By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
Major League Wrestling Fusion (Episode 97)
Taped January 11, 2020 in Dallas, Texas at NYTEX Sports Centre
Aired February 15, 2020 on beIN Sports and MLW’s YouTube Page
The opening montage aired and concluded with The Dynasty announcing that they were producing the show. A Dynasty video aired… Rich Bocchini and AJ Kirsch checked in on commentary. They grumbled a bit and then Kirsch read a line about the Dynasty taking the world by storm while reading through the lineup. He said they only reason they were doing this was because of Richard Holliday’s father…
Footage aired from last week of Mance Warner telling Alicia Atout that the Dynasty members were assholes. A shot aired of a Dynasty posted poster banning Warner from the building… Highlights were shown of Gino Medina joining Dynasty…
1. Gino Medina vs. Septimo Dragon. Richard Holliday sat in on commentary. It was noted that Air Wolf’s MLW career is likely over due to the attack of Contra Unit’s Death Squad. Dragon performed an early suicide dive onto Medina. Back inside the ring, Dragon covered Medina for a two count. It was noted that Konnan was jawing at Holliday, who said he can’t hear mediocrity, so he didn’t hear a word that Konnan said. Funny.
Later, Medina rolled to ringside and shoved Konnan for no good reason. Konnan stood his ground and jawed back. Dragon performed an Asai moonsault onto Medina. Holliday was right next to the action when he told Dragon that he’s an absolute idiot. Back inside the ring, Dragon performed a standing Spanish Fly for a good near fall.
Dragon followed up with a DDT and got another two count. Dragon went up top and went fo ra double stomp, but Medina avoided it. Medina performed Snake Eyes and followed with an inside cradle and got the pin while using the ropes for leverage.
Gino Medina defeated Septimo Dragon.
After the match, Holliday joined Medina in putting the boots to Dragon and removing his mask. Konnan entered the ring and hit Medina with a slapjack, which led to the heels fleeing to ringside…
Powell’s POV: Dragon was impressive and we learned last week that he can deliver promos in English. Medina has upside and had some good moments in the match, but he also seemed a hesitant at times. Holliday was fun on commentary and it’s been really fun to see him become such a strong character since he started in MLW.
Kirsch read copy that MJF and Holliday were guaranteed to win the tag title match and referred to them as the greatest team of all time. He also plugged that Tom Lawlor would appear. They cut to a shot of Mance Warner outside the building while Kirsch noted that Warner didn’t meet the dress code.He said this shit won’t fly. He said he’d have a couple drinks and wasn’t leaving…
An MLW Intimidation Games ad aired for the April 18 event in Chicago… An Erick Stevens video aired and hyped him as coming soon… Kirsch announced that Stevens would appear next week. He also hyped the tag title main event…
2. Alexander Hammerstone vs. Aero Star for the MLW National Openweight Championship. Konnan sat in on commentary and spoke about the working relationship between MLW and AAA. They had a graphic stating that the match would resume after the break. Footage aired coming out of the break of Hammerstone powerbombing Aero Star on the apron, then hitting him with the Spinal Countdown inside the ring.
Aero Star picked up a couple of near falls. Hammerstone came back with a superplex for a near fall of his own. Aero Star performed a clunky move into a backstabber. Hammerstone ripped the mask off Aero Star and then pinned him. Konnan barked that it was disrespectful. “He couldn’t beat him and he had to rip off his mask?” Konnan asked. Konnan stood up and barked at Hammerstone from ringside…
Alexander Hammerstone defeated Aero Star to retain the MLW National Championship.
Powell’s POV: The match was fine, though the outcome was never really in question in my mind. If this is a Dynasty produced episode, why would they allow Konnan to sit in on commentary? I could have done without Dynasty removing the masks of their opponents in back to back matches.
