Post by Slade on Apr 25, 2018 3:19:26 GMT -5
From the Temple in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, California
Commentary Team: Matt Striker and Vampiro
Ring Announcer: Melissa Santos
***
Season 2, Episode 22
This week’s show opens with a meeting between Dario Cueto and a group of luchadores that includes Prince Puma, Aero Star, Fénix, Drago, and Rey Mysterio Jr. They want to know what Cueto intends to do to prevent the Latino World Order from interfering in their matches and costing them their opportunities to win the Ultima Lucha Dos Main Event Mash-Up Wrestling World Heavyweight Championship Title Shot Tournament (quite a mouthful, I know). They have legitimate concerns considering that the LWO recently cost Prince Puma and Rey Mysterio Jr. their opportunities to win the Gift of the Gods. Cueto says that he doesn’t want them in his Temple any more than they do, but that he is powerless to stop them should they show up. He has been trying to call in some favours to no avail. Prince Puma, who expresses a lack of faith in Cueto (for many reasons going back to season one), says he isn’t surprised and tells them that they’re all going to have to keep a watchful eye on each other’s matches to stop the LWO immediately in the event that they make another attack.
Paul London defeated PJ Black by pinfall to earn a spot in the second round. It was a full-throttle, pedal-to-the-medal affair as both men matched each other’s speed and willingness to go to great heights to fly through the air to attack their opponent. The match finally came to an end when PJ Black attempted a springboard 450-degree splash but crashed when Paul London rolled out of the way. Then, London hit Black with a pair of superkicks and climbed the turnbuckle to go Down the Rabbit Hole.
Prince Puma defeated Aero Star by pinfall to book his spot in the second round. This battle between two of Lucha Underground’s biggest fan favourites was full of exciting, death-defying, high-risk aerial maneuvers. What it came down to was who would miss his mark and suffer a spectacular crash from which he could not forge a come back. That ended up being Aero Star, when he missed an imploding 450-degree splash. Two short minutes later, Prince Puma landed a 630-degree senton bomb to pick up the win.
Ultimo Dragon is getting ready for his match against Cesaro when the “Swiss Superman” walks into the room. They show respect to one another by sharing a handshake. Cesaro says that he’s been training extra hard and is in peak physical condition, so Ultimo Dragon shouldn’t get his hopes up about winning tonight. Ultimo Dragon says that the last time they faced each other, Cesaro lost, and the result will be no different tonight. Before walking out of the training room, Cesaro tells him not to count on it because he won’t be able to pin or submit Chris Jericho to win it this time.
“Macho King” Randy Savage defeated Drago by pinfall to man it into the round of sixteen. Drago put up a valiant effort. His quickness was even too much for Savage to handle at most times. However, the legendary “Macho King” slayed by catching a diving crossbody from the top rope and countering with a bodyslam that he followed with a piledriver and his patented diving elbow drop.
Cesaro defeated Ultimo Dragon by pinfall to advance to the next round. This match between former Lucha Underground Champions went 20-minutes strong and saw Ultimo Dragon kick out of the Neutralizer and Cesaro shoulder out of a tombstone piledriver! While the tombstone didn’t put Cesaro away, it looked like it was all over for him after that. However, Cesaro battled back from the brink of elimination to execute a Neutralizer from off the turnbuckles to get the win.
***
Season 2, Episode 23
Ultimate Warrior defeated Baron Corbin to move onto the next round. It wasn’t an easy win for the Ultimate Warrior, as Corbin neither showed fear nor backed down from the power of the warrior. Despite his willingness to fight, the match only went about five minutes and ended with leaping shoulder tackles, a gorilla press drop and the Warrior Splash.
Fénix defeated Psicosis by pinfall to move on to the next round. This was the classic high-flying lucha libre match of the night, which saw both competitors bring the fans to their feet and got them chanting “This is Awesome!” What ultimate turned the match in Fénix’s favour was when he leapt onto the top rope and brought Psicosis down to the mat with the Spanish fly. Not long thereafter, he won the match with a Fire Thunder Driver.
