By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
Major League Wrestling Fusion: Alpha (Episode 7)
Taped in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at 2300 Arena
Streamed November 3, 2021 on the MLW’s YouTube Page and FITE TV
MLW matchmaker Cesar Duran made his entrance while the broadcast team of Rich Bocchini and Joe Dombrowski checked in. Once in the ring, Duran addressed the fans. He said he realized he was missing something when he put the card together. He asked the fans who they wanted to see sacrificed.
The 5150 crew of Konnan, Rivera, Slice Boogie, and Julius Smokes made their entrance. Konnan got in Duran’s face and complained that Duran not taking his calls was disrespectful. Konnan gave the other 5150 members a chance to address the crowd.
“What the f— do you want?” Duran asked. Konnan said he was going to get serious like a late period if Duran didn’t stop f—ing with him. He called for Duran to bring out Los Parks.
Los Parks made their entrance. A brawl between 5150 and Los Parks broke out at ringside. Security guards and referees tried to intervene.
Once things settled down, Tom Lawlor and Kevin Ku made their entrance and joined Duran inside the ring. Duran asked who invited them. Lawlor said he’s been treated like trash and claimed he was screwed in his recent matches. Lawlor said he’s a big time prize fighter and deserves to be treated like one.
Duran asked what Lawlor wanted. Lawlor said he wants title fights. Duran booked Lawlor against King Muertes in a casket match. Lawlor wasn’t pleased. Duran told him to be careful what he wishes for…
The broadcast team questioned whether Alexander Hammerstone had made a deal with the devil. They also hyped previously advertised matches and then Willow Nightingale and Zoey Sky made their entrance… [C]
Coming out of the break, the feed was taken over by Contra. Mads Krugger delivered a promo about marching his soldiers into the War Chamber and destroying MLW forever… The Sea Stars made their entrance…
1. Willow Nightingale and Zoey Sky vs. “The Sea Stars” Ashley Vox and Delmi Exo. The broadcast team played up Sky weighing just 99 pounds and cited that as a reason why they may need another women’s weight division. Vox sent Nightingale to ringside. Holidead emerged from underneath the ring and attacked Nightingale, then dragged her under the ring. In the ring, the Sea Stars hit a Tidal Wave on Sky and got the pin.
“The Sea Stars” Ashley Vox and Delmi Exo beat Willow Nightingale and Zoey Sky.
After the match, Nightingale popped up at ringside and was helped to the back by Sky and the Sea Stars…
Powell’s POV: The live crowd was very quiet during this match. I’m not sure if it was a case of crowd fatigue at a long taping or if the match just didn’t click with the fans.
Backstage, Alex Kane said Calvin Tankman was out of the Opera Cup tournament due to the beating that he and King Mo put on him last week. Kane said he’s in the tournament as the replacement… Dombrowski wondered whether Kane’s rumor regarding Tankman was true, then hyped Kane’s prize fight challenge… A brief video hyped Gnarls Garvin as coming soon… [C]
Bocchini hyped MLW Fusion for Thanksgiving, which includes Myron Reed vs. Alex Kane vs. Zenshi vs. Alex Shelley vs. a wild card entrant in a ladder match to determine the new MLW National Openweight Champion…
Dombrowski ran through the upcoming fights calendar, which listed Bobby Fish vs. Davey Richards for next week’s show, Saturday’s event in Philly, and the Thanksgiving show…
Alicia Atout stood backstage and said she spoke with Calvin Tankman, who was at home training. She said Tankman would not be withdrawing from the Opera Cup tournament…
Alex Kane and King Mo made their entrance. Warhorse came out as the open challenge opponent and received a mild reaction, but then the crowd chanted his name once he was inside the ring…
2. Alex Kane (w/King Mo) vs. Warhorse. Warhorse heabutted Mo prior to the match. Kane attacked Warhorse, who fought back. Warhorse went to ringside and chased Mo away, only to be hit from behind by Kane again. Warhorse once again battled back and tossed Kane back inside the ring.
Kane headbutted Warhorse, who went into Danzig mode by asking if Kane wanted to bang heads with him. Warhorse got the better of the headbutts and then performed a missile dropkick. Kane rallied with an exploder suplex in the corner. Kane performed more suplexes and hit a ripcord Olympic Slam. Kane performed a fifth suplex and scored the pin…
Alex Kane defeated Warhorse.
