Major League Wrestling Fusion – December 9, 2020: More Than Air Pods

Fusion #113
Date: December 9, 2020
Location: Gilt Nightclub, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Jared St. Laurent, Rich Bocchini

Last week’s show was the best since the Restart and we’re in for some good stuff if they can keep that up. What matters here is capitalizing on the momentum and the big piece is in place as the Von Erichs defend the Tag Team Titles against Contra. That could go either way so let’s get to it.

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

Contra says MLW hasn’t taken control of anything and promises to bring the heroes to their knees. Look at what they have done to Davey Boy Smith Jr. and Alex Hammerstone. Tonight, they come for the Tag Team Titles.

Opening sequence.

Zenshi vs. Calvin Tankman

Zenshi’s legsweep has no effect to start and a dropkick to the back just annoys Tankman. A hurricanrana sends him into the corner and a kick to the head staggers the monster a bit. That’s about it for the offense though as Tankman plants him with a spinebuster and chops away in the corner. Tankman sends him flying but Zenshi knees his way out of a suplex. A handspring Pele rocks Tankman for a bit but he hits Zenshi in the throat. The Tankman Driver finishes Zenshi at 3:44.

Rating: D+. This was designed to make Tankman look like a cross between a tank and a man, which worked out well enough. Having him shrug off everything Zenshi threw at him made for some good visuals, as Tankman seems to be someone they want to push. Given how many names they have lost/are losing, that is one of the most important things they can do at the moment.

Tankman says that’s just a small taste so line him up some more opponents. Heavyweight Hustle is going to knock them all down.

We look back at Richard Holliday and Low Ki winning their first round Opera Cup matches.

Salina de la Renta is at the Aztec Ruins (labeled as such) where she is looking for a certain man. Salina talks about a man being caught in a horrible earthquake in Mexico City in 1985 (uh oh) but a witch brought him back to life. She whips out a knife, licks it, and says she is summoning Pascal Mendoza. This isn’t going to go well.

Dan Lambert doesn’t like Low Ki moving forward in the tournament while King Mo is sitting on the sidelines.

Violence Is Forever vs. Jason Dugan/Robert Martyr

Violence Is Forever is Team Filthy’s Kevin Ku/Dominic Garrini and the jobbers don’t even get first names to start things off. Garrini takes Dugan over with a quick judo throw but a cross armbreaker attempt sends Dugan bailing to the ropes. Ku comes in to step on Dugan’s arm and a brainbuster/kick to the head combination (better known as Chasing the Dragon but not called that of course) finishes at 1:54.

Low Ki is ready to kick Richard Holliday’s Air Pods out.

Holliday hopes Low Ki’s bravado can handle his rarefied air.

We look at Myron Reed challenging Lio Rush.

Rush says he needs no introduction as he is on the way to the studio to record another hit. He won’t be facing Reed on December 23 because Rush is coming for the title on the first show of the new year. Until then, Reed can eat his off brand cereal and train like never before.

We get a sitdown interview with Alex Hammerstone, who isn’t worried about Mags Krugger. He’s also cleared to wrestle so he’ll be back in the ring next week.

Contra hacks the feed and Krugger wants Hammerstone at Kings of Coliseum on January 6.

Opera Cup Semifinals: Low Ki vs. Richard Holliday

Holliday starts fast by stomping Low Ki down in the corner, followed by a hard elbow to the face. Ki is right back with a running elbow of his own and a hard chop, only to get dropped face first onto the turnbuckle. It’s time to start working on Ki’s leg and a belly to back suplex gets two. Holliday switches gears by moving to the arm….followed by a backbreaker as he is certainly mixing things up.

Ki comes back with a choke out of the corner but Holliday falls down into the ropes for the break. Back up and Holliday hits a quick clothesline and they’re both down for a bit. It’s Holliday back up with a heck of a pop up sitout powerbomb for two, meaning it’s time to yell at the referee. A spinebuster gets the same as commentary is getting way into this. Ki dropkicks him into the corner, setting up the Warrior’s Wrath (top rope double stomp) for the fast pin at 9:19.

Rating: B-. This started picking up the pace at the end and that’s great to see from Holliday. I know he gets most of his attention for the talking but he has surprised me in the ring more than once. Ki has been WAY better in MLW than anywhere else I remember seeing him and that’s a great surprise. Both guys were working here and I could have gone with five more minutes.

Post match Ki grabs the Caribbean Title. Sweet on a possible rematch.

We go to the Kings of Coliseum Control Center with Reed defending the Middleweight Title against Lio Rush confirmed.

Reed says it’s time but Rush isn’t taking the title from him.

Tag Team Titles: Contra Unit vs. Von Erichs

Simon Gotch and Jacob Fatu are challenging for Contra. The brawl starts on the floor with the music still playing and the champs taking over. Ross and Simon get in the ring to officially start with Ross snapping off a fisherman’s suplex. Fatu isn’t having that and comes in with the superkick to take over.

Some kicks to the chest don’t do much as Fatu pulls him back in by the leg. It’s back to Gotch for the chinlock for a bit but Fatu comes back in and gets low bridged to the floor. The hot tag brings in Marshall to clean house as everything breaks down. A hurricanrana sends Fatu outside and Marshall claw slams Gotch through a board at ringside. Cue Jordan Oliver and Violence Is Forever for the brawl and double DQ at 7:14.

Rating: C-. This didn’t have time to get very far and that might be for the best. You absolutely don’t want Contra losing but I can see why you don’t want them to win the titles yet. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a rematch at Kings of Coliseum or on a big Fusion, but for now it was just an ok at best match and the ending came when it should have.

Overall Rating: C. The show had more energy this week and hopefully that keeps up because it helped a bit here. The wrestling wasn’t as good as it was last time around but at least they had a nice show for the most part. They still aren’t hitting their stride with the big matches most of the time but at least the show was decent enough as a whole. I want to see where some of these people go and that’s a good sign for the future.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

https://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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