By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
Major League Wrestling “Kings of Colosseum”
January 6, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at 2300 Arena
Streamed on TrillerTV+
Joe Dombrowski and Matt Stryker provided commentary, and Dombrowski said they have a packed crowd. Lighting seems exceptionally good.
1. “Wasted Youth” Marcus Mathers, Dyln McKay, and Alec Price defeated Tony Deppen, Griffin McCoy, and TJ Crawford at 9:46. This match could have easily happened at a dozen promotions in the Northeast; all six of these guys are quite talented. The babyfaces dove onto the heels to start the match. The heels began working over Mathers in the ring. Price made the hot tag at 3:30 and hit a half nelson suplex on Deppen. The heels began working over Dyln. Deppen hit a half nelson suplex on Dyln. Griffin hit a sit-out powerbomb for a nearfall at 6:00. Dyln hit a Poison Rana. Griffin hit another sit-out powerbomb.
Mathers jumped in and hit a stunner on McCoy. TJ hit a Burning Hammer on Mathers. Price got in and fought TJ. Price hit a double Doomsday Blockbuster at 8:30! Nice. He hit a superkick on Deppen. Griffin and TJ hit stereo German Suplexes. Price hit a tornado DDT, then a dive to the floor. Mathers hit a spin kick on TJ. Dyln hit a top-rope Shooting Star Press, and Mathers immediately hit his top-rope 450 Splash to pin Crawford. That was a blast.
* Backstage, Zayda Steel was serving as interviewer. Mr. Thomas refused to be interviewed. Alex Kane said he is going to wrap his arms around Richard Holliday’s neck. Zayda was a bit over-the-top here.
2. Janai Kai (w/Salina De La Renta) defeated Hyper Misao to retain the MLW Featherweight title at 7:13. I don’t know Japanese wrestler Misao; she rode a bicycle and she wore a green outfit that reminds me of DC supervillain Poison Ivy, and she’s definitely giving off that Hurricane Helms vibe, or Nikki Cross’s superhero gimmick. Jesus Rodriguez introduced Janai Kai. Janai immediately applied a head-scissors lock on the mat. The camera panned over to a henchman in a red mask standing near the entrance ramp. Kai hit some stiff kicks to the spine at 3:00.
Misao dropped Kai face-first onto the mat and Stryker speculated that Janai could have broken her nose. Misao snapped Janai’s arm across the top rope. Misao rode the bike around the ring and hit a clothesline while biking at 5:30. Silly. She hit a top-rope crossbody block, then she locked in a Crossface Chickenwing. Salina De La Renta hopped on the ring apron, but Hyper sprayed her with an aerosol can. However, Kai hit a spin kick to the head, then she locked in a Dragon Sleeper until Misao tapped out. Fun match.
* In a taped segment, Rickey Shane Page told Akira he made the wrong choice by crossing him.
3. “Second Gear Crew” 1 Called Manders and Matthew Justice defeated Tom Lawlor and Josh Bishop (w/Zayda Steel, Saint Laurent) to retain the MLW Tag Team Titles at 15:34. They started brawling on the floor. Manders and Bishop traded hard chops and this exchange just kept going and going. Lawlor and Justice finally got in the ring, and Lawlor hit a top-rope throw to the mat at 5:30. Bishop whipped a chair at Manders’ head; I really hate that. The heels took control in the ring, with Bishop hitting a chairshot across Manders’ back at 8:00. Lawlor hit one, too. Justice hit a top-rope flying shoulder tackle on both heels.
The SGC built a double-decker board bridge in the ring. They speared Bishop for a nearfall at 10:30. (Shaking the ring caused the bridge to break.) Bishop slammed Justice spine-first onto a ring post on the floor. In the ring, Manders and Lawlor traded blows, and Manders hit a powerslam. (The bridge fell apart again.) Manders hit a hard clothesline at 12:30. Zayda hopped in the ring and raked Manders’ eyes, so Manders hit a clothesline on Zayda! The crowd popped for it. Bishop hit a Razor’s Ege on Manders OVER the top rope and through a table, earning a “holy shit!” chant. Saint Laurent carried Zayda to the back. The double-decker bridge was re-constructed. Lawlor was thrown off the corner through a board bridge on the floor. Justice hit a Death Valley Driver on Bishop onto the door bridge for the pin. Solid brawl.
4. Rickey Shane Page defeated Akira in a Tapai Death Match at 12:18 to retain the MLW National Openweight Championship. Both men’s wrists were wrapped in tape so they could cover them in glass. RSP pushed his wrists into Akira’s forehead, and the glass cut Akira open and he was bleeding significantly. RSP used a door shard and jabbed it into Akira’s forehead, then he slammed it over Akira’s unprotected head; that is just so completely unnecessary. RSP hit some punches and you can see the little pieces of glass fly one of his wrists. Akira’s blood loss is gross. Akira hit a German Suplex for a nearfall at 5:30, and he applied an anklelock. RSP now also is bleeding significantly, too. The crowd chanted for Akira. RSP hit a top-rope superplex, then a top-rope frogsplash for a nearfall at 7:30.
Akira nailed a top-rope Meteora flying double knees for a nearfall. A henchman shoved a bucket into the ring. RSP poured out the bucket of broken glass onto Akira’s chest. Several henchmen in their gas masks appeared at ringside and handed a glass pane to Page. RSP hit a top-rope senton onto a glass pane bridge and he got a believable nearfall at 11:00. (I am not sure how the shattering of glass hurt Akira wasn’t struck by RSP’s senton.) Akira hit a Saito Suplex into the glass pile. Sami Callihan hopped in the ring and hit a DDT on Akira! “Sami, what the hell are you doing!?” Dombrowski shouted. RSP covered Akira for the pin. That was gross. Lots of blood loss, and too many blows to unprotected heads by both men.
