WWE's The Best of Sting is out now on DVD (There's a Blu Ray version too), available from www.wwedvd.co.uk.
The three disc set features thirty two Sting's matches between 1986 and 2001, with a short documentary chopped up and used as a bridge between matches throughout the set. The set includes matches against the likes of Bret Hart, Steve Austin, The Great Muta, Ric Flair & Vader.
Finally WWE produces a Sting DVD...and then doesn't include a new Sting interview. This set could easily have been realised whilst Sting was working elsewhere and it feels like a bit of a cop out for WWE only to use old interview clips from 1995 and 1998, both of which stick to kayfabe. That being said, the interlinking segments for the DVD do what they need to do, and whilst they won't offer up any new information for seasoned WCW fans, they will be useful in filling in the gaps for those not so familiar with the Stinger. There's a number of talking heads included alongside the voiceover, these include Sting's contemparies like Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair and Lex Luger, to those who were fans during the period, like Brodus Clay, Natalya and Dean Ambrose, giving a good mix of how those inside and outside of the industry at the time felt. A full documentary would have been nice and perhaps that's what they're saving the Sting interview for. I wouldn't be surprised to see a "shoot" appear on the Network to help push the subscribers up, to be honest.
The Matches
Disc One
Disc One goes from April 1986 to September 1990, covering Sting's runs in the UWF, NWA and WCW. Kicking off the set is the obligatory Blade Runners match, which is exactly as you would expect, as the pair take on the duo of Bret Wayne Sawyer and Sean O'Reilly on UWF Power Pro Wrestling. The footage here is not great at all. Things improve with a fun tag match teaming Sting with Rick Steiner against Ron Simmons and Mike Rotunda. Whilst the teams are clearly thrown together, there's enough in this one to keep you entertained. The first of four matches against Ric Flair comes from a January 1998 episode of NWA Pro Wrestling. This is curious simply for the finish, as whilst the pair are beginning to put together a compelling bout, the TV show finishes so the end of the match isn't present. Why include half a match on the DVD? An October bout from WCW Main Event against Stan Lane is unremarkable, nothing particular wrong with it, but nothing to write home about either. Into 1989, and Sting is really coming into his own as a babyface, as he takes on Butch Reed on a March episode of Main Event. An enjoyable contest with both men working hard for each other. The ascent to the top continues with a belter of a match with Mike Rotunda over the Television title on an April episode of World Championship Wrestling. Sting has the crowd in the palm of hands and with an electric comeback, some good false finishes and a dramatic conclusion this is the strongest match, so far. An August edition of Power Hour witnesses a disapointing bout with Ron Simmons, as whilst the crowd is off, this brawling battle fails to get anything resembling a flow together, which is a shame. A month later on the same show, the pace completely changes as Sting takes on The Great Muta. It's a refreshing change with Muta and Sting really bringing something different, unfortunately the finish is dissapointing, but the crowd still loves Sting. Into 1990 and for the third time this year, The Great American Bash bout with Ric Flair is included on a DVD set. Check out the reviews of WCW's Greatest PPV Matches or The Best of The Great American Bash DVD for my thoughts! Disc 1 concludes with match with Dutch Mantell from Main Event in September, that is essentially a squash match to showcase Sting and build the feud with the Four Horsemen.
