This is exactly what I was afraid would happen to Lucha Underground. As the show tapes weeks or even months ahead, and the 3rd season is projected to conclude on El Rey Network in July 2017, viewers will have to suffer through the winter and spring with a champion who shouldn't have the belt right now.
Pity the man known as Johnny Mundo, for it is lazy writing that got him the title.
Last month, Mundo, the former John Morrison, needed the help of his Worldwide Underground mates to steal the Gift of the Gods title from Sexy Star, who then won Aztec Warfare to claim the LU title after the reigning champion entering that match, Matanza Cueto, had been eliminated by Rey Mysterio, Jr.. So what happens? Mundo cashes in the stolen Gift on Sexy, and uses the same illegal tactics to take the LU title, three weeks after their previous match. Since figurehead owner Dario Cueto, Matanza's "brother", is a heel, too, Sexy was royally screwed.
Blame the lazy writing on another WWE expatriate, Chris DeJoseph, and his staff, since they couldn't be bothered to write a different match the 2nd time around. There is no babyface advocate to offset Dario, who, to his credit, has moments of charity, few though they are.
The problem here is that Sexy was posited as a champion for women everywhere. So what happens, then, when each title she's earned is stolen from her in the exact same way? What message does that send to the female viewers in the audience? This is not about the babyface having to chase the skeevy heel to get the stolen gold back. This is more about a societal problem that LU should be addressing, but won't. You can count on your hands and leave room for some fingers the number of women on the LU roster. There are only two babyfaces among the women (Sexy Star & Ivelisse), so there is imbalance there. How do you explain ring announcer Melissa Santos being constantly harassed by Marty Martinez every time the "Moth" has a match? He's always hovering behind her when she does ring introductions.
All the booking mistakes regularly made in WWE and/or TNA have made their way to Lucha Underground, which is supposed to be an alternative. This needs to change, preferably yesterday, but with season 4 in production and talk of a 5th season already circulating, the message needs to get out.
Do the right thing. That's all there is to it.
