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EL REY NETWORK AND MARK BURNETT’S ONE THREE MEDIA ANNOUNCE PREMIERE OF ‘LUCHA UNDERGROUND,’ WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29TH AT 8:00 PM ET/PT WITH A SUPER CHARGED TWO-HOUR EPISODE
New Members of ‘Lucha Underground’ League Announced Including Chavo Guerrero, Jr., Konnan and Johnny Mundo
Austin, TX– September 22, 2014 – The match has begun. With production of the new action-packed series, “Lucha Underground,†underway in Los Angeles, El Rey Network and Emmy Award®-winning producer Mark Burnett’s One Three Media today announced new members of the character-driven, riveting, freestyle wrestling series. “Lucha Undergound†will kick off with a special two-hour episode on Wednesday, October 29th at 8:00 pm ET/PT.
The new high-flying Luchadores joining “Lucha Underground†include: Prince Puma (aka Trevor Mann); Mil Muertes (aka Ricky Banderes); Johnny Mundo (aka John Hennigan); Chavo Guerrero Jr.; "B-Boy" Benny Cuntapay; Cortez Castro (aka Ricky Reyes); Catrina (aka Karlee Perez); Angela Fong; Son of Havoc (aka Matt Cross); Big Ryck (aka Ryckon Stephens); Ivelisse; Mr. Cisco (aka Lil Cholo); Martin Casaus and Holly Michelle. They join previously announced Luchadores from the popular Lucha Libre AAA franchise including Blue Demon, Jr, Sexy Star, Fenix, Drago and Pentagon Jr. Also announced were Dario Cueto (Luis Fernandez) as the Owner and Promoter; Vampiro and Matt Striker as Commentators; Melissa Santos as the Ring Announcer; and lucha libre legend Konnan.
“‘Lucha Underground’ will bring to television some of the most talented and dynamic athletes from the worlds of lucha libre and wrestling,†said Executive Producer Brian Edwards of One Three Media. “It’s compelling on so many levels and viewers of all ages will have something to cheer about every Wednesday night on El Rey Network.â€
Diego Gutierrez, Executive Producer, said: “Lucha is legendary – it’s an extraordinary combination of artistry and athleticism with an explosive combat style that has evolved over centuries, its origins shrouded in mystery. But one thing that is certain is that this intense, high-flying wrestling tradition will bring viewers to their feet and will be like nothing else on television.â€
Lucha Libre’s colorful world of freestyle wrestling is a huge draw in its home country of Mexico with over 85% of television audiences tuning into the high-flying antics of this popular franchise-the second most popular sport after football. Each week “Lucha Underground†will bring drama, excitement and action to U.S. audiences as the masked heroes and villains battle it out in the ring for wrestling supremacy.
“Lucha Underground†is produced by One Three Media in association with FactoryMade Ventures for El Rey Network. Executive producers are Mark Burnett, Eric Van Wagenen (also showrunner) and Brian Edwards of One Three Media; Dorian Roldán from Lucha Libre AAA; Alejandro Garcia and Antonio Cué Sánchez-Navarro; El Rey Network co-founder Robert Rodriguez; and FactoryMade Ventures and El Rey Network co-founders John Fogelman and Cristina Patwa. The series will be distributed internationally by One Three Media.
About El Rey Network
El Rey Network is a new 24-hour English language network founded by maverick filmmaker Robert Rodriguez. Curated by Rodriguez and his artistic collective, the network unites the most culturally diverse generation in history through fearless, badass and original content that awakens the renegade in everyone. The network's action-packed content is anchored by original signature dramas, feature films, grindhouse genre, cult classic action, and horror/sci-fi. El Rey Network LLC (www.elreynetwork.com) is jointly owned by Robert Rodriguez and FactoryMade Ventures with a minority stake held by Univision Networks & Studios, Inc.
About One Three Media
ONE THREE MEDIA is a joint venture between Mark Burnett and Hearst Corporation which produces television, advertising and web content. Five-time Emmy® Award winner Mark Burnett has produced over 2,200 hours of television programming that regularly air in over 70 countries worldwide. Burnett and ONE THREE MEDIA's recent series include Survivor (CBS), The Voice (NBC), The Celebrity Apprentice (NBC), Shark Tank (ABC), The Bible (HISTORY), and Trust Me I'm A Game Show Host (TBS). Awards show franchises includes the MTV Movie Awards from 2007 to 2011, and the People's Choice Awards (CBS) since 2010.
About Lucha Libre AAA
Lucha Libre AAA is a media and entertainment company founded in 1992 by Antonio Pena Herrada and manages the IP of the "AAA" brand and another 250 characters in its league. The company produces Lucha Libre events globally including venues such as Palacio de los Deportes, Arena Monterrey, HP Pavilion, Madison Square Garden, Los Angeles Sports Arena and Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan. In addition to working with sponsors such as Corona, Hershey's, Comex and Unilever, the league has released an animated movie and videogame in the Mexican market. Lucha Libre AAA develops 5 hours of content per week that is aired on three television channels in Mexico: Galavision and Televisa Deportes Network.
About FactoryMade Ventures
FactoryMade is an incubator for entertainment businesses and was founded by John Fogelman and Cristina Patwa. The company builds IP-based franchises and production and distribution platforms by leveraging its strong ties to the Hollywood creative community and partnering with global brands and investors. Its ventures include El Rey Network and Tres Pistoleros Studios with Robert Rodriguez and a joint venture with the leading Mexican wrestling league Lucha Libre AAA. In addition to working with corporate partners such as Telefonica and JCP, they previously spearheaded the creation of Hasbro's film business (Transformers, G.I. Joe, Battleship) and television business (Hasbro TV Studios, the Hub Network with Discovery Communications), and developed retail's first integrated digital gaming and commerce platform with HSN (HSN Arcade).
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