Powell’s POV: As a hard rock fan, I think I’m supposed to enjoy Warhorse’s gimmick more than I actually do. In fairness, my exposure to him is limited to this loss and his AEW loss to Cody Rhodes, and I know he’s developed a nice following on the independent scene. It will be interesting to see if he does more with MLW or if he was just brought in to be fed to Kane.
Backstage, Tom Lawlor tried to explain his comical white board plan for the casket match to Kevin Ku. However, Ku told him that he thought it was time for him to be on his own… Masked wrestlers brought the casket to ringside… [C] Bocchini hosted the War Chamber control center segment…
A Josef Samael promo aired. He said America is full of lies and called it the United States of Propaganda. He said he is the leader of Contra Unit and the real El Jefe. He said he has an army whereas Hammerstone only has three men for the five-on-five War Chamber match. Samael said everyone will bow down to him and his soldiers…
Footage aired of Hammerstone being asked in a parking garage if he was going to let Cesar Duran fill out his War Chamber team. Hammerstone mocked the idea of trusting Duran…
Backstage, Richard Holliday, who still had his head wrapped, told Alicia Atout about his new Japanese candy. He offered her a sample. Holliday opened a door and found Tajiri eating his candy. Tajiri threw the candy at Holliday, who closed the door…
Dombrowski said Cesar Duran gave Holidead a bonus for ambitious violence rather than fine her for her actions…
Ring entrances for the main event took place. Lawlor came out first. A woman with a hood over her head came out. The broadcast team said it was Karlee Perez and said she has a hold over Muertes, who then made his entrance… [C]
Powell’s POV: Perez worked as Maxine in WWE, and played the role of Catrina in Lucha Underground. She is a fun addition given her character’s connection to Muertes when they were in LU together.
3. King Muertes (w/Karlee Perez) vs. Tom Lawlor in a casket match for the IWA Caribbean Championship. Perez held a skull in her hand. Muertes rolled Lawlor into the casket and tried to close the lid, but Lawlor fought him off. Lawlor clotheslined Muertes over the top rope and then dropkicked his knee. Lawlor threw a knee to the head of Muertes.
Lawlor dragged Muertes across the ring, but Muertes recovered and grabbed Lawlor by the throat. Lawlor punched him several times and then rolled him inside the casket, but Muertes stopped him from closing the lid. Muertes threw punches.
Lawlor roughed up Muertes at ringside, then moved away in a fearful manner when he got too close to Perez and the skull. Lawlor ended up jabbing a chair into the gut of Muertes. Lawlor swung the chair at Muertes, who moved, causing the chair to hit the casket. Muertes powerbombed Lawlor onto the casket.
Muertes rolled Lawlor back inside the ring where he clotheslined him several times in the corner. Lawlor caught Muertes in a rear naked choke. Bocchini said Muertes appeared to be crawling toward Perez and chalked it up to her having some type of mystical energy. Lawlor rolled Muertes inside the casket, but Muertes stopped him from closing the lid.
Muertes grabbed Lawlor by the throat and then brought him back inside the ring. Lawlor fought back. Muertes put him down with a power slam. Lawlor caught Muertes in a guillotine choke. Muertes stood up while Lawlor had the hold applied and broke it with his Straight to Hell finisher. Muertes placed Lawlor in the casket and closed the lid to win the match.
King Muertes defeated Tom Lawlor in a casket match to retain the IWA Caribbean Championship.
Muertes and Perez stood inside the ring together. Muertes took a knee and then she stood behind him and held up the skull. The broadcast team narrated highlights from the match. Perez led Muertes up the ramp. They posed on the stage to close the show…
Powell’s POV: Lawlor announced earlier this week that his MLW contract expired and he’s now a free agent, so this angle appears to be MLW’s way of writing him out. If this was the sacrifice that they’ve been teasing, then I’m totally fine with it. Bocchini spoke about mystical energy, but we didn’t see any hocus pocus or anyone killed in Lucha Underground’s old comic book style. It worked for LU, but they established a different storyline universe than what MLW has, so I’ll be happy if this is as far as MLW goes in that direction. Overall, a decent edition of Fusion. It wasn’t as good as some of the other recent editions, but it was still an easy to watch hour of television. I see a screener of the show, so my weekly MLW audio review is now available for Dot Net Members.
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