By Ryan Frye
Professional wrestling is an industry built on creating moments. But a moment would be nothing but a distant memory without a camera to capture the energy, emotion, and electricity of that moment forever. Perhaps that's why they've always claimed that a picture is worth a thousand words. And that very notion is the reason for the existence of this series: Picture Perfect.
Professional wrestling is an industry built on creating moments. But a moment would be nothing but a distant memory without a camera to capture the energy, emotion, and electricity of that moment forever. Perhaps that's why they've always claimed that a picture is worth a thousand words. And that very notion is the reason for the existence of this series: Picture Perfect.
SETTING THE SCENE
To understand the rivalry of Mil Muertes and Fenix, you first must understand who these men are and where they come from. I could do so, or I could allow them—or their allies—to speak for themselves.
First, meet Fenix.
To understand the rivalry of Mil Muertes and Fenix, you first must understand who these men are and where they come from. I could do so, or I could allow them—or their allies—to speak for themselves.
First, meet Fenix.
A phoenix can combust into a ball of fire and a pile of ash only to rise from that ash to be reborn. Thus, for this bird of war, death is only temporary. No matter what happens to him, he will be born again.
Fitting, I suppose, as his rival is the man of a thousand deaths. He, too, will rise from the gravest of circumstances, but he feels the most comfort around darkness and death.
He is Mil Muertes, and below, Catrina tells his story.
Fitting, I suppose, as his rival is the man of a thousand deaths. He, too, will rise from the gravest of circumstances, but he feels the most comfort around darkness and death.
He is Mil Muertes, and below, Catrina tells his story.
Mil Muertes established himself as a force of nature early on in season one of Lucha Underground.
He possessed the power to put down countless opponents for Catrina's lick of death. Until Fenix, that is, who was the first man to defeat him.
Following Muertes' defeat, Catrina displayed interest in Fenix and tried to seduce him multiple times. And it was only when Mil turned on Catrina that Fenix would save her, and they would kiss. And it was this that led to Dario Cueto making a match where the loser would suffer grave consequences.
PAINTING THE PICTURE
As Melissa Santos explained the rules to the Grave Consequences match—the same as a Casket match—the procession of death carried the casket to ringside.
These disciples' outfits were influenced by the Day of the Dead, or Día de Muertos.
He possessed the power to put down countless opponents for Catrina's lick of death. Until Fenix, that is, who was the first man to defeat him.
Following Muertes' defeat, Catrina displayed interest in Fenix and tried to seduce him multiple times. And it was only when Mil turned on Catrina that Fenix would save her, and they would kiss. And it was this that led to Dario Cueto making a match where the loser would suffer grave consequences.
PAINTING THE PICTURE
As Melissa Santos explained the rules to the Grave Consequences match—the same as a Casket match—the procession of death carried the casket to ringside.
These disciples' outfits were influenced by the Day of the Dead, or Día de Muertos.
"This has nothing to do with the North American version of Halloween, this happens on the second day of November. This could be used for two things.
Usually, this is used by families to pay their respect to family members who have departed, and this is their way. They go, and they dress like that, and they go to the cemetery and they have a picnic on the grave. So the family members can come back in their spirit form and reunite one time a year.
Or, if you practice witchcraft, that's a whole different deal. This is a symbol, a sign, that you are going to be sent to the other side. And when you cross that line, and you get these guys that are waiting for you, they're going to take you to some place that you do not want to be."
-Vampiro
We are all equal in our mortality, Matt Striker remarked, as the Man of A Thousand Lives walked down the steps of The Temple to meet to the Man of A Thousand Deaths.
Fenix wouldn't get into the ring, though, as Mil hit a suicide dive to the outside to down him. Meanwhile, Catrina had made her way to ringside.
Muertes looked to take advantage of landing the first blow by slamming Fenix's head into the nearby announce table. Next was a chop to the chest before tossing his opponent back into the ring.
Muertes continued his offense with kicks and punches. He'd entangle Fenix in the ropes and land a headshot before Fenix nailed him with a kick to the chest.
Mil would collapse to one knee and rested on the second rope. Fenix would move the coffin out of the way for a basement dropkick, but Muertes avoided it. From there, Mil escaped to the outside, and Fenix jumped inside.
Fenix would thwart Mil's attempt to get back inside with a stiff kick then beautifully hit a dive to the outside onto him.
