IMG Credit: Major League Wrestling

Fusion #49
Date: March 16, 2019
Location: Cicero Stadium, Chicago, Illinois
Commentators: Jim Cornette, Rich Bocchini

We’re still in Chicago and that’s a good thing at the moment. The last few shows have been entertaining and there’s a good chance that this is going to be more of the same. In this case we’re going to have the Hart Foundation looking for revenge on Maxwell Jacob Friedman and Richard Holliday, who recently attacked Teddy Hart. Let’s get to it.

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

We recap Contra’s actions to date, including last week’s destruction of Ace Romero.

Opening sequence.

El Hijo de LA Park vs. Puma King

Mance Warner sits in on commentary, which is one of the best things possible around here. As Cornette gives us a lucha history lesson, they trade a bunch of rolls and flips as Warner suggests punching someone in the face. A running hurricanrana sends Park to the floor for a middle rope dive. That’s enough time for Cornette and Warner to talk about Warner’s hometown of Bucksnort, Tennessee, with Cornette being more than comfortable with the southern hick style of humor.

Salina de la Renta trips Puma to the floor and that means a suicide dive from Park. A chair to the back has Puma in more trouble and a Salina distraction lets Park low blow him with a chair. There’s a whip with a TV cord as Cornette is wondering how we haven’t had a DQ yet. Fair enough. Back in and King hits a tilt-a-whirl slam as we hear about Mance’s cigar smoking grandmother running a speakeasy.

King grabs some chairs of his own, one of which goes between Park’s leg and gets crushed by another (Mance: “He done broke it off!”). Code Red gives Park two and King’s powerbomb gets the same. Puma heads up but gets chaired in the back (with the chair breaking) to tie him into the Tree of Woe.

That’s broken up with an anklescissors and a Rick Rude hip swivel of all things. Puma gets caught with a super Spanish Fly for two and there’s a belly to back kneeling piledriver. Instead of covering though, Park goes outside and spits at Warner. Mance spits right back and hits him with Cornette’s racket, leaving King to hit a top rope Codebreaker into la majistral for the pin at 10:08.

Rating: B-. Good action, funny commentary and a build towards next week. Throw in Salina and I’m not sure what else you could ask for in a match like this. Cornette fitting right in there with Warner helped too and I had a really good time here. They also didn’t stay too long, which can be a problem with matches like this (or and kind actually).

Warner high fives Puma post match.

MJF and Holliday combine to imitate Teddy Hart before saying they’re winning the titles.

Teddy Hart says they’ll retain while Brian Pillman trains in a pool.

Another look at Contra Unit.

Last week’s call from the head physician was in fact a fake. That makes sense.

Tom Lawlor doesn’t care what the doctors have to say. They’re great at their job but they don’t know what’s in a fighter’s heart. So they’re not a cardiologist. Lawlor wants any of the Contra Unit. He’s going to end their time in MLW before it gets off to a start. As usual: good energy but needs coaching.

Contra Unit vs. Chico Adams/Vertigo Vera

Jacob Fatu/Josef Samael for Contra here and they jump the jobbers before the bell. We get some more details of the team, including that Fatu is part of the Anoa’i family is considered the black sheep, meaning he didn’t train with them and doesn’t speak to them. The Samoan drop plants Adams and Josef brings in the spike for the DQ at 1:13.

Post match Fatu hits a pair of springboard moonsaults (he’s got some size to him too so that’s impressive stuff). The nearly required fireball goes into the other jobber’s face and the medics finally come in. We also get the jobbers’ names as they’re being taken out, though Fatu isn’t done and hits a third moonsault to Adams as he’s on the stretcher. Fans start throwing things into the ring and we go to a test pattern to make things even better. Rather impressive squash here and Contra look like monsters and it got even better with the post match stuff.

Battle Riot II Control Center with LA Park, Sami Callihan, El Hijo de LA Park, Fenix, Brian Pillman Jr., Gringo Loco, and newcomer Ken Kerbis being added to the namesake match.

Salina de la Renta and LA Park say he’ll win Battle Riot.

Jimmy Havoc needs to return already.

Quick recap of MJF and Holliday injuring Teddy Hart a few weeks back.

Here are MJF and Holliday for the main event with Friedman mocking the fans for not speaking English. He looks down at the mat to talk to Stu Hart and says Teddy has ruined the Hart Family legacy. The only legacy that matters now is the Dynasty’s.

Tag Team Titles: Hart Foundation vs. Maxwell Jacob Friedman/Richard Holliday

Friedman and Holliday are challenging and it’s Teddy/Davey Boy Smith Jr. defending though Teddy is very banged up. We’re not ready to go just yet though as MJF has to shove Brian Pillman on the floor first. The bell rings and MJF bails to the floor as the stalling continues. Holliday joins him before taking the tag and we finally get the first contact after over a minute in.

MJF gets knocked off the apron, leaving Holliday to get sunset flipped into a belly to back suplex from Smith. The delayed vertical suplex makes it even worse for Holliday and the top rope moonsault connects, though it hurts Hart’s bad ribs. A shot to the ribs is enough to put Teddy in trouble though and now MJF is willing to come in for some stomping. Teddy bails to the floor and a whip into the barricade bangs up the ribs even more, with Cornette nearly getting knocked over in the process.

Back in and Holliday puts on a Sharpshooter (BECAUSE OF COURSE HE DOES) with Smith making a quick save. Friedman comes in with the hanging piledriver into an abdominal stretch, with an assist from the apron of course. Teddy gets out and, just because of course, snaps off a headscissors into a Canadian Destroyer. That’s enough for the tag off to Smith and it’s time to clean house. A tiger suplex gets two on MJF and a Batista Bomb gets the same. The Doomsday Destroyer is loaded up but here’s Alexander Hammerstone of all people to chair down the Harts for the DQ at 11:00.

Rating: C+. Not too bad here and I’m rather interested in the Hammerstone deal. It didn’t make a ton of sense to have three Harts against two villains and adding in a monster to cancel out Davey is a good move. Friedman and Holliday didn’t feel like threats to the titles but putting that kind of muscle with them changes things and extends the feud’s life. Smart idea there, and even better since Hammerstone didn’t have anything to do.

Post match the beatdown is on (with Cornette calling MJF a dyslexic masseuse because he rubs you the wrong way) with the Harts being cleared out to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. I had a good time with this show as they started taking care of some of the new stars they have around. With some of the bigger companies lurking around the MLW talent, new stars need to be presented and that’s what they did here. Nice show, and with Battle Riot coming up, there’s another chance to set things up. I like Hammerstone and Warner getting pushes and stories, so hopefully the smart booking continues.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2000 Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Part 1 (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/02/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-thunder-reviews-volume-vii-january-june-2000/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

IMG Credit: Major League Wrestling

Fusion #48
Date: March 9, 2019
Location: Cicero Stadium, Chicago, Illinois
Commentators: Rich Bocchini, Jim Cornette

We’re officially done with Intimidation Games, meaning the still World Champion Tom Lawlor seems to be done with Low Ki. He’s just getting started with Contra though, the group which debuted last week to attack Lawlor in a heck of a beatdown. This could get interesting as we go forward. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of last week’s steel cage title match and Contra’s ensuing debut and beatdown. That splash off the cage still looked great.

