued for the debuting Rey Mysterio at the No. 2 slot and he had a great showing throughout the bout. He works well in multi-man matches because it allows him to hit his signature spots and mix it up with the younger talents while also being able to take a break every once in a while. I really enjoyed the furthering of feuds with Johnny Mundo and Cage, Drago and Jack Evans, and Mil Muertes and Pentagon Jr. I was not at all expecting the returns of Dario Cuerto or Matanza, so that was a genuine surprise. Matanza eliminating everyone at the end made him look like a complete badass and hopefully he can embark on the long, dominant reign Muertes should have had. I don't know how great he will be when he's wrestling singles matches, but he impressed me with what we saw of him here.


Overall Show

As I've said before, I love shows that feature only one match (when done sparingly, of course) and Aztec Warfare executed that formula to perfection. There wasn't a single dull moment throughout the match and it was very well paced with exciting in-ring action and stellar storytelling. Matanza winning may not have been for everyone, but it certainly sets up a multitude of interesting storylines for the foreseeable future, and needless to say, I'm excited to see where Mysterio goes from here as well. Basically, check this contest out. The hour will feel like five minutes.

---