Disc Two
Disc Two picks up the action in June 1991 at Clash of the Champions XIV, as Sting and Nikita Koloff have a fun grudge match. I'll skip over the fact that Koloff no sells a piledriver! In a curious little match, Sting teams with The Great Muta to take on The Steiner Brothers at WCW/NJPW Supershow II. The Japanese crowd offer a completely different feel to their US counterparts and the flow of the match is completely different to anything else on the set. Sting's feud with Van Vader is also showcase, as the pair do battle on Worldwide in February 1992. Certainly not the best match the pair have had, but there's still plenty to enjoy here, with Sting being incredibly easy to get behind as a babyface. A weird finish let's this one down. An big eight man tag World Championship Wrestling in February, seeing Sting team with Ricky Steamboat, Dusty Rhodes and Barry Windham to take on Rick Rude, Larry Zbyszko, Arn Anderson & Beautiful Bobby, works nicely to build on current feuds and allows for a few more faces to appear on the DVD. In June, a bout with Diamond Dallas Page on Saturday Night is a pointless inclusion. Into 1993 and Barry Windham is the opponent on a February episode of Saturday Night. This is a rather basic match, that is well worked by the pair, with an extremely TV finish. Quickly onto 1994 and "Stunning" Steve Austin is the opponent for a technical bout from Pro Wrestling in January. The pair look to be having a terrific Veteran vs Rookie encounter, until the DQ finish that is. The set charges on 1995 and the third bout with Ric Flair on Nitro in November. A shift from the technical wrestling seen between the two earlier in the set, this is a brawling grudge match, with Sting no selling his arse off and Flair being the heely bastard that we all know and love. The Dirtiest player in the game uses every trick in the book. Not the strongest bout the pair have had, but still an entertaining encounter. Sting lost the bleach blonde hair in 1996, we see him taking on Arn Anderson on Nitro, in a match that never feels like the focus of the programme, due to the commentary teams focus on the events of Bash at the Beach the night before. Luckily, Sting's post match promo is absoutely electric and is worthy of inclusion on it's own. The final match for the set see's Sting team with Randy Savage to take on The Boys, The Boys, they're The Nas-ty Boys, in another nothing TV match, from Saturday Night in July, that was used to build up Sting and Savage's partnership.
Disc Three
Disc Three includes the only segment on the set, as Sting becomes a Free Agent in October on Nitro. It's tense and keeps the story ticking over, but I'd have preferred another match. Hulk Hogan is the opponent at Starrcade in a match that has big time written all over it. The crowd is red hot and completely hooked by the action throughout, which definitely helps the match. Unfortunately, the finish is completely botched and ridiculously overbooked, it could have been so much better. A brawling tag bout from a February 1998 episode of Nitro is next as the NWO slowly begins to choke WCW. Sting teams with Lex Luger against Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage in a match that never really manages to live up to the star power in the ring. From Nitro in April, a World Championship match with Kevin Nash is surprisingly good, even if Konnan is at ringside. Sting works the big man's leg, an psychology abounds, until Hulk Hogan remembers he's the star of the show. A short brawl with Scott Steiner from Thunder in April, is another pointless inclusion, as the match has no substance at all. No one wants to be a heel as Sting teams with Kevin Nash against Harlem Heat on Nitro in June and the match suffers because of it. The four do put together some good action, but there's no one to get behind and the focus is clearly elsewhere. The Blade Runners reunite as Sting teams with The Warrior to take on Bret Hart and Hulk Hogan in a match bursting with start power. Try and find a fan of The Warrior's run in WCW and I won't even have to tell you have bad this match is. Bret Hart is the opponent on Nitro in October, a match that comes strangely the Monday before their PPV clash at Halloween Havoc. To be honest, this match is more of a segment than anything and does work nicely to set up their PPV contest. You'd think Sting facing Randy Savage in 1999 would be an appaling idea and it is. There's not a single wrestling move in the match, which is over booked to high heaven and feature Savage piledriving a referee, because WCW. Into the new millienium and Booker T on Nitro. The match is another that has bags of potential, with Sting's offence focused on Booker's knee and Booker selling like a bankrupt crack dealer. And then The Kiss Demon get's involved and you can almost hear the clicking of remote controls over to Raw. The theme continues in a Two Out of Three Falls match with Jeff Jarrett on Thunder, as Sting and Jarrett's wrestling match struggles to shine through some silly over booking and ridiculous finish. Stevie Ray's obsession with commentary table is a highlight. Six man tag action from Thunder in October 2000, teams Sting with Goldberg and Booker T against Jarrett and Kronik for an enjoyable match. Goldberg is over as hell and the dynamic between the six men is nice, unfortunatley the finish is botched. The final match on set is the final match in WCW history. Sting vs. Ric Flair might not be the best match you've ever seen, but it's difficult not the feel the emotion between the two men and the weight of the occassion. It plays like a greatest hits and that's exactly how it should have been.
Finally...
In terms of matches, the first two discs are where the bulk of the quality for this set comes from matches with Mike Rotunda, The Great Muta and Ric Flair are the stand outs for me, and there's a lot of good action elsewhere as well. Unfortunately, the final disc focusing on Crow Sting is severly lacking in satisfying action with almost every match that shows potential being crushed by some horrendous booking. Sting can clearly still go at this stage but is let down by those in charge, I would have liked to have seen a lot more clean finishes on this disc, or at least had the DQ endings build to the blow off match also being included.
