By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
Major League Wrestling Fusion (Episode 159)
Taped September 18, 2022 in Norcross, Georgia at Space Event Center
Streamed December 15, 2022 on Pro Wrestling TV
Fusion opened with a recap of last week’s angle involving MLW Heavyweight Champion Alex Hammerstone and EJ Nduka… The Fusion opening aired… The broadcast team of Rich Bocchini and Joe Dombrowski checked in from ringside and hyped the upcoming matches as well as a medical update on Alex Hammerstone, and more details about Cesar Duran being out as the matchmaker…
Ring announcer Tim Barr handled the introductions of the first match. Cosmos came out to a very quiet reaction. The broadcast team hyped a medical update on Hammerstone after last week’s show closing angle. Star Roger came out to a non-star reaction. His video wall listed him as Star Rogers, but the graphic and the broadcast team billed him as Star Roger…
1. Star Roger vs. Cosmos. The broadcast team billed this as an IWA Puerto Rico showcase match. Both wrestlers motioned to the crowd to try to get them engaged before they started the match. Cosmos performed a sunset flip off the top rope. Rather than go for the pin, Cosmos rolled through and then stood up and hit Roger with a knee strike.
Roger ended up at ringside. Cosmos hit him with a suicide dive. Cosmos sent Roger back inside the ring. While Cosmos played to a couple of cheering fans, Roger hit him with a suicide dive. The wrestlers traded chops heading into the first commercial break. [C]
Cosmos leapt from the top rope and then hooked his feet around the head of Roger to take him down. Both men ended up on the ropes. Roger pushed Cosmos to the mat. Roger went for a double jump moonsault that Cosmos avoided. A short time later, Roger put Cosmos down with a leaping neckbreaker and covered him for a two count.
Both men traded strikes in the middle of the ring. Cosmos ran the ropes and ate a kick. Cosmos came back with a standing Spanish Fly for a two count. Cosmos followed up with a modified Code Red for another two count. Cosmos put Roger down with a big kick. Cosmos went up top, but Roger got up and joined him on the ropes. Roger performed a top rope Spanish Fly and scored the pin…
Star Roger defeated Cosmos.
Powell’s POV: A good match that played to a flat crowd. It’s tough to blame the fans who were clearly unfamiliar with both wrestlers. The crowd did get a bit louder as the match went on and they have been a lively bunch for other matches that have aired from these tapings. I’m also sympathetic to the bookers in that while they could have put these guys in showcase matches with lower end MLW regulars, they were far more likely to have a better match while working against one another. If these guys aren’t going to be MLW regulars, then I suppose it’s best to get the best match out of them.
Footage aired of Hammerstone and Nduka crashing through the platform off the stage. Bocchini said Hammerstone received 52 stitches. A shot of Hammerstone was shown where he showed off the hole beneath his bottom lip that was caused by the stage spot…
Powell’s POV: Damn! They didn’t do a good job of showing off the wound last week when they showed just a trickle of blood on Hammerstone’s face. I honestly thought they were embellishing by making a small cut out to be a major injury, but that shot of Hammerstone clearly showed otherwise. Ouch.
