By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
Major League Wrestling Fusion (Episode 66)
Taped July 6, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois at Cicero Stadium
Aired July 13, 2019 on beIN Sports
Fusion opened with footage of Maxwell J Friedman and Richard Holliday attacking Teddy Hart and the setup for the tag title ladder match that will headline this week’s show… The Fusion opening aired… The broadcast team was Rich Bocchini and Jim Cornette, and the ring announcer was Tim Barr…
1. Ace Austin vs. Air Wolf. The broadcast team said Austin demanded the rematch after Air Wolf defeated him last month. Wolf wore a wolf mask over the bottom half of his regular mask and removed it prior to the match. Austin made an early play for Wolf’s mask. Bocchini said he spoke with Wolf about why he wears the mask. The explanation is that a wolf is a mutt like he is, and opponents don’t know what to expect from him when he wears the mask.
Austin performed an early backslide for a two count. Wolf teased a double underhook suplex, but Austin escaped it and backed into a corner. Austin came back and posed while Wolf was down at ringside. Wolf returned to the ring and seated Austin on the top rope. Wolf went up with him but fell back into the ring. The broadcast team said his ankle buckled. Wolf came back with a kick. Wolf went up top. Austin threw a playing card at the ref, who cleared it from the ring. While the ref was distracted, Austin used his collapsable cane to hit Wolf as he leapt off the ropes. Austin hit his finisher and scored the pin…
Ace Austin defeated Air Wolf.
Footage aired from last week’s show of Jacob Fatu defeating Tom Lawlor to win the MLW Championship…
Powell’s POV: A solid opening match between two talented younger wrestlers. Austin evened things out by winning this match, presumably to set up a rubber match at some point. By the way, I watched last week’s live special on Friday and enjoyed it. The MLW Title change came off well with Jacob Fatu going over strong. I can’t get beIN Sports on DirecTV, so thanks to Dot Net Member Don Murphy for stepping in and handling the report for us last weekend.
Backstage, Ricky Martinez asked Salina de la Renta for another match with Low Ki and said he knew he could beat him. Salina blew him off and took what she thought was a call from Jimmy Havoc. Mance Warner had Havoc’s phone and indicated that Havoc was laid out next to him, and he found “a golden ticket” (the prize that allows the Battle Riot winner to challenge for the MLW Championship anytime, anywhere) lying next to him. After the call ended, Salina told Martinez to get the ticket…
After a break, a video package recapped Fatu beating Lawlor to win the MLW Championship…
2. Low Ki vs. Ariel Dominguez. The broadcast team noted that the fans came to life for Low Ki and chanted his nae. Low Ki caught Dominguez with a kick to the chest and got the TKO win…
Low Ki defeated Ariel Dominguez by TKO.
Powell’s POV: I think the idea was that the kick was supposed to have caught Dominguez on the chin, but it came in a little low. It seemed a little strange to see a guy lose via TKO from a kick to the chest, but I like the idea of Low Ki using a high kick to win rather than using the elbow strike. That said, they may be attempting to establish that he can win via numerous strikes, so I’m not sure if this is a new finisher or just another one of multiple knockout strikes. Either way, the crowd popped big for Low Ki, who is off to a good start in his babyface run.
Footage aired of The Dynasty hanging out at an outdoor setting earlier this week. MJF freaked out and said he’s not afraid of heights. He told Richard Holliday that he wants him to climb the ladder to win the MLW Tag Titles because he deserves the glory. Alex Hammerstone suggested they both climb up and they both pull belts down. Aria Blake showed up and she and MJF headed out to lunch. Hammerstone expressed concern to Holliday about MJF’s fear of heights, but Holliday said everything was fine…
Salina was shown taking a video call from Martinez. Viewers were able to watch him on her phone. Martinez used a weapon on something, but Mance Warner attacked him from behind. Salina asked if he got her ticket. Martinez fell over. Warner told Salina that it was another man down…
The crew was shown hanging the MLW Tag Titles above the ring for the ladder match…
An ad aired for the MLW SuperFight pay-per-view that will be held on November 2 in Chicago. The ad listed four title fights…
Salina was freaking out backstage when she bumped into a smiling Konnan, who told her that she reaps what she sews. Konnan said he understands that two luchadores (I couldn’t make out the names) will be in MLW soon and he mockingly asked her how that came about…
Ring entrances for the main event took place. MJF taunted a fan at ringside. The fan teased jumping the guardrail. The fan was smiling, but he got an earful by a security guard who was right there on the spot. As the Hart Foundation members came out, Cornette explained the Freebird Rules and noted that it goes back to Mid South Wrestling.