Lacking the Sting interview does harm the set as a whole, and removes the "Must-Have" label that would have almost certainly been given to it, if that were the case. However, there is enough enjoyable action to satisfy the appetite, although I'd suggest throwing the third disc out of the window.
WWE Battleground 2014 is out on DVD and Blu-Ray now, available from www.wwedvd.co.uk. Broadcast live on Pay-per-View (and the WWE Network) from the Tampa Bay Times Forum in Tampa, Florida, USA on 20th July 2014, the show features a Two Out of Three Falls bout between The Usos and The Wyatt Family's Luke Harper and Erick Rowan for the WWE Tag Team Championship, John Cena defending the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against Roman Reigns, Randy Orton and Kane in a Fatal Four-way bout, a returning Chris Jericho taking on Bray Wyatt and three other matches. The special features include two additional matches from Battleground Kick-Off, two interviews from Battleground Fallout and a Home Video Exclusive interview.
Pay-Per-View
The opening contest is the longest and strongest of the evening, as The Usos and The Wyatt Family's Luke Harper and Erick Rowan go at it in a Two out of Three Falls match. It's a well structured and exciting effort from the four, that has the Tampa Bay Times Forum eating out of the palm of their hands throughout. Harper and Jey especially put in a shift, crafting a slick and hectic sequence, laced with dramatic near falls that builds well towards the finish. It's a shame that nothing following this match manages to garner the same reaction from the crowd.
Whilst predictable, the World Heavyweight Championship Fatal Fourway is entertaining enough, as John Cena, Roman Reigns, Kane and Randy Orton battling it out. It's most notable for how comfortable Reigns looks when in this World Heavyweight Championship situation and the potential that a match with Cena down the line could hold. On the flip side, Bray Wyatt and Chris Jericho's match stands as one of the biggest disappointments of 2014. A damp squib of a feud, leads to a dull and unimaginative encounter here.
A battle royal for the vacant Intercontinental Championship has enough thrills and spills to keep the attention, especially once some of the deadwood is eliminated. Rusev continues to impress in a decent heavyweight encounter with Jack Swagger, his selling is particularly impressive here. Unfortunately, Paige and AJ Lee struggle to live up to hype, letting down the undercard, in a botch laden encounter, with a rather confusing heel/face divide. Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins don't get around to having their advertised match on this show. Instead there are a series of brawls between the two placed throughout, with Ambrose and Rollins working hard to create a believable feud that had me hooked throughout. These segments make me want to see them get their opportunity to fight each other even more. Other segments, include an awkward backstage skit with Orton and Kane to build to the World Heavyweight Championship match, Renee Young introducing a Kick-Off panel featuring Booker T, Christian and Alex Riley to give their predictions on the same match and a slightly random appearance from Stardust and Goldust.
Special Features
The special features offer, not one but, two matches from the Battleground Kick-Off show. Oh the joys. Fandango tangles with Adam Rose in a match that happened, as well as Cameron and Naomi putting on a piss poor display, as The Funkadactyls explode! Two interviews from Renee Young from the Battleground Fallout show are much more entertaining, as The Usos and John Cena both make light work of the Post match promos. The Miz is also impressive in a post-match interview with Tom Phillips, which is a Home Video Exclusive.
Finally...
This is clearly a bridge PPV, everything that happens here is to set up for SummerSlam the month after, meaning that you probably won't miss this DVD if you chose not to purchase it. The tag match and the Fatal Fourway are both worth watching in their own right, but I think this DVD would have been much better off in as part of a double set with SummerSlam. Maybe that's something for WWE Home Video to look into in the future?
