There is frustration within Lucha Underground from people that learned about the next set of TV tapings being moved to late 2017. The news was first reported by the Wrestling Observer newsletter. Some talents had canceled February, March, and April independent bookings because they were expecting another round of tapings so now they will have to work on more indy dates again.
Also, there is frustration because Lucha Underground hasn’t grown and the contracts have most of the talent locked in for seven seasons which keeps them from being able to inquire about working for WWE, ROH or New Japan Pro Wrestling. There are some top names reportedly looking into their options to see if they can legally get out of their Lucha Underground deals so they can seek work elsewhere. Â Dave Meltzer didn’t say which talent wanted to get out but I would bet that WWE would be interested in Rey Mysterio if he was free and clear. Most of the talent is still happy that they at least get a regular paycheck so, in that sense, they are happy that Lucha Underground is still around.
The hope was that by this point they would be a bigger force but the ratings for the current season are lower than they’ve ever been and they are not running house shows. They also don’t seem to be bringing in much merchandise money. In addition to all of that, they have yet to be able to get on a Spanish-language network. The first season was the most watched season because the Spanish-language version aired on Saturdays on Unimas. The ratings for the current season are down by 12.6 percent from last season.
