We begin in Dario's office. A knock is heard and Angelico enters. He wants Johnny Mundo, even if the title isn't on the line. Dario says that Johnny's lawyer is preventing it. Angelico says he could lawyer up due to getting jumped twice while working for Dario. He threatens Dario but Dario says that he can get his hands on Mundo if he wins the "Battle of the Bulls" tournament that begins tonight. Angelico seems to like this and leaves.
Matt Striker and Vampiro run down the tournament. There will be four fatal four way matches and the winners all meet in a four way to determine a number one contender.
Battle of the Bulls Tournament: Cage def. Dr. Wagner Jr. w/ Brenda and Famous B, Joey Ryan and Texano in 8:34
Famous B was attacked while doing the introduction of Dr. Wagner Jr. Like most LU multi-man matches, this was worked at a pretty quick pace. We got to see more of Texano vs. Cage. Cage busted out a sweet moonsault from the top rope because HE'S A MACHINE! Famous B's "don't cheer for this meatheat" was perfect. Ryan tried to sneak in some offense but jumped right into a jackhammer from Cage. There's a great tower of doom spot where Cage powerbombs Texano and Wagner, who double superplex Ryan. I missed the finish itself but it seems like Cage stole it from Texano, adding fuel to their rivalry. This was fun. ***
Dario talks to Sexy Star in his office. He says that he likes how she is a fighter and believes the Worldwide Underground stole the title with her. He offers her a one on one match with PJ Black, the only member of the group she hasn't faced. If she wins, she gets a shot at Mundo and doesn't have to enter the Battle of the Bulls tournament. Her match with Mundo would be a Steel Cage one as well, but if she doesn't beat PJ, she never gets another shot at the title.
Officer Reyes sees his boss and admits that Dario knows he's undercover. She trusts him and needs him in the temple. Since his cover is blown, she wants him to go in deeper. When his arm heals, she wants him to return under a mask.
Sexy Star def. PJ Black in 6:27
This was mostly standard stuff from both. PJ was an arrogant prick throughout, while Sexy played the resilient underdog. It did feature an awesome spot where Sexy went for a super rana but PJ rolled through into a Styles Clash for a near fall. As Sexy began her comeback, Jack Evans showed up. He distracted the referee but it backfired and Sexy rolled PJ up to win. Nothing to write home about but both participants played their roles well. **1/4
Kobra Moon explains that her tribe was led by three generals and they were great. Two remain and I believe they were with her. They're also dressed like snakes. The one who deserted then was Drago and she wants them to bring him back.
Dario tries to convince Matanza to join the tournament but he just wants Rey. Dario says that Rey is injured right now. Matanza brings him in for a hug but pulls him face first into the steel bars. With Dario out cold, Matanza reaches for the key.
Battle of the Bulls Tournament: The Mack def. Dragon Azteca Jr., Marty Martinez and Mil Muertes w/ Catrina
Four unique characters. The interactions between them were great. Mil was the powerhouse, Marty was strange and brought great character work, Mack played a really fun babyface and Azteca flew all over the place. Mil speared Marty off the apron and onto both Mack and Azteca at one point. Mil's dominance got subdued by an offensive onslaught from the other three men in the match. Unfortunately, my feed cut out during this match and I only saw that the Mack won and nothing more.
Overall: 7/10. I'd say this was a fun episode. What I saw of the tournament matches were both pretty fun and featured some unique interactions. Sexy/PJ was fine and the segments throughout the show told a good story and advanced several things.
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