By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
Major League Wrestling Underground
Taped January 7, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at 2300 Arena
Aired March 7, 2023 on Reelz
Joe Dombrowski checked in on commentary and hyped the MLW Heavyweight Championship match as the show’s main event. Alex Hammerstone came out to sit in on commentary for the opening match… The Underground opening aired… Entrances for the opening match took place… Dombrowski was joined on commentary by Matt Striker, and Hammerstone sat in for the opening match. Tim Barr was the ring announcer…
1. Lio Rush vs. Jacob Fatu. Fatu came out second and slapped hands with fans. Rush hit him with a suicide dive and an Asai moonsault before the opening bell. Rush used his quickness to avoid Fatu and then slapped him across the face. Fatu stuffed a head-scissors takedown and performed a big uranage slam.
A short time later, Rush targeted Fatu’s left leg with a series of kicks. Fatu caught Rush’s leg and then headbutted him. Fatu sent Rush into the corner aggressively, and then Rush tumbled out of the ring head into a commercial break. [C]
Late in the match, Rush performed a Poison Rana. Fatu came right back with a popup Samoan Drop. Fatu performed his double spring moonsault finisher and then covered Rush and got the clean pin.
Jacob Fatu defeated Lio Rush.
After the match, Fatu got a mic and called for Hammerstone, who joined him inside the ring. Hammerstone and Fatu went face to face and jawed at one another. Fatu shoved Hammerstone, who then shoved him back. Fatu and Hammerstone traded punches until security ran out and pulled them apart. [C]
Powell’s POV: A good opening match and a needed strong win for Fatu on the Underground show as they build toward his showdown match with Hammerstone. MLW has done a really good job of building toward that title match throughout the Reelz run thus far.
Coming out of the break, Fatu and Hammerstone were still at ringside behind held apart. Dombrowski said they’d been brawling throughout the commercial break…
A video package recapped John Hennigan winning the MLW National Openweight Championship…
Sam Adonis stood in front of the MLW backdrop and introduced Cesar Duran, who boasted that they are dripping in gold. Hennigan and MLW Featherweight Champion Taya Valkyrie entered the picture wearing their title belts. Hennigan said he didn’t feel good. He said someone better call a doctor. Hennigan removed his jacket and said his pythons are pretty sick. The heels all laughed at the corny joke…
Entrances for the tag team match took place…
2. “The Billington Bulldogs” Tom Billington and Mark Billington vs. Myron Reed and Mr. Thomas. Alex Kane sat in on commentary and had the Opera Cup with him. The Bulldogs posed on the ropes once they were introduced and then the heels attacked them. The Billingtons came back quickly and cleared Thomas from the ring with a double dropkick, and then the bell rang to start the match. Mark ended up performing a top rope moonsault onto both heels heading into a break. [C]
Reed caught Mark with a kick and then Thomas suplexed him. Reed covered Mark for a two count. The heel duo isolated Mark. Thomas stepped on him while the referee made a two count. Mark eventually tagged in Tom, but the referee didn’t see it, so the beatdown on Mark continued.
Tom finally took a hot tag and the Billingtons hit simultaneous dropkicks on their opponents. They followed up by slamming the heads of Reed and Thomas together. Tom powered up Thomas and bodyslammed him. The Billingtons clotheslined Thomas to ringside and then performed stereo suicide dives onto Thomas and Reed.
Tom threw Reed back inside the ring. Mark held up Freed while Tom went to the ropes, but Kane climbed onto the ring apron and distracted the Billingtons. Davey Boy Smith Jr. ran out and pulled Kane off the apron. Reed hit Mark with a nice kick, but Tom hit Reed with a crossbody block from the ropes.
Thomas tagged into the match and took a dropkick from Mark, who had tagged back in. Mark held up Thomas and then Tom hit him with a missile dropkick. Mark covered Thomas and scored the pin.
“The Billington Bulldogs” Tom Billington and Mark Billington defeated Myron Reed and Mr. Thomas.
The broadcast team hyped that per the match stipulation, Smith will get a singles match against Kane. Smith and the Billingtons celebrated together…
Powell’s POV: A decent match with the heels isolating the lankier Mark before the Bulldogs came back to get the win. That said, the Bulldogs still aren’t getting much of a reaction from the live crowds.
The broadcast team recapped the saga of Mance Warner hitting Real1 with his car and then being bailed out of jail by his buddies…
A Real1 promo aired. A man pushed Real1 in a wheelchair. Real1 threatened a lawsuit and called Warner a piece of shit (censored)…
Dombrowski hyped that Real1 would appear on next week’s show, which will also feature EJ Nduka and Calvin Tankman vs. Juicy Finau and Lance Anoa’i for the MLW Tag Team Titles…
MLW Tag Team Champions Nduka and Tankman delivered a promo in front of the MLW backdrop. Nduka said Fatu needs to start putting respect on his name. Tankman interrupted and said Nduka was talking about himself rather than the two of them as a team. Tankman said they are supposed to be family and said “no more of this I stuff.” Nduka said he was right and they would take over MLW…
A Hammerstone video package aired. It included comments from Hammerstone, who said he has to put his best foot forward for himself and the company. He said he thinks there are some dream matches left to be had. Hammerstone said he lives for the big fights. He said 2023 will be the year that he proves once and for all that he is champion for a reason…
Highlights aired of last week’s calling card attack on Microman and Lince Dorado…
Mance Warner delivered a promo from a stairwell while Microman sat behind him. Warner said he always has Microman’s back. Warner said the calling card crew now has to deal with him and told them to come either one-on-one or bring the whole team…
Dombrowski hyped Mance Warner in action for next week. He also hyped this week’s main event… [C]
A calling card attacker video aired. It featured Raven as the leader along with two wrestlers (I believe it was the newly signed Akira and Rickey Shane Page)…
Powell’s POV: So after all these mystery attacks and even a goddamn octopus, the calling card attackers just randomly reveal the identities in a video package with no fanfare? I get that most viewers would only recognize Raven, but that was still a long buildup to something that was given away out of nowhere.
3. Alex Hammerstone vs. Lance Anoa’i (w/Juicy Finau) for the MLW Heavyweight Championship. Jacob Fatu sat in on commentary. EJ Nduka and Calvin Tankman were shown watching the match in the crowd. Hammerstone cleared Anoa’i from the ring with an early clothesline.
Fatu stood up at the broadcast table and jawed at Hammerstone, who left the ring and brawled with him on the floor. Once they were separated, Nduka and Tankman had the be pulled apart from Finau and Anoa’i.
Alex Hammerstone fought Lance Anoa’i to a no-contest in an MLW Heavyweight Championship match.
Security led Nduka and Tankman to the back. Hammerstone stood in the ring and held up his title belt while Fatu stared him down while Finau and Anoa’i stood behind him…
A brief video hyped Nduka and Tankman vs. Finau and Anoa’i for the MLW Tag Team Titles for next week…
Powell’s POV: The main event was more of an angle than an actual match. There was no reason to think that Anoa’i was going to beat Hammerstone for the championship, so the approach they took was fine. I like the way that they also worked in some hype for next week’s MLW Tag Title match.
Overall, a good show that continued the strong build to Hammerstone vs. Fatu. I will have more to say about Underground in my weekly audio review for Dot Net Members (including our Patreon patrons).
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