By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
Major League Wrestling Underground
Taped October 30, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at 2300 Arena
Aired February 14, 2023 on Reelz
Underground opened with a recap of Mance Warner punching out Real1 on last week’s show. The show was billed as “Culture Wars” on the Reelz screener page…
Mance Warner delivered a backstage promo and said he would find out how real Real1 is. Warner said it’s not a battle of north versus south because he represents everyone. He was censored at one point, but is closing line about whooping Real1’s ass aired without being censored…
The Underground opening video aired… The broadcast team was Joe Dombrowski and Matt Striker, and Tim Barr was the ring announcer. Dombrowski and Striker ran through the show’s lineup while entrances for the opening match took place. Footage aired of the crew reinforcing the ring due to it being a battle of super heavyweights…
Sam Laterna interviewed Jacob Fatu and Juicy Finau and asked where Lance Anoa’i was. Fatu said Anoa’i was late, but he added that he’s family and would be there. Fatu also spoke about challenging Alex Hammerstone for the MLW Heavyweight Championship on the SuperFight show…
1. Calvin Tankman vs. Willie Mack. Tankman and Mack tested one out early and then fired strikes. Mack took Tankman down with a huracanrana. Mack followed up with a flying knee that sent Tankman to the floor. Mack performed a flip dive over the top rope onto Tankman at ringside, which drew a “holy shit” chant from the crowd.
Mack comically twisted Tankman’s nipples. Tankman responded by spinning Mack around and chopping him in the corner and then returning the favor with nipple twists of his own (I can’t believe I’m writing those words, but Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!).
Later, Mack connected with a nice kick to the head and then powered him up and walked around a bit before performing a Samoan Drop. Both men stayed down for a moment and then Mack kipped up and performed a standing moonsault for a good near fall.
Mack went for a top rope splash that Tankman avoided. Mack landed on his feet, but sold a knee problem. Tannkman hit a modified version of the Pounce and then followed up with a shot to the back of Mack’s head. Tankman hit the Tankman Driver and scored the clean pin…
Calvin Tankman defeated Willie Mack.
Powell’s POV: A fun match, though perhaps a notch below my high expectations for these two. Mack is terrific. He is good in the ring and has a fun personality. He really should be working in one of the big two promotions. I’m high on Tankman too, but we’ve reached a point where I wonder if he would be better off dropping some weight. I’m all for wrestlers coming in all shapes and sizes and I like that he’s known as Heavyweight Hustle, but he seemed less mobile in this match than I recall him being in past matches, though I also don’t know if he was nursing an injury coming into the match.
A video aired with someone putting a video tape in a VCR (look it up, kids!). The footage that aired on the screen revealed that the calling card attacker took out the luchadoras who were scheduled to work a match during the show…
Powell’s POV: MLW never actually advertised the lucha match on television last week, but the announcers did mention it at the top of the show. So they basically came up with a quick way to do another calling card attack. The angle has been going on for a long time and it felt like they were on the verge of a reveal at one point, so I suspect they are just stretching it out now to establish it for the Underground viewers, which is logical.
A Real1 video was shown. It looked like he cut a promo from home while they spliced in some footage of him and Mance Warner…
The broadcast team hyped Lio Rush returning to MLW and said he would speak during the show. They also recapped the end of last week’s show…
MLW Heavyweight Champion Alex Hammerstone delivered a promo from his locker room. He spoke about how he cashed in his Battle Riot win to take the title from Jacob Fatu and would do the same again if he loses the title. Hammerstone said it always seems to come down to two of them and they had to do it even bigger for SuperFight.
Hammerstone said he heard a couple of fans who said he got lucky when he beat Fatu at MLW Fightland. He said he knows that Fatu feels that way. Hammerstone said he started hearing a voice in his own head questioning if he just got lucky. Hammerstone said he knew the rematch was coming and he knows Fatu is coming because he thinks he got lucky. Hammerstone said he’s going to silence Fatu and the voice in his head because he’s better than Fatu…
The broadcast team hyped Hammerstone vs. Fatu for MLW SuperFight, then said Hammerstone will defend the title against Yamato on next week’s edition of Underground…
Powell’s POV: For those unaware (and I never include spoilers in these reports), the SuperFight card was held on February 4. At this point, I think they are pushing a SuperFight themed edition of Underground for a future episode. Hammerstone continues to really impress on the mic. He stuck mostly to comedy lines when he was with MJF and Richard Holliday in the Dynasty, but he’s really emerged as a likable babyface character who really does come off like the face of MLW.
