Backstage Updates – Talent For The Lucha Underground Project

UPDATE x 4: Here are some additional talent notes from the Lucha Underground project:

* Aaron Aguilera (WWE, WSX) and former XPW performer Kaos have turned down deals with Lucha Underground.

* Several talents have been hesitant to sign and or passed on deals this week. Producers are now bringing in other wrestlers to try out for roles that were originally designed and cast for the wrestlers that have decided to move on.

* Several wrestlers will be brought in for the early tapings to work dark matches. This is so they can be evaluated and also so they can get uses to the feel of the promotion.

* The first tapings will be held in an industrial style warehouse, will feature live bands playing, and will likely have a feel similar to the Wrestling Society X promotion.

UPDATE x 4: According to sources, the Lucha Underground project has offered Ricochet a contract and reportedly have major plans for him. Ricochet is currently under contract to WWNLive (who runs EVOLVE/DGUSA). In the past, they have allowed talent out of contracts for a WWE deal, but no word on if they would do the same for Lucha Underground. Gabe Sapolsky declined to comment when asked about Ricochet last week.

UPDATE x 3: According to sources, Joey Ryan and Candice LaRae have turned down deals with AAA’s Lucha Underground series. Also, the show’s set looks like “a fight club inside an old warehouse” similar to Wrestling Society X.

A source adds that there is additionally a set that is designed to look like a gym for vignettes.

UPDATE x 2: The El Rey network announced today that Karlee Perez (formerly known as Maxine in WWE) has signed on for the Lucha Underground project. Here is the official announcement…

FORMER WWE DIVA KARLEE PEREZ SIGNS WITH PRODUCER MARK BURNETT’S LUCHA LIBRE WRESTLING ON THE EL REY NETWORK

TAMPA, FLA, September 3, 2014 – Former WWE Diva and Actress Karlee Perez announces her new recurring role on producer Mark Burnett’s new show; Lucha Libre, a weekly hour-long wrestling series on the El Rey Network. Mark Burnett, the uber-producer behind Survivor, The Apprentice, The Voice and The Bible is teaming with Robert Rodriguez’s new Latino-themed network to create a weekly hour-long series featuring a new lucha libre league. The Mexican wrestling series will debut in the second half of 2014.

Karlee known as former WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) Diva “Maxine”, where she was portrayed as an intimidating, sexy villain in heels; Karlee attracted audiences around the world during the four years of her exciting career in wrestling. Her non-stop action packed, body slamming wrestling career, resulting in endless live camera promos and matches and a devoted social following of thousands of fans and supporters.

The El Rey Network, which launched in December, is a new 24-hour English-language network targeting the Latino 18-49 audience. Founded and curated by Rodriguez, the network has a national distribution agreement with Comcast.

About Karlee Perez: Born, April 19, 1986, to an entrepreneur family in Tampa, Florida. Karlee Perez first gained fame with World Wrestling Entertainment, as WWE’s Diva, “MAXINE”, a sexy, alluring, selfish villain in heels, making her a household name and sex symbol. Described by industry insiders and fans alike, as the perfect kind of woman… everybody “hates to love”.Karlee is a unique twist of exotic multi-ethnic looks, from her ethnic backgrounds of Spanish, Cuban, Italian, Hawaiian, Irish, English and Chinese.

For more information and updates on the show, please visit, www.karleeperez.com or follow on twitter @karleeleilani

UPDATE: WWE Tough Enough alum Martin Casaus has signed onto Lucha Underground. The site adds that UWF alumnus Famous B was offered a deal and that Matt Sydal (Evan Bourne) and his brother Mike have both turned down offers to be on the series.

The promotion also posted the following to Twitter advertising their tapings, which start this weekend:

Calling all #wrestling fans: @LuchaElRey is taping in Los Angeles. Tickets are FREE! Come see some #luchalibre LIVE! pic.twitter.com/G8cUEQwYw9

— El Rey Network (@Elreynetwork) September 2, 2014

ORIGINAL: Here are some news & notes on the El Rey Network’s Lucha Underground project:

* Former WWE wrestlers Ezekiel Jackson, Maxine and Savannah were offered deals for the El Rey Network’s Lucah Underground series. Maxine wrote on Twitter that she has signed on for the series.

* Meanwhile, Frankie Kazarian was offered a deal and turned it down, as did the Young Bucks.

* Talents were told that if they didn’t sign today, the offers would be null and void. The wrestlers were negotiating with the series to get the deals done yesterday but several names still haven’t agreed. Chavo Guerrero, who was going to work backstage along with wrestling, hadn’t come to an agreement on a deal.

* Several talents have been hesitant to sign due to the lack of exclusivity, guaranteed pay and the fact they cant work independent dates without getting clearance first. Some of the better known talents were offered $750 per match while others (independent performers) were offered $200 per match. Former WWE creative team members Chris Roach and Matt Stollman are working on the series with Chris DeJoseph.

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