Lucha Underground results: Season 2 kicks off with intergender World title match
After a tremendous first season, Lucha Underground returns with some new cards in the deck as well as a bit of reshuffling for the existing ones. Catrina runs the show, while Mil Muertes oversees the action from his throne high atop the Temple. King Cuerno vies for the Gift of the Gods Title against Fenix, while the former trios tag champions do battle to determine a number one contender for the Lucha Underground Championship.
Season two has been set up perfectly all week on El Rey, with a constant marathon concluding right before the season two premiere. The final few minutes of the season one finale remain incredible – and even if you saw it without context, you would get that something big was going down for season two.
Show Recap:
We begin with Vampiro in a psychiatric ward being called Ian. His psychiatrist asks if he has had any nightmares or hallucinations, leading to season one flashbacks. When asked about violent thoughts, we see flashbacks to light tubes being used on Pentagon Jr, but he says they’re all gone. He is given a powerful anti-psychotic medication – but to be released, he must never go see the people that cause his violent impulses. Vamp isn’t down with that and beats up the doctor and his staff – but we see it’s in his head. Striker picks him up and says the Temple isn’t like it was before. It’s a much darker place.
Vamp looks at his medication and gets a sick smile on his face. Either that, or he was amused that his doctor’s name is Dr. Dick Johnson.
Catrina is in Cueto’s office, when Fenix comes in and wants a match with Mil Muertes. Catrina says that he has the Gift of the Gods and can get his shot – but she runs this place, and will hold that match next week if he still holds the title. King Cuerno was shown hunting him in the S1 finale, and wants his title tonight. Mil watches the show from a gigantic throne. Striker and Vampiro are in the booth and Striker says that the fans are why they’re back. Striker gives Vampiro about half a dozen nicknames that would make Joey Styles’ nicknames for Sabu seem modest.
King Cuerno vs. Fenix – Gift of the Gods Championship Match
Cuerno comes down while Striker talks about his character for first-time viewers. Vamp says the drinking game has begun, so he says brother a lot. They go back and forth on takedowns before Fenix gets a standing moonsault. Cuerno goes to the floor to break the momentum. Cuerno catches his legs on a baseball slide and hits a draping DDT from the apron to the floor. Cuerno lands the Arrow of Death dive and gets 2. Fenix goes for a handspring elbow, but gets caught – he escapes and lands a dropkick to the stomach. Fenix does a rope walk armdrag before landing a handspring cutter.
Cuerno leaves immediately before eating a crazy Kalisto corkscrew dive from the top to the floor. Fenix tosses him into the corner before landing a VIVA MEXICO Yakuza kick in the corner. They exchange stiff shots and Cuerno wins that war with a calf kick to the chest. Fenix lands a second handspring cutter and turns it into a dragon sleeper – I love it!
Cuerno recovers and gets a Romero special and turning it into a catapult that sends Fenix into the buckle. Fenix responds with a stiff shot to the face and climbs up top to hit a big double stomp to the head of Cuerno while Cuerno was up top. That was nuts, and gets 2. Fenix flips around a bit and hops right into a Thrill of the Hunt for 2.5! Cuerno runs into a big boot that rocks him. Cuerno avoids a headscissor and locks on a package tombstone piledriver for the win! Mil stares at Cuerno and doesn’t look amused. Angelico, Son of Havoc, and Ivelisse arrive on their bikes and we go to a break. Johnny Mundo does a workout ad and it appears LU has gotten Auto Zone as a sponsor.
Back in the Temple, the former trios champs tell Catrina they want their titles back. Catrina says Mil has ordered them to fight each other tonight, while Havoc says they won’t be torn apart. Catrina says that whoever wins faces him for the title tonight. Ivie says she’ll win it and then come after Catrina. It’s astonishing to see just how much this company has gotten out of Catrina when she was just a random person in NXT. Catrina whispers something to Melissa Santos, who resumes introductions.