Paul Heyman walks into Dario Cueto’s office to register a complaint about what occurred on Season 2, Episode 21, when Samoa Joe interfered in the Lucha Underground Championship match, thus costing his client a championship title victory, and he demands that something be done about it. Cueto first says that Lesnar would not have defeated his brother Matanza regardless of what Samoa Joe did, but finds he has a reasonable complaint as he too would be upset if his meal ticket was taken away from him by another luchador. That said, Cueto says, he hasn’t seen or spoken to Samoa Joe since before he nearly had his career and his life taken from him by Heyman’s client, and he doesn’t know how to get a hold of him. But he knows that Samoa Joe has challenged Lesnar to a rematch at Ultima Lucha Dos, and he’s happy to give it to him. Heyman says that the only mistake his client ever made was not ending Samoa Joe’s at Ultima Lucha, and he’s not going to make that mistake again. Cueto smiles at the sound of that.
The Miz defeated Zeuxis by pinfall. This was one of those rare occurrences when The Miz didn’t cheat to get the win. They happen very so rarely that it is hard to believe that they have ever happened before. Zeuxis gave a good fight, but was not up to the task of defeated the holder of the Gift of the Gods, who won with the Skull Crushing Finale.
Juventud Guerrera defeated Awesome Kong by pinfall. Guerrera was in for a tough battle with the Mean Queen, who gave him a fair share of vicious power moves. Awesome Kong even executed a vicious chokeslam on Juvi that nearly won the match. What got him through the round was an assited from “Classy” Freddie Blassie and The Miz. Blassie distracted the referee as The Miz entered the ring and blasted Awesome Kong in the head with his Gift of the Gods Championship. Juvi made the cover and took the win, giving him a match in the next round against the very man who helped him win – The Miz.
***
Season 2, Episode 24
In tonight’s opening match, Bad News Brown defeated Mala Suarte by pinfall to move onto the next round. Mala Suarte was no match for Bad News Brown and only made a match of it with the help of his Rabbit Tribe compatriot, Saltador, who interfered often enough on his behalf that this was basically a 2-on-1 handicap match. That said, Bad News Brown overcame the odds by giving Saltador a Ghetto Blaster and taking him out to the ring apron and giving him a jackknife powerbomb onto the floor. It didn’t take long for him to find success against Mala Suarte after that. About two minutes later, he hit the Ghetto Blaster and pinned him for the win.
The Patriot defeated Pentagon Jr. by pinfall to move onto the round of sixteen. Pentagon Jr. proved to be too much of a challenge for the great great defender of America, who spoke before the match about how he would take great delight in sending his opponent, who he suspected of being a rapist or drug dealer, back to Mexico after winning. Because of his hateful rhetoric, the Believers were solidly behind Pentagon Jr. and popped for him, even for the little things like his open palm chops and kicks to The Patriot’s calves. Eventually, Pentagon Jr. executed a package piledriver. It looked like he might win, but the referee was pulled out of the ring by Sgt. Slaughter! While the drill sergeant gave the referee an year full, “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan entered the ring and walloped Pentagon Jr. in the head with his 2x4 while shouted “Hey-Oh!” He left the ring and The Patriot made the pin. After adding insult to injury by giving Pentagon Jr. a post-match beatdown, The Patriot introduced his friends and proclaimed them to be “Real Americans” who were going to help him “make wrestling great again!”
Paige is sitting in Dario Cueto’s office as he pours each of them a drink. Cueto hands her a glass of tequila and asks her how she’s doing. Paige tells him that she has never felt better, which is why she’s come to ask him to give her a spot in the tournament. Cueto says that he will not do it. Upset, Paige demands to know why. Cueto says that Paige has made some bad life choices, namely, that she chose to jump into bed with Alberto El Patron, which has meant that she’s aligned herself with the Latino World Order. Paige said that she’s cleaned up her act and rid herself of the bad influences in her life (eg. Alberto El Patron). Cueto says that he cannot trust her because the LWO is full of lies, cheats, and thieves, and for all he knows, they have turned her into one, so the answer is an emphatic “No,” she cannot be in the tournament, and says that if she ever wants back in is Temple again, that she must do something to prove truly prove to him that she’s cut all ties with El Patron and the LWO.
Beth Phoenix defeated Heath Slater by pinfall to move on to the second round. Phoenix dominated the One Man Band. And although he has kids and could really use the big pay day of a main event at Ultima Lucha Dos, Slater couldn’t avoid getting trapped in a double chicken wing and getting planted into the mat with the Glam Slam.
