The current fate of Lucha Underground

[Deleted]

From the most reliable source that is not Erik Van Wagnen himself , MMMshow on the LU sub redditt on redditt posted this along with suggestions on what LU could do if the end is indeed nigh but I am only gonna post what is directly going on with the company as it stands at the moment.

We’ve talked to just about everyone important that we can and it all boils down to the fact that Lucha Underground will only return for a season 5 if ElRey and Factory Made give a green light to spend more money than they did on season 4. Season 4 was an experiment at trying to produce the show quicker and cheaper on a shorter season and now it’s time for them to go back to what worked for season 1 and 3. But the expense for the ratings they get just might not be worth it for the network even if MGM and Lucha Libre FMV disagree.

My suggestion is to just either wait out the contract with El Rey or even buy it out (if they could) and move the show to Epix.

[OVO 40 hunched over like he 80]

Dorian Roldán: We are honest people

(Runs away with all the money during intermission)

[Deleted]

it's stupid to have contracts if you're not running year-round

[Deleted]

Mar 24, 2019 10:22:41 GMT -5 @jr1 said:

it's stupid to have contracts if you're not running year-round

The thing is that they do want to and were doing it but shit like needing to go back to the negotiating table with the network over the season budget and the network just throwing a 5 month break into your season is what keeps preventing it.

You can see they were in the midst of doing it because they shot seasons 2 and 3 back to back.

This is why they should get the hell off of El Rey and let MGM put the show on Epix...this way there is no middle man in this case El Rey getting in the way.

[cmhunk]

Honestly I’m fine just letting it die. Season 4 was okay, but it was clear that they had to book a lot on the fly due to talent leaving. Plus, Swagger being champ and the contract situation makes me even less excited if the show came back.

[Mozenrath]

If it dies, it dies.

[Deleted]

Since I see it mentioned again here from the same source a few hours ago about the contracts and that whole situation

From what I’ve been told there are many different reasons talent are able to work in other places. But the main scenario is that the talent have asked to work on Impact and a clause has been written in their contracts allowing them to work on these other programs that have national tv in the states. They have always been allowed to work other promotions that do not have national Televison distribution above a certain level. Some of the performers are just doing it regardless of what their contracts say and none of them have been legally pursued by El Rey, MGM or Lucha Libre FMV as of late. Obviously that could change but for the most part both the producers and network understand it doesn’t benefit them to have a roster they are not using all the time that is starving.

Ivilesse is probably the exception. She did not ask for an exemption to work someplace else specifically when everyone else did. Swerve for instance said he wanted full release and they agreed if he would let them finish his storyline and take his mask. It worked great for everyone. If she wanted to work somewhere else they would probably let her as an exemption like everyone else on Impact. But they do not want to completely release her after giving her the big storyline she requested in season 4 and not being written off. Then to not be able to get her back for season 5 isn’t entirely fair to LU either. She wants a full unconditional release which is not something anyone has gotten without giving LU and chance to write them off or finishing their contract.

[MolotovMocktail]

I've thought it was a great run, but if this many talent is unhappy and the network is touch and go about bringing it back, this may have to be it. If they can get a Season 5, great. They have a working relationship with AEW, so maybe the Khan family can loan them the money to do it. Or maybe do a movie, like has been discussed in the past, to serve as their finale. I don't want the series going out on a cliffhanger like WMAC Masters, but keeping it running on bare bones and with disillusioned wrestlers won't help its legacy in the long run.

[Deleted]

Mar 24, 2019 10:22:41 GMT -5 @jr1 said:

it's stupid to have contracts if you're not running year-round

Pretty much, the contracts really should just be for the talent to agree to the taping dates. It’s kind of on the wrestlers too though, those contracts are ass and they sign them anyways.

[Deleted]

Mar 24, 2019 17:33:24 GMT -5 @akeemresurrection said:

Mar 24, 2019 10:22:41 GMT -5 @jr1 said:

it's stupid to have contracts if you're not running year-round

Pretty much, the contracts really should just be for the talent to agree to the taping dates. It’s kind of on the wrestlers too though, those contracts are ass and they sign them anyways.

This is how it would be going forward supposedly

There wont be any long term deals handed out but instead pay per episode...again supposedly but that poses its own pitfalls because you need some talent signed to ensure that some people come back....you can't depend on another company maybe lending that talent back to you or whether that talent will get booked by the other company somewhere else.

So gonna be an interesting sort of balance if they do come back

[Deleted]

All I care about is that it gets a proper ending.

[Woo]

Mar 24, 2019 16:56:15 GMT -5 cmhunk said:

Honestly I’m fine just letting it die. Season 4 was okay, but it was clear that they had to book a lot on the fly due to talent leaving. Plus, Swagger being champ and the contract situation makes me even less excited if the show came back.

FFS did they really give Swagger the championship? Season 4 was so bad, largely thanks to him, that I stopping watching. He prove to me that the WWE were right but to push him fully. By far the worst LU wrestler ever and that includes Sexy Star and Tommy Dreamer.

