On last night’s episode of Lucha Underground, “A Snake Scorned,” the new-look Reptile Tribe made up of Kobra Moon (aka Thunder Rosa), Daga and Jeremiah Snake (aka Sami Callihan), won the trios titles, by defeating the team of Killshot (aka Shane Strickland), the Mack, and Son of Havoc (aka Matt Cross). It is the first LU title for all three, but not the first for members of the Reptile Tribe.
NEW #LuchaUnderground Trios Champions – The Reptile Tribe! @thunderrosa22 @Daga_wrestler @TheSamiCallihan pic.twitter.com/99madObHA1
— Lucha Underground (@LuchaElRey) August 16, 2018
The First Reptile Tribe
In season three, which aired in 2016-17, Kobra Moon managed a group of three wrestlers who were known as the Reptile Tribe. Moon served as their queen. The three were Vibora, Pindar, and Drago, who had been forced into captivity and eventually brainwashed after he refused to join the tribe on his own. Drago was rescued by his trios teammates, Aerostar and Fenix, but something didn’t seem right.
Later in the season, Moon issued a challenge to Fenix, Aerostar and Drago, the trios champions, to put their belts on the line against her tribe. But when the match started, it was a handicap match as the Reptile Tribe was only represented by Vibora and Pindar. That much would change however as during the match, with Aerostar desperate for a tag, Drago spit mist in his face and walked to the opposite side of the ring, tagged in for the tribe instead, and pinned Aerostar to help his new team win the titles. Moon’s plan all along had worked.
The Reptile Tribe held the titles for about four months, all the way up until season three’s finale, Ultima Lucha Tres. There, they lost the titles to Dante Fox (aka AR Fox), the Mack, and Killshot. And that’s when things started to get weird. Daga, who hadn’t been seen since season two but who had been established as having a sort of obsessive relationship with Kobra Moon, decapitated Pindar, who had been responsible for the loss. It was all in the name of proving loyalty to his queen.
Kobra Moon’s New Recruits Receive their Rematch
Daga, now a fully fledged member of the tribe, returned to the ring for season four in Aztec Warfare IV. From there, Daga and Moon led the tribe into battle with Johnny Mundo (aka John Morrison, Henigan, et al), Taya and the rest of Worldwide Underground (minus Jack Evans who storyline has a huge fear of snakes). In the midst of the feud, Moon lost another reptile due to decapitation as in an Indiana Jones-inspired segment, Mundo invaded the tribe’s lair and cut off Vibora’s head.
The feud between the two rival factions finally came to a head on last week’s episode, “A Match Made in Heaven.” Alongside Taya, PJ Black and Aerostar, whose history with the Reptile Tribe was well documented, Mundo’s team defeated Moon’s, represented by Moon herself, Daga, Drago, and new fourth member, Jeremiah Snake. In episode three of season four, Jeremiah Crane was put into a casket by Mil Muertes implying his death. But as Moon announced, he had been reborn into Jeremiah Snake.
Relive The Reptile Tribe vs. The Worldwide Underground for Johnny Mundo (@therealmorrison)! #LuchaUnderground https://t.co/KxAxAdy84h
— Lucha Underground (@LuchaElRey) August 9, 2018
Moon had promised to grant Mundo a wish if he was victorious and in a completely selfless move, he used the wish to free Drago from Moon’s control. Down three reptiles, the following week, Moon went to Antonio Cueto to demand a rematch for the trios titles that her tribe never received. Only this time, instead of Drago, Pindar, and Vibora, it would be Daga, Moon, and Snake representing the Reptile Tribe.
They faced off against the Mack, Killshot, and Son of Havoc, who was given his title in place of the MIA Dante Fox. That’s important to note as for Killshot, he believed that Havoc was handed the title and was trying to turn Mack against him, citing that Mack chose to pin Killshot and not Havoc in a match that determined which two members of the team would qualify for the Gift of the Gods Championship match. Killshot entered the match having wrestled another just prior, as he received a shot at the Gift of the Gods title when he took on its holder, Dragon Azteca Jr. (aka Rey Horus)
The Reptile Queen, Kobra Moon & her Resurrected Warrior, Jeremiah Snake! #luchaunderground @thunderrosa22 @@TheSamiCallihan pic.twitter.com/Mbj4RlhIzC
— Lucha Underground (@LuchaElRey) August 16, 2018
Killshot lost and initially, it seemed he wasn’t going to come back out for the trios match. He came in eventually, but he was not working cohesively with his teammates. The match ended when Havoc accidentally hit a dive on the outside taking down Killshot and out of retaliation, Killshot shoved Havoc off the top rope, which allowed Snake to cover him for the win. Then, berating his partner for being the reason they lost the titles, Killshot hit a double stomp on Havoc as the Mack looked on confused.
