Photo courtesy of El Rey Network

The key to long-term success in the wrestling industry is the ability to reinvent yourself, and few competitors are as successful at keeping their character fresh as former WWE Superstar and Lucha Underground’s Paul London.

At 37, London has seen and done almost everything in the wrestling business, but his latest venture has taken him to the land of Lucha Underground, where he became the leader of the trios team known as The Rabbit Tribe.

In a recent interview promoting the return of Lucha Underground’s third season Wednesday, May 31, at 8 p.m. ET on the El Rey Network, London spoke to Ring Rust Radio about his role in the ring and behind the scenes for Lucha, his thoughts on his friend Brian Kendrick in WWE’s cruiserweight division and more.

One of the most interesting aspects of Lucha Underground is that the product is treated more like a television series instead of a prototypical wrestling show. There are seasons and midseason breaks in Lucha, which helps builds anticipation for the program’s eventual return.

London spoke about just how unique a midseason break is for a wrestling company.

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“As far as to take a break between the momentum building for season three, it’s ballsy and it is a risk. Do you lose that momentum and have people say they are so excited but now they can’t remember what happened? I think it’s quite the opposite,” London said. “I think in wrestling with the current climate with the constant overfeeding, it becomes a binge-type situation. I think it’s good to be able to pull that back and make people wait. This way there’s that hunger that continues to build back up because you know the product will deliver.”

While fans of Lucha Underground see London as the psychedelic leader of the Rabbit Tribe, he has also taken on a role as a producer for the show behind the scenes. With a unique mind for the business and a bounty of experience in companies around the world, he is bringing an interesting point-of-view to a show that is looking to push the boundaries of wrestling.

When asked about what it’s like being a producer for Lucha Underground, London spoke honestly about how it helped him regain confidence in himself and put his knowledge to good use.

“Coming to my rescue when I was really starting to spiral, I was asked if I wanted to come on board as a producer. I started hearing those bells and realizing class is out, what a breather, I got a second chance, and I thought this is amazing opportunity to come in and flex some completely different muscles,” London said. “I had no idea what I was doing. I came in knowing what I didn’t like about producers that I worked with in the past. As far as doing it myself, I’m not saying it’s an office position, but when I’m not in the ring, there’s a good chance I have a headset on and I’m helping to direct some action.”

London’s impact on the product can be felt with every match and segment, but he is still learning new lessons each day. Lucha Underground is lucky to have a talented wrestler and producer like London on the set, but he is still keeping an eye on his longtime friend Brian Kendrick as he thrives in WWE’s cruiserweight division.

While London admittedly doesn’t watch as much WWE as he once did, he has still seen Kendrick adopt a new character and finishing move. London thinks it’s working well for him, even if he can’t quite figure out exactly what kind of character Kendrick is portraying.

“His character is really scary just because he seems so angry. The verdict still out and I’m just trying to figure it out,” London continued. “I do like that he’s using a different finisher. It’s a submission finisher, and when applied right, it would really hurt.”

From winning the cruiserweight and tag team championships in WWE to wrestling in top independent companies such as Ring of Honor and Pro Wrestling Guerilla, London has been around the block and is a respected veteran of the business.

Now that he is bringing his extensive knowledge to Lucha Underground in the ring and behind the scenes, the product will continue to get better. From an on-screen perspective, the second half of the third season should be incredible due in part to the growth of The Rabbit Tribe.

With Lucha Underground already considered a unique wrestling show, the extreme psychedelic antics of London and his trio will make even the most stuck-up wrestling fan enjoy the show.

For more wrestling talk, listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot topics or catch the latest episode in the player above (some language NSFW).