SEASON 1 / EPISODE 16

It’s the middle of summer and it’s time for your weekly dose of “XTREME BLOG”!  This week on “Lucha Xtreme” ”Mr. GMSI” opens the episode with a promo proclaiming that he is the owner of the spotlight and is destined to win the Lucha Xtreme World Championship belt.  He called out Chavo Guerrero, and Homicide saying they are the “past” and he is the “future”.  Brian Cage doesn’t lack strength, skill, or confidence, it seems.

The “Mexican Werewolf” El Chupacabra takes on highflying D-torch in the first match.  D-Torch was escorted to the ring by his “Valet” Savanah Riley.  This match was fast paced and full of great Lucha Xtreme Wrestling Entertainment style wrestling.  Every time Chupacabra wrestles, he brings exciting moves to the ring.  Some highlights were his “Border sweep to Badlands Bomb” and his “Blackout,” both of which took its toll on D-Torch.  D-Torch had the crowd behind him and Savanah cheering him on.  D-Torch almost got the pin with a rolling neckbreaker, but Chupacabra still had the stamina to kick out.  Chupacabra won the match after reversing D-Torch’s “GOJIRA” Driver and hitting him with the “Adios Powerbomb”.  Chupacabra not only is intimidating with those animal eyes and fangs, but he can be ferocious in the ring as well.

The second match had the “INS Legacy” member Brian Tannen wrestling “Pizza Man” Vinnie Massaro.  I guess INS has issues with Italians now?  Tannen might have had a size advantage, but Vinnie had experience and the fans on his side.  The fans were chanting “PIZZA PIZZA” and Vinnie was giving his taunt “Aye!”  Tannen showed his strength by bodyslamming “Pizza Man” and shoulder tackling him in the corner.  Vinnie used his skills in the ring to work over Tannen’s left arm and shoulders like pizza dough.  Near the end of the match “Pizza Man”  hit Tannen with a special delivery in the corner and then went up top to moonsault his way to victory.  Like clockwork, out came JR Kratos to bail out his “INS Legacy” partner.  Before he could get to the ring, El Mariachi, sick of “INS” harassment, attacked JR Kratos, creating a 4-man melee and causing a disqualification.  “Pizza Man” gets the win with Tannen disqualified.

The next match kicked the action up another notch higher as “INS Enforcer” JR Kratos faces off against LX U.S. Champ, El Mariachi, who he beefed with just minutes before.  This match had a lot on the line, including the title, and there was bad blood from the earlier brawl.  JR Kratos entered first to the crowd’s boos.  El Mariachi entered wearing the LX United States Championship belt dancing to the crowd’s cheers.  Kratos starts off with fast-paced, power-based wrestling, wrecking the Champion.  El Mariachi fights back with a hurricanrana sending Kratos rolling out of the ring.  Mariachi follows Kratos outside the ring, brawling with him before Kratos whips El Mariachi into the ringpost.  Mariachi then catches the “INS Enforcer” on the top ropes tossing him into the ring.  El Mariachi was set to win after belly-to-back suplexing JR Kratos, but Brian Tannen entered into the studio and pushed El Mariachi, who was climbing to the top of the corner.  El Mariachi holds onto his title, winning by DQ.  When the “INS Legacy” tried to extract border justice on El Mariachi, “Pizza Man” Vinnie Massaro ran to the ring armed with a chair and a slice of pizza hanging from his mouth.  That was the second time Pizza and Mariachi teamed up against “INS Legacy” during this episode.  Could this be a new tag team?

