Tag: Lucha libre

EXCLUSIVE SNEAK PEEK: Tonight on ‘Lucha Underground,’ It’s Sexy Star vs. Pentagon Jr.!

by Eric Francisco

Once again, our friends at El Rey have hooked us up with another exciting sneak peek at this week’s Lucha Underground, featuring the one and only Sexy Star stepping up against Pentagon Jr.!

We’ve got exclusive stills from the episode at the bottom of this post, along with the clip right below.

Following the awesome Mask vs. Mask match against Super Fly, Sexy Star finds herself pitted against the monstrous Pentagon Jr. — with poor Melissa, the beautiful ring announcer of Lucha Underground still recovering from an attack sitting ringside. You can see the stress in her eyes.

This isn’t the first time it’s ever been done, and definitely not the first time on Lucha Underground, but you’ll notice that this particular match features a woman up against a man — an awful man, Pentagon Jr.

But I wouldn’t worry. Besides the fact that Sexy Star is more than capable of standing on her own, intergender wrestling has had a long and varied history.

Although rare, intergender wrestling became something of a novelty in the 1970s. It wasn’t mainstream because, I mean, obviously, but legendary funny man Andy Kaufman adopted intergender pro wrestling as one of his comedy gimmicks and became the “Intergender Champion,” a title he gave himself. After a string of staged segments where he’d wrestle women, Kaufman would go on to the now-classic feud against the Memphis legend, Jerry “The King” Lawler. You can find these segments on YouTube if you care to look.

For reasons I shouldn’t even have to flat out state, intergender pro wrestling never took off and became a part of the mainstream. They happened, but usually in extreme, absurd or chaotic storylines. It’s really not hard to see why either, the image of an intergender match can be extremely jarring and visually uncomfortable when taken too far — and this is wrestling, where everything is a few steps from too far.

But that’s what makes Lucha Underground so damn incredible. I reiterate, intergender matches have happened to varying degrees of seriousness, but in this week of Lucha Undergound it is entirely refreshing to see an honest-to-goodness battle between two stars no matter their genetics. This isn’t a trashy storyline involving baby mamas or infidelity. This is a blood feud, something that is truly inherit to pro wrestling and lucha libre.

I’ll never advocate violence against women, but in this week’s episode we see Sexy Star combat Pentagon Jr. in a genuine struggle of good versus evil. This is a contest of moral one-upmanship, the heart and soul of all of lucha libre. I can’t wait to see it.

Enjoy the exclusive gallery below and tune in to Lucha Underground tonight at 8:00 PM ET/PT on El Rey Network. Check your local listings.

Oh, and as a bonus, here’s Johnny Mundo getting a talking-to from a certain Alberto El Patron. I saw these guys wrestle at Madison Square Garden in 2011. I’m so excited to see them flourish in Lucha Underground!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OOgCMhY_00&feature=youtu.be

EXCLUSIVE SNEAK PEEK: Tonight On ‘Lucha Underground,’ It’s Mask vs. Mask!

by Eric Francisco

Tonight on Lucha Underground is something special. Tonight, the league will channel true lucha libre tradition and feature its first Mask vs. Mask match in its young history when King Cuerno and Prince Puma go one-on-one.

Also featured: the continuation of the Trios Title Tournament when Angelico, Ivelisse, and Son of Havoc lock up with Drago, Aerostar, and Fenix!

One of the defining characteristics of lucha libre that separates it from American, Japanese and even Canadian professional wrestling is the mask. The mask is so much more than a piece of fabric and spandex, it’s an identity. It’s a name. It’s the very blood that flows through you. It is every part of Mexican culture.

The mask is revered in lucha libre for it is not only the literal face of a luchador, it’s also their history. It is their accomplishments. It’s the places they’ve been, and the hard-working people who paid to see them and want to believe that gods and heroes exist. A single mask could tell a million stories.

Luchadors may never take off their mask without it being any kind of a big deal. Masks may only be removed if a wrestler plans to retire, be it that particular identity or because they’re retiring for good. It’s also illegal (in wrestling, not lawfully) and offensive to remove another wrestler’s mask during a match.

This kind of reverence of the mask in lucha libre has, inevitably, allowed it to become a part of the drama that occurs in that four-sided theatrical stage. Waging your mask against another’s is the ultimate test in lucha libre. Perhaps more than championship titles, losing a mask in lucha libre is the biggest challenge a luchador could endure. It’s like a samurai waging his katana against another swordsman, or a gunslinger betting his revolver in a duel against his rival. It’s Ash betting ownership of Pikachu against Gary.

And tonight on Lucha Underground, Prince Puma and King Cuerno put their histories and identities on the line in the ultimate test of oneupmanship. I can’t wait to see it.

Check out the exclusive gallery we have below, and tune in to Lucha Underground tonight at 8 PM ET/PT on El Rey. Check your local listings if you don’t know if you have El Rey. If they won’t offer it, send them flying with a hurracarana.

EXCLUSIVE: Preview Son of Havoc vs. Angelico on Tonight’s ‘Lucha Underground’

by Eric Francisco

Tonight is the premiere of Lucha Underground‘s milestone twentieth episode, and we at Geekscape have an exclusive look at tonight’s match pitting Son of Havoc against Angelico. Check out Angelico’s tenacity and Son of Havoc’s passion. This is why we watch pro wrestling, guys.

Besides the focus on lucha libre, I think one particular aspect that Lucha Underground has an edge over the competition are its frantic, kinetic camera angles. In just this minute-long clip, this is very apparent. I believe a cinematic eye is vastly underrated in modern professional wrestling, and yet pro wrestling affords that opportunity more than other, “actual” sports.

Lucha libre has a rich history in Mexican cinema. Decades before a certain guy from Miami layed the smack down in Hollywood, the lucha stars of yesteryear like El Santo, Mil Máscaras and Blue Demon were crossover sensations that ruled the ring and the screen. They were living comic book heroes, and they thrived and gave birth to a whole wonderful, bizarre subgenre of cinema. Among the many films produced in this era, Ladrón de cadáveres was a big success. Directed by Fernando Méndez, he would later revolutionize Mexican horror with the landmark El vampiro in 1957.

From Blue Demon’s Wikipedia page:

In three of his films, Blue Demon starred as the leader of a squadron of masked superheroes known as Los Campeones Justicieros (The Champions of Justice). Membership in the Champions included such legendary Mexican wrestling figures as Blue Demon, Mil Máscaras, Tinieblas, Rayo de Jalisco, El Medico Asesino, El Fantasma Blanco, El Avispon Escarlata and Superzan.

Before The Avengers, there was a time when masked wrestlers starred in movies that had them beat up demons and devils and lifted rocks to smash monsters. It was awesome, and I’m afraid in our cynical, too-serious mindsets we just can’t enjoy these stupid pleasures anymore. Even our superheroes brood too much today.

But about the cinematic eye, even the camera movement in those days didn’t take full advantage. That’s what makes Lucha Underground so exciting, it’s a weird blend of classic Mexican cinema with post-MTV reality style, faux cinema verite. These old formulas have been crafted to create something new, and that’s Lucha Underground.

Enough with the history lesson. Enjoy the clip and tune in to Lucha Underground tonight at 11 pm EST/8 pm PST. Check your local listings for El Rey Network.

Also check out the gallery we have for you below!