Johnny Mundo Talks Lucha Underground, Netflix, Women's Wrestling

Johnny Mundo is one of the top stars in the Lucha Underground promotion, and as the company’s world champion, he is the perfect representation of what the brand is all about.

On March 15, Lucha Underground’s first and second seasons will be added to the streaming service, Netflix, opening the wrestling promotion to millions of new viewers it wasn’t able to reach through the El Rey Network.

Lucha Underground already boasts one of the most different and innovative wrestling products in recent history, and exposing the television show to both hardcore and casual fans will expand the intrigue surrounding the product.

In a recent interview promoting the May 9 release of his new movie, Boone: the Bounty Hunter, Mundo spoke to Ring Rust Radio about his improvement in Lucha Underground, the company’s move to Netflix and his thoughts on women in wrestling.

Mundo was already one of the best in-ring workers in the world, but he has stepped up his game on the mic to ensure he is the perfect representation of Lucha Underground. Now that he is one of the faces of the brand, Mundo is able to showcase all of the improvements he’s made over the last several years.

“A big part of why I feel like my mic work has improved so much is the schedule with Lucha Underground. I have a lot more time to do the things I want to do now,” Mundo said. “I’ve been spending quite a bit of time writing, acting and making films. Because I’m doing all this extra writing, acting and creating short comedy skits with my friends in improv shows, I feel like that’s really filled out my confidence on the mic. My mic work I never really thought was super lacking, but has been a perceived weakness of mine since my run in WWE.”

As great as Mundo has been as the Lucha Underground champion, the company is hoping to reach the next level through its partnership with Netflix. The streaming service has over 90 million subscribers, which will help the unique wrestling show reach an all-new audience.

Mundo knows the importance of Lucha Underground reaching new fans, and he hopes the new audience will love the product as much as the hardcore fans who already watch each week on the El Rey Network.

“For me as a performer, it means more people are going to be able to see Lucha Underground, Season 1 and 2, which is awesome because the work I’ve done in Lucha Underground is some of the best work I’ve done in my wrestling career,” Mundo said. “Netflix has around 100 million subscribers in the U.S. and Canada. That means the potential audience now for Lucha Underground could exceed any other wrestling promotion besides the WWE. It puts us in a category where we have the potential to heat up, get really hot and build Lucha Underground into something bigger than anyone ever thought.”

While the addition of Season 1 and 2 of Lucha Underground to Netflix is a major coup for the company, there are still detractors who complain about aspects of the show. One of the biggest complaints is the intergender matches that take place often.

Lucha Underground boasts some of the most talented women’s wrestlers in the world, and with each character in the company treated like a superhero, there is no reason men and women shouldn’t be fighting against each other.

With that said, many of the most “respected” wrestling pundits still complain about men and women fighting each other, but Mundo disagrees with the notion.

“In Lucha Underground, wrestlers are treated like superheroes. To the critics who are complaining about the intergender wrestling matches, I think those people should talk to the female wrestlers like Taya, Sexy Star, Ivelisse and Mariposa,” Mundo said. “Those women are talented and powerful women who have trained their entire lives to participate in the sport of professional wrestling. They love being in the ring with top performers and they don’t see it as an intergender match, they see it as two characters competing in the ring.”

“So, for people who are trying to criticize that, I think there been a bit myopic of what professional wrestling is,” Mundo continued. “We’re looking at ourselves as larger-than-life characters.”

Mundo is the perfects spokesperson for Lucha Underground. Not only does he have the look which appeals to hardcore and casual fans, but his love of the company is also infectious, making him the ideal ambassador for the brand.

The hope now is that the addition of Season 1 and 2 of Lucha Underground being added to Netflix will allow more people to fall in love with the company. With a unique product that has proven to be a viable alternative to what WWE and other companies are producing, it won’t take long for fans to become enamored with Lucha Underground.

For those wrestling fans who loved Mundo during his run with WWE or are simply looking for something different in the wrestling industry, check out Lucha Underground and fall in love with the sport all over again.

For more wrestling talk, listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot topics or catch the latest episode in the player above (some language NSFW).