Mil, though, used his surroundings to his advantage. He'd ram Fenix's head into the coffin before tossing the flower arrangement at ringside at him.
Mil would flip the coffin from its side, giving Fenix enough time to recover and attack with forearms to the face. Following that was a DDT onto the coffin which garnered a "Holy shit!" chant from the believers.
Fenix got back inside the ring and signaled for a second dive to the floor. This one, however, didn't go quite as well.
As Fenix was in mid-air, Mil lifted the coffin to stop the Bird of War in his tracks. He hit it headfirst, and we'd later learn suffer a concussion as a result.
The man that represents death stood upon the coffin tauntingly. Then, he ripped at the sacred mask of Fenix—the most dishonorable thing that a luchador could possibly do.
Mil would turn his attention to unscrewing the bottom turnbuckle and taking a steel piece of it. He tossed Fenix in the ring and punched him using the weapon, lacerating his forehead in the process. But for Mil Muertes, that wasn't enough.
Mil licked the blood off the weapon and punched Fenix with it once more.
Fenix tried to escape, but Mil choked him with the weapon then went for another taste of his rival's blood—this time by digging his teeth into the wound. And when he was done, he looked at Catrina and licked his lips.
Mil took the fight to Fenix throughout The Temple. Even as they went up the stairs, Mil battered Fenix with every step. Punches, then ramming him into the steel railing repeatedly.
Once to the top of The Temple, Mil pushed him into a steel ladder and over some fencing.
A power struggle ensued with both men knowing that the stakes were as high as their elevation. Mil would toss Fenix headfirst into some steel above them, and Fenix would roll off the platform. From there, Mil chased him as he tumbled back down to ringside.
Mil set up Fenix for a powerbomb onto the announce table, and delivered. "This is awesome!" the blood-thirsty fans chanted.
Mil dragged the coffin into the ring and propped it up in the corner as a bloodied and battered Fenix crawled behind him.
Fenix stumbled to his feet and hit Mil with a flurry of punches. Mil reversed a whip, though, and pulled Fenix in for a belly-to-belly suplex into the coffin.
Mil again feasted on Fenix's blood. He seemed to take a perverted, perverse joy in it. But Fenix had tempted death. He had asked for this, and the reaper was now knocking at his door.
If a phoenix is nothing else, though, they are resilient, and this one was no different. Out of nowhere, Fenix nailed a superkick to buy himself critical seconds.
He ascended to the top rope, took an uppercut from a recovered Muertes, only to be hit with a double knee facebreaker—ala Chris Jericho's Codebreaker—which sent him crashing back down to the canvas.
Muertes' eyes - cold dark eyes - shimmered with hate, as Matt Striker put it, as he watched a convulsing Fenix. Perhaps he could have put him away at this moment, but he sought more punishment.
Mil would drag Fenix into the crowd and nail a punch to the luchador's crimson mask. He'd abuse him with a wooden chair, before taking a wrong step and finding himself crotched on The Temple's railing. Fenix seized the opportunity, too, with a roundhouse kick to the skull. Mil fell in a heap to the cold, hard floor.
Fenix climbed atop the railing and dove onto a vulnerable Muertes. Unfortunately, though, Fenix's moment was brief as Mil soon had recovered, tracked Fenix down, and slammed him into that same railing.
A massacre, a mauling Matt Striker called it, as Mil slammed Fenix's head into the railing again and again. Bloody flesh being sliced by rusty iron, but that wouldn't put Fenix down. He'd answer by stunning Mil with one superkick, and flooring him with a second.
Next, he again climbed to the top of the railing. And this time, it was a moonsault he'd hit onto Muertes.
Roses of sympathy stuck to the back of Mil Muertes, perhaps some foreshadowing, as Catrina watched the combatants brawl in front of her. They'd exchange offense until Fenix ducked a clothesline that instead leveled Catrina.
Mil, for the first time, seemed remorseful of the harm his actions had just caused. This modicum of humanity allowed Fenix the chance to hit a kick to the back of Mil's head.
Fenix wanted to go back inside the ring which was the environment that best suited him. Mil wanted to remain outside because, as Matt Striker pointed out, that was where he thrived.
They traded blows—Mil on the apron, Fenix inside the ring—but Mil gained the upperhand by biting into Fenix's filleted forehead one more time.
Catrina got to her feet and limped around ringside as Fenix and Mil jockeyed for position, both of them looking to hit a suplex. She would open the coffin, leaving Vampiro to ask who the hell she was trying to help?