[Deleted]

Mar 24, 2019 18:13:52 GMT -5 Woo said:

Mar 24, 2019 16:56:15 GMT -5 cmhunk said:

Honestly I’m fine just letting it die. Season 4 was okay, but it was clear that they had to book a lot on the fly due to talent leaving. Plus, Swagger being champ and the contract situation makes me even less excited if the show came back.

FFS did they really give Swagger the championship? Season 4 was so bad, largely thanks to him, that I stopping watching. He prove to me that the WWE were right but to push him fully. By far the worst LU wrestler ever and that includes Sexy Star and Tommy Dreamer.

You exaggeratting with those comparisons though now come on

Swagger is nowhere as bad as sexy star...if u wanna compare personality though that is different debate.

Swaggers match with Mundo alone is better than anything sexy star did as far as in ring ability goes.

[Deleted]

Really with all the headaches that've come with it I'd say just let it die.

[Deleted]

Mar 24, 2019 18:23:13 GMT -5 Lizuka #BLM said:

Really with all the headaches that've come with it I'd say just let it die.

The thing is the "headache" is nothing more than what I posted originally.

El Rey and Factory Made wont pony up the money to let them make the quality show that the showrunner wants to make because they wanna make it quick and cheap......and that is what creates the snowball effect.

If El Rey and Factory made pony up the money...there would be no talk about people wanting out contracts because LU would be taping.

[2coldMack is even more baffled]

Put bluntly, I was done with LU once I heard how badly they f***ed over Ivelisse.

[Deleted]

Mar 24, 2019 18:31:12 GMT -5 2coldMack is even more baffled said:

Put bluntly, I was done with LU once I heard how badly they f***ed over Ivelisse.

I am just gonna assume you did not catch this portion of something I posted earlier in the thread about that.

Ivilesse is probably the exception. She did not ask for an exemption to work someplace else specifically when everyone else did. Swerve for instance said he wanted full release and they agreed if he would let them finish his storyline and take his mask. It worked great for everyone. If she wanted to work somewhere else they would probably let her as an exemption like everyone else on Impact. But they do not want to completely release her after giving her the big storyline she requested in season 4 and not being written off. Then to not be able to get her back for season 5 isn’t entirely fair to LU either. She wants a full unconditional release which is not something anyone has gotten without giving LU and chance to write them off or finishing their contract.

And then there is the twitter thing she has going with Tessa Blanchard today where she is whining about Impact not wanting to book her.

Ive is just a pain to deal with and no one wants to work with her.

[2coldMack is even more baffled]

Mar 24, 2019 18:36:56 GMT -5 @sigmax said:

Mar 24, 2019 18:31:12 GMT -5 2coldMack is even more baffled said:

Put bluntly, I was done with LU once I heard how badly they f***ed over Ivelisse.

I am just gonna assume you did not catch this portion of something I posted earlier in the thread about that.

Ivilesse is probably the exception. She did not ask for an exemption to work someplace else specifically when everyone else did. Swerve for instance said he wanted full release and they agreed if he would let them finish his storyline and take his mask. It worked great for everyone. If she wanted to work somewhere else they would probably let her as an exemption like everyone else on Impact. But they do not want to completely release her after giving her the big storyline she requested in season 4 and not being written off. Then to not be able to get her back for season 5 isn’t entirely fair to LU either. She wants a full unconditional release which is not something anyone has gotten without giving LU and chance to write them off or finishing their contract.

And then there is the twitter thing she has going with Tessa Blanchard today where she is whining about Impact not wanting to book her.

Ive is just a pain to deal with and no one wants to work with her.

I believe that's a neat little spin they put on their needlessly restrictive contracts to somehow make it the talent's fault that they can't get better work for the infinity between LU tapings, sure. And they absolutely can write out her character without her being there. They've killed tons of guys offscreen between seasons that we never saw again. That is pure spin.

[Deleted]

Mar 24, 2019 18:40:47 GMT -5 2coldMack is even more baffled said:

Mar 24, 2019 18:36:56 GMT -5 @sigmax said:

I am just gonna assume you did not catch this portion of something I posted earlier in the thread about that.

And then there is the twitter thing she has going with Tessa Blanchard today where she is whining about Impact not wanting to book her.

Ive is just a pain to deal with and no one wants to work with her.

I believe that's a neat little spin they put on their needlessly restrictive contracts to somehow make it the talent's fault that they can't get better work for the infinity between LU tapings, sure. And they absolutely can write out her character without her being there. They've killed tons of guys offscreen between seasons that we never saw again. That is pure spin.

What spin are you talking about? because no one else at LU has had a problem working elsewhere....but somehow LU is choosing to hold Iveliesse? come on now

and who on the roster has died off screen? outside of Big Ryck which was in the comic and addressed on the show and Rey Mysterio who is not dead because everyone else that has died has died in some or fashion on screen.

[Deleted]

If it means Matt Striker and Vampiro are no longer commentating then I can only welcome the news it might close.