By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
MLW “Lucha Apocalypto”
November 9, 2024 in Cicero, Illinois at Cicero Stadium
Streamed November 10, 2024 on the MLW YouTube Page
This was supposed to air live, but due to technical issues, it was released on Sunday night. I attended a TNA PPV in this venue almost one year ago even, and this facility is in a Latino neighborhood and at capacity holds maybe 600. MLW touted it was a sellout. Lighting is great and this venue just looks wonderful on TV. Joe Dombrowski and Tom Lawlor provided commentary. (Where is Christian Cole? I liked the work he’s done.) Dombrowski said this is MLW’s 11th straight sellout!
* Cesar Duran addressed the crowd to open the show.
1. Hechicero and Ultimo Guerrero vs. Kevin Knight and Esfinge. Esfinge was struck before the bell.Knight competed in the NJPW show in Massachusetts 24 hours earlier. Knight and Hechicero opened, and Hechicero applied a leg lock around the neck. Guerrero entered and hit some chops. Kevin hit a dropkick at 4:30. Guerrero dropkicked Knight to the floor, and they kept working over Kevin in the ring. Guerrero dropped him stomach-first off the second rope to the mat at 8:00.
Esfinge finally tagged in for the first time and he hit some tilt-a-whirl backbreakers over his knee, then some monkey flips. He hit a top-rope crossbody block on Hechicero, then a huracanrana. Hechicero hit his own backbreaker over his knee at 10:00. He tied up Esfinge’s arms on the mat, rolled him around several times and scored the pin.
Hechicero and Ultimo Guerrero defeated Esfinge and Kevin Knight at 10:37.
* A video of Salina De La Renta backstage. We were informed that her father has been kidnapped. I have NOT missed Salina’s telenovela drama.
2. Brett Ryan Gosselin vs. Alex Kane in a chain match. BRG came out first and spoke briefly in Spanish and was booed. He’s so smarmy! A dozen or so Bomaye Fight Club members joined Kane to ringside. They were tied to each other by the wrist, and Kane was in charge early on. BRG climbed the ropes, but Kane yanked him to the mat at 1:30. BRG went to the floor to regroup, but of course Kane pulled him into the ring post. Kane wrapped the chain around the throat and hanged BRG. Brett had a bloody trickle on his forehead.
In the ring, Kane hit a back suplex at 3:30. Lawlor on commentary wondered where the rest of the Rogue Horsemen are. Kane applied a rear-naked choke. Right on cue, Bobby Fish, Brock Anderson and CW Anderson appeared at ringside and beat up Mr. Thomas. They surrounded the ring and distracted Kane. BRG got a rollup, put his feet on the ropes, and scored the pin. That came out of nowhere.
Brett Ryan Gosselin defeated Alex Kane at 5:11.
* Backstage, Krule made a challenge to Akira to a match at MLW Slaughterhouse.
3. Janai Kai vs. Lluvia vs. Persephone for the MLW Featherweight Title. Lluvia wore orange today and she’s a masked wrestler. My first time seeing Persephone, who wore black with purple trim and she doesn’t wear a mask. She has long, dark hair. Kai got pushed to the floor at the bell, and Persephone hit some deep armdrags on Lluvia. Janai hit a kick to Lluvia’s back as Lluvia was in the ropes and got a nearfall at 3:30. Both challengers tied up Janai on the mat. Janai hit a Mafia Kick on Persephone. Lluvia hit a Lungblower to Persephone’s back at 6:00. Persephone hit a spear on Lluvia and all three were down.
Kai hit an inverted DDT for a nearfall. Persephone hit a German Suplex on Kai for a nearfall, but Lluvia made the save. Lluvia hit a crossbody block on Persephone. Kai kicked Lluvia to the floor. Kai then locked in the Demon Clutch/modified Dragon Sleeper, and Persephone tapped out. Decent action.
Janai Kai defeated Lluvia and Persephone to retain the MLW Featherweight Title at 8:28.
* Delmi Exo came out from the back. She blamed Contra Unit for stealing “El Jefe.” She wants to kick in Kai’s teeth right now! Janai walked away rather than fight her.