A Tom Lawlor “Dallas” video aired that featured him and Dominic Garrini. Lawlor said he and Garrini were in Dallas to wish the Von Erichs luck. He said they were on the hallowed grounds of the Sportatorium. Garrini said it was a dump. Lawlor said he wants the Von Erichs to keep the titles because they have a big money match with Team Filthy. They both turned to piss on the ground where the Sportatorium once stood…
Mance Warner was shown outside the building saying that he was going to piss on Dynasty’s party…
A Killer Kross teaser video aired…
Footage aired of Davey Boy Sith Jr. and the Von Erichs getting in a brawl with Contra Unit. A Contra video aired. Jacob Fatu said he’s going on a global rampage. He said that if Cima wants a title shot then come and get it…
Kirsch hyped Fatu vs. Cima for the MLW Heavyweight Championship in three weeks on the 100th edition of MLW Fusion…
Kirsch also spotlighted a Dallas Morning News article on the Von Erichs…
Alicia Atout spoke with Davey Boy Smith Jr., Ross Von Erich, and Marshall Von Erich. She said she recently found out that Davey’s grandfather Stu Hart trained their grandfather Fritz Von Erich. The Von Erichs confirmed this. Smith said he was happy they had his back and he had their back. Smith said he hasn’t forgotten about Tom Lawlor beating him with a cheap eye poke and would catch up with him…
Mance Warner was shown walking outside the building. He was carrying a 12-pack of beer and said he was looking to go inside and have a few. Grogan cut Warner off and said he wasn’t allowed inside. Warner said he had a lot of beer and questioned what he would do with them. Warner asked Grogan how big he was. “Big enough to drink beer,” Grogan said. Warner gave him a beer and they started chugging together. Warner spoke about a woman named Martina up the road. Grogan said that MJF is an asshole and told Warner to go ahead…
Powell’s POV: I believe that was Grogan. He wasn’t actually identified by name and he’s appeared sporadically since he debuted, but I’m going with it being Grogan since one of the announcers mentioned something about him earlier.
An LA Park video aired to promote him as returning soon… A fun Dynasty greatest hits style video aired…
The broadcast team hyped King Mo as being in action next week and noted that Dan Lambert guaranteed success. Kirsch also hyped Erick Stevens vs. Douglas James, and Ross Von Erich vs. Tom Lawlor…
Ring announcer Mark Adam Haggerty delivered introductions for the tag title match and noted that it had a one-hour time limit. MJF and Richard Holliday came out first and didn’t go to the ring. The Von Erichs made their entrance. A woman at ringside handed one of them a bouquet of flowers. MJF and Holliday attacked the Von Erichs from behind. MJF told the broadcast team to watch his scarf, then went back to mauling the Von Erichs.
3. Ross Von Erich and Marshall Von Erich vs. MJF and Richard Holliday for the MLW Tag Titles. The match officially started once both teams were in the ring. The broadcast team tried to play up the Von Erichs as being at serious risk to lose the titles on the Dynasty produced show. They also complained about the Dynasty’s critiques and requests, such as that they wear AirPods while calling the match. “It almost makes me wish that Court Bauer were in my ear,” Kirsch said.
Ross was isolated by the heels coming off the pre-match attack for the early portion of the match. The duo did a hilarious double strut, shimmy, and handshake into a double elbow drop. The announcers spoke about how difficult it was to be impartial during Dynasty matches. Ross eventually made a hot tag to Marshall, who went on an offensive tear and performed a standing moonsault on Holliday for a two count.
Ross hit a nice leaping knee on Holliday, then Marshall followed up with a discus clothesline that led to a two count. The Von Erichs performed a clunky double dropkick on MJF to clear him from the ring. Ross leapt off Marshall’s back to take out MJF with a dive at ringside. Holliday knocked Ross off the apron with a big boot.
Marshall went for a superplex, but Holliday blocked it and performed his Market Crash finisher from the middle rope. MJF performed a top rope splash and had the pin, but Ross returned to break up the pin. Good sequence. Alexander Hammerstone walked toward the ring, but Mance Warner showed up and took him out with a chair.
Gino Medina came out and ended up fighting back to the stage with Warner. In the ring, the Von Erichs sent Holliday to ringside with another rough double dropkick. MJF turned and offered a handshake, but Marshall put him in the Iron Claw. Ross performed a belly to back suplex on MJF while Marshall held the Iron Claw, which led to the Von Erichs getting the pin.
Ross Von Erich and Marshall Von Erich defeated MJF and Richard Holliday to retain the MLW Tag Titles.
The Von Erichs celebrated their win to close the show…
Powell’s POV: While there were a couple of odd moments such as Konnan sitting in on commentary, I enjoyed the Dynasty produced edition. I liked this a lot more than when MLW played up Salina de la Renta and Jimmy Havoc producing past shows. If there was one thing missing it was the mother of all MJF promos, which one kind of expects from a Dynasty produced show. But the broadcast team did a nice job of putting over the heel antics of Dynasty and making them out to be heel a-holes. This was a fun episode.
Was this MJF’s final MLW appearance? He announced via social media that Dallas was his final MLW date while saying that Dynasty would live on forever. I believe this was the final show from Dallas. If this was it, this was a fun farewell for the original version of Dynasty. Dot Net Members can look forward to John Moore’s weekly MLW Fusion audio review.
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