Corrigan’s Corner: Will Lucha Underground Join These 5 Forgotten Promotions?

My Comcast bill is higher than Rikishi’s cholesterol, so I won’t be adding the El Rey network to my cable plan.

But that doesn’t mean I don’t support Lucha Underground, professional wrestling’s newest organization and a true alternative to WWE.

It’s storyline-driven lucha libre for an American audience with fresh foreign talent and familiar faces such as Johnny Mundo (John Morrison), Chavo Guerrero Jr., Konnan, and Ezekiel Jackson.

I watched the main event of the premiere episode, featuring a fun match between Johnny Mundo and Prince Puma. Take some time to check it out and you’ll realize why Lucha Underground is the true alternative to WWE programming.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FihfGAXEf5g&list=UUaVwpbqM8dkhQvbL8XileAA

The cinematic-like visuals, no commercials interrupting the match, the small, yet enthusiastic crowd, and best of all, the commentators not only calling the action but also injecting their authentic personalities while doing so.

Matt Striker and Vampiro already outshine every commentating team currently on TV.

So I like Lucha Underground. I’ll follow it as much as possible. I’ll even buy one of their pay-per-views.

However, I’ve felt this excitement many times before about a pro wrestling company. Not just WCW or ECW, not just TNA or ROH, and not just Extreme Rising.

I’m talking about five wrasslin’ promotions with TV shows, PPVs, and/or DVDs. They each tried to be different and they each had potential. But today they’ve been forgotten by even the most hardcore fans.

World Wrestling All-Stars

Existence: 2001-2003

Roster: Jeff Jarrett, Sting, Scott Steiner, A.J. Styles, Eddie Guerrero

Distribution: PPV

After WCW and ECW shut down, it only made sense for someone with deep pockets to pick from the slew of free agents and present a new product. So that’s what Australian concert promoter Andrew McManus did. Touring across Australia and Europe, with one stop in the U.S., WWA held random PPV events with the perfect blend of exciting indy talent and high-profile names. Looking back, you could say it was the precursor to TNA because Jeff Jarrett was WWA Champion, cruiserweights such as A.J. Styles, Christopher Daniels, and Sharkboy opened the shows, and there were several nonsensical heel turns plaguing each show (I’m still bitter about Monty Brown joining Planet Jarrett).

But I would order each show for like $15 and tape them on VHS because even as a young boy, I figured WWA wouldn’t last long. It was fun never knowing who would show up, but at the same time, kind of the antithesis of the Monday Night Wars, you never knew who wouldn’t make it. “Macho Man” Randy Savage, Kevin Nash, and Scott Hall were all scheduled to appear at various events, but never showed. Unfortunately, the “Colossus of Boggo Road” Nathan Jones did show up and his pitiful performances led to a brief career in WWE, where he has the distinction of being the Undertaker’s only tag team partner at a WrestleMania.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEmDlKTL4Ig

Xcitement Wrestling Federation

Existence: 2001-2002

Roster: Hulk Hogan, Mr. Perfect, Bobby Heenan, Roddy Piper, Sable

Distribution: DVDs and PPV

If WWA provided the blueprint for TNA’s booking, then the XWF laid the foundation for TNA—literally. XWF taped a series of shows at Universal Studios in the same soundstage now known as the IMPACT Zone. And similar to WWA, the XWF featured former WCW and ECW superstars, albeit more mainstream names, as well as rookies such as Carlito and Josh Matthews.

Jimmy Hart assumed ownership of the company and attempted to secure a TV deal based off the star power of Hogan, Piper, and Jerry Lawler, who commentated with Tony Schiavone. However, Vince McMahon kept cherry-picking off the roster and soon left Hart without any marquee talent. It’s a shame because the XWF had such an impressive roster, plus actual wrestling minds in management, and it could have easily replaced WCW as WWE’s top challenger. Several of the taped matches were repackaged into PPV specials for the DISH Network and you might be able to find the DVD sets at flea markets or for roughly $10 on Amazon. And you know, with Christmas right around the corner, that’s not a bad gift for your favorite Wrestledelphia writer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwL7uAq7Zaw

Universal Wrestling Federation

Existence: 1990-1994

Roster: Cactus Jack, Bam Bam Bigelow, Paul Orndorff, Bob Backlund, Bruno Sammartino

Distribution: TV, PPV, VHS

OK, so this is a bit before my time, but as a wrasslin’ historian, I can appreciate the effort displayed by UWF owner Herb Abrams. Think about it–UWF had all the markets covered: a weekly show on SportsChannel America called “Fury Hour,” a PPV titled “Beach Brawl” where John Laurinaitis fought Terry Gordy to a double countout in a STREET FIGHT, and six home videos including “The Best of Paul Orndorff.” It’s a travesty this company didn’t survive. The Best of Paul Orndorff!

Alas, the UWF faded into oblivion, but not before giving us a real-life shoot on TV as Herb paid “Dr. Death” Steve Williams a bonus $100 to break this jabroni’s nose for allegedly sleeping with Herb’s wife. The guy wasn’t, but why let that ruin a good story?

American Wrestling Federation

Existence: 1994-1996

Roster: Tito Santana, Sgt. Slaughter, Michael Hayes, Tony Atlas, Road Warriors

Distribution: TV, DVDs

I have the entire 1995 series 4-disc compilation if anybody wants to come over and watch Chico Santana defeat the Ultimate Destroyer in two rounds. Oh yeah, there’s rounds, baby! Rounds and rounds of squash matches and then rest periods with Terry Taylor and his lordship Alfred Hayes on commentary. You have to give AWF credit for instituting a round system in an effort to be different; yet, you get the feeling that this entire company consists of former stars who don’t want to settle into retirement. But who cares because syndication wrestling is still wrestling. Warriors of Wrestling…whaaaaaat aaaaaa ruuuuuush!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFP7fPGmifc

Wrestling Society X

Existence: 2007

Roster: Seth Rollins, X-Pac, Evan Bourne, Colt Cabana, New Jack

Distribution: TV, DVDs

MTV and pro wrestling made a lucrative tag team in the 80s, so why not try it again during the millennium? Instead of Cyndi Lauper, you have Pitbull. And rather than the Hulkster teaming with Mr. T, there were exploding coffins. EXPLODING…COFFINS…which symbolized the quick death of Wrestling Society X. Less than ten 30-minute episodes aired, but at least they ushered back a level of unpredictability to a sport that had languished in ennui since the Attitude Era.

Wrestledelphia.com assistant editor John Corrigan can be reached at . Follow him on Twitter at .