By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
Major League Wrestling Fusion (Episode 103)
Taped February 1, 2020 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at 2300 Arena
Aired March 28, 2020 on beIN Sports and MLW’s YouTube Page
Fusion opened with footage from two weeks ago of Team Filthy being cleared from the ring by Killer Kross, The Von Erichs, and Davey Boy Smith Jr., which was followed by last week’s eight-man tag main event along with King Mo helping Team Filthy once the brawl continued backstage…
The broadcast team was Rich Bocchini and AJ Kirsch. Kirsch spoke of how there had been rumors of a super merger between Team Filthy and American Top Team…
Alicia Atout interviewed Dan Lambert and noted that King Mo had been suspended by MLW. Lambert said MLW has another thing coming if they think they are getting rid of them that easily. He said he has a team of lawyers on the case and Mo will be allowed to compete while the suspension is under appeal. He said they will leave MLW when they are damn good and ready…
Kirsch explained that King Mo will be allowed to fight. He also noted that Mo would have Dan Lambert in his corner, while Low Ki would have Ross Von Erich in his corner… The Fusion opening aired…
Kirsch hyped the Brian Pillman Jr. vs. Jordan Oliver match and said Pillman was late arriving at the building. Atout checked in from backstage and said they had called and texted Pillman and had not heard back from him. She said she hoped that the match would still be able to take place. Kirsch said they were going to one of their swing matches just instead…
Entrances for the opening match took place and a promo aired with Tom Lawlor standing with Garrini, Mo, Lambert, and Erick Stevens while taunting Killer Kross. Garrini recalled the Gracie challenge and said he was doing his own challenge and would pay $1,000 to anyone who lasts five minutes with him. King Mo called for Low Ki to come see him…
1. Dominic Garrini (w/Kit Osbourne) vs. Dr. Dax in a prize fight challenge. Garrini took Dax down and put him in a submission hold for the quick win…
Dominic Garrini defeated Dr. Dax in a prize fight challenge.
Powell’s POV: I like the way this was framed as a swing match. MLW has done this before and it’s a nice touch that gives the show a touch of MMA style realism.
MJF, Alexander Hammerstone, and Gino Medina delivered a backstage promo. MJF cut a promo on Mance Warner and called him trailer park trash who is upset that he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. “It’s not my fault that you were born an outlaw, mud show, shitty little indie prick who should have never stepped foot in a major league company, let alone our rarified air,” MJF said. He added that he’s not afraid to play with Warner. Hammerstone and Medina tried to talk him down. “I’ll f— you up, Mance,” MJF said before storming away. Hammerstone said Warner has something up his sleeve and told MJF not to fall for it…
MJF vs. Mance Warner in a loser leaves MLW match was announced for next week…
Powell’s POV: I like the way MLW has stretched out the departure of MJF.
A Pagano teaser video aired… A King Mo video package was shown. Kirsch said Low Ki has knocked out 60 percent of his opponents over the last year, while Mo has knocked out 62 percent of his opponents throughout his MMA career. Kirsch questioned who is the king of knockouts…
Backstage, Atout announced that Pillman’s match with Oliver would not take place because they still hadn’t been able to reach Pillman. Kirsch said Pillman is notorious for being late to shows, but never like this…
2. Alexander Hammerstone vs. T-Hawk for the MLW Openweight Championship. T-Hawk suplexed Hammerstone, who got back to his feet and nodded to show that he was impressed. Moments later, Hammerstone went for a leapfrog, but T-Hawk slammed him down in a powerbomb for a two count.
Hammerstone caught T-Hawk going for a baseball slide, then spun him around and gave him a bicycle kick from the floor. Hammerstone flung T-Hawk into the barricade. “That’s why I’m your champion,” Hammerstone said while looking into the camera. Back inside the ring, Hammerstone blocked a running knee and then threw a jumping knee. Hammerstone caught T-Hawk with a nice dropkick, but T-Hawk shot right up and hit Hammerstone with a knee to the back of the head.
A short time later, Hammestone performed another bicycle kick, a German suplex, and a powerbomb for a near fall. Hammerstone rolled T-Hawk over and put him in a Boston Crab, which was eventually broken. Hammerstone knocked T-Hawk down with a forearm. T-Hawk fired up and the wrestlers traded forearms. T-Hawk threw a chop, then Hammerstone gave him another kick and a suplex.
T-Hawk performed a face first pump handle slam for a near fall. T-Hawk went to the ropes and was cut off by Hammerstone, who ended up catching him with an nice kick. Hammerstone superplexed T-Hawk, then hit the Nightmare Pendulum and scored the clean pin…
Alexander Hammerstone defeated T-Hawk to retain the MLW National Openweight Championship.
Powell’s POV: A very good match and the best match Hammerstone has had in MLW to date. T-Hawk is part of Cima’s crew and he’s very talented, but Hammerstone deserves credit for the improvement that he’s shown.
