Major League Wrestling Fusion – August 17, 2019: Like A Flying Car
IMG Credit: Major League Wrestling
Fusion #71
Date: August 17, 2019
Location: Melrose Ballroom, New York City, New York
Commentators: Rich Bocchini, Tony Schiavone
Things are starting to get interesting again around here as we’re getting ready for the War Chamber in Dallas and then the big pay per view debut after that. What matters now is that Contra has its fourth member so Tom Lawlor and the Von Erichs need their own help. That could present some interesting options which is the right idea. Let’s get to it.
Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.
Mance Warner has a new way to deal with Salina de la Renta and has a chainsaw to cut down Ricky Martinez. There is no way this combination is going to end well.
Opening sequence.
Salina is in the ring to open things up. She wants to talk about Ricky Martinez so here he is in person, now billed as the greatest Cuban athlete of all time (a shot at Konnan).
Ricky Martinez vs. Mance Warner
Ricky crotches him on the ropes on the way in and scores with a springboard dropkick. Mance’s comeback is cut off by an RKO for two but Warner says bring it on. Some slaps to the face fire Mance up so Ricky is right back with a one knee Codebreaker for two. Martinez gets headbutted out of the air though and it’s kneepad up, kneepad down. The running knee sets up the lariat for the pin on Martinez at 2:17. Warner needed the win.
Post match Mance opens a beer but Salina spits in his face. Salina walks off so Mance throws the beer in Martinez’s face.
Richard Holliday is in his hotel room and brags about all the gold the Dynasty has. An unseen woman comes in and gets his attention.
We look at Savio Vega being injured by the Night Terror (yes Night Terror) Pendulum, which may be banned.
We look at Marshall Von Erich being blinded by Contra.
Marshall, wearing sunglasses, says he will be at War Chamber and he’s bringing Kevin Von Erich with him.
Salina doesn’t want to talk about Martinez when Konnan comes in to taunt her with the phone. He teases using her credit cards to order dinner and laughs off her threats of calling the cops, presumably due to what is on the phone. There has to be something illegal going on here.
Teddy Hart is smoking in a bathroom with his cats running around. Brian Pillman Jr. brings in Alexander Hammerstone’s jacket and relieves himself on it.
Austin Aries vs. Ace Austin
Tony realizes how annoying the name similarities are going to be, with Rich wanting to know WHO BOOKED THIS. Welcome to my life man. Aries goes for the arm to start but has to jump over Ace in the corner. A cartwheel sets up a clap around Ace’s ears as I try to not say Austin whatsoever. The middle rope elbow to Ace’s seated back gets one but Ace throws a card at him for a distraction. The boot choking begins in the corner and Ace slowly kicks him in the back.
Ace crotches him into the Tree of Woe and it’s time to choke at Aries, with Ace counting along with the referee. Aries gets in a jawbreaker and slugs away, followed by the fivearm to stun Ace. The suicide dive sends Ace into the barricade but he rolls away before the 450. A low blow sets up Ace’s rollup for two but Aries is right back with the brainbuster for the pin at 8:45.
Rating: C+. I like Ace a lot and Aries is still as consistent of a performer as you’ll find around here so the match was quite watchable. It’s pretty clear that Aries is coming for the Middleweight Title and a win at the pay per view wouldn’t shock me. It makes sense to give someone like him that kind of a rub as he brings prestige to the title, meaning it’s a bigger deal when someone beats him for the title. Good match here with Ace hanging in there with the established star.
Post match Aries says he’s coming for the Middleweight Title.
Hammerstone isn’t happy with the jacket situation. Aria Blake shows up with the jacket, which is now ruined.
Come to house shows!
A kickboxer has signed with MLW and will debut on September 7.
MLW is partnering with Mars Labs to enhance viewing experience.
War Chamber Control Center, which will include a celebration of Gary Hart.
LA Park vs. Jimmy Havoc
Loser Leaves MLW street fight. Park plays his chair so Jimmy plays his jacket, the former of which goes upside Jimmy’s back. Havoc comes back with some armdrags (Tony: “IN A STREET FIGHT!”) as Rich thinks Havoc could use some peanut butter sandwiches. The trashcan is brought in for a shot to La Park’s head….and let’s bring in the staple gun. Before we get there though, it’s some metal signs to the head, followed by a big, table sized piece of wood.
