By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
Major League Wrestling Fusion (Episode 119)
Taped in Orlando, Florida at GILT Nightclub
Streamed January 27, 2021 on Fubo Sports, Pluto TV, and MLW’s YouTube Page
MLW opened with a montage of promos from Richard Holliday and Savio Vega regarding the strap match main event… A portion of the Fusion opening video aired, but it was interrupted.
A Contra video aired. Josef Samael called Jordan Oliver and Myron Reed “infantile infidels” and reminded them that he has soldiers all over the planet. Samael said Daivari was weak and broken down, but he was rebuilt in the black blood of Contra. Samael said Daivari is bigger, faster, and stronger…
Rich Bocchini and Saint Laurent checked in on commentary…
1. Laredo Kid vs. Zenshi for the AAA Cruiserweight Championship. A few minutes in, Zenshi performed a cool move in which he teased diving onto Kid at ringside, but he did a single hand handstand, then swung his legs and kicked Laredo on the floor. Back in the ring, Zenshi performed a slingshot move and covered Kid for a two count.
Kid came back with a missile dropkick. Zenshi rolled to ringside, where Kid eventually performed a Michinoku Driver on the floor. Kid followed up with a 450 splash from the apron onto Zenshi at ringside. Kid rolled Zenshi back inside the ring and covered him for a two count.
Kid came back and performed a Michinoku Driver in the ring. Kid executed a moonsault from the bottom rope. When he tried another from the middle rope, Zenshi put his knees up. Zenshi performed a series of offensive moves that concluded with a standing moonsault for a near fall.
A short time later, Zenshi caught Kid on the ropes and performed a snap mare into the ring and then covered him for a two count. Zenshi and Kid fought on the ropes. Kid got the better of it and executed a Spanish Fly that led to the three count. Kid bled from the lip afterward..
Laredo Kid defeated Zenshi in 10:01 to retain the AAA Cruiserweight Championship.
After the match, Kid delivered a backstage promo. He said he wants to be a champion in MLW and challenged Lio Rush. The Contra logo flashed during his promo…
Powell’s POV: A really nice match. Laredo Kid is always impressive, and I continue to enjoy the work of Zenshi. There was no reason to expect a title change, but Kid was gracious in terms of giving Zenshi a good amount of offense. Here’s hoping that Zenshi eventually becomes a player in the MLW middleweight division. In the meantime, I love the idea of a Lio Rush vs. Laredo Kid match.
Footage aired of Injustice attacking Contra after posing as Sentai Death Squad members… A black and white Reed promo aired. He said Contra tried to humiliate him, but it only made him stronger. Reed said they started his evolution and he thanked them. He said he would get his justice…
Laurent ran through the latest PWI Top 10 rankings for the MLW Championship held by Jacob Fatu. The rankings were not shown last week, so the changes noted below are from two weeks ago. Laurent noted that LA Park has moved to the tag division, so he is no longer listed.
10. ACH (ninth last time)
9. Daivari (previously unranked)
8. Myron Reed (same as last time)
7. Mil Muertes (previously unranked)
6. Richard Holliday (same as last time)
5. Mads Krugger (seventh last time)
4. MLW Middleweight Champion Lio Rush (fifth last time)
3. Low Ki (same as last time)
2. Tom Lawlor (same as last time)
1. MLW National Openweight Champion Alex Hammerstone (same as last time)
Powell’s POV: In addition to LA Park, Laredo Kid dropped out of the top ten.
Footage aired of Kevin Von Erich with his sons Ross and Marshall in Hawaii. Kevin smoked a cigar while giving his sons instructions on work they had to do on their property. He also told them hard work got them where they are. He also said he was screwed similar to the way they were when they had the MLW Tag Titles stolen by Los Parks. Ross noted that Tom Lawlor was in Hawaii and having issues with the locals. Marshall spoke about taking the tag titles back…
Los Parks delivered a promo from their gym. They spoke in Spanish and subtitles were used. They said they are grateful to the new owner of Promociones Dorado for getting them the tag title shot. They also mocked TJP and Bu Ku Dao, and said the winner of their match with Violence is Forever better have insurance… [C]
The Filthy Island teaser aired for the February 17 edition… Footage aired from “moments ago” of Gino Medina exiting a car. He told a woman holding the camera that he was there to watch the main event so he could see Richard Holliday get cracked with a whip…
Bocchini hyped Alexander Hammerstone vs. Mads Krugger in a Baklei Brawl for next week… A Krugger video aired. He spoke with a distorted voice about how the Baklei Brawl will live in Hammerstone’s nightmares…
The upcoming fights graphic listed next week’s show and the Filthy Island show for February 17…
A Tom Lawlor video aired. Lawlor denied that he or anyone from Team Filthy attacked ACH. He said ACH probably took a look at Fatu and realized that he’s not championship material. Lawlor implied that the MLW brass should have put him in the MLW Championship match…
Bocchini noted that advertisers have pulled out of Filthy Island due to the scandal over ACH being attacked. He wondered if it would be another Fyre Festival…
2. TJP and Bu Ku Dao vs. “Violence Is Forever” Dominic Garrini and Kevin Ku for a shot at the MLW Tag Titles. Early in the match, TJP placed Dao on his shoulders and then performed a rolling senton onto Ku. Garrini and Ku came back with a nice forearm into a suplex combo move on Dao.
