July 25th, 2018
Matt Striker and Vampiro welcome us to the show, hyping the Gift of the Gods title match in tonight’s main event. Sammy Guevara will be in action against Jake Strong next, and doctors could save Famous B’s leg!
Sammy Guevara vs. Jake Strong
This was one of the better squash matches you’ll find, as Strong got a lot in before Sammy got him on the outside, found an advantage, and did a beautiful Moonsault off the balcony. Guevara got to prove what he can do, and I really hope his talent doesn’t get wasted in the Temple. Jake Strong continues to get a very strong reaction, and he’s looked great in every showing so far. Good match here, and I expect big things for Strong moving forward.
Winner: Jake Strong
Match Rating: **3/4
Vinnie Massaro is in the ring, as Antonio Cueto says he should’ve fired him when he took over. If his son, Dario, kept him around, then maybe he knew there was true talent somewhere in Vinnie. As a special reward, Antonio brings out some PIZZA! Except… IT’S PINEAPPLE! Time for another sacrifice.
Sacrifice to the Gods: Vinnie Massaro vs. Matanza Cueto
Vinnie makes the ultimate mistake by slapping Matanza, he then nails a few forearms and goes off the ropes… Only to run for too long and tire himself out, allowing for Matanza to hit a headbutt, and nail the Tour of the Islands ON THE PIZZA! Yet another sacrifice for Matanza, and it’s only a matter of time before someone can actually hang with Matanza, or ultimately defeat him.
Winner: Matanza Cueto
Match Rating: NR
After the match, the Pizza Guy takes Vinnie’s wallet out of his pocket, only for Matanza to murder him, and the sacrifices are complete.
Before the Gift of the Gods, Antonio Cueto announces that there WILL NOT be a six way for the title. Instead it’ll be a three way. There’s going to be a Trio’s match, with the winning team facing off against each other. Ivelisse and Son of Havoc get to pick they’re partner, and they choose The Mack!
Son of Havoc, Ivelisse, and The Mack vs. Dezmond X, King Cuerno, and El Dragon Azteca Jr.
This was a fun tag at times, with a rather abrupt and flat finish. All six got to shine, do some big dives, kicks, and whatnot, but it just didn’t get the time to really become great. Similar to last weeks battle royal, this seemed like more of an extended angle than a match. I would’ve rather just have had a seven way Gift of the Gods match like usual, but change isn’t always a bad thing. King Cuerno got the pin here, and I wouldn’t be shocked if he won the title.
Winners: Dezmond X, King Cuerno, and El Dragon Azteca Jr.
Match Rating: **1/2
After the match, Mil Muertes comes out and attacks Ivelisse, The Mack, and Son of Havoc. Killshot, who was watching the Trios match from the stage, comes down and attacks Son of Havoc, but tries to take out Muertes as well. The dysfunctional Trios Champions angle continues.
Gift of the Gods Championship: Dezmond X vs. King Cuerno vs. El Dragon Azteca Jr.
This was a fun three way, just not on the level of past Gift of the Gods matches. Dezmond X got to shine, and came out the real star here. King Cuerno fell short, but didn’t eat the pin, so you know he’ll be back for more. El Dragon Azteca winning was a shock, as I don’t think anyone saw it coming. The closing stretch was fun, with it seeming like Dezmond X was about to win the title in his first major match. Good stuff here, and it was the best thing on the show.
Winner: El Dragon Azteca Jr.
Match Rating: ***1/4
Marty the Moth is laying down, only for Mariposa to spill a drink onto him. Mariposa says that Marty needs focus, and has wasted his life on other things, and that’s why she did what she did at Ultima Lucha. Marty doesn’t want to take Pentagon’s teeth… He needs the title. Mariposa tells him to stop laying down, and he needs to focus on the Lucha Underground Championship. Oh boy…
Final Thoughts:
This was a pretty good show, and another easy hour to sit through. Again we got four matches, which is definitely something that many promotions couldn’t pull off for a one hour show. Jake Strong continues to dominate, Matanza made another set of sacrifices, Mil Muertes got some revenge, the Trios Champions continue to struggle, El Dragon got a huge win which was very unexpected, and Marty now has his sights set on the title. There’s a lot to go from after this episode, which will lead to an interesting couple of weeks as we move forward. Personally I thought the Gift of the Gods match should just stay a 7 way, but the changes weren’t that much of a problem.
Final Rating: 6.8/10