By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
Major League Wrestling Fusion (Episode 79)
Taped October 5, 2019 in Tijuana, Mexico at Auditorio Fausto Gutierrez
Aired October 12, 2019 on beIN Sports
The show opened with Salina de la Renta walking into. building while Dynasty members MJF, Richard Holliday, and Alex Hammerstone were walking out. The Dynasty trio ripped Mexican wrestling and Mexican wrestlers. She threw out the idea of the trio facing Los Parks. MJF and Holliday weren’t crazy about it, but Hammerstone agreed to the match on their behalf… The Fusion opening video aired… The broadcast team of Rich Bocchini and AJ Kirsch checked in and hyped the matches…
Powell’s POV: The introduction of Kirsh left something to be desired. We didn’t see him, nor was there any discussion of his history. It was similar to the way WWE just threw Dio Maddin out on Raw and acted like everyone should know him and respect his opinion.
1. Oraculo vs. Black Danger vs. Ricky Marvin in a three-way. Bocchini said trios action basically means it will be nonstop. He said there were over 5,000 fans in attendance and it was a hot night in Tijuana. Danger and Marvin worked together early on. Later, Oraculo performed a 450 splash on Black Danger and pinned him clean…
Oraculo defeated Black Danger and Ricky Martin in a three-way.
Powell’s POV: The match was fine and the atmosphere is strong. Bocchini and Kirsch discussed the history of the wrestlers, but MLW came up short when it came to explaining why fans should care about the match.
Backstage, Kaci Lennox held a mic while Low Ki calmly told Brian Pillman Jr. that he let his emotions get the best of him during his match against Austin Aries and that’s why he lost. Low Ki said what Pillman got himself into is chess, not checkers. Pillman told Low Ki that he doesn’t know anything about him and then stormed away…
Powell’s POV: Low Ki was excellent. I love the calm, cool, and completely logical Low Ki. Pillman came off as petulant, which seemed totally by design. I guess we’ll wait to see where this goes.
Footage aired of The Dynasty exiting a Mexican pharmecy. They told the cameraman not to call them Dynasty. Holliday said they couldn’t wear their suits or people would be begging them for money. The cameraman asked what they were doing at a pharmacy. Hammerstone got excited and his faction mates told him to calm down and said he’d had enough. Hammerstone said it’s legal in Mexico and he can never get enough…
Bocchini hyped the MLW Saturday Night SuperFight pay-per-view and the tag title match for later in the show…
Salina de la Renta checked in from backstage and said LA Park will bring home the MLW Championship at the pay-per-view. She said people make a big fuss over Jacob Fatu being undefeated, but LA Park is also unbeaten in MLW. Josef Samael showed up on the set and said he’s been listening to what she’s been saying.
Samael said people expect him to react with violence to her and her crew. Samael said she has a lot to offer and a lot of impressive assets. He said she’s intelligent and beautiful, but she craves power. Samael told Salina to think with her mind rather than her heart. Samael asked what if she lived in a world where she was a member of the Contra Unit. Samael said she could pick violence or she could say two little words. “I choose violence,” Salina responded.
Jimmy Havoc showed up and said, “Hello, mate.” Havoc said he heard the word violence. He said he’s the executive producer of the Halloween edition. Havoc said he wants a member of Contra and a member of Promociones Dorado and he wants some blood in a Tijuana street fight. Samael selected himself to represent Contra Unit, then Salina said she had the perfect opponent for him…
Powell’s POV: A good segment with strong performances by everyone involved. It was logical for Samael to attempt to recruit Salina, and I like the way they set up the Tijuana street fight.
2. The Crash Heavyweight Champion Rey Horus vs. MLW National Openweight Champion Alexander Hammerstone in a title vs. title match. Bocchini emphasized that both titles are on the line and if Horus were to win he would then defend the MLW National Openweight Title against Davey Boy Smith Jr. at the pay-per-view. Kirsch said Hammerstone is built like a “shit brickhouse.” Bocchini said he couldn’t say that.
Hammerstone used his size and power advantage early on, including a fallaway slam that sent Horus to ringside. Hammerstone followed Horus to the floor and worked him over. Horus rallied and then used his speed to elude and frustrate Hammerstone. At one point, Horus performed a sommersault plancha over the top rope and onto Horus on the floor.
