Major League Wrestling Fusion – November 30, 2018: Which Way To Miami?
IMG Credit: Major League Wrestling
Fusion #33
Date: November 30, 2018
Location: Cicero Stadium, Chicago, Illinois
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Rich Bocchini
We’re still in Chicago after last week’s explosion from Shane Strickland. That seems to be his final night for the company, but the question now is where do things go from here. The Miami shows should cover them for most of the time until the big February show, but until then we’ve got some time left to fill. Let’s get to it.
Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.
Salina de la Renta is rubbing some rocks together and speaking a different language. Her fingers are bleeding and she licks the blood while saying LA Park. So is she a witch now?
Opening sequence.
There will be a live version of Fusion on December 14 from Miami. Cool.
Here’s Simon Gotch for his Prize Fight Challenge, but first he talks about having a lot of filthy history around here. To be the best you need funds though, so tonight it’s $10,000 on the line against anyone filthy enough to take the money from him.
Simon Gotch vs. Ariel Dominguez
Dominguez is about as big as Rey Mysterio. Gotch wastes no time in throwing him down and lays in some forearms in the corner. A buckle bomb doesn’t quite work as Dominguez isn’t big enough to reach the corner. The cradle piledriver finishes Dominguez at 1:26.
Post match Gotch shoves the money in Dominguez’s mouth and gives him another piledriver. How Ted DiBiase of him.
We look back at MJF jumping Kotto Brazil last week. Kotto has promised to be ready for Miami.
MJF says there won’t be a ladder match in Miami, because he’s better than that. He is NOT afraid of heights but he’s not going to do the match because it’s not worth his time. Like the interviewer.
Tommy Dreamer was excited to fight Brian Pillman Jr. because he knew his dad. Now though, he has to teach a skinny jeaned millennial (ERG) some respect, because he’d rather fight than insult people on those podcasts that everyone has. I heard a similar promo on Eli Drake on this week’s Impact. Moral of the story: STOP HAVING TOMMY DREAMER AS A FEATURED PERFORMER!
Stokely Hathaway likes domination and is here to take MLW to new heights. Whoever he manages, they will right the wrongs of MLW.
Tommy Dreamer vs. Brian Pillman Jr.
Dreamer works on a wristlock to start and Pillman bails tot he corner like he probably should. That’s enough for a standoff and Dreamer’s chop just seems to annoy Pillman. The snap jabs have some more luck and there’s the Flip Flop and Fly. They head outside so Dreamer can spit beer in his face but takes too long trying to hammer in the corner, allowing Pillman to superkick him in the leg.
We hit the chinlock for a bit until Pillman lets it go and drops an elbow. The conversation stays on Pillman and the Harts turning on Kevin Sullivan, with Tony comparing it to Larry Zbyszko and Bruno Sammartino. I don’t think it’s that severe just yet. Dreamer gets two off a cutter but gets chopped hard, which seems to hurt Dreamer’s neck. Pillman grabs the cane but the referee takes it away, allowing Dreamer to hit a low blow for the pin at 6:34.
Rating: D. My head hurts again. The match wasn’t the worst but I’m so sick of seeing Dreamer anywhere, let alone pinning anyone. They had a story here and it helped a bit, but my goodness this is the second time in a week I’ve seen Dreamer in a big match. Are there no other veterans available? Or a veteran who can talk about more than legends and hardcore?
Post match Dreamer raises his hand, and gets taken down by a neckbreaker because Pillman is a villain. Pillman unloads on him with the cane and here’s Teddy Hart to raise Pillman’s hand. Teddy leaves and Pillman adds another neckbreaker. Good. Now take some time off TV. Like seventeen years or so.
Konnan says there’s bad blood in the title match but his boys will be ready.
Tom Lawlor calls Gotch a liar who wasn’t really family. Gotch chose the short term over the long term and he won’t be able to use that money and the gold watch because Lawlor is going to break every one of his fingers.