Opening sequence.

Battle Riot Qualifying Match: Ace Austin vs. DJZ

On his way to the ring, Ace talks about the respect he has for DJZ but tonight is about going to Battle Riot. Ace’s slight of hand magic is a rather nice touch, though that might just me being a lifelong fan of magicians. They fight over arm control to start as Cornette is mocking DJZ’s shaved head. Austin sends him outside, cartwheels over him on the apron, and scores with a dropkick to keep DJZ in trouble. A quick superkick gets DJZ a breather but Austin sticks the landing on a whip over the barricade.

Back in and DJZ knocks him into the corner but the rolling DDT is countered into a jawbreaker. Austin anklescissors him off the top and nails a spinning middle rope Fameasser for two. DJZ is fine enough to nip up into a dropkick (always cool to see) and a knee to the head gets two more, with Cornette being shocked by the kickout. A springboard in the corner doesn’t work so well for Austin as he gets powerbombed down in a big crash. DJZ rolls towards him though but gets caught with the Fold (running Blockbuster) for the pin at 6:00.

Rating: C+. Austin has caught my eye both here and in Impact and he’s definitely someone worth keeping around. He has a different enough style and the magic/cards thing is a unique enough gimmick. Let him stick around places like this to get some experience on the bigger stages and see where he can go from there. Fun opener, as is the case around here more often than not.

Salina de la Renta doesn’t like Mance Warner and Fred Yehi being loud and it gets worse when Warner spills beer on her.

Jimmy Havoc is still coming back.

We look back at Contra attacking Lawlor again.

Rich talked to the doctor on the phone but can’t get any update on Lawlor due to privacy issues. He then goes on to list off all of Lawlor’s injuries because the doctor doesn’t know what privacy means. The doctor sounded rather weird and while I don’t think they’re going for one, it sounded like an impostor for the sake of an angle.

Simon Gotch, of Contra, is ready to beat up Ace Romero for costing him $20,000.

Alex Hammerstone is on the phone with someone and says he’s in. He gets mad at the camera being there but does say he’s in Battle Riot (sounded like something different from the phone call).

We look at Rich Swann losing it a few weeks ago and attacking Rich.

Alexander Hammerstone vs. Isaias Velasquez

Hammerstone’s music is very loud, to the point where it sounds like they’re intentionally trying to drown out commentary. Velasquez goes at him in the corner to start and scores with a jumping knee to little effect. Attempts at an Irish whip and an armdrag go nowhere and an enziguri just annoys Hammerstone. Velasquez does manage to knock him outside, where Hammerstone hits a Last Ride onto the apron. Back in and a scary t-bone suplex drops Velasquez on his head, followed by a rather delayed superplex. The Nightmare Pendulum finishes Velasquez at 3:45.

Rating: D+. They’ve got something with Hammerstone, who looks more and more like Sid Vicious every time I look at him. Hammerstone looked awesome here and could be a star around here for a long time. That’s one of the best things about MLW at the moment: they’re building up this lesser known talent and turning them into something, which is how you grow an audience.

Maxwell Jacob Friedman and Richard Holliday are on their way to an after party but don’t like what they find and yell a lot. They’ll chill during a joy ride in their new car.

Warner and Yehi share another beer when El Hijo De LA Park comes up to get in a fight with Warner, likely at Salina’s orders. Brian Pillman Jr. comes up and finishes Warner’s beer.

The Battle Riot Control Center announces Low Ki, Teddy Hart and Ace Romero for the match.

The Hart Foundation is ready for MJF and Holliday next week.

Salina rants about Warner and calls Ricky Martinez to deal with him.

We look back at Gotch issuing an open challenge and losing $20,000 to Romero.

Ace Romero vs. Simon Gotch

Romero wastes no time in shouldering Gotch down in a single big shot. A suicide dive (Cornette: “Looks like a flying bus!”) drops Gotch again but he’s fine enough to kick Romero down back inside. The fans are more interested in finding out what happened to Gotch’s shaved mustache. More kicks to the leg and head drop Romero in the corner but Gotch would rather go outside and yell at commentary. Back in and Romero starts swinging but Contra comes in for the DQ at 3:55.

Rating: D+. There’s something about Romero that draws you to him, which you don’t get from most big guys. I like watching him and they did the smart thing here by not having him lose to Gotch. At the same time you don’t want Gotch losing his first match as part of (and probably leader of) the new group. The time didn’t do them any favors, but they did the right thing.

Post match the beatdown is on with a railroad spike to the head busting Romero open. The three of them beats Romero down even more and put coins over his eyes. Romero gets covered with the flag as a fan tries to jump the barricade. Contra finally gets out of the ring and leaves to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. This show was all about focusing on the new stars and it did very well in that regard. There’s more than enough interesting and unknown talent who look like people who could turn into stars down the line. Couple that with building up the return of Lawlor to go to war with Contra and you could have some very good shows going forward.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2000 Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Part 1 (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/02/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-thunder-reviews-volume-vii-january-june-2000/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

IMG Credit: Major League Wrestling

Fusion #46
Date: February 22, 2019
Location: 2300 Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Matt Striker, Rich Bocchini

Things have gone well in Philadelphia so far and there’s a good chance that’s going to be the case again here. This time around we have the debut of the rather redneck Mance Warner, which could go in a variety of ways. Other than that we have what should be some awesome lucha as Rey Horus faces Aerostar. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of the end of last week’s show with Richard Holliday and Maxwell Jacob Friedman attacking Teddy Hart and possibly breaking his rib.

Opening sequence.

Lance Anoa’i vs. Rich Swann

Swann was suspended last week but is wrestling while on appeal. Before the match, Swann thanks the fans for being by his side and walking step by step with him. The announcers suggest that a concussion has turned Swann a little more evil, which is kind of a stretch of a story. Swann loads up the test of strength which turns into the dance, as it tends to do. A big kick to the head staggers Lance, who is right back with a backdrop which sends Swann into a 450.

The Samoan drop sends Swann outside for the big flip dive, followed by the CONTRA sign popping up again, which still isn’t acknowledge by commentary. Back in and Swann rakes the eyes (must be the concussion again) before ripping at the face. A pull of the hair gets a four count, with Swann explaining the rules to the referee like a villain should. An abdominal stretch keeps Lance in trouble, naturally starting the comeback a few seconds later.

Swann gets caught with a Stinger Splash into a running hip attack in the corner for two. A Rock Bottom doesn’t work as well as Swann slips out and hits a Lethal Injection for one. Swann kicks him in the head but Lance is right back with one of his own. The 450 misses though (nice one too despite Lance being bigger than a cruiserweight) and Swann grabs a rollup with a hand on the ropes for the pin at 7:07.

Rating: C-. Swann’s heel run is going better than I was expecting it to as he’s rather easy to dislike. At the same time, Lance was more impressive than usual here, as he isn’t the most thrilling guy in the world most of the time. With the right amount of time, both of these guys could become something interesting around here.

Tom Lawlor says it doesn’t matter how Low Ki is training for their cage match because Low Ki is coming into his world. The blackout is coming in Chicago, just like the Contra logo pops up again here.

We look at the Friedman/Holliday attack again.

