Marty’s mass murdering influences, Taya’s thoughts on intergender wrestling and more from Lucha Underground at SDCC

Lucha Underground talent participated at San Diego Comic Con this past weekend. There were three main sessions. Thankfully, GammaRay TV provided video for those of us not able to attend. The Lucha Underground spots are spread throughout one 10 hour video on Twitch.

Note: Between my slow typing and Twitch being a pain in the butt when trying to rewind, my patience for choice quote transcription quickly evaporated. Thus, the following is paraphrased from my chicken scratch notes.

First up was a group panel (2:49 of the video) with Chavo Guerrero Jr., Marty Martinez, PJ Black, and Taya.

Oh, Taya now has short hair.

She looks fluffy. Fluffy royalty. I wonder if Prince Presley will be jealous of her new look.

Here are some highlights of the panel that stuck out to me.

PJ Black’s Broken Legs

If you haven’t yet heard, PJ Black broke his legs not once but twice between Lucha Underground seasons. After base jumping accidents, he was put back together with steel plates and 28 screws. Doctors said he would never wrestle again. It took 6 months to relearn walking and another 2 months for jumping. PJ Black evolved his wrestling style to include more power and technician moves, but he still gets caught up in high-flying when he is in front of a crowd.

I’m interested to see PJ Black’s new style in the Lucha Underground ring. I’m not sure if he’ll have a chance during faction warfare with the Reptile Tribe, but maybe later in the season. I wonder if they will work in a bionic legs gimmick. Hopefully he’ll be safe on his next jump.

Character Influences

Marty Martinez cited Joker due to the script calling for a maniacal laugh. Marty also looked to serial killers for inspiration; Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy, and anyone who could mingle in society but also have someone in the basement being tortured.

PJ Black gets moves from comic books. A friend and he wonder if moves are possible to perform, then he practices until he can pull it off. Jackie Chan is another source.

Taya credited sexpot badasses like Cersei from Game of Thrones and Maleficent from the Sleeping Beauty tale. Taya looks at many forms of entertainment to influence costumes, the way she walks, and entrances.

Hearing those answers explains why each of them are so good at what they do. The Moth is beyond creepy at times that I question how deep Marty’s research has been. Dude better be careful not to fall of the wagon of sanity.

I’m not a comic book reader, so I have no clue what moves they contain. Does PJ Black flip the pages so he can see the moves?

Sexpot badass is a very apt description of Taya’s wrestling character. I’d like to know who influenced her walk. I usually get a chuckle out of the way she stomps around.

Intergender Wrestling

Taya mentioned that intergender wrestling still makes people uncomfortable, but she’s not sure why. Lucha Underground is a fantasy world. Take it for what it is and be entertained. Women’s wrestling has elevated their level of talent. You can’t deny they are as good as they are. Credit to Lucha Undegrorund for giving them the platform.

PJ Black chimed in about how wrestling is evolving. There was the Attitude Era, Reality Era, and now the Superhero Era. Everyone is kicking ass and having fun.

I can understand why some fans may be uneasy with intergender wrestling. I’ve seen comments about it bringing back memories of abuse. That’s certainly a reasonable point of view. I don’t think Taya is referring to that scenario when she says she’s not sure why it makes some people uncomfortable.

As for myself, I’m mixed on intergender wrestling, and it has nothing to do with gender. I’m not a fan of the size difference. While the ladies are just as tough as the men, it is hard for me to get sucked into the illusion sometimes. It was the same when Rey Mysterio would consistently defeat giants.

I don’t have any issue with intergender wrestling in Lucha Underground. I think it works for two reasons. First, most of the men are not that much larger than the women. And if there is a big size difference, the smaller person gets handled. Cage vs Taya is an example. They didn’t try to pretend there was no power advantage. Second, Taya is right that it is a fantasy world. Anything can happen, so it gives me a different mindset as a viewer. I don’t think I would feel the same if WWE tried intergender wrestling as something more than a novelty.

Other interesting topics were the new Temple venue, what goes into a perfect finishing maneuver, and benefits of Lucha Underground being a TV show about wrestling. It was about a 20 minute conversation. I would recommend watching/listening as a secondary activity while doing chores or cooking.

Next up was game time (3:56 in the video). Superfight was advertised but Mario Kart on the Nintendo Switch was what ended up being broadcast. Taya and Marty Martinez were the Lucha Underground stars involved. Nothing of importance was discussed. They mostly concentrated on playing.

Last but not least was an interview with Marty Martinez (5:31 of the video).

The Tights & Fights conversation was approximately 20 minutes. Some points that stuck out to me were:

• Marty’s grandpa was a big fan of wrestling. Marty first noticed wrestling on TV when the NWO was beating someone up. Marty bought his grandpa’s house to keep it in the family.
• Marty was a stock broker for 10 years.
• Marty traveled from Utah to different Tough Enough tryouts. Big Show noticed him showing up at different cities and helped Marty get an audition.
• Marty had seven staples after the Weapons of Mass Destruction match.

Other topics include getting started in wrestling, WWE Tough Enough, and Marty’s YouTube channel. If you are interested in Marty Martinez, then you will enjoy the interview.

That’s a wrap until next year’s San Diego Comic Con. Who would be your influences if you became a wrestler? What makes the perfect finishing move? How do you feel about intergender wrestling?