#1 Contender’s Match: Son of Havoc vs. Ivelisse vs. Angelico
In a very weird bit, both announcers act completely shocked at this match having the former trios champions against each other and being for a title shot. It’s time for an ad break, but first, King Cuerno grabs his title from the locker. Catrina tells him to remember their deal and he tells her that she has nothing to worry about – and neither does Mil before giving her a smirk behind her back. Angelico is working in a full motocross outfit, which is a good look for him. Double O’Connor roll gets 2 for Angelico, before Ivie gets 1 off a crucifix to Havoc.
They go for a three-way test of strength before Ivie gets tired of this and just beats them both up. Ivie lands a flying rana off the second rope to Angelico. Giant flying knee in the corner to Ivie! Handspring elbow from Havoc to Angelico in the corner and a flying crossbody gets 2. Angelico knees Havoc and we get a wacky flip and jump exchange for 2.
Ivie gets a crossbody off the top to Angelico for 2. Havoc picks her up and Ivie doesn’t appreciate the grabbing and chops the daylights out of him. Ivie gets ten kicks to the gut in the corner and takes Angelico down for 2. Havoc gets a back suplex into a backbreaker to wear her down. Striker is amazed that a fight broke out here in a wrestling match. Havoc dives to the floor onto Angelico! Havoc gets a super mushroom stomp to the back of Angelico for 2. Havoc gets pulled down by Ivie, and Havoc and Angelico fight over a superplex. Ivie crotches Havoc up top and hits a la magistrol cradle on Angelico to win!
375 miles from Boyle Heights, a trio of guys ask about an underground fight club called the temple. Angela Fong tells them to come with her. Oh I wouldn’t do that guys, you’re doomed! Melissa Santos introduces the title match. Ivie is already in the ring, while Mil descends from his throne. Havoc and Angelico cheer her on. Vamp says she has no chance while Striker says even broken crayons still color. The Disciples of Death come down and beat everyone else up. Mil holds her hostage while her friends are carried away. Mil throws her down and we go to one more ad break.
Catrina is the only logical heel owner in wrestling – her charge has about a 0% chance of losing, but she goes the extra mile to make sure it’s absolutely 0%.
Lucha Underground Champion Mil Muertes vs. Ivelisse
Marty Elias holds the gold high and the match begins. He shoves her down while Striker asks Vamp what her strategy should be. Mil just picks her up with ease off the ground and lands a backbreaker. Striker says the back was hurt before in the three-way, so Mil saw that from the throne and is going to focus on it. Giant Biel throw by Mil – Ivie is bumping like a champ here. He picks her up with one hand and just kicks her down Ivie gets a gulliotine choke, but Mil bearhugs out of it and tosses her down.
Ivie goes for a triangle, but Mil tries to powerbomb her – so she turns it into an armbar over the rope before he drops her on the floor. Ivie fights off the top and gets a double-twist tornado DDT for 2! Catrina comes in and holds the stone high to distract her, but she moves and Mil spears her! Ivie gets a schoolboy cradle for 2.5 and a huge Ivelisse chant. Ivie eats a powerslam and a flatliner to finish. This was the best intergender match LU has done yet.
Catrina leans down for the lick of death, but refuses and sics Mil on her. He sets up a second flatliner, but Puma makes the save! Pentagon Jr. runs in to a huge ovation, hits a back stabber on Muertes and snaps his arm. After the credits roll, Black Lotus takes the guys to Dario Cueto. One of the guys insults her, and she kicks his ass. Dario gets them to pay him $20 each for the chance to enter the Temple. He “gives them the key” to Matanza’s cage and Matanza gets three new victims.
Final Thoughts:
Well, this was a fantastic show overall. It would have been nice to see more with Vampiro and Pentagon Jr. since that was built up all last season, but they did enough with it here to give me faith that thread will continue to unravel as time wears on. Pentagon Jr. is now seemingly being set up the Stone Cold of the promotion – he’s certainly not a traditional babyface, but he’s over like the top babyface while Puma holds the Sting role of being the most honorable babyface in the company. They further built up Matanza as a killer, and took Mil out with the armbreaker – setting up a few different possibilities for the title.
King Cuerno has a logical claim to it if it’s vacated since he has the other singles title, while Pentagon could stake a claim since he took the champion out. Either way, a lot was set up for the future and hopefully this company has a bright one because it has changed how wrestling promotions are presented on TV and delivers the most episodic television since the territory days.