MLW SuperFight: Condensed Pay Per View
IMG Credit: Major League Wrestling
SuperFight
Date: February 2, 2019
Location: 2300 Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Rich Bocchini, Matt Striker
This is a major event for the company as we’re live again for the second time ever. The fact that the network is allowing them to go live for a second time in a pretty short time frame is a good sign for them and hopefully it leads to some more positive signs in the future. The main event here is Low Ki defending the World Title against Tom Lawlor in a match several months in the making. Let’s get to it.
The opening video looks at Low Ki being undefeated in MLW, including in the original incarnation of the company. Lawlor on the other hand has been running through everyone in front of him and hasn’t lost in several months. It’s a good build, though the ending isn’t exactly in doubt from here.
We run down the card.
Tag Team Titles: Lucha Bros vs. Hart Foundation
Teddy Hart and Davey Boy Smith Jr. are challenging here, with Brian Pillman Jr. in their corner, complete with Teddy carrying a cat (Striker: “Teddy Hart trying to get to the top of the meow-ntain tonight.”) and Smith with a bulldog (Striker: “The puppy-razzi.”). Dang it why did those things make me chuckle? Striker even explains the very basic rules of tag team wrestling, down to what constitutes a tag. I mean….yeah why not? How many people might be watching this for the very first time?
Smith picks Fenix up and sits him on the top before shrugging off some loud chops. A few forearms have Fenix rocked so he kicks Smith in the head to do some actual damage. The champs come in for stereo superkicks to Smith, followed by a Codebreaker into a flip splash to Teddy’s back. The victory roll splash hits Smith, drawing Teddy back in for the break. Teddy gets sent outside and now the chops have some more effect on Smith. They have so much of an effect that he northern lights suplexes both champs without even staggering, because that’s the kind of thing he can do.
Hart comes in for a double hanging DDT and we take a break. Since I’m watching on YouTube, we get what I believe is footage from the break with the Harts beating them up on the floor, including a double noggin knocker. Commentary comes back after about thirty seconds with Hart hitting his crazy top rope moonsault to the floor. Back in and it’s Project Ciampa to Fenix, setting up the super powerslam (still cool) into a top rope moonsault elbow for two as Pentagon makes the save.
We get a showdown between Hart and Pentagon, meaning the chop off is on again. Hart goes to an uppercut but charges into a superkick, only to eat a Sling Blade. Since Hart can just do this, he goes up and hits a super Canadian Destroyer, only to come up favoring his knee. Therefore it’s back to Fenix, who hits his sweet rolling cutter on Hart. Pentagon hits a Canadian Destroyer of his own and a superkick knocks Smith to the floor.
Another superkick into the Pentagon Driver plants Hart but Fenix has to go after Pillman. Pentagon isn’t done with dropping Hart on his head so it’s another Canadian Destroyer on the apron. The Fear Factor gets two as Pillman makes an off camera save. They all go to the corner with Smith pulling off Pentagon’s mask in a truly evil move. With Pentagon down, it’s a Doomsday Canadian Destroyer to finish Fenix at 11:28.
Rating: B. I could have gone for one or two fewer Canadian Destroyers but dang that was a heck of a finisher. The Hart Foundation has been one of the best surprises of the entire run of the series so far and it’s cool to have them get the titles here. The Lucha Bros are going to be around no matter what they do so it’s not like the loss hurts them all that much. This was a great choice for an opener and it was more than entertaining enough without overstaying its welcome. Now can we please make sure all their necks are in one piece?
Low Ki talks about how they’re finally here in a place with incredible wrestling history. He has been taking prizes, such as the title, a mask, a piece of flesh and more. Tonight, he’s taking a new trophy when he takes the lion’s mane from Lawlor. The violence tonight will be like nothing Lawlor has ever seen.
Ricky Martinez vs. Kotto Brazil
Grudge match after Martinez allegedly attacked Brazil with a champagne bottle, injuring his eye and leaving Brazil needing an eyepatch. Being a good heel, Martinez feigns blindness on the way to the ring. Salina de la Renta is here too and has a purse, which almost has to mean something. Brazil isn’t waiting on the bell and nails Martinez with a suicide dive to get things going in a hurry.
