By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
Major League Wrestling Fusion (Episode 141)
Taped March 31, 2022 in Dallas, Texas at Gilley’s
Streamed April 14, 2022 on the MLW’s YouTube Page and FITE TV
Fusion opened with a video package that focussed on Cesar Duran along with Microman hiding in his office and telling Savio Vega what he overheard, plus Ricky Steamboat having Duran ejected from ringside last week… The broadcast team was Rich Bocchini and Joe Dombrowski…
5150’s Rivera and Julius Smokes made their way to the ring. Rivera ran down the crowd and the Von Erich brothers and said his partner Slice Boogie was hauled off by the cops. Ross Von Erich and Marshall Von Erich made their entrance. Hernandez ran out and hit the Von Erichs from behind with a chair. Hernandez powerbombed Ross and roughed up Marshall. Hernandez performed a Border Toss on Ross from the ring through a table on the floor. MLW officials ran out to calm down 5150 while Ross was tended to on the floor…
Powell’s POV: I guess Hernandez is in as a temporary replacement for Boogie, which is logical given his ties to Konnan via the original LAX. The Border Toss spot was dangerous and yet executed perfectly in terms of Hernandez tossing Ross perfectly from the ring through the table. I hope we don’t see that spot repeated because the risk factor is high, but it did look pretty damn impressive.
The MLW Fusion opening aired… Cesar Duran spoke from his office about the four-way match for the MLW National Openweight Championship and the styles of the wrestlers involved. Mads Krugger showed up and said something in a distorted voice about Jacob Fatu and Alex Hammerstone. He asked to finish what he started and Duran agreed to give him what he wanted…
The broadcast team stood on the stage and said Duran had maneuvered his way back into power. They also hyped the three matches. Tim Barr was the ring announcer…
TJP made his entrance and said the last time he was in Dallas, he beat one of their indie darlings (Buddy Matthews) so badly that he asked Tony Khan for a job. TJP said he was taking care of in-house business in this match. Matt Cross made his entrance. Footage was shown from an MLW match that TJP and Cross had 18 years earlier… [C]
1. TJP vs. Matt Cross. The broadcast team noted that Cross is all about the Straight Edge lifestyle. During the match, Cross set up for a top rope move while TJP was down in the ring. TJP shot up and joined Cross on the ropes. Cross shoved him off and performed a double stomp to the back and got a near fall.
Later, TJP got a close near fall off of crucifix style pin attempt.TJP played to the crowd and then put Cross on his back, but Cross slipped away and rolled him up for a two count. TJP tried again, but Cross slipped away again and performed a cutter. Cross went up top and landed a shooting star press for the upset win…
Matt Cross defeated TJP.
Powell’s POV: A nice upset win for Cross. TJP just lost to Myron Reed last week, but he’s such a good heel that I don’t think the two losses will hurt him. Meanwhile, Cross hasn’t had a real storyline direction in MLW, so this is a quality win that could signify that he’s about to become more of a player in the company.
An ad aired for Alex Hammerstone vs. Mads Krugger for the MLW Heavyweight Championship match airing on next week’s show, which is labeled Intimidation Games.
A video package aired on the Hammerstone and Richard Holliday feud. Hammerstone said Holliday was his best friend for three years. He said they have been together ever since he arrived in MLW, and noted that it was just the two of them after Max (MJF) left The Dynasty.
Hammerstone said that when MLW reached out about extending his contract, he called Holliday to see how long he was staying. He said that when his girlfriend was diagnosed with cancer, he called Holliday to help him deal with it. Hammerstone said that when he won the MLW Heavyweight Championship, Holliday was the first one waiting to congratulate him when he walked through the curtain to the back.
Hammerstone questioned how much of their friendship was real. He recalled Holliday leaving him bloody in North Carolina. Hammerstone said it was one of the most viewed episodes in MLW history, but it’s because people were talking about how great his match with Davey Richards was. Hammerstone spoke about facing Holliday in the ring and said Holliday would realize that all of his lies led him to a place he never wanted to be…
MLW National Openweight Champion Alex Kane was ambushed outside the venue by someone with a camera and was asked about his four-way title defense. Kane said he didn’t know what Cesar Duran was thinking, then said he wanted him to add more people to the match. He spoke about wanting a super heavyweight added to the match. He said he is the best pound for pound wrestler and the ultimate hybrid wrestler. He said he is begging the locker room and the whole sport to keep up…
Bocchini hyped the two remaining matches… [C] A graphic listed Hammerstone vs. Krugger for next week… A teaser aired for Taya Valkyrie returning to MLW for the Kings of Colosseum on May 13 in Philadelphia at 2300 Arena…
The broadcast team announced that a super heavyweight had been added to the main event, per Kane’s request…
2. Shazza McKenzie vs. Holidead (w/Gangrel, Dr. Dax). Holidead ended up at ringside early. McKenzie went up top and dove onto Dax on the floor. Holidead returend to the ring. McKenzie went up top and dove at Holidead, who caught her. Holidead placed McKenzie on her shoulders and ran her into the corner a couple of times before giving her a Samoan Drop.
Holidead bit McKenzie. McKenzie rallied with a head-scissors takedown, but Holidead stood up and put McKenzie down with a big boot. Holidead tied up McKenzie in a tree of woe and the distracted the referee while Dax choked her from ringside until Gangrel pulled him away by his chain leash.
McKenzie came back with ten light kicks from the apron, which some fans counted along with. Back in the ring, Holidead came back with a Flatliner for a near fall. Holidead hit the Tomikaze a shot time later and scored the pin…
Holidead defeated Shazza McKenzie.
