Major League Wrestling Fusion – April 11, 2020: MLW’s Mexican Vacation

Fusion #105
Date: April 11, 2020
Location: Auditorio de Tijuana, Tijuana, Mexico
Commentators: Rich Bocchini, AJ Kirsch

It’s time to head back to Mexico for the Super Series with AAA. The company taped an event in Tijuana consisting of nine matches and for the moment, that’s all they have in the can. That should get them three to four weeks and after that, Fusion could go away for a good while. I’m not sure what that is going to mean but we have a few weeks to get there. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a look at Mexico and how important wrestling is around here. In other words, this is a big deal because they’re working with AAA this time around.

Opening sequence.

We have an opening ceremony, with what I assume is the Mexican National Anthem. It’s certainly coming off as important so well done.

We run down the card.

Mance Warner is proud of getting rid of MJF and now he wants the rest of the Dynasty gone. Apparently the rest of the team went to something called a donkey show and that’s not cool. Savio Vega is ready for the street fight tonight. Mance: “Ole Mancer doesn’t know what Savio said in the middle but it sounds good!”

Mortiz/Pagano vs. Savio Vega/Mance Warner

Street fight and Alexander Hammerstone is on commentary. For some reasons they have to tag to start so it’s Savio and Pagano to get things going. They stare each other down until Savio slaps him in the face and hammers away. Savio knocks Mance off the apron by mistake so Mance throws some blind punches over the barricade. Pagano gets sent outside as well and the fight really gets going with everyone brawling on the floor.

Mance pelts a chair at Mortiz’s head and it’s time for the slow motion brawling that you knew was coming. Some chair shots have Mortiz down as Hammerstone wants to know about Vega’s history of tetanus shots. Mortiz is left on the floor as the other three get inside, meaning it’s time for skewers to Pagano’s head (Hammerstone: “THAT’S NOT HOW YOU DO IT SAVIO!”).

Mortiz gets back up so Savio and Mance go outside, meaning it’s a big flip dive from Pagano, who still has some skewers in his head. Mortiz hits his own dive to send everyone through a board against the barricade for the big knockdown. Back in and Pagano puts the chair in the corner but Warner takes it out and throws the thing at Pagano’s head for two more. Warner and Mortiz trade chair shots to the head (with Mance at least putting an arm up) as the hood of a car is thrown in.

Savio powerbombs Mortiz onto the hood and strikes it out with Pagano. Warner is back up to break a chair over Pagano’s head but Ortiz hits Warner in the head with something made of metal. With that out of the way, it’s time to light a table on fire but Warner chokeslams Mortiz through it instead. Hammerstone has to leave to go get his order from the pharmacy as Pagano throws in some doors. A spear puts Warner through one of the doors in the corner for two so Warner sends him through the other one.

That’s only good for two as this just keeps going. Mance hits a running knee to the head and let’s bring in a table for fun. Before that can be used though, here’s Hammerstone to kick Warner in the face, allowing Mortiz to splash Warner through the table. Savio tries to bring in a chair but opts to punch Pagano down instead, only to dive into a crotching on the chair. Pagano hits a running Blockbuster to pin Vega at 16:00.

Rating: D+. It was entertaining at times but the problem is this going WAY too long. There were long parts that could have been cut out with the same match taking place and that’s not a good sign. Hammerstone costing Warner the win keeps them going but sweet goodness this took a lot longer than it should have.

AAA – 1

MLW – 0

King Mo has been suspended for a month and fined $10,000 for attacking Killer Kross.

Tom Lawlor isn’t happy with Mo being suspended because everyone is against Team Filthy. That’s why he and Dominic Garrini are entering the tag team division to take the Tag Team Titles from those cowards the Von Erichs.

Alexander Hammerstone and Richard Holliday wake up very hungover in the wrong hotel room. Gino Medina is nowhere to be seen because he’s gone off with some girls. And yes, they did go to a donkey show. Hammerstone: “After this, only two, three more donkey shows at the most.” They’re not sure if they can wrestle tonight.

Here’s the Top Ten.

10. Dominic Garrini

9. Low Ki

8. Richard Holliday

7. Mance Warner

6. King Mo

5. Tom Lawlor

4. Brian Pillman Jr.

3. Myron Reed

2. Davey Boy Smith Jr.

1. Alexander Hammerstone

We look back at Injustice attacking Brian Pillman Jr., earning themselves a month’s suspension. Must be going around at the moment.

Injustice isn’t paying any fine and they have no remorse over what they did. They would do it two more times. See, they know where you are but you don’t know where they are. Why does no one ever think of asking the cameraman?

Davey Boy Smith Jr. says Brian Pillman Jr. is injured and eating through a straw but he’ll be back. As for a rumored World Title fight, he’s talking business with the boss.

Contra Unit is preparing for the upcoming war. The infiltration of the infidels is underway.

Konnan is excited about the Laredo Kid vs. Hammerstone match but here’s Injustice (so much for hiding) to interrupt. They want the AAA Six Man Tag Team Titles but Konnan isn’t impressed. The title match is on, because Konnan can reverse MLW suspensions.

Psycho Clown accepts LA Park’s challenge and is on the hunt.

Here’s who else is involved in the Super Series.

Hammerstone doesn’t want to hear about the Dynasty’s losing streak because all he does is win.

National Openweight Title: Alexander Hammerstone vs. Laredo Kid

The Kid is challenging and gets shoved down by some raw power to start. It works so well for Kid that he tries it again but some strikes work a bit better. A headscissors puts Hammerstone on the floor and that means a big dive. Back in and Hammerstone is fine enough for a gorilla press into a swinging Side Effect. A delayed butterfly suplex (the Spinal Countdown for a clever name) gives Hammerstone two and it’s time to head outside.

That means a hard whip over the barricade to send Kid flying but he’s right back in with a missile dropkick. Hammerstone is knocked to the floor this time and there’s a suicide dive to rock him again. Back in and a pair of moonsaults gives Kid two but Hammerstone grabs a reverse AA for his own near fall.

A clothesline turns Kid inside and Hammerstone sits him on top. Kid knocks him right back down and hits an excellent looking 450 for his own two. Hammerstone, with his chin busted, hits a bicycle kick but clotheslines the referee by mistake. Therefore, Kid’s super Spanish Fly gets no count so he has to throw the referee back in. That lets Hammerstone hit a German suplex into a powerbomb into the Nightmare Pendulum to retain at 10:41.

Rating: B-. I got into the power vs. speed match here with Kid trying as hard as he could but coming up short. Hammerstone continues to be a monster and as soon as his deal with MLW is up, he’ll be the subject of quite the bidding war. That being said, what was the point of the hangover deal earlier? It was never mentioned once here and Hammerstone was his usual self.

AAA – 1

MLW – 1

We hear about Mance Warner freaking out in the back to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. This show was much better about making the show feel like it was in the regular continuity instead of taking a big side trip into Mexico where nothing matters. The Super Series is a simple concept but it’s enough to keep the show moving and give them something to do. The opener running sixteen minutes didn’t help things, but overall, it was a good enough night and I liked what I saw so well done.

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