Kirsch noted that Jared St. Laurant reached out to Davey Boy Smith Jr., who was overseas doing media, and even Smith was unable to reach Pillman…
A Low Ki video package aired…
The PWI top ten rankings for the MLW heavyweight contenders to the title held by Jacob Fatu were listed (no changes again).
10. King Mo
9. Low Ki
8. Mance Warner
7. MJF
6. Richard Holliday
5. Brian Pillman Jr.
4. Tom Lawlor
3. Davey Boy Smith Jr.
2. Myron Reed (MLW Middleweight Champion)
1. Alexander Hammerstone (MLW National Openweight Champion)
Powell’s POV: I really like the use of the rankings, but it would be nice if they would tweak them more often to avoid listing the same ratings each week.
Atout interviewed Konnan about the MLW and AAA show in Tijuana, Mexico (already taped). Konnan said interpromotional matches are cool and it’s way cooler when you go up against another promotion. Konnan said they would announce the matches on next week’s show… Kirsch said the MLW and AAA Super Series would start airing on MLW television in two weeks…
Powell’s POV: The tapings in Mexico are the last first-run matches that MLW has in the can. With next week’s show and then those tapings, I assume that MLW has at least a month of first-run Fusion episodes remaining.
A Mance Warner promo aired. He spoke about Dynasty attacking him and his family and how it’s messed him up in the head. Warner said he’s not leaving town and has busted his ass every place he’s been, including MLW. Warner said MJF was about to answer for everything he’s done…
Highlights aired of King Mo’s attack on Killer Kross. Kirsch said Mo suffered a back injury and Dr. Nelson Sweglar will provide an update on his condition next week…
Atout was talking about Pillman when she was interrupted by Injustice members Myron Reed, Kotto Brazil, and Jordan Oliver. They showed her footage from a phone and told her to take it to the truck. Brazil told viewers to stay tuned…
An MLW merch ad aired… Kirsch read through a tale of the tape for the main event and questioned who is the true knockout king… Ring entrances for the main event took place…
3. King Mo (w/Dan Lambert) vs. Low Ki (w/Ross Von Erich). Ring announcer Mark Adam Haggerty held the mic while the referee delivered in-ring instructions to Mo and Ki. Early in the match, Mo picked up Low Ki and dumped him over the top rope to the floor. Low Ki sold a left thigh and/or knee injury at ringside while Mo gloated inside the ring. Low Ki returned to the ring, but Mo dumped him to ringside again. Mo stood in the ring and flipped off Low Ki and gave the crowd a crotch chop.
Low Ki returned to the ring and was worked over by Mo in a corner. Mo applied a leg lock on Low Ki’s right knee. Ki got back to his feet, but Mo performed a chop block on Low Ki’s right knee. Low Ki rolled to ringside and then struggled to return and barely beat the referee’s count. Mo worked over Low Ki in the corner. Low Ki came back with a kick to Mo’s leg, then performed a nice kick to the head. Low Ki got back to his feet and avoided Mo going for his knees again.
Low Ki put Mo in an octopus style hold and had Mo on the mat when Dominic Garrini and Erick Stevens walked to ringside. Garrini jawed with Ross, then Marshall Von Erich came out and stood by his brother. The referee got caught up with what was happening at ringside, allowing Tom Lawlor to enter the ring and hit Low Ki with an umbrella that Mo used as part of his entrance. Lawlor left the ring and Lambert threw in a black towel that Ross had and pointed it out once the referee returned to the ring. The referee assumed that Ross threw in the towel for Low Ki and then called for the bell.
King Mo defeated Low Ki.
Kirsch hyped Warner vs. MJF in the loser leaves MLW match for next week…
On the stage, Atout interviewed Mo, Lambert, Lawlor, Garrini, and Stevens. Mo boasted that he won. Lambert said even an idiot from Philadelphia could see that Mo won. Mo asked the fans to bend a knee in his presence, then started demanding it. Lawlor said the Philly fans worship a fake in Rocky Balboa, left Smokin’ Joe Frazier destitute, and now they won’t get on their knees for the new Knockout King.
Kirsch set up the “graphic footage” that Injustice gave Atout earlier. Brazil filmed Myron Reed and Jordan Oliver attacking Brian Pillman Jr. in a parking ramp. Oliver placed Pillman’s head over a cinderblock, then Reed stomped him to close the show…
Powell’s POV: Woof. Low Ki is a pro and did the best he could, but this was a mess. King Mo is a good personality, but he just hasn’t shown any in-ring ability as a pro wrestler. I’m all for MLW continuing to use him. They just need to be careful about how they use him so that he’s not exposed like he was in this match. On the plus side, MLW did a nice job of creating a big fight feel and I actually like the work that Lambert is doing on the microphone, as well as their alliance with Team Filthy.
Overall, it was a good show despite Mo looking rough in the main event. Garrini’s challenge was brief, the Openweight Title match was strong, and I liked the storytelling with Injustice and Pillman. John Moore’s weekly MLW Fusion audio reviews are available exclusively to Dot Net Members.
I see why Impact Wrestling dropped King Mo now. Still, after all these years, not really improving and potentially injuring people.