Bocchini interviewed Holidead at ringside and asked if she was the leader of the strange group. She said a lot of things are uncertain, but Gangrel is the master of pain. Bocchini asked Holidead if she’s interested in competing for the featherweight tournament for the championship. She said she intends to run through the entire division and make the wrestlers surrender to her.
Powell’s POV: Holidead seems to be the mainstay in MLW’s featherweight division. Unfortunately, the crowds don’t really react to her matches and this match was just sort of there. MLW announced today that Taya Valkyrie is coming for the Kings of Colosseum event. Even if it’s just for one night, that should add some juice to the featherweight division.
Cesar Duran played a guitar while a masked henchmen stood by in his office. Duran spoke about vengeance now that the investigation is over. Jacob Fatu entered the room and barked at Duran about not getting a rematch for the MLW Heavyweight Championship.
Duran said he would forgive Fatu for interrupting him because he gave him an idea. Duran said he would add Fatu to the MLW Heavyweight Championship match and make it a three-way. Fatu said Hammerstone and Krugger don’t frighten him and he’ll walk out with his title. He threatened to kill Duran’s crew and said he would start with Duran. When Fatu left the room, Duran spoke to his masked henchmen…
The new title match for next week was advertised with Alex Hammerstone vs. Mads Krugger vs. Jacob Fatu. Bocchini said they would find out who was added to the MLW Middleweight Championship after a break… An ad aired for the MLW Battle Riot IV event on June 23 in New York at the Melrose Ballroom… [C]
Powell’s POV: Fatu came off well and he does have the ongoing feud with Krugger, but I can’t say that I like the idea of him being added to the MLW Heavyweight Championship match. We’ll see how it goes next week, but it just feels like Hammerstone and Fatu should have a one-on-one showdown style rematch with much more fanfare. And even if the plan is for Richard Holliday to win the championship, I still feel like Fatu going after him for the championship would have felt bigger than just randomly adding Fatu to next week’s match.
The broadcast team hyped next week’s Intimidation Games themed show and the three-way main event…
An Alex Hammerstone video package aired and started by showing him pinning Jacob Fatu to win the MLW Heavyweight Championship. Hammerstone said he doesn’t get nervous anymore, but he did that night. He said it felt different and electric, and everything he’d done for ten years culminated in that match. Hammerstone also spoke about being in the discussion of who the best world champions are. He spoke about MLW growing and he’s leading the charge…
Powell’s POV: MLW continues to do a terrific job of showcasing Hammerstone. In doing so, they are building their entire storyline universe around the MLW Heavyweight Championship. There are a lot of other companies that could learn from this approach. Only WWE does more to spotlight Roman Reigns than MLW is doing lately with Hammerstone.
Richard Holliday and Alicia Atout sat on a couch together and complained about how much attention MLW is giving Alex Hammerstone. Holliday said he didn’t care about how poor Hammerstone was when he grew up or that he joined the marching band to fit in. Holliday said Hammerstone was a skinny little bitch who had to enhance himself. Holliday said it’s always been him and he’s going to take the MLW Heavyweight Championship. Atout said Duran was back and that could be a really good thing for them…
Calvin Tankman sat in on commentary for the main event and spoke briefly about winning the MLW Tag Titles with EJ Nduka… Tim Barr handled the introductions for the main event. A brief MLW Middleweight Championship Myron Reed promo aired with him talking about having a chance to make history by becoming a double champion and opening those “dumbass forbidden doors”…
3. Alex Kane (w/Mr. Thomas) vs. ACH vs. Myron Reed vs. Puma King vs. Juicy Finau in a five-way for the MLW National Openweight Championship. Finau performed a couple of early power moves, causing Reed, ACH, and Puma to team up on him and clear him to ringside. There was an early commercial break. [C]
Tankman spoke of his desire to win the MLW National Openweight Championship. Meanwhile, Finau performed a double Samoan Drop on ACH and Reed. Reed was pulled to the floor and attacked by a masked man who was dressed in black. In the ring, Kane stuffed a Puma kick and then put him down with a neckbreaker. Kane suplexed Puma and put him in a crossface for the win…
Alex Kane defeated ACH, Myron Reed, Puma King, and Juicy Finau in a five-way to retain the MLW National Openweight Championship.
The broadcast team hyped Hammerstone vs. Krugger vs. Fatu in a three-way for the MLW Heavyweight Championship for next week’s Intimidation Games themed episode. At ringside, Kane and Thomas jawed at Tankman. Reed stood with Tankman for a moment. Thomas and Tankman pushed and shoved one another. EJ Nduka showed up. Kane hit Tankman with a chair from behind. Nduka checked on his tag team partner and then the graphic listing next week’s main event was shown again to close out this episode….
Powell’s POV: The main event was nothing special. Either it didn’t last long or perhaps there was some editing done. They did establish that the feud between Kane and Tankman is still going even though Tankman won the MLW Tag Titles, and I guess we’ll wait to see who Reed’s mystery attacker was. In case you missed it, MLW announced the signing of Finau earlier today. He looked fine when he was spotlighted with his big power moves on the smaller wrestlers in the match.
Overall, this was another solid edition of Fusion. In addition to the show’s three matches, they did a really good job of spotlighting Hammerstone and his feud with Holliday, while also pushing next week’s MLW Heavyweight Championship main event. I will have more to say about the show in my MLW Fusion audio review, which is available weekly for Dot Net Members (including our Patreon patrons).
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