Any WWE fans in the audience? (Part 1)

Open Wrestlemania (not the pre-show, the actual show) with that awesome Finn Balor entrance? OH FUCK YEAH! No better introduction to the grand stage and the WWE audience than that.

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This was the first episode of Lucha Underground from the January tapings. For the first time, we have an audience that’s actually had a chance to see these luchadors on TV before tonight, and they are hot. Pentagon Jr. gets pops. Even Son of Havoc gets pops. They’ve definitely improved the lighting effects, and they’re using more handheld cameras and close-up shots, which sort of adds to the whole grindhouse-cinema feel of the show. The announce table also appears to be a little fancier as well, and they’ve swapped house bands (this time it’s Mariachi El Bronx, which is actually a hardcore punk band that does mariachi music as a side project.)

Angelico and Son of Havoc had a great match that really had me in suspense. It seemed like both of them temporarily forgot this ain’t WWE and the guys are allowed to actually make contact with the women.

Pentagon Jr. squashes Famous B and then breaks his arm with the Kimura lock a la Brock Lesnar. Between this and Big Ryck getting his eye burned out, they’re certainly not shying away from the ol’ (simulated) ultraviolence. Pentagon pledges loyalty to his “master” - definitely a plot angle to watch.

Speaking of plot angles to watch, holy crap Dario Cueto has a monster locked in the basement of the Temple and the key is to its cage. Apparently, the mysterious Asian woman, now named the Black Lotus, works for Batanza (whoever or whatever that is) and wants revenge against Dario’s monster for something that happened when she was a girl. We’ll have to see where this is going.

Drago finally gets a win against Aerostar. They’re definitely playing up the polar opposites in these matches - last week we had Fenix (everlasting life) vs. Mil Muertes (everlasting death), now we have Drago from “El Inframundo” (I.e. the underworld) vs. Aerostar, from “the cosmos”. Speaking of Fenix, Catarina appears to have a sweet spot for him - not sure where this is going, but it should be interesting.

Johnny Mundo is back - and he’s rocking the Morrison look more than ever. Cage comes out literally wearing the broken Lucha Underground championship around his neck - I don’t think I’ve seen that kind of gross disrespect for a championship since Hogan spray-painted the Big Gold Belt back in '96, and it’s definitely getting him the right kind of heat even from the smarks in the Temple.

Matt Striker has, if anything, only improved on commentary since the previous tapings. He and Jim Ross did the English-language commentary for a New Japan PPV in December - JR must have rubbed off on him.

The main event ends in a DQ after King Cuerno skulks down from the rafters to attack Johnny for reasons that are entirely his own and will no doubt set up a match between the two of them coming up - and Dario Cueto, because he and Johnny are “friends” now, restarts the match, and despite a valiant effort, Cage comes out on top. Man, Dario Cueto is a dick. :slight_smile:

The show ends with Dario in his office on the phone, telling someone that Black Lotus has arrived - and someone else has arrived as well, but you already knew that.

Both this week’s shows did a great job building up what’s to come. If I had to pick a winner, I’d say NXT by a nose, but it’s a very small nose.

I was looking for when the NXT special after (Ar)Rival would air, and there’s a little hook for next week.

As Hideo is interviewed after his match with Finn, Tyler Breeze attacks!

I could live with a Tyler Breeze/Hideo rivalry.

It’s a good way for Breeze to face someone the fans are behind, and he could keep his heel character. But what does that mean for Marcus whatshisface. Wasn’t he slated for Breeze next after stalking him in the corner after his match like…3? I think? weeks ago?

Just have to pop in to say that I legit squealed like a little girl when Alberto showed up at the end of LU. This despite having spoiled myself (i forgot it was on at 8 and hopped on to live tweet), not really having much interest in him from WWE, and generally knowing he joined for this set of tapings.

Squealed out loud like a little girl.

It is clear that the WWE has some sort of charisma-sucking machine that they apply to everyone other than John Cena right next to the giant bucket of water they keep in gorilla.

My 8 man match changed.

