By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
Major League Wrestling Fusion (Episode 62)
Taped June 1, 2019 in Waukesha, Wisconsin at Waukesha Expo Center
Aired June 15, 2019 on beIN Sports
Salina de la Renta opened the show lying on a couch next to a bottle of champagne. Salina boasted over being the executive producer of the show and hyped the three matches… A special Promociones Dorado version of the MLW opening aired…
Sami Callihan was shown trying to enter the building, but he was stopped by two men. Mance Warner showed up. Jimmy Havoc came out and said it was Salina’s orders. They asked if Havoc is Salina’s bitch now…
Powell’s POV: An interesting development with Havoc apparently in cahoots with Salina. That said, why would Callihan and Warner want to get in the building so badly if they were being forced to fight one another in a loser leaves MLW match? For that matter, why would Salina want to prevent them from getting into the building when she’s trying to make sure that one of them leaves the company permanently?
The broadcast team was Rich Bocchini and Jim Cornette, and Tim Barr was the ring announcer…
1. Rey Horus vs. Flamita. Cornette noted that Flamita signed on to work as a regular for MLW this summer once he finishes a tour for Dragon Gate in Japan. Flamita performed an early moonsault from the top rope onto Horus at ringside. Horus came back with a nice huracanrana that sent Flamita to ringside, then Horus performed a great flip dive onto Flamita.
Back inside the ring, Flamita held up Horus in Muscle Buster position and then performed a Codebreaker style move that led to a good near fall. Flamita charged at Horus, who performed an overhead suplex into the corner and picked up a near fall of his own.
Later, Horus picked up a near fall off a cool DDT. Horus performed a wicked Frankensteiner for a near fall. Flamita came back with a Death Valley Driver, a powerbomb, and a frogsplash for a two count. Flamita went up top and Horus followed. Flamita knocked Horus down with a headbutt, then performed a 450 splash for the win…
Flamita defeated Rey Horus.
Powell’s POV: A really fun match. The broadcast team does a good job of trying to explain some of the background of the Mexican talent, but it would be nice if MLW took the time to do video packages to properly introduce the lucha talent before we see them in the ring. Horus continues to strike me as an underutilized talent, so I’m happy he wasn’t just here to put Flamita over, but rather to have a good, competitive match with him.
Bocchini hyped the Kings of Colosseum event for July 6 in Chicago and the live special that will be broadcast on beIN Sports. He hyped the Tom Lawlor vs. Jacob Fatu match for the MLW Championship as the show’s main event…
Powell’s POV: I’m predicting a title change if there’s a decisive finish to the match. Fatu has been outstanding and it may help Lawlor to be in chase mode. It’s also hard to imagine Fatu being booked to lose clean at this point.
A Contra Unit video package aired. It showed the trio’s various attacks…
MLW Champion Tom Lawlor delivered a promo in front of the MLW backdrop. Lawlor spoke about Contra Unit and introduced Ross and Marshall Von Erich. He said the Von Erichs come from a family built on pride, honor, integrity, respect, and the ability to fight like men. Lawlor said it might be three-on-three, but the odds are not even. Lawlor said Contra Unit will go to sleep at his hands…
Bocchini hyped Contra Unit vs. Lawlor and the Von Erichs in a tornado tag team match for next week’s Fusion… Bocchini also hyped the main event of this episode heading into a break… [C]
A video hyped Savio Vega as coming soon to MLW…
Salina de la Renta led Ricky Martinez to the ring. Salina stood in the ring and welcomed viewers to the second edition of Fusion that she has produced. Salina insulted the Wisconsin fans. She said she was only having fun and her idea of fun is a public execution. She referred to Martinez as the best wrestler in the history of the sport. Low Ki made his entrance…
2. Low Ki vs. Ricky Martinez (w/Salina de la Renta). Bocchini said no one knows who is behind the Contra Unit and even mentioned the possibility of it being Salina. Cornette said he didn’t think Salina would keep it quiet if she was. Martinez was the early aggressor. Low Ki fought back. Martinez caught Low Ki with a kick to the jaw for a two count. Low Ki came back with a running clothesline. The referee called for the bell with the idea being that Martinez was knocked out.
Low Ki defeated Ricky Martinez via TKO.
After the match, Salina got in Low Ki’s face and jawed at him. Low Ki smiled and talked back to her before leaving the ring…
Powell’s POV: I like the idea of TKO’s in pro wrestling, but it’s hard to pull off without establishing a specific move or punch that looks damaging enough to knock someone out. This move didn’t really look the part and therefore it caught the crowd off guard when the referee called off the match. On the plus side, Martinez did a nice job of selling the knockout with his eyes.
