By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
Major League Wrestling Underground
Taped January 7, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at 2300 Arena
Aired March 28, 2023 on Reelz
Underground opened with footage from last week’s main event that saw Alex Hammerstone beating Jacob Fatu to retain the MLW Heavyweight Championship, followed by The Calling attacking Hammerstone after the match… The Underground opening aired… The broadcast team was Joe Dombrowski and Matt Striker…
Mister Saint Laurent stood in the ring and pumped up the crowd for Real1 vs. Microman and said it was for the pound-for-pound championship. MSL said Real1 outweighs Microman by 158 pounds and is 38 inches taller.
MSL introduced Microman, who made his entrance while footage of Mance Warner and Microman sharing a beer in a bar area was shown. Warner gave Microman a kendo stick. MSL joined the broadcast team.
Real1 made his entrance with a microphone in hand. Once in the ring, Real1 said he’s a Certified G so he doesn’t need an ID. Real1 told Microman that he shouldn’t have run his mouth when he can’t run his feet. Real1 referred to Microcman as an Ewok.
Real1 also got some cheap heat by saying the Philadelphia Eagles suck. He also said Microman is two feet tall “and you can’t teach that.” Real1 called Microman a toilet climber and hurled other insults at him and said the one word that describes him is D-W-A-R-F. Real1 said he’d get cancelled again if he used any other word…
1. Real1 vs. Microman. Real1 dropkicked Microman to start the match. Real1 went to ringside and took MSL’s chair from him and intimidated him heading into the first commercial break. [C]
Real1 grabbed the mic and told MSL that he’s an overweight vegan. Real1 said that’s the only thing you can call somebody these days. Real1 made MSL stand on the apron and hold the mic while he picked up Microcman and held him over his head. Microman slipped away.
Real1 charged Microman in the corner, but Microman dropped down and tripped Real1 into the corner, which drew a strong crowd reaction. Mance Warner came out with a kendo stick and beer. Warner placed the kendo stick in the ring and then stood on the floor and distracted the referee while Microman hit Real1 with the stick. Microman rolled Real1 over and stood on him while the referee made the three count.
Microman defeated Real1.
After the match, Real1 was stretchered to the back while Warner and Microman drank beer…
Powell’s POV: Real1 did a good job of generating heat with his obnoxious mic work and then took the crowd pleasing loss. I’m curious to see how Real1 goes from this loss to challenging Hammerstone for the MLW Heavyweight Championship at the Battle Riot event next month.
Footage aired of The Calling attacking Hammerstone last week…
MLW Heavyweight Champion Alex Hammerstone walked onto the stage for a promo. Hammerstone said Akira and Raven sent a bunch of “those gas mask dudes” out to attack him. Hammerstone said it should have been one of his proudest moments, but he was left lying. Hammerstone said he doesn’t know if they think he’s an easy target or a good guy, but he would show them that there’s evil in his hands. Hammerstone said that attacking him is the stupidest thing they could have done. He said the attack makes him want to fight and he wants to face them in the War Chamber (WarGames style) match…
Matt Striker narrated a video package on the history of the Opera Cup and noted that it was stolen by the Bomaye Fight Club…
Davey Boy Smith Jr. was shown warming up in the backstage area with Thomas Billington of the Billington Bulldogs. Smith said he would break Alex Kane in two. The Calling logo flashed during the video…
A Calling video aired with Akira and Raven both speaking…
Akira made his entrance. A man wearing a gas mask and dressed in a suit pulled a cover off a table to reveal bloody weapons. Akira grabbed a sickle and headed to the ring where his opponent was waiting…
2. Akira vs. Mike Law. Akira brought the sickle into the ring with him. Law charged Akira, who hit him with the bottom of the sickle while Striker questioned why anyone would charge at a man holding a sickle. [C]
Akira jabbed the mouth of Law with the sickle while the referee told him to stop. Akira ditched the sickle and performed his Death Penalty finisher before scoring the pin.
Akira defeated Mike Law.
After the match, Akira took one of the calling cards and shoved it into the mouth of Law…
Powell’s POV: The referee stood by and let a dude wrestle with a sickle in his hand. I’ve seen it all. It’s early in their run, but The Calling feel really over-pushed as the new top heel faction.
