wrestling / TV Reports

Csonka’s Lucha Underground Review 3.18.15

March 18, 2015 | Posted by Larry Csonka
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Csonka’s Lucha Underground Review 3.18.15  

Introduction
As a reminder, this will not be another traditional recap, but instead it will be a mash up of the Rs, Instant Analysis and my usual Twitter ramblings I would do during the shows; completely uncensored and as the ideas flow unfiltered to the old keyboard. Remember, this is a review; and I am here to review the show. As always, I encourage discussion and even disagreement, just do so in a respectful manner. I will be doing the review for Raw and most PPVs and iPPVs going forward.

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Lucha Underground 3.18.15 – Episode 19: Grave Consequences


OFFICIAL RESULTS
~ Best of Five Series: Aerostar defeated Drago @ 8:20 via pin [***½]
~ No DQ Elimination Match: Big Ryck defeated The Crew @ 6:17 via pin [**]
~ Grave Consequences Match: Fenix defeated Mil Muertes @ 15:00 [****½]


Best of Five Series: Drago {1} vs. Aerostar {1}: After trading wins, Dario Cueto announced that these men would compete in a best of five series, with the winner getting “a unique opportunity” from Cueto. We’re tied at one match apiece. They made a good effort to make this match feel completely different from the others with the beginning portion of the match. The other matches felt like “bang-bang lucha exhibitions,” while this featured mat work, counter wrestling and some striking exchanges. The change is appreciated, but also needed when you’re doing a series like this. Despite the change in the work style, they kept a really brisk and entertaining pace before they got into the bigger stuff later in the match. To me this was their best match of the series. The work was crisp, clean and I was greatly entertained the entire time. The fact that they also got more time to work also helped things. Aerostar walked the middle rope, hit a top rope RANA and then springboard splash to take the win and lead in the series. Once again they shook hands post match to show their respect for each other. This was a great way to open the show.

* We get another Konnan revenge video.

No DQ Elimination Match: Big Ryck vs. The Crew: The Crew gets the jobber entrance, which is not a good thing. For those new to the product, Big Ryck was the leader of the Crew until they turned on him and fully aligned with Dario Cueto. They “burnt out” Ryck’s eye with his own cigar, and now he is back for revenge. The Crew controlled early, and brought a chair and Kendo stick into the ring. Ryck fought back and broke a kendo stock on Bale and then eliminated him. Ryck then eliminated Castro with a kendo stick clothesline, Cisco tried to leave, but Sexy Star cut him off and kicked him back down the steps. Ryck then busted him open with a big right and went for revenge, tying to take his eye out. He then hit the uranage onto an open chair for the win. I hate these kind of matches, I have no idea how I am supposed to believe in the Crew as a bad ass force when one man basically ended them. I get the revenge factor and that Star was a little bit of help; but overall I feel that this did more harm than good. The action was solid.

* Next week Alberto El Patron defends the AAA Mega Heavyweight Title against Texano in a bullrope match. Also, Prince Puma defends the Lucha Underground Title against Cage in a street fight. That’s pretty cool.

Grave Consequences Match: Fenix w/Catrina vs. Mil Muertes: They basically has a mini-day of the dead ceremony to bring out the coffin, which was nice touch. Mil Muertes and Fenix have wrestled three times, Muertes won the first match early in the series and then they had a match a few weeks ago. Fenix got a surprise win there and since then has basically stolen Muertes’ woman, Catrina. Not so much that he tried to steal her as Catrina left Muertes and started making out with Fenix. Considering that the Catrina/Muertes relationship appears to be an abusive one (I mean, he grabs her by the throat and picks her up off the ground) I can’t say I blame her. Muertes won two weeks ago, but Fenix laid him out and Catrina gave him the lick of death and that’s how we got here tonight. Muertes hit a suicide dive as Fenix made his entrance and they immediately brawled. Damn skippy, this isn’t a grappling bout. Lots of brawling, and then when Fenix tried a suicide dive, Muertes tossed the coffin into his face. Muertes ripped the mask open (almost all the way off), undid the turnbuckle and took the metal screw and then jacked Fenix with it, and he was busted open. Fenix did a big time blade job, and Muertes bit at the wound and then spit out the blood (YOU SICK FUCK!). That was a great visual, but was really nasty at the same time. They brawled all through the crowd and Muertes powerbombed Fenix onto the announcer’s table. Through the first half they didn’t really address the coffin, but Muertes finally brought it into the ring and then suplexed Fenix onto it. This is petty damn wild. Muertes hit a lung blower as Fenix sat on the top rope, and Fenix was just dripping blood here. They brawled into the crowd again as Muertes used chair shots on Fenix, but Fenix fought back and knocked Muertes to the floor and then hit a dive to the floor onto Muertes. Muertes was just brutal in his attack, and they simply did such a great job of selling the feud with the work that they did. As they continued to battle, Muertes accidentally clotheslined Catrina and laid her out. Muertes paused to show emotion, allowing Fenix to battle back. They did such a good job of avoiding the trappings of this kind of match, refusing to constantly go for the coffin and waiting until the end. Fenix hit a double stomp to send Muertes into the coffin; Catrina licked Muertes’ power stone and threw it into the coffin with him. That was insane, it won’t be for everyone because of the use of the blood, but this was an awesome fight that served as a tremendous conclusion to the feud. Quite honestly, this was one of the best matches that I have seen this year.

* Post match the day of the dead people returned to wheel Muertes out of the arena.

* End scene.

* Thanks for reading.

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“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia.”

9.0
The final score: review Amazing
The 411
Overall this was a tremendous show. The opener was really strong and continued a really fun feud and series of matches. Big Ryck got his revenge, which I am cool with but I just hated how they went about neutering the Crew. The main event was an absolutely awesome match to conclude the feud and put Fenix on another level as a performer. Add into the fact that they announced two big matches for next week, and they continue to do a tremendous job of writing episodic TV. Overall I feel that this was the best episode of the series thus far.
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