Johnny Mundo is flattered by the WWE Cruiserweight Classic, but thinks Lucha Underground deserves some of the credit.
The Lucha Underground wrestler told Sports Illustrated the tournament featured action similar to El Rey program. Mundo adds the similarities to the list of imitations.
“We put out the best wrestling available on television, and now we’re seeing WWE try to imitate Lucha Underground with the cruiserweight tournament. Other shows are trying to imitate the cinematic-type style we’ve been doing, but imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Wrestling ultimately comes down to what happens when the bell rings, and it comes down to athleticism, storytelling, and characters – and what we’re doing in Lucha Underground is the highest-quality wrestling out there” said Mundo.
The size of WWE is a detriment, according to Mundo. He says the smaller size allows Lucha Underground to be successfully at its style of professional wrestling.
“WWE is so huge and they have to crank out so many hours of television, so they don’t have time to take the care and attention to detail for the entire roster. That’s what sets Lucha Underground apart. There is an overflow of shows in wrestling, but no one else invests that much care to each character in the show” said Mundo.
Mundo also credits the creative freedom at Lucha Underground to the success. Christopher DeJoseph expressed a similar sentiment and credited The El Rey Network for the creative freedom. DeJoseph also saw similarities between Lucha Underground and recent WWE television.
Lucha Underground appears on The El Rey Network Wednesdays at 9pm. Mundo is currently pursuing the Lucha Underground Championship each week.