They brawl in the aisle with Martinez not even being able to get his jacket off. Martinez gets sent into the barricade and then the post, which is finally enough to set up the opening bell. They get in for the first time with Kotto hitting a good looking missile dropkick for two. Martinez is back up with a shot to the face to knock Brazil outside. That means another whip into the barricade and a swing sends Brazil into it again. Back in and the Martinez rams him face first into the mat over and over again as we talk about how good Salina looks. Fair enough.
Brazil’s comeback doesn’t last long as Martinez pulls him off the ropes and into a backbreaker for a rather painful looking crash. Martinez takes way too long going up though and it’s time for the comeback off a series of clotheslines. It’s always clotheslines. Another good looking dropkick puts Martinez down and a hanging Backstabber gets two. Martinez grabs an electric chair drop and gets two of his own off a wheelbarrow suplex. This gives us some great Salina yelling, which she does as well as anyone at the moment.
It also lets Striker talk about the difference between covering belly to back and belly to belly. Uh yeah Matt. Brazil is right back up with something like an Edgecator to send Martinez straight to the rope. That seems to be enough for Martinez as he rips off the eyepatch and knees Brazil in said eye for two.
Code Red gives Brazil two of his own and it’s off to Naomi’s reverse Rings of Saturn (Which Striker says is like a hold called a Can Opener. I’ve heard worse names.). That’s enough to get Salina on the apron so Brazil grabs her by the throat (that’s rather aggressive). It’s time to go into the purse though (you knew that was coming) with Salina pulling out some kind of spray to blind Brazil, giving Martinez the pin at 10:12.
Rating: C. This felt a lot longer than it was and that’s not the best thing in the world. At least we had a good enough match, with Salina being a nice bonus as usual. You knew she was going to get involved in the end and that’s not a bad thing. Sometimes you need to have something set up so it can be paid off in a hurry, which is what happened here. Brazil losing is fine, as someone his size is going to be able to bounce back with one more entertaining match.
Jimmy Havoc is coming back.
MLW is going live again in four weeks from Chicago for Intimidation Games. Good for them.
The Hart Foundation is celebrating with champagne in the shower. Maxwell Jacob Friedman comes in to say he wants the Middleweight Title back. Teddy: “Why don’t you lick the champagne off the belt?” MJF can come get a title shot whenever. Or he can go join the Elite.
SuperFight II is coming to Los Angeles on February 1, 2020. Dang that’s some advance planning for a promotion whose current run is less than a year old. That’s a good thing mind you.
MLW World Title: Low Ki vs. Tom Lawlor
Lawlor is challenging and pulls out his own hair during his entrance. How Mick Foley of him. They go right at it after the bell, which is what should be happening here. Lawlor gets in a left hand to knock Low Ki down, which he swears wasn’t a knockdown. Striker: “You fight like you’re the third monkey on Noah’s Ark and it’s starting to rain!” I’m not a Striker fan but that’s one of the best lines I’ve ever heard.
Lawlor can’t get the arm so the champ charges at him, earning a heck of a t-bone suplex. A hard kick to the chest slows Lawlor down and Low Ki sends him shoulder first into the post. The arm gets wrapped around the post before Low Ki grabs…..a door from underneath the ring. I mean, they used them on Rollerjam so why not.
Low Ki misses a right hand and punches his way through the door to give Lawlor two instead. Lawlor’s bad arm doesn’t hold up so Low Ki reverses into a dragon suplex over the ropes. A superplex attempt earns Lawlor a crotching and the top rope double stomp gives the champ two. Low Ki grabs the dragon sleeper but gets reversed into a rear naked choke….for the knockout to make Lawlor champion at 4:49.
Rating: C+. Well that was sudden. That’s the best word I can think of to describe this, though I’d bet on it being due to the show running long. They’re not exactly used to going live so maybe their timing was off. That being said, there’s something to be said about having Lawlor, whose background is in MMA, to finish someone in a hurry with a choke like that. It’s not like the ending was ever in doubt here, though I could have gone with a bit more. What we got was good though, and Lawlor winning the title was the absolute right call.
Overall Rating: C+. This is a show that could have used some more time. They got through everything they needed to touch on and set something up for the future, though it felt rushed at times. Maybe the TV version was better (and to be fair it was a free show) but this was a little too much packed into the time they had. The results all made sense (maybe Brazil should have won) though and they got the big ending right so it’s certainly good, just not quite great.
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