Entrances for the MLW Featherweight Championship match took place…
2. Taya Valkyrie (w/Cesar Duran) vs. Zoey Skye for the MLW Featherweight Championship. Valkyrie was dominate early. Skye came back with top rope crossbody block for a near fall. Skye went up top again, but Valkyrie avoided her. Skye landed on her feet and rolled through, but Valkyrie caught her with a dropkick. Valkyrie hit her Road to Valhalla finisher and scored the pin.
Taya Valkyrie defeated Zoey Skye to retain the MLW Featherweight Championship.
Billie Starkz was interviewed on the stage by Sam Laterna. She said she just hoped to have an exciting debut for everyone in MLW. Valkyrie and Duran made their way from the ring to the stage. Valkyrie downplayed Starkz by calling her “another one” while Duran labeled her a child…
Powell’s POV: A solid showcase win for Valkyrie in her first appearance as champion on Reelz. I liked the brief post match angle, as I hope we start to see more of a build to the television matches once we start getting to footage that was actually taped after the Reelz deal was struck.
Alex Kane and Mr. Thomas delivered a backstage promo in front of the MLW backdrop. Kane had the Opera Cup with him and called it the Bomaye Cup of the Gods. He yelled Bomaye a bunch of times…
Davey Boy Smith Jr., Mark Billington, and Thomas Billington were interviewed by Sam Laterna in front of an MLW backdrop. Laterna noted that Smith had been away from MLW for two years. Smith said he and the Billington Bulldogs are the past, present, and future of pro wrestling. Laterna asked about Kane stealing the Opera Cup. Smith said it’s insulting and he’s disgusted by it. Smith spoke about how his grandfather Stu Hart was the first Opera Cup winner. Smith said Kane thinks it’s funny, but he’s taking it personally. Smith said there would be no joking around once Kane steps inside the ring with him. Smith told Kane to tap before he naps..
Dombrowski hyped The Billington Bulldogs in action for next week. Dombrowski said the street fight was up next…
Lance Anoa’i was shown walking outside the building when he was attacked from behind by EJ Nduka heading into a commercial break…
The broadcast team hyped their online gambling partner and then recapped Nduka’s attack…
Lio Rush was interviewed by Sam Laterna, who asked what he hopes to accomplish. Rush said he wants to remind people of who he is in MLW. Rush said a lot of things have happened since he left and people think they are on top, but he said that’s not the case and the entire roster will find out…
Real1 made his entrance and then delivered an in-ring promo and labeled Mance Warner an inbred. He also did a Bugs Bunny bit to close out the promo. Mance Warner made his entrance and brought a trashcan filled with weapons to the ring…
3. Real1 vs. Mance Warner in a Street Fight. The action spilled over to ringside. Real1 hoisted up Warner in crucifix position and ran him into the ring post before the show cut to a break.
Coming out of the break. Real1 seated Warner on a chair in the middle of the ring. Real1 toyed around with a kendo stick and accidentally dropped it, which got a rise out of the crowd. Real1 picked up the kendo stick and hit Warner with it. Real1 played around again before taking another swing that Warner avoided.
Warner went on the offensive and worked over Real1 with the kendo stick and then clotheslined him a couple times. Warner placed a trashcan in the middle of the ring, but Real1 drove him into the corner and hit him with shoulder blocks. Real1 went to the middle rope and dove at Warner, who hit him with the trashcan.
Warner played to the crowd and then went after Real1, who pulled the referee in front of him. Real1 hit Warner with a pair of brass knuckles while the referee was shielded and then pinned him…
Real1 beat Mance Warner in a Street Fight.
A brief video package spotlighted Alex Hammerstone vs. Yamato for the MLW Heavyweight Championship, Davey Boy Smith Jr. vs. Alex Kane, and the Billington Bulldogs being in action for next week’s edition of Underground…
Powell’s POV: This was a really tame street fight by MLW and Warner standards, but they told a story with Real1 avenging last week’s knockout by using brass knuckles to even the score, so obviously they will be having another match again at some point. It is crazy that Warner has appeared on back to back shows and yet we’ve barely heard from him. He’s a very good talker and MLW has never been shy about giving him mic time, so I’m chalking this up to these early episodes being taped so far in advance.
Overall, this was a good episode even if it lacked a standout match. They managed to get a lot of people on the show as they introduce the various personalities without making it feel crowded or chaotic. My weekly MLW Underground audio review will be available shortly for Dot Net Members (including our Patreon patrons).
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