By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
Major League Wrestling Azteca (Episode 1)
Taped December 3, 2021 in Tijuana, Mexico at Fausto Gutierrez Auditorium
Streamed January 6, 2022 on the MLW’s YouTube Page and FITE.TV
Rich Bocchini checked in on commentary briefly. MLW matchmaker Cesar Duran made his entrance and addressed the crowd from the stage. Duran spoke about giving the fans the best fighters in the world and fired them up while closing by saying, “Let’s Fight”… A new opening aired for Azteca…
The broadcast team of Rich Bocchini and Joe Dombrowski checked in from ringside during the entrances for the opening match. They ran through the lineup for the show…
1. Aramis, Black Destiny, and Myzteziz Jr. vs. Arez, Black Danger, and Dinamico. Destiny performed a cutter from the top rope on Dinamico, who came up holding his arm and rolled out of the ring. A short time later, there was a triple pin attempt that resulted in two counts heading into a break. [C]
Dinamico seemed to be fine and performed a big flip dive off the top rope onto one of his opponents on the floor. In the ring, Arez went for a powerbomb on Aramis, who countered out of it. Aramis performed a an airplane spin into a sit-out powerbomb and scored the pin…
Aramis, Black Destiny, and Myzteziz Jr. vs. Arez, Black Danger, and Dinamico.
Powell’s POV: A big trios match spot fest. I didn’t even try to keep up on detailing all the wild moves. It was definitely entertaining for its style. I like that the finish involved the two wrestlers who are best known to most MLW viewers.
Bocchini touted Alexander Hammerstone re-signing with MLW… A video package aired on Alex Kane winning the vacant MLW National Openweight Championship and his issues with Calvin Tankman…
Backstage, Alicia Atout interviewed Alex Kane and Mr. Thomas. Kane took exception to Atout implying that he’s afraid of Tankman. Kane and Thomas questioned where Tankman was. Kane said he will defend his title, but Tankman needs to get his personal and professional life together after being arrested. Kane said he would beat him whenever that happens…
Bocchini hyped Alex Kane vs. Aerostar for the MLW National Openweight Championship on next week’s show… The fight schedule listed next week’s match, MLW in Dallas on January 21, and MLW in Charlotte on February 26…
Cesar Duran and Karlee Perez spoke inside their office. King Muertes showed up. Muertes spoke about facing Alexander Hammerstone and Pagano. Perez said she would not be able to attend because she had things to do that were important to all of them. Muertes told Perez that when she returns, Hammerstone and Pagano will be no more… [C]
A video package recapped Hammerstone’s issues with Cesar Duran and his brawl Matanza. Footage aired of Hammerstone telling Duran that sending his brother after him was the wrong move. Hammerstone told Duran that if he messed with him again, it would not end well for him…
2. Richard Holliday vs. Psycho Clown. Alicia Atout walked out with Holliday and then sat in on commentary. Bocchini asked why she walked to the ring with Holliday. She said he begged her to walk out with him and she decided to throw him a bone for once. She denied that she had a romantic relationship with Holliday and said that he’s like a little schoolboy around her.
Psycho Clown was dominant to start and played to the crowd a lot. Psycho Clown went or a suicide dive only to have Holliday punch him from the floor. Back inside the ring, Holliday went for a cover, but the referee delivered a slow count. [C] An ad for MLW Superfight in Charlotte hyped three title fights, major debuts, major returns, and major legends for the February 26 taping.
Holliday went up top for a move when Duran’s masked henchmen showed up and escorted Atout to the back. Holliday was distracted by it. Psycho Clown took advantage of it and performed a Spanish Fly from the top rope and scored the pin…
Psycho Clown defeated Richard Holliday.
Powell’s POV: Psycho Clown was super over with the live crowd. I can’t say I understand the appeal of the masked clown, but whatever he’s doing is working in Mexico. Atout did a nice job of commenting on various storylines when she was grilled by Bocchini on commentary. She did come off a bit snooty when talking about Holliday’s interest in her, but she handled everything else well. The story was that the henchmen came out because she was talking about Duran’s shady past.