Friedman talks about beating Hart down like a dog and paying off Holliday in a smart move. They both come from good families who aren’t filled with drugs, meaning Friedman is just better. He’ll prove that when he takes the Middleweight Title back.

Mance Warner has the interviewer hold a white board so he can write his plan for tonight:

1. Light beer

2. Eye pokes

3. Knee pad up, knee pad down

4. Lariats

Mance wants anyone who wants to get in the ring with the Mancer because he’s going to keep getting those W’s. He’s got some strong charisma.

Video on Aerostar.

Jimmy Yuta vs. Mance Warner

Yuta’s mask even lights up ala Mustafa Ali. Warner chops and swings away in the corner and seems to like it when Yuta hits him back. Yuta’s Octopus Hold is quickly broken up and Warner drops him with a windup headbutt. Yuta knocks him to the apron and joins him out there, where Warner asks him to hang on a second. For some reason Yuta does and Warner DDTs him on the apron. The first eye poke connects but Yuta is right back up with a suicide dive. Back in and something like an Angle Slam gives Yuta two so Warner headbutts him. The kneepad goes up and down to set up a knee trembler, setting up a lariat for the pin at 5:31.

Rating: C+. Warner isn’t exactly polished but he’s a lot of fun and does exactly what you would expect from him. He does feel like an old southern brawler and the entertaining promos are going to be more than enough to carry him. I liked what I saw here and he beat a big enough name to mean a little something. Well done here.

Davey Boy Smith talks about his love of cats and dogs. Teddy Hart says he’s trained in a shoot world and would love to see Smith choke Brock Lesnar out. They’ve saved all of their money over the years and are here for the gold.

Intimidation Games Control Center, featuring a bunch of names being announced but no new matches.

Video on Rey Horus.

Aerostar vs. Rey Horus

They fight over the armdrags to start and get the required covers with no counts. Double flip ups give us a standoff until Horus slides to the floor for the sole purpose of taking a dive from Aerostar. Back in and Aerostar hits a top rope corkscrew crossbody as Striker has literally not stopped talking about how important lucha libre is for the last two minutes. Horus sends him outside for the big running flip dive over the ropes for two back inside.

Aerostar kicks him in the head and hits a top rope reverse shoulder block (that’s a new one) for two of his own. Horus slams him in front of the corner but Aerostar shoves him outside for the running springboard flip dive. Back in and Aerostar hits a rolling cutter but Horus snaps off a Spanish Fly. Aerostar heads up top but gets pulled down with a super victory roll to give Horus the pin at 7:35.

Rating: B-. Entertaining luchaing here but nothing that we haven’t seen done much better time after time. It’s the kind of thing that is going to work every time though because these matches are very exciting, with those dives always looking crisp. It worked for a main event on the go home show and the fans liked it so well done on all accounts.

Salina de la Renta says she doesn’t speak Spanish so the interviewer asks to see Low Ki in English. That’s not happening either because Low Ki is training with some UFC fighters. When asked if they can talk to LA Park, she remembers that she can’t speak English and yells in French.

One more Contra logo wraps things up.

Overall Rating: C+. This wasn’t your traditional go home show and that’s ok, though Intimidation Games is looking like a far cry from SuperFight. That being said, it helps when you have more than a handful of matches announced in advance, though the cage match alone should carry things. Warner’s debut was fun and it was a good main event so this was a really easy sit for just under an hour.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2000 Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Part 1 (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/02/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-thunder-reviews-volume-vii-january-june-2000/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

IMG Credit: Major League Wrestling

Fusion #45
Date: February 15, 2019
Location: 2300 Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Matt Striker, Rich Bocchini

We’re still in Philadelphia and it’s time for a title to be on the line. In this case that would be the Middleweight Title, which should be a fun match between Maxwell Jacob Friedman challenging Teddy Hart. This promotion has become a home for the Hart Foundation, which is quite the odd development. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with what looks like a fan created Hart Foundation music video. Not a bad one either.

Davey Boy Smith Jr. explains where he got a custom made Egyptian wool shirt in Japan. He offers a lot of praise for Japan in general and is working on his Japanese. A fan, who I believe was very prominently featured during Sandman’s entrance last week, comes in so some flirting can ensue.

Opening sequence.

Earlier this week, Salina de la Renta posted a video on Instagram making fun of Tom Lawlor and the fans (or marks as she calls them). She’s fine after the loss because Low Ki has a guaranteed rematch, which he’ll be using at Intimidation Games.

Ace Austin vs. Rich Swann

Swann is freshly heel and talks about bringing the party with him wherever he goes. They go basic to start with Austin working on an armbar as a random graphic pops up, saying CONTRA. It’s not acknowledged, which makes things a little more interesting. Some armdrags have Swann down and it’s time to for the rapid fire near falls into stereo dropkicks for a standoff. Swann lays on the top rope for a breather but Austin drop toeholds him down for a kick to the back.

Something off the top is shoved down though with Austin crashing onto the bare floor. A chop off goes to Austin back inside and a springboard spinning kick to the face gets two. Austin goes up and hits a top rope Vader Bomb for….the pin at 5:40? That was weird as the referee didn’t seem ready to count and even stopped at two before the three went down. Odd indeed.

Rating: C. It was fun while it lasted as both guys are talented with Austin being a nice surprise who has come out of nowhere. Swann as a heel has some potential too as you know he can do everything needed in the ring. He wasn’t going to get very far as smiling face though so this is a nice change.

Post match Swann beats up the referee and says that was two. Bocchini gets beaten up for trying an interview and Swann goes after the announcer as well, drawing some hard booing.

Ariel Dominguez vs. Alexander Hammerstone

This is Hammerstone’s debut and Dominguez is still rather small. Hammerstone growls about how he’s anything but normal and the future has arrived. Dominguez gets choked into the corner to start and an armdrag is blocked with raw power. There’s a Brogue kick to knock Dominguez silly and Hammerstone throws him with a German suplex. Hammerstone grabs a pumphandle and walks him around the ring before tossing Dominguez with a suplex.

The fans chant ONE MORE TIME but Hammerstone goes for a delayed vertical instead, allowing Dominguez to slip out. You don’t do that to Hammerstone though as it’s a hard clothesline to drop Dominguez. The Nightmare Pendulum (Hellevator) finishes Dominguez at 2:36. Hammerstone was impressive here and a lot better than when I saw him a few years ago.

Lawlor vs. Low Ki II is a cage match. The Contra thing pops up again as this is being announced. Also announced for the show: Taurus/Laredo Kid vs. the Lucha Bros.

Mance Warner is a very southern guy who has a bunch of nicknames while drinking light beer and talking about the semi truck engine he rented for the weekend. He’s certainly a fast talker.

Here’s MJF for his title shot but first, he needs to call Philadelphia white trash for liking ECW. As for Hart, the fans cheer for him even though MJF never lost the title. Why aren’t they chanting for him instead? Hart can come out here tonight and face him one on one because MJF is ready to prove that he’s the better man.

Middleweight Title: Teddy Hart vs. Maxwell Jacob Friedman

Hart is defending and has his cat Mr. Velvet with him. MJF won’t shake hands so Teddy goes to the corner for some posing instead. They switch places and Hart pulls the trunks down in a funny bit. Friedman sends him outside in a heap and kicks the rope for a low blow on the way back in. Why that isn’t a DQ isn’t made clear but Friedman suplexes him down into a headlock. Yes a headlock not a chinlock. That stays on for a lot longer than you might expect until Hart fights up and walks MJF’s back into the sunset flip for two.