Fenix would disengage momentarily, taking on a different strategy.
Two slaps and a kick would send Mil reeling before Fenix went to the top rope to take flight for a final time.
Fenix would a hit a double stomp to the shoulders of Mil Muertes who would collapse into the coffin.
Catrina licked the stone from which Mil got his power, tossed it on top of him, and slammed the lid shut.
Your winner, Fenix!
The procession of death would carry Mil away, and Catrina followed with a look of satisfaction. Her motives, though, proved to not be quite as heroic as originally believed.
Fenix wouldn't get into the ring, though, as Mil hit a suicide dive to the outside to down him. Meanwhile, Catrina had made her way to ringside.
Muertes looked to take advantage of landing the first blow by slamming Fenix's head into the nearby announce table. Next was a chop to the chest before tossing his opponent back into the ring.
Muertes continued his offense with kicks and punches. He'd entangle Fenix in the ropes and land a headshot before Fenix nailed him with a kick to the chest.
Mil would collapse to one knee and rested on the second rope. Fenix would move the coffin out of the way for a basement dropkick, but Muertes avoided it. From there, Mil escaped to the outside, and Fenix jumped inside.
Fenix would thwart Mil's attempt to get back inside with a stiff kick then beautifully hit a dive to the outside onto him.
Mil, though, used his surroundings to his advantage. He'd ram Fenix's head into the coffin before tossing the flower arrangement at ringside at him.
Mil would flip the coffin from its side, giving Fenix enough time to recover and attack with forearms to the face. Following that was a DDT onto the coffin which garnered a "Holy shit!" chant from the believers.
Fenix got back inside the ring and signaled for a second dive to the floor. This one, however, didn't go quite as well.
As Fenix was in mid-air, Mil lifted the coffin to stop the Bird of War in his tracks. He hit it headfirst, and we'd later learn suffer a concussion as a result.
The man that represents death stood upon the coffin tauntingly. Then, he ripped at the sacred mask of Fenix—the most dishonorable thing that a luchador could possibly do.
Mil would turn his attention to unscrewing the bottom turnbuckle and taking a steel piece of it. He tossed Fenix in the ring and punched him using the weapon, lacerating his forehead in the process. But for Mil Muertes, that wasn't enough.
Mil licked the blood off the weapon and punched Fenix with it once more.
Fenix tried to escape, but Mil choked him with the weapon then went for another taste of his rival's blood—this time by digging his teeth into the wound. And when he was done, he looked at Catrina and licked his lips.
Mil took the fight to Fenix throughout The Temple. Even as they went up the stairs, Mil battered Fenix with every step. Punches, then ramming him into the steel railing repeatedly.
Once to the top of The Temple, Mil pushed him into a steel ladder and over some fencing.
A power struggle ensued with both men knowing that the stakes were as high as their elevation. Mil would toss Fenix headfirst into some steel above them, and Fenix would roll off the platform. From there, Mil chased him as he tumbled back down to ringside.
Mil set up Fenix for a powerbomb onto the announce table, and delivered. "This is awesome!" the blood-thirsty fans chanted.
Mil dragged the coffin into the ring and propped it up in the corner as a bloodied and battered Fenix crawled behind him.
Fenix stumbled to his feet and hit Mil with a flurry of punches. Mil reversed a whip, though, and pulled Fenix in for a belly-to-belly suplex into the coffin.
Mil again feasted on Fenix's blood. He seemed to take a perverted, perverse joy in it. But Fenix had tempted death. He had asked for this, and the reaper was now knocking at his door.
If a phoenix is nothing else, though, they are resilient, and this one was no different. Out of nowhere, Fenix nailed a superkick to buy himself critical seconds.
He ascended to the top rope, took an uppercut from a recovered Muertes, only to be hit with a double knee facebreaker—ala Chris Jericho's Codebreaker—which sent him crashing back down to the canvas.
Muertes' eyes - cold dark eyes - shimmered with hate, as Matt Striker put it, as he watched a convulsing Fenix. Perhaps he could have put him away at this moment, but he sought more punishment.
Mil would drag Fenix into the crowd and nail a punch to the luchador's crimson mask. He'd abuse him with a wooden chair, before taking a wrong step and finding himself crotched on The Temple's railing. Fenix seized the opportunity, too, with a roundhouse kick to the skull. Mil fell in a heap to the cold, hard floor.
