By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
Major League Wrestling Fusion (Episode 135)
Taped January 21, 2022 in Dallas, Texas at Gilley’s
Streamed March 3, 2022 on the MLW’s YouTube Page and FITE TV
The show opened with a recap of last week’s show-closing segment involving Cesar Duran, Richard Holliday, and Alicia Atout. Duran told Holliday that he would be the substitute in the MLW Championship match if anything happened to challenger Davey Richards…
Richard Holliday and Alicia Atout delivered a promo from an undisclosed location. Holliday complained about Richards cutting in front of him to get an MLW Title shot. Holliday had Atout open a briefcase that was filled with cash. They implied that the money would go to the wrestler who took out Richards…
The Fusion opening aired… The broadcast team of Rich Bocchini and Joe Dombrowski checked in during entrances for the opening match…
1. Alex Kane (w/Mr. Thomas) vs. Calvin Tankman for the MLW National Openweight Championship. Tankman sent Kane to the floor with a shoulder block. Kane returned to the apron and avoided a kick from Tankman, then wrenched his right knee over the middle rope. Mr. Thomas puled out weapon and struck Tankman’s knee with it while Kane distracted the referee. [C]
The referee spoke to Tankman, who wanted to continue the match. The referee called off the match due to Tankman’s injury. Kane and Thomas celebrated while the referee helped Tankman leave the ring…
Highlights aired from “during the break” of Homicide trying and failing to collect on the bounty by attacking Davey Richards, who fought him off. Davey left Homicide lying and then asked someone where Holliday was located…
In the ring, Kane called Tankman a quitter. Tankman returned to the ring and the match was restarted. Kane targeted Tankman’s bad knee. Tankman fired up and hit a pop up elbow strike for a near fall. Tankman set up for a Tankman Driver, but his knee gave up. Kane drove his shoulder into the bad knee of Tankman and then pinned him…
Alex Kane defeated Calvin Tankman to retain the MLW National Openweight Championship.
Rich Bocchini spoke with Kane and Thomas afterward. Kane said he did what he said he was going to do by beating Tankman. Thomas pulled out a Crybaby Calvin t-shirt. Kane said he’s the most dangerous man and the most dangerous champion in MLW…
Powell’s POV: The restart was odd, but I like the idea of stretching out the feud. Tankman had an obvious out for losing due to the knee injury, which put heat on Kane and Thomas. Kane and Tankman didn’t show much in-ring chemistry, but it was tough to get a good feel for things given that Tankman spent so much time selling the injury.
The Holliday bounty angle was recapped…
A 5150 video package aired with Slice Boogie and Rivera talking about multi generational wrestlers. Boogie and Rivera spoke about how they have done everything themselves because their fathers weren’t in the picture… A teaser aired for Killer Kross returning to MLW… [C]
Powell’s POV: It’s nice to see Boogie and Rivera getting mic time. They are paired with a couple of talkers in Konnan and Julius Smokes, but they have quickly shown that they can carry the load when called upon.
Karlee Perez presented King Muertes with some type of stone artifact…
During the ring entrances for the next match, they cut backstage where Davey Richards had to fight off the Saito Brothers when they tried to collect the bounty…
2. KC Navarro vs. Ho Ho Lun. The wrestlers shook hands prior to the match. Navarro sent Lun to ringside and then hit him with a suicide dive. Navarro rolled him back inside the ring and tried to pin him, but Lun kicked out at one.
A split screen shot showed ACH and Alex Kane being kept apart by security. In the ring, Lun performed a Michinoku Driver for a near fall. Lun threw a knee to the head of Navarro. Lun ran the ropes and Navarro put him down with a Codebreaker. Navarro performed a cutter and scored the pin…
KC Navarro beat Ho Ho Lun.
Bocchini attempted to interview Navarro at ringside. Navarro took the mic and then cut a promo about NZO taking three months off his career by attacking him. He called NZO a real bitch and challenged him to a match… [C]
Powell’s POV: A decent match with Navarro going over in his first match back following the angle with NZO.
