Matt Sydal compares MTV’s Wrestling Society X to Lucha Underground

Wrestling Society X was one of the stranger wrestling promotions to come up in the 2000’s.

 


 

In 2006, ten episodes of WSX were filmed for MTV. Unlike most wrestling shows, WSX took a different approach to its production, specifically adding in explosions, crowd sounds, electrical sounds, and other various effects after the episodes were taped. Each thirty-minute episode featured a musical guest like Three 6 Mafia or Pitbull and usually featured them on commentary at some point in the night.

The show was a complete disaster, being canceled before the final episode of the series could be aired. While it featured some older talent like Vampiro, 6-Pac and Justin Credible, the show failed to gain decent ratings. It was a great place, however, to get a look at the stars that would define pro-wrestling today, with stars like Jack Evans, Tyler Black, Colt Cabana (as Matt Classic), Joey Ryan, and Ricky Banderas (Lucha Underground’s Mil Muertes).

While the first episode, featuring a “WSX Rumble,” a match that turns into a ladder match when all participants have entered the ring, garnered a 1.0, the episodes following saw a drastic drop, as the final aired episode drew a 0.3.

By the time the fifth episode aired, WSX’s timeslot began to shift. The first four episodes aired at 10:30 pm ET, and by the ninth episode was airing at 1:00 am, essentially sealing its fate.

Impact X Division Champion Matt Sydal, who also worked with WSX, spoke with Wrestling Epicenter about the failed promotion. When asked whether he believed if the promotion could have survived in the present day, Sydal compared it to another current promotion.

Well, I think [WSX] is around now. It’s called Lucha Underground. It was a trial phase. It’s a lot of the same people. It was the west coast show with a lot of west coast producers. They just had a lot of years between WSX to now to learn and grow and find new stars. ALl the people who were on WSX Season 1 are the lifeblood of the alternative wrestling business, and now the mainstream wrestling business as well.

That’s what Lucha Underground is doing. They’re taking guys who belong in that mainstream and are giving them the exposure and the respect and the connection to the audience that they deserve. Hopefully they’re getting paid! For me, I just like seeing these guys getting paid.

You can check out the rest of the interview in the video below. Matt Sydal discusses the “X-Division style” and how it’s used around the world today and the state of the business in 2018.

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