By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
Major League Wrestling Fusion (Episode 192)
Taped October 14, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at 2300 Arena
Streamed November 23, 2023 on the MLW YouTube Page and FITE.TV
Fusion opened with a video that recapped the MLW Fightland premium live event. It concluded with footage of Alex Hammerstone joining World Titan Federation…
Alex Hammerstone delivered a backstage promo. He said he Court Bauer stopped returning his calls, but Mister Saint Laurent never did and was the voice of reason… The Fusion opening aired… Joe Dombrowski and Matt Striker checked in on commentary, and Stephen DeAngelis was the ring announcer…
Powell’s POV: Hey, kids, gather around the television for the annual edition of MLW Fusion on Thanksgiving! Why is this an MLW tradition? I assume it’s part of the secret cabal of pro wrestling promoters who have conspired to make sure that they hold pro wrestling events and television shows on every holiday and holiday weekend. Happy Thanksgiving! I’m thankful for MLW Fusion media screeners.
1. TJ Crawford vs. Nolo Kitano. Crawford brought out a picket sign that called for MLW to free Tony Deppen, who was suspended. Crawford attacked Kitano from behind to start the match. Kitana took offensive control and caught Crawford with a dropkick. Crawford sold an eye injury.
A hooded man showed up and was quickly fought off by Kitana before security dragged the man away. Crawford took advantage of the distraction while Dombrowski assumed that Tony Deppen was wearing the hood while Striker disagreed. Kitana came back. Crawford held the ropes. Griffin McCoy ran in and suplexed Kitano while the referee was distracted. Crawford hit his Silver Bullet finisher and scored the pin.
TJ Crawford beat Nolo Kitano.
After the match, the hooded man came out to celebrate with Crawford and McCoy…
Powell’s POV: I guess Crawford speaks so loudly that the referee couldn’t hear someone being suplexed a few feet behind him? Anyway, I like the idea of a new faction involving Deppen, Crawford, and McCoy.
Mascara Dorada delivered a promo in Spanish that was subtitled. He called for a shot at the MLW Middleweight Championship…
Mister Saint Laurent checked in from WTF headquarters. He said Matt Cardona will win the MLW Championship in two weeks. MSL also hyped the main event and said it was a chance to soften up Alex Kane and Mr. Thomas. MSL told fans to join him because sports entertainment is the future…
Backstage, Rocky Romero, Janai Kai, and Jesus Rodriguez attacked Ichiban. The trio held him and then Salina de la Rent showed up and asked, “What did I saw about interrupting me?” Salina slapped Ichiban…
A video aired for MLW One Shot to the instrumental version of Animotion’s “Obsession”… A brief Calling video aired with Rickey Shane Page talking about Akira…
2. Tiara James vs. Notorious Mimi. Mimi took a good amount of the early offense. Mimi threw a rough looking kick in the corner and then went up top and attempted a crossbody block that James avoided. James speared Mimi in the corner and then picked her up over her shoulder and then dropped to her knees and eventually got a two count. In the end, James performed a facebuster to get the pin…
Tiara James beat Notorious Mimi.
After the match, Sam Laterna interviewed James on the stage. James made a pitch for getting a title shot…
Powell’s POV: Mimi worked as Sloane Jacobs in NXT. She’s clearly related to Magnificent Mimi. Okay, I made up that second part. The match was decent at best, but James continues to show charisma and also seemed at ease during her promo.
Dombrowski narrated a video feature that recapped the Love Doug and B3cca saga…
MSL was greeted by a cameraman in the parking lot. The man asked him about contract tampering. MSL denied tampering with Alex Hammerstone and told the man to wait to see what comes next…
Powell’s POV: I’m just not digging the way MLW is spoofing sports entertainment and playing into the lawsuit they filed against WWE. I don’t mind the occasional jab at the lawsuit, but WWE is on a roll right now and does less sports entertainment silliness than it has in ages.