The broadcast team hyped Alex Hammerstone vs. Davey Richards for the MLW Heavyweight Championship, NZO vs. KC Navarro, and “5150” Slice Boogie and Rivera vs. Ross Von Erich and Marshall Von Erich for the MLW Tag Titles for next week’s SuperFight themed show…
Gnarls Garvin and Budd Heavy were shown sitting shirtless and drinking beer at a bar. Garvin spoke about fighting meaner and also drinking more. Heavy said he could drink to that, then fell off his stool…
Highlights aired of the Kane vs. Tankman match, and Kane’s pull apart with ACH…
Backstage, Emilio Sparks interviewed Kane and Thomas. Kane said he destroyed Tankman. Suddenly, Tankman entered the picture and hit one of them with a shoulder block and then the feed cut out…
Richards entered a room with a pool cue in hand. Homicide and the Saito Brothers were there. An elevator door opened behind Richards, and King Muertes was inside. Alex Hammerstone showed up and helped Richards fight off the heels. Hammerstone and Richards looked at one another, then spotted Richard Holliday and Alicia Atout exiting the area through a hallway. Oddly, Hammerstone and Richards didn’t go after the couple…
Cesar Duran made his entrance and spoke from the stage. Duran fired up the crowd and then introduced Bandido as the mystery challenger. The remainder of the entrances took place…
Powell’s POV: I avoided the spoilers for these tapings, and the announcement of Bandido legitimately surprised me. He’s the current holder of the ROH Championship, which is scheduled to be unified with Jonathan Gresham’s original ROH Championship belt if ROH Supercard of Honor takes place as scheduled. Bandido did not wear his title belt for this match.
3. Tajiri vs. Myron Reed vs. Matt Cross vs. Bandido in a four-way for the MLW Middleweight Championship. The wrestlers took turns with two in the ring fighting while two were at ringside early on. [C]
The two in the ring and two on the floor approach continued coming out of the break with Reed facing Bandido. Reed put Bandido on his shoulders and then stood and waited for Cross, who performed a top rope double stomp onto the back of Bandido. Cross immediately performed a suicide dive onto Tajiri.
Bandido was apparently unaffected by the double stomp, as he rolled Reed into a pin for a two count. Bandido followed up with a crucifix driver for another near fall. A short time later, Reed put Bandido on his shoulders. Cross dove from the ropes for a cross body block, but Bandido countered into a fallaway slam while also performing a Poison Rana on Reed. Tajiri returned to the ring and threw a kick at Bandido before covering him for a two count.
A short time later, Cross went for a shooting star press on Bandido, but Reed caught Cross in the air with a cutter and then pinned him. The broadcast team noted that it was the third time that Reed won the championship.
Myron Reed defeated Tajiri, Matt Cross, and Bandido in a four-way to win the MLW Middleweight Championship.
Alex Kane vs. Calvin Tankman vs. ACH in a three-way for the MLW National Openweight Championship was added to the card for next week along with the three previously advertised matches…
A video package spotlighted Alex Hammerstone and Davey Richards heading into their MLW Heavyweight Championship match that will air next week…
Powell’s POV: Unfortunately, MLW spoiled the result of this match by listing Reed as the MLW Middleweight Champion in their advertising for the SuperFight event. Anyway, I expected a hotter match considering who was involved. The two in the ring and two on the floor approach early on didn’t do much for me. There were a couple of big spots, including the impressive finisher, and Bandido was definitely a good surprise.
I’m cool with Reed winning the belt again because he’s been a quality champion and can have good singles matches with anyone. Speaking of which, I hope MLW gets back to having singles matches for the MLW Middleweight Championship. I’d hate to see MLW take same approach that Impact Wrestling uses too often for the X Division Championship by going with mostly multi-person matches.
Overall, a solid episode. The title matches didn’t live up to expectations, but there was some good storytelling throughout the show. It’s great to see that they are loading up next week’s show with the big matches from the SuperFight event. The quick turnaround time is nice, and it will allow MLW to start building toward their two WrestleMania weekend events. I will have more to say about Fusion in my audio review that is available weekly for Dot Net Members.
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