Major League Wrestling Fusion – February 8, 2020: Hail The Champ
IMG Credit: Major League Wrestling
Fusion #96
Date: February 8, 2020
Location: NYTEX Sports Center, Dallas, Texas
Commentators: AJ Kirsch, Rich Bocchini
The Dallas swing continues as we continue the Hart Foundation vs. Contra, which should have some long term potential. If nothing else, we already have a big match tonight as Brian Pillman Jr. challenges Jacob Fatu for the World Title. It seems to be a setup for the much bigger match with Davey Boy Smith Jr. challenging but that sounds like waiting for. Let’s get to it.
Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.
The opening video looks at Contra vs. the Hart Foundation, which does sound like a war.
Opening sequence, with Contra interrupting to promise Pillman’s destruction.
The announcers run down the card.
Here’s Tom Lawlor, in a Von Erichs shirt and with an unnamed bodyguard, to get things going, complete with (I believe) new music with slow lyrics of “I HAVE COME TO KILL YOU”. Lawlor says it’s great to be back and points out how great his Von Erichs shirt is. It represents the dollar store Von Erichs, rather than the Von Erichs that we remember.
The fans demand he take the shirt off so Lawlor does as they ask and then cleans himself with it in rather disrespectful ways. Lawlor throws it to a fan who throws it back. Lawlor: “Just like the Von Erichs, YOU FAILED!”. He has found a new family in the members of Team Filthy so here’s the new star in his debut as part of the team. Tonight he’ll be facing someone who should be on Botchamania rather than in this ring.
Dominick Garrini vs. Zenshi
Garrini judo throws him down to start so Zenshi grabs a wristdrag. A headscissors into a victory roll gets two and Zenshi flips out of a German suplex. Garrini has a seat on the mat and tells Zenshi to bring it, which is exactly what happens with a running hurricanrana for two. Another headscissors out of the corner drops Garrini and a dropkick gets two. Zenshi’s shooting star press is pulled into a triangle choke but that’s broken up as well.
Garrini starts stomping him in the corner but Zenshi flips him over for a moonsault dropkick. A hurricanrana puts Zenshi on the floor, albeit after his face hits the apron. Back in and Zenshi’s 450 is countered into a judo throw for some stomps to the arm. It’s bad enough that the trainer comes in to check on Zenshi, who stomps on the arm even more. The cross armbar goes on and the referee stops it at 6:58.
Rating: C. This was an interesting twist as Zenshi dominated a good chunk of the match but lost in the end when Garrini cranked it into another gear. The match was a bit of a clash of styles but the point here was to make Garrini look like a killer and that’s what they did. Let Zenshi stick with the high flying stuff though because that’s where he shines.
Post match Lawlor says there’s nothing wrong with what Garrini did because they’re martial artists and that’s what they do.
Contra’s Death Squad goes after Brian Pillman Jr. but Davey Boy Smith Jr. makes the save.
Video on Contra vs. Hart Foundation.
Maxwell Jacob Friedman has had caffeine for the first time and can’t stop talking or jumping up and down. Anyway, there have been threats of a lawsuit against MLW so the Dynasty is going to get to produce their own episode. That will include Gino Medina vs. Septimo Dragon, Alexander Hammerstone vs. Aerostar and Richard Holliday/MJF vs. the Von Erichs for the Tag Team Titles. MJF was hilarious here in a different way.
Richard Holliday vs. Savio Vega
The still hyped up MJF is on commentary, sending Kirsch into a facepalm. After a hug with MJF, Holliday lets him hold the Air Pods. After a quick promo from Savio on how much he loves his Caribbean Title and offering to take Alicia Atout salsa dancing, we’re ready to go. MJF thinks Vega reminds him of an old Kwang. They stare at each other to start and Holliday mocks the Puerto Rican vest as we wait about forty five seconds before the first contact.
Holliday shoulders him down and hits a dropkick to the ribs as MJF tells Holliday that he is NOT into…uh…various romantic activities. Vega comes out of the corner with a clothesline and they fight to the floor with Vega winning the brawling. We hear about Holliday’s Hogan 91 tan as Vega superkicks him down for two. Not that it matters as Holliday is right back with a suplex into a swinging neckbreaker for the pin at 5:04.
Rating: D+. As usual, Vega was one of the worse in-ring performers around here, though I can see why he would be a big help as far as agenting goes. That being said, it’s not a good visual to have him in there with so many bad matches. Holliday continues to look awesome though and would be a huge star if he wasn’t surrounded by so much other talent.
Post match Holliday takes the Caribbean Title with him and says his lawyer/father is going to make this a title match.
Davey Boy Smith Jr. tells Brian Pillman Jr. that the game plan is on. The Von Erichs come in to say they’ve got Pillman’s back too.
Killer Kross is coming.
Battle Riott III is coming in July.
MLW has a working relationship with Dragon Gate. The more talent they can bring in, the better.
We look back at Gino Medina joining the Dynasty and attacking Konnan.
LA Park is coming back.
We look at Injustice complaining about the referees so the referees will be graded with the good referees getting big matches. As long as we don’t have to see any of this, they’ll be fine.
AAA and MLW will be running a co-promoted show on March 13 in Mexico.
The Dynasty is running next week’s episode.
Mance Warner is asked about the Dynasty. Mance: “A*******.” He gives Alicia a light beer and leaves.
Zenshi wants revenge.
MLW World Title: Jacob Fatu vs. Brian Pillman Jr.
Fatu is defending and has Josef Samael in his corner. Pillman gets chopped in the corner to start and Fatu holds up the Contra flag. A toss sends Pillman into the corner but Fatu misses sitdown splash. Some kicks to the chest don’t do much to Fatu, who is right back with a chop.
Pillman’s middle rope crossbody is countered into a spinning release Rock Bottom. The nerve hold is broken up with a jawbreaker and some kicks to the head stagger Fatu. Now the springboard crossbody puts Fatu down and Air Pillman drops him again. Cue Injustice for a distraction though, allowing Fatu to run Pillman over. The handspring moonsault gets two and a pair of double jump moonsaults finish Pillman at 5:30.
Rating: C-. This could have been a lot worse though it was just a step above a squash. That being said, Fatu is not supposed to be sweating over just about anyone, which is going to make the big title change that much better. That would seem to be Smith down the road, and that’s going to be a heck of a fight. Pillman is getting there, but he still needs ring time, as would anyone with as little experience as he has.
We see a clip of the Death Squad attacking Smith and the Von Erichs during the match to explain where they were. Again: well done on covering something like that because it would leave a hole otherwise.
Overall Rating: D+. Not much of a show this week and that is the kind of thing that is going to happen every now and then. The matches were designed to set up some stuff for the future but we didn’t get much on this show, which made this a bit harder to watch. It’s not terrible by any means, but it’s nothing worth seeing save for Fatu’s usual awesomeness.
Results
Dominic Garrini b. Zenshi via referee stoppage
Richard Holliday b. Savio Vega – Suplex into a swinging neckbreaker
Jacob Fatu b. Brian Pillman Jr. – Double jump moonsault
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