* We flipped to Dombrowski and Lawlor, who were discussing who could possibly have kidnapped Cesar Duran. Dombrowski noted that Eric Bischoff is coming to MLW, and listed him as a possible suspect. Backstage, Salina said if she doesn’t get him back, unharmed, there will be severe consequences. I can’t express how little I care about their storyline.
* Jesus Rodriguez came to the ring to make introductions for our next match!
4. Bad Dude Tito vs. Matthew Justice in a Falls Count Anywhere match for the MLW National Openweight Title. Tito, like Kevin Knight, wrestled for NJPW 24 hours earlier. Justice carried a table with him from the back. The bell sounded as they brawled in the aisle to ringside. They brawled into the crowd, and Justice slammed chairs on Tito. Tito hit a Death Valley Driver onto a thin mat at ringside at 2:30, and he whipped several chairs at Justice. Matthew hit a Death Valley Driver across two open chairs for a nearfall at 5:30. (They are still at ringside; they haven’t been in the ring once.) Tito hit a leaping piledriver off the ring apron with them both crashing through a table at ringside, getting a nearfall at 7:30 and a “holy shit!” chant from the fans.
Justice hit another chairshot to the back as they fought back into the crowd. Rodriguez swung at Justice, but Matthew stopped him and he struck Jesus Rodriguez with a chair. Justice leapt off a ledge in the balcony and splashed onto Tito, who was lying on a table, and pinned him. They actually did the whole match without ever getting in the ring.
Matthew Justice defeated Bad Dude Tito in a Falls Count Anywhere match to win the MLW National Openweight Title at 10:22.
* Dombrowski was in the ring and he introduced Satoshi Kojima. However, Minoru Suzuki and Ikuro Kwon attacked him. Matt Riddle ran out to make the save! Riddle got on the mic and made a challenge for a tag title match. Minoru got on the mic and accepted.
5. Minoru Suzuki and Ikuro Kwon vs. Matt Riddle and Satoshi Kojima for the MLW Tag Team Titles. Satoshi and Kwon opened. Suzuki entered and hit some knee lifts to Satoshi’s gut. Satoshi hit his rapid-fire chops on Suzuki. Suzuki and Riddle brawled at ringside, while Kwon and Kojima brawled on the floor on the other side of the ring. In the ring, Satoshi hit a Koji Cutter on Kwon at 4:30. Riddle entered and hit an Exploder Suplex and a senton on Kwon. He missed a moonsault but landed on his feet. Kwon hit a back suplex for a nearfall. Riddle flipped Kwon to the floor. Suzuki grabbed Riddle and applied a rear-naked choke. Kwon sprayed mist into Satoshi’s eyes. Suzuki choked Riddle with a ringside apron, and the ref got shoved. The ref called for the bell.
Matt Riddle and Satoshi Kojima defeated Minoru Suzuki and Ikuro Kwon via DQ at 7:08; Suzuki and Kwon retain the MLW Tag Team Titles.
6. Magnus, Felino, and Barbaro Cavernario vs. Star Jr., Atlantis, and Atlantis Jr. Magnus is in metallic white/silver. Star Jr. is in blue. Felino wore black and he doesn’t wear a mask. Magnus and Star Jr. opened and traded quick lucha reversals. Felino and Atlantis entered at 1:30, and the rudos began stomping on Atlantis. Cavernario and Atlantis Jr. entered and traded offense. Star Jr. hit a dropkick. Magnus hit a stunner on Atlantis Jr. at 5:00. Magnus hit a 619 on Atlantis. Barbario hit a hammerlock suplex on Star Jr. at 8:00. Atlantis Jr. began hitting a series of backbreakers over his knee. Star Jr. hit a top-rope crossbody block on two rudos. Star Jr. hit a springboard dropkick at 11:00. Atlantis hit a double armdrag and more tilt-a-whirl backbreakers over his knee. Atlantis hit a dive off the apron to the floor. Felino missed a top-rope elbow drop; Atlantis Jr. immediately hit a frogsplash to pin Felino. Solid, standard, entertaining lucha match.
Star Jr., Atlantis, and Atlantis Jr. defeated Magnus, Felino, and Barbaro Cavernario at 12:49.