Garrini and Ku isolated Dao and taunted TJP in the process. TJP eventually took a hot tag and worked over both opponents, including a clunky arm drag and head scissors combo on both opponents. TJP went up top for a move on Ku, but Garrini shoved him down. Dao tagged in and put Ku in a crossface. TJP caught Garrini in an abdominal stretch, but Garrini drove him into Ku to break the submission hold.
Dao dropkicked Ku, who then fired off a series of strikes. TJP hit Ku with a kick. Garrini knocked TJP down with a high knee. Garrini and Ku set up for their finisher, but TJP escaped. Dao dove onto Ku awkwardly. TJP performed a top rope splash onto Ku, then Dao covered him to win the match…
TJP and Bu Ku Dao beat “Violence Is Forever” Dominic Garrini and Kevin Ku in 10:02 to earn an MLW Tag Title match.
TJP took the mic and said it’s a new year in MLW and it’s a new TJP. He told Dao to stick with him and follow his lead because next week “we’re taking a stroll through Los Parks”…
Bocchini hyped Los Parks vs. TJP and Dao for the MLW Tag Titles for next week’s show…
Powell’s POV: Ouch. It wasn’t all bad, but there were definitely some rough spots during the match. I couldn’t tell if TJP mentioning that it’s a new year and a new version of himself was foreshadowing a turn or if it was just a random comment. TJP is almost always booked as a babyface, but the guy is a pure heel. In other words, I would welcome a turn if that’s where this is going.
A King Mo promo aired from an undisclosed location. He said he broke Low Ki. He said Low Ki was once a legend, but now he’s a broken man. Mo said he’s worried because he’s seen what head trauma can do to boxers and MMA fighters. Mo said Low Ki should no longer be allowed to compete. He said Low Ki’s next time could be his last time, especially if he’s in the ring with him. Mo called for the commissions to ban Low Ki…
Richard Holliday cut a promo backstage about the main event. Holliday said he went back and watched Savio Vega’s classic strap match with Steve Austin from thirty years ago. Holliday said he would take great joy in hitting Vega with the strap. He said he wants Vega to remember that he asked for this. Holliday said Vega will never get over on him… A tale of the tape was shown for the main event…
3. Richard Holliday vs. Savio Vega in a Strap Match for the Caribbean Championship. Laurent noted that the goal of the match was to touch all four corners of the ring uninterrupted. Holliday made an attempt to do so during the opening seconds, but Vega cut him off and then choked him with the strap. Vega touched three turnbuckle pads, but Holliday pulled the strap to prevent him from winning the match.
Later, Holliday ended up at ringside. Vega tried to get him back inside the ring, but Holliday used the top rope to clothesline him. Holliday performed a top rope clothesline. Holliday touched three corners, then Vega pulled the strap to prevent him from touching the fourth. Vega pulled the strap between the legs of Holiday, which flipped him onto his back.
Vega touched three corners and then Holliday cut him off from touching the fourth. Vega pulled Holliday toward him and clotheslined him. Vega choked Holliday with the strap, then whipped him with it. Vega tied Holliday’s legs together and then dragged him while he touched three corners, but Holliday cut him off again.
Holliday clotheslined Vega and then covered him while the broadcast team reminded viewers that pinfalls were not allowed in the match. Both men met in the middle of the ring with simultaneous clotheslines. Vega started touching corners, while Holliday did the same as he followed behind him. Vega reached out to touch the fourth corner, but the referee was in the way. Vega pulled the referee out of the way, then Holliday touched the fourth corner to win the match.
Richard Holliday defeated Savio Vega in 8:57 in a Strap Match to retain the Caribbean Championship.
“What the hell was that?” Bocchini asked. The referee left the ring with Holliday while Vega fumed inside the ring…
Backstage, Alicia Atout interviewed Richard Holliday while the referee stood by. “Tim, I’m sorry, Mr. Official, controversy?” Holliday said. He said the odds were stacked against him, but the won the match. The referee said he called the match just as he did in 2007 when the Lakers played the Kings. Vega showed up and barked about being cheated, which led to Holliday and the referee scurrying away to close the show…
Powell’s POV: Finally, there’s no more disputing that Holliday is the rightful holder of the Caribbean Championship! Okay, maybe not. Anyway, that was shamed NBA referee Tim Donaghy, who was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison due to betting on games and making calls that affected the point spread.
I got a kick out of the angle, but it was a bad match. Holliday was in there with a 56 year-old Vega and a first-time pro wrestling referee working a strap match with no fans in the building, so what did you expect? Really, this show was all downhill after the good opening match. More than anything, I was disappointed that there wasn’t a significant followup to the Azteca Underground Inc. storyline for a second straight week. My audio review of this episode is now available for Dot Net Members.
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