Footage aired of a camera catching up with EJ Nduka in the parking ramp area. Nduka demanded that the cameraman back up and give him six feet. Nduka asked how Hammerstone tackled him and yet managed to knock himself out. Nduka said Hammerstone doesn’t know how to tackle. Nduka dubbed himself the world champion and told the cameraman to get out of his face…
Footage was shown of Jacob Fatu thinking better of cashing in his Golden Ticket while Hammerstone was down…
Juicy Finau and Lance Anoa’i were talking when Jacob Fatu showed up. Finau and Anoa’i spoke about going after the MLW Tag Team Titles, while Anoa’i expressed interest in the MLW Heavyweight Championship. Fatu said all they have is each other. He said they have to move quickly…
The main event match was touted as part of the ongoing Super Series… [C]
A Mads Krugger video aired. Krugger said Battle Riot was his chance to finish what he started by ripping Hammerstone from his throne. Krugger blamed Mance Warner for costing him his crown. Krugger said Warner should have stayed away from MLW…
Mance Warner was shown in a wooded area. He found Microman trying to catch butterflies. Warner and Microman decided to hunt together…
Highlights aired of Lady Flammer winning a four-way match to earn a shot at the MLW Featherweight Championship…
Lady Flammer delivered a promo in Spanish while subtitles were shown. She told Taya Valkyrie that she will take the title…
Dombrowski hyped Taya Valkyrie vs. Lady Flammer for the MLW Featherweight Championship, and Mads Krugger vs. Mance Warner in a tables match for next week…
Alex Kane delivered a promo about the Opera Cup, which Mr. Thomas was holding. Kane said the cup had been in the Hart family for generations. Kane said it’s no longer the Opera Cup, it’s the Bomaye Cup of the Gods. He said the tournament will be for the Bomaye Cup of the Gods, and then he said he would still be the Opera Cup champion… [C]
The upcoming fights graphic listed the two matches for next week, Blood & Thunder for January 7, SuperFight on February 4, and War Chamber for April 6 in New York…
Entrances for the main event took place. The broadcast team played up the possibility of another Dragon Gate wrestler winning an MLW championship after Shun Skywalker defeated Myron Reed to win the MLW Middleweight Championship…
2. Davey Richards vs. SB Kento for MLW National Openweight Championship. The wrestlers fought their way to the apron. Kento blocked a suplex attempt and then DDT’d Richards on the apron. Kento rolled back inside the ring heading into a break. [C]
Kento had Richards down in the corner coming out of the break. Kento performed a running dropkick on the seated Richards and then covered him for a two count. Richards got up and threw punches at Kento no-sold. Kento set up for a move. Richards powered out of it, but Kento tried to pull him over for a sunset flip. Richards kept his balance and then double stomped Kento.
Richards threw a series of kicks at Kento and followed up with a dragon screw leg whip over the middle rope. Richards went for a top rope double stomp that Kento avoided. Richards landed on his feet and rolled Kento into a trailer hitch submission hold. Kento reached the bottom rope to break the hold.
Kento came back with a German suplex into a bridge for a near fall. Kento slowly made his way to the top rope and was cut off by Richards, who joined him on the ropes. Richards performed a top rope superplex. Bocchini noted that Richards hit his head on the way down and said it was devastating for both men. Richards covered Kento for a two count.
Richards went for the ankle lock, but Kento slipped away. Richards threw a kick that Kento ducked. Both men traded forearms. Kento got the better of it, but he ran into a superkick from Richards, who followed up with a German suplex. Richards clotheslined Kento and then performed a brainbuster for a near fall. Richards immediately put Kento in an ankle lock and grapevined the leg. Kento tapped out.
Davey Richards defeated SB Kento to retain the MLW National Openweight Championship.
After the match, Richards pointed at Kento and tried to get the crowd to chant his name, but they didn’t play along. Richards dropped to his knees and bowed while Kento returned the favor. When they stood up, Richards raised Kento’s hand.
Bocchini interviewed Richards at ringside. Richards said people wonder how he became so tough and resiliant. He said it’s because he cut his teeth in Japan. He hopes to see more of Kento in MLW. Bocchini brought up Richards’ feud with Alex Kane. Richards said he’s coming for the Opera Cup, blood, and Kane’s soul…
A brief video listed the two matches that are advertised for next week…
Warner and Microman were shown walking together as they continued to hunt for butterflies…
Powell’s POV: A strong and enjoyable match. I don’t know much about Kento, but he has a good look and was impressive in the ring. The crowd was a little better for this match. They were really hot for the matches that involved luchadores on the past shows from these tapings.
Overall, this was a decent show with a good main event. It was an easy 43-minute watch and yet also fairly missable if you are short on time because there wasn’t much in the way of big storyline developments. In fact, I don’t think they ever followed up on the opening broadcast team tease for more details on Cesar Duran being out as matchmaker. It’s possible the broadcast team said something about it that I missed or it wasn’t included in the screener cut of the episode. I will have more to say about the show in my weekly MLW Fusion audio review for Dot Net Members (including our Patreon patrons).
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