Bocchini set up a Sami Callihan promo from outside the building. Mance Warner showed up and they started bickering. They spit on their hands and did a Mega Powers handshake and said they were going to do this one more time. Warner said he’s not going anywhere. Callihan kissed his cheek…
An LA Park video package aired… [C] A video package aired on Dr. Wagner Jr. and noted that he was coming soon to MLW…
Backstage, Salina barked at Martinez for embarrassing her and not doing anything right. She told him he is a “f—ing disappointment”…
Bocchini hyped Lawlor and the Von Erichs vs. Contra Unit, and Teddy Hart vs. Richard Holliday for next week’s Fusion…
Footage aired of Dynasty members Maxwell J Friedman, Alex Hammerstone, and Richard Holliday talking near a bar area. MJF said they were at the best place that money could buy in Wisconsin. He then apologized to his stablemates since Wisconsin’s best is below their usual standards. They had some fun mocking Teddy Hart for making his own gear and questioned how he had time when he’s breeding cats to make enough money to bond himself out of jail. The Contra Unit graphic flashed during the segment…
3. Mance Warner vs. Sami Callihan in a falls count anywhere, loser leaves MLW match. Warner brought a trashcan filled with weapons to the ring with him. Callihan walked onto the stage and spat water at Cornette, who was seated along with Bocchini on the side of the stage. Callihan flipped off Cornette, who then said he’d pay Warner $5,000 to cripple Callihan and referred to him as a piece of shit. Cornette vented about Callihan being a freak show who doesn’t care if he or his opponents get hurt.
Warner and Callihan brawled around the ring and then over by a merchandise area in the crowd. They fought to the top of the bleachers and took turns slamming their heads into the fencing at the top of the bleachers. Callihan suplexed Warner onto the bleachers and covered him for a two count. Callihan put a trashcan over the head of Warner, who headbutted him with the trashcan twice before removing it. Warner put it on again and ran toward Callihan, who moved, causing Warner to crash into the side of the bleachers. Callihan threw a chair at Warner and then they continued to brawl all over the building.
The fight continued near a condiments table. “Is this Tupelo?” Cornette asked in reference to a legendary concession stand brawl. Warner apparently used Tabasco sauce as a weapon at one point. Callihan eventually brought Warner to the ring, which was littered with chairs and had a trashcan filled with weapons. Callihan pulled out a staple gun and ended up using it on Warner. Bocchini called him a sick son of a bitch. Cornette said he didn’t know you could say that on beIN Sports. Bocchini said they could bleep it if they want. Callihan put a trashcan over the head of Warner and then hit it with a chair.
Callihan took a dollar bills from a fan at ringside. Warner bled from the forehead. Callihan stapled the bills to Warner’s arms and forehead. Warner pulled them out and slammed Callihan onto a trashcan in the ring and covered him for a two count. Warner pulled a piece of wood out from underneath the ring and brought it into the ring with him. He set up the board on two chairs in the ring. Warner put Callihan’s head over the board and went to the rope. Callihan got up and grabbed Warner by the balls, then performed a piledriver from the middle rope through the board and got a near fall.
Callihan pulled out another board from underneath the ring and tossed it at Warner in the ring. Callihan set up the board in a corner of the ring. Callihan gave the crowd his thumbs up, thumbs down catchphrase and then turned around just in time for Warner to spear him through the board, which led to a near fall. Both men set up chairs and then went face to face. They sat down on the chairs and traded punches. Callihan spat at Warner, who returned the favor. Warner stood up and threw punches and a headbutt at Callihan.
With Callihan woozy on a chair, Warner went to the ropes again. Callihan stood and threw a chair at him, then performed a tombstone piledriver onto a chair for a near fall. The broadcast team pointed out that Callihan’s knee actually moved the chair before Callihan performed the move. The fans chanted “this is awesome.” Callihan stapled the face of Warner to a piece of broken board. Bocchini did a great job of expressing disbelief over the insanity.
Warner pulled the board loose and smashed it over Callihan repeatedly. Warner lowered his kneepad and delivered a running knee to Callihan’s head, which only resulted in a one count. Warner slammed a piece of broken table over Callihan, then set up the table in front of him and performed the running knee into the table before pinning him…
Mance Warner defeated Sami Callihan in a falls count anywhere, loser leaves MLW match.
Powell’s POV: A good brawl with some fun commentary. I have no idea how Cornette and Callihan coexisted behind the scenes, but their history made for some good moments on MLW television. Cornette did a tremendous job of expressing his disgust for Callihan to remain true to his public persona while also putting over how dangerous Callihan’s character is. Warner is green, but he held up his end of the brawl well. Callihan will be missed if this really is the end of his MLW run. If this was his last MLW match then I suspect that his Impact deal is the cause, but that’s just a guess. Overall, this was another strong edition of Fusion with a nice mix of in-ring styles along with good hype for next week’s show. MLW is producing quality shows and I strongly recommend keeping up on the product via beIN Sports, Youtube, or FITE.TV.
Check below for the latest Pro Wrestling Boom Podcast with Jason Powell and Pat McNeill of the Wayback Playback podcast, who discusses how the more things change the more they stay the same with the return of the XFL and AEW coming to TNT, plus thoughts on WWE’s struggles, how wrestling from 20 years ago holds up through today’s eyes, and more.
Be the first to comment