Major League Wrestling Fusion – July 6, 2018: Maybe That’s A Good Thing
IMG Credit: Major League Wrestling
Fusion #12
Date: July 6, 2018
Location: Gilt Nightclub, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Rich Bocchini, Tony Schiavone
We’re getting closer to Battle Riot, but it’s not exactly clear how that’s going to go with this promotion. I mean, the fact that we’re only about three months into things might have something to do with that. There are several stories to pick from around here so hopefully things continue to be the solid hour of wrestling that I’ve gotten used to. Let’s get to it.
Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.
The opening video looks at Sami Callihan and company attacking everyone, mainly focusing on MVP. Tonight it’s a Boiler Room Brawl between MVP and Callihan. That sounds like a really, really bad idea.
Opening sequence.
ACH/Rich Swann vs. Team Filthy
The fans are WAY behind Swann and ACH here, which makes sense as they’re a rather good choice for a team. Swann nips out of Gotch’s wristlock to start as ACH is dancing along the apron like a bit of a nitwit. A dropkick puts Gotch down as Tony thinks Swann and ACH are one of the top ten teams in MLW. I’m having trouble thinking of five of them so we’ll chalk this up to Schiavone being Schiavone. Lawlor comes in and knees his way out of an armbar as the announcers start talking about 80s tag teams, none of whom really have anything in common with the teams in the match.
Lawlor sits in the middle of the ring and offers ACH a chance so it’s a dropkick to the face for two. It’s off to Swann for some dropkicks on Gotch, who pulls him down by the arm for an attempted cross armbreaker. That’s blocked as well but here are the Dirty Blonds for a staredown with Team Filthy. Swann and ACH dive onto the four of them but since we don’t have enough going on, here’s Jake Hager to throw Lawlor into the barricade. Back in and ACH’s brainbuster into a frog splash from Swann is enough for the pin on Gotch at 7:14.
Rating: C. Now that’s a bit better job at setting up a tag division. You have three teams here, plus the champs and another one or two, which gives you a few options for feuds. That’s already more impressive and well put together than almost anything WWE has done in years. When you consider the amount of names WWE has by comparison, there isn’t much of an excuse.
Salina de la Renta arrived earlier today, insulted an interviewer, and wouldn’t talk about the bounty.
Colonel Parker and Hager aren’t happy with what Lawlor did to his hat. Revenge is sworn.
Announced for Battle Riot: Aerostar, Maxwell J. Friedman, Leo Brien, Michael Patrick, Rey Fenix, Vandal Ortagun, Simon Gotch, Drago. That’s going to be a heck of a match. Also announced: Shane Strickland vs. Sami Callihan, the Lucha Bros defending against Aerostar/Drago, Jimmy Havoc vs. Brody King and PCO (Why is he such a big deal all of a sudden?) vs. Homicide.
Salina isn’t happy with Sammy Guevara and fired him from her hot tub.
Next week: Hager vs. Lawlor.
Lawlor says he’ll win.
Low Ki vs. Ricky Martinez
Low Ki runs him over at the bell and throws some right hands, already making this a more diverse offense than most of his matches. Some elbows in the corner rock Martinez even more as the announcers talk about Salina. A running dropkick sets up a kick to the head to give Ki the pin at 2:29. Total squash, as it should be.
In the back, Low Ki says it’s not about a bounty but about an investment. Strickland needs to spend time with his family before the public execution.
Barrington Hughes wants Leon Scott (one of Callihan’s goons) for the brawl a few weeks back.
Here’s this month’s top ten:
10. Barrington Hughes
9. Teddy Hart
8. Jimmy Havoc
7. Maxwell J. Friedman
6. ACH
5. Rey Fenix
4. Sami Callihan
3. Low Ki
2. Pentagon Jr.
1. Tom Lawlor
Strickland isn’t worried about the bounty because being the World Champion always means there’s a price on your head. Everyone has attacked him and if Low Ki is the next one up, bring it on.
MVP vs. Sami Callihan
Boiler Room Brawl. The room is tiny and Sami looks scared but since there is barely any room to hide, they’re off to the eye gouging in a hurry. Sami gets a cage door slammed on him a few times with Bocchini saying it’s shades of the Freebirds and the Von Erichs. I’ll yell about that later. They hit each other with more metal objects and Sami leaves, defeating the purpose of a Boiler Room Brawl.
MVP follows him into the hallway but Leon Scott jumps him, only to be taken down in short order. Cue Sawyer Fulton to offer another failed save as MVP kicks Callihan low. Sami hits him with a chair but gets hit in the face as this is already not doing much for me. They’re already in the arena because there was nowhere near enough room in the Boiler Room to make the gimmick mean anything. The fight heads into the crowd with MVP being sent into a post for very little effect.
Sami gets hit in the head with a beer bottle to even less effect. He sends MVP into various things, including the ring, but stops to throw some chairs inside. A piledriver onto the chair is blocked and MVP hits the Playmaker onto the chair, which really should just hurt his own knee instead of Callihan.
Since that’s the worst finisher I can think of at the moment, Callihan pops up and sends the chair into MVP’s hands (not even close to the head) for two of his own. It’s baseball bat time but MVP spears him down and grabs the bat. Cue the goons again and the distraction lets Callihan take the bat away again. The shoulder breaker gets two so MVP spits in his face, earning a bat to the head for the pin at 11:32.
Rating: F. It was somehow worse than I was expecting as they hit each other over and over with the boiler room part taking all of four minutes. This feud isn’t interesting and hasn’t been since it started, which isn’t exactly thrilling when you get a boring match as a result. Tony kept hyping up the idea of this being the first Boiler Room Brawl in about twenty years. Maybe there’s a reason it wasn’t around?
Overall Rating: D. If Low Ki is the best part of a show, you know they’re not doing things right. This was pretty easily the weakest show of the series, all because of the main event. Battle Riot is looking better though because of how stacked the card really is. Everyone has to have a bad show and MVP leaving soon is going to help. I was never a fan of the guy and it makes things better to not have him around. Really bad main event here and the show suffered as a result.
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