2014 has been a huge year for professional wrestling. With Scottish wrestling promotions really coming into their own and at least two companies drawing over 1000 fans in attendance, it's growing at a fast rate. Thanks, in part, to the Insane Fight Club documentary on the BBC. It really helped people realise that there are local wrestling companies that aren't "WWF Tribute" shows but legitimate companies with their own identity. In every corner of Scotland there is a company that gives you something a little bit different, from Rock N Wrestle and Caithness Pro Wrestling in the Highlands, WrestleZone in Aberdeenshire, SWE in Tayside, Reckless Intent in West Lothian, even Target tread the borders into Dumfries and Galloway. I can't forget the central belt and surrounding area that harbours a bursting scene with ICW, SWA, BCW, PBW, Fierce Females, PWE and Pride respectively. With many companies starting in the last year, like the aforementioned Rock N Wrestle and also Discovery Wrestling, and companies touring Scotland over the year like W3L, you can't help but be swept up in the momentum that Scottish wrestling is building. Wrestling is a serious business, no more Tribute Kanes and Tribute Mankinds rolling about and failing to fool even the 10 year olds in attendance, but now there are actual wrestlers, entertainers and something you can believe in. It's proven by how many people want to spread the word about Scottish wrestling through blogs, videos, podcasts and Facebook pages (myself included) we are all proud of this revolution happening in our country. Proof is shown in TNA British Bootcamp Season 2 where four of Scotland’s best made it through to the UK Finals; Noam Dar, Kay Lee Ray, Nikki Storm and Grado. This is just scratching the surface of what Scotland has to offer. It can only get better, with the country producing the best male and female talent it is only a matter of time before we see Scottish wrestling back on TV (and I don't mean a graveyard slot on MyChannel). Insane Fight Club 2 is set for airing next year on BBC One and with the ICW On Demand service (only £3.95) available plus a whole load of content on YouTube including full events from SWE and PWE, we are in a haven of opportunity to watch the cream of the crop, the best in Europe and it is right on your doorstep. Drew Galloway sums it up best.
WWE Money in the Bank 2014 is out on DVD and Blu-Ray now, available from www.wwedvd.co.uk. Broadcast live on Pay-per-View (and the WWE Network) from the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, USA on 29th June 2014, the show features Alberto Del Rio, Bray Wyatt, Cesaro, John Cena, Kane, Randy Orton, Roman Reigns and Sheamus battling it out in Ladder match for the vacant WWE World Heavyweight Championship, a traditional Money in the Bank Ladder featuring Dean Ambrose, Dolph Ziggler, Jack Swagger, Kofi Kingston, Rob Van Dam and Seth Rollins, The Wyatt Family's Luke Harper and Erick Rowan challenging The Usos for the Tag Team Championships and five other matches. The special features include an interview with Daniel Bryan from the Kick-Off show, a post-match interview and four "Money in the Bank moments". The commentary is provided by John Bradshaw Layfield, Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler.
Pay-Per-View
The main event ladder match over the vacant WWE World Heavyweight Championship see's WWE trying to make the best of a bad situation, following Daniel Bryan's neck injury forcing him to vacate the title. The match isn't a vintage Money in the Bank ladder match, but it still offers enough thrills and spills to keep one entertained for the duration. Some original spots involving ladder placement brighten this one up, as the story of Kane attempting to help Authority team mate Randy Orton win the title plays out over the top of the spots. The match flows nicely from spot to spot, but I can't help feeling that the finish ends up being a bit anti-climatic.
The traditional Money in the Bank Ladder match is a better offering, even with a similarly flat finish. Whilst everyone plays their part in the match, this is the Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose show as their lengthy feuds begins to build in intensity. The Usos defending the tag titles against the Wyatts is a well paced tag team match, with a red hot crowd. Whilst the bout goes on to have some terrific falls, I can't help feeling it goes two or three minutes too long.
On the undercard, the new Stardust and Goldust take on Rybaxel in a fairly basic tag team outing. Rusev and Big E put on an entertaining heavy contest, that does the best the pair could have realistically done in the situation. Paige puts her Divas Championship on the line against Naomi in a match, that get's a bit lost and has the focus completely wrong. Damien Sandow's begins his transition towards Damien Mizdow in a contest with Adam Rose that couldn't be considered anything other than filler. Summer Rae and Layla waste my time with a match that has absolutely no flow, as their God awful storyline continues in earnest.
Special Features
The special features include an enjoyable interview with Daniel Bryan conducted by Michael Cole on the Kick Off show, that includes some terrific work from Bo Dallas during an interruption. Fandango nails his character in a post-match interview with Tom Phillips, despite being stuck in the middle of the Summer Rae and Layla feud. There's also four video packages entitled Money in the Bank moments, that include highlights of a previous Money in the Bank ladder match and the subsequent cash-in. These include Jack Swagger, Daniel Bryan, Dolph Ziggler and Randy Orton. Nice little additions but nothing that isn't already on WWE's own Youtube channel.
Finally...
