By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
Major League Wrestling Fusion (Episode 55)
Taped April 5, 2019 in Queens, New York at Melrose Ballroom
Aired April 27, 2019 on beIN Sports
The show opened with Richard Holliday and Alex Hammerstone in a parking lot. They found Maxwell J Friedman’s car, which was left trashed by the Hart Foundation… The MLW opening aired… Rich Bocchini and Jim Cornette checked in on commentary and hyped the tables match before touting the new MLW National Openweight Championship that will be introduced in Milwaukee…
1. Jordan Oliver vs. Kotto Brazil. Brazil continued to wear the patch over his eye to sell the angle bar fight angle with Ricky Martinez. Bocchini said Oliver invited his friends and family to watch him wrestle, but he’s so cocky that no one showed up to support him. Brazil performed a top rope blockbuster, then went to the other corner and performed a frogsplash for a near fall.
Ricky Martinez and Salina de la Renta walked out and stood on the apron. Oliver rolled up a distracted Brazil for a two count. Brazil performed a stunner on Oliver, who went to ringside. Brazil performed two suicide dives. Brazil set up for a third, but Martinez stopped him from ringside. Brazil dove onto Martinez. When Brazil returned to the ring, Oliver performed a cutter from the ropes and scored the upset pin…
Jordan Oliver defeated Kotto Brazil.
Powell’s POV: An entertaining match that heated up the Brazil and Martinez feud while also establishing Oliver in his MLW debut. Oliver looked good in the ring. He’s 19, scrawny, and annoying. In other words, he’s a good pest heel at this point in his career. It would be fun if Oliver goes on a winning streak with some good wins to establish him along with some flukey wins against bigger opponents that make him increasingly more annoying with each win. Brazil was back to being high energy and likable after having a poor outing on a previous live special.
Bocchini announced that “Avalanche” Robert Dreisser has signed for an MLW Title fight against Tom Lawlor. Bocchini labeled Dreisser as the No. 1 ranked German wrestler… Dreisser cut a backstage promo and said he’s coming to MLW all the way from WXW in Germany to win the MLW Championship…
Following a commercial break, footage aired of MJF and Holliday wrapping Brian Pillman Jr.’s arm inside a chair and slamming another chair onto it. They told him it was nothing personal…
2. Rey Horus vs. Ace Austin. Austin blew off a handshake attempt by Horus early in the match and even kicked his hand away. Austin continued to show heel tendencies by making a play for the mask of Horus. Austin actually succeeded in pulling it off, but Horus quickly put it back on while the broadcast team and crowd chided Austin.
Kaci Lennox checked in and said the word backstage was that it wasn’t looking good for Pillman being able to wrestle in the tables match Meanwhile, Horus came back with a dive over the top rope onto Austin. Bocchini showed good fire on commentary while putting over Horus’s comeback. Cornette told him to calm down or he’d suffer a hernia. Horus performed a standing Spanish Fly for a two count. Austin came back with some variation of a neckbreaker for a near fall of his own. Horus caught Austin on the ropes and performed a an inverted huracanrana from the ropes and scored the pin…
Rey Horus defeated Ace Austin.
Powell’s POV: A good, competitive match. Austin was heelish on MLW television on the same weekend he acted heelish on Impact television. I saw him as a babyface, but apparently both companies view it differently. And that’s cool, but I hope both companies will take the time to develop a character for him. For that matter, I’d really like to see MLW do more with Horus. He’s a talented guy, but he comes off like a Rey Mysterio clone. I’d like to see MLW work to explain what makes him different.
Bocchini noted that Salina de la Renta will be the executive producer of next week’s show and she’s still negotiating a lineup. Salina was shown speaking to someone on the phone in Spanish. She hung up the phone when Low Ki approached her and told her that they have the new MLW National Openweight Title to deal with. Salina told him that she was busy and they would get to it. Low Ki looked at the camera and shook his head in frustration…
Powell’s POV: That’s an interesting development. Are they working toward a Low Ki babyface run? If so, who takes his place as the head of Promociones Dorado? LA Park would seem like the obvious pick.