The top rope Lionsault is good for the same and Hart goes with the right hands to the face. Hart spends too much time talking though and gets his arm stomped, followed by the hanging piledriver for two. The Fujiwara armbar goes on and MJF even bites the hand to make it worse.

Hart makes the rope so MJF puts him on top, where Hart pulls his trunks WAY up for some pain. The ref gets bumped and a hammerlock DDT plants MJF for no count. With Hart checking on the referee, MJF grabs a chair but gets kicked low because Hart is a good bit more intelligent. The electric chair Backstabber sets up the corkscrew Lionsault to retain the title at 11:13.

Rating: C. Nice enough match here as Friedman is your classic cruiserweight heel: stays on the ground and works a lot of submission holds, which is an idea that has worked forever. Fans are going to cheer for someone like Hart because of the flips and don’t want to see MJF keeping it on the mat, while also being such a jerk. They kept it simple here but did it well, which is a lot better than doing something complicated and messing it up.

As Teddy comes through the curtain, Richard Holliday jumps him as MJF comes in to say it’s his belt. It seems that we have a payoff as the double beatdown ends the show.

Overall Rating: C+. I liked this show as, just like last week, they didn’t focus on the main event scene and instead pushed their other stories to keep them interesting. It makes for a good show with Hammerstone looking rather impressive. Keep doing what they’re doing and things will be fine.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 1997 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/11/20/new-paperback-complete-1997-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

IMG Credit: Major League Wrestling

Fusion #44
Date: February 8, 2019
Location: 2300 Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Matt Striker, Rich Bocchini

We’re done with SuperFight and now we’re on the way towards Intimidation Games because MLW is actually making some steps forward around here. Tom Lawlor won the World Title in a very short match, which might have been due to time constraints. Fair enough, though you can imagine the rematch coming from here. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening video looks at SuperFight, which was a rather snappy little show.

Opening video.

Myron Reed vs. DJZ

They fight over arm control to start with no one getting anywhere. Reed bails into the ropes, followed by a cartwheel to stay away. DJZ gets a bit more serious with a dropkick into a jawbreaker to put Reed in some early trouble. A trip to the floor lets DJZ hit a suicide dive, followed by a nice slingshot splash back inside. Reed is right back up with a dive of his own (no hands) before going with a chinlock to slow things down. Reed: “He’s going to sleep!” Then why are you not using a sleeper? Young whippersnapper.

The comeback doesn’t take very long (I guess DJZ wasn’t very sleepy) as DJZ grabs a jumping neckbreaker. Reed is right back with the springboard cutter and DJZ’s tornado DDT is shoved off. An O’Connor roll is reversed into another one and Reed grabs the tights for the pin at 6:26.

Rating: C. Perfectly watchable showcase match for both guys here with DJZ suddenly being a somewhat respected name. Reed is someone who needs a lot more ring time but you can see the potential inside of him. A little more time for both guys is going to do them some good though they’re doing well enough here.

The Hart Foundation answers some questions about Valentine’s Day. Brian pleads the fifth about which girlfriend he’ll spend the holiday with, though he’s known for stacking them up like pizza. Teddy asks about his cats and uses a certain word. The solution to spicing up a twenty five year marriage: leave. Davey is indeed single and fills out his shorts. Finally: no hair, though they do like these beIN Sports sunglasses. This was funnier than it had any right to be.

Gringo Loco vs. Puma King

These guys are both rather popular. They start with the flipping that doesn’t make any actual contact and covers for some far falls. Of course it’s a standoff, which certainly pleases the fans. Puma takes over in the corner but we stop to dance, because dance breaks have made it to MLW. Loco flips forward to get a breather and they trade hurricanranas. One of them sends Loco outside and Puma is right after him with a dive. Back in and King nails a superkick, followed by more dancing.

They run the ropes and for no logical reason, King bails outside, setting up a flip dive from Loco. Back in and a spinning Vader Bomb gets two but King is right back with a top rope Codebreaker. Gringo catches him on top though and a springboard cutter gets two. Puma’s Code Red gets the same and it’s time to fight on the corner at the same time. The required super Spanish Fly finishes King at 7:38.

Rating: C+. Yeah this worked and they did exactly what was advertised here. They flew around, hit big spots and played to the crowd. Really, what else were they supposed to do? The match was entertaining and didn’t overstay its welcome, which is a great result for a TV match like this.

Tonight: the future of the Lucha Bros is revealed.

MJF doesn’t want to hear about Teddy Hart’s redemption because he doesn’t get it. Why are we praising someone who messed up in the first place? Where is the praise for MJF, who never did anything wrong? He’s never been to jail or done drugs, so now it’s time for him to get back the title he never lost.

Tommy Dreamer says Brian Pillman Jr. is coming into his house tonight. He has a mystery partner and because he’s been around for so long, he had about 2000 people to pick from. It’s going to be Sandman and I don’t know why they don’t just say so.

Jimmy Havoc is coming back.

Brian Pillman Jr./??? vs. Tommy Dreamer/???

Street fight for what should be obvious reasons. Before the partners are revealed, Pillman grabs a mic and says the smart marks have been waiting for him to have a microphone in this arena. Without saying much, he announces Davey Boy Smith Jr. as his partner. Well he had two realistic options and he picked one of them. Dreamer’s partner is of course Sandman, who comes through the entrance in a visual that feels completely wrong.

The first spit of a beer lets us start things off in a brawl, as it certainly should be. They actually get inside with Sandman falling down off an elbow drop attempt. We settle down to Dreamer getting kicked in the back to put the Harts in control, allowing Pillman to hit a good looking dropkick. The delayed suplex gets the fans to cheer against the ECW guys for a change, though Sandman’s swearing brings them back.

Smith hurts his head off a headbutt attempt and walks into a DDT, allowing the hot tag to Sandman. Everything breaks down and Dreamer hits his cutter on Smith as Sandman has found a cane. The slow chase is on and Dreamer finds some chairs. Pillman goes underneath the ring and finds….the Blue Meanie. The distraction lets Sandman get in the first cane shots to Pillman but Sandman gets dropped. Back in and Dreamer gets powerbombed through the chairs for a pin at 8:08.

Rating: D+. I’m not sure why I didn’t mind this as much as the Ring of Honor match from Sandman. Maybe it’s how serious that was treated compared to this, but for some reason this was a lot more acceptable. For one thing Sandman wasn’t doing much here and that’s best for everyone. His entrance is still cool and that’s why you bring him in. Not a very good match, but the ending was the right call.

Dreamer and Sandman get the heroes’ farewell.

Next week: MJF vs. Hart for the Middleweight Title.

The Lucha Bros say they’ll be around MLW. They’ll fight anyone anywhere anytime because they’re the best tag team in the world.

Tom Lawlor staggers out of a strip club, seemingly still drunk from last night with the title. That was funny.

