By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
Major League Wrestling Azteca (Episode 2)
Taped at the “Espada Underground Fight Club”
Streamed January 13, 2022 on the MLW’s YouTube Page and FITE.TV
A video package recapped last week’s show… Cesar Duran sat in his office with a couple of masked henchmen behind him. He wished viewers a happy new year. He said there have been nasty tweets about what happened to Alex Hammerstone, but he said that doesn’t matter to him.
Duran said that even the MLW Champion must bend a knee to him. Duran said you must show complete power and let the world know there are consequences when you’re El Jefe. He said this is MLW Azteca and closed by yelling, “Let’s Lucha”… The Azteca opening aired…
Rich Bocchini and Joe Dombrowski checked in from ringside at what they said was an underground fight club. They ran through the show’s lineup and wondered where Duran had Hammerstone taken…
Powell’s POV: Underground fight clubs have come a long way. This one looks like a pavilion and the sun is shining. There are even have kids in attendance. Who brings their child to an underground fight club?!? A really cool parent, that’s who. And underground fight club during day and a donkey show at night. That boy became a f—in’ man on the day this show was taped.
Entrances for the main event took place. A 5150 video aired with the champions talking about defending their tag titles against the Von Erichs in Dallas. They said the Von Erichs are not entitled to their titles…
1. 5150″ Slice Boogie and Rivera (w/Konnan) vs. Black Destiny and Skalibur for the MLW Tag Titles. They cut to a break early in the match. [C] The challengers powerbombed Rivera onto his partner and got a near fall. Boogie and Rivera came back and took out Skalibur with their double stomp and slam combo move.
5150″ Slice Boogie and Rivera defeated Black Destiny and Skalibur for the MLW Tag Titles.
After the match, Konnan cut a promo and talked smack about Aerostar and Drago, who ran out and fought with Boogie and Rivera at ringside and then to the back…
Powell’s POV: Bocchini used a different name for Skalibur, but I’m just rolling with what the official MLW preview listed. I believe the post match angle sets up the MLW Tag Title match that was held at the venue where last week’s show was taped.
Bocchini played up the mystery of what happened to Hammerstone after he was hauled off by Duran’s henchmen last week…
Alicia Atout interviewed Savio Vega in Puerto Rico. Vega said he spoke to Duran because he was unhappy with what happened to Hammerstone. Vega said he also wants his IWA Caribbean Championship back. Vega recalled Duran telling him that he would get a title shot if he could beat Pagaon…
Highlights aired of NZO’s attack on KC Navarro… Emlio Sparks caught up with NZO in a parking lot and asked him about what he did to Navarro. He said he taught the kid a lesson to never turn your back on an opponent…
Bocchini spoke about Davey Richards re-signing with MLW… Richards was shown arriving at the venue with the Opera Cup in hand… The broadcast team read a tweet from Court Bauer that demanded answers from Duran regarding the whereabouts of Hammerstone…
Richard Holliday was shown attempting to enter an office in search of Hammerstone. Two masked henchmen prevented him from entering the room. Alicia Atout showed up and told Holliday that it wasn’t worth it…
An EJ Nduka video package aired. He spoke about his football career and said he was still hungry for competition once it was over. He spoke about turning to pro wrestling and noted that he’ll be having a homecoming when MLW runs Dallas…
Footage aired of the 5150 duo talking in a stairwell. A masked henchmen showed up and handed them a note. The duo revealed that the note said something about them defending the tag titles against Aerostar and Drago… The broadcast team said the MLW Tag Title match will be held on next week’s show…
Bocchini announced that NZO has been suspended for refusing to apologize to KC Navarro…
Powell’s POV: Cancel culture strikes again! Or something like that.
2. Alex Kane (w/Mr. Thomas) vs. Aerostar for the MLW National Openweight Championship. Aerostar performed an early corkscrew plancha. He followed up with a huracanrana that sent Kane to ringside. The broadcast noted that Calvin Tankman was unable to travel to Mexico due to legal issues stemming from his attack on Kane and Mr. Thomas.
