Lucha Underground (season 2)
The second season of Lucha Underground, a Lucha libre or professional wrestling television show, began on January 27, 2016 and is broadcast on the El Rey Network in the United States. The show chronicles events that take place in the "Lucha Underground Temple". The producers behind Lucha Underground announced that the second season was a reality on September 21.[1] Unlike the first season the second season of Lucha Underground was not picked up by UniMás and thus not broadcast in Mexico. The first episode was taped on November 15, 2015 in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, California.
| Lucha Underground | |
|---|---|
| Season 2 | |
 Official poster for season two | |
| Country of origin | United States of America |
| No. of episodes | 26 |
| Release | |
| Original network | El Rey Network |
| Original release | January 27 – July 20, 2016 |
| Season chronology | |
Plot overview
At the beginning of season two, Lucha Underground Temple owner Dario Cueto (Luis Fernandez-Gil) has been absent from the Temple since the end of season 1 and Catrina (Karlee Perez) has taken charge of the temple, leaving it a "much darker place" as Matt Striker comments during the opening scene. Under her management Lucha Underground Champion Mil Muertes (Gilbert Cosme) and Lucha Underground Trios Champions the Disciples of Death control the operation. In their quest to control everything, Catrina hires King Cuerno to take the Gift of the Gods Championship from Fénix. Fénix defeated Mil Muertes to win the championship, only for Catrina to force him to defend the title during Aztec Warfare II. During the match Cueto dramatically returns, unleashing his brother Matanza on the temple, winning the Lucha Underground Championship in the process. Over the next few weeks, running alongside a tournament for the Lucha Underground Trios Championship, The Monster Matanza Cueto would go on to easily dispatch top technicos in the promotion like Pentagon Jr. and Fenix.[2] Matanza's first real challenge came in the form of the former Lucha Underground Champion Mil Muertes. In their initial encounter, Mil Muertes delivered his finisher, the flatliner, to the Monster which sent both monsters through the roof of Dario Cueto's office. This put both monsters out of commission for several weeks and gave the crowd something that's rare in Lucha Underground, a no-contest finish.[3]
Cast and crew
Episodes
| No. in series |
No. in season |
Title | Taped date | Original air date | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | 1 | "A Much Darker Place" | November 14, 2015 | January 27, 2016 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Luchadors return to compete, but with Dario Cueto on the run, darkness has taken over the temple.
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| 41 | 2 | "The Dark and the Mysterious" | November 14, 2015 | February 3, 2016 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Prince Puma teams with an unlikely partner; Johnny Mundo returns to the temple with his sights set on the championship.
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| 42 | 3 | "The Hunt is On..." | November 15, 2015 | February 10, 2016 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Catrina enlists King Cuerno to help her destroy Fenix; Kobra Moon in her debut faces off against Bengala; Jack Evans versus Drago.
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| 43 | 4 | "Cero Miedo" | November 15, 2015 | February 17, 2016 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Prince Puma takes on Pentagon Jr. for the first time; Rey Mysterio Jr. reveals the Cueto family's history.
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| 44 | 5 | "The Machine" | November 21, 2015 | February 24, 2016 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Johnny Mundo battles the Machine Cage; Texano returns for revenge against Chavo Guerrero and the crew.
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| 45 | 6 | "Gift of the Gods Ladder Match" | November 21, 2015 | March 2, 2016 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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King Cuerno defends his Gift of the Gods Championship against Fenix in a ladder match; Kobra Moon takes on Sexy Star; Pentagon Jr. and Prince Puma face off for the number one contender spot for the Lucha Underground Championship.
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| 46 | 7 | "Death Comes In Threes" | November 22, 2015 | March 9, 2016 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Mil Muertes defends his Lucha Underground Championship in a triple threat match against Prince Puma and Pentagon Jr.
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| 47 | 8 | "Life After Death" | November 22, 2015 | March 16, 2016 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Fenix exchanges his Gift of the Gods Championship for a Lucha Underground Championship Match; the Trios Titles are defended. This episode was dedicated to Eiji "Hayabusa" Ezaki.
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| 48 | 9 | "Aztec Warfare II" | December 12, 2015 | March 23, 2016 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Twenty luchadors compete for the Lucha Underground Championship in the second Aztec Warfare. A few new luchadors debut in the ring.