Overall Rating: C. This one really did fit the idea of a fusion of a bunch of styles and that’s a good idea. You had three different matches on here and it made for a very breezy show. As usual, MLW is good at being able to go through a bunch of stuff without having any of them seem weak or unimportant. It keeps things fresh and that was the case here.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 1997 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/11/20/new-paperback-complete-1997-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

IMG Credit: Major League Wrestling

Fusion #39
Date: January 18, 2019
Location: Scottish Rite Temple, Miami, Florida
Commentators: Rich Bocchini, Tony Schiavone

We’re two weeks away from Super Fight and you can see the big main event coming from here. That’s not a bad thing in this case as there’s a heck of a title match on the horizon. Other than that there are some other matches to look forward to, though the build hasn’t gotten as far with them. Let’s get to it.

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

Here’s Shane Strickland, who still won’t leave this place, to open things up. He hates Miami, but MLW paid him a fortune to be here because they need Swerve. Shane is tired of being treated so badly, but here’s Rush to interrupt. The microphone is hard to understand but Strickland jumps him and we’re off to a match.

Shane Strickland vs. Rush

Shane knocks him to the floor and the cockiness is strong to start. Rush goes back first into the post and they head back inside for some stomping in the corner. As Shane chokes, the announcers do a rather nice job of explaining his story of being the fallen star of MLW. That’s the right story and it’s an interesting one. Rush fights up but a running dropkick to the knee cuts him right back down.

The fans think Swerve sucks as he puts on a leg lock to keep Rush in trouble. Something like an STF doesn’t last long for Shane so he goes with kicks to the chest instead. Rush gets up again and takes it to the floor, this time with a whip to send Shane into the barricade. They fight into the crowd with a trashcan being pelted off of Shane’s head. Back in and another shot to the chest lets Rush pose tranquilo style.

Another chop makes Shane cringe but the fans want UNO MAS. The Rush Driver is countered and it’s off to the slugout. Shane gets in a head fake for a shot to the face in a clever move, which makes you realize what MLW saw in him as he really is that good. They trade no sold German suplexes with Shane grabbing a rolling DDT for two. Rush gets in his own big shot with a superplex for two more, followed by a bridging fisherman’s suplex for the same.

Rating: B-. This was more of a story based match than anything else, though the wrestling was certainly good enough to make the match watch. The idea here was more about Shane losing to the new star and establishing that he was completely done and there is no coming back. Of course I’ve said that before and he keeps coming back, so maybe there’s one more match for him.

Opening sequence, seventeen minutes into the show.

Mance Warner is still coming.

We look back at Tom Lawlor destroying Sami Callihan last week, possibly murdering him with a hammer.

Salina de la Renta promises to send LA Park after Sami Callihan for being such a screwup.

Ariel Dominguez vs. Ace Romero

Barrington Hughes is on commentary, which thankfully isn’t an overly common act around here. Huge vs. tiny here with Dominguez getting thrown down like he’s not even there. Aries gets tossed a few more times but manages to avoid a sitdown splash. Some running clotheslines have little effect so Romero slams him down and drops an elbow/splash (it was hard to tell) for the pin at 1:50.

Hughes and Romero stare each other down.

Brian Pillman Jr. is at a playground and talks about wanting to destroy Tommy Dreamer because now he knows how to use his environment.

Low Ki is the greatest World Champion of all time and Tom Lawlor gets to join the list of people who have lost to him.

Ricky Martinez vs. El Gringo Loco

Feeling out process to start with Martinez grabbing an early rollup for two and Loco cartwheeling into a standoff. Things get a little more intense with Martinez hitting a jumping neckbreaker to really take over. The figure four neck lock faceplants into the mat keep Loco in trouble, followed by something like a Pounce to take him down again. Loco is right back up and catches Martinez on top with a super Falcon Arrow. A middle rope cutter gets two as the fans are WAY into this one. Salina pulls Martinez out of the way of Spiral Tap though and Martinez rakes the eyes. A fireman’s carry gutbuster finishes Loco at 5:01.

Rating: C. This was entertaining while it lasted as Loco is the kind of guy who can connect with the crowd. MLW has a good audience where if they get behind a wrestler, that wrestler is over for good. Loco has done that and it should keep him around for a long time to come. Martinez is good as the enforcer and a win like this should help him.

Colonel Parker gives the Dirty Blonds (They’re still around?) a pep talk and threatens problems if they don’t win.

Tom Lawlor is at his training camp and talks about everything he’s done to get here. With everything he’s done, nothing is stopping him from becoming champion, including an undefeated Low Ki. The champ has paid people off to keep the title but there’s no way around him in Philadelphia. Lawlor still sounds like a high school student acting, but he has the intensity and good fire in his eyes.

Super Fight Control Center, which will include the second live special on February 2. That makes a lot of sense. Signed for the show (not clear if this will be on the live portion) is Puma King vs. Gringo Loco, Pillman and Dreamer in a mystery partner tag match (get Sandman ready), Ace Romero vs. Barrington Hughes, the debut of Mance Warner, Aerostar vs. Rey Horus, the World Title match and the Hart Foundation challenging the Lucha Bros for the Tag Team Titles. Good card actually.

Dirty Blonds vs. Hart Foundation

Pillman and Smith for the Harts here. It’s Smith and Leo Brien starting things off as the fans want Pillman. That’s exactly what they get too and a running dropkick in the corner has Leo in trouble. A missed dropkick allows the tag to Michael Patrick to hammer away in the corner and spit a little. The chinlock goes on for a few seconds before Patrick elbows Pillman in the face. Pillman gets up and hits a crossbody for two of his own, allowing the double tag. Smith cleans house on both Blonds and Pillman adds a springboard clothesline. A top rope superplex finishes Brien at 4:50.

Rating: D+. What the heck happened to the Blonds? I liked them as an old school team back in the day and now I’m surprised to see them show up and lose a five minute match. It wouldn’t shock me to see them leave the promotion as there’s no point to keeping them around at this point. The match was fine as a glorified squash, but that’s all it was.

Parker yells at the Blonds for the loss to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. This wasn’t much as a stand alone show but it did well as a way to advance the stories going into Super Fight. That’s the kind of show you need heading into the biggest shows of the year and these shows are necessary to bridge the gaps. I like how the Super Fight card is setting up and that’s a good sign with about two weeks to go before the show.

IMG Credit: Major League Wrestling

Fusion #36
Date: December 21, 2018
Location: Scottish Rite Temple, Miami, Florida
Commentators: Rich Bocchini, Tony Schiavone

We’re back to the taped shows this week after a really strong live debut. The big story this week is the first and final battle between Tom Lawlor and Simon Gotch, which will happen to be no holds barred with no ropes. It’s almost time to get ready for Superfight, which is almost a guaranteed World Title change. Telegraphing it that much isn’t the worst thing in the world if you can make the story work, which they’ve done well so far. Let’s get to it.

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

Here are Salina de la Renta and Ricky Martinez to get things going. Salina says this place is surrounded by old men and “broke a** marks” but it’s ok because this is Konnan’s city. This brings out Konnan to a huge reaction to all Ricky Martinez Ricky Vega because his name doesn’t matter that much. Salina is just a bruja (witch) and promises to take away everything from Salina, including the World Title from Low Ki. More Spanish is spoken and the fans are happy as Konnan wraps it up.

Opening sequence.

Next week: Konnan vs. Low Ki for the World Title.

