By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
Major League Wrestling Fusion (Episode 70)
Taped July 25, 2019 in New York, New York at Melrose Ballroom
Aired August 10, 2019 on beIN Sports
The Fusion opening aired… The broadcast team was Rich Bocchini and Tony Schiavone, and Tim Barr was the ring announcer…
1. Bestia 666 (w/Salina de la Renta) vs. Rey Horus. Footage aired from last week of Konnan using his possession of Salina’s phone to force her to book a match between her men LA Park and Jimmy Havoc. Bestia performed an early suicide dive. Bestia worked over Horus with chops to the chest and then rolled him back inside the ring. Horus came back with a spinning head scissors that sent Bestia to the floor. Horus performed a senton over the top rope onto Bestia at ringside.
Back inside the ring, Horus performed a standing Spanish Fly for a near fall. Bestia came back with a superkick for a two count. Schiavone had some fun with the idea that Bocchini’s number could be on Salina’s missing phone and the scandal that it could create. Funny. Horus and Bestia fought on the ropes. Horus pulled Bestia down from the ropes with an arm drag and followed up with another head scissors style takedown for a two count. Bestia caught Horus going up top and crotched him, then followed up with his La Valagueza (cradle neckbreaker) finisher and got the clean pin.
Bestia 666 defeated Rey Horus.
Powell’s POV: A decent match. I normally write that I’d like to see MLW do more with Horus, but it would have been a mistake for him to win this match since they just started building up Bestia.
After the match, Salina stood in the ring and claimed to be the greatest promoter in the history fo pro wrestling. Cameras showed men clapping at ringside. Salina called for Konnan to give her back her phone “or else.” Konnan made his entrance and joined Salina in the ring. Konnan took a hooker shot at Salina, then pulled out her phone and referred to it as a weapon of mass destruction.
Konnan teased giving her the phone and then pulled it back. Konnan said he heard she was about to sign Savio Vega and said it was quite an accomplishment. Konnan said he discovered from Salina’s phone that Savio was supposed to get a bonus payment that he never got. Konnan introduced Savio while saying he had an update for her. Savio walked onto the stage with a contract and tore it up. Konnan went to the stage and hugged Savio, then they headed backstage together…
The “Lifestyles of the Rich and Dynastic” segment aired with Dynasty members MJF, Richard Holliday, and Alex Hammerstone in what was described as a penthouse suite of a hotel. MJF presented Holliday and Hammerstone with gold Rolex watches. Hammerstone said that while they were celebrating in penthouses, Teddy Hart was moping around in crackhouses. They laughed at Teddy being “a terrible drug addict” and then pretended to be sad. Hammerstone hugged MJF because he was so happy about the watch…
Powell’s POV: I actually enjoy the Dynasty videos more than the H2 videos. The only minor concern is that Hammerstone is being cast as a meathead jock. And while he plays the part well and it’s been good for some laughs, I wonder if it will be a bit detrimental in terms of him coming off like a main event player in the eyes of the fans. Then again, perhaps he’ll be able to flip the switch when the time comes.
An MLW Saturday Night SuperFight ad aired for the November 2 pay-per-view…
An H2 video aired with Hart Foundation members Teddy Hart, Davey Boy Smith Jr., and Brian Pillman Jr. The video included Hart’s cats. Hart and Pillman worked on flips on a hotel room bed…
Bocchini recapped the announcement of the Opera Cup tournament…
A Contra Unit video aired. Jacob Fatu, Simon Gotch, and Josef Samael spoke about being in Singapore, Bangladesh, and South Korea and Contra rising in all corners of the world. Samael said MLW’s snitches have been following them all over the world. Footage aired of the new member wearing his mask. They said they were taking care of business outside the country.
Fatu, Gotch, and Samael introduced the newest member as a pit fighter who fought in the slums of Singapore and in the tarpits in India. Samael said the man was so sadistic that he’d burnt men with coals. Fatu said the man came from their Asian post. Samel introduced the man as Ikuro Kwon as “the fourth member of our death squad.” Footage aired of Kwon wearing his pre-match ceremonial mask and without the mask…
Bocchini hosted the War Chamber control center segment and noted that all four members of Contra Unit will face The Von Erichs, Tom Lawlor, and a partner of their choosing. Bocchini said they were going to have an update on Marshall after he was blinded by Kwon’s mist last week. He said that if Marshall can’t wrestle and they can’t find a fourth man, it could end up being two men facing Contra Unit.
