Every hour until the clock strikes midnight (Eastern time) and we usher in 2016, Diva Dirt will highlight – in no particular order – the women who made an impact in 2015.
The Women of Lucha Underground (Black Lotus, Catrina, Ivelisse & Sexy Star)
2015 saw the arrival of professional wrestling’s most unique and dynamic brand in history. Bringing together the historic culture of Mexican lucha libre to the theatrics of US soil, Lucha Underground has created a product like no other, meshing superb wrestling action with soap opera-esque stories that have a hint of camp macabre. Quite the combination, I think you will agree.
Four female characters have been at the forefront of the show, but surprisingly, only one match saw two women square off with one another. Lucha Underground has perfectly portrayed that the ladies can perform just as well as the men, which is why intergender bouts are the norm within The Temple in Boyle Heights, California.
A woman who has defeated more men than she has had hot dinners is the ultra-face hummingbird, Sexy Star. The winged wonder has springboarded her way to main event success, stardom that culminated in her competing in the Gift of the Gods match at Lucha Underground’s flagship special, Ultima Lucha. Along the way, Sexy has feuded with Big Ryck, Pentagon Jr. and Super Fly, participating at the lofty heights of the upper card. Whilst championships have evaded her thus far, fanfare certainly has not. She has been unmasking traitors, winning medallions and high-flying across the temple and nothing seems capable of dimming her blazing light any time soon.
From light to the dark, Catrina has proven that death isn’t always a bad thing. The Mistress of Macabre sunk her fangs into anyone (man or woman) that stepped in her path. The control she has over her roster of ethereal talent – Mil Muertes and the Disciples of Death – is paramount to their success; she knows how to guide them to the very top.
Catrina has been at the epicentre of every major Lucha Underground angle, whether that be Aztec Warfare, Grave Consequences or Ultima Lucha, making her presence felt in whatever the circumstance. She has dished out her patented “Lick of Death” a number of times too, sealing the gruesome fate of Mil Muertes’ victims with a chilling embrace. One thing is for sure, if you see Catrina in your sights, you know things are about to get a whole lot worse… for you that is.
Another woman who knows all about championships is Ivelisse, Lucha Underground’s “Baddest Bitch in the Building” who became the only female to win gold in Season One. Alongside her ex-boyfriend Son of Havoc and her frenemy Angelico, Ivelisse became one of the inaugural Trios Tag Team Champions. The unlikely trio threw their differences to one side in pursuit of a common goal, and their determination paid off. Ivelisse even participated in LU’s first Ladder match, pulling down the championship above the ladder to keep the Trios Titles in her team’s grasp.
Despite losing the championships at Ultima Lucha, her bond with Son of Havoc has been mended and a partnership with Angelico has gone from strength to strength. It is safe to say that the trifecta will look to become the first ever double champions in the company’s history. I’d like to think they can make it happen too.
If all of the above information sounded good, wait till you hear Black Lotus’s story. This mysterious female simply enjoyed the greatest debut of any wrestling character that I can personally recall. She debuted a few months into the promotion’s life, on the lookout for a man named Matanza. The viewers were none the wiser as to the identity of Lotus’ target than she was, but it soon became apparent that LU’s promoter Dario Cueto knew who Matanza was: his brother.
Matanza was alleged to have murdered Black Lotus’s parents in what was a very Bruce Wayne-like storyline. Our heroine didn’t need bat wings, cutting-edge technology and a gravelly voice to get the job done however – she just needed willpower. Thankfully, she had that in spades.
After threatening Dario Ceuto regarding what he knew, Lotus came face-to-face with Matanza, only for her to be ambushed by an unknown masked man. He revealed himself to be El Dragon Azteca, an eyewitness to the culling of Lotus’ parents. He trained her at his base, developing her skillset, ensuring that she only went in to fight Matanza when she was completely ready. Tutelage over with and a Chavo Guerrero-sized roadblock overcome, it turns out that Matanza didn’t in fact kill Black’s parents, El Dragon did. Lucha Underground’s finale saw Lotus murder El Dragon and drive off into the LA sunset with her original enemies Dario and Matanza. That’s right, a wrestling character murdered someone. Holy drama!
These four luchadoras have proven that they can bring high-octane offense to the dance, and they’re busting moves at my kind of party. The girls have provided more action than a Christopher Nolan epic and plot twists that would make the cast of Days of Our Lives jealous. Bring on more of that in season two!
Come back at the top of every hour to see who else has been crowned 2015’s WOTY.