Returning to Lucha Xtreme Wrestling Entertainment after seeing him at the “Showdown in ‘No Town” was Homicide, a participant in the night’s elimination match for the LX World Championship title.  He faced Brian Cage, who now had his chance to back up his smack talk from the earlier promo.  Homicide brings an element of the streets into the ring, using questionable tactics like biting Brian Cage’s ear and choking him with a cameraman’s cable.  Homicide also used his vast technical experience to take apart Cage’s arm and shoulder, wearing the fan favorite down.  But Cage is no pushover, as he hit Homicide with his signature move, the GMSI.  Usually that is enough for a win, but Homicide hits back with a legsweeping facebuster and a neckbreaker.  Both wrestlers were stunned when the bell was rung ending the match.  It seems that the match went to the 10 minute time limit resulting in a no contest.  You could sense the confusion and frustration on Cage’s face as he thought he was going to win the match for sure.  Things then got even more bizarre when Wiseguy ran to the ring to start yelling in Homicide’s face.  Homicide responded by throwing a water bottle at the still stunned Brian Cage.  What a crazy match, with no winner!  You know Brian Cage won’t let this go and probably will do everything in his power to get another shot at the contender spot.

So this week a Werewolf wins, “INS Legacy” still causes trouble and DQs, El Mariachi still holds his title, and Cage vs. Homicide ends without a contender decided.  I hope next week we can see a wrestler step up and take the next contender spot in the elimination tournament.  Until then please follow us @luchaxtreme on twitter and like us at facebook.com/LuchaXtreme.  Check out LX TV on LuchaXtreme.com and watch us every Saturday night 8 PM on KAIL-TV My 7.1 (Comcast Channel 13/713 HD, DISH Network, DirecTV, and AT&T U-verse Channel 53.)  Also visit LuchaXtreme.com to buy your tickets to the next “Lucha Xtreme” TV tapings, coming to the Lucha Xtreme Studios in downtown Fresno on Saturday, August 11.The heat is on this summer, stay cool with Lucha Xtreme Wrestling Entertainment.  This is yer blogger, Byron Rush saying “Blog ya later!”

SEASON 1 / EPISODE 15

Hello “Lucha Xtreme” fans!  This week on episode 15, we got a dose of the Chupacabras in the form of a promo.  The beast from beyond the border, Supercabra, is muscular and massive, wearing his green luchador mask with blazing red eyes.  “Mexican Werewolf” El Chupacabra, definitely looks like a bloodsucker with fangs and green and white face paint.  El Chupacabra claimed they were the best in Lucha Xtreme Wrestling Entertainment and that “The weak will become meat for the strong to eat!”

The first match featured “INS Enforcer” JR Kratos and newcomer LJ Summers.  It’s a rough day when your debut bout is against the “INS Enforcer.”  Kratos, escorted to the ring by “INS Legacy” Brian Tannen, wasted no time in dominating the match, gorilla-pressing LJ and showing off his incredible strength.

  Kratos loves inflicting pain, and being especially cruel, he threw LJ Summers into the Tree-of-Woe and proceeded to step onto LJ’s most delicate of areas.  Ouch!  Kratos continued to abuse and toy with Summers like a pawn in a violent chess game.  His partner, Tannen also took every opportunity to get his kicks in too.  L.J did manage a brief comeback, landing an impressive missile dropkick.  But, it was too little too late once Kratos powerbombed LJ and hit him with his signature “IMMIGRATOR” spear.  Kratos racked up another victory by easily pinning the stunned LJ Summers.

Next up was a match between “Submission Machine” Bobby Hart and Native American “Primal Warrior”.

  Primal Warrior, in face paint, had his hands full against Bobby Hart, but that’s not to say he wasn’t a good wrestler.  He kept up very well using all of his weight to combat the ruthless Hart.  Bobby all throughout the match continued to wear down and take his opponent apart like a surgeon.  Primal Warrior always battled back like a true warrior, even almost getting the pin with a bridging suplex, and then went off the top ropes with a flying elbow that missed Hart and stunned the Primal Warrior.  Hart then seized the opportunity to sweep the fatigued Primal to the mat and neck-cranked his way to a win via submission.  Like a machine the cold and calculating Bobby Hart marches his way through the roster at “Lucha Xtreme.”

