Since mid-July, MTV has been airing “Lucha Libre USA: Masked Warriors,†which is designed to incorporate the culture and styles of Mexican wrestling and its stars, such as Lizmark Jr., Super Nova and Magno, with American talent the likes of Mark Jindrak, John Hugger and T.J. “Puma†Perkins into a high-flying wrestling bonanza.
The end result however is a haphazard one, courtesy of several small problems, which hamper the overall solid wrestling action.
For one, many of the stars of the company, including Lizmark Jr., Jindrak [now Marco Corleone ] and Hugger [now the masked Relik] are athletes that many hardcore wrestling fans will remember as guys that could never cut it in the States for very long. Lizmark Jr. was a jobber cruiserweight during the late years of WCW, while Jindrak and Hugger were youngsters that were pushed too fast in WCW and were never able to make good on their promise in the WWE, Japan or TNA. Nevertheless, all of these guys are capable in the ring, and perhaps a chance in the spotlight is what they need to finally hit it big in the United States.
The only talent that company has who many Americans will remember super-positively is Perkins, whose tours of TNA as the masked Puma were all highly successful and showcased him as an elite X-Division performer. Seeing this kid go is a huge treat to say the very least.
Troubled former WWE Superstar Carlito Colon is supposed to be on the show as well, but has yet to appear. With his release from the WWE, Colon could use a fresh start with a new company, but his inclusion here seems more like a stop before he heads to TNA or somewhere else than can truly showcase him.
Aside from Perkins AKA Sydistiko, the rest of the in-ring product is solid, but is nothing to call home about. The Mexican rules have already come into play over the course of the first two episodes, as one match was decided after a referee believed a rudo [heel] pulled the mask off of a technico [face]. This could give the show a cool blend, but again, so far, it hasn’t done much to make the product feel different. Aside from this, overall, in spite of some fast-paced action, the wrestling here isn’t as solid as what is seen on the WWE and a far cry from anything on TNA. If that wasn’t enough, many of the camera angles and a shoddy set make you feel like you’re watching an inferior product as well. If these things don’t change and soon, this show won’t be on for very long.
Competition is always good for business and the WWE needs as much as it could get, but with Jindrak as their main star and so-so production values, how long can this show last?
As well, with such a small amount of recognizable stars and miniscule roster, consisting of 12 wrestlers and a few “minis,†it’s going to be difficult to get this promotion off the ground. Another problem is the fact that the show is only an hour, which ruins a solid 9 pm time slot on Friday nights.
Currently, there are tournaments being held for the tag team title and the Heavyweight championship, but with only a few faces in each division, annoying announcers that try too hard and little to no real storyline, how long can this promotion really last?
Add in one female valet/manager on the show in Trenesha Biggers AKA Tigresa Caliente, [who many TNA fans will remember as Rakka Khan, Scott Steiner’s former valet] and it’s fair to say that this show is lacking on so many levels that it can’t be taken seriously yet.
The question remains as if it ever will be.
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