By Jason Powell, Prowrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
Major League Wrestling TV (Episode 36)
Taped December 16 in Miami, Florida at Scottish Rite Temple
Aired December 21, 2018 on beIN Sports
Fusion opened with fans chanting MLW, and Tony Schiavone welcoming viewers to the show. Schiavone was joined on commentary by Rich Bocchini…
Salina de la Renta and Ricky Martinez made their entrance. Salina ripped on the fans and noted that it’s Konnan’s city. Konnan made his entrance. Konnan mocked Martinez by calling him Ricky Vega. Once he was corrected, he said there was no difference between those names and Ricky Martin.
Konnan said he would take the MLW Championship “that little mental midget” in the the greatest city in the world, Miami (his hometown). Konnan said that once he dismantled Salina’s faction, he would make sure she doesn’t stand in the unemployment line. Konnan said something in Spanish that got a big reaction. Konnan left the ring. Salina wasn’t happy and the fans chanted at her in Spanish….
The MLW opening aired… Schiavone hyped Low Ki vs. Konnan in a No DQ match for the MLW Championship for next week. Bocchini announced that Kotto Brazil suffered an injury in a nightclub when glass went into his eye. He said Ricky Martinez was spotted in the area, and it would be addressed by Salina later in the show. They also hyped the matches on this week’s show.
The latest H2 episode aired from the Hart Foundation digital series. Teddy Hart mocked Tommy Dreamer and Barrington Hughes about their weight while Hart and Brian Pillman Jr. held cats in their arms…
1. Davey Boy Smith Jr. and Brian Pillman Jr. vs. Tommy Dreamer and Barrington Hughes. Smith bodyslammed Dreamer early, then failed to do the same to Hughes. Later, Smith held up Dreamer for a vertical suplex and got a two count. Dreamer came back with a cutter out of the corner and then both men tagged out. Hughes performed a uranage on Pillman and covered him, but Smith broke up the pin.
Pillman tried to use his cane as a weapon. Hughes stopped him and took the cane, then tagged Dreamer, who performed his flip, flop, and fly as part of his ongoing tribute to Dusty Rhodes. Dreamer set up for a move on Pillman, who low blowed him with the cane while the referee was distracted and pinned him…
Davey Boy Smith Jr. and Brian Pillman Jr. defeated Tommy Dreamer and Barrington Hughes.
Powell’s POV: A forgettable match that kept the unbeaten streak of the Harts alive in tag team action. I assume it will stay that way until they get their tag title shot and perhaps even beyond.
A Rush promo aired. He spoke in Spanish and subtitles were shown. Rush said The White Bull was in search for the rivalry worth gold. He mentioned LA Park and Pentagon and said he’s the biggest asshole there is… Bocchini hyped the main event by saying they were harkening back to the early days of MMA. Schiavone hyped the next match heading into a break…
2. Hijo de LA Park (w/Salina de la Renta) vs. DJZ. Bocchini noted that DJZ is a wrestler and an actual DJ, then assumed Schiavone was a big fan of EDM. After an early takedown, DJZ yelled “DJ” and a few fans filled in the Z. Moments later, Park offered a handshake, which DJZ accepted only to be clotheslined. Park followed up by working over DJZ at ringside and on the stage before rolling him back inside the ring.
Back inside the ring, Park used his belt as a weapon. Bocchini questioned why it wasn’t a disqualification. DJZ came back with a flip dive, then stood out and let out what Impact viewers will forever remember as the BroMans war cry (which isn’t a good thing). A short time later, DJZ performed a huracanrana while both men were on the top rope. Schiavone’s time away was on full display as he said he didn’t “know if we’ve ever seen anything like that ever.” Salina provided a momentary distraction from ringside, then Park performed his finisher and scored the pin…
Hijo de LA Park defeated DJ Z.
Powell’s POV:
Footage aired of Konnan on the streets of Miami while talking about having the hometown advantage in his match with MLW. Konnan said he believes in what MLW is doing, the young talent that MLW is pushing, and their vision. He said it would be an honor to hold the title and to win it in Miami. He said he’s never challenged for a title in Miami and hadn’t even wrestled all that often in his hometown because most of what he did was in Mexico. Still, coming home and winning the championship in Miami would make the dream of coming back to Miami even more special…
Bocchini hyped Low Ki vs. Konnan for next week while questioning whether Konnan could be the next George Foreman or Randy Couture…
3. Dezmond Xavier vs. Andrew Everett. The ring entrances were not televised. Schiavone noted that it was a middleweight match, and Bocchini said Everett had to drop a couple pounds to make weight. Everett jawed at Xavier early and seemed cocky, which led to Xavier working him over and performing a nice dropkick.
Everett came back with a springboard moonsault for a two count. Everett performed a nice Pele kick and a spike huracanrana. Xavier bounced back and performed a corkscrew senton bomb and scored the pin…
Dezmond Xavier defeated Andrew Everett.
Powell’s POV: The match was fun while it lasted. They really could have used more time to establish themselves and to have a more complete match, but they did some good things in the time they had to work with.
An ad aired for the MLW SuperFight main event of Low Ki vs. Tom Lawlor for the MLW Championship…. Footage aired of Lawlor cutting a promo from an undisclosed location about Simon Gotch stabbing him in the back and what he would do to him in the main event… A video recapped the Lawlor vs. Gotch storyline…
4. Tom Lawlor vs. Simon Gotch in a no ropes, no hold barred match. Low Ki sat in on commentary and spoke about how Lawlor is too emotional when he fights. Schiavone noted that Low Ki is undefeated in MLW since 2004. Lawlor and Gotch traded punches with fans cheering Lawlor and booing Gotch. Lawlor threw a kick to the head that sent Gotch to his knees.
Low Ki said Lawlor is a weekend warrior and a part-time wrestler who doesn’t stand a chance against him. Lawlor suplexed Gotch and then threw punches at him. Gotch came back with some strikes, including a couple of knees to the head. Gotch went for a piledriver, but Lawlor stuffed it and backdropped him. After some jockeying for position, Lawlor applied a rear naked choke. Low Ki barked at Gotch to pull his arm down. Lawlor held the hold until the referee called for the bell.
Tom Lawlor defeated Simon Gotch in a no ropes, no holds barred match.
After the match, Low Ki said Lawlor is too tough for his own good and said he would learn a lesson he’ll never forget. Lawlor was interviewed afterward and said Low Ki had been running from him for seven months. Lawlor asked how professional that is or that he can’t stand up to a challenge all by himself. Lawlor said they would have a fight and he would become the new MLW Champion. On commentary, Low Ki said Lawlor was the closest he would ever get to the championship…
Powell’s POV: Another brief match and what felt like a rushed feud. I suppose they could go back to it, but Lawlor won so clean and decisively that it would take some time to rebuild Gotch as a credible threat to him. I wonder why they didn’t save his turn for the MLW SuperFight main event if Lawlor isn’t winning the title or coming out of the show if he is. Overall, the show was entertaining and yet it felt like they could have gotten more out of the last two matches.
Check below for a recent Pro Wrestling Boom Podcast with Jason Powell and guest Konnan, who discusses his return to the ring for MLW and shares the crazy story of how he started in pro wrestling.
Be the first to comment