Havoc superkicks a chair into his face/chest as Salina is not looking happy at ringside. As Tony talks about wanting Salina to throw him in her pool (uh…..), Havoc and Park chop it out at ringside. Back in and Havoc hits a middle rope double stomp for two but Park is back with a shot to the face. A running knee to the head gives Park a delayed two and it’s Tree of Woe time.
The board is put in front of Havoc’s face for a running basement dropkick so the referee makes sure Havoc isn’t dead. That means another board, with Park bridging it over some chairs and laying Jimmy on top. There is no way this can end well and Park’s top rope double stomp goes through the table. Back in and Havoc chairs him on top, setting up a superplex for two.
The staple gun is used on Park’s head and then on the crotch, which the fans find rather sick. You don’t do that to a large skeleton man though and Park powerslams him onto four chairs for two (Rich on the kickout: “WHAT???”). Park goes up for a corkscrew moonsault (which is like a small car flying at you), followed by a spear through the chairs to get rid of Havoc at 12:42.
Rating: D+. This was a very good example of what is wrong with having Park as this mega star: there was no reason to believe that Havoc was winning, which would be the case whether or not this was a way to write him off for AEW. The match was your usual garbage brawl and Park’s offense was somewhat noteworthy given his size, but I’ve seen these people do something similar so many times now and it didn’t impress me again here.
Post match Salina tells them to shake hands and promises that Konnan and Warner aren’t taking her down. Neither will the World Champion (you knew they were going to deal with Contra eventually) but here’s Warner to interrupt. He comes through the crowd with the chainsaw and Promociones Dorado runs to end the show.
Overall Rating: C. This show did a good job with Mance Warner, who needed a chance to look stronger for a change. He wins occasionally but a lot of the time he comes off as more of a nuisance than a threat. That was different this week and that’s the best thing that could happen to him. Other than that the show just kind of came and went, but having a show that just holds the fort until we get to Dallas is an acceptable result.
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Low Ki as the mystery man for Lawlor and the Von Erichs seems to be the most logical choice, right?
Pretty much yeah.
Was that really a “Loser leaves town” though? That’s what I thought when they first booked the match a few weeks ago, but it wasn’t mentionned as one by Konnan in that segment and never was by the announcers or graphics afterwards. I get that they have to write Havoc out (same with MJF, although you can see how it’ll happen with him) and maybe the stip was implied, but the lack of clarity has been an issue.
Also, am I the only one who thinks that the War Chamber match feels completely unimportant? The Contra vs. Lawlor/Von Erichs/X storyline took a backseat to the Dynasty vs. Hart Foundation feud which would be more appropriate for the WC match.
Yeah you’re right on the War Chamber thing. It’s just kind of there and I had forgotten that Fatu was World Champion.
It’s been a problem lately with storylines not getting that much time, if at all. That’s a bit concerning, especially since they’re hinting at a women’s division.
I’ve been watching for three months now and can’t really tell you what this Oliver/Reed/Brazil storyline is all about for example. They cut vague promos and saunter in the stands once in a blue moon with the announcers being as vague as they are, so… yeah.
Going back to the Contra/Lawlor thing, Fatu won the belt at Kings of Colosseum and the announcers sold it like it was the end of the world and Contra had the “power” now, but then they didn’t even appear the week after, had two pretty lame brawls considering what they did before, then you have the misting angle which is the only important thing they did in more than a month now. Meanwhile, Lawlor cut a wooden promo looking at his shoes and isn’t even trying to recruit a fourth guy (it’ll most likely be Low Ki, but I have Ace Romero as a dark horse for this spot to counter the big samoan). There’s nothing at stake in the match itself and that doesn’t help either.
It really is a case of having too much going on. The Openweight Title is completely unnecessary for a show with an hour a week.
And yeah on the World Title situation. Contra is awesome when they’re around but there isn’t really anyone but Lawlor who would fit in challenging Fatu. We’ve been there already and I don’t need to see it again.