WCW fans remember the heyday of Monday Nitro on TNT. There was the New World Order, Hulk Hogan turning heel and so many other great storylines that made WCW/WWE wars so compelling in the 1990’s. But in 2001, TNT and Turner Broadcasting got out of the wrestling business when WCW and its entire library was sold to Vince McMahon’s WWE.

But now, Turner is getting back into wrestling by signing a deal to air the popular Lucha Underground series. The series will be aired on TNT, but the catch is that you have to live in Germany to watch it. The show will air every Saturday night according to the Turner press release (originally published in German):

“Lucha Underground captivates the audience,” said (per Google Translate process) Marion Rathmann, Turner’s programming director of entertainment channels in Central and Eastern Europe. “Not just with spectacular matches, but above all with an exciting story that is told throughout the season.”

Fans have been watching Lucha Underground’s three seasons on El Rey network and on UniMás and it’s gained a loyal following. Produced by reality TV czar Mark Burnett and movie director Robert Rodriguez, the show which is a wrestling show about a wrestling show, has been gaining momentum.

It looks like a wrestling reality show, but it’s more than that. The show has grown to where it’s just beginning to have live wrestling cards across the country.

If you have never seen Lucha Underground and want to know more about the series, Spencer Hall at SB Nation wrote an introductory primer about the program and it’s very informative.

The production values of Lucha Underground are quite high and the show is very well done. It may not have the sex appeal that WWE does, but for wrestling fans who love Lucha Libre and want an alternative to WWE, Lucha Underground might be for them.

TNT in Germany will air all 39 episodes produced to date and will have commentary in German (would you expect anything less?). But with Turner willing to air wrestling, maybe the door is open to have more wrestling programming on one of its American networks. Maybe one day.

[Turner Broadcasting/Forbes]

About Ken Fang

Ken has been covering the sports media in earnest at his own site, Fang's Bites since May 2007 and at Awful Announcing since March 2013.

He provides a unique perspective having been an award-winning radio news reporter in Providence and having worked in local television.

Fang celebrates the four Boston Red Sox World Championships in the 21st Century, but continues to be a long-suffering Cleveland Browns fan.