An on tour video listed the upcoming dates for Milwaukee, Chicago, and New York City…
MLW Champion Tom Lawlor cut a promo from an outdoor setting about facing talent from Germany and Japan. He said the toughest man on earth isn’t backing down from anyone…
Ring announcer Tim Barr introduced the teams for the tabes match. The Dynasty members came out first. The Hart Foundation made their entrance without Brian Pillman Jr., though Teddy Hart did bring out his cat Mr. Velvet. Bocchini noted that the Hart Foundation merchandise is the best selling merch for MLW…
3. “The “Hart Foundation” Teddy Hart, Davey Boy Smith Jr., and Brian Pillman Jr. vs. “The Dynasty” Maxwell J Friedman, Alex Hammerstone, and Richard Holliday in a tables match. The Hart Foundation started a man short without Pillman. Cornette asked Bocchini if he had any naked pictures of his wife. Bocchini said no. Cornette asked if he’d like to see one. Bocchini said that’s why he’s getting divorced. Funny. The wrestlers quickly fought to ringside. Once they returned to the ring, Hart performed a double DDT on two opponents.
Cornette said it’s great to see Hart vindicated. He said Hart had a checkered past and everyone knows it, but now he’s a bigger star in North America than he’s ever been. In the ring, Hart and Smith performed top rope dives onto MJF. Hart followed up with a springboard moonsault. Hammerstone performed a missile dropkick on Hart. Cornette called Hammerstone a future world champion. The Dynasty performed a spike tombstone piledriver on Hart.
Hammerstone and Davey had a contest to see who could hold up an opponent longer in a vertical suplex. There’s a chance it would still be going, but Holliday broke it up by hitting Smith from behind. The Dynasty set up a table in the corner while Hart attempted to use the guardrail to put his shoulder back in place at ringside. Pillman ran out holding his shoulder and entered the match. The Hart Foundation performed a turbo Canadian Destroyer with Hart performing the move on Hammerstone.
A short time later, Hart leapt off the back of Hammerstone, who was on the top rope, and performed a Doomsday Canadian Destroyer on MJF, who had been on the shoulders of Smith. The crowd popped huge and chanted “holy shit” and for good reason. Wow. Holliday returned to the ring and low blowed Hart and Smith. Hammerstone caught Pillman with a big boot, then picked him up and powerbombed him through the table to win the match…
The Dynasty defeated The Hart Foundation in a tables match.
Kaci Lennox interviewed Salina de la Renta backstage about serving as the executive producer for next week’s episode of Fusion. She ended up announcing Gringo Loco vs. Hijo de LA Park, Daga vs. Low Ki, and a public execution of Pentagon Jr. Salina told Lennox to practice her Spanish for next week or she’ll be fired…
They cut back to ringside where the Hart Foundation was selling the main event loss to close the show…
Powell’s POV: A fun main event with some crazy moves and the heels wisely going over due to the tables stipulation. The Dynasty needed the win a lot more than the Hart Foundation and hopefully the company will double down on this somehow, as this should be a long term feud and it will only get better if it feels like The Dynasty have the Hart Foundation’s number.
Overall, a very good edition of Fusion. The in-ring action was strong and there were some good storyline developments with Austin working heel, Ricky Martinez and Kotto Brazil heating up their program, Low Ki being snubbed by Salina, and The Dynasty getting the better of the Hart Foundation as the rivalry between the factions continues. Bocchini and Cornette were also good on commentary. Cornette is always entertaining, and now he and Bocchini are developing good chemistry together. Bocchini seems to be letting loose and getting caught up in the emotion of the bigger match moments. I like the work of both men and now it’s starting to feel like they are coming together as a team.
Check below for the latest Pro Wrestling Boom Podcast with Jason Powell and guest Dave Lagana discussing the NWA Crockett Cup pay-per-view, the NWA’s relationship with Ring of Honor, the future of the NWA, and more.
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