Lucha Underground Recap (June 1, 2016): Of Monsters and Machines

Hey, all. I'll be taking over for Bill Hanstock for your Lucha Underground recaps. Don't worry. I won't be touching the Total Divas recaps. Now onto this jam packed episode of Lucha Underground.

Son of Havoc def. Daga despite Kobra Moon trying to interfere on the behalf of Daga. (She did not cost him the match though.) After the match, Kobra was slithering all over Daga, but Daga was not having it. He pushed her off and peaced.

The match was one of both men trying to stake a claim to a spot in the Temple. Son of Havoc needs to re-establish himself as a single's competitor with his Trios partner Angelico down with an injury. Daga scored one win with the help of Kobra Moon in a four way a couple weeks ago, but this would be a true signature win. Despite the help of stalker snake Kobra Moon tonight, Havoc proved the better man.

Isn't Kobra Moon a ninja jewel thief? That's how we were introduced to her, right? Because she's seeming more like an obsessive stalker now. Maybe she was stealing those jewels for, Brad, who I assume is the last guy she was all about.

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Rey Mysterio Jr. is working out. El Dragon Azteca comes in and tells Rey he wants to go after Matanza since he found the cell, but Rey is against it. There's some arguing about this. Prince Puma rolls in but Rey tells him to get out because they're in the middle of something that doesn't concern him. Puma says since they are partners, it does concern him.

Geez, Rey. A little grumpy, aren't we? Though he's totally right that El Dragon Azteca shouldn't go after Matanza... the man who broke Pentagon's back and destroyed Mil Muertes in a Graver Consequences match.

Trios championship match

Johnny Mundo (w/Taya), Jack Evans, & PJ Black def. Rey Mysterio Jr., El Dragon Azteca, & Prince Puma after Prince Puma blatantly kicks Johnny Mundo in the testicles. (The champs delivered two low blows of their own earlier on when the ref was distracted.) When Taya gets Puma's his face post match, he superkicks her. (Upon rewatch later, Puma may have been aiming for Johnny when he hit Taya, but he still didn't show any remorse.) Puma is super angry afterwards. He leaves by himself leaving Rey and Dragon alone in the ring.

Wow, there's some stuff to digest here. The match itself was as amazing as you'd guess. This is the type of match that can elicit multiple audible "Wows" from anyone watching.

One the winning side, the champs have the final piece of the puzzle making them a well oiled machine: MATCHING RED LUCHA BANDANAS! Their entrance is awesome, all basking in the glory of the wind that comes with Johnny's entrance. And at one point, while Johnny was wrestling, Jack Evans was wearing his glasses! These dudes love each other! Plus, they're masterful at sneaking in the low blow. They hit one behind the ref's back on Rey Mysterio that kept the veteran in trouble for awhile.

I'm going to leave most of the giffing to my man Manolo for his Tope Ten, but look at this entrance. I mean, that's fly.

On the other side, daaaaamn Prince Puma. He just kicked Johnny square in the Mundos right in front of the referee. Granted, he had just received a low blow from Johnny , and a swift one to the nads is enough to make someone lose their mind. But I don't think we've ever seen Puma that hot. And the honorable Puma opting to leave his partners in the ring and just peace? That's also not his style. It's an interesting wrinkle for the hometown hero.

Backstage, Dragon Azteca comes face to face with a locked up Matanza but Black Lotus stops him. She tells him that the original Dragon Azteca killed her parents and not the monster. This Dragon is in denial.

Looks like El Dragon Azteca didn't listen to Rey Mysterio at all. It's a been rough day for him. First, Rey Mysterio was being all grumpy, then his partner in the trios championship match got them disqualified, and then Black Lotus drops a bomb on him about a possible truth about his old mentor. It's just one of those days he needs to go to sleep and hope the next day is better.

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Lucha Underground Championship match

Hoss Fight

Matanza def. Cage to retain his title after hitting the Wrath of the Gods.

Wow, this match was great. Cage hasn't always been my cup of tea, but even I was swept up with ever near fall at the end, hoping Cage could upset the champ.

These two were as even matched as they can get, at least when it came to power. Cage realized early on that he wasn't going to win this match like he can win every other match he's had: With his pure strength. No, he was going to have to use his high flying ability and quickness to get the upper hand on Matanza.

But Matanza is just too strong to keep down for long and the competitors end up trading moves with no one gaining a true advantage. And don't ever try to German Suplex either of these two. There was one moment in this match where one man machine/monster would suplex the other and that first machine/monster would just stand up and do it to the other. Seriously, they did it maybe 10 times and it was sweet.

This felt like a match that Matanza just survived.

But with Cage unsuccessful and Mil Muertes mounted in a glass case stored King Cuerno's den, who's left to who can defeat this monster? It could be a Prince who recently found out a swift kick to the nethers is a great neutralizer, but my money is on a man who had his back repaired a la Bruce Wayne in an underground prison.

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Really fun stuff as per usually from Lucha this week. Matanza is still champ, El Dragon Azteca had a rough day, Puma could be an NFL kicker, and Daga has a venomous stalker on his hands. Tune in next week to see what else is coming our way!