Major League Wrestling Fusion – February 17, 2021 (Filthy Island): The MLW Ultimatum
Fusion #122
Date: February 17, 2021
Location: Filthy Island, Hawaii
Commentators: Dan Lambert, Tom Lawlor, Jared St. Laurent, Rich Bocchini
It’s time for a special event as MLW offers their take on UFC’s Fight Island. As long as we don’t have to deal with another Fyre Fest joke, I’m all for trying something new, as MLW is getting weaker and weaker every show. The main event is a long awaited showdown between Low Ki and King Mo. Let’s get to it.
Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.
We get a disclaimer that MLW assumes no liability on the show.
Tom Lawlor tells Dominic Garrini that there is a problem with catering (no), meaning there is no spam. Lawlor sends him down to the port and hands him a bottle of something. Garrini: “You want me to drown him?” Lawlor: “It’s for you.” Garrini stares into the camera.
Opening sequence.
Commentary welcomes us to the show and runs down the card. This could be a rather long night.
The ring, which has no ropes or ring skirts, is surrounded by trees and there are some people (Fans?) on a couch. Music is handled by a guy with a boom box. I’ve seen worse.
Mauna Loa vs. Dominic Garrini
Loa looks a bit like Blue Meanie (in a grass skirt but minus the blue) and Lambert calls Lawlor out for the low rent talent. Loa runs him over and hits a splash for an early two, sending Garrini out to the floor for a consultation with commentary. Back in and Garrini chokes him out at 39 seconds.
There is going to be a jungle fight later on between Savio Vega and Mil Muertes. In the jungle.
Los Parks are ready to defend the Tag Team Titles against Contra on March 3. LA Park also wants Alex Hammerstone’s National Openweight Title.
Commentary previews the main event.
We look at the first Low Ki vs. King Mo fight.
Azteca Underground now has its own website.
The Dynasty isn’t overly impressed with Hawaii but are ready to make it work.
We recap Salina de la Renta trying to buy out IWA from Savio Vega, who says no. Her bosses at Azteca Underground aren’t happy and Mil Muertes is coming.
Commentary is scared of the Jungle Fight but Salina de la Renta has sent in a note. The boss of Azteca Underground promises blood will be spilled. It’s signed El Jefe, which should make you rather interested if you’re a Lucha Underground fan.
Kevin Ku vs. Zenshi
Dominic Garrini is here with Ku…who is taken down by Zenshi diving out of a tree. Zenshi dropkicks him to the floor and ducks some kicks to the head back inside. A kick to the ribs slows Zenshi down and a half crab goes on. Since there are no ropes, Zenshi pulls himself to the post for the break instead. Ku stands on Zenshi’s throat for a bit, only to have Zenshi come back with a quick rollup for two. They strike it out until Zenshi nails a Pele for two and follows with some more kicks to the head. Ku’s half nelson suplex is countered with a backflip but a running cutter is countered into a dragon suplex to give Ku the pin at 4:59.
Rating: C. This was where the weird environment came into play and it might not have been for the best. Above all else it felt more like a fight than a match, which may be the idea of the show but it doesn’t mean it works out so well. Not much to the match but you knew Team Filthy was going over here, as that’s kind of the point of this week.
The Von Erichs can’t be here tonight but they want Low Ki to win to show up Tom Lawlor. Maybe they’ll show up anyway.
We go back to the jungle where Savio Vega yells at Salina de la Renta, only to get jumped by Mil Muertes. More on this later.
Next week: MLW Underground rather than Fusion.
TJP sits down with Alicia Atout and is tired of losing so many tag matches with Bu Ku Dao. He likes teaming with people but Dao has been dragging him down by not knowing what winning time is. No he isn’t a bully because Dao can’t carry his end. Alicia says Dao looks up to him, which TJP attributes to Dao being 4’11 (TJP: “Maybe 5’5 with the hair.”). That’s enough of the interview.
Gringo Loco vs. Rocky Romero
Loco is listed as being “super over in Cancun.” Romero throws his jacket to one of the “fans” on the couch and we’re ready to go. Feeling out process to start and they go with the test of strength into the flipping exchange. A tilt-a-whirl backbreaker gives Loco two and we hit the double arm crank. Back up and Romero grabs a flying mare but Loco runs him over with a clothesline.
A leglock with an arm crank has Romero in trouble for all of five seconds and Loco’s chops just fire Romero up. A running hurricanrana takes Loco to the floor but he’s right back in to drop Romero onto the couch. The big dive knocks Romero and the couch over and sets up a reverse DDT for two back inside. Loco misses a cartwheel moonsault but he’s fine enough to hit an enziguri. Romero grabs a Stunner on the arm and a tornado DDT gives Romero the pin at 8:50.
Rating: C. Romero is a guy I can never predict as sometimes he’s rather good, sometimes he’s rather awful and sometimes he’s so completely average that I can barely bring myself to care about what he does. That was the case here, as he had a completely run of the mill match and I couldn’t get into it. It certainly wasn’t bad, but it was kind of there.
Back to the Jungle Fight, which is a bunch of walking and brawling….until Contra hacks the feed.
Contra doesn’t like Injustice.
We look at more of Low Ki vs. King Mo.
The Von Erichs are diving to Filthy Island. Shouldn’t that be boating?
Here’s what’s coming over the next few weeks.
More Muertes and Vega. This time they’re choking and walking around until Muertes hits him with a crowbar. Salina says finish it and Muertes gets the pin. This was a big waste of time.
More Low Ki vs. King Mo.
Tom Lawlor gives the Dynasty ringside seats but Hammerstone wants Gatorade and Spam thrown in.
Here’s the Top 10.
10. Jordan Oliver
9. Calvin Tankman
8. Myron Reed
7. Mil Muertes
6. Richard Holliday
5. Mads Krugger
4. Low Ki
3. Lio Rush
2. Tom Lawlor
1. Alex Hammerstone
King Mo vs. Low Ki
They go straight to the slugging in the clinch but Mo takes him down to the mat for a leglock. Another leglock has Ki in trouble but he reverses into a choke. Mo reaches for the non-existent ropes….and the referee says that’s a tap (it was close) at 1:34.
Lambert is ticked and Team Filthy jumps Ki. The Von Erichs make the save and Team Filthy is cleared out to end the show.
Overall Rating: C-. I’m really not sure what to think of this show anymore. This was one of their unique ideas and it was just there. They did some weird hybrid of a UFC knockoff (not a bad thing) and MORE OF THE FYRE FEST NONSENSE so this was a mixture of disappointing and annoying. That has been the case for a long time now and that has me doing something I don’t like to do.
During the show, a calendar was shown with the big matches coming on the next two shows. If MLW can’t do something in there to make me more interested in the show, I think I’m dropping it from the schedule. It took me more than a few days to make myself care enough to watch this show and that shouldn’t be the case. I could use the extra time to do shows I want to do so I’m giving them the next two weeks. Hopefully they fix it, but I’m not sure I can see it happening.
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