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Original Air Date: 6/17/15
This week, we have a 60 Minute Iron-Man Match for the Lucha Underground World Heavyweight Championship!
Match #1: Main Event - Prince Puma (Ricochet [Lucha Underground World Heavyweight Champion]) vs. Johnny Mundo (John Morrison/Johnny Nitro) - 60 Minute Iron-Man Match for the Lucha Underground World Heavyweight Championship
Quarter 1: This match started off with some fabulous holds that immediately transitioned into some near falls. Soon, a bevy of clotheslines and jabs turn the bout into a brawl, which takes us through a commercial break. The return from ad-land sees some excellent roll-ups that eventually leads to Puma getting the first fall. Overall, this was as about as engaging a first quarter as you can get for a match that is going to linger about for a good long while.
Quarter 2: This was a very dramatic round, wherein Mundo took four falls over Puma after the weapons got involved, including the likes of a crowbar, which found its way into Puma's stomach. It was remarkable to see how quickly the dichotomy of action had changed, when one compares the methodical chain wrestling of the first, with the devil-may-care attitude taken with the second.
Quarter 3: If round two was chaotic, then round three was Hell on Earth. While this portion of the title match was a spectacle like no other, it was also the most aggressive wrestling I've seen in quite some time and was the closest thing to authentic hatred that I have seen in any wrestler in many years. This was Mundo's round, with him not only being booked as a dominant and frightfully vengeful, but more prominently being positioned as a sadist, and a heartless one at that. It can not be understated how much more relaxed Mundo is as a heel than as a face, which can been proven by the glee he took in not just antagonizing Puma, but in humiliating the champion. There is also a sequence where Mundo calls on the house band to help "set the mood" that really helps drive home why Lucha Underground is so fascinating to watch each and every week.
Quarter 4: This is the final stretch and, as it should be, is the great battle cry for the champion, Prince Puma. Puma clashes with Mundo in a constant game of escalation, with each attack repelled by a more violent attack that is, in turn, offset by an even more reckless maneuver! As the action reaches a breathless pace, Alberto El Patron (Alberto Del Rio/Dos Caras Jr.) waltzes down to the ring and brutalizes Mundo, who of course attacked him a few weeks ago. It is only a few minutes later when Puma is able to close this bout with victory needed to win the match and retain the title!
Winner: Prince Puma - Lucha Underground World Heavyweight Champion: 5-4
This has got to be, not just the best free TV match of the year but, possibly, the best match of the year, period. This bout had every staple of good story-telling possible and managed to constantly evolve into something better with each passing minute. This must be seen by any and every wrestling fan, without exception.
Final Verdict:
A truly magnificent bout made this night one of wrestling's best in very long time. The inclusion of a "No Holds Barred" stipulation to the Iron-Man match made the contest into a truly engrossing experience.
Ultimate Lucha:
I forgot to mention this rather important bit of news last week, but LU has announced its biggest card of the year, a two hour event called "Ultimate Lucha", will debut in the near future and feature a number of top-grade bouts.
Until next time...
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