Overall, this is a decent PPV offering from WWE, with both Ladder matches offering more than enough to keep me entertained throughout, whilst the Tag Title match is also well done. Whilst the undercard is a little rushed in parts, the majority is bearable and timed well, with the exception of Summer Rae and Layla's bout. I wouldn't say this DVD is a must-have, but it certainly wouldn't be a bad way to spend an evening.
It was announced earlier this week that the WWE Network would be free TO NEW SUBSCRIBERS throughout November, including the Survivor Series event. The Network was also supposed to launch here in the UK yesterday (after initially changing the launch date from 1st October to 3rd November) but miraculously didn't. Luckily, I've been using Unblock-US since February so that doesn't really effect me. Oh and ICW on Demand launched yesterday for just $5.99 a month. Now, I have an A-Level in Business Studies and I know that it's as important to treat your existing customers well, as it is to offer new ones an incentive to jump aboard your product. And by offering November on the Network up completely free to NEW subscribers WWE is neglecting and alienating it's existing customers, like myself. This would, perhaps, not be such a big deal if the Network hadn't lost 25% of the total sign ups it's had since launch date. Just under 1 million people had signed up to the Network since launch date and only 75% exist. Maybe WWE would be better looking at why that many subscribers decided it wasn't for them (many bypassing the supposed 6-month commitment which has now been dropped) and cancelled their subscriptions. I'm not sure if there's an exit survey currently in place, but there certainly seems to be no concerted effort by WWE to appease it's current subscribers as they desperately try to push the figures up.
Of course, offering November free to everyone would most likely cripple the Network, even with the new adverts from Mattel, Pepsi and K-Mart (incidentally I haven't seen a single advert yet). But it's clear the deal could very entice new subscribers to the Network, if the Survivor Series card presents a series of well-thought out matches, that people want to see. Whether those new subscribers enjoy the other content and decide to stick around is then the moment of truth. I'm sure WWE will get new subscribers using this method, how many is difficult to really gauge, at this time. But hey, what about us existing subscribers Vinny Mac? Don't we deserve a little sumin sumin? After all, a lot of the existing subscribers have been with the Network since Day 1! Loyalty often counts for nothing in wrestling, but it should when it comes to customers and fan base. Something as simple as a WWE Shop voucher could have current subscribers feeling looked after and appreciated by the machine (which could in turn also lead to more spending on WWE products, win win!) How about introducing something that rewards a subscriber for staying with the Network for a full year when the Network turns 1 in February? Special first-look content maybe? I don't know the logistics of this, but it's certainly something I'd be looking into to keep a firm grip of the subscribers that the Network already has. The Network works great for me, and is certainly value for money, I see myself being a customer for a long time to come, but I also know I could find the content for free elsewhere, as do most of the subscribers I suspect. Therefore it's more important than ever to make sure that those current subscribers are chipper. As the old phrase goes "You don't what you got til it's gone"
It's the first Monday of the Month, which means it's time to begin our vote to find out what you think was the best match in October. Below is the nominations list, ordered by company. The poll can be found here https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ZYG52BC and closes at 9PM GMT on 10/11/2014
Forever Hooligans vs. Time Splitters vs. Young Bucks (King of Pro-Wrestling) El Desperado vs. Ryusuke Taguchi (King of Pro-Wrestling) Tomohiro Ishii vs. Yujiro Takahashi (King of Pro-Wrestling) CHAOS (Nakamura/YOSHI-HASHI) vs. Hirooki Goto & Katsuyori Shibata (King of Pro-Wrestling) Kazuchika Okada vs.Tetsuya Naito (King of Pro-Wrestling)
AJ Styles vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi (King of Pro-Wrestling) CHAOS (Okada/Nakamura/Ishii) vs. Hirooki Goto, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Katsuyori Shibata (Road to Power Struggle - Night 1)
Adrian Neville vs. Tyson Kidd (NXT Episode 117) Cesaro vs. Dolph Ziggler, Two out of Three Falls (Hell in a Cell) Goldust & Stardust vs. The Usos (Hell in a Cell) John Cena vs. Randy Orton, Hell in a Cell Match (Hell in a Cell) Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins, Hell in a Cell Match (Hell in a Cell)
Team 3D vs. The Hardy Boys vs. The Wolves (IMPACT Wrestling Episode 535) Manik vs. Minoru Tanaka (Bound For Glory) Low Ki vs. Kaz Hayashi vs. Samoa Joe (Bound For Glory) Andy Wu & El Hijo del Pantera vs. Jiro Kurushio & Yusuke Kodama (Bound For Glory) Austin Aries vs. Bobby Roode vs. Eric Young vs. Jeff Hardy, Elimination Match (IMPACT Wrestling Episode 536)
Daisuke Sekimoto vs. Naomichi Marafuji (Great Voyage in Yokohama) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Here are our event of the month nominations, the poll opens the same time as our Match of the Month vote.
