8 Things Lucha Underground Did Better Than WWE

2. Authority Figures

The authority figure trope is an extremely tired one in modern professional wrestling. Stone Cold Steve Austin’s weekly battle to deal with an evil boss created the greatest feud in pro wrestling history, but that was 20 years ago. No one wants to see the boss as the biggest heel on the roster anymore. There is more than enough in-ring talent for heel GMs to be a thing of the past.

Dario Cueto was no ordinary authority figure however. Make no mistake about it, El Jefe ran the show, but his decisions were always made with the show in mind. Dario Cueto didn’t put obstacles in front of his wrestlers to make himself look better - he did it to make money and because of an almost insatiable blood lust.

Dario Cueto could well be the greatest authority figure in professional wrestling history. Look at it this way - if Lucha Underground was to return for a season four, the conveyor belt of talent that is the independent scene means there will be no shortage of performers to fill the spots left behind by the stars of the three seasons. Dario Cueto is irreplaceable - without him there can’t be a Lucha Underground.

It helps that the Cueto character was portrayed by a classically trained actor. Luis Fernandez-Gil wasn’t the owner of the promotion or an ageing wrestling looking to stay relevant. He was an actor hired to play a part, and he played it to a tee.