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| 49 | 10 | "El Jefe is Back" | December 12, 2015 | March 30, 2016 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Dario Cueto returns to the temple and makes the champion defend the Lucha Underground Championship. Mariposa takes on Sexy Star. This episode features the musical guest Chingon.
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| 50 | 11 | "Bird of War" | December 13, 2015 | April 6, 2016 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Trios Tournament begins; Fenix faces the Monster Matanza Cueto for the championship; Famous B seeks his first client; Vampiro fights with his personal demons. This episode features the musical guest El Conjunto Nueva Ola.
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| 51 | 12 | "Three's a Crowd" | December 13, 2015 | April 13, 2016 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Rey Mysterio, Prince Puma and El Dragon Azteca Jr. must compete in the Trios Tournament; Dario Cueto redistributes the Seven Ancient Aztec Medallions and lets a new luchador compete for one. This episode features the musical guest El Conjunto Nueva Ola.
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| 52 | 13 | "Monster meets Monster" | December 13, 2015 | April 20, 2016 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Mil Muertes faces the Monster Matanza Cueto in a title match; an old rivalry is renewed over an Aztec Medallion. This episode features the musical guest El Conjunto Nueva Ola.
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| 53 | 14 | "Cage in a Cage" | December 13, 2015 | April 27, 2016 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Johnny Mundo takes on Cage in a Steel Cage Match for an Aztec Medallion; four teams compete in the Trios Tournament Finals; Pentagon Jr. struggles with his injuries. This episode features the musical guest Bang Data.
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| 54 | 15 | "No Mas" | December 13, 2015 | May 4, 2016 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Sexy Star battles Mariposa for an Aztec Medallion in the first "No Mas" match; Catrina confronts Dario Cueto; Luchadors have matches for the other available Medallions. This episode features the musical guest Bang Data.
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| 55 | 16 | "Graver Consequences" | December 13, 2015 | May 11, 2016 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Mil Muertes battles the Monster Matanza Cueto in a casket match for the Lucha Underground Championship; Triple Threat match between Joey Ryan, Cortez Castro and Mr.Cisco; Rey Mysterio Jr, Dragon Azteca Jr and Prince Puma defend their titles. This episode features the musical guest El Conjunto Nueva Ola.
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| 56 | 17 | "Crime & Punishment" | January 10, 2016 | May 18, 2016 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Seven Luchadors compete for the Gift of the Gods Championship; Cage seeks revenge. This episode features the musical guest El Conjunto Nueva Ola.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 57 | 18 | "Enter The Mundo" | January 17, 2016 | May 25, 2016 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Rey Mysterio, Prince Puma and El Dragon Azteca Jr. defend their Trios Championship; Joey Ryan and Cortez Castro's cover gets blown; The Gift of the Gods Championship is defended. This episode features the musical guest Voodoo Glow Skulls.
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| 58 | 19 | "Judgement Day" | January 17, 2016 | June 1, 2016 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Monster Matanza Cueto defends his title against the Gift of the Gods Champion; The Trios Champions defend their titles. Dragon Azteca Jr. searches for his mentor's killer. This episode features the musical guest Voodoo Glow Skulls.
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| 59 | 20 | "The Contenders" | January 16, 2016 | June 8, 2016 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Drago & Aerostar face Jack Evans and P. J. Black in a Nunchuck Match; Pentagon Jr. returns to the Temple. This episode features the musical guest Voodoo Glow Skulls.
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| 60 | 21 | "Six To Survive" | January 16, 2016 | June 15, 2016 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Six luchadors compete in the first ever Six to Survive Match for a Championship Match at Ultima Lucha Dos. This episode features the musical guest Voodoo Glow Skulls.
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| 61 | 22 | "Fame And Fortune" | January 17, 2016 | June 22, 2016 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 7 Ancient Aztec Medallions are redistributed; Prince Puma addresses the Believers and reveals his plans for Ultima Lucha Dos; new luchador arrives at the Temple. This episode features the musical guest Voodoo Glow Skulls.
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| 62 | 23 | "The Phoenix, the Dragon, and the Spaceman" | January 17, 2016 | June 29, 2016 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Dario Cueto announces a new opportunity that can be won at Ultima Lucha Dos; El Dragon Azteca faces Prince Puma. This episode features the musical guest El Conjunto Nueva Ola.
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| 63 | 24 | "Ultima Lucha Dos Part 1" | January 30, 2016 | July 6, 2016 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Son of Havoc, Cage, Texano and the Mack compete for a unique opportunity where the winner is faced with a career defining decision. This episode features the musical guest El Conjunto Nueva Ola.
