By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
Major League Wrestling Fusion (Episode 131)
Taped in Orlando, Florida at GILT Nightclub
Streamed May 5, 2021 on Fubo Sports, Pluto TV, and MLW’s YouTube Page
Fusion opened with a video package on Lio Rush vs. Myron Reed for the MLW Middleweight Championship that included comments from Rush… The Fusion opening aired… Ray Flores and Saint Laurent were on commentary…
1. Laredo Kid vs. Gringo Loco. Kid brought the AAA Cruiserweight Championship to the ring with him. Flores said Kid refused to acknowledge his loss to Lio Rush because he claims Rush tapped out. Footage aired from the match and both broadcast team members agreed that Rush never tapped.
Loco performed an inverted drop and then covered Kid twice for a pair of two counts. Laurent hyped the July 10 event in Philadelphia and said tickets are nearly sold out. Flores hyped MLW on Vice TV on Saturdays at noon ET.
Late in the match, Kid caught Loco on the ropes and then joined him there before performing a huracanrana that flipped him into the ring. Kid covered Loco for a near fall. They went back to the ropes and fought for position again. Kid once again got the better of it and performed a top rope Spanish Fly and then scored the pin…
Laredo Kid beat Gringo Loco in 9:19.
Powell’s POV: A nice opening match. I don’t really get the story over Kid keeping the belt. It would be fine if he played a heel role, but he strikes me as a babyface in MLW, so his argument that Rush tapped out makes him look bad.
Footage aired from last week of a masked man putting a hooded Salina de la Renta into the back of the car. The broadcast team said they hope to have answers regarding her whereabouts later in the show. They also hyped the main event… [C]
Highlights aired of Rush beating Reed to win the MLW Middleweight Championship in their previous match…
Alex Hammerstone delivered a backstage promo. He said Josef Samael wants him to be upset over his claim that he controls who challenges for the MLW Heavyweight Championship. Hammerstone said he is keeping his cool and questioned why Samael is protecting Jacob Fatu if he claims that Fatu is so dominant. Hammerstone said Fatu “isn’t ducking shit” and think’s he’s unbeatable, but Samael knows that Fatu’s reign is finally in danger. Hammerstone said he will take the title home with him and they’ll finally get the fight the people want once
Powell’s POV: A very good promo. Hammerstone seems like he’s clicking as the top babyface. It will be fun to see how the live crowd reacts to him in Philly.
Flores ran through the upcoming fight schedule with MLW on Vice on Saturday, July 10 in Philadelphia, September 11 in Dallas, and November 6 in Chicago…
Alicia Atout spoke backstage and said Samael is essentially right regarding his claim that he controls who challenges Fatu. She said the exception is that the Battle Riot winner gets a title shot. She also said MLW will hold an open draft via YouTube over the next month and starting next week… [C]
Ross and Marshall Von Erich checked in from an outdoor setting. Marshall told Tom Lawlor that he’s coming for him in Philadelphia…
Additional footage aired of Rush in action…
2. IWA Caribbean Champion Richard Holliday vs. Ariel Dominguez in a non-title match. Flores spoke about the legitimate collegiate wrestling background of Dominguez. Holliday finished off Dominguez quickly with his 2008 twisting suplex finisher…
IWA Caribbean Champion Richard Holliday defeated Ariel Dominguez in 1:36 a non-title match.
Alicia Atout tried to interview Holliday in front of the MLW backdrop when Gino Medina showed up. Holliday brushed him off and Medina walked away, but then he returned and attacked Holliday. Medina told Atout that he wasn’t fired from Dynasty, he quit, then DDT’d Holliday on the floor… [C]
Powell’s POV: I’m still not sure who MLW wants fans to pull for in the Holliday vs. Medina feud. Both guys come off like heels, though Holliday is aligned with babyface Hammerstone as the Dynasty duo. Regardless, Holliday turning on Hammerstone is a big card that MLW can play when the time is right.