NXT Episode 117 Monday Night RAW Episode 1116 NXT Episode 119 Monday Night RAW Episode 1117 Hell in a Cell
Great Voyage in Yokohama Global League - Night 1 Global League - Night 2
on SBG Episode 159 - Road Rage Edition on SBG Episode 161
IMPACT Wrestling Episode 535 IMPACT Wrestling Episode 536
NJPW King of Pro Wrestling NJPW Road to Power Struggle - Night 1
Earlier this week a brand new wrestling product began to air on the El Rey network, which incidentally only air on the other side of the pond. But of course, with the power of the internet these days, if something airs somewhere in the world, it is available everywhere else within 24 hours. So I thought I'd give it a cheeky look and let you fine people know if you should be checking out the show as well.
Presentation
One of the most important parts of any wrestling television show is the presentation, television is a visual medium after all. Lucha Underground is supposedly set in head honcho Dario Cueto's make-shift temple, which is a bit of hodge-podge, truth be told. I found it difficult to believe Dario Cueto when he spoke about his wrestlers needing to have respect to fight in his temple, when the visual didn't quite match up. It looked as if there hadn't been a clear brief on what was needed from the set, to me. What is important though is that this setting looked visually different from any other wrestling show at the moment. It would have been silly to try to reproduce WWE's look on a smaller budget, TNA is still undecided on how it wants to present it's product and Ring of Honor has the Indy look nailed on, so I commended the Lucha Underground team for trying something different with this. Talking of differences between Lucha Underground and other products, the backstage segments are completely different from what I've seen a wrestling company do before. The scenes were filmed very theatrically, with multiple cameras and even incidental music added on top. This won't be everyone's cup of tea, to be honest I'm not sure if it's mine, but this style makes the product instantly stand out and that can only be a good thing. Although, I think if this was the style they could have brought in a better actor to play the owner of promotion, Cueto. On Commentary duty, Matt Striker comes across as extremely knowledgeable, comfortably calling the matches and adding any extra details that he think will add to the story. This felt much more like the Striker that used to commentate on WWE's version of ECW, rather than what he presented later in his WWE career. Unfortunately, his partner Vampiro, often feels like a fish out of water. Floundering all over the shop, randomly naming moves and genuinely sounding like he was getting on Striker's nerves throughout. Hopefully, AAA will notice this and quickly replace Vampiro with someone else, better suited to the role.
Johnny Mundo vs. Prince Puma
The main event of the show saw, Johnny Mundo, better known as John Morrison, taking on Prince Puma, better known as Ricochet. Before the match got under way, there were a number of segments geared toward building up the main event. The first of these saw Cueto talking to Konnan in his office. I found this segment utterly bizarre and devoid of all logic. Cueto had apparently "signed (Mundo) to make an example of him" and wanted Konnan's new protege Puma to take him out and collect the $100,000 prize that Cueto had offered up at the top of the show. Please someone explain to me how that makes any sense? A video package explaining the relationship between Konnan and Prince Puma was later shown. There was a lot of cool stuff thrown in here, like the explanation as to why Luchadores wear masks and it allowed the fans to get an idea of what to expect from Puma in the ring later on, for anyone not familiar with Ricochet. I do find Konnan a very odd choice as his manager though, as he's never been someone I'd considered a great mic worker. The match itself was a lot of fun to watch, as the two pulled out a series of tricks and flips. The pair seemed to have a chemistry in the ring, flowing nicely through a series of back and forth exchanges. There was little in the way of psychology, but I don't think that's what this match needed to be, anyway, being the debut programme, it was a lot more important that the new audience got an opportunity to see what these two could do in the ring. Both men were allowed to look good, with Puma standing up nicely against the former WWE star, with a missed Standing Moonsault being turned into a Standing Shooting Star Press being one of the highlights of Puma's offence. The slight bit of story that the match was given was Mundo's multiple attempts to hit the move formerly known as Starship Pain and