Professional Wrestler Johnny Mundo Talks New Wrestling Show, 'Lucha Underground'!

Qn: How has your Journey been like as a professional wrestler?

JM: I travel around the world, I wear dazzling wrestling tights, some call me “The Shaman of Sexy,” “The Guru of Greatness” and a lot of other nicknames no where as nice as those mentioned. So far I have to say it has been really cool! It’s the kind of stuff I dreamed of doing when I was a kid, wrestling with my friends. Now to be able to do this is a dream come true and I feel blessed. 


Qn: What type of training do you do to keep up with being in the ring all the time? 

JM: I believe in training in multiple disciplines, there is a place for every type of training as each of them strengthens your body in different ways. You train your body to move, run, jump, push, pull and twist, all the things the human body was meant to do. I believe that professional wrestlers are athletes so why not train like one; I regularly incorporate functional and dynamic training into my workout routine. 

I have a fitness program Out of Your Mind Fitness that gives a detailed explanation of all my beliefs on training; I use the program 5-6 days a week and I add some type of skill workout 3 days a week. Sometimes it could be boxing and at other times it might be Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). In addition to that, stretching, warming up appropriately and knowing your limits are important aspects to remember when training. This prevents unwarranted injuries from happening while you train. 


Qn: What is it like being part of Lucha Underground?

JM: I was originally a filmmaker at the University of California at Davis as I always wanted to do action movies. Lucha Underground gave me the opportunity to be part of something different, it feels like an action movie fueled by the essence of Robert Rodriguez. 

The in-ring psychology is faster and harder than anything I have experienced. It was definitely a challenge for me both physically and mentally. I had to constantly reinvent myself in the ring and as a competitor I want make Johnny Mundo relevant and eventually take the championship title one day.  


Qn: What difference do you see between John Morrison and Johnny Mundo?

JM: First of, Mundo can speak Spanish. Outside of that, I felt as if Johnny Mundo has not changed much from John Morrison. I have evolved the character since my time here in Lucha Underground. I’ve been labeled as a “rudo” or bad guy and it has been fun being called that. If I had to pick, I would say that Johnny Mundo is darker and sinister than John Morrison ever was. 

Lucha underground gives me the opportunity to go even darker and have a deeper character than John Morrison could ever be. As everything continues and the show progresses, you are going to see the evolution of Johnny Mundo into a dark and villainous character. 


Qn: What is it like facing off against the top talents from Lucha Underground?

JM: It is a boiling pit of different psychologies and styles and it has really opened up the potential for many things to happen on the show. I have King Cuerno, Fenix, Prince Puma and Son of Havoc to test my skills against, the moves they use and the way they approach wrestling is fundamentally different. 

One of my favourite matches in my entire career has to be the “All Night Long” match with Prince Puma. There was a story, there was action, there was a ton of high flying stuff and I pretty much put everything into that match. I cannot say enough good things about that match, it was such an honor to be part of it. 


Qn: What makes Lucha Underground different from other professional wrestling franchises?

JM: The world of Lucha Underground feels dark, mysterious and sometimes even supernatural. The creators wanted the characters to be darker and more multi-layered than any other promotion. Character development complements and at times drive the action in the ring. most wrestlers compete for pride, revenge or glory but in Lucha Underground the stakes are raised when our characters have extensive, well fleshed out backstories, some tracing back hundreds or even thousands of years!