Mil Muertes defeated Son of Havoc by pinfall to advance to the next round of the tournament. It was by no means an easy victory for the Man of 1000 Deaths. Son of Havoc, although the underdog, showed he had the fighting spirit. Every time it seemed like Mil Muertes might have this match in the bag, Son of Havoc would rally back. For instance, when Mil Muertes executed the Reaper’s Trident, Son of Havoc kicked out after two. Then, he blocked a Flatliner attempt and fired back with an enzuigiri kick. His rally led to him climbing up to the top turnbuckle and going for a shooting star press, only to land on Mil Muertes’ knees. He got so close, but came up short, as Mil Muertes gave him the Flatliner and pinned him for the win.
***
Season 2, Episode 25
In tonight’s opening match, Shinsuke Nakamura defeated Argenis by pinfall to advance to the next round. It was a relatively easy match for the King of Strong Style, who did not take very long to work through his repertoire of signature moves on his way to executing the Bomaye.
Dean Ambrose defeated Saltador by pinfall in the shortest match in the tournament. The entire Rabbit Tribe came to the ring and pulled Dean Ambrose into a dancing circle around the referee, right after the opening bell. The Lunatic Fringe, being as loopy as the members of the Rabbit Tribe, insisted on continuing to hold hands with them and dancing around the referee in a circle after they stopped. So they were happy to continue and went along with it. Then, Ambrose kicked Paul London in the gut and gave him Dirty Deeds! He grabbed Mala Suarte and threw him clear over the top rope. Saltador gave Ambrose a superkick, but then he received a big rebound clothesline, followed quickly thereafter by the Dirty Deeds, and a pinfall that earned the count of three!
We get a shot of the dungeon where Dario Cueto keeps his baby brother, the Lucha Underground Champion Matanza Cueto. He talks to him about how it is unfortunate that he cannot compete in the Ultima Lucha Dos Main Event Mash-Up Wrestling World Heavyweight Championship Title Shot Tournament. If he could be in it, he would surely win it, and then win the World Heavyweight Championship because he cannot be beat, not even by Braun Strowman. However, he needs Ultima Lucha Dos to be a huge event, so he needs to have the Lucha Underground Championship also defended in a double main event. However, he hasn’t decided who will be his challenger yet. In the meantime, they need to Matanza out of this cage and get him some exercise, so next week, he will let Matanza have a match so he can destroy another luchador’s hopes and dreams.
Rey Mysterio Jr. defeated Super Crazy by pinfall to move onto the next round of the tournament. High-flying lucha libre taken to the extreme! Both wrestlers were willing to give it their all to secure the victory. Mysterio proved this when he risked life and limb to springboard from the ring into the section of wooden ringside seats to give Super Crazy a hurricanrana into a row of the wooden chairs. Likewise, Super Crazy proved this when he placed Mysterio onto a wooden table and performed a moonsault onto him from the platform stage above the floor entrance, where the house band plays. Despite Super Crazy’s efforts to put Mysterio away, the world’s most celebrated luchador still found a way to get Super Crazy in position for the Six-One-Nine and then hit the West Coast Pop for the win!
Sexy Star defeated Bayley by submission in the final match of the first round of the tournament to determine who will challenge Braun Strowman for the Mash-Up Wrestling World Championship at Ultima Lucha Dos. These luchadoras didn’t leave anything in the tank for this one. Bitter rivals for some time, they fought in and out of the ring, and brawled with wild abandon through the throngs of Believers. Bayley showed no restraint in responding to Sexy Star’s dirty tactics by retaliating in kind. Sexy Star busted Bayley open the hard way by driving her head into the ring post. Bayley retaliated by pulling on Sexy Star’s hair from inside the ring, while Sexy Star dangled over the side of the ring. The nastiest reached maximum levels when Sexy Star put Bayley through a table with a frog splash and again when Bayley gave Sexy Star a Bayley-to-belly suplex into a pile of thumbtacks that Sexy Star had emptied out on the floor. In the end, Sexy Star raked Bayley’s eyes to stop her from executing her signature move again, this time inside the ring, and countered it with the cross armbreaker, which forced Bayley to tap.
***