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
For weeks, Pentagon Jr. went on a tear inside Lucha Underground's Temple. He had begun sacrificing victims to his master by breaking their arms, in order to prove that he was worthy of the master revealing himself to the world.
His trail of broken bones would lead him to Sexy Star, when he was poised to break her arm after a hard fought submission match until color commentator Vampiro intervened.
Throughout the coming weeks, Pentagon claimed that his master demanded he sacrifice Vampiro, so he poked and prodded the Mexican wrestling legend in order to try to provoke him into a match.
Pentagon Jr. refused to relent, even after Vampiro apologized for getting into his business during a sit-down interview.
In fact, at the insistence of his master, Pentagon would get more aggressive in his future efforts, attacking Vampiro from behind and giving him an ultimatum; accept his challenge for a match at Ultima Lucha, or burn in flames in front of his family, and in front of the world.
For weeks, Pentagon Jr. went on a tear inside Lucha Underground's Temple. He had begun sacrificing victims to his master by breaking their arms, in order to prove that he was worthy of the master revealing himself to the world.
His trail of broken bones would lead him to Sexy Star, when he was poised to break her arm after a hard fought submission match until color commentator Vampiro intervened.
Throughout the coming weeks, Pentagon claimed that his master demanded he sacrifice Vampiro, so he poked and prodded the Mexican wrestling legend in order to try to provoke him into a match.
Pentagon Jr. refused to relent, even after Vampiro apologized for getting into his business during a sit-down interview.
In fact, at the insistence of his master, Pentagon would get more aggressive in his future efforts, attacking Vampiro from behind and giving him an ultimatum; accept his challenge for a match at Ultima Lucha, or burn in flames in front of his family, and in front of the world.
The following week, Vampiro told us his name was Ian Hodgkinson. He said his time had come and went, and he was a different person now. He told Pentagon he wasn't going to face him at Ultima Lucha.
No, the man that was going to kick his ass at Ultima Lucha was Vampiro!
No, the man that was going to kick his ass at Ultima Lucha was Vampiro!
PAINTING THE PICTURE
Cero Miedo translates to Zero Fear in English, and it has been Pentagon Jr.'s motto since first stepping foot into The Temple.
It personifies who he is and what he's about, hence why the name of his match with Vampiro at Ultima Lucha was deemed a Cero Miedo match. And when darkness descended upon Boyle Heights, California on the night of August 5, 2015, it was time for that match.
Cero Miedo translates to Zero Fear in English, and it has been Pentagon Jr.'s motto since first stepping foot into The Temple.
It personifies who he is and what he's about, hence why the name of his match with Vampiro at Ultima Lucha was deemed a Cero Miedo match. And when darkness descended upon Boyle Heights, California on the night of August 5, 2015, it was time for that match.
Unlike the main event on this night, this match wasn't about gold.
It was about a sick, sadistic man proving he was worthy of following in his master's footsteps. That man was Pentagon Jr., who trudged down the steps of The Temple and into the ring first, ironically introduced by a near victim of his; ring announcer Melissa Santos.
It was about a legend stepping into the ring one more time. A 32-time world champion channeling his inner darkness once more to do battle with a man that reminded him of himself. That man was Vampiro, dressed as an unholy pope, and he entered to a raucous ovation from the believers.
It wouldn't take long for this match to get underway, with Pentagon striking Vampiro over the back with a steel chair as soon as he entered the ring. He'd do it three more times, before sweeping the leg and sending the legend to the mat in the process.
Vampiro rolled to the floor for a breather, but Pentagon followed and continued his steel-on-spine assault. This assault was especially dangerous for Vampiro, who after six neck surgeries, could be paralyzed with one shot to the neck.
Vampiro climbed into the stands, and Pentagon wasn't far behind. With a chance to finally get his hands on the man that had terrorized him, Vampiro headbutted Pentagon as Matt Striker excitedly said: "Lets see the wicked that evil men can do!"
Pentagon quickly responded with a right hand to the sternum. From there, they traded blows: Pentagon continuing his shots to the chest, and Vampiro sticking with his gameplan of attacking Pentagon's head. It was a kick to the midsection, however, that momentarily downed the man with zero fear.
They came down from the stands still brawling, with Pentagon even throwing a water bottle at his opponent's head.