Later, Hammerstone performed a German suplex and followed up with a sit-out powerbomb for a good near fall. Horus rallied with a springboard DDT for a near fall of his own. Horus got pissed about the referee’s count and teased hitting the referee, which seemed pretty silly as even Kirsch said the count seemed consistent. Hammerstone charged at Horus, who moved, causing the referee to be hit. REF BUMP!!!
Hammerstone scored a visual pinfall while the referee was down. Hammerstone teased waking up the referee and instead went to ringside and brought a chair back into the ring. Hammerstone hit Horus with the chair and then woke up the referee. Hammerstone covered Horus, who kicked out at two. Hammerstone wedged the chair between the turnbuckles in a corner of the ring and tried to powerbomb Horus into it, but Horus countered into Code Red for a near fall. Horus performed a drop toehold into the chair, then went up top and performed a 450 splash. MJF and Richard Holliday pulled Horus to ringside and put the boots to him for the DQ.
Rey Horus defeated Alexander Hammerstone by DQ in a title vs. title match.
Bocchini hyped the tag title match for after the break…
Powell’s POV: The crowd wasn’t very hot for this match, presumably because they are unfamiliar with Hammerstone and MLW’s National Openweight Championship. Nevertheless, I liked the dynamic between the two wrestlers and the title vs. title element, though I automatically assumes that the match would result in a cheap finish. If nothing else, hopefully the match helped establish Hammerstone and Dynasty so that they will mean more if they return to Mexico.
A video hyped next week’s Jimmy Hacoc’s Slaughterhouse edition of Fusion… A Gino Media teaser aired and hyped that he’s coming soon to MLW…
Bocchini hosted the MLW Saturday Night SuperFight control center. Bocchini hyped Jacob Fatu vs. LA Park in a No DQ match for the MLW Heavyweight Championship, Teddy Hart vs. Austin Aries for the MLW Middleweight Championship, and Tom Lawlor vs. Timothy Thatcher, and Gringo Loco, Septimo Dragon, and Puma King vs. “Injustice” Myron Reed, Jordan Oliver, and Kotto Brazil for the November 2 pay-per-view that will be held in Chicago…
3. MJF and Richard Holliday vs. LA Park Jr. and Hijo de LA Park (w/Salina de la Renta) for the MLW Tag Titles. The broadcast team said the Dynasty duo used Holliday’s attorney father to get them out of their tag title match against The Von Erichs, but then their mouths got them into this title match. MJF took the mic and told the crowd that he can’t wait until Donald Trump builds the wall. Holliday took the mic and said “my boy Donald” said the only language you need to learn to make it in the world is English. Los Parks took the mic and were censored and drew “Mexico” chants from the crowd.
There was a lot of stalling by the heels early on and some very basic heel work that drew solid heat. MJF and Holiday strutted and gyrated before teaming up for a double elbow at one point. Funny. Los Parks took offensive control and made a double pin on Holliday that the referee counted, but MJF broke it up. The champs ended up at ringside and then Los Parks both performed suicide dives onto them. Back inside the ring, Holliday hit a Market Crash gut wrench powerbomb on Hijo and then MJF joined him for a double pin…
MJF and Richard Holliday defeated LA Park Jr. and Hijo de LA Park to retain the MLW Tag Titles.
The broadcast team hyped Jimmy Havoc’s Slaughterhouse edition of Fusion for next week. They announced Jimmy Havoc vs. Damian 666 vs. Savio Vega, Josef Samael vs. someone of Salina’s choosing in a Tijuana Street Fight…
Powell’s POV: A flat finish to a match that consisted mostly of stalling and was the least entertaining of the episode (aside from a couple of fun heel moments from the Dynasty pair). It’s cool that MLW and The Crash teamed up for a show in Mexico, but the first episode from those tapings was forgettable from an in-ring standpoint. Kirsch did a nice job on color commentary. He’s not as insightful or quick witted as Jim Cornette is (not many people are) and doesn’t have the down home charm that endears people to Tony Schiavone, but he played off of Bocchini nicely and seemed up to speed on the MLW storylines. Hopefully the rest of the shows from these tapings are stronger given that they lead into what should be a fun pay-per-view.
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