Tope 10: Lucha Underground (July 19, 2017)

Each and every episode of Lucha Underground features maneuvers, quotes, outfits, props, scenes, and stories that deserve recognition. That is where the Tope 10 comes in. This list shows appreciation for the moments which are more exciting than a flying tope.

If you are new to the Lucha Underground scene, you can catch it Wednesdays at 8pm ET/PT on the El Rey Network, buy all episodes to date from the first three seasons on iTunes and Amazon, or watch seasons one and two on Netflix. See if El Rey is available in your area.

If you haven't had a chance to watch this week's episode yet, check out the episode preview along with the recap and reactions. Also, read up on the AAA saga involving Vampiro, Taya, Johnny Mundo, and a dog tweeting defcon levels of defecation.

Sorry for the delay this week. I got lost in a vortex of time and space when Aerostar came visiting.

10. No commercials

Kudos to El Rey Network for allowing the main event to air uninterrupted. I've never been a fan of commercials in the middle of a match. It zaps all momentum. PJ Black vs Prince Puma entered the ring with 18 minutes left in the episode. They went hard and put on a bout deserving of no advertisement breaks.

9. Lucha leap-bre

A great display of athleticism. Dante Fox skyed over the turnbuckle for an aerial assault. This maneuver could have been a contender for number one this week if the contact was more high impact. If memory serves correct, I believe Killshot has a comparable maneuver in his arsenal. If so, then it is a cool detail of Killshot and Fox being similar due to their soldier training.

Fox also executed a beautiful senton bomb. I'm so excited to see what aerial craziness goes up when Fox faces Prince Puma in the next round.

8. "All of it in skinny jeans."

Vampiro rambled about Prince Puma dumping the good guy routine, "Hell yeah, brother. The moment you poke someone's eye out, you break their nose, you kick them in the knee, you kick them in the groin, you headbutt them, slap them in the throat with the knuckles, bro, it builds character." Cue to Matt Striker's skinny jeans line.

Even though Prince Puma is more likely to be wearing Chuck Norris jeans rather than skinny jeans, Striker's line still cracked me up. I'm certainly not a purveyor of fashion or trends, but my eyebrow cocks whenever I see dudes in skinny jeans. Something about it just isn't right. Maybe I'm too old to appreciate the style.

Breaking news alert: The Rock does not have dual eyebrow dexterity. I had no clue in regard to this shocking development. I came across a promotional video for Moana when searching for GIFs of Rocky arching his brow.

7. No F's given...

Well, technically one. If there is one thing that makes me a fan, it would be showing no fear. Upon entering the Temple with his Worldwide Underground cohorts, PJ Black noticed Prince Puma on the roof and flipped him the bird. I enjoyed that display of chutzpah.

Within the confines of the Temple ring, PJ's resume shows no reason why he should be confident, especially when compared to what Puma has achieved. I suppose a match with Puma is no big deal for someone who has broken bones when BASE jumping, not once but twice. In hindsight now, the Darewolf was right to show no apprehension since he ended up taking Puma to the limit. On top of that, flashing the middle finger made me laugh. Bonus points to Black.

Also of note from that scene was the conversation between Puma and Vampiro. I took it for granted during the first watch. Upon reviewing to write the Tope 10, the material has high potential for future intensity.

Once again, Puma was having involuntary visions of the past. Vampiro told Puma, "... There is only one way to quiet those voices." Puma surmised, "The championship." Vampiro revealed (?), "That is your purpose. There is nothing else." At the end of conversation and after Vampiro exited the scene, Puma uttered, "I will not lose no matter what, my master."

Is this foreshadowing to Vampiro's motives behind resurrecting Puma? Why is the Lucha Underground championship so vital to stopping Puma's flashbacks? Commentary Vampiro could con me into believing it was a confidence issue, but we all know the dude we see at the announcing table is a totally different entity than the guy who is a dark master. Call me a skeptic, but I'm highly dubious on the matter that a championship belt will cure what ails Puma. He was stuffed in a coffin. That equates to death in Lucha Underground. Something smells rotten.

6. Worldwide Underground representation

That whole scene in the locker room was full of goodies. From Johnny Mundo's outside the box thinking of Ghost Dad 2 with no ghosts and no fathers to the sappy music to the pronunciation of Mundo's last name (which I believe may be a jive at a Vince Russo interview with Johnny) to the diss of Ricky Mandel.

Benjamin Cooke is so getting killed. I'd bet all my money (13 pesos to be exact) on him being the next death in the Temple. There's no way Dario Cueto will be able to tolerate Cooke's incessant pestering.

5. Have a smile

And a Coke.

A tiny detail can add alot of substance to a character. We don't know much about Dante Fox, aside from his beef with Killshot. Fox's enjoyment of Son of Havoc being beat down was revealing. His ring stye has told us he is ruthless, but his personality tells us too.

Side note to Matt Striker and Vampiro: It was pretty evident that Fox was not interested in doing the right thing and helping out. To me, it was clear that Fox wanted the advantage and was trying to stop the referee from prematurely calling the bout. Commentary generally gets in right, but they were so far off base in this case that it makes me question booking motives. Were they trying to relay a message that our eyes did not convey?

Speaking of Dante Fox, I tend to agree with the opinion put forth by Vampiro. "Bro, I've watched this kid wrestle the last we saw him. Brother, I got my wig blown right back. Straight up, there's been very few times in my life that I've been a fan of somebody. The Great Muta was one. He influenced my whole career. The Road Warriors were another two. This kid's on another level. He's just a rock star." Fox hasn't reached that level of mystique, but he has become must-see in the ring.

4. Forfeit or fight

Masterful crowd manipulation. After being socked out by a fisted chain, Son of Havoc was groggier than a drunken motorcycle enthusiast. In a rare appearance in recent weeks, Dario Cueto exited his office to declare the tournament must continue. Havoc had to fight or forfeit.

Son of Havoc is the Temple's resident underdog. He always seems to be shafted by circumstance. This evening was no different. Havoc had to fight and Dario's ultimatum thrust Havoc deeper into the hearts of the Believers. Excellent stroke of storytelling for that moment.

3. Fireman's carry slam from apron to floor

A brutal dose of action from Son of Havoc. That one made me feel Dante Fox's pain.

2. Bodyscissors fence smash

Oh, ffffff. A vicious counter by Son of Havoc. It totally caught me by surprise. This was the move that evened the playing field for Havoc to make it a competitive bout.

1. Super duper dropkick of doom

Definitely a holy moly maneuver. In a match with a snatching backbreaker, reverse suplex into a dragon sleeper, standing shooting star press, cutter into cradle suplex, Northern Lights suplex rollover transition, rewind 'rana, and 630 back splash, my favorite move of the main event was the super duper dropkick of doom from Prince Puma. What a maneuver!

PJ Black sold it perfectly. He was wobbly from a top rope Frankensteiner, then he got blasted by a huge dropkick. It reminded of Bruce Lee kicking fools to send them flying out of the screen. The 630 sealed the deal. Great finish to a fine fight.

Catching up on last week’s poll, 89% of 105 would not eat Marty Martinez’s sandwich. The remaining 11% should be sent Aztec Pride lunchboxes post haste.

I’ll leave you with Autozone’s Hardest Hits featuring the springboard moonsault from PJ Black, despite what the tweet says about the 450 Splash.

Lucha! Lucha! Lucha!