Lucha Underground Review - October 19, 2016

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Lucha Underground Champion Matanza Cueto def. Killshot

This may have been a dull match at this point last season, but the crowd really warmed up to Killshot in his recent feud with Marty "The Moth" Martinez and he was the perfect underdog to face Matanza here. They weren't given a ton of time, but it was a fun match while it lasted and I appreciated how Matt Striker and Vampiro put over Killshot's efforts on commentary like he came close to winning the title. I can see the argument from fans that Dario's "Dial of Doom" sets up wrestlers to be "buried" by Matanza, but the matches have been pretty good so far and it's far better than making Mantanza the focal point of the show again. As for the mysterious dude who attacked Killshot afterward, that's AR Fox, who is best known for his work in Dragon Gate USA, Chaotic Wrestling and EVOLVE. I'm not too familiar with him, but I'm intrigued in this apparent angle he has going with Killshot.


Trios Champon Drago def. Trios Champion Aerostar and Trios Champion Fenix in a Triple Threat Match to Earn the No. 20 Spot in Aztec Warfare

What a Dario thing to do to put the tag team champions against each other in a match with such high stakes. I don't say that as a bad thing, either, because he is by far the best authority figure in wrestling right now. This match brought me back to the days of Lucha Underground where every match was must-see as this was extremely entertaining and there was never a dull moment. Most importantly, the outcome was unpredictable and I would have been happy with whoever won. I'm personally a Fenix fan, but he had his chance last year and lost, so Drago was a wise choice.

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Prince Puma def. Mil Muertes

I don't remember how great their Ultima Lucha match was last year, but I thoroughly enjoyed this match and I liked how it felt personal with them taking the fight all over the Temple. It would have been even better with more time, but those final few minutes were excellent. It's a shame they didn't start this redemption story for Puma sooner than the onset of Season 3 because this win for him could have meant so much more, but it was still a cool moment and a clean win over Muertes is rare. But where does Puma go from here?


Overall Show

I have been slow to get invested in the Lucha Underground product so far in Season 3 compared to past seasons. It has been solid, but something has been missing it seems. That said, this might have been the best episode of Season 3 to date with three outstanding matches and plenty of storyline progression (and the return of Chavo Classic at the end!). The immediate future of the show is bright with Aztec Warfare coming up in two weeks, which is always awesome and I can't wait for it.