It’s not advertising Cena, Ambrose, Reigns and Bryan vs Rollins, Kane, Big Show and…Bray Wyatt.

Someone’s gonna have to explain to me how that’s going to work storyline wise because that certainly makes no sense to me

RKO is still advertised tho apparently so…dark match maybe?

I couldn’t get interested in this week’s SD. Not after NXT and LU. It was putting me to sleep, so I offed it about halfway through.

btw Smapti, Matanza is Spanish for “slaughter” or “killing.”

You and Ms. Cups have the same opinion.

I was very entertained by Smackdown. I thought the wrestlers did a good job, the storylines were picked up and not ruined at all, and it was a fun little show. I find myself saying that a lot about Smackdown, it’s a fun little show that’s good to watch on a Thursday.

The biggest news for me was I said a phrase I have never said before: I wish they would have spent more time on that divas match. Who knew that Paige and Alicia Fox were such good wrestlers? That was a really good match that…gasp…didn’t feel like a divas match. We need more of those

Yeah. I caught my mistake after the edit window had passed and was kind of hoping nobody would notice. :o

I tried Googling to find out if Matanza was an existing character, but the only uses of the term in a wrestling context were Spanish-language fan pages about Sgt. Slaughter, and I doubt he’ll be showing up in the Temple any time soon.

Ok, let’s play the Who Would You Release game! You get to pick 10 WWE wrestlers to release.

Go!

For my picks, I’m going to go with;

  1. Layla
  2. Tamina
  3. Eden
  4. Eva Marie
  5. Darren Young
  6. David Otunga
  7. Zach Ryder
  8. Heath Slater
  9. Titus O’Neil
  10. Mark Henry

Unfortunately, I notice my list is heavily weighted with black superstars, but that’s because these individuals are not being used, aren’t likely to be used properly, and should be given a chance to do other things. I put this on WWE, not my dislike of any of these people.

I gotta say, your list isn’t too bad all things considered.

Basically just getting rid of the guys who are never on tv. I’d add Justin Gabriel to the mix, switch him with Zach Ryder (I like him). I’ll keep on Eden because isn’t she a ring announcer? Besides I don’t want to hurt Cody like that…I like him.

Justin Gabriel quit a few weeks ago after he found out they pulled him from the Royal Rumble.

Can I just make all ten spots on my list JBL?

Oh man I didn’t know that. Is that why we haven’t seen the bunny in a while??

Also I don’t think JBL needs to be fired, but the direction of the entire commentary team needs to change. JBL won me over kinda-sorta with his interview on Jericho, so I know that he has the potential to not be…well…borderline retarded.

Hmmmm… David Otunga, since he’s never on anyway, and he looks like a pug’s face on a steroid user’s body. Darren Young, who’s never been anything remarkable. Same with Xavier Woods. Mark Henry, because his best days are behind him. Damn, this makes me look racist.

I personally can’t stand Miz, the Ascension, Adam Rose and Fandango, so out with them as well. The only Diva I don’t care for is Eva Marie because she looks so fake (she’s out with a busted boob implant, so there ya go).

Look for exciting storylines like this on Total Divas on E!..
Speaking of which how fucking terrible of an actress is Nattie? Why do they still put her in these positions when she’s just all kinds of bad.

Natalya is a great wrestler, but obviously not particularly bright. And that’s putting it kindly.

Natalya is my favorite of the main roster divas mainly because she’s the only one with any technical ability or who looks capable of beating me up.

As for her acting… Well, at least they’re not making her pretend the Great Khali is her boyfriend anymore.

If ODBever signs with WWE and appears on Total Divas, I would watch that show to the exclusion of all other shows. She is one tough raucous chick who would have those sissy girls running and crying to their mommies. She recently signed up with RoH to hang with the Brisco Brothers. She took some sick bumps from the male wrestlers over the weekend and gave as good as she got. She’s also hilarious on the mike, a true trailer park princess.

WWE’s website is running a poll asking which superstar should date Taylor Swift.

Because of course they are.

Haha

The obvious answer is Big Show because he would just split her in half