A 5150 video aired. Slice Boogie and Rivera spoke about their MLW Tag Title defense against the Von Erichs… A graphic listed 5150 defending the MLW Tag Titles on next week’s show. Bocchini said a familiar face would be returning to MLW next week, and then a Bestia 666 teaser aired and listed him as “rising soon”…
A video aired with Kevin Von Erich sitting in a chair while his sons Ross and Marshall grunted in the background. Kevin offered some brief tips during their sparring session, then had them join him and offered more advice. Ross and Marshall spoke about facing 5150 in Dallas…
Cesar Duran was speaking to a man in Spanish while his henchman stood by. Holliday arrived and wanted to know what happened to Atout. Duran said she was safe and sound in the locker room and Holliday should thank him for that because Psycho Clown could have gone after her. Duran introduced the man he was speaking to as a detective who wanted to speak to Holliday about something that happened at a nightclub. Holliday said he wasn’t at a nightclub. The man dragged Holliday away while Holliday told Duran that he’d be hearing from his lawyer. Holliday then changed his tune and said Duran would hear from him…
Ring entrances for the main event took place. Taurus came out first and didn’t get much of a reaction. King Muertes came out next to a similar reaction. Pagano came out to a good reaction, and then Hammerstone came out last to a mild reaction…
3. MLW Heavyweight Champion Alex Hammerstone and Pagano vs. King Muertes and Taurus in an Apocalypto match. Early in the match, Hammerstone hit Muertes with a super light chair shot to the back while they were both at ringside. Hammerstone and Muertes squared off inside the right while the other two were at ringside. Hammerstone performed a suplex and a big boot and then covered Muertes for a one count. Muertes came back with a powerslam.
Later, the teams brawled to ringside where Taurus whipped Hammerstone with a camera cord. The broadcast team explained that anything goes in this type of match. Pagano and Muertes fought to the stage where Muertes performed a suplex. All four men returned to the ring where the heels used chairs and a trashcan as weapons. [C]
The babyfaces battled back. Hammerstone hoisted up Muertes on his shoulders and dropped hi on the rubber trashcan and then covered him for a two count. Hammerstone set up a thin board in a corner of the ring. Hammerstone ended up backdropping Taurus through the board. Pagano followed up by slamming Taurus onto a chair.
Hammerstone hoisted up Taurus in powerbomb position and held him while Pagano clotheslined him from the top rope. Taurus rolled to ringside. Hammerstone performed a German suplex on Muertes and powerbombed him. Pagano took out Taurus with a dive to ringside. Muertes performed a Backstabber on Hammerstone and covered him for a two count. Pagano put Taurus through another board at ringside. In the ring, Hammerstone hit the Nightmare Pendulum on Muertes and pinned him…
MLW Heavyweight Champion Alex Hammerstone and Pagano defeated King Muertes and Taurus in an Apocalypto match.
Cesar Duran walked onto the stage and made the throat slash gesture while looking at Hammerstone. Suddenly, Pagano hit Hammerstone with a weapon. Muertes and Taurus entered the ring and joined Pagano in beating down Hammerstone, which drew good heat from the crowd. Duran’s masked henchmen came out. A group of men sporting the same mask as the henchmen came out and followed him to ringside. The henchmen carried Hammerstone from the ring to the back to close the show…
Powell’s POV: A garbage match main event. It didn’t do much for me, but it was fine for what it was. I liked the post match angle. Even though Pagano seemed to be the most over guy in the match, the crowd sounded receptive to his heel turn. Most importantly, this set the table for the rest of the Azteca shows.
The MLW shows taped in Mexico tend to be my least favorite simply because they include so many wrestlers who are not involved in the MLW storylines. I’m all for seeing new faces, but it came be too much to get so many at once without any type of video package introductory pieces. So I was pleased that this wasn’t all about the in-ring action. There was a lot of backstage storytelling and this turned out to be a quality episode that left me looking forward to future shows. My audio review of this episode will be available on Friday morning for Dot Net Members.
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