Reed highlights were shown… Flores recapped Medina’s attack on Holliday and said that Holliday was taken to the hospital with a possible skull fracture…
Laurent ran through the latest PWI Top 10 rankings for the MLW Heavyweight Championship held by Jacob Fatu. The changes from the April 21 rankings are noted in parenthesis.
Top 10
10. Rocky Romero (previously unranked)
9. Ross Von Erich (previously unranked)
8. Calvin Tankman (up from nine)
7. Myron Reed (up from eight)
6. Mil Muertes (up from seven)
5. Richard Holliday (same ranking)
4. Mads Krugger (same ranking)
3. MLW Middleweight Champion Lio Rush (same ranking)
2. Tom Lawlor (same ranking
1. MLW National Openweight Champion Alexander Hammerstone (same ranking)
Powell’s POV: ACH was unranked after being ranked tenth last time. More notable is that Low Ki went from third in March to sixth in April to being unranked today.
A tale of the tape was shown for the main event and then the entrances for the match took place…
3. Lio Rush vs. Myron Reed for the MLW Middleweight Championship. Laurent claimed the ticket requests for the VIPs in the balcony were through the roof. Reed walked across the ring and went nose to nose with Rush, who shoved him. The wrestlers locked up to start the match. The broadcast team noted that MLW has never had a two-time champion in its 19-year history (there was a long gap between the original MLW product and the modern version, but still a cool stat).
Reed performed a dive onto Rush at ringside just before the eight-minute mark. He rolled him back inside the ring and knocked him down a couple times. Rush ducked a clothesline and got cocky, but Reed stayed on him and ended up getting a two count. Rush rallied and got a two count of his own, then showed frustration over not getting the pin.
Reed leapt from the ropes and hit Rush with a cutter on the way down. He followed up with a side slam and got a really good near fall. Reed acted shocked that he didn’t get the pinfall. Rush rallied and went to the top rope, but Reed rolled under the bottom rope to prevent Rush from performing a move on him.
Rush dropped down and went after Reed, who slid back inside the ring to avoid him. Reed got back to his feet and hit Rush, who then went for a clothesline that Reed ducked. Moments later, Reed went for a leaping cutter that Rush blocked. Rush performed a reverse huracanrana.
Back inside the ring, Rush performed his Final Hour top rope frogsplash for a near fall. Rush removed his wrist tape from both arms. Rush hoisted up Reed on his back, but Reed slipped away and then hit the Captain Crunch. Reed followed up with a 450 splash from the top rope and scored the pin.
Myron Reed defeated Lio Rush in 15:56 to win the MLW Middleweight Championship.
After the match, Jordan Oliver and Calvin Tankman came out and celebrated with Reed while Rush headed to the back…
Footage aired from “Boyle Heights.” A hooded woman (Salina) was placed on a chair by the masked man from last week. The actor who played Dario Cueto sat at a desk that had an “I’m Kind Of A Big Deal” nameplate. El Jefe said he asked Salina for gold and violence. He said it’s okay and it couldn’t be more perfect. He said he was going to build a new temple and she should know that it requires certain sacrifices. The woman cried. The masked man took her out of the office. El Jefe took a call from someone. The Azteca Underground logo aired to close the show…
Powell’s POV: First off, a very good match. I really hope we get to see the rubber match in front of a live crowd. That was fun, but it would be even better with a hot crowd hanging on the big moves and near falls. Meanwhile, the El Jefe reveal finally happened and it was paid off with the widely assumed, yet totally satisfying reveal of the actor who played Dario Cueto in the role. I’m all for more from the actor. I just hope that MLW doesn’t go too far in the direction of Lucha Underground’s comic book world. It worked for LU, but MLW has a different storyline universe and I hope they stay true to it.
Overall, a very good episode with the Rush vs. Reed rematch and the El Jefe reveal. It’s unfortunate that there won’t be any first-run Fusion shows until they return after the July 10 event, but it will be great to see the product in front of fans again. MLW opted against sending out screener this week due to the El Jefe development, so my audio review of this episode will be available on Thursday this week.
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