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| 64 | 25 | "Ultima Lucha Dos Part 2" | January 31, 2016 | July 13, 2016 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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King Cuerno faces Mil Muertes in a Death Match; 7 Way Gift of the Gods Elimination Match. This episode features the musical guest El Conjunto Nueva Ola.
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| 65 | 26 | "Ultima Lucha Dos Part 3" | January 31, 2016 | July 20, 2016 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Rey Mysterio vs. Prince Puma; Pentagon vs. the Monster Matanza Cueto; Fenix, Drago and Aerostar vs. Worldwide Underground; Ivelisse vs. Taya; El Dragon Azteca Jr. vs. Black Lotus. This episode features the musical guest El Conjunto Nueva Ola.
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Reception
Critical reception
Lucha Underground's second season has received a mixed reception critically compared to the first, with more fans and professional wrestling media outlets aware of the product in its sophomore season. Loyal Lucha Underground fans have commended its storytelling and match quality, as well as its portrayal of women's wrestling, which some consider to be revolutionary while others remain uncomfortable with the concept of women wrestling men (particularly when the male opponent is a much larger and more powerful fighter, cf., Taya vs Cage)[6] At Prowrestling.net, journalists Will Pruett and John Moore who were huge proponents of Lucha Underground's initial direction have criticized the second part of Season 2 as being both deflating and unorganized. Will Pruett in particular has stated that "Where Lucha Underground failed in 2016 was their storytelling. They didn’t support these great matches and moments wrestlers created in The Temple. They didn’t honor the experiences they wanted fans to have. The structure of the show felt fragmented, with far fewer episodes naturally leading into the next."[7] PwTorch.com contributor Joel Dehnel has praised Lucha Underground for being "capable of doing some really great things" but "They are going to the well too many times in these matches with having no rules and high spots in the crowd that ultimately lead to nothing." He also stated that "they have gotten away far too many times with stories that make no sense and matches that are about entertaining the fans instead of telling a great story through visuals."[8]
Ratings
| Episode | First run viewership | Repeat viewership | Change from previous | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| s2e1 | 130,000 | 105,000 | n/a | [9] |
| s2e2 | 125,000 | 76,000 | -6% | [10] |
| s2e3 | 136,000 | 81,000 | +8% | [11] |
| s2e4 | 152,000 | 52,000 | +6% | [12] |
| s2e5 | 99,000 | 62,000 | -21% | [13] |
| s2e6 | 124,000 | 63,000 | +16% | [14] |
| s2e7 | 95,000 | 41,000 | -27% | [15] |
| s2e8 | 100,000 | 57,000 | +15% | [16] |
| s2e9 | 163,000 | 69,000 | +48% | [17] |
| s2e10 | 159,000 | 63,000 | -4% | [18] |
| s2e11 | 156,000 | 78,000 | +5% | [19] |
| s2e12 | 139,000 | 66,000 | -12% | [20] |
| s2e13 | 149,000 | 49,000 | -3% | [21] |
| s2e14 | 107,000 | 52,000 | -20% | [22] |
| s2e15 | 138,000 | 42,000 | +12% | [23] |
| s2e16 | 96,000 | 42,000 | -2% | [24] |
| s2e17 | 127,000 | 37,000 | -7% | [25] |
| s2e18 | 114,000 | 68,000 | +11% | [26] |
| s2e19 | 111,000 | 40,000 | -17% | [27] |
| s2e20 | 85,000 | 61,000 | -3% | [28] |
| s2e21 | 89,000 | 39,000 | -12% | [29] |
| s2e22 | 104,000 | 62,000 | +30% | [30] |
| s2e23 | 116,000 | 103,000 | +32% | [31] |
| s2e24 | 104,000 | 39,000 | -35% | [32] |
| s2e25 | 108,000 | 56,000 | +14.7% | [33] |
| s2e26 | 180,000 | 43,000 | +8% | [34] |
References
- "Believers, are you ready? #LuchaUnderground season 2 is coming in 2016!". Twitter. September 21, 2015. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
- Moore, John. "4/6 Moore's Lucha Underground TV Review: Matanza Cueto vs. Fenix for the Lucha Underground Title, Prince Puma says his first words, Sexy Star strikes back – Pro Wrestling Dot Net". prowrestling.net. Retrieved July 23, 2016.
