By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
Major League Wrestling Fusion (Episode 129)
Taped in Orlando, Florida at GILT Nightclub
Streamed April 21, 2021 on Fubo Sports, Pluto TV, and MLW’s YouTube Page
The show opened with a slick video package on the TJP vs. Bu Ku Dao feud… The Fusion opening aired… The broadcast team was Ray Flores and Saint Laurent. Flores ran through the lineup and they went to the ring for the opening match…
1. Gino Medina vs. Rocky Romero. Laurent touted Romero’s podcast and also noted that Tom Lawlor has been competing on the New Japan Strong show along with Romero. Medina caught Romero with what Laurent called a 540 kick and then covered him for a two count.
Romero did a big windup, then just poked Medina in the eyes. Romero sent Medina to the floor and then followed up with a baseball slide. Romero placed Medina over the middle rope and then performed a dropkick to his back, which led to a near fall.
Romero tagged Medina with an uppercut and then performed a series of running clotheslines in the corner. Medina caught him going for a fourth clothesline and beat him to the punch with a superkick. Medina clotheslined Romero and got a two count.
A short time later, Romero performed a tornado DDT and followed up with a slam into a cross arm breaker and got the submission win. Flores pointed out that it was the second straight loss for Medina…
Rocky Romero beat Gino Medina in 8:58.
Powell’s POV: Flores pointed out the back to back television losses for Medina immediately, so I assume it’s leading somewhere. Medina seems to be finding his groove in the ring even though his character is on a losing streak. Working with Romero had to be a good learning experience for him.
Richard Holliday was interviewed by Alicia Atout. Holliday claimed to be a babyface because his merchandise was moving so fast. He showed off an Alex Hammerstone “Muscle Mountain” poster. Atout pointed out the “hammer dick” on the poster. Holliday said she was trying to insult him…
Powell’s POV: I wish this episode was on Vice, because I’m immature enough that I would take great pleasure in seeing #HammerDick trend on social media.
Los Parks delivered a promo from home. LA Park said he wanted everyone to now that he didn’t agree with Salina de la Renta going against El Jefe last week. He spoke about taking her to victory even in matches she didn’t think he would win. He said he has won titles for her and she has profited from his family. He also recalled Salina saying he was a dumbass when Alex Hammerstone hit him. One of Park’s sons said that El Jefe is constructing a new temple and they will be stronger than ever. Park said that Salina would regret it if she failed El Jefe again…
Powell’s POV: A new Temple? That seems to be the biggest tease for the actor who played Dario Cueto being revealed as El Jefe. Of course, this is pro wrestling, so you can never rule out a swerve.
The broadcast team delivered some hype for the upcoming segments… [C] Flores said MLW has instituted a championship committee made up of the league’s matchmakers. He said the goal is to make sure the top contenders get shots at the titles and give the fans the best of the best…
Laurent ran through the latest PWI Top 10 rankings for the MLW Championship held by Jacob Fatu. The changes from the March 17 rankings are noted in parenthesis.
10. ACH (unranked)
9. Calvin Tankman (down from five)
8. Myron Reed (same ranking)
7. Mil Muertes (down from four)
6. Low Ki (down from three)
5. Richard Holliday (up from seven)
4. Mads Krugger (up from six)
3. MLW Middleweight Champion Lio Rush (unranked)
2. Tom Lawlor (same ranking)
1. MLW National Openweight Champion Alex Hammerstone (same ranking)
Powell’s POV: Jordan Oliver and Gino Medina fell out of the top ten after being ranked tenth and ninth last time. Oliver lost a title match to Jacob Fatu since then, and Medina is on the two match losing streak, so both moves are logical.
Lio Rush was interviewed by Atout in front of the MLW backdrop. Rush spoke about embarrassing Myron Reed when he took the title from him. Rush said Reed want redemption in their upcoming rematch, but it’s not going to happen. Rush said it’s Rush Hour and the championship is staying with him…
2. King Mo (w/Dan Lambert) vs. Robert Martyr. Laurent boasted that he has a vote on the championship committee while Flores does not. Mo broke a triangle attempt by slamming Martyr. Mo picked him up and performed another slam, then applied a standing choke for the win…
King Mo beat Robert Martyr in 1:17.
Lambert delivered a promo in the ring while Mo stood by. He complained about a bad referee decision. He said Mo has never tapped in his entire career and he surely wouldn’t tap out to Low Ki. Mo said American Top Team doesn’t tap out…
Powell’s POV: Mo is still rough in the ring. It’s smart to keep his matches short for that reason and because it works well with him being an MMA guy.
Footage aired from “earlier today” of a cameraman catching up with Salina and the Azteca Underground associate and asking her about upsetting El Jefe. Salina mocked the cameraman and then took a call. She told the person that she wanted the opportunity and would do whatever the person wanted. The associate put his hand over the camera… [C]
A video touted MLW airing on Vice TV this spring… Flores spoke about MLW coming to Vice TV for a moment without providing any additional details… Flores and Laurent recapped the Von Erichs crashing the Filthy Island party and beating Violence Is Forever in a chain match…
Tom Lawlor delivered a promo while standing in front of the MLW backdrop. He said he’s been called a liar, jealous, and a coward. He said nothing could be further from the truth aside from when he called the Von Erichs good friends. He said he brought them to MLW and he knows what they are really about. Lawlor told Marshall Von Erich to ask his brother, father, and whatever is left of his family if he has what it takes to face him in a singles match. Lawlor said Marshall would be exposed as being just a boy…
MLW Founder Court Bauer was interviewed by Alicia Atout via video chat. Atout mentioned the new home. Bauer said they’ve been busy. He said people call MLW the best kept secret, but that’s about to change. A graphic listed MLW on Vice TV. He said they have other things planned.