Kotto Brazil was attacked in a nightclub where Ricky Martinez was present. No word on his condition but he’s hurt.

We look back at Teddy Hart winning the Middleweight Title last week.

We get another H2 video from the Hart Foundation where Teddy and Brian, holding cats, talk about horrible people like Tommy Dreamer and Barrington Hughes. Dreamer cheated and the referee was probably paid off. Teddy is the most dangerous animal on the planet of wrestling….and he throws his cat into a moonsault with the cat landing on his feet. So the target moved because a moonsault is supposed to land on your stomach?

Tommy Dreamer/Barrington Hughes vs. Brian Pillman Jr./Davey Boy Smith Jr.

This seems impromptu with Dreamer wanting Pillman to start but getting Smith. Dreamer avoids an early legdrop attempt but gets slammed for his efforts. It’s off to Hughes, who is really starting to feel like a joke more than anything else. Smith can’t slam him (well duh) so he bounces off of him in an even dumber move. Pillman comes in and charges right into an elbow to the face, followed by a double version with Dreamer’s being the only half that connects.

That’s about it for the non-Canadian offense though as Pillman knocks Dreamer down and Smith slaps on a chinlock. We get down into the more traditional heel beatdown, including the delayed vertical suplex for two. Dreamer finally scores with a running cutter out of the corner for a breather and the tag brings Hughes back in to keep the pace slow. A belly to belly gets two on Pillman and Smith gets run over to make things even worse for the team. The ECW chants begin but Pillman cuts Dreamer down with a low blow using the cane. That’s enough to set up a small package to finish Dreamer at 7:03.

Rating: D+. I still don’t care for Dreamer getting this much time but it’s a lot better if he’s losing. Hughes continues to be a guy who seems to be more of an attraction than anything else, but again I can live with it if he’s in the right spot on the card. That’s the case here as he was little more than a big guy there with Dreamer, which is about as good of a role as he can have.

We look back at Rush beating Rich Swann and getting in a fight with LA Park last week.

Rush, in Spanish, promises to wreck Park because he’s the best in Mexico.

El Hijo de LA Park vs. DJZ

Park has Salina de la Renta with him. DJZ takes him down without much effort but Park flips out of a headscissors without much effort. The stereo front flips gives us a standoff to some nice applause. They shake hands but Park decks him with a clothesline like a true villain should. A superkick (with a camera cut seemingly designed to hide a miss) sends DJZ outside and the fans chant in Spanish. Park crotches him against the post and the fans want one more. That’s just not nice but Park does it anyway, this time on the barricade.

Back in and DJZ scores with a jawbreaker so Salina offers a distraction, allowing Park to hit some belt shots to the back. A rolling German suplex gives Park two but DJZ is right back with a running Codebreaker to put Park outside again. Back in and Park gets in a shot of his own, setting up the suicide dive to knock DJZ onto the entrance platform. They go up top at the same time with DJZ hitting a crazy super hurricanrana but Salina throws in the cane. That’s enough for Park to hit a scary over the shoulder piledriver for the pin at 6:29.

Rating: C. There were some good spots here and Park needed the win a lot more. He really hasn’t done anything of note in MLW other than ride his father’s coattails, meaning he needs to get somewhere himself. Nice match here, with Salina being the perfect villain and DJZ being way better than you would expect.

Konnan talks about coming from Miami though he very rarely wrestled here. He’s held titles before and it would be an honor to hold the MLW World Title. It’s strange hearing him speak so normally.

Andrew Everett vs. DJZ

Everett headscissors him down and calls Dezmond a Rascal. Back up and Dezmond slaps him in the face before hitting a loud dropkick. A snapmare into a Lionsault gives Everett two and Dezmond is rather slow to get up. Everett misses a charge in the corner though and gets superkicked in the back of the head. The 619 around the post lets Dezmond go up top but he misses some kind of a flip.

An enziguri in the corner misses as well as Dezmond seems a few steps off here. He keeps leaning on the ropes and Bocchini notices it too. Everett’s German suplex is blocked so he settles for a Pele. The spike hurricanrana gets two and the fans think Everett sucks. Dude it’s not that bad. Everett takes his sweet time heading up top so it’s a standing moonsault into the Pele to bring him back down. Dezmond is fine enough to hit the Final Flash for the pin at 5:45.

Rating: C-. It was clear that something was wrong with Dezmond and that’s not something I’m going to hold against him. They hit some big spots in such a short time and that made it more entertaining. Yeah it was slow, but if one of them was injured there’s not much else they can do. That’s a shame too as this could have been a heck of a high flying match.

Video on Low Ki vs. Konnan.

Lawlor is sick of Gotch and is choking him out tonight.

We recap Lawlor vs. Gotch. Lawlor was becoming a bigger star so Gotch took Salina’s money to take him out before Lawlor gets to the World Title match at Superfight.

Simon Gotch vs. Tom Lawlor

No ropes and anything goes with a win coming by submission or knockout. Low Ki is on commentary to make things better. They go straight to the mat with Lawlor not being able to get a rear naked choke. Instead Gotch takes him down into a near armbar with the fans loudly booing.

A trip to the floor (which looks out of place here) lets Gotch send him into various things but Lawlor wins the slugout. Gotch suplexes him back into the ring, followed by a knee to the head. Lawlor wins another slugout with a kick to the head but Gotch knees him in the face a few times. The Gotch piledriver is countered and Lawlor slaps on the rear naked choke for the knockout at 5:41.

Rating: D. While I can appreciate them trying something new, this wasn’t what they should have gone with. The no ropes thing didn’t add much outside of a cool visual and even though Gotch scored a few good shots, they didn’t make me think that anything surprising was going to happen. It needed more time to be effective and a gimmick that played to their feud better, though some of the strikes looked awesome.

Post match Lawlor says he’s wanted Low Ki for the last seven months because the World Title is all that matters. Lawlor calls out Low Ki for running from him and leaves to end the show.

Overall Rating: D+. This was a weird show as the stuff they were doing wasn’t terrible, but it didn’t work at the same time. What there was though was effort, and I’ll always take that. It’s a case of the company trying but not exactly connecting, which means they have some hope going forward. Just kind of a miss here, though I could see a lot of fans liking it.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 1997 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/11/20/new-paperback-complete-1997-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

IMG Credit: Major League Wrestling

Fusion #34
Date: December 7, 2018
Location: Cicero Stadium, Chicago, Illinois
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Rich Bocchini

Last week was a big show and now we have the final event before it’s off to Miami. In this case that means we have the debut of Rush, a big star from Mexico. It’s hard to say what else we might be getting around here, but the good part around here is how you’re almost guaranteed to get at least something worth seeing. Let’s get to it.

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

Earlier today Simon Gotch arrived and was chased by Tom Lawlor. Ricky Martinez shows up to jump Lawlor but didn’t get anywhere.

Opening sequence.

The Hart Foundation went to the Pro Wrestling Tees store and rather like the Hart Foundation shirt. As they should, though it’s not the flashiest thing in the world.

Jason Cade vs. Teddy Hart

Hart has Brian Pillman Jr. with him. Cade isn’t interested in a handshake and strikes away to start instead. A running neckbreaker puts Teddy down and the fans aren’t happy. Teddy gets out of trouble with a Code Red and a Project Ciampa, followed by a bearhug, which actually works despite the sizes. Cade gets planted with a hammerlock DDT, followed by a top rope moonsault elbow (cool) for two.

