Tope 10: Lucha Underground (Aug. 30, 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 that 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 recap and reactions.

10. Number one superfan

During Sexy Star's match with Joey Ryan, Taya came down ringside to "cheer" on her current nuisance of a nemesis. Taya trotted around with a sign while chanting annoyingly loud. The hip shake in that GIF gives me a chuckle.

I pumped to see the Sexy Star vs Taya feud have a blow off. I don't have a strong feeling about Sexy in regular matches, but she brings the heat in brawls. Taya is no stranger to stiffness. She's been machine pressed through tables and battled Jeremiah Crane, which is no day at the spa. These two luchadoras should tear the house down when they finally duke it out in an official contest.

9. Back to the rabbit hole

During the setup to the Boyle Heights Biker Brawl, Paul London swooped in to sneak Mascarita Sagrada away from the action. Cradling Mascarita was a funny visual. It will be interesting to see if Mascarita finally embraces the Rabbit Tribe. I hope he does.

8. “Areola toss”

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Astute call by Matt Striker. Sexy Star grabbed Joey Ryan by the chest hair to toss him all over the ring. Vintage Striker made that humorous quip using his unique freak style. That's why he's my favorite commentator in the game today.

7. Future contests

This week set the slate moving forward. With three more episodes until a four week Ultima Lucha Tres extravaganza, long simmering feuds seem to be reaching their point of conclusion. A Five-0 street brawl for an Aztec medallion between Cortez Castro and Joey Ryan will be next week. Matanza vs Rey Mysterio will be in episode 100, which I believe will be in two weeks. Fenix accepted the mask vs hair challenge from Marty Martinez for Ultima Lucha Tres. I'm excited to see all three.

Plus, we still have fiery feuds such as Taya vs Sexy Star, Killshot vs Dante Fox, Aerostar vs Drago and the Reptile Tribe, Cage vs Mil Muertes, and maybe even the long awaited Ivelisse vs Catrina, which was announced in the season opener but with unknown status due to an injury to Ivelisse. Being that Ultima Lucha Tres was filmed with an uncertainty of a season four, all current feuds should be settled and settled good by season’s end. Also add in exciting stars that currently appear directionless, such as Jeremiah Crane, Pentagon DARK, and El Dragon Azteca Jr. The next seven weeks will be lit.

6. Full circle

One of the strong points in Lucha Underground has been their ability to tell stories by planting seeds with minor details. It is always nice when they connect those dots in the future.

On the surface, a match between Son of Madness and Mascarita Sagrada seems like a way for Madness to punish anyone associated with Son of Havoc. Then Mascarita entered with his Invisible Cult Motor Club (ICMC) vest given to him by Havoc. Now, the fight is not only about the beef between Madness and Havoc but also the ICMC against a fake member in Mascarita. It would be easy to forget about the kutte, but paying attention to details brings extra layers of emotion. Credit for that. I love it when a story comes together.

5. Foot prints

A Looney Tunes moment. I assume those double stomp foot prints are legit, since Son of Madness is kind of pasty and the Temple floor is most likely dirty. (I doubt Dario Cueto shells out money for someone to clean. Just look how dirty the bathroom usually is.) But they were huge. Does Havoc have size 34 feet?

4. Back body drop, broken neck?

Son of Havoc back body dropped Son of Madness up into the steel fencing of the elevated bleacher area. The move itself looked painful, however, the camera picture made me question if Madness broke his neck. The bottom of the screen cut off the fall to the floor. Madness' neck looked to be at a precarious angle during descent. It added to the illusion wrestling strives to create.

3. Bottle smash

A fitting end to the Biker Brawl. Son of Havoc smashed the bottle on the head of Son of Madness then followed up with a shooting star press for victory. The special effects were great. The sound of breaking glass and the visual of it shattering made the moment neat.

Earlier, Son of Madness checked to make sure the bottle was truly empty. Been there, done that. Well, not quite. I've checked for that last sip the morning after of my own bottles but never a random trash bottle. That's madness and probably why he's called Son of Madness.

2. Slingshot stomp

That looked brutal. Son of Madness flung himself with fury to crash down upon Son of Havoc. The awkwardness enhanced the perceived effect of impact. I agree with Vampiro's utterance of, "Whoa!!!" It was my favorite maneuver of the show this week.

1. For the family

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That was a crackerjack opening scene. In a chat with Matanza, Dario explained that Rey Mysterio humiliated the Cueto family legacy via 619 to Dario's dome last week. Now, Rey must pay. In two weeks, we'll be getting Rey vs Matanza as the main event of episode 100. Dario then set the tone for the match. He wants Matanza to destroy Rey. That bout should be intense.

Great reaction by Matanza to the good news. If you've seen dogs playing tug of war, you'll know that sometimes they will whip their head and body side to side in an effort to pry the object free. Matanza had similar movements when shaking on the cage. It reminded me how animalistic Matanza can be.

Catching up on last week’s poll, 21% of 52 votes enjoyed the camera production of last week’s episode. 31%, plus myself, did not. 48% didn’t notice any difference. Thankfully, for my tastes, it felt like this week returned to their normal production. I was worried for a bit.

How does this week's Tope 10 stack up to your list? Any favorites not included? Assuming no rematch vs Matanza, who do you want to see Rey Mysterio wrestle at Ultima Lucha Tres? If you were late to the viewing party, feel free to share your thoughts about anything in the episode.

I’ll leave you with a promo from Mariposa. It was released last weekend, but it is still fresh and worthy of discussion. This week’s episode didn’t make its appeal void.

There are some important details to digest in Mariposa’s promo. Marty is only half-blood, not pure. I wonder if that is the reason for his craziness. They’ve hinted at an incestuous relationship before, and now Mariposa straight up confirmed it for the future. “Keep it all in the family. His perfect butterfly is already here. The Mariposa.” I can’t wait to see that child all grown up in season 25 of Lucha Underground.

Lucha! Lucha! Lucha!