Lucha Underground

When i think of pro wrestling i consider it an art form, its an art in the sense that the squared circle is the canvas and the performers are the artists. Although i have been watching WWE since 2002, its gotten to a point that i can't care less who is the champion and who is the challenger as it seems that the emphasis is on making more and more money instead of entertaining the fans, not that they shouldn't be making money but when NXT is doing so good, the situation seems all the more frustrating. With that in mind, i decided to give a shot to El Rey networks Lucha Underground and boy am i loving the show.

Its completely different to any other wrestling show, the characters, the story-lines, everything is so fleshed out and full of intrigue.There are many unique concepts that are very fresh to say the least and to top it all of the roster is simply amazing with each performer equally credible and important to the narrative being told. What truly stood out for me were the many different and never before seen moves performed by the talented men and women in Lucha Underground. All things considered, this is wrestling how its supposed to be in my opinion, entertaining and engrossing throughout without ever letting up.

Lucha Underground is a weekly wrestling show, ran by the famed Mexican promotion AAA, is their first attempt to appeal to an English speaking audience. The show is a hybrid of the Mexican and American wrestling cultures, with a large emphasis on high flying action, and high production values. It is unlike any other wrestling program on television today with its biggest upside in my opinion, being the long term story lines, with extremely well done backstage segments. You often feel like you are watching a high quality Spanish drama, rather than a straight wrestling show. This combined with one of the most talented rosters in the world, featuring the most interesting and diverse group of characters I have ever seen on any wrestling program, truly makes me believe that Lucha Underground is the future of professional wrestling.

Since WWE Main Roster has not stepped their game up for years now, and providing stale, predictable and mediocre programming at best, many pro-wrestling fans started looking for other promotions to watch. When I first found out about Lucha Underground I have to admit I was not excited to watch it. I thought it would be just like a Mexican promotion being showcased in the US, but when I heard Chavo Guerrero and Johnny Morrison (Johnny Mundo on Lucha Underground) were going to be in it I decided to give it a try just to see what it was about.

The show is very well scripted, instead of just having promos, they have actual movie like series for the main story lines. The stories have meaning and depth, it's not just about two guys going at it for no reason.

The wrestling is very good, although they do have their fair share of botches and timing issues. But their headliners really can put on great matches.

They need to work on their timing, sometimes a guy will just stand there and wait for the next spot to happen, instead of it being a natural flow. They also do way too many "fly out of the ring" spots, which just take away from the spectacle that they should be. I saw about 6 fly out of the ring spots in a single match, it was just way too much. Their workers tend to botch here and there but other than that I have enjoyed the episodes and will be on the lookout for it. I can see a bright future for Lucha Underground if they can actually keep on improving the product and plugging the minor nuisances

When you think of professional wrestling, you think of big, goofy, colorful characters shouting at the screen while a meek interviewer holds a microphone up to their mouths. It's bright, it's cartoony, and yet the interview style is almost as if they're trying to create the illusion that they're a legitimate competitive sport. It's a clash of ideologies that makes it extremely difficult to truly embrace without first conceding that it could be better.

Lucha Underground makes no concession. They're under no delusion about what they are, no clash of identities or ideologies. Lucha Underground doesn't care if you think they're a legitimate competitive sport or not. What they do care about is that you find yourself invested in their stories or, at the very least, in awe of the acrobatic feats performed by their talent.

What sets Lucha Underground apart from every other wrestling company that has ever existed is that they take the elements that make pro wrestling different than any other form of entertainment, and stretch said elements to their absolute limits. Pro wrestling is different from TV Dramas because of the feats of athleticism and acrobatics. Lucha Underground features some of the most jaw-dropping acrobatics and athletic feats you'll ever see on TV. There are athletes playing legitimate professional competitive sports that couldn't recreate some of the stuff these people pull off.

Speaking on sports, what separates pro wrestling from those is the predetermined outcome of matches, unique ring attires, and larger than life characters. Lucha Underground takes those elements to the bank. This show uses their ability to determine the outcome of matches to tell some of the most compelling stories on television. They're planning everything way ahead of time. If you want proof look no further than the little "all night long" line in the first episode, an incredibly subtle hint at what would end up happening on episode 32.

Lucha Underground also features some of the most incredible, eye-popping ring attires ever to exist in the realm of pro wrestling. Whether it's Pentagon Jr.'s striking black and white samurai look, or Drago's entire "I'm literally a dragon" getup, you'll find yourself struggling to look away from the sheer imagery of this show. Toss in the documentary style interviews that are shot like a movie rather than a sports interview and you've got the single most unique, progressive, self-aware professional wrestling entity in the history of the business.

Lucha Underground isn't just some diamond in the rough that you can talk about with your friends. This is a revolutionary professional wrestling program that can legitimately lay claim to have changing the way people went about the business. This is the future of professional wrestling, and that's an incredibly refreshing statement to be able to make.

The storylines were interesting, but the fight scenes (matches) were far too long. Long, boring matches turn casual viewers off. In my opinion, the primary reason that the show never caught on.