A Battle Riot video aired. Dombrowski read through the rules of the Battle Riot match. He said the winner of the match would challenge for the MLW Heavyweight Championship on Tuesday, April 25. John Hennigan, Lance Anoa’i, Lince Dorado, Alex Kane, Calvin Tankman, and Rickey Shane Page were added to the list of entrants…
Footage aired of Alex Kane working on a punching bag while delivering a promo about facing Davey Boy Smith Jr. and winning a championship. The guys around him yelled Bomaye a bunch of times…
Dombrowski recapped Cesar Duran being kidnapped by two masked henchmen…
Taya Valkyrie and John Hennigan delivered a backstage promo. Hennigan held a Missing sign for Duran. Valkyrie was demanding and then went into nice mode once she realized the cameras were on. Valkyrie told anyone with information about Duran to call 1-900-LUCHA. Valkyrie said they would reward anyone who found Duran with a lot of pesos…
Lio Rush was advertised as returning on next week’s show…
A 1 Called Manders video package aired. He said he loves to fight, drink beer, and chew tobacco. He said he’s coming to MLW to fight and add gold to his belt buckle collection…
1 Called Manders vs. Rickey Shane Page in a hardcore match was announced for next week’s show…
Tim Barr delivered the introductions for the main event. Alex Kane made his entrance with Myron Reed, who brought the Opera Cup to the broadcast table and joined the broadcast team on commentary for the match… [C]
Davey Boy Smith Jr. made his entrance with the “Billington Bulldogs” Thomas Billington and Mark Billington. Cameras cut backstage where Rickey Shane Page and Akira took out EJ Nduka and placed a calling card on him…
3. Alex Kane (w/Mr. Thomas) vs. Davey Boy Smith Jr. (wThomas Billington, Mark Billington). Smith performed an early suplex. Kane sent Smith to ringside and then hit him with a suicide dive. Kane ran Smith into the ringside barricade a couple times. Kane followed up with a German suplex on the ringside pad. Kane placed Smith under the ropes and and then stood on the apron and splashed him.
A short time later, both wrestlers traded German suplexes. Smith hit the last one and both men stayed down heading into a break. [C] Dombrowski announced that The Calling accepted Alex Hammerstone’s War Chamber match challenge. He said the match would air three weeks from now on Reelz.
Late in the match, Smith went to the top rope. “Why is he going up there?” Reed asked. Smith performed a leg drop from the top rope and covered Kane for a near fall. Kane caught Smith with a kick and then put him down with a Flatliner. Kane went to the ropes, but Smith kipped up and then gave him a Bulldog Powerslam.
Smith set up for a Sharpshooter, but Mr. Thomas climbed onto the ring apron. Smith released the hold and knocked Thomas off the apron. While the referee was tied up with Thomas, Kane pulled out a bottle and sprayed liquid into the eyes of Smith. Kane suplexed Smith and then pinned him.
Alex Kane defeated Davey Boy Smith Jr.
The Bomaye Fight Club headed to the stage with the Opera Cup. Meanwhile, Smith poured water in his eyes while the Bulldogs stood by. Sam Laterna walked out and asked Kane what was in the bottle. Kane played dumb and said he performed suplexes on Smith. Laterna pushed him, but he ended up yelling Bomaye a bunch of times…
Mance Warner was shown drinking beer with 1 Called Manders and Matthew Justice. Alex Hammerstone showed up and ended up recruiting the Second Gear Crew to join his War Chamber team…
Powell’s POV: The main event was fine and the wonky finish extends the feud between Kane and Smith. The post match angle with Hammerstone joining forces with the Second Gear Crew was okay. It just feels like MLW went from dragging out the reveal of the calling card attackers to now rushing them into something that feels too high profile.
Manders and Justice are also new to MLW, but viewers know the basic idea that they are buddies with the popular Warner. The Calling is just a mess right now and they have yet to make me care about anyone involved. Even Raven has been reduced to choppy sound bytes in their video packages. MLW creative clearly has a lot of work to do to put heat on the new heel stable before the War Chamber match. Overall, this was a rough show. I will have a lot more to say in my weekly MLW Underground audio review for Dot Net Members (including our Patreon patrons).
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