By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
Major League Wrestling Fusion (Episode 59)
Taped April 5, 2019 in Queens, New York at Melrose Ballroom
Aired May 25, 2019 on beIN Sports
MLW TV opened with footage of Tom Lawlor beating Low Ki to win the MLW Championship. Lawlor spoke in a voiceover about defending the title against Robert Dreissker… The MLW opening aired…
The broadcast team of Rich Bocchini and Jim Cornette checked in and hyped the matches that would take place during the show. They also recapped Brian Pillman beating Rich Swann in last week’s main event to earn a spot in the MLW National Openweight Championship tournament on next week’s live show…
Kaci Lennox interviewed Alex Hammerstone and Richard Holliday on the interview set. Holliday said Maxwell J Friedman was sitting down with their financial analysts to figure out what they will do with the extra money that Hammerstone earns from becoming the MLW National Openweight Champion. Hammerstone spoke about destiny and winning the championship…
1. Jacob Fatu and Josef Samael (w/Simon Gotch) vs. Barrington Hughes and Ace Romero. Samael pulled a spike out of his boot and hit Romero with it unbeknownst to the referee. Fatu performed a moonsault on Hughes and pinned him clean. After the match, Samael took his boot off and beat Hughes with it…
Jacob Fatu and Josef Samael defeated Barrington Hughes and Ace Romero.
Powell’s POV: Another good showing from the Contra Unit. They are dominating opponents while being established as the badass heels of the company, and it will be interesting to see who eventually holds their own with the trio.
Footage aired of Salina de la Renta and Ricky Martinez walking outside “earlier today” and being asked about LA Park cashing in his Battle Riot contract. Salina said we’d have to wait to find out…
Bocchini narrated footage of Contra Unit attacking Pentagon Jr. and Fenix in a hotel. Samael threw a fireball at the masked face of Fenix…
Powell’s POV: Is this the end of the Lucha Brothers in MLW? There’s been plenty of buzz about Pentagon Jr. and Fenix becoming exclusive to AEW in the United States, so this may be a case of putting over the dominant heel faction while also writing out a popular tag team.
A Von Erichs video package aired to a instrumental version of their father Kevin’s old entrance music…
Lennox stood backstage and spoke about Contra Unit humiliating Pentagon and Fenix. Lennox said that when Fenix’s mask was removed his flesh came off with it due to the fireball…
Tom Lawlor checked in from his locker room and said he stays focused and doesn’t let anything rattle him. Lawlor said he would maintain his death grip on the MLW Title…
An MLW Fury Road control center segment aired. Bocchini hyped the following matches: Teddy Hart vs. Jimmy Havoc for the MLW Middleweight Title, Gringo Loco vs. Myron Reed, Pillman vs. Hammerstone for the MLW National Openweight Championship…
A video package recapped Teddy Hart winning and defending the MLW Middleweight Championship, then footage of Jimmy Havoc aired to promote their title match for next week…
Mance Warner delivered a promo about hitting the pay window. A man handed him his check from what he said was the main event slot… A teaser aired for Austin Aries coming soon to MLW…
Kaci Lennox said Contra Unit headed up a stairway. She said MLW officials don’t want them in the building. She heard commotion coming from the stairwell and said she had to go…
2. Low Ki and Ricky Martinez (w/Salina de la Renta) vs. Troy Hollywood and Chris Pagan. There was more friction between Salina and Low Ki, and the broadcast team noted that Low Ki’s contract with Salina is expiring soon. Ki and Martinez dominated the enhancement duo, and Low Ki hit a double stomp from the top rope on Hollywood and pinned him.
Low Ki and Ricky Martinez defeated Troy Hollywood and Chris Pagan.