The 3rd match of the night was a tag-team match with The Suburban Commandos versus the Chupacabras.  D-Unit of the Commandos had the size advantage over the “Mexican Werewolf” El Chupacabra, but Chupacabra is incredibly fast and has animal-like reflexes and hit D-Unit with his “Border Sweep to Badlands Bomb.”

 That is one of the things that sets Chupacabra apart from other wrestlers, is his incredible move set.  Chupacabra tagged in Supercabra and they double teamed D-Unit. Supercabra is a big wrestler with enormous upper body strength and is like a vicious pit bull in the ring.  He was very agile for his size executing headscissor takedowns.  When Chupacabra was tagged back in, D-Unit hit him with a spinning 720 face-buster allowing a tag to his twin partner, T-Rent.  The Commandos used tactics like switching places with each other while the ref was distracted and double teaming Chupacabra to “Grenade Toss” him from one corner to the other.

"Grenade Toss!"

Supercabra tearing the face off of D-Unit

However, the Commandos couldn’t seal the deal in the ring due to the tenacity of the Chupacabras.  The wrestling match devolved into an outright brawl outside the ring, earning both teams a double count-out.  That means that the Suburban Commandos are still undefeated in Lucha Xtreme Wrestling Entertainment, but have they met their match in the Chupacabras?

Flying Burrito!

The main event was an elimination match to determine who would be a contender for the LX World Championship.  Living legend “Raging Bull” Manny Fernandez took on “Sheik’s Army” member “Money” Mike Rayne.  Rayne was joined by Sheik Khan Abadi and financial advisor Mr. Franks, who carried that metal briefcase with him.  Both wrestlers exchanged shoulder tackles and “Raging Bull” had the match under control until he missed a dropkick, allowing momentum to shift to “Money” Mike.  Mike pulled on what little hair Manny has left and stunned the “Raging Bull” with a nasty neckbreaker and a dropkick that gave Sheik a chance to choke Manny behind the ref’s back.  Tough-as-nails Fernandez busted Rayne with a “Flying Burrito,” but financial advisor Mr. Franks distracted the ref, allowing the Sheik to hit Manny with that metal briefcase.  Manny battled back and hit Rayne with another “Flying Burrito” almost getting the win, but the Sheik earned a disqualification by entering the ring and breaking up the pin.  The “Sheik’s Army” then beat down Manny and were mysteriously joined by the “INS Legacy” who also beat on the battered Fernandez.  That’s when Homicide ran into the ring to help out his longtime friend, Manny Fernandez.  Did the Sheik blow his man “Money” Mike’s chances at the world title or was this all part of some grand master plan?  

Sheik Kahn Abadi is up to no good.

So far, there is only one named contender for the LX World Championship, and that’s Chavo Guerrero Jr.  Who will be the next?  Titans clash for that chance to win the next contender spot on next Saturday’s episode of “Lucha Xtreme” with Homicide versus Brian Cage on at  8 PM on KAIL-TV My 7.1 (Comcast Channel 13/713 HD, DISH Network, DirecTV, and AT&T U-verse Channel 53.)  As always, like us on www.facebook.com/luchaxtreme, follow us @luchaxtreme and tune into past episodes and the LX POST SHOW at www.luchaxtreme.com.  Until next week, “Blog ya later.”
-Byron Rush.

SEASON 1 / EPISODE 14

This week on “Lucha Xtreme” it was all about Chavo Guerrero Jr. making his debut just in time for the LX World Heavyweight Championship Tournament.  Episode 14 started with a promo from Chavo calling out the “INS Legacy” saying “We didn’t cross the border, the border crossed us.”  Chavo announced that he was the #1 contender for LX World Heavyweight Championship, and I can’t help but believe him.

The first match was D-Torch up against the dreaded Crimson Plague.  D-torch was once again escorted to the ring by Savanah Riley (again).  I wonder if that relationship is strictly  business hmmmm?