Atout asked about MLW running live events. Bauer said they would close out the season with Lio Rush vs. Myron Reed for the MLW Middleweight Championship on May 5. Atout asked what he meant by closing out the season. Bauer said they wanted to give the fighters a chance to rest before the new season.
Bauer said that they will return with fans on July 10 in Philadelphia at 2300 Arena and hyped tickets being on sale. Bauer said they worked things out with the commission and they were excited to bring fans back this summer…
Powell’s POV: It will be interesting to see if there are any COVID restrictions. Meanwhile, it sounds like MLW will be going into “best of” mode following the May 5 episode until after that July 10 show is turned over for television. Finally, the comical thing about the interview is that neither Atout nor Bauer actually mentioned Vice TV. Did they forget (unlikely)? Was it was so top secret that even Atout wasn’t told the details in advance? Was the deal not finalized when they recorded the video?
The Contra Unit graphic took over the end of the Bauer interview. Josef Samael said Bauer was so full of hope and delusion. He said it’s almost been a year Bauer bled and begged before him in his office. Samael asked Bauer if he really thought that he wouldn’t leave the backdoor open.
Samael said he could walk through it whenever he wishes and take control of the league with the snap of his fingers. Samael shifted his focus to Alex Hammerstone. He called Jacob Fatu a God of War who no man could defeat. Samael said millions of souls on national TV would witness their crusade. He said he wants Bauer to fill up 2300 Arena with fans so they could witness Contra raising their black flag over Philadelphia… [C]
Flores hyped fans returning on July 10 in Philadelphia…
Marshall Von Erich delivered a backstage promo and was using a single crutch. Marshall said he hasn’t forgotten anything that Lawlor has done to him or his brother. He tossed the crutch aside and said he didn’t need a good knee to smash Lawlor’s face in. He said he would stick his claw on Lawlor’s fat head. He said he would see Lawlor next week and called him a traitor…
The upcoming fights graphic listed Tom Lawlor vs. Marshall Von Erich for next week, and Lio Rush vs. Myron Reed for the MLW Middlweight Championship for May 5, and the July 10 show in Philadelphia…
Myron Reed delivered a backstage promo “earlier today.” He said he’s been training for his title match while Rush has been running his mouth on the internet. Reed said he would shut Rush up and become the champion again. “I said it, now I’m manifesting it,” Reed said…
Laurent read through the table of the tape for the main event. TJP was listed as being ten inches taller than Dao. Laurent noted that TJP also had a 14-year experience edge and said he’s the odds on favorite over Dao…
3. TJP vs. Bu Ku Dao. TJP was dominant for the first six minutes of the match. Dao rallied with a couple of kicks to the back of TJP, then performed a cross body block from the ropes for a near fall. TJP came back with a powerbomb for a near fall of his own.
TJP put Dao in a surfboard hold and rocked him into a pinning position for a two count. TJP went back into domination mode. Dao came back briefly, but TJP shut him down and ended up getting another two count. TJP went to the ropes. Dao cut him off and threw him to the mat.
Dao went up top, but TJP rushed up and superplexed him. TJP applied an abdominal stretch style hold that Dao broke by powering his way to the ropes. Dao came back with punches. TJP hoisted him onto his shoulders and spun Dao, whose legs took out the referee. REF BUMP!!! Dao rolled TJP into a visual pinfall. TJP hit Dao from behind and placed Dao on the top rope, but Dao shoved him off. Dao leapt from the ropes and performed a spinning Flatliner and then scored the upset pin…
Bu Ku Dao beat TJP in 13:38.
Alex Hammerstone held a press conference in front of the MLW backdrop while “reporters” held up their phones as recording devices. Hammerstone said he’s tired of having two heavyweight champions in MLW. He challenged Jacob Fatu to settle it once and for all. Hammerstone asked if that was simple enough, then said the press conference was over to end the show…
Powell’s POV: The main event was fun. It’s a shame there wasn’t a live crowd there to rally behind the underdog and pop for his win, but I guess that won’t be a problem for much longer now that MLW announced that it will be bringing fans back in July.
MLW did a nice job of setting the table for the TJP vs. Dao match. Dao has only had a few matches in MLW, but the story of the match was easy to follow with TJP turning heel on a guy he had been mentoring. I’m not sure if they booked the Dao injury angle intentionally or if they couldn’t go forward with the match when it was initially advertised a few weeks ago, but it worked out well in terms of making viewers wait to see it while they continued the build, including a strong TJP heel promo.
The Hammerstone press conference was short and sweet. MLW has been slowly building to a Fatu vs. Hammerstone showdown match ever since the company returned from its pandemic break. Unless they’ve already taped the match, my guess is that it will headline the Philadelphia event. It’s unclear whether they will have a dual champion or unify the titles, but either way it should be fun and definitely feels like MLW’s biggest match.
Overall, this was another good episode. The bookend matches were solid, and there was some nice storytelling and newsworthy moments along the way. My weekly audio review of MLW Fusion will be available for Dot Net Members later tonight.
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