Current Lucha Underground star and former WWE star Johnny Mundo (John Morrison) recently spoke to Ring Rust Radio while promoting the El Rey’s Network’s popular wrestling promotion.
Mundo spoke about why he joined Lucha Underground, what he likes about the promotion, working with Alberto El Patron, Lucha’s future, and much more. You can read a few excerpts and listen to the interview below:
Johnny Mundo Talks Lucha Underground, Why It Was A Good Fit For Him:
The first part was just logistics. Los Angeles is my home town, it’s where I live, and so no travel that appeals to me. Secondly, I was a little skeptical until I took a tour of the facility and the facility looked great. It was in this dumpy warehouse in Boyle Heights, where I shot a movie with Danny Trejo two years prior. Melina and I were sexy, underground mole people in the film and I remember we were killing time and hanging with Danny Trejo beneath the subways of New York in this warehouse. So when I went to this warehouse I remembered how it looked two years ago versus how it looked with the Lucha Underground set built and I was blown away. This is a production that cares about the art decoration and is running it like a movie instead of a TV show. Then you add to that the names from WWE that I was familiar with like Chris Roach, Matt Stillman, and Eric Von Wagner from Tough Enough. They started lining up other people that I knew of like Big Rick, Chavo, and a lot of indie wrestlers that I have always been a fan of like Son of Havoc and Prince Puma. Then they went and added huge stars from AAA that I was vaguely familiar with but now am very familiar with. I thought it was a really cool combination of Lucha, which I have always been a fan of, and films with Robert Rodriguez thumbprint and vide. Mix all that with American style pro-wrestling, like the story telling aspect of what we did in the WWE. So adding the psychology of Lucha, with the production value of an action film, is pretty much combining all my worlds or “Mundos” in one wrestling promotion.
Mundo On Working With Alberto El Patron:
First of all, Alberto is extremely talented and I did wrestle him a few times in WWE, but we never had enough time to put on the kind of match that I am looking forward to with him in Lucha Underground. It’s very interesting the way he left WWE I think represents what pro-wrestlers should represent. He stood up for himself and the culture and that’s been resonating with me and the fans of Lucha Underground. You can identify with somebody who stands up for who they are and what they believe in. He is also a very talented wrestler and I am looking forward to getting in the ring with him because I think that people aren’t going to believe the type of match we are going to have. As far as how the fans will respond? I mean, Los Angeles is my hometown, and has been for Lucha Underground since day one, so I think a lot of fans that are going to see that and the hard work I have done, and chant “Mundo” until their faces melt. There are also a lot of fans that will respect Alberto and where he comes from and the talent he has in the ring and chant for him. The true winner is going to be the fans in the temple when Albert and I are in the ring.
What does Mundo see in Lucha’s future?
I am excited to be along for this ride and to see where it goes. I dig the vignettes; they come off like a gritty action film straight off an AMC TV show. I’m thinking that I’d love to be in one of those and see that happen. I really just am excited to be a part of what comes next. I’m looking forward to it, and glad with the feedback I have gotten from friends in the business and fans and personal friends have been all extremely positive. I am excited, everyone’s excited, and I am thankful for all the fans who are enjoying the product and without that, there would be no Johnny Mundo.