  D-Torch’s popularity continues to soar like his high-flying style of wrestling.  Crimson Plague managed not to cheat as much as usual in this match but when he left the ring to harass Savanah Riley, D-Torch went flying over the top rope to save her, just like Superman.  Although Torch is not the biggest man in the roster, he has tremendous courage and is an exciting wrestler to watch.  D-Torch gets the win by pinfall against Crimson Plague, finishing him with his special “GOJIRA” driver.

The second match featured Jeckles the Jester taking on “Submission Machine” Bobby Hart.  Both of these ring veterans are well versed in technical wrestling, but Jeckles is anything but by the book.

 Jeckles tried to punk Bobby Hart by involving the ref with his hijinks.  Bobby Hart flipped the script and used Jeckles’ trick against the Jester himself.  Jeckles tried to end the match going for his “Joke-slam”  but Hart easily reversed out of it and swept Jeckles to the mat and hooked him in a submission hold.  That was all she wrote.  Jeckles tapped out, giving the “Submission Machine” another win.

In the next match El Pistolero faced off against the rich and powerful Sheik Khan Abadi, who was escorted to the ring by Sheik’s Army member “Money” Mike Rayne.  Mike carried with him a mysterious small briefcase, and you know it’s not going to be used to carry passports.  The Sheik used all of the dirty tricks in the book, pulling Pistolero’s bandanna over his face and pulling on his trunks.  “Money” Mike helped his crony by distracting the ref while Sheik choked El Pistolero, and when Sheik distracted the ref, Rayne walloped Pistolero with that hard metal case.  With Pistolero out from the blow, it was easy for Sheik Khan Abadi to get the win by pinning his opponent.

OK, for the main event, Lucha Xtreme had its first elimination match to determine the contenders for the LX World Heavyweight World Championship.  This match marked the debut of world famous athlete Chavo Guerrero Jr. to Lucha Xtreme Wrestling Entertainment.  For those of you not familiar with Chavo, he is a 3rd generation professional wrestler, nephew of Eddie Guerrero, and holder of numerous titles including WCW World Cruiserweight title, WCW World Tag Team title,  WWE (Smackdown) Tag Team title, WWE World Cruiserweight title, and WWE-ECW (Extreme Championship Wrestling) World title, which he won by defeating CM Punk (January 22, 2008).  Not too shabby (understatement of the century).

So, who did Chavo face in this match?  El Fuego.  Against other wrestlers, Fuego has had little success, but up against Chavo?  I figured he had about 0% chance.  He did, however, have the access to Sheik Khan Abadi just outside the ring in his corner.  Megastar Chavo took control of the match from the ring of the bell, dominating El Fuego and showing off his years of experience in the squared circle.

The Sheik tried his best to help out his man Fuego by holding Chavo’s boots and choking him when the ref was distracted.  Despite that, Chavo caught Fuego with the 3 Amigos and finished him with a spectacular “Frog Splash.”   After that it was 1-2-3 and Chavo got the pin against El Fuego, making him the 1st contender for the Lucha Xtreme Heavyweight World Championship.

If you get a chance, watch Episode 14 here http://www.luchaxtreme.com/LuchaXtreme.com/Past_Episodes.html you will not be disappointed.  If you want to see the highlights and listen to me give the recap, click here http://www.luchaxtreme.com/LuchaXtreme.com/Post_Shows.html
Make sure to follow us on twitter @luchaxtreme and like us on facebook.com/luchaxtreme.
Thanks to everyone reading this blog, this is Byron Rush saying “Blog ya later.”

SEASON 1 / EPISODE 13

Exciting things are happening in Lucha Xtreme Wrestling Entertainment.
This week it was the THROWDOWN IN ‘NO TOWN, our special event from
Chukchansi Park, home of the Fresno Grizzlies.