Since you don’t sell in a match like this, Cade is back up with a tiger driver and a handspring Codebreaker. Cade even goes outside and smacks Pillman around before sending Hart into the barricade. There’s a legdrop off the barricade to Hart’s back but a frog splash hits knees back inside. The electric chair Backstabber keeps Cade in trouble to the point where we even get some old school begging off.

The Stu Hart Special (looked like a suplex flipped forward into a spinebuster) gives Teddy two and Pillman (DANG he looks like his dad here) is shouting at the crowd. Hart hits a piledriver for two more but Cade is right back with some rolling vertical suplexes. A Samoan driver gets another two so Hart pops back up with a super Canadian Destroyer. Another one puts Cade away at 8:41.

Rating: C+. This is all about entertaining spots and no kind of story or flow, which is perfectly fine. Sometimes you need something fun and that’s what you got here. Hart can do the big spots as well as anyone else and Cade is a very talented guy in his own right. I had a good time with this and that’s all that matters in a popcorn match.

An upset Salina de la Renta rants on the phone when Konnan comes up to brag about the Lucha Bros retaining last week. Next up is the World Title, which Konnan will take himself in Miami. After that, he’s coming for Salina. Singing ensues.

We look back at Lawlor and Martinez from earlier.

Konnan finds Martinez down and dripping blood from the head before dropping a padlock next to him.

Marko Stunt vs. Ace Romero

Stunt is about 5’2 and Romero weighs about 400lbs. Tony: “Who in the world booked this?” Stunt dances to Romero’s music before the (literal) squashing can begin. He only comes up to Ace’s chest so they’re definitely going for the freak show style here. Stunt can’t even get his arms halfway around on a waistlock attempt and a chop to the chest just annoys Romero. A running dropkick sends Stunt flying into the corner and Romero goes up (oh dear), only to miss a legdrop onto the apron. I never would have bet on seeing him try a spot like that and the landing looked dangerous.

Stunt hits a suicide dive but Romero CRUSHES HIM against the barricade in a good visual. Back in and the big elbow gets two but Stunt gets fired up. Some running dropkicks stagger Romero and an enziguri makes it even worse. A springboards backsplash to a leaning over Romero gets two and he tosses Stunt into the air, only to get pulled down into a Codebreaker.

Rich brings up a good point: Marko has to make sure that Romero doesn’t fall on him. That’s not usually something that applies but it’s accurate here. Romero takes him up top but Stunt manages a VERY impressive sunset bomb (Rich: “HE BROKE GRAVITY!”) to pop the heck out of the crowd. Marko heads up but his high crossbody is countered into a Black Hole Slam for the pin at 8:41.

Rating: C+. This was fun. That’s the first thing that came to my mind and I’m rather surprised by how much I liked this. Normally this is the kind of match that would make me roll my eyes but I had a good time with it and they didn’t make it seem stupid (for the most part). That’s very hard to do but they managed to pull it off. Well done, and Stunt is slowly starting to change my mind.

We run down next week’s card. Maxwell Jacob Friedman is officially out of the ladder match due to his elbow injury so it’s now a four way match for the vacant Middleweight Title.

We look back at Shane Strickland losing his World Title match two weeks ago and snapping as a result.

Strickland is yelling at CEO Court Bauer (the fact that I have to point out his job title because he’s not around that often is a good thing) behind closed doors and Bauer doesn’t sound happy.

Miami Control Center with both card rundowns.

Salina has had it with Konnan. Low Ki says they came to him with respect and this is what they got. Ricky Martinez comes up, spitting blood into a trashcan. Ki and Salina leave him there after being told it was Konnan.

Rush vs. Sammy Guevara

This is Rush’s (pronounced Roosh) MLW debut and Sammy’s AAA Cruiserweight Title isn’t on the line. Rush’s theme music sounds like it’s being hummed to start but he definitely has some star power. Rush shoves him away to start and dives over a monkey flip attempt. They both try dropkicks and flip up to a standoff, which is enough for Rush to take the shirt off. He throws it all the way onto the lighting grid, which is quite the arm. Rush takes him into the corner and stomps away, followed by a single kick to the face.

That’s enough for a pose ala Andrade Cien Almas (both from the same stable so it makes sense). Guevara knocks him down but stops to pose a little too much, with Tony calling out him for not being serious enough. They fight outside with Rush dropping him onto a table, which doesn’t break. Rush whips him with an electrical cord and gets in a chair shot to keep Sammy in trouble.

Back in and Rush nearly decks the referee and Guevara hits a running shoulder in the corner. Sammy sends him outside for a running flip suicide dive, followed by a springboards missile dropkick for two back inside. They botch what looked to be a standing Spanish Fly so Rush catches him on the top with a release superplex for two of his own. An exchange of superkicks goes to Rush and he headbutts the heck out of Sammy for another near fall. Guevara’s shooting star hits knees so Rush hits a double underhook piledriver (Jay Driller) for the pin at 9:24.

Rating: B-. Oh yeah they have something with Rush. He comes off as a star and has a presence that almost no one around here has, which isn’t something you can teach. Rush is the kind of guy you want on your show because he makes it feel bigger, which is hard to do on a smaller show like this. He’s a good talent to have and someone that hopefully gets a lot of attention going forward.

Post match Rush grabs a mic and says (with subtitles) that he’s here for the rivalry with LA Park, which is quite a big deal in Mexico. Works for me, though I hope Park can carry his side.

After a quick preview for next week’s show, we see Ki and Salina leaving (How are they not gone yet?) and Lawlor chases after them to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. Good show here as they seem to actually have found a way to bridge out Lawlor vs. Low Ki all the way to February. This company has managed to surprise me more than once and that’s not something I can say very often. That makes for a fun show week to week and that’s what we got here. Nice work again here, which is becoming the norm.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 1997 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/11/20/new-paperback-complete-1997-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

IMG Credit: Major League Wrestling

Fusion #26
Date: October 12, 2018
Location: War Memorial Auditorium, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Commentators: Rich Bocchini, Tony Schiavone

We’re still in Fort Lauderdale and have to be near the end of this taping cycle. Things are still interesting around here and the road to the next big show is already starting to look good. They’ve built up some rather nice feuds over the next few weeks and if the matches are as good as the stories, they’ll be fine. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

The Hart Foundation is claiming another conspiracy because Rich Swann apparently had a concussion in his match with Teddy. That’s not fair to them you see, because no one talks about the positive things that Teddy has done for the business. There’s something so great about Teddy’s sour face.

Vandal Ortagun vs. Brian Pillman Jr.

This is Pillman’s singles debut and the Hart Foundation is at ringside. The fans are behind Pillman, as you probably could have guessed. Pillman shoves him into the corner for the patronizing pat to the chest and then some stomping to really take over. Ortagun stops a charge in the corner with a raised boot but Pillman snaps off a scoop powerslam (good one too). A hard knee to the face gets two and it’s off to a seated abdominal stretch. Back up and Ortagun forearms away, followed by a sideways Backstabber for two. Pillman is right back up with a spinning chop to the back and a swinging neckbreaker for the pin at 4:37.

