Major League Wrestling Fusion – July 20, 2019: The Fusion Is Strong

IMG Credit: Major League Wrestling

Fusion #67
Date: July 20, 2019
Location: Cicero Stadium, Chicago, Illinois
Commentators: Rich Bocchini, Jim Cornette

Things are changing in a hurry around here with the titles going from one set of hands to another. Last week saw the Dynasty take the Tag Team Titles from the Hart Foundation in a pretty good ladder match but the feud isn’t over yet. This week we have Alexander Hammerstone defending the Openweight Title against Davey Boy Smith Jr. in what should be a heck of a match. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Salina de la Renta, in a skeleton suit, talks about Mance Warner getting on her nerves. We see a clip of Warner going through Promociones Dorado before Salina speaks what I’m assuming is Latin and uses wine to write on a white sheet. She has summoned the demon known as Bestia to deal with him.

Opening sequence.

The announcers talk about last week’s title change and Mance Warner stealing the Golden Ticket from LA Park.

Earlier today, Davey Boy Smith Jr.’s sister interviewed the Dynasty, who isn’t worried about Hammerstone’s defense. Richard Holliday thinks Smith couldn’t sell an Oreo to a glass of milk and Hammerstone says explaining his dominance to Smith is like explaining color to a blind person. The interview ends and Smith’s sister doesn’t have anything kind to say to any of them.

National Openweight Title: Davey Boy Smith Jr. vs. Alexander Hammerstone

Hammerstone is defending with the Dynasty out here and Smith all on his own. Before the match, Holliday says the consumers should be happy to be here because they’re breathing rarefied air. Maxwell Jacob Friedman says he smells poor people and explains the Hart Family being raised near a nuclear power plant. That’s why Teddy Hart wears so many weird outfits: he’s hiding his gills. Hammerstone says enough of the insults because it’s time to fight.

We get a rather aggressive lockup to start and Cornette yells about Friedman yelling at fans and taking focus off the match. Hammerstone’s headlock doesn’t get him very far and a shoulder exchange goes to a standoff. Smith skins the cat (because he can do that) and kicks Hammerstone in the face, meaning it’s time for a breather. That doesn’t last long as Smith goes outside and kicks away but a Dynasty distraction lets Hammerstone get in a shot to the throat.

Back in and Hammerstone manages a missile dropkick and Smith is in big trouble in a hurry. The chinlock goes on and Friedman uses the change to yell at more fans. That doesn’t last long and Hammerstone hits a crazy impressive dropkick for his size. Hammerstone hits a running powerslam for one on Smith and you know that’s firing him up.

Smith wins a slugout and hits a powerbomb into a jackknife cover for two of his own. It’s time to go up with Hammerstone shoving the referee into the ropes…but doesn’t crotch Smith. Instead Hammerstone gets up and knocks him down, setting up a heck of a superplex. The Nightmare Pendulum is countered into a Crossface but Hammerstone powers out. A distraction lets Holliday get in a few cheap shots but Smith is right back with a release German suplex.

Hammerstone hits one of his own, only to have Smith pop up with some rolling German suplexes. A bridging belly to back gives Smith two and it’s a top rope headbutt, which looked like a splash. There’s no cover though, allowing MJF to spit on the Canadian flag. That’s enough for Smith, who grabs the flag and beats up the Dynasty for the DQ at 9:30.

Rating: B. I could watch two monsters like this beat each other up for days. They went with the right ending by not having either of them job and the feud can continue. This thing has been going on for a long time now but hasn’t lost any steam, so at least they’re doing things the right way so far. Just don’t overstay the welcome and everything will be fine.

Video on the Von Erichs wanting to stop Contra. You can tell they’re serious because they’re cowboys.

Just in case it didn’t click the first time, we look at Warner tormenting Salina and company last week.

Konnan has Salina’s phone and tells her to be nice to him or a lot of secrets are coming out.

Video on Contra, who has taken over now that they have the World Title. Now they want contracts and they’re open to the highest bidder.

Next week: Contra vs. Von Erichs.

Mance Warner has made a list of things to do, which is the word KILL over and over. Salina can send the devil after him and he’ll be waiting with a chain around his fist. He rubs blood on his face and says he’s going headhunting.

Los Parks vs. Los Wagners

Salina is out with the Parks. That would be LA Park/Hijo de LA Park vs. Dr. Wagner Jr./Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr. To clarify, I’ll be calling them Park, Hijo de Park, Wagner and Hijo de Wagner respectively and hoping for the best. The two fathers start things off with Wagner cleaning house early on. Everything breaks down and the Parks are sent outside for the double suicide dives.

Back in and Hijo de Park gets knocked down again, allowing both Wagners to beat up Park in the corner. Hijo de Wagner gets two off a Cannonball in the corner and Wagner hits a basement dropkick to Hijo de Park. Hijo de Wagner goes up top but gets caught in a springboard Spanish Fly from Hijo de Park, leaving Park to powerslam Wagner for stereo twos. Hijo de Park hits a Code Red on his dad to drive them into Hijo de Wagner for two as the air horns are strong here.

The Parks hit their own (and harder) stereo suicide dives to the floor and it’s time for a quick breather. Back in and the fathers slug it out until Park pulls Wagner’s mask off (he lost it in 2017 so it’s not the biggest deal). Wagner doesn’t seem to mind and pulls Park off the middle rope with a super cutter for two. Park headbutts the heck out of him as Cornette talks about seeing Mil Mascaras without his mask and not being able to believe it. Wagner’s DDT gets two on Park and we settle down into something resembling a tag match about eight minutes in.

The sons slug it out in the middle with Hijo de Wagner hitting a scoop spinning Angle Slam for two as the dads are now on the apron. A leg lariat takes Hijo de Wagner down for two and a Codebreaker out of the corner gives Hijo de Park the same. Hijo de Wagner is back up with a bunch of strikes for a double knockdown, which brings in the dads for a cover each. Must be a lucha thing.

The dads stay in (fair enough) with Wagner taking him down and stopping for some pushups. Park crotches him on top (breaking the turnbuckle pad in the process) but a top rope splash hits raised boots. Wagner hits a running flip dive off the apron, with his feet crashing into the announcers’ table on the landing. That leaves Hijo de Park to hit a Code Red for two on Hijo de Wagner, who is right back with a jumping enziguri on the apron.

They fight over an apron superplex until Hijo de Wagner settles for a regular version for two with Park making the save. Wagner is back in with a suicide dive onto Park, followed by a much harder one from Hijo de Park. Hijo de Wagner hits one of his own (Rich: “Oh no not again.”) as the announcers are rethinking their careers. Back in and Park spears Hijo de Wagner for the pin at 16:29.

Rating: B-. I’m not the biggest lucha fan in the world and there were some issues with the match, but what mattered here was this match felt big. These guys are clearly stars if not legends in lucha libre and that came across here. Park just hitting the spear for the win isn’t the best finish and they do it too often, but it came after a long and action packed match. I liked it and the aura was there so well done.

Overall Rating: A-. Sweet goodness the hour long wrestling shows have been strong across the board this week. This was another awesome night from MLW with the title stuff to start and then the big fight feel for the lucha main event. I didn’t think they could make that kind of a hybrid work and I’ve been proven very wrong. This company feels like it’s just clicking on all levels so far and I hope the business side backs it up. Awesome show here and worth seeing.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s History Of In Your House (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

https://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/05/31/new-paperback-kbs-history-of-in-your-house/

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