Major League Wrestling Fusion – April 13, 2019: That’s Why You Never Jump A Skeleton Man
IMG Credit: Major League Wrestling
Fusion #53
Date: April 13, 2019
Location: Melrose Ballroom, New York City, New York
Commentators: Rich Bocchini, Jim Cornette
We’re done with Battle Riot and that means it’s time to move forward to the next big show, which is probably taking place next month. LA Park is the new #1 contender but it could be a long time before he actually uses the title shot. World Champion Tom Lawlor also has to deal with Contra and that’s probably up first. Let’s get to it.
Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.
We open with a recap of Battle Riot, including Teddy Hart taking a champagne bottle to the head, Tom Lawlor retaining the title and Battle Riot itself.
Opening sequence.
The announcers preview the show.
Brian Pillman Jr. vs. Maxwell Jacob Friedman
Richard Holliday and Alexander Hammerstone are here with Friedman but there’s no one with Pillman. Pillman goes with some shoulders blocks to start but gets tripped by Holliday, who gets ejected in a hurry. Hammerstone is gone as well, despite not getting caught doing anything. What a biased referee.
With Friedman left on his own, Pillman dropkicks him into the corner, setting up a heck of a slap. Friedman gets smart by going after Pillman’s injured shoulder, including a stomp onto the wrist. The arm gets wrapped around the rope as Friedman gets to show off his rather nasty limb wrenching skills. Friedman works on a top wristlock with Cornette in his element talking about the pressure and how much damage the hold is going.
A backsplash onto the arm gets two but Pillman finally comes back with a shot to the face in the corner. The high crossbody and a superkick have Friedman in trouble but the arm gives out on a whip attempt. Instead Pillman snaps off a powerslam for two, though the landing hurts the arm again. Friedman goes evil again by hiding behind the referee in the corner, allowing him to poke Pillman in the eye. A double stomp to the back gets two but Pillman grabs a small package for the pin at 11:55.
Rating: C. The more I see of Friedman, the more I like him. Not only can he cut a rather good, obnoxious promo but he knows how to work a body part like few others. For someone just twenty two years old, that’s some impressive talent. Speaking of a talented twenty two year old, Pillman seems to be getting it more and more every single time he’s in the ring and is miles ahead of where he was just a year ago.
Post match Friedman declares that a fluke.
We look back at Tom Lawlor’s press conference last week when he was jumped by Contra.
Earlier today, Salina de la Renta announced that she is going to be executive producing an episode of Fusion over Cinco de Mayo weekend. As for LA Park cashing in, stay tuned.
After yelling at a cameraman, Sami Callihan says he left for a bit so he could find himself again. Now that he’s figured that out, it’s time to figure out what he wants to do. When he was in the Battle Riot, Mance Warner got his attention because he’s crazy like Sami. Next week, they’ll fight because the world of MLW never sleeps and neither does he.
Holliday and Hammerstone yell about what happened but they have plans for tonight. Like parking in a handicap spot! They find the cameraman and violence seems imminent.
Jimmy Yuta/Lance Anoa’i vs. Rich Swann/Myron Reed
Swann and Reed get extra weapons checks as the bias continues. Yuta works on Reed’s arm to start and unloads in the corner with a series of stomps. Reed heads outside for a breather so it’s off to Swann vs. Lance, which doesn’t work well for Swann. An attempt at a running hurricanrana is countered with pure power.
A backdrop sends Swann into a 450 (cool) and Lance adds an elbow for two. The loud chops in the corner have Swann in more trouble but he’s fine enough to rake Yuta’s eyes. Reed comes back in for a forearm to the head and it’s Swann firing away his own chops. The stepover kick to the face sets up a slingshot legdrop from Reed into a running splash for two on Yuta. As usual though, the excessive double teaming is countered by a single armdrag and it’s back to Lance to clean house.
A Samoan drop/dropkick combination (yep) has the villains in trouble but Lance misses a 450. That lets Reed get his running start for the over the top cutter (still looks awesome) and a near fall on Lance. Swann kicks Yuta very low and it’s a Codebreaker into a splash on Lance’s back. A 450 into knees to the chest from Swann sets up a regular 450 from Reed for the pin at 8:42.
Rating: C. This felt longer than it was and that’s not often the best thing. Lance and Yuta weren’t the best team in the world, though Reed and Swann are a good enough heel combination. The match had good action but it was also a little messy, which made it something that was just kind of there. Not bad, but it needed some more polishing.
Mance Warner talks about poking an albino moose in the eye and getting in a fight in the back of a moving truck. Sami talks about thumbs up, thumbs down, but all he needs to worry about is kneepad up, kneepad down.
Tom Lawlor talks about all of the injuries he’s gone through over the years. You can break his insides but you won’t break his spirit, which Contra will learn the hard way.
LA Park vs. ???
Open challenge time as Jimmy Havoc is missing for some reason. As luck would have it, we have someone to answer.
LA Park vs. Sami Callihan
It was going to be him or Warner. Sami goes right at him and walks into a scoop powerslam. That’s what you get for trying to jump a skeleton man. They fight to the floor with Callihan hitting Park in the knee with an umbrella. That doesn’t have much of an effect as Park sends him into the barricade and grabs a metal post used to connect velvet ropes. Callihan takes the post away and hits Park in the ribs but again, there isn’t much of an effect.
A chair to the head sends Sami staggering in Salina’s direction so Park hits him again. They trade rams into the posts as Cornette tries to explain why there isn’t a DQ here. Callihan gets crotched against the post and a replica MLW World Title (Cornette: “IT’S A BELT!!!”) to the head makes it even worse. They head back inside after about four minutes on the floor and the ref gets bumped because….does it really matter?
Sami kicks the referee by mistake and avoids a charge to send Park shoulder first into the post. The baseball bat to the face connects but here are Ricky Martinez and Hijo de LA Park for the group beatdown. Warner runs in for the save but Low Ki comes in as well with Callihan not being able to do much good. Now it’s Daga running in to superkick everyone and hit the big running flip dive onto the pile. Callihan loads up his own dive but gets speared down to give Park the pin at 7:17.
Rating: C+. At this point, you just have to expect the No DQ matches with Park, mainly because I can’t imagine him trying to wrestle a regular match. Unfortunately you can’t imagine him losing either, which is understandable given his star power in Mexico, but it doesn’t help much with the drama. I’d be surprised if he loses his eventual cash in, though I’ll take building a heel up over a random win any day.
Post match the beatdown is on with Promociones Dorado standing tall.
Holiday and Hammerstone go to leave in Friedman’s car but the Hart Foundation steals it to end the show.
Overall Rating: C. The wrestling wasn’t all that great this time but they did a nice job with the storytelling. There are some big stories going on, though I’m not sure when those stories are actually going to end. It comes down to too much everyone fighting everyone at times, though there is still enough coherence to the whole thing to make it work well enough. Not a great show, but it certainly wasn’t boring.
Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2000 Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Part 1 (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:
And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:
Recent Comments