The first match was between the “Mexican Werewolf” El Chupacabra and Sheik
Khan Abadi.  Chupacabra has wrestled all over the western U.S. but this
match marked his debut with Lucha XtremeWrestling Entertainment.  Sheik
was alone and without the benefit of having any of his cheating cohorts
outside of the ring.  Both of these wrestlers are known for their speed,
and this made the match fast-paced and exciting.  I thoroughly enjoyed the
heck out of this match and “Mexican Werewolf” is fascinating to watch with
his sharp fangs, face paint, and creepy contacts.  Without the “Sheik’s
Army” backing him, the Sheik just couldn’t out wrestle the agile “Chupi.”
El Chupacabra won the match with his finisher the “Adios Powerbomb”.

Next we had a tag team matchup with the Suburban Commandos battling the
“Sheik’s Army” representatives Wiseguy and “Money” Mike Rayne.  With his
top guys in the ring, the Sheik Kahn Abadi and his financial advisor, Mr.
Franks, were outside the ring waiting to “help.”  The Suburban Commandos
had the size advantage, but the “Army” is not to be taken lightly.
“Money” Mike showed a lot of agility with a dazzling array of kicks, like
a well-executed Enziguri and an incredible springboard roundhouse.
Wiseguy was no slouch either, showing off a nice moonsault and his
signature “Forgetaboutit.”  But, that didn’t stop the Suburban Commandos
from crushing their opponents and smashing Wiseguy with their finisher,
the “Rizzbomb.”  The financial advisor Mr. Franks then thought it was wise
to interfere in the match, and at that point the Suburban Commandos had
enough.  They pulled him into the ring and gave him “Something Nasty.”
I’m surprised Mr. Franks didn’t need an ambulance after that.  Commandos
win it by pinfall.

Former WWE Star Val Venis went up against “Submission Machine” Bobby Hart
in the 3rd match.  This was a very technical, mat-based wrestling bout
that showed off a lot of legit wrestling holds.  Val Venis seemed to slow
down a little with age and the younger Hart seemed to have the advantage.
The highlight of the match was when the “Submission Machine” superplexed
Venis from the top rope, weakening him enough to hook in his finishing
hold and getting the win with Val Venis tapping out.  If you were at the
live event you then saw Val Venis take the mic and give Bobby Hart praise
for his win and in a sense passed the torch to Bobby out of respect.

The main event was between “Raging Bull” Manny Fernandez and “INS
Enforcer” JR Kratos.  Tension had been building between these two for
weeks, and this match was to be the major battle in the war between the
“INS Legacy” and Manny and his “Raza.”  But, Kratos brought his crazed
cohort, Brian Tannen, to the ring with him, outnumbering Manny.  Then from
the locker room out came Homicide and he joined the “Raging Bull” in the
ring.  He got on the mic and said he was there to defend his mentor,
Manny, who is like a father figure to him, turning the bout into a
tag-team match.

 “INS Legacy” was eager to get to the violence, owning the
power game.  “Raging Bull” powered himself up and knocked Kratos off of
his feet TWICE with his “Flying Burrito."  With the fans cheering them on,
Fernandez and Homicide dished out RING JUSTICE to the “INS Legacy,”
despite the Legacy’s size and strength advantage.  While “Raging Bull” was
smashing Kratos into the timekeeper’s table outside of the ring, Homicide
escaped Tannen’s gorilla press to roll him up and get the pin.  This goes
to show you sometimes experience and heart go a long way for the win.

Tomorrow, July 5th, Lucha Xtreme will be wrestling at the Kings County Fair in Hanford, CA.  Get your tickets at luchaxtreme.com.  This Sat. July 7th, Chavo Guerrero Jr. will be debuting on Lucha Xtreme at 8 PM on KAIL-TV My 7.1 (Comcast Channel 13/713 HD, DISH Network, DirecTV, and AT&T U-verse Channel 53.  Please, like us on facebook.com/luchaxtreme follow us @luchaxtreme and tune into past episodes and the LX POST SHOW at luchaxtreme.com.  Until next week, “Blog ya later”
-Byron Rush.