By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
Major League Wrestling One Shot
December 8, 2023 in Queens, New York at Melrose Ballroom
Streamed on FITE+
Joe Dombrowski and Matt Striker provided commentary. The lighting is really good tonight…
* The show opened with American Idol contestant Alyssa Wray singing “America the Beautiful”…
1. Rocky Romero (w/Selina De La Renta) defeated Mascara Dorada at 10:41 to retain the MLW Middleweight Championship and the CMLL Historic Welterweight Championship. Again, this is NOT Gran Metalik; he is clearly a younger man. Romero carried two title belts to the ring, including the MLW Middleweight Title. Mat reversals to open. Romero hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip in the ropes at 3:30, then he slammed Dorada on the ring apron. In the ring, Rocky hit a Sliced Bread, and he started to untie Dorada’s mask. Dorada hit a dive to the floor at 6:00.
In the ring, Romero hit a tornado DDT for a nearfall. Romero hit a top-rope Sliced Bread for a nearfall and he jawed at the ref at 8:00. Dorada hit a delayed vertical suplex and they were both down. Dorada went for a moonsault but Rocky got his feet up. Rocky immediately hit a Trash Compactor piledriver along his back for a nearfall. (Dombrowski called it a backslide driver.) Dorada set up for a Razor’s Edge, but he flipped Rocky, so Romero landed stomach-first, for a nearfall at 10:00. The ref got bumped. Romero immediately ripped off Dorada’s mask; as he went to cover up, Romero rolled him up for the cheap pin. A really good match.
* An AWESOME (fake!) commercial made to look right out of 1988, telling you to call the WTF hotline, but it is $99.99 per minute. The commercial looked right out of my childhood,
2. Miyu Yamashita defeated Delmi Exo to retain the TJPW Princess of Princess Championship at 9:11. They shook hands to open. Miyu hit a stiff kick to the spine at 2:00 for a nearfall. She hit a running knee to the back of the head as Delmi was in the ropes. Delmi hit a summersault off the apron onto Miyu on the floor at 4:30. In the ring, they traded forearm strikes. Miyu caught her with a spin kick to the head for a believable nearfall. Delmi hit an impressive Electric Chair for a nearfall at 7:30. They fought on the ropes, and Miyu hit a second-rope Death Valley Driver for a nearfall. Miyu nailed the Skull Kick/spin kick to the side of the head for the pin. A really good match.
* Backstage, Zayda Steel held an American Online plaque proclaiming she is this year’s most downloaded star. She wants a shot at the Featherweight title.
3. Satoshi Kojima defeated Tom Lawlor at 13:28. A hero’s welcome for Kojima. They immediately traded chops. Lawlor hit his diving spear into the corner at 2:00. They went to the floor, where Lawlor hit a running kick on the left arm. In the ring, Lawlor twisted the left arm and focused on the limb. Lawlor hit rapid-fire chops in the corner at 6:00. Kojima pushed Lawlor into the corner and hit his rapid-fire chops, which popped the crowd. Kojima hit a second-rope superplex, and they were both down at 8:30. They got up and traded forearm strikes, and Kojima hit a DDT. Lawlor hit a buzzsaw kick to the head, then a running penalty kick for a nearfall at 10:30.
Lawlor hit a piledriver for a nearfall, and he made the “Go To Sleep” hand motion; he applied an Anaconda Vice on the mat. Kojima got to his feet and fought free, and hit some Mongolian Chops, then a stunner. Lawlor hit his knee strike to the back of the head for a nearfall at 12:30; I thought that was it. Kojima hit a clothesline for the pin. A good, intense match. Fans pelted the ring with slices of bread.
* Kojima got on the mic and said, “I am back after 21 years. Do you remember me?” He made a remark about all the bread in the ring, and thanked the fans.
* A video package aired showing the feud between MLW champion Alex Kane and No. 1 contender Matt Cardona.
* Saint Laurent and Zayda Steel walked to the ring, and Laurent said we were going to have a bodybuilding competition. (Where is the ICOPRO?) Who is going to pay to watch a bodybuilding competition?” Dombrowski asked. Midas Black came to the ring. He flexed, but Laurent dismissed him. Mr. Thomas from the Bomaye Fight Club came to the ring and also posed. Stryker acted un-impressed. Alexander Hammerstone then hit the ring and posed, and Laurent raved. Zayda declared that Hammerstone was the winner. Jacob Fatu hit the ring and brawled with Hammerstone! He clotheslined Alexander to the floor. Fatu destroyed a 10-inch tall trophy that was meant for Hammerstone.