Miami control center. Added to the first night: Teddy Hart vs. Pentagon, Rush vs. Shane Strickland (well that’s a surprise), Dragon Lee vs. Rich Swann, DJZ vs. El Hijo De LA Park and Andrew Everett vs. Dezmond Xavier.
For the live show on December 14: Dreamer vs. Pillman Jr. in a Singapore Cane match, Rush vs. Rich Swann, Ace Romero vs. Barrington Hughes, Dragon Lee vs. DJZ and Low Ki vs. Konnan (I’m still curious about that one) and MJF vs. Dezmond Xavier vs. Kotto Brazil vs. Jason Cade vs. Andrew Everett in a five way ladder match for the Middleweight Title. I kind of want to see the show, save for the Dreamer match because somehow Dreamer is getting a match on a featured show.
Tag Team Titles: Lucha Bros vs. LA Park/El Hijo De LA Park
The Parks are challenging and have Salina de la Renta with them while the champs have Konnan. This is under “Mexican” rules, which means tornado. The slugout is on to start with the champs getting kicked in the face to cut them off. Hijo takes Fenix outside for a crotching on the barricade, followed by a broken piece of table to the head (I guess Mexican rules mean no DQ). Some chair shots, including using one for a crotching (egads man), keep Fenix in trouble.
Park chairs Pentagon in the head and Fenix gets the same as the skeletons are in full control. To keep things even, Pentagon gets crotched against the post, with Fenix taking a THIRD crotching a few seconds later. Somehow Fenix is fine enough to hit a double Lethal Injection, followed by Pentagon’s back to back Sling Blades. The champs nail some running dives over the top, with Fenix banging his elbow up in the process. Back in and the champs whip Hijo with Park’s belt, followed by a 619 into the wheelbarrow splash for two.
Park tries to come in as well and eats a pair of superkicks for his efforts. With nothing else working, Park backdrops his son to the apron, allowing him to come back in for some stereo tilt-a-whirl backbreakers. That means stereo suicide dives from the skeletons as the fans are WAY into this one. Everyone misses something from the top though and things slow down a good bit. Fenix tries his springboard hurricanrana but gets caught in a top rope Spanish Fly for two, even as Park spears Pentagon down.
A hanging double stomp to the back knocks Fenix silly on the floor as his very rough night continues. Hijo makes the mistake of trying his luck with Pentagon, earning himself a suplex into the corner. That means a showdown between Park and Pentagon, which I don’t think means as much as they think it does. They chop it out until Park gets two off a clothesline. Pentagon is fine enough to kick Park’s leg out and hits the top rope double stomp for two.
Fenix finally gets back up and casually sidesteps a dropkick from Hijo. A rolling cutter puts Hijo down but he jumps onto Fenix’s back, spins around a bit, and pulls Fenix into a Canadian Destroyer for two. The Black Fire Driver gets the same on Hijo and it’s Pentagon coming back in with a chair to Hijo’s back. Park is fine enough to take out Pentagon’s knee though and a basement dropkick gets two.
The Backstabber out of the cover gives Pentagon the same but the dive is broken up by Hijo’s chair to the head. Fenix comes back in and kicks away at Hijo but gets sent outside for a twisting Asai moonsault. Park headbutts Pentagon down and the delayed cover gets two. Back up and Pentagon kicks Park low, leaving Hijo to take the spike Fear factor. Fenix hits a big flip dive through the ropes onto Park and flies into the crowd as Pentagon retains the titles at 21:08.
Rating: B-. Well that was long. I’m not sure how epic the skeletons are as a team but Park was doing well enough, overly large stomach aside. Other than that, you have the small Hijo who is fine but nothing special. It’s cool to have brothers vs. a father and son, though that’s about all this has going for it. Not bad, but nothing I’m going to remember as anything great.
Overall Rating: C-. Pretty flat show here as they seem to be holding the fort until we get to Miami. That’s not the worst idea in the world and this week certainly wasn’t terrible, but it’s also not thrilling. The main event is the best part by far, but even that’s not a great match. The Miami cards are looking good though and that’s what matters at the moment.
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