Back to ringside, Pentagon nailed a high kick to Vampiro and pulled up the mats, exposing the concrete floor. Another kick and a fireman's carry later, Vampiro laid on that concrete floor prone to the despicable things that Pentagon was about to do.
He tossed chairs onto the back of Vampiro, before strategically leaving one there and striking it multiple times with another chair. Again and again. The referee tried to stop the attack but was pushed away the first time and the second time Pentagon resorted to choking Vampiro with a chord.
The match was stopped and Vampiro would be stretchered away, but there was too much fight, too much pride inside this man to let things end like this.
Vampiro willed himself off the stretcher, shoving away anyone in his way to get back into the ring and finishing the fight he started. As he had told Matt Striker before the match, he was willing to die on this night.
He kicked Pentagon in the midsection and following up with a spinning heel kick to the head.
It was about a sick, sadistic man proving he was worthy of following in his master's footsteps. That man was Pentagon Jr., who trudged down the steps of The Temple and into the ring first, ironically introduced by a near victim of his; ring announcer Melissa Santos.
It was about a legend stepping into the ring one more time. A 32-time world champion channeling his inner darkness once more to do battle with a man that reminded him of himself. That man was Vampiro, dressed as an unholy pope, and he entered to a raucous ovation from the believers.
It wouldn't take long for this match to get underway, with Pentagon striking Vampiro over the back with a steel chair as soon as he entered the ring. He'd do it three more times, before sweeping the leg and sending the legend to the mat in the process.
Vampiro rolled to the floor for a breather, but Pentagon followed and continued his steel-on-spine assault. This assault was especially dangerous for Vampiro, who after six neck surgeries, could be paralyzed with one shot to the neck.
Vampiro climbed into the stands, and Pentagon wasn't far behind. With a chance to finally get his hands on the man that had terrorized him, Vampiro headbutted Pentagon as Matt Striker excitedly said: "Lets see the wicked that evil men can do!"
Pentagon quickly responded with a right hand to the sternum. From there, they traded blows: Pentagon continuing his shots to the chest, and Vampiro sticking with his gameplan of attacking Pentagon's head. It was a kick to the midsection, however, that momentarily downed the man with zero fear.
They came down from the stands still brawling, with Pentagon even throwing a water bottle at his opponent's head.
Back to ringside, Pentagon nailed a high kick to Vampiro and pulled up the mats, exposing the concrete floor. Another kick and a fireman's carry later, Vampiro laid on that concrete floor prone to the despicable things that Pentagon was about to do.
He tossed chairs onto the back of Vampiro, before strategically leaving one there and striking it multiple times with another chair. Again and again. The referee tried to stop the attack but was pushed away the first time and the second time Pentagon resorted to choking Vampiro with a chord.
The match was stopped and Vampiro would be stretchered away, but there was too much fight, too much pride inside this man to let things end like this.
Vampiro willed himself off the stretcher, shoving away anyone in his way to get back into the ring and finishing the fight he started. As he had told Matt Striker before the match, he was willing to die on this night.
He kicked Pentagon in the midsection and following up with a spinning heel kick to the head.
"There's a part of you that sees a warrior with one more fight in him, and you can't help but get to your feet and will this man to find a way!" - Matt Striker
The crowd had reached a fever pitch as Vampiro poured a bag of tacks onto the canvas. He'd hoist Pentagon in the air and slam him onto these shiny, silver daggers.
Vampiro knew there was still work to be done, and it had to be quite dramatic to do significant damage to a man like Pentagon Jr.. So he came off the top rope with a moonsalt. Pentagon, however, got out of harm's way and crashed back-first into his own tacks.
Pentagon now pulled out a weapon of his choice—a fluorescent lighting tube—to smash over the skull of Vampiro.
A cloud of dust filled the air, and the remnants of the tube littered the canvas.
Vampiro, now bleeding, had a piece of the tube driven into his flesh by Pentagon as his skin boiled from the mercury in the tubes.
Pentagon licked Vampiro's blood off his arm, savoring the damage he had done to his prey, but he wasn't done yet.
He jabbed Vampiro in the face, opening his wounds further.
"This isn't a man, this is some crazy creature that should be locked up somewhere and throw away the key" said Michael Schiavello, who was filling in for Vampiro on commentary.
Next came a devastating roundhouse kick to Vampiro's head. But Vampiro would get to his feet when Pentagon slipped outside to grab more lighting tubes and stay on his feet after a stiff kick to the chest. A kick to the leg, several more shots to the chest: nothing would take Vampiro off his feet. Even a headbutt wouldn't do the job.