* MLW “Reload” is coming Jan. 20. However, they never said where it will occur! Are they taping it tonight? A commercial aired for the action figures, which is just so absurd because they show an EJ Nduka figure, and he’s been gone for a year now?
5. Love, Doug defeated Brett Ryan Gosselin in a “Love Is Blind” (blindfold match) at 3:20. The ref put black hoods over each opponent, and they stumbled around the ring. BRG lifted his mask, saw where Doug was, and hit him with brass knuckles. However, Doug rolled to the floor and BRG couldn’t find him. Doug got back in, hit a Sliced Bread #2, and scored the pin. Meh.
* Mistico is coming to “Super Fight” in Philadelphia on Feb. 3.
6. Alex Kane (w/Mr. Thomas) defeated Richard Holliday (w/Saint Laurent) to retain the MLW Title at 13:52. Fifteen or so Black men and women appeared on the stage and chanted “Bomaye!” until Kane hit the ring. Holliday grounded Kane early on. Kane hit a belly-to-belly suplex at 1:30., then a release German Suplex, then he clotheslined Holliday over the top rope to the floor. Holliday hit a bodyslam onto the thin mat at ringside at 3:30 and he took control in the ring with some basic offense. Kane hit a pump-handle overhead suplex at 7:00. Holliday hit a stunner and was booed. Kane hit a spear.
Kane hit a high back suplex for a nearfall. Holliday hit a slam but Kane rolled to the floor at 8:30 to avoid being pinned. In the ring, Kane went for a sleeper but Holliday got a rollup and escaped. Holliday hit a sit-out powerbomb for a nearfall. Kane hit a rolling forearm then a chokeslam for a nearfall. Kane again went for the sleeper; Holliday flailed his arms and struck the ref, who went down and fell to the floor. Holliday tapped out but we had no ref! Holliday hit a low blow uppercut!
Tom Lawlor and Josh Bishop hit the ring and helped beat down Kane. A female Bomaye Fight Club member tried to revive the ref. Bishop hit a powerbomb on Kane through a table on the floor, and they tossed him into the ring, where Holliday got a believable nearfall at 13:00. The crowd loudly chanted “Bomaye!” Kane got a rollup for a nearfall, then he re-applied the sleeper on the mat. Holliday’s arm fell to the mat three times, and the ref awarded the win to Kane.
* Dombrowski got in the ring and said Kane has the most choke-out title defense wins. He switched to talking about Super Fight on Feb. 3. The top contender was revealed, and it’s Satoshi Kojima! Kojima is the first-ever MLW champion and he walked to the ring. He vowed he would win the title. However, Sami Callihan hit the ring. “Did you miss me, Philadelphia?” He’s angry that Kojima is getting a title shot before he is. He spit water at Dombrowski, swore at Kojima, and he brawled with Satoshi. Several referees and officials pulled them apart, as fans chanted, “Let them fight!”
* Backstage, Rocky Romero spoke to Salina De La Renta. (Is Romero really there? He was in Japan 48 hours ago!) Salina announced luchador Averno will be coming to MLW. At “Reload” will be Masked Good Brother No. 3 (Mance Warner) vs. Steph De Lander and Zayda Steel vs. Notorious Mimi, and Sami Callihan vs. Satoshi Kojima, plus Matt Riddle in action. Yes, I’m fairly certain they are taping this episode now.
7. Matt Riddle defeated Jacob Fatu at 12:25. Riddle came out first in a red jacket and he pounded fists with fans at ringside. The crowd was HOT and split, and they opened in an intense lockup, with Fatu shoving him to the mat. Matt came off the ropes but Fatu caught him with a thrust to the throat at 2:00, and he clotheslined him to the floor, then he dove onto Riddle. Riddle hit a corkscrew Asai Moonsault onto Fatu on the floor. In the ring, Riddle went for a top-rope moonsault move, but Fatu caught him and hit a powerbomb at 4:00! Nice!! Fatu hit a diving headbutt and took charge. Riddle hit a German Suplex for a nearfall at 6:30.
Riddle hit some Yes Kicks to Fatu’s chest. Fatu hit a swinging uranage, then a handspring-back-moonsault for a nearfall. They got up and traded chops. Matt hit an Exploder Suplex and a running penalty kick, then a senton for a nearfall at 8:30. Riddle hit a top-rope twisting senton for a nearfall. Stryker asked “how do you let this guy go? He’s a mega-star.” They traded more mid-ring chops and forearm strikes. Riddle hit a kneestrike to the forehead and they were both down at 10:00. They got up and traded more forearm strikes. Fatu nailed the pop-up Samoan Drop. Fatu went for the top-rope moonsault, but Riddle caught him and applied a Triangle Choke!! Riddle applied a rear-naked choke, but Fatu leapt backward and fell onto Matt. However, Riddle re-applied a choke and an armbar, and Fatu tapped out! That was really entertaining.
* A commerial aired for “Reload” before we faded to black.
Final Thoughts: A pair of strong matches to conclude the show. Riddle looks great and hopefully he is in a good space mentally, because he’s definitely talented. That match was hard-hitting and gave us a clean winner. Kane-Holliday was entertaining. I’m not the biggest fan of Kane, but he sure has the crowd behind him, and I will narrowly give that second-best. The show opening six-man tag was a perfect way to open the show with lots of action and earns third.
The middle of the show left me a bit cold. Both Akira’s match and the SGCrew’s match were far too bloody for my tastes. I’m sure there will be fans of it, but it just doesn’t work for me. I really wasn’t a fan of the thick Manders nailing the tiny Zayda Steel with a clothesline, either.
Be the first to comment