25 Moments That Made Lucha Underground Amazing

I love Lucha Underground.

This show is one of my favorite things to ever come along in professional wrestling. Recently, I spent more than an hour discussing some of my favorite things about this groundbreaking, revolutionary creation with my friends from the Wrestling Mayhem Show and the Wrestling Revolution.

It wasn't enough. It felt like I was just getting warmed up. So, here are 25 moments from Season 1 of Lucha Underground that made it absolutely amazing and unquestionably the best professional wrestling product on American television.

It's Not A Revolution Until The Queen Is Dethroned

At NXT Takeover: Brooklyn, fans witnessed another seminal moment in what appears to be a new era for women's professional wrestling in WWE. After defeating Sasha Banks for the NXT Women's Championship, Bayley was joined in the ring by Charlotte and Becky Lynch. All four embraced. Tears were shed. It was a fitting final sendoff to the main roster for three of the key forces in the exponential growth of women's wrestling in WWE.

The "4 Horsewomen" are shattering perceptions of what women can do in a wrestling ring, but on WWE's main roster, its Divas division has stood at a virtual standstill for the past 10 months.

I Miss Tyson Kidd

Professional wrestling isn't the same without Tyson Kidd.

New Kensington’s Don Arner Earns Second Shot At WWE « CBS Pittsburgh

New Kensington’s Don Arner Earns Second Shot At WWE « CBS Pittsburgh

Tributes To Dusty Rhodes Prominent During NXT’s Debut In Pittsburgh « CBS Pittsburgh

Tributes To Dusty Rhodes Prominent During NXT’s Debut In Pittsburgh « CBS Pittsburgh

Welcome To The Club, Kevin Owens

A victory over John Cena? That’s rare.

A clean victory over John Cena? Even more rare.

A clean victory in a non-gimmick, one-on-one match on pay-per-view? Well, that's like the Halley's Comet of professional wrestling.

The Mid-Week War Correspondent (6/4/15)

Subscribe to the Mid-Week War podcast on iTunes, or go to WrestlingMayhemShow.com. You can also get my random thoughts on the wide world of professional wrestling by following me on Twitter @MainstreamMat.

Let me just start by saying that 5 hours of professional wrestling on a single night is a terrible idea. I like to think of myself as a voracious consumer of the product in all its many, wonderful forms, but even I was overwhelmed. That said, here are my thoughts on the first night of the newly expanded Mid-Week War.

Chamber Of Inexperience

WWE's Elimination Chamber event is this Sunday. Two championship matches will be contested inside the big, steel wrestling blender, featuring an unprecedented 12 superstars making their Chamber match debut on the same night. As for those coming into Sunday with some Chamber match experience, none have ever won one. Those facts spotlight the astounding lack of experience that will be showcased on Sunday.

Say Hello To The New #2

Around the end of last year, I was asked to offer my predictions for professional wrestling in 2015. Now, I know none of you will believe this, but I really wanted to predict that by the end of this year Ring Of Honor will be widely, if not unanimously, considered the #2 American based professional wrestling company.

See? I knew you wouldn't believe me.

Kevin Owens: The Dream Match Machine

Kevin Owens is one the most remarkable talents in professional wrestling, and one the hottest things going right now in WWE.

Since his first appearance for NXT, Owens' popularity has grown at breakneck speed. As the theme of last night's live NXT Takeover special on the WWE Network suggests, Owens has been unstoppable.

In a matter of months, Owens established himself as the face of NXT. He's dominating and entertaining as its champion, but he hasn't stopped there. That thunderous sound you're hearing is Owens banging on the door of WWE's main roster.

The Final Battle Of The Mid-Week War?

Lucha Underground is the best. But that's just my opinion right now.

The former holder of that throne is NXT, and it still is in the eyes of a lot of fans.

That could change after Wednesday night.

WWE Follows The "Money" At Its Own Peril

There is a lot to like about Triple H these days, and there are reasons to be excited about the outlook for WWE under his leadership behind the scenes. But amid the brilliant E:60 special and the buzz heading toward NXT Takeover: Unstoppable I have a question.

What was he thinking?

Sami Zayn's Surprise Appearance Was Amazing, But...

I think I'm over John Cena's U.S. Title Open Challenges.

WrestleMania Predictions

WrestleMania is this Sunday. We shared our predictions on this week's Wrestling Mayhem Show. You can watch us make our picks here...

Or, you can just read our picks below.

Mayhem Mania - The SUPER CARD!

Mayhem Mania - The Final Round!

Mayhem Mania - Patreon In The Bank Round!

Mayhem Mania - Round 7

Mayhem Mania - Round 6

Mayhem Mania - Round 5

The Best Of The NXT Live Specials (a.k.a OMG!!! SAMI ZAYN!!!)

We're getting close to the one-year anniversary of NXT's debut on WWE Network. I don't think it's overstating things to say that this brand has been a revelation for a lot of professional wrestling fans who've been desperate for an alternative to the mainstream WWE product.

The NXT live specials have become the best bet for quality professional wrestling on WWE Network. They've certainly been more consistently entertaining than those hit-or-miss pay per views.

10 matches from those NXT live specials stand out as the best of the best. Here is the Top 10 I put together, with more than a little help from some of my cohorts at the Wrestling Mayhem Show and the Mid-Week War Podcast.

Mayhem Mania - Round 4

Mayhem Mania - Round 3

Roman Reigns: Too Much Too Soon? Or, Not Soon Enough?

Untested. Unproven. Inexperienced.

All adjectives used to describe Roman Reigns, the man in line for a main event match against the WWE World Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 31.

Even before his victory in the 2015 Royal Rumble match, I heard fans and people inside the professional wrestling industry openly question WWE's commitment to Reigns. They don't doubt his talent and potential, but they do doubt the timing of his rise to the top of company.

Many seem to think it's too much, too soon.

I wondered how Reigns compares to similar young/inexperienced champions from WWE's history. What I discovered surprised me. Like many of you, I believed WWE is taking an unprecedented risk. It appears bold. Perhaps, a little bit reckless. But the truth is that WWE does this kind of thing all the time. And it almost always works out for the best.

Mayhem Mania - Round 2

Mayhem Mania - Round 1

Welcome to Mayhem Mania! Not quite a game. Not really a contest. More like a competitive thought experiment. The object is to create the best WrestleMania card possible - NOT necessarily to predict what WWE will do.

2014: The Year The Internet Won

"They cheer, they boo. That's how they tell us what they like, and we're good listeners."  -Vince McMahon, Playboy, Feb. 2001

It’s been said the fans that make up the Internet Wrestling Community are but a small fraction of the entire professional wrestling audience. At one point in time that was certainly true, but it feels laughably unlikely today.

It’s been reported World Wrestling Entertainment chairman Vince McMahon completely ignores the internet and the IWC. That also was certainly true in the past. It may still hold true today, but even if it does, McMahon’s opinion is irrelevant. Others in WWE are listening, and the IWC’s voice is more powerful and influential than ever.

Why A.J. Styles Is My Wrestler Of The Year

A.J. Styles began 2014 in a familiar place - inside a TNA Wrestling ring. Frankly, it's a place he'd become far too familiar with.