Lucha Underground: Monster Meets Monster

April 20, 2016 – Los Angeles, California

Dario Cueto tells Fenix, Aerostar, and Drago that they’re in the trios tournament. But he doesn’t want them to lose like they did last year because Drago & Aerostar couldn’t get along. So instead, Cueto gives PJ Black and Jack Evans to Fenix as his partners. Then he books Aerostar against Drago in an Ancient Medallion match. So is that Aerostar searching for Aztec tribes thing just cancelled?

Aerostar def. Drago {Ancient Medallion Match}
Sigh, I’ve seen enough of this match-up for one lifetime. There was nothing here that we didn’t see in their best of five series last season. Aeroestar still did his lucha rope-walk nonsense, but at least here it cost him the advantage for a minute. The finish was shaping up to be cool and novel, but then the final two spots required Drago to stand still like a dope while Aerostar got ready. Aerostar picked up the win with a springboard splash at 6:36. **½ 

Taya and Johnny Mundo flirt in the gym. She demanded that Cueto give Mundo an Ancient Medallion, but he’ll have to fight Cage for it next week. And it’s a steel cage match to keep Taya from interfering. 

Jack Evans, PJ Black & Fenix def. Barrio Negro, El Siniestro de la Muerte & Trece {Semifinal Match}
Like every other first round match in this tournament, the team of would-be enemies has communication problems. But here they weirdly also had Evans and Black have issues with each other. Why? The Disciples of Death were a total non-factor here, just a backdrop for the dysfunctional team. By the end of the match, they got their shit together. Sadly, the story just wasn’t compelling enough to carry my interest. Fenix pinned Trece at 9:09 with a springboard 450 splash. **¾ 

Cueto has the Trios Champions in his office. He lets them know that they’re not facing the winner of the tournament, they’re in the tournament. As in, next week they’ll be facing all three winners so far in a four-way match next week. He calls them Team Havoc, you’d think to sow the seeds of discord, but their arguing gives him a headache. Meanwhile, Catrina admonishes the Disciples for their loss to Fenix. In order to save himself, Muerte pulls out Trece and Negro’s hearts. 

Matanza Cueto nc. Mil Muertes {Lucha Underground Championship Match}
In the first minute of the match, Muertes pounded Ceuto to the mat for the first time since his debut. After a few minutes if monster mashing, Dario and Catrina both got involved. I liked that, because this match was for more than the title, it was also Dario and Catrina’s battle for control of the Temple. Then they slowed things way down because everything was building to a Flatliner through the roof of Dario’s office. It looked bad, especially because Muertes almost went through the trap false roof accidentally and blatantly stopped short to avoid it. After the no contest is “called” at 7:01, Dario declares war on Catrina. **¾ 

Back at the police station, we see Marie Vasquez’s cork board showing Bael as deceased as well as Hernandez, Alberto el Patron, Big Ryck, and Blue Demon (and one other guy I can’t make out) as missing. I’ve heard a rumor that you can see Ryck’s skull in Cueto’s office, but I haven’t spotted that yet. I’ll keep an eye out. A councilman  comes in and says that Boyle Heights is his jurisdiction and he wants her to drop the case against Dario. Apparently the order is coming from someone more powerful than the mayor.