By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
Major League Wrestling TV (Episode 41)
Taped December 14, 2018 in Miami, Florida at Scottish Rite Temple
Aired January 25, 2019 on beIN Sports
The show opened with a memorial for Dr. Rex Bacchus, who wrestled for MLW and worked behind the scenes before his untimely death… A video package aired on Sami Callihan and LA Park to set up the main event… The MLW opening aired…
The broadcast team of Tony Schiavone and Rich Bocchini checked in hyped the live MLW Fusion for Saturday, February 5 featuring Low Ki vs. Tom Lawlor for the MLW Championship, and Pentagon Jr. and Rey Fenix vs. The Hart Foundation for the MLW Tag Titles. The duo also hyped the this week’s matches…
1. Kotto Brazil vs. Vandal Ortagun. Ortagun’s entrance was not televised. Brazil wore an eyepatch to sell the attack by Ricky Martinez. Ortagun jumped Brazil to start the match. Brazil came back with dives over the top rope. Back in the ring, Ortagun regained offense control for a stretch. In the end, Brazil performed a running Sliced Bread and scored the clean pin.
Kotto Brazil defeated Vandal Ortagun.
After the match, Ricky Martinez attacked Brazil from behind and took off his eyepatch. Martinez put the patch on his own head and mugged for the crowd…
Powell’s POV: The match was longer and a little more competitive than I expected for Brazil’s return. No complaints. It was a well worked match. The post match attack was short and sweet and did a nice job of putting more heat on Martinez.
Footage aired of Brian Pillman Jr. beating Tommy Dreamer, who was then interviewed “on the phone.” Dreamer took issue with Pillman challenging him to a match in his own house and is all for the match…
2. Barrington Hughes vs. Ace Romero. A Hughes promo aired during his entrance and he called himself the official super heavyweight of MLW. After some early big man spots with no one gaining a definitive advantage, Col. Robert Parker came out and said he hadn’t seen so much pork in one place since his granddaddy’s BBQ. After more fat jokes, the Dirty Blondes hit the ring and attacked both men. For some odd reason, the ring announcer told the crowd that it was now a tag team match.
Barrington Hughes fought Ace Romero to an apparent no-contest.
3. Barrington Hughes and Ace Romero vs. “The Dirty Blondes” Mike Patrick and Leo Brien (w/Col. Robert Parker). Hughes and Romero quickly finished off the Blondes with simultaneous power slams. Bocchini mentioned that Parker had fired people in the past and wondered what would happen to the Blondes given their recent losing ways…
Barrington Hughes and Ace Romero defeated The Dirty Blondes.
Schiavone hyped the main event going into a break…
Powell’s POV: The live crowd didn’t have as much fun with the brief battle of the super heavyweights as I would have expected. The sequence that led to Hughes and Romero teaming was silly, but I like the idea of the two of them forming a super heavyweight tag team.
A Mance Warner vignette aired on hyped him as coming soon to MLW… Schiavone was hyping upcoming matches when he was interrupted by the latest H2 video series featuring Teddy Hart and Brian Pillman Jr. Teddy showed off two of his cats. He said the cats keep humans and negative energy away…
Matt Striker hosted the MLW SuperFight control center segment. In addition to the title matches, Kotto Brazil vs. Ricky Martinez, DJZ vs. Myron Reed, Dreamer and a partner vs. Pillman Jr. and a partner, Simon Gotch vs. Ace Romero, Rey Horus vs. Aerostar, Mance Warner’s debut were hyped for the February 2 event in Philadelphia at 2300 Arena…
A Sami Callihan handheld camera promo aired. He acted like he was crying and apologetic to Salina de la Renta. Callihan stopped the act and said he did it for the blood money. He said he would take out LA Park like the other wrestlers he sent packing…
After a break, the broadcast team hyped Low Ki vs. Lawlor for the SuperFight event. Low Ki delivered a promo from an undisclosed location. He congratulated Lawlor for reaching MLW SuperFight. Low Ki said that he has been part of Lawlor’s journey longer than people may think. Low Ki asked if Lawlor has ever disclosed why a large chunk of his finances were missing from the account he shared with his former wife or why daddy couldn’t play with his daughters while nursing a wrist injury. Low Ki said Lawlor was too busy mocking him despite his 15-year unbeaten streak in MLW. Low Ki said some people say he thinks he takes things too far. He said maybe in 2300 Arena he should take things to the extreme…
4. Sami Callihan vs. LA Park (w/Salina de la Renta) in a falls count anywhere match. Callihan brought a trashcan filled with weapons to the ring with him. Park delivered some early chops. Callihan sold them big and Schiavone said Callihan was crying. Park seated Callihan on a chair at ringside, then performed a suicide dive onto him.
After a lot of brawling at ringside, the fight spilled outside the building briefly. Park followed Callihan back inside the building and they eventually returned to the ring. Park power slammed Callihan and had him pinned. The referee counted to two, then stopped and grabbed his leg in pain. Park went after the ref. Callihan low blowed Park and went for a pin. The referee magically recovered and made the count, but Park kicked out. Callihan set up four chairs in the ring and went for a powerbomb, which Park stuffed. Park eventually speared Callihan onto the chairs and the referee made the three count…
LA Park defeated Sami Callihan in a falls count anywhere match.
Schiavone hyped an MLW doubleheader for next week with Friday’s show featuring Tommy Dreamer vs. Brian Pillman Jr. in an empty arena match, then Saturday’s live broadcast.
Powell’s POV: The wild brawl you’d expect from these two. Neither guy is a babyface, so the fans picked their favorite and/or reacted to the big spots. The build to the SuperFight event has been very impressive. The card looks good on paper, but I’ve been more impressed by the little things.
Striker does a really good job of voicing over the control center segments, the music and look of the SuperFight graphic are top notch, and the hype for the main event has been strong. Unfortunately, I don’t get beIN Sports on DirecTV, so I will be unable to cover next week’s live special. I should have my review of Friday’s show available that night or on Saturday morning, and I will review the live show once it’s made available on Youtube.
Check below for the new Pro Wrestling Boom Podcast with Jason Powell and Will Pruett preview the WWE Royal Rumble and NXT Takeover: Phoenix events.
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