After the match, Contra Unit’s music played. Jacob Fatu came out. Martinez rolled out of the ring and left Low Ki to face Fatu. Low Ki and Fatu traded punches briefly, then Samael and Gotch joined the attack, which concluded with Fatu performing a popup Samoan Drop on Low. The trio draped the Contra Unit flag over Fatu…
Powell’s POV: Intriguing storytelling with Martinez and Salina leaving Low Ki to take a beating from Contra Unit. It’s consistent with the story of Low Ki’s deal with Salina coming up, and it appears he’s on the verge of a babyface turn. Will it be revealed that Salina paid Contra Unit or perhaps is aligned with them in some way? I have no idea if they are going in this direction, but one interesting long term direction would be for Salina to align with Contra Unit and eventually find them to be so out of control that she makes amends with Low Ki in hopes of running off the heel trio.
The latest H2 video aired with Teddy Hart, Davey Boy Smith Jr., and Brian Pillman Jr seated at an outdoor location. Smith was petting one of Hart’s cats while he gave instructions to Pillman about facing Hammerstone for the MLW National Openweight Championship. Pillman, who was selling his left shoulder, gave the line about the size of the fight in the dog. He said he’s not just winning the title for himself, he’s doing it for his brothers as well as his family legacy…
Bocchini recapped the Contra Unit attacks. Backstage, Lennox said this isn’t what wrestling is or about. She said she would pass along updates as she gets them…
3. Tom Lawlor vs. “Avalanche” Robert Dreissker for the MLW Championship. Bocchini noted that Salina was seated in the sky box next to them. Dreissker came out to no reaction. Cornette compared Dreissker to former AWA Champion Otto Wanz. Dreissker got off to a good start and was on the offensive early. Dreissker roughed up Lawlor at ringside.
Back in the ring, Lawlor went for a rear naked choke, but Dreissker drove him backward into the corner to stop him from applying it. Cornette said that from some German videos he’s seen, they may be the toughest people on the planet. Funny. Bocchini said he didn’t want to know. Dreissker picked up a near fall while Cornette said that Dreissker may be stiffer competition for Lawlor than they anticipated.
Lawlor came back with a nice German suplex. Lawlor threw forearms at the head of Dreissker in the corner. Dreissker shoved Lawlor out of the corner. Lawlor ran to the other corner to get a running start, but Dreissker followed and splashed him in the corner. Dreissker went for a Vader Bomb, but Lawlor avoided it. Lawlor blasted Dreissker with a kick and then applied the rear naked choke and got the submission win.
Tom Lawlor defeated Robert Dreissker to retain the MLW Championship.
After the match, Contra Unit attacked Lawlor. Gotch performed a piledriver on Lawlor, then Fatu followed up with a great moonsault. Contra Unit put their flag over Lawlor, who was clutching his title belt. Bocchini noted that Salina rushed backstage. Cameras cut backstage where Salina was telling LA Park in a stairwell to cash in his Battle Riot contract. Sami Callihan and Mance Warner appeared and beat up LA Park and left him lying to close the show…
Powell’s POV: The main event was fine. The live crowd clearly didn’t know much about Dreissker, but it still came off like a meaningful title defense for Lawlor. The Contra Unit attack on Lawlor needed to happen, as Lawlor and the Von Erich brothers will be teaming up to face the trio at next week’s Fury Road event (a portion of the show will air live in a two-hour special on beIN Sports).
Overall, this was a really strong show that did a great job of putting over the Contra Unit faction. MLW showed several great replays of the fireball throughout the show and the broadcast team members all did a good job of putting over the danger of the group. The storyline tension between Low Ki and Salina continues to be compelling heading into next week’s live special. Salina instructing LA Park to cash in after the Contra attack on Lawlor plays into my theory that she may be aligned with the heel trio, but it could also be that she was merely being an opportunist. By the way, John Moore has started doing weekly audio reviews of MLW Fusion for Dot Net Members, so keep an eye out for his audio review of this show in the days ahead.
Check below for the latest Pro Wrestling Boom Podcast with Jason Powell and guest Gursinder Singh (a/k/a Tony Gill), who explains why he asked for his release from Impact Wrestling. He also discusses his background, being trained by Lance Storm, being in the Desi Hit Squad, his future, and more.
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