now rechristened The End of the World. Firsty, Puma would thwart Mundo by catching him with a School Boy Roll up for a nice near fall. The second attempt saw Puma rolling out of the ring and hitting his signature Chocolate Rain for another well worked near fall. Finally, after a nice sequence saw Puma slip out of Mundo's powerbomb attempt, Mundo was able to hit a Solo Spanish Fly, before dragging Mundo to the corner and hitting The End of the World to pick up the victory. This was a nice inclusion as it built a little bit of drama into the match, with the crowd knowing if Mundo hit the move it would be the end of the match. Following the match, Cueto was out to offer Mundo the $100, 000, only to remove the offer, as three men ran into the ring and destroyed both Mundo and Puma, firstly with a cool double team 3-D/Codebreaker construct, before the bigger of the three nailed Mundo with a huge Ura-nage slam. These three men were former WWE wrestler Ezekiel Jackson, now going by the name Big Ryck, former ROH wrestler Ricky Reyes, going by the name Cortez Castro and Lil Cholo, going by the name Mr. Cisco. It was revealed they worked for Cueto. I have to admit a ground a little at the conclusion to the show, as the Heel faction with the boss as their leader, really has been run into the ground. I'm happy to give Lucha Underground the benefit of the doubt for now on this angle however.
Lucha Underground have even put this match up on Youtube. Give it a look.
The Undercard
On the undercard for the show, Chavo Guerrero took on Blue Demon Jr. in a match that I just couldn't get my head around. The two had an awkward match, with a confusion over who was supposed to be playing the heel or babyface. For example, Demon would be slapping Chavo hard in the face and then begin to clap to attempt to get the crowd involved in the match. This could have been forgiven if the action in the ring was any good, but it simply wasn't. A terrible looking headscissors from Demon, a dodgy Tornado DDT and a horrible top rope powerbomb complete with a awkward set up, and that's the three big moves in the match that all looked piss poor. Demon would go on to pick up the win as Chavo tapped out to El Chulo, which at least made some sense considering Chavo had probably broken his back taking that nasty top rope powerbomb. Later on in the show, Chavo was seen getting a verbal beating from Cueto, who really is all over this product. Cueto told Chavo he would have to find a new opponent for Demon, seeing as Chavo couldn't get the job done. I'm not sure why Cueto wants Demon to be taken out, as this wasn't explained, and meant that Demon playing the heel for some of the previous match made even less sense. Elsewhere, Son of Havoc (previously known as Matt Cross on WWE's Tough Enough, as well as ROH, Chikara, Wrestle Society X and elsewhere) took on AAA's Sexy Star. Sexy Star's gimmick is that she's a girl. There was some good back story put into it via a video package, but when you boil it down that's what her gimmick is. That meant that the story of the match was the Havoc should be booed because he's fighting a girl who has chosen to wrestle him. I just couldn't buy into it and therefore didn't feel any sympathy for Star. There were some nice moments and everything looked alright in the ring, but when a match goes less than two minutes, it's difficult to really judge anything. Havoc picked up the win with a Side Slam Backbreaker. The commentators also insinuated that Havoc was grabbing the tights during the pin, but it just looked like he was copping a feel of Star's arse.
Finally...
There was a lot to like about Lucha Underground, the look and feel are completely different from anything that's on TV at the moment, in both terms of what is shown from the arena and the backstage footage. The main event was also a lot of fun to watch, with both Mundo and Puma standing out as wrestlers who could offer a lot for the promotion going forward. That being said, the other two matches on the show did absolutely nothing for me, Chavo Guerrero and Blue Demon Jr's match especially was unforgivably poor, especially considering Guerrero is supposedly a driving force behind the direction of the show.
However, I would certainly recommend this show to anyone who is tiring of WWE's output, to at least give it a try, as you may find that some of the new things that Lucha Underground is doing will appeal to you. If they don't you've wasted 45 minutes and can send me angry message on Twitter, if you so wish. I know I'll be checking out Episode Two anyway.
Quick Results and Match Ratings
Blue Demon, Jr defeated Chavo Guerrero - DUD Son of Havoc defeated Sexy Star - N/A Johnny Mundo defeated Prince Puma - *** 1/4
