By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
Major League Wrestling Fusion (Episode 189)
Taped October 14, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at 2300 Arena
Streamed November 2, 2023 on the MLW YouTube Page and FITE.TV
A video package set up the tag team title match… A photo aired of the World Titan Federation logo on a building. Mister Saint Laurent was shown seated at a table with a briefcase filled with cash and other items. MSL said Matt Cardona would beat Alex Kane for the MLW Championship and it will be rebranded the WTF Championship…
The Fusion opening aired… Joe Dombrowski checked in and hyped the show’s matches. He was joined on commentary by Matt Striker… Entrances for the opening match took place and The Calling’s table of weapons was in the entrance aisle…
1. Mance Warner vs. Talon. Talon attacked Warner to start the match. Warner came back with an elbow strike and a lariat. Warner hit Talon with a knee strike and then pinned him…
Mance Warner defeated Talon.
Powell’s POV: I guess this means Talon survived the electric chair spot at MLW Slaughterhouse? Too bad. Hey, it’s nothing against the person wearing the Talon mask. It’s all about how much I dislike the bad Calling faction.
A video package recapped Tony Deppen and TJ Crawford attacking Kevin Blackwood. Dombrowski said Deppen was suspended for 14 days initially and MLW opted to extended it indefinitely…
MSL met up with Matt Cardona in a parking area. MSL presented Cardona with a new BMW. Cardona said MSL was like Santa Claus and then hugged him. Cardona made out with the hood of the car… [C]
MLW Heavyweight Champion Alex Kane delivered a backstage promo. He spoke about how Jacob Fatu was the baddest man before he arrived. Kane was interrupted and he rushed off the interview set. They cut to a shot of Mr. Thomas laid out somewhere outside the building…
A Tom Lawlor video package aired… Lawlor was shown with his feet up on MSL’s desk while MSL spoke on the phone. MSL ended the call and then spoke with Lawlor about how WTF is taking over. MSL complained about having to pay for verification on Twitter and said it’s messing with his recruitment. MSL took issue with MLW having athletes like Lawlor, yet still having death matches. He said they would reshape the company in their image…
A Calling video aired. Rickey Shane Page spoke about how they are always ready for a war. He said they would make an example of the Second Gear Crew…
Dombrowski said the Jacob Fatu vs. Mr. Thomas match was cancelled due to Thomas being attacked…
Fatu spoke with backstage interviewer Sam Laterna. Fatu spoke about how he doesn’t trust Salina de la Renta. MSL showed up and offered Fatu a hot dog and a handshake, which Fatu declined. MSL told Fatu that he better have eyes in the back of his head because Matt Cardona was waiting. MSL excused himself and said that he had to get to a photo shoot with Cardona and his new car. Fatu spoke about the new car and indicated that he had something in mind… [C]
Dombrowski spoke about the attack on Mr. Thomas and said that Fatu denied involvement…
Laterna interviewed Matt Cardona and spoke about the popular belief that he will challenge for the MLW Heavyweight Championship at One Shot. Cardona said he’s the king of New York City and said he constantly reinvents himself and wins championships. Cardona said nobody can stop him and he came to MLW to win the championship…
The MLW Fightland control center segment aired for the November 18 event in Philadelphia that will stream on FITE+. Dombrowski touted Alex Kane vs. Jacob Fatu for the MLW Heavyweight Championship as the main event. He also hyped Mance Warner vs. Matt Cardona in a loser leaves MLW match, and the previously advertised lucha tag match…
2. Brett Ryan Gosselin vs. J Boujii (w/O’Shay Edwards). After some back and forth action, Boujii dove over the ropes and went for a sunset flip. Gosselin stuffed the move and then knelt down on Boujii and held the ropes for leverage while scoring the pin…
Brett Ryan Gosselin beat J Boujii.
Powell’s POV: This felt like an upset because Boujji recently joined Bomaye Fight Club, and Gosselin entered MLW without any fanfare.
Footage aired of Love, Doug jumping up and scaring one of the female wrestlers, who slapped him. Doug said he was trying to surprise B3cca. Minoru Suzuki showed up and slapped Doug before turning and making a mean face for the camera…
Alex Kane was shown speaking with a few random guys somewhere backstage. One of the men blamed Jacob Fatu for attacking Mr. Thomas. Kane headed off to find Fatu. MSL exited a room and then slipped some cash to the man who blamed Fatu for the attack… [C]
Salina de la Renta sipped champagne and said she was celebrating because she once again got the best rating for Fusion when she served as the show’s producer. She said the MLW Featherweight Champion would appear next week…
Dombrowski hyped MLW Featherweight Champion Janai Kai in action, and Don King commenting on Alex Kane vs. Jacob Fatu for next week’s show…
Backstage, Kane and Fatu were held apart. A man showed them footage that apparently implicated Tom Lawlor for the attack on Mr. Thomas, which led to Kane storming away… Entrances for the main event took place…
3. Rickey Shane Page and Akira vs. 1 Called Manders and Matthew Justice in a tables match for the MLW Tag Team Titles. Manders and Justice fought off the Calling flunkies before making their way to the ring. The teams fought at ringside where a barbed wire bat was used before an early break. [C]
Manders and Justice were in offensive control coming out of the break. Cannonball came out and helped the Calling duo. Akira wrapped a chair around Justice’s head. Page tried to hit Justice with another chair, but Justice escaped. Page shoved Akira, presumably for letting Justice slip away.
Akira wisely put his hands up while taking a chair to the head from one of his opponents. This was followed by Page slamming a chair over the head of Justice, who did not put his hands up. Ridiculous. Manders threw Page off the apron through a table on the floor. Manders was thrown through another table on the floor (both teammates must be put through tables to end the match).
Justice and Akira fought on the ropes above two tables inside the ring. Akira hooked Justice in a hold. Justice fell backwards and they both crashed through the tables. Striker said Akira went through the tables first. The ring announcer stated that the referee felt both wrestlers went through the tables simultaneously and declared the match a draw.
Rickey Shane Page and Akira fought 1 Called Manders and Matthew Justice to a draw in a tables match for the MLW Tag Team Titles.
The brawl continued afterward. Cannonball returned to give The Calling a man advantage. Mance Warner ran out and evened up the odds. Warner quickly cleared the heels from the ring and then checked on Manders and Justice. Security ran out and the trios engaged in a pull apart brawl.
Once The Calling were taken to the back, Warner delivered a promo in the ring while Manders and Justice stood by. Manders told Manders and Justice to say what they want and need. Justice said they should take it to a new level of violence the next time they face The Calling. Justice told them to bring all of their minions. Justice said they should hang the belts above the ring…
Backstage, Cardona was pointed to his car. Cardona ran to the parking area, but his car wasn’t there. Alex Kane approached Cardona and said they had a problem. Jacob Fatu drove the car and honked the horn. Fatu drove away while Cardona ran after him…
Powell’s POV: Another unprotected chair shot to the head. And for what? Justice risked brain damage for a throwaway spot that no one will remember. It’s his life, but MLW just refuses to save its wrestlers from themselves by banning this archaic nonsense. Court Bauer is well aware of the Benoit family tragedy and the seriousness of head trauma. Shame on him and anyone else in a position of power in MLW or anywhere else that allows this. You can have hardcore style matches without wrestlers bashing each other’s brains in. It was for a different reason this time, but it was yet another week where Fusion left me questioning why I invest time in watching and covering this product.
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