Introduction
Now this is going to seem weird as a ranking list but trust me, Lucha Underground was something else. Despite airing its last episode in 2018, Lucha Underground is definitely a very fun way to get into watching wrestling. I say this because it merged Mexican wrestling, or Lucha Libre, with mental Hollywood storylines and effects. With people being raised from the dead, explosions, or just the concept of the show and promotion. So, what better way is there to celebrate its legacy than to rank the best Lucha Underground episodes? Before I get into the list, here’s some history about the show.
History – Best Lucha Underground Episodes
Lucha Underground first aired in 2014 on the El Rey Network and ran for 4 seasons, with 127 episodes. The premise of the show was simple: a mysterious promoter, Daris Cueto, had acquired a massive temple and was making some of the best independent wrestlers in the world wrestle and fight each other for championships and pride. However, if that sounds boring, get ready to think again. Because what set Lucha Underground apart was its incorporation of cinematic elements as it opted for an insane approach to wrestling, rather than the more sports based presentation of other promotions.
This was seen in some of the characters, like Prince Puma, Pentagon Dark, Drago and Matanza Cueto, who all were presented like they came off the pages of a Marvel comic. Also, whether it was the hugely entertaining tournaments and matches (looking at you, Aztec Warfare), or that it often ended up with intergender wrestling, Lucha Underground really deserved better showrunners and less dodgy contracts, which played a role in its cancellation. Anyway, enough with the history: here are the best episodes of Lucha Underground ranked.
Best Lucha Underground Episodes – Top Ten
10. Last Man or Machine Standing (S4, E11)
Kicking off the list of the best Lucha Underground episodes is Last Man or Machine Standing. Remember what I said about Lucha Underground being over the top? Well, allow me to introduce you to two wrestlers who will appear very frequently in this list: Pentagon Dark and Cage. In this episode, these two have a last-man-standing match, which is fairly self explanatory. Other highlights include The Mack vs Mil Muertes in a Haunted House match, Johnny having a wedding shower with Taya, and Rosa continuing to influence Ricky. If you’re looking for a distillation of what made Lucha Underground great, this is a great episode to watch.
9. No Mas (S2, E15)
Well, this is a fairly ironic title in hindsight isn’t it? Throughout the episode, Sexy Star, Mariposa and many other wrestlers are competing for Aztec Medallions, which grant a shot at the Gift of the Gods title. That’s an incredibly long story short, as it’s all very silly matches that show the hybrid of Lucha Underground’s mainstream wrestling stories and its bonkers mythology. Oh also, Catrina confronts Dario Cueto, the corrupt authority figure and owner of the Temple the wrestlers fight in. Again, this episode showcases the chaotic nature of Lucha Underground.
8. Graver Consequences (S2, E16)
There’s some lovely continuity with the previous episode here. Also, it’s a very apt pun title. So what is the title referring to? A coffin match between Mil Muertes and Dario Cueto’s monstrous brother, Matanza Cueto. So to quickly get you up to speed on Matanza, he is Dario’s brother who chooses to wear a mask and who eventually gets killed off in the final season. Wow, that’s a lot to digest and that’s even before I mention the two triple threat matches. Man, Lucha Underground was absolutely the most chaotic promotion in its day. And this is definitely worthy of our list of the best Lucha Underground episodes.
7. Ultima Lucha Dos – Part 1 (S2, E24)
This is the second time Lucha Underground did this type of tournament. And even by its standards, there’s so much chaos. It starts as a falls-count-anywhere match between Cage and The Mack. Then, it devolves into a bar fight match between Son of Havoc and Texano. Before, it became another falls-count-anywhere match between Son of Havoc and The Mack. And surely after this mini tournament of madness, you’re thinking what could top all of this? A regular one-on-one match between Dr Wagner Jr. and Son of Havoc. And breathe… Yes, I appreciate that’s a lot of names but my god, Season 2 is arguably Lucha Underground at its peak. Hence this episode sitting at #7 on our list.
6. UltimaLucha – Part 1 (S1, E38)
Speaking of UltimaLucha, this is the first event which launched the annual two week insanity fest. And it will also cause deja vu as The Cage and The Mack have a falls-count-anywhere match. Also, the trio’s titles are on the line between DOD and Team Havoc. Oh, if that all sounds relatively calm get ready for this, because Drago and Hernandez fight in a Believer’s Backlash match. What’s that? Well to save you the Google search, it’s a one-on-one match with other people at ringside, with leather straps who can whip either competitor. So, yeah this is a fantastic example of the insanity that was UltimaLucha.
Best Lucha Underground Episodes – Top Five
5. Crossing The Border (S1, E3)
What makes this episode is that it has some great setup for the rest of the show. This is because Konnan, the promoter of a partner promotion AAA, brings in some great wrestlers. And there’s a typically chaotic match between Pentagon Jr (same person as Pentagon Dark), Drago, and Fenix to end this episode. Oh also, there’s a hilarious part between Chavo and Konnan where he threatens Chavo that the whole of Mexico is coming after him. Like, how am I supposed to react? Well, at least I can insert this as #5 on our rankings of the best episodes of Lucha Underground!
4. Aztec Warfare (S1, E9)
So with a name like Aztec Warfare, you’re probably thinking of some mad match idea. And you’d be pretty right. So, Dario Cueto has decided to put 20 of the best Lucha Underground wrestlers in a match where falls count anywhere, there’s no disqualification and fighters can get away with some mad stuff. So what’s at stake for the wrestlers in this match? Well, the honour of becoming the inaugural Lucha Underground champion. And there’s also something about the match being symbolic of how the ancient Aztecs went to war for survival and to determine the strongest.
Best Lucha Underground Episodes – Top Three
3. Trios Champions (S1, E24)
Now a hugely important part of Lucha Underground was its Trios Titles, which normally saw teams of two men and a woman fight each other for the gold. This episode sees the crowning of the first Trios Champions. Basically, Dario Cueto being the absolute douche that he was decides that Son of Havoc, Ivelisse and Angelico’s win wasn’t actually the final but instead the semi final. But unfortunately, due to the scripted nature of wrestling (shocking I know), Cueto can’t stop the team from winning and becoming inaugural champions. If you’re more a fan of car crash 2010s style WWE, this is definitely the episode for you. But it doesn’t quite top our rankings of the best episodes of Lucha Underground.
2. Shoots and Ladders (S1, E28)
Now creative title aside, this is a fantastic episode of Lucha Underground. It sees the aforementioned Trios champions, Son Of Havoc, Ivelisse and Angelico, forced to defend their titles in a ladder match against The Crew: Bael, Mr Cisco and Cortez Castro. That’s already some great stakes before you consider the champions are wrestling injured, with Ivelisse having her arm in a cast. All of this makes for some wonderful scripted, fun, chaotic wrestling.
Lucha Underground Episode
1. All Night Long (S1, E32)
And topping our list of the best episodes of Lucha Underground is… All Night Long! So, what makes this episode so good? Well, the entire reason the episode is called All Night Long. Basically, it seems fairly standard, with Prince Puma defending the title he won in Aztec Warfare against Johnny Mundo in what seems like a normal match. However, Dario Cueto pops up and adds a stipulation to the match. He makes it so the wrestler who has the most pinfalls or submissions on their opponent would be the Lucha Underground champion. This naturally adds a large amount of intrigue to what is a predetermined contest. A worthy episode to top the list of the best Lucha Underground episodes.