Bocchini said it was supposed to be a great week for the Von Erichs because Marshall’s wife is expecting a child and Ross is in the “Hobbs & Shaw” movie, which premiered at the top of the box office. Bocchini recapped footage of Kwon blinding Marshall…
Kaci Lennox interviewed Ross Von Erich and Tom Lawlor on the interview set. Ross said Marshall is home in Hawaii and won’t be able to see the birth of his child due to being blinded. Lawlor showed good fire while saying that they were going to war of Contra Unit…
Bocchini said Contra Unit demanded a match, which would be coming up… The video package featuring the partnership of MLW and Pro Wrestling Noah was shown. New footage aired of The Crash promotion while Bocchini noted that MLW has a partnership with the Mexican promotion…
Powell’s POV: It’s cool that MLW is forming these partnerships, as it’s good for the promotion and should lead to additional bookings for the MLW wrestlers.
Lennox interviewed Mance Warner on another MLW interview set. Warner held a white board and had Lennox draw trees drawn on it. Warner had Lennox hold the white board, then brought out a chainsaw. Lennox was petrified of the chainsaw and presumably the idea that Warner would use it to chop down the trees she drew on the board. Warner cut a promo about taking out Salina’s men one by one. Lennox breathed a sigh of relief once Warner wrapped up the promo and left the set…
2. Josef Samael and Simon Gotch vs. Ariel Dominguez and Jay Sky. Gotch kicked Dominguez and then kicked Sky off the apron. Gotch tagged Samael, who put Domingez in a Camel Clutch and got the quick submission win.
Josef Samael and Simon Gotch defeated Ariel Dominguez and Jay Sky.
Afterward, Samael pulled out a spike and fish-hooked Dominguez’s mouth with it before releasing the Camel Clutch. Gotch piledrove Dominguez…
Powell’s POV: A simple and effective squash match to put over the danger of the Contra Unit. Bocchini did a great job on commentary of expressing outrage over Contra Unit’s actions and calling for MLW officials to do something about it.
A War Chamber video aired… Bocchini recapped the opening match and then footage aired of the Konnan and Salina segment from earlier in the show… Footage aired of Mance Warner ending up with LA Park’s Golden Ticket for a shot at the MLW Championship. Salina sent her crew after Warner, who fought them off. Salina ran away from Warner and left her phone, which Konnan found.
Powell’s POV: This was a good and necessary recap of the storyline. Not every viewer sees every show, and ideally there are first-time viewers checking out the show all the time. So while this may feel repetitive for regulars, it’s the right thing to do to make it easy for everyone to follow along.
Footage aired of Konnan forcing Salina to book LA Park vs. Jimmy Havoc, then Bocchini hyped the match for next week. Bocchini also announced Mance Warner vs. Ricky Martinez for next week and wondered whether it was Martinez’s last shot at redeeming himself in the eyes of Salina…
3. Alexander Hammerstone (w/MJF, Richard Holliday) vs. Savio Veva for the MLW National Openweight Championship. There must have been an early botch, as they cut to some fans at ringside abruptly while something was happening in the ring (it happens). Hammerstone controlled the early offense and distracted the referee while Holliday choked Vega in the corner.
Later, Vega avoided a Hammerstone missile dropkick. Vega fired away at Hammerstone and knocked him down with a double chop. Vega threw a kick at Hammerstone. The outside interference resumed as Holliday distracted the referee and then MJF removed a turnbuckle pad. Hammerstone sent Vega into the exposed turnbuckle, then followed up with his Nightmare Pendulum finisher and scored the pin.
Alexander Hammerstone defeated Savio Vega to retain the MLW National Openweight Championship.
After the match, Brian Pillman Jr. ran out and stole Hammerstone’s leather jacket. Hammerstone chased Pillman to the back. The broadcast team recapped the finish of the match and Bocchini pointed out that Vega’s legs buckled when they hit the mat. Vega sold a throat injury and was helped to his feet after he rolled to the floor at ringside…
Powell’s POV: Ugly from a match quality standpoint, but Hammerstone is still developing and Vega turned 55 yesterday. In other words, there was no reason to think this was going to be a strong match. The finish was scary, though, as the feet of the wrestler taking the Nightmare Pendulum are not supposed to hit the mat. In this case, both of Vega’s feet appeared to hit the mat and that’s why there seemed to be legitimate concern. The main event was rough, but I enjoyed the rest of the show. The video package for the naming of the new Contra Unit member was really good and I continue to enjoy the way the heel stable is being presented.
Rich Bocchini has found his groove. He often felt like “the other guy” while working with popular legends Schiavone and Jim Cornette for quite some time despite his WWE background, but he seems to have gained confidence and has developed good chemistry with both men. And while I prefer the team of Bocchini and Cornette, working with Schiavone is giving Bocchini a chance to be the dominant voice, which is nearly impossible to be while working with the fast talking (and highly entertaining) Cornette. Bocchini knows the storylines, calls the action well, steers the ship for Schiavone, and showed really good emotion when the situation with Contra Unit called for it. While I’ve liked Bocchini’s work going back to his days as Rich Brennan in WWE, it feels like he is taking command of Fusion and making it his own. I will have more to say in my Dot Net Members’ exclusive audio review coming up shortly.
Be the first to comment