UPDATE x 5: Vampiro has joined the cast of El Rey’s Lucha
Underground. He will be a commentator for the series. Confirmed for the series
are Blue Demon Jr., Sexy Star, Drago, Fenix, Pentagon Jr., Ricky Reyes, B-Boy
and former WWE Diva Karlee Perez.
The promotion is set for an October 8th debut on the El Rey network, and the
following taping dates have been confirmed…
* September 6th
* September 7th
* September 13th
* September
14th
* September 27th
* September 28th
* October 4th
* October
5th
* October 18th
* October 19th
* October 25th
* October 26th
UPDATE x 4: Here are some additional talent notes from the
Lucha Underground project:
* Aaron Aguilera (WWE, WSX) and former XPW
performer Kaos have turned down deals with Lucha Underground.
* Several
talents have been hesitant to sign and or passed on deals this week. Producers
are now bringing in other wrestlers to try out for roles that were originally
designed and cast for the wrestlers that have decided to move on.
*
Several wrestlers will be brought in for the early tapings to work dark matches.
This is so they can be evaluated and also so they can get uses to the feel of
the promotion.
* The first tapings will be held in an industrial style
warehouse, will feature live bands playing, and will likely have a feel similar
to the Wrestling Society X promotion.
UPDATE x 4:
According to sources, the Lucha Underground project has offered Ricochet a
contract and reportedly have major plans for him. Ricochet is currently under
contract to WWNLive (who runs EVOLVE/DGUSA). In the past, they have allowed
talent out of contracts for a WWE deal, but no word on if they would do the same
for Lucha Underground. Gabe Sapolsky declined to comment when asked about
Ricochet last week.
UPDATE x 3: According to sources,
Joey Ryan and Candice LaRae have turned down deals with AAA’s Lucha Underground
series. Also, the show’s set looks like “a fight club inside an old warehouse”
similar to Wrestling Society X.
A source adds that there is additionally
a set that is designed to look like a gym for vignettes.
UPDATE
x 2: The El Rey network announced today that Karlee Perez (formerly
known as Maxine in WWE) has signed on for the Lucha Underground project. Here is
the official announcement…
FORMER WWE DIVA KARLEE PEREZ SIGNS
WITH PRODUCER MARK BURNETT’S LUCHA LIBRE WRESTLING ON THE EL REY
NETWORK
TAMPA, FLA, September 3, 2014 – Former WWE Diva and
Actress Karlee Perez announces her new recurring role on producer Mark Burnett’s
new show; Lucha Libre, a weekly hour-long wrestling series on the El Rey
Network. Mark Burnett, the uber-producer behind Survivor, The Apprentice, The
Voice and The Bible is teaming with Robert Rodriguez’s new Latino-themed network
to create a weekly hour-long series featuring a new lucha libre league. The
Mexican wrestling series will debut in the second half of 2014.
Karlee
known as former WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) Diva “Maxine”, where she was
portrayed as an intimidating, sexy villain in heels; Karlee attracted audiences
around the world during the four years of her exciting career in wrestling. Her
non-stop action packed, body slamming wrestling career, resulting in endless
live camera promos and matches and a devoted social following of thousands of
fans and supporters.
The El Rey Network, which launched in December, is a
new 24-hour English-language network targeting the Latino 18-49 audience.
Founded and curated by Rodriguez, the network has a national distribution
agreement with Comcast.
About Karlee Perez: Born, April 19, 1986, to an
entrepreneur family in Tampa, Florida. Karlee Perez first gained fame with World
Wrestling Entertainment, as WWE’s Diva, “MAXINE”, a sexy, alluring, selfish
villain in heels, making her a household name and sex symbol. Described by
industry insiders and fans alike, as the perfect kind of woman… everybody “hates
to love”.Karlee is a unique twist of exotic multi-ethnic looks, from her ethnic
backgrounds of Spanish, Cuban, Italian, Hawaiian, Irish, English and
Chinese.
For more information and updates on the show, please visit,
www.karleeperez.com or follow on twitter
@karleeleilani
UPDATE: WWE Tough Enough alum Martin
Casaus has signed onto Lucha Underground. The site adds that UWF alumnus Famous
B was offered a deal and that Matt Sydal (Evan Bourne) and his brother Mike have
both turned down offers to be on the series.
The promotion also posted
the following to Twitter advertising their tapings, which start this
weekend:
Calling all #wrestling
fans: @LuchaElRey is
taping in Los Angeles. Tickets are FREE! Come see some #luchalibre
LIVE! pic.twitter.com/G8cUEQwYw9
—
El Rey Network (@Elreynetwork) September
2, 2014
ORIGINAL: Here are
some news & notes on the El Rey Network’s Lucha Underground
project:
* Former WWE wrestlers Ezekiel Jackson, Maxine and Savannah were
offered deals for the El Rey Network’s Lucah Underground series. Maxine wrote on
Twitter that she has signed on for the series.
* Meanwhile, Frankie
Kazarian was offered a deal and turned it down, as did the Young Bucks.
*
Talents were told that if they didn’t sign today, the offers would be null and
void. The wrestlers were negotiating with the series to get the deals done
yesterday but several names still haven’t agreed. Chavo Guerrero, who was going
to work backstage along with wrestling, hadn’t come to an agreement on a
deal.
* Several talents have been hesitant to sign due to the lack of
exclusivity, guaranteed pay and the fact they cant work independent dates
without getting clearance first. Some of the better known talents were offered
$750 per match while others (independent performers) were offered $200 per
match. Former WWE creative team members Chris Roach and Matt Stollman are
working on the series with Chris DeJoseph.