* A commercial aired for the Christmas Eve special, which will air on the MLW YouTube page. We then went to footage of Jimmy Lloyd beating up the heavyset, masked Cannonball.
* The ring announcer proclaimed they had set an attendance record of 81,036.5 people, which I presume must include a pregnant woman. The crowd (closer to 400) applauded this news.
4. Rickey Shane Page defeated Jimmy Lloyd at 5:31 to retain the MLW National Openweight Championship. A masked man knocked RSP down as he walked to the ring, and it was Akira! He beat up Page at ringside. Lloyd dove through the ropes to start the match, and they got in the ring. Lloyd hit him with a chair. Lloyd hit a frogsplash onto Page, who was lying on a sideways chair, at 3:00. RSP hit a Swanton Bomb. Lloyd hit a Death Valley Driver through a door bridge in the ring at 5:00. Lloyd tried to hit a piledriver, but Page hit a DDT onto a folded chair for the pin. Not my style but acceptable action.
* Maki Itoh sang her way to the ring.
5. Janai Kai (w/Selina De La Renta, Jesus Rodriguez) defeated Maki Itoh to retain the MLW Featherweight Title at 6:41. Maki did her fake crying but then hit a series of blows. She hit a Kokeshi falling headbutt. Kai hit a series of stiff kicks to the spine, and she hit a Northern Lights Suplex for a nearfall at 3:30, while focusing on Maki’s left arm. Itoh hit a DDT onto the ring apron, then a top-rope crossbody block for a nearfall. Itoh hit a series of punches in the corner, then a running Facewash kick in the corner at 6:00. Jesus tried to interfere, so Ichiban ran to ringside and chased him to the back. Itoh missed a frogplash move. Janai immediately applied her Dragon Sleeper on the mat, and Itoh tapped out.
6. Alex Kane (w/Mr. Thomas) defeated Matt Cardona (w/Steph De Lander) to retain the MLW Heavyweight Title at 14:36. An entourage numbering 20 Black people partied with Kane on his way to the ring. Cardona attacked from behind but Kane hit a German Suplex, and Cardona immediately bailed to the floor. Kane followed to the floor and they brawled on the ramp, in front of Kane’s entourage. Back in the ring, Cardona took control. Matt hit a running facewash in the corner at 4:30. Kane tried to pick up Cardona, but he dropped him and sold his lower back; Cardona immediately began pounding on Kane’s lower back.
Cardona got a chair and hit it across the back for a nearfall. Kane hit a chokeslam and they were both down at 6:30. Kane hit a splash as Cardona was lying on the ring apron. In the ring, Kane hit a release suplex for a nearfall, but SDL pulled the ref from the ring at 9:00. Cardona hit another facewash. SDL slapped Mr. Thomas in the face. Cardona rolled to the floor and he whipped Mr. Thomas into the guardrail. They did the spot where Kane went for a suplex near the ropes, but SDL tripped him, allowing Cardona to land on top of Kane for a nearfall at 11:30. They hit simultaneous clotheslines.
SDL hopped on the ring apron, but a masked man (Mance Warner?) grabbed her and forcibly kissed her. It allowed Cardona to hit the Radio Silence/Fameasser for a believable nearfall. SDL grabbed the title belt but she accidentally hit Cardona with it. Cardona hit a spear on Steph. Matt hit Kane with a chair; Kane grabbed the chair and he hit Matt with it, then two German Suplexes and a Falcon Arrow. He applied a rear-naked choke on the mat, and Cardona tapped out. Good match; what you’ve come to expect from Cardona.
* The Bomaye Fight Club carried the knocked-out Cardona to the back. Kane got on the mic and said he needs a new challenge. The lights went out! When they came back on, Richard Holliday was in the ring! He was wearing a suit, and Kane called him “Frank Sinatra.” The crowd chanted, “Welcome back!” Saint Laurent got in the ring and said he’s setting the first main event of 2024, and he offered Holliday a WTF hat, and Richard put it on. Dombrowski said next year is the “Fusion season finale.”
Final Thoughts: An entertaining show that clocked in just over two hours. The first half was strong: I’ll go with the show-opener Romero match for best, Lawlor-Kojima for second and Yamashita-Exo for third. The main event was solid, and the Richard Holliday return was a pleasant surprise.
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