For the four seasons it lasted, Lucha Underground was the best and most entertaining wrestling show you could watch on television. Combining cinematic backstage segments with some of the craziest, fast-paced in-ring action you could possibly see, the show completely set itself apart from other pro wrestling before you even got to the canonical magic powers and insane storylines.
Lucha Underground also created some real stars, introducing Anglophone wrestling fans to Pentagon Jr. and Io Shirai, helping reinvent Johnny Mundo and Ivelisse, and giving mainstream-oriented fans their first looks at indie stars like Brian Cage and Ricochet. There were so many great performers on Lucha Underground that not all of them could win championship gold in the promotion, so at the great but less successful competitors.
10 XO Lishus
A late addition to the temple, XO Lishus showed up early in Season 4 and stuck around all the way to the end. On the way, he had an awesome “No Mas” match against Jack Evans that signaled top babyface potential for XO and teamed up with Ivelisse and Sammy Guevara to unsuccessfully challenge for the Trios Title in a three-way tornado elimination match at Ultima Lucha Cuatro. Unfortunately, Lucha would not get a fifth season, but XO Lishus would resurface on All Elite Wrestling as Sonny Kiss.
9 Mr. Cisco
The veteran wrestler best known as Lil Cholo on the Southern California indie scene couldn’t capture gold in either of his personas on Lucha Underground, but did end up getting murdered twice. As The Crew’s Mr. Cisco, he was bludgeoned to death by Dario Cueto’s bull statue, while as The Rabbit Tribe’s Mala Suerte he was defeated by Matanza Cueto and literally sacrificed to the gods. Rough stuff.
8 Mascarita Sagrada
Despite being a cult favorite, Mascarita Sagrada wasn’t able to win any titles during any of the show’s fourth seasons. You’d have thought that he’d have held the Trios Titles with Son of Havoc and, like, Pimpinela Escarlata, but it sadly never happened.
As Mascarita, he took part in three Aztec Warfare matches for the Lucha Underground Championship, and challenged for the Trios title when he was El Bunny of The Rabbit Tribe.
7 Famous B
It feels like a tremendous oversight that Famous B never got to hold LU gold. Not that he was the best wrestler on the show or anything, but he was definitely one of the best characters, working a low-rent Jimmy Hart gimmick while everyone else was dealing with an Aztec God trapped in a human’s body. He definitely needed one of those Marty “The Moth” Martinez heel runs where he held a championship just so he could be annoying.
6 Taya
Otherwise known as Taya Valkyrie, Taya started associating with Johnny Mundo and his rudo stable Worldwide Underground in Season 2. She had some great matches during her time on the show and opportunities to capture Aztec Medallions or even the Gift of the Gods Title itself, but never managed to pull out a victory. Even when the Worldwide Underground won the Trios Titles, Taya wasn’t included in the trio!
5 Hernandez
Best known for his time on TNA, Hernandez was a constant presence in the first season of Lucha Underground, establishing himself as a top heel. Hernandez’s most memorable moment was his match at the first Ultima Lucha, a Lumberjack Match against Drago where the fans in the front row were armed with belts to whup Hernandez with. Disappearing after Season 1, Hernandez resurfaced in Season 4 and wrestled a few more matches, including unsuccessful attempts on the Lucha Underground Championship and the Gift of the Gods Title.
4 Mariposa
Her brother, the aforementioned Marty “The Moth” Martinez, somehow managed to capture the Lucha Underground Championship from Pentagon Dark via Gift of the Gods cash-in, but the masked Mariposa — more famously known as Cheerleader Melissa — never had as much luck.
However, she did manage to take part in an awesome “No Mas” match against Sexy Star, and once challenged her own brother for the Lucha Underground title.
3 Texano
Normally called El Texano Jr. but billed here as Texano, this second-generation luchador was already a star coming into Lucha Underground, where he was not only the longest-reigning AAA Mega Champion, but also the youngest ever. A staple of the show before Season 4, Texano impressed in lots of great matches, including a Best of Five series with Cage. However, he never had a chance to challenge for the top title outside of some Aztec Warfare matches.
2 Alberto El Patron
Easily the biggest star of Lucha Underground as far as mainstream American wrestling fans were concerned, Alberto El Patron — better as Alberto Del Rio to WWE fans and Dos Caras Jr. to lucha fans — made his surprising debut on the show halfway through the first season. The closest El Patron ever got to Lucha gold was competing against Hernandez in a #1 contender’s match, but did defend his own AAA Mega Championship against Texano in a Bullrope Match.
1 Blue Demon Jr.
A star of lucha libre who still wrestles today, Blue Demon Jr.’s mask is iconic, second only to that of El Santo. He only appeared in Lucha Underground Season 1, giving the show some much needed lucha cred by his very presence. Despite his fame, Blue Demon Jr. never had a shot at any of the titles of Lucha Underground, his last appearance being a No DQ match against Texano Jr. in the Season 1 Finale, Ultima Lucha.