Fenix climbed atop the railing and dove onto a vulnerable Muertes. Unfortunately, though, Fenix's moment was brief as Mil soon had recovered, tracked Fenix down, and slammed him into that same railing.
A massacre, a mauling Matt Striker called it, as Mil slammed Fenix's head into the railing again and again. Bloody flesh being sliced by rusty iron, but that wouldn't put Fenix down. He'd answer by stunning Mil with one superkick, and flooring him with a second.
Next, he again climbed to the top of the railing. And this time, it was a moonsault he'd hit onto Muertes.
Roses of sympathy stuck to the back of Mil Muertes, perhaps some foreshadowing, as Catrina watched the combatants brawl in front of her. They'd exchange offense until Fenix ducked a clothesline that instead leveled Catrina.
Mil, for the first time, seemed remorseful of the harm his actions had just caused. This modicum of humanity allowed Fenix the chance to hit a kick to the back of Mil's head.
Fenix wanted to go back inside the ring which was the environment that best suited him. Mil wanted to remain outside because, as Matt Striker pointed out, that was where he thrived.
They traded blows—Mil on the apron, Fenix inside the ring—but Mil gained the upperhand by biting into Fenix's filleted forehead one more time.
Catrina got to her feet and limped around ringside as Fenix and Mil jockeyed for position, both of them looking to hit a suplex. She would open the coffin, leaving Vampiro to ask who the hell she was trying to help?
Fenix would disengage momentarily, taking on a different strategy.
Two slaps and a kick would send Mil reeling before Fenix went to the top rope to take flight for a final time.
Fenix would a hit a double stomp to the shoulders of Mil Muertes who would collapse into the coffin.
Catrina licked the stone from which Mil got his power, tossed it on top of him, and slammed the lid shut.
Your winner, Fenix!
The procession of death would carry Mil away, and Catrina followed with a look of satisfaction. Her motives, though, proved to not be quite as heroic as originally believed.
SPINNING IT FORWARD
Each time the Man of A Thousand Deaths dies, he comes back even stronger. So when Catrina solicited the demise of her former associate, it was only so he would come back stronger and that he did.
He sought his retribution against Fenix in a death match, and he got it.
Each time the Man of A Thousand Deaths dies, he comes back even stronger. So when Catrina solicited the demise of her former associate, it was only so he would come back stronger and that he did.
He sought his retribution against Fenix in a death match, and he got it.
In fact, after this match, Fenix was not seen for months. Deja vu, I suppose. But like Muertes, Fenix lived up to his namesake and rose from the ashes.
At Ultima Lucha, Fenix would win the Gift of the Gods Championship, giving him a future Lucha Underground Championship match. And winning the Lucha Underground Championship on that same night was Mil Muertes.
When Fenix left the temple that night, though, he was followed by King Cuerno. Cuerno would stalk Fenix for months until The Temple re-opened its door—with Catrina now in charge.
Catrina would give Cuerno a shot at Fenix's championship, under the condition that he wouldn't cash it in as long as Mil Muertes was champion.
After weeks, however, Cuerno got impatient and demanded his opportunity. For that, Catrina forced him to defend against Fenix in a ladder match in which Fenix would win.
At Ultima Lucha, Fenix would win the Gift of the Gods Championship, giving him a future Lucha Underground Championship match. And winning the Lucha Underground Championship on that same night was Mil Muertes.
When Fenix left the temple that night, though, he was followed by King Cuerno. Cuerno would stalk Fenix for months until The Temple re-opened its door—with Catrina now in charge.
Catrina would give Cuerno a shot at Fenix's championship, under the condition that he wouldn't cash it in as long as Mil Muertes was champion.
After weeks, however, Cuerno got impatient and demanded his opportunity. For that, Catrina forced him to defend against Fenix in a ladder match in which Fenix would win.
Therefore, following his successful title defense over Prince Puma and Pentagon Jr. on this past week's Lucha Underground, Fenix announced his intention to cash in Gift of the Gods next week.
For two men who personify opposite things, the paths of Fenix and Mil Muertes sure seem intertwined. But if there's anything their history has taught us, it's that we can expect blood and brutality galore this Wednesday night on the El Rey Network.
For two men who personify opposite things, the paths of Fenix and Mil Muertes sure seem intertwined. But if there's anything their history has taught us, it's that we can expect blood and brutality galore this Wednesday night on the El Rey Network.