They cut outside the building where Salina was trying to talk down La Park. Mance Warner showed up and locked LA Park behind a fence door, then attacked Hijo de LA Park and left him lying. Salina ran away…
3. Teddy Hart and Brian Pillman Jr. vs. Richard Holliday and MJF (w/Aria Blake) in a ladder match for the MLW Tag Titles. Before the match, MJF was shown telling Holliday to stick to their game plan. The announcers agreed that MJF doesn’t trust Holliday and nor should he. Hart was run into the ring post early on, but he returned quickly and performed a lung blower on MJF, who rolled to ringside. Bocchini noted that he’d received word that Salina had exited the building, but Warner was still in possession of the golden ticket.
Holliday and MJF went to the stage and brought a ladder to ringside. Hart and Pillman dropkicked through the ropes and kicked the ladder into both heels. Hart performed a springboard moonsault onto Holliday and MJF, which led to a “Teddy” chant. A short time later, MJF tried to climb the ladder and his fear of heights got the better of him. MJF ordered Blake to climb the ladder instead and was taunted with “asshole” chants. MJF held Pillman from behind. Blake leapt off the ladder at Pillman, who moved, causing Blake to land on MJF with a cross body block.
The Hart Foundation set up a ladder over the middle rope in the corner, then catapulted MJF into the ladder. Holliday returned to the ring and ended up suplexing Hart onto a ladder. Holliday followed up by picking up Hart and dropping him onto a ladder in the corner. Hart sold a back injury. The Dynasty duo performed a double suplex on Hart onto a ladder that was leaning in a corner of the ring. MJF slapped Holliday and ordered him to climb the ladder. Holliday shoved MJF, then did as he told him only for Hart to pull him off and perform a neckbreaker.
Later, Pillman slid a door-sized board into the ring. Hart performed a Canadian Destroyer on MJF. Hart set up the board on top of two chairs and then placed MJF on top of the board. Hart went for a top rope move. MJF rolled out of the way and Hart crashed onto the board. Pillman made a play for the belts, but Alex Hammerstone ran out and attacked him.
Hammerstone set up a table at ringside and tried to suplex Pillman from the apron through it, but Davey Boy Smith Jr. showed up and ended up slamming slamming Hammerstone onto the bard. Pillman fought off Holliday and then knocked Blake off the ladder. MJF handed Holliday a chair. Holliday knocked Pillman off the ladder with the chair, then pulled down both down the title belts to win the match..
MJF and Richard Holliday defeated Teddy Hart and Brian Pillman Jr. in a ladder match to win the MLW Tag Titles.
The Dynasty celebrated the tag title win to close the show…
Powell’s POV: An entertaining ladder match featuring a tag title change. The Dynasty got a nice boost and now have the tag titles and MLW National Openweight Championship. This helps MJF and Holliday go from feeling like pest heels to real players in MLW. I enjoyed the overall show and it’s been a good and newsworthy couple of weeks for MLW with the title changes and the announcement of the first pay-per-view. On a side note, I continue to enjoy the duo of Bocchini and Cornette on commentary. I know Tony Schiavone will be returning for an upcoming taping, so it will be interesting to see if they pair two together or go with a three-man booth. I don’t say this often, but in this case I wouldn’t mind a three-man booth because I think the show would struggle a bit without either Bocchini or Cornette. Dot Net staffer John Moore will have his weekly Dot Net Members’ audio review of this episode available soon.
Check below for the latest Pro Wrestling Boom Podcast With Jason Powell featuring guest Jim Ross discussing his role in AEW, Tony Khan as a leader, whether Ross knew Shawn Spears was going to hit Cody with a chair shot to the head, working with Excalibur and Alex Marvez, his new book and speaking engagement deal, and much more.
It most likely will be a 2 man booth without Cornette as he’s saide on his podcast, The Jim Cornette Experience that he won’t be going to New York where the next tapings are.
Thank you. I believe you’re right and it will be Tony and Rich.
And now Tony is on the **** list with MLW since his contract is exclusive and he did the AEW bit at Fight for the Fallen.