Tope 10: Lucha Underground (Sep. 20, 2017)

Each and every episode of Lucha Underground features maneuvers, quotes, outfits, props, scenes, and stories that deserve recognition. That is where the Tope 10 comes in. This list shows appreciation for the moments that are more exciting than a flying tope.

If you are new to the Lucha Underground scene, you can catch it Wednesdays at 8pm ET/PT on the El Rey Network, buy all episodes to date from the first three seasons on iTunes and Amazon, or watch seasons one and two on Netflix. See if El Rey is available in your area.

If you haven't had a chance to watch this week's episode yet, check out the preview as well as the recap and reactions.

10. Gonadal drop

Silly Striker at it again. That was Matt Striker's play-by-play of when Mariposa knocked Fenix down onto the ropes to cause man damage. His unique style can be hit or miss, however, I say he scored a bullseye on that call.

9. Creepy bastard or misunderstood?

Matt Striker called Marty Martinez a creepy bastard. Vampiro humorously replied, "Why are you making fun of someone with mental issues? How can you say that he's a creepy bastard? Just because he dresses the same every day for three years, has grease in his hair, and walks around with a yellow lunch pail. What do you got against yellow lunch pails, Matt?"

Silence from Striker. Those are some odd points in Vampiro's rambling, but I suppose his intentions are what counts.

Side note: I enjoyed how Famous B introduced Marty with fervor in his voice. Marty obviously likes B. He stuck his finger in B's ear to show his fondness. Forget Texano. I'd rather see B with Marty. Marty is a character that can stand on his own, but B could make him more successful in the ring. That would also get Mariposa as a client. Now, we're 2/3 of the way to future Trios champs. B should practice flapping his wings by dancing The Bird.

8. Big air arm drag

Lucha Underground on El Rey Network

Fenix springboarded high into the air for an arm drag. Yeah, it was a bit convoluted for a basic move, but it certainly did look cool.

7. Evil barber

After the mixed tag match, Marty pulled out scissors from his lunchbox to tease cutting Melissa's hair. That would have achieved heel heat level 100 if he went through with it before Fenix saved Melissa in the nick of time. For those brief few seconds, I was on the edge of my seat.

6. Limo lord

Lucha Underground on El Rey Network

Whenever the limo lord makes an appearance, we know it is a big deal. This time, Dario Cueto proposed a triple threat between Cage, Mil Muertes, and Jeremiah Crane to win the gauntlet. Due to Cage’s mechanical uncertainty, the gauntlet might not be working as intended. If Cage wins the right to wear the gauntlet again, Dario will invite the limo lord to dispose of Cage himself.

This moment isn’t all about what was presented on screen. It is also propped up by my imagination of this mysterious figure going toe to toe with Cage. If Cage is already a dominant force with the gauntlet, what kind of monster must the limo lord be? He obviously wasn’t too concerned about the threat of Cage’s power. The limo lord must be one bad dude.

5. Shuffle slap

Lucha Underground on El Rey Network

Famous B makes me laugh. After hearing Dario Cueto's news that B will get Texano's contract if he can win, enthusiasm took over as he shuffled over to Texano. Texano slapped B back to reality. The facial expressions crack me up.

4. Masked love

The opening training scene was well done. It gave us a glimpse of Melissa's fighting capabilities and delved into her relationship with Fenix. Melissa's frustration boiled over at still having not seen Fenix without his mask. Life isn't easy when dating a masked man.

Fenix explained how emotionally connected he is to the mask. "If this mask is taken away from me, I will have lost everything." Melissa's response made me feel feelings. "Well, you won't lose me." That little story sucked me all the way in for the mask vs hair match against Marty Martinez. Anytime a wrestling storyline can do that, it deserves praise.

3. Fox flowing

Dante Fox often wrestles with a breakneck pace. Slapping together combo moves is one of his specialties. Fox does it so smoothly that the maneuvers flow together seamlessly. One example during his match against Texano was a kick to the back of the head then transitioning to a springboard cutter followed by a 360 splash (unseen in the GIF). So dope.

Other cool spots by Fox were hipping and hopping over the ropes then running up the ring post for an aerial assault and also hitting a Swanton Bomb.

2. Double pin win

Son of Havoc and Pentagon DARK each scored simultaneous pinfall victories in the Gift of the Gods match. This was a nice wrinkle to set up a ladder match at Ultima Lucha Tres. Both are fan favorites but for very different reasons. It will be interesting to see who gets the biggest ovation throughout their match.

1. Melissa Santos

Excellent debut by Melissa Santos. She came to fight. To borrow the description from my recap, "High head kick. Flying crotch to the face. Irish whip forearm smash. Tandem gut kicks followed by superkicks with Fenix. Then an awesome teamwork maneuver of an elbow drop followed by a leg drop all while Fenix supported her physically. It was explosive dynamite jammed into one minute of action.”

If every one-minute stretch of season three were analyzed, Melissa’s eruption of action might be the best moment as a whole. It is definitely on the short list. It also has to be one of the best in-ring debuts from a non-wrestler. Job well done to everyone involved from planning to execution.

---

Catching up on last week’s poll, 21% of 101 votes think Dario Cueto will have the gauntlet in his possession at the conclusion of Ultima Lucha Tres. Catrina at 18%, Cage at 17%, and Captain Vasquez at 16% rounded out the top four. Even though we now know the gauntlet will be up for grabs in Cage vs Mil Muertes vs Jeremiah Crane, I can still see Dario, Catrina, or Vasquez controlling its power in the end.

How does this week's Tope 10 stack up to your list? Any favorites not included? Where does Melissa’s performance rank among non-wrestlers stepping into the ring? If you were late to the viewing party, feel free to share your thoughts about anything in the episode.

I’ll leave you with some artwork of Marty and Mariposa.

Lucha! Lucha! Lucha!