Vampiro began returning the blows, as these two went mano-e-mano in the center of the ring. This is the kind of violence the blood-thirsty Dario Cueto was looking for when he opened the doors of The Temple to the best fighters in the world.
Pentagon gained the advantage and raised a lighting tube in the air for all to see. He placed it in the corner and whipped Vampiro in that direction, but Vampiro halted his momentum short and hip tossed Pentagon into his own weapon.
Vampiro ripped the mask of Pentagon—the ultimate form of disrespect in lucha libre. He pointed at the lone lighting tube remaining in the ring, and the believers approved.
The roles were now reversed. It was deja vu. Vampiro held the tube as he licked blood off his hand, tasting his own immortality. Then he busted the tube over the head of Pentagon Jr.
The moment didn't last long as Pentagon cheap shotted Vampiro and tripped him to the canvas which was painted in blood, glass, and thumbtacks as poetically put by Michael Schiavello. A perverted Picasso, he called it.
Pentagon signaled for the end, but was met by Vampiro when he reached the top rope. Vampiro would nail a German suplex off the top rope, sending himself and Pentagon crashing to the mat. Both bloodied and battered from this war, but the question was: who would emerge victorious?
Vampiro would slide in a table from the outside, and held a lighter in one hand, and lighter fluid in the other. Pentagon perhaps was about to reap what he had sown, suffer the consequences he had threatened Vampiro with.
Vampiro enflamed the table with Pentagon stalking him from the behind. When Vampiro turned around, Pentagon slammed him through the flaming table.
"Holy shit!" chants engulfed The Temple. Vampiro rolled around furiously, attempting to put out the fire burning his flesh, before coming to a stop on the outside. Pentagon went for the cover: 1, 2, 3.
Pentagon grabbed a microphone, but, before he said much, Vampiro demanded his arm be broke.
Why? Why did Vampiro want a broken arm to go with the battered, bloodied body and the seared flesh? Pentagon didn't care; he did it. He broke Vampiro's arm before continuing on the microphone, requesting that his master reveal himself.
"Pentagon!" screamed Vampiro.
"You're looking for your teacher. Well let me tell you something: as your teacher—let me tell you—you are ready, my son."
THE AFTERMATH
It all made sense. The pieces of the puzzle were all in front of us; we just couldn't put the puzzle together.
Pentagon Jr. reminded Vampiro of himself; he even said as much. So he took him under his wing, and Pentagon's final challenge was defeating his own master before Vampiro revealed himself.
It's a classic story that's played itself out throughout history, and, during season one of Lucha Underground, it was told brilliantly.
Afterwards, Vampiro would be forced to enter a psych ward where he spent the next six months under two conditions: one, he take anti-psychotic medication twice a day, and two, he stay away from the people and places that evoked his insanity. So naturally, Matt Striker picked him up and their destination? The Temple.
It all made sense. The pieces of the puzzle were all in front of us; we just couldn't put the puzzle together.
Pentagon Jr. reminded Vampiro of himself; he even said as much. So he took him under his wing, and Pentagon's final challenge was defeating his own master before Vampiro revealed himself.
It's a classic story that's played itself out throughout history, and, during season one of Lucha Underground, it was told brilliantly.
Afterwards, Vampiro would be forced to enter a psych ward where he spent the next six months under two conditions: one, he take anti-psychotic medication twice a day, and two, he stay away from the people and places that evoked his insanity. So naturally, Matt Striker picked him up and their destination? The Temple.
Catrina had re-opened the doors of The Temple for everyone to return. And following the main event of the first show, Pentagon Jr. broke the arm of the Lucha Underground Champion Mil Muertes with Vampiro looking on.
It would appear as if Pentagon Jr. has set his sights on the top prize in Lucha Underground, but first, he's going to have to get through Prince Puma. And the role Vampiro will play is unknown.
What is known, however, is that season two of Lucha Underground is just getting started. And now, they say, it's a much darker place.
It would appear as if Pentagon Jr. has set his sights on the top prize in Lucha Underground, but first, he's going to have to get through Prince Puma. And the role Vampiro will play is unknown.
What is known, however, is that season two of Lucha Underground is just getting started. And now, they say, it's a much darker place.