- Moore, John (April 20, 2016). "4/20 Moore's Lucha Underground TV Review: Matanza Cueto vs. Mil Muertes for the Lucha Underground Championship, The Disciples of Death vs. Fenix, Jack Evans, and PJ Black, AeroStar vs. Drago for an Aztec Medallion – Pro Wrestling Dot Net". prowrestling.net. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
- Peeples, Jeremy (January 27, 2016). "Lucha Underground Results: Season 2 Kicks off with an Intergender world title match". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
- Dehnel, Joel (January 27, 2016). "1/27 Lucha Underground Report - Season 2 returns with LU Title match, new champion, more". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
- Alexandra Irving. "Masks Not Mascara: Lucha Underground Revolutionizing Women's Wrestling | Bleacher Report". bleacherreport.com. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
- "Pruett's Blog: Falling out of love with Lucha Underground – What went so wrong with season two? – Pro Wrestling Dot Net". prowrestling.net. Retrieved July 23, 2016.
- "7/20 Lucha Underground Results - Dehnel's Report on "Ultima Lucha Dos" conclusion - Rey Mysterio vs. Prince Puma, LU Title match, new Trios champs -". July 21, 2016. Retrieved July 23, 2016.
- Caldwell, James (February 2, 2016). "1/27 Lucha Underground Season Premiere viewers & DVR Update". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved March 23, 2016.
- Caldwell, James (February 11, 2016). "2/3 Lucha Underground Viewers & DVR Update". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved March 23, 2016.
- Caldwell, James (February 11, 2016). "2/10 Lucha Underground Viewers – Week 3 matches season premiere". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved March 23, 2016.
- Caldwell, James (February 18, 2016). "2/17 Lucha Underground Viewers – Week 4 up & down". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved March 23, 2016.
- Caldwell, James (February 25, 2016). "2/24 Lucha Underground Viewers – big tumble following Impact". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved March 23, 2016.
- Caldwell, James (March 3, 2016). "3/2 Lucha Underground Viewership – Week 6 rebounds, but ranks #2 least-watched". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved March 23, 2016.
- Caldwell, James (March 10, 2016). "3/9 Lucha Underground Viewers – Week 7 falls to 2016 low-point". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved March 23, 2016.
- Caldwell, James (March 17, 2016). "3/16 Lucha Underground Viewers – improvement from year-low". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved March 24, 2016.
- Caldwell, James (March 24, 2016). "3/23 Lucha Underground viewers – audience surges 48 percent for Rey & Aztec Warfare". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved March 24, 2016.
- "3/30 Lucha Underground Viewers - Audience ranks #2 behind last week's record show -". pwtorch.com. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
- "4/6 Lucha Underground Viewers - new total audience record -". pwtorch.com. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
- "4/13 Lucha Underground Viewers - Streak snapped, but remains above average -". pwtorch.com. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
- "4/20 Lucha Underground Viewership - mixed bag result -". pwtorch.com. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
- "4/27 Lucha Underground viewership falls 20 percent -". pwtorch.com. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
- "5/4 Lucha Underground Viewership - rebound from last week, mixed bag overall -". pwtorch.com. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
- "5/11 Lucha Underground Viewership - big shift in how LU arrived at nearly same audience as last week -". pwtorch.com. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
- "5/18 Lucha Underground Viewership - mixed bag performance -". pwtorch.com. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
- "5/25 Lucha Underground Viewership - most total viewers in one month -". pwtorch.com. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
- "6/1 Lucha Underground Viewership - Wed. show falls to three-month low -". pwtorch.com. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
- "6/8 Lucha Underground viewers - was LU affected by the "NXT Takeover" special? -". pwtorch.com. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
- "6/15 Lucha Underground Viewers - how did the one-match show fare? -". pwtorch.com. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
- "6/22 Lucha Underground TV viewers - most total viewers in one month -". pwtorch.com. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
- "6/29 Lucha Underground Viewers - big surge in this week's audience on El Rey Network -". pwtorch.com. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
- "7/6 Lucha Underground Viewers - "Ultima Lucha Dos" off to slow start -". pwtorch.com. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
- "7/13 Lucha Underground Viewers - Week 2 of "Ultima Lucha Dos" improves, plus DVR audience -". pwtorch.com. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
- "7/20 Lucha Underground Viewership - Audience for "Ultima Lucha Dos" conclusion -". pwtorch.com. Retrieved November 11, 2016.