By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
Major League Wrestling Fusion (Episode 81)
Taped October 5, 2019 in Tijuana, Mexico at Auditorio Fausto Gutierrez
Aired October 26, 2019 on beIN Sports
The show opened with a Contra Unit video. Josef Samael said he understood that Promociones Dorado was looking for a new man because LA Park’s son was injured (by Contra Unit). Samael said the big man Jacob Fatu would be watching. Fatu checked in and said it wouldn’t be a super fight, “it’s going to be a f—ing massacre”… The Fusion opening aired…
The broadcast team of Rich Bocchini and AJ Kirsch checked in. Bocchini said next week’s Fusion will air live right before the Saturday Night SuperFight event…
Powell’s POV: MLW is airing four matches on the live one-hour pre-show that will air on pay-per-view channels and FITE.TV. I’m typically not a fan of pre-shows because the added time can make shows drag. And while that’s a risk with this event, it’s actually a savvy move. Let’s face it, beIN Sports isn’t the most accessible network for those of us who have DirecTV or Comcast cable, so this is a chance to show off the product to fans who may not normally see it and thus lead to some extra pay-per-view buys.
Footage aired of Brian Pillman Jr. mocking Low Ki’s speech to him. A tweet from Low Ki that simply read “very well” was shown on the screen. Bocchini said Pillman Jr. will face Low Ki at the pay-per-view…
1. “The Hart Foundation” Davey Boy Smith Jr. and Brian Pillman Jr. vs. Dragon Lee and Extreme Tiger. Tiger was isolated by Smith and Pillman while Lee was down at ringside. Lee returned to his corner. Tiger rallied and performed a top rope senton on Pillman before tagging Lee into the match.
Pillman took a snap dragon suplex and no-sold it by getting right back to his feet and trading chops with Lee. Pillman performed a magic driver for a two count, then Lee jumped up and hit him with a running knee to the head. Both men tagged out. Lee performed a suicide dive on Pillman on the floor. Tiger performed a flip dive at the group, but only took out his partner. Smith threw Tiger back inside the ring and held him up while Pillman performed a springboard clothesline, which led to Smith scoring the pin…
Davey Boy Smith Jr. and Brian Pillman Jr. defeated Dragon Lee and Extreme Tiger.
Powell’s POV: An entertaining match, particularly whenever Lee was in the ring. He’s outstanding. I dig the springboard Hart Attack clothesline finisher that Smith and Pillman used to get the win.
Bocchini hosted the Saturday Night SuperFight control center segment and hyped the live pre-show before listing the following main card matches: Mance Warner vs. Bestia 666 vs. Jimmy Havoc in a Stairway to Hell ladder match, Low Ki vs. Brian Pillman Jr., MFJ and Richard Holliday vs. The Von Erichs in a Texas Tornado match for the MLW Tag Titles, Teddy Hart vs. Austin Aries for the MLW Middleweight Championship, Injustice vs. Gringo Loco, Septimo Dragon, and Puma King, Alexander Hammerstone vs. Davey Boy Smith Jr. for the MLW National Openweight Championship, Timothy Thatcher vs. Tom Lawlor, and Jacob Fatu vs. LA Park in a No DQ match for the MLW Championship…
Salina de la Renta smoked a cigar while laughing at Contra Unit billing themselves as the global dealers in violence. “Quite frankly, to me you ain’t shit,” Salina said. She said she is more dangerous than the cartel. She said she will be even more powerful than ever once LA Park wins the MLW Title. She recalled Contra Unit saying they are at war with her faction. She said shit’s on. She said LA Park will kick Fatu’s ass and told Contra Unit to prepare to kiss her ring…
Powell’s POV: A good promo and the cigar was a nice touch.
Footage aired from last week of Hijo de LA Park being attacked by Contra Unit last week. LA Park delivered a promo in Spanish with English captions. Park said Contra Unit will pay for what they did to his son and he will break Fatu’s f—ing face…
An ad aired for MLW Saturday Night SuperFight…
A Lifestyles of the Rich and Dynastic video aired. MJF, Richard Holliday, and Alex Hammerstone were still happy to be out of Mexico. MJF asked Hammerstone if he took any of the stuff he brought in Mexico. Hammerstone said the important thing is that he didn’t get caught with anything. MJF noted that Holliday wasn’t wearing his AirPods. Holliday was using hand sanitizer first because he was in Mexico. He showed off his Louis Vuitton AirPods…
A brief Von Erichs promo aired. The brothers said they didn’t know if Dynasty should be partying so much before their tag title match, but assured them they would leave them with a hangover…
The latest H2TV video aired with what sounded like a Mariachi version of “Welcome to the Jungle” playing in the background (nice work, MSL). Pillman and Smith were shown at an autograph signing. Pillman said he’s a star. Smith said he’s very flattered that all the Mexican fans have been watching Fusion…
Footage aired of Austin Aries giving Teddy Hart a brainbuster on the ring apron last month, which set up their MLW Middleweight Championship match for the pay-per-view. Bocchini noted that Aries started a GoFundMe page to help him pay for the $10,000 fine that MLW gave him for attacking Hart…
2. Torito and Toto vs. Terror Azteca and Proximo. Torito was introduced as Torito Negro and that’s the name that was listed on his video wall, but MLW’s graphic billed him as Torito. They cut to an ad for the pay-per-view early in the match. Bocchini noted that the women cheered when Toto removed his shirt and showed off his Dad Bod. Axteca performed a missile dropkick and on Torito and then performed a nice head scissors driver. Axteca covered Torito and the referee made a fast count to give him the win…
Terror Azteca and Proximo beat Torito and Toto.
Powell’s POV: There was nothing wrong with the match, but it wisely didn’t last long since it had nothing to do with the pay-per-view and didn’t feature any lucha talent that normally appears in MLW.
Bocchini hyped the main event and the pay-per-view main event, and then a Fatu vs. LA Park video package aired going into a commercial break…
3. LA Park Mecha Wolf, and Bestia 666 (w/Salina de la Renta) vs. Josef Samael, Simon Gotch, and Ikuro Kwon. Bocchini told the story that the Contra Unit members were out to soften up LA Park a week before his MLW Championship match with Jacob Fatu. LA Park performed a dive from the top rope onto a pile of wrestlers below for a big pop. A short time later, Wolf placed Gotch on the barricade, then Park hit Gotch with a chair.
Late in the match, Bocchini claimed that he was being told that Fatu was being physically restrained from going to the ring. Bestia placed Kwon the top rope and performed a Dark Driver. Wolf went up top, but Kwon sprayed mist at him. Samael threw a fireball at Bestia, then Park speared Samael and pinned him.
LA Park Mecha Wolf, and Bestia 666 defeted Josef Samael, Simon Gotch, and Ikuro Kwon.
After the match, Park celebrated while Bocchini continued to claim that Fatu (who wasn’t at the show) was still being restrained by security…
Powell’s POV: I had to laugh at Park celebrating his win while showing zero concern for Bestia taking a fireball to the face. Ouch. That said, it was fun to see LA Park in his home country where the fans gave him the big star reaction. This show was much more focused on building to the pay-per-view than last week’s episode. Even so, I hope MLW will avoid going to Mexico to tape shows that are leading into future pay-per-views for the obvious reasons. The Saturday Night SuperFight lineup looks good on paper and you can join me for live coverage on Saturday beginning with the one-hour pre-show at 6CT/7ET. Dot Net Members will also hear my audio review of the pay-per-view later that night.
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