* A video aired of Eric Bischoff’s return coming on Dec. 5 in New York.
* Two Aztecas (black clothes, red masks) got in the ring. Donovan Dijak walked to the ring and beat up these two scrawny guys, hitting a double chokeslam and his discus Mafia Kick on one, then the Feast Your Eyes pop-up kneestrike on the other. Saint Laurant is with Dijak, and he has a clipboard. He offered an open contract to anyone. Dijak got on the mic and said the MLW locker room is filled with “a bunch of cowards.” He made cutting remarks about Kenta, Matt Riddle, then Tom Lawlor. Lawlor was incensed and got up from commentary table and got in the ring. Dombrowski said Lawlor wasn’t “cleared to fight.” (He had a match 24 hours ago in NJPW.) Lawlor and Dijak began brawling; a whole team of security tried to separate them.
7. Mistico vs. Titan vs. Averno for the MLW Middleweight Title. Averno has long black hair and does not wear a mask. I’ve become familiar with Titan for his tours in NJPW. Titan is bigger than Mistico, and he hit several quick kicks on Mistico. Averno hit a swinging faceplant on Titan at 2:00. Mistico hit a top-rope huracanrana on Averno. Averno and Titan hit stereo basement dropkicks on Mistico at 4:00. Averno dropped Mistico face-first on a table at ringside, then he bodyslammed him onto the thin mat at ringside. Titan immediately hit a doublestomp on Mistico’s gut as he was on the floor. In the ring, Averno covered Mistico for a nearfall at 6:00. Titan ripped at Mistico’s mask and was booed.
The two-on-one beatdowns continued, and Averno jawed at the fans. Mistico hit a handspring-back-double elbow at 10:30. He hit a huracanrana on Titan that sent Titan to the floor. He hit one on Averno, too. Mistico hit a twisting dive to the floor on both opponents. He hit another dive through the ropes onto both men. In the ring, the heels regained control. Averno hit a “Devils Wings” (Angels Wings face plant) at 14:00. Titan hit a twisting DDT on Mistico. Titan hit a flip dive onto both opponents. They did a tower spot out of the corner, and Averno got a nearfall on Mistico at 17:00. Averno nailed a second-rope Devil’s Wings on Titan for a believable nearfall, but Mistico broke it up. Mistico nailed a Code Red on Averno for a nearfall. Mistico hit a top-rope Spanish Fly on Averno at 20:00 and they were both down. Titan was nowhere to be seen.
Mistico went for the pin but Titan ran in and broke it up. Titan hit a top-rope doublestomp on Mistico for a nearfall, but Averno broke it up. Averno ripped at Mistico’s mask. Mistico hit a huracanrana on Averno, then a dive through the ropes on him. He hit a dive on Titan on the other side of the ring. In the ring, Mistico inally got on the Fujiwara Armbar on Titan, but Averno broke it up. Mistico then applied the Fujiwara Armbar on Averno, who quickly tapped out. An okay match; it was too much of a two-on-one beatdown at times, and I would have just preferred Mistico vs. Titan in a singles match.
Mistico defeated Titan and Averno to retain the MLW Middleweight Title at 23:26.
* Barbaro Cavernario jumped in the ring, attacked Mistico, and stole his mask and was loudly booed. Barbaro got on the mic and spoke in Spanish while holding Mistico’s match high above his head. Dombrowski said Barbaro challenged him to a match in January in Dallas.
* Backstage, Salina De La Renta was still searching for Cesar Duran. He was tied up in a boiler room. He didn’t know who did this to him. Salina’s water broke! “It’s time!” she said. Duran read a note he found as the show faded to black.
Final Thoughts: A solid show. The main event wasn’t bad but it didn’t meet my expectations, as the two heels took so long in taking turns beating down Mistico. Like I noted above, a singles match would have been far more entertaining. A good mix of lucha talent on this show. I liked Kevin Knight’s opening tag and Atlantis’ six-man tag. The Tito-Justice match was certainly different from the rest of the show. Kojima’s matches still are struggling to get over with me. I think they are overdue to move the belt onto Riddle, or possibly Dijak.
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