MSL was on the phone when 1 Called Manders exited the MLW doctor’s office. MSL made his pitch to sign Manders, which included three or four Japanese women per night. Manders said he’s a married man and had MSL take his empty beer can. “That’s not a no,” MSL said…
The MLW One Shot control center aired. Dombrowski hyped Satoshi Kojima’s appearance, and Janai Kai vs. Maki Itoh for the MLW Featherweight Championship, Miyu Yamashita vs. Delmi Exo for the Princess of Princess Title for the Thursday, December 7 FITE+ event…
Salina and Romero spoke briefly. Romero said he would put up both of his titles against Dorada at One Shot…
MLW Champion Alex Kane was interviewed by Sam Laterna in front of the MLW backdrop. Kane said he’s waited a month to get his hands on Matt Cardona and Tom Lawlor. He said they were about to feel revenge. Kane declared that it was suplex season…
Love Doug entered a room expecting to find B3cca. Brett Ryan Gosselin was in the room and informed Doug that he’s B3cca’s new boyfriend. Gosselin revealed that he had a tire iron with him and then attacked Doug with it…
Powell’s POV: I like the idea of Gosselin playing the part of B3cca’s boyfriend and feuding with Doug. I haven’t been sure whether they wanted viewers to like Doug or just roll their eyes at him, but this approach should make him a definitive babyface.
Dombrowski recapped footage from Fightland of Steph De Lander helping Matt Cardona beat Mance Warner in a loser leaves MLW match…
1 Called Manders complained that “this sucks” and said it’s “bullshit.” Mance Warner walked in and said it was his last day with MLW. He said everyone saw what happened. He said they built the company. Warner told Manders that he and Matthew Justice have the gold now and don’t need him.
Warner told Manders that he was gone, but they should keep fighting. Warner said Cardona would get what he has coming. Warner said he knew a guy named Masked Good Brother III and said he thinks Manders will get along with him. Warner said he wouldn’t cry. He said he signed up for it and now he has to deal with it…
Powell’s POV: The Midnight Mancer is coming soon.
MSL made his entrance and delivered an in-ring promo about how WTF is taking over MLW. He said everyone knows Philadelphia is a third-rate shit hole. MSL introduced Tom Lawlor and then Matt Cardona for the main event…
3. Alex Kane and Mr. Thomas vs. Matt Cardona and Tom Lawlor (w/Mister Saint Laurent). Kane got the better of Cardona and suplexed him a few minutes into the match. Kane sold lower back pain and fell to the mat. The referee checked on Kane and held up the X symbol. Kane was eventually helped to the back heading into a break, leaving Thomas to go it alone. Thomas put Cardona down with a clothesline. Thomas went after Lawlor and then Cardona clipped Thomas from behind heading into a break.
Lawlor targeted Thomas’s left knee with kicks. Lawlor hopped up and down and then his shorts fell off, revealing his Daisy Duke shorts. Lawlor tied up Thomas in the ropes and then booted his bad knee. Thomas eventually came back by suplexing both opponents simultaneously.
Kane shoved two referees out of his way and returned to the ring with a wrap around his lower back. Kane roughed up both heels and then suplexed Cardona. Kane sold lower back pain and rolled out of the ring where Lawlor slammed a chair over his back. In the ring, Cardona hit Thomas with his leg lariat finisher and scored the pin…
Matt Cardona and Tom Lawlor defeated Alex Kane and Mr. Thomas.
Powell’s POV: The main event was nothing special from a match quality standpoint, but the storytelling was strong. It gave the heel duo a logical win over Bomaye Fight Club heading into Cardona’s title match with Kane at One Shot. And one can only assume that they will also play up Kane’s back injury and how it could prevent him from performing his suplexes during his match with Cardona
Overall, this was a good episode. In addition to the main event storytelling, there were some new undercard developments. The short turnaround from MLW Fightland to MLW One Shot means the promotion has to move quickly to establish their new programs, which makes for interesting television. One negative is that they didn’t push any matches for next week’s Fusion. I hope you are all having a wonderful Thanksgiving.
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