Kane caught Aerostar diving at him and delivered a fallaway slam. Thomas delivered a cheap shot on Aerostar while Kane distracted the referee. Kane suplexed Aerostar and covered him for a two count. Aerostar rallied and delivered double knees to the back of Kane, who went to ringside. Aerostar dove onto Kane and Thomas on the floor.
“5150” members Slice Boogie and Rivera ran out and attacked Aerostar while the referee was distracted. Once they fled the ring, Kane applied the Tazmission and got the submission win…
Alex Kane defeated Aerostar to retain the MLW National Openweight Championship.
Powell’s POV: An enjoyable match despite the referee having to do his best impersonation of AEW referee Rick Knox.
Emilio Sparks approached Cesar Duran in an office building and asked him what happened to Hammerstone. Duran said he couldn’t find any good help anywhere these days. A masked henchman showed up. Duran asked him where he was, then handed him some cash.
EJ Nduka showed up and asked Duran where Hammerstone was. Duran had Nduka enter his office and closed the door on Sparks, who said he was going to find the henchman… [C]
Powell’s POV: I guess Sparks isn’t a heel this week? He definitely came off heelish in recent weeks, but now he’s questioning Duran about Hammmerstone’ whereabouts.
A Bestia 666 video package aired and listed him as “rising soon”… A video aired with Mads Krugger behind held in chains by masked henchmen while Karlee Perez spoke to him. He asked her to name her price and asked to face Jacob Fatu. She told him that he would face Bestia 666. Krugger said he would annihilate him…
The upcoming fight schedule listed Mads Krugger vs. Bestia 666 in a Tijuana Street Fight for next week’s show, MLW in Dallas on January 21, and MLW in Charlotte on February 26…
Sparks stood outside the office building and observed three masked henchmen. When they split up, he followed one of them down a stairwell… [C] Gnarls Garvin delivered a promo from a trashy area. He said you don’t have to be a traditional athlete to get it done in MLW. He called for his opponents to be lined up…
Savio Vega made his entrance. Cameras cut backstage and showed that Davey Richards was lying on the ground wincing in pain. Bocchini recalled Richards having the Opera Cup earlier and wondered if someone stole it. Pagano made his entrance…
3. Pagano vs. Savio Vega. Vega jumped out to the early advantage and slammed a chair over the back of Pagano. Vega chopped Pagano and covered him for a two count. The broadcast team stated that the lucha referees are known for slow counts and said some of them have been known to take bribes.
Pagano came back and took offensive control briefly. Vega cut him off with punches and then choked him with a chair. They fought to ringside. Vega bladed. Back in the ring, Vega caught Pagano coming over the rope with a punch. [C]
Pagano put Vega down with a missile dropkick. Pagano placed Vega on the top turnbuckle and then poured tacks onto the apron. Pagano set up for a move on the ropes, but Vega pushed him onto the tacks. Vega leapt from the ropes while Pagano threw tacks at his face. Pagano placed a chair over the fallen Vega and then performed a moonsault onto him and scored the pin…
Pagano defeated Savio Vega.
The broadcast team hyped the MLW Tag Title match, and Jacob Fatu breaking his silence, and Mads Krugger vs. Bestia 666 in a Tijuana Street Fight for next week…
Sparks was shown in a hallway. He found closed doors with “Salina” and “Killshot” written on them. He watched as Richard Holliday released Hammerstone from another room…
Powell’s POV: This was fine for what it was. Vega is limited at this point in his career, but he does what he can in brief brawls. As for the final segment, Salina is in reference to Salina de la Renta, and Killshot is the character that Shane Strickland played in Lucha Underground. It’s interesting to follow as someone who gets these references. They come off like Easter Eggs rather than essential to the overall story, so hopefully the casual viewers are able to follow the basics even if they don’t get all of the references. The matches from Mexico have been nothing special thus far, but the strength of the show is the storytelling. I will have more to say about the show in my MLW Azteca Audio review on Friday.
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