Rating: D+. Well he needs a much better finisher (as do most people who use the swinging neckbreaker variations) but you can see his dad shining through here, which is a very good sign. This was just a squash and you can only get so much from such a match, but that’s how you bring along someone without much ring experience.

Post match the Foundation throws Ortagun to the floor.

Rush is coming soon.

Jimmy Yuta vs. Hijo De LA Park

This is Park’s debut and Salina de la Renta is out with him. Yuta takes him down by the leg to start and a very loud fan wants Park’s leg broken. Park’s wristlock goes nowhere so they trade armdrags until it’s a standoff. A bow and arrow has to be broken since Yuta’s shoulders are on the mat so he goes with a jumping backsplash for two instead. Some chops cut Yuta down again and Salina is rather pleased. Or she’s just evil. You never can tell with her.

Yuta gets sent outside for a suicide dive, allowing Part to throw him inside again for a whip with a belt. A Rock Bottom backbreaker into a German suplex gives Park two and it’s time to trade the chops. Yuta gets two off a sitout powerbomb and Park gets the same off a running Codebreaker out of the corner. Park misses a moonsault though and it’s a reverse implant DDT to give Yuta the pin at 7:02.

Rating: C. Uh….ok then? Yuta is someone who can be built into something around here and there’s nothing wrong with that as he’s a young, talented guy. That being said, I’m not sure what the point is in having Park lose right before he’s going to get a title shot at a big show. Especially in his debut. At least the match was pretty good, as Yuta is starting to find his footing.

Stokely Hathaway (a good heel manager) is coming back.

Tom Lawlor laughs off the idea of Shane Strickland not showing up.

Jimmy Havoc is ready to fight Sami Callihan in any kind of match. It was Callihan running away from him when they fought through this building and Havoc will make him run away again.

Rich Swann is ready for Teddy Hart tonight. ACH is ready to have Swann’s back.

Fightland Control Center. The Lucha Bros will defend against LA Park and his son, plus Shane Strickland gets his World Title rematch against Low Ki.

Teddy Hart vs. Rich Swann

The Hart Foundation and ACH are here as well. We get a handshake and hug with Hart getting on the ropes to pose a bit. Swann does the same and of course gets jumped from behind by the smarter veteran. A kick to the face sends Hart into the corner but Smith grabs the foot, allowing Hart to hit a torture rack backbreaker to take over again. Hart’s snap powerslam (must be a stable signature) lets him talk some trash, including bragging about the awesomeness of Canada.

A hammerlock DDT gets two and a Lionsault gets the same, albeit with Hart pulling him up at two. The top rope moonsault hits raised knees though and Swann flips over him, followed by a backflip into a dropkick. Now the Lethal Injection connects for two and a low superkick keeps Hart in trouble. A good looking frog splash gets two more but Hart is right back with an ankle lock. That goes nowhere so Hart heads up top, only to be taken down with a hurricanrana.

Hart bails to the floor and gets taken down by a suicide dive, leaving Swann to stare Smith down. That’s enough of a distraction for Hart to grab a snap suplex on the floor. Since the chairs are locked together, Hart settles for a piece of barricade instead but first, it’s a suplex on the platform. Swann hits a desperation flip dive off the platform but Hart shrugs it off and slams him onto the piece of barricade.

An Arabian moonsault onto Swann onto the barricade has him in even more trouble and a hanging piledriver (think the Orton DDT but a piledriver instead) knocks Swann silly. Bocchini points out the concussion, which is the kind of detail that you would forget as it was only mentioned once earlier. Swann is somehow fine enough to superkick him on the apron and hit a quick cutter.

Both guys are barely able to stand up so Smith lifts Hart back inside. That just earns him a Phoenix splash for two so Swann heads up again, only to get distracted by Smith again. He’s fine enough to roll through a hurricanrana though and puts on a Sharpshooter (although with a completely different method of starting).

Like any good Canadian, Hart isn’t about to give up to a Sharpshooter and dives over to the rope. Smith offers ANOTHER distraction (because ACH is the most worthless friend ever) and Hart hits a low blow to set up a super Canadian Destroyer. The electric chair backbreaker is enough for the pin on Swann at 18:52.

Rating: B. The stuff on the floor took up too much time but this was a heck of a fight with both guys trying to out perform each other. Hart is known for his crazy athleticism and high flying abilities so having someone like Swann go out there and hang with him every step of the way is a good sign. ACH basically disappeared halfway through the match and was completely worthless so Swann didn’t exactly lose clean here. Good match, as the Hart Foundation continues their rise.

Overall Rating: B-. This was the show about the middleweights and there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s the same thing that has worked for years in NXT: focus on one thing one week and a different one later, but treat both of them as important. That’s what they did here and it will help them down the road. Instead of having these smaller guys treated like they’re lower on the totem pole, you have them just waiting for their next time on the grand stage. Those are two different things and it goes a long way in the future.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2003 Smackdown Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/09/07/new-book-kbs-complete-smackdown-2003-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

IMG Credit: Major League Wrestling

Fusion #24
Date: September 28, 2018
Location: War Memorial Auditorium, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Commentators: Rich Bocchini, Tony Schiavone

We’re getting closer to Fury Road and that means things are starting to pick up. It also means that we’ll be getting something entertaining tonight with MLW World Champion Low Ki defending against Fenix. In other words, taking two talented guys and letting them have a long match should work fine. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Sami Callihan and Jimmy Havoc have started fighting in the back before their scheduled match tonight. Both guys go for the eyes and seem to be heading towards the arena.

Opening sequence.

Jason Cade vs. Myron Reed

Cade has Rhett Giddins in his corner. Reed is nice enough to let the referee check him for weapons and Cade dropkicks him in the corner for his efforts. A sunset flip gets Reed out of trouble and a dropkick puts Cade on the floor. Giddins offers a distraction so Cade can take over again as the beating continues. We hit the chinlock and go split screen to see Havoc and Callihan still fighting.

Back to full screen and Reed hurricanranas his way out of a powerbomb attempt, followed by a nip up into an enziguri. Reed scores with a running forearm in the corner and another enziguri, followed by the top rope seated senton for two. Cade knees him in the face for the same, only to be kicked in the face for his efforts. A superkick rocks Cade again but he’s fine enough to elbow Reed in the face.

Reed gets buckle bombed so he pops right back up with a reverse hurricanrana to plant Cade again. Cade scores with another superkick but Reed springboards into a cutter for two. Something like a Cradle Shock (which Tony calls a sitout powerbomb) gives Cade two more so he takes Reed over to the other ring, only to have Reed reverse a suplex into a Stunner.

Just to show off, Reed gets a running start and dives over both ropes for a cutter to wreck Cade. Another diving cutter over the top rope drops Cade onto Giddins but Giddins is fine enough to crotch Reed on top. A backslide driver (that’s a new one) of all things finishes Reed at 9:54.

Rating: C+. Reed looked like a star here, even if he used that cutter once or twice too often. That running cutter looked awesome and I was hoping to see Reed win here, which I didn’t expect coming in. Cade is fine for a midcard heel and having the bigger Giddins as an enforcer is a classic story that will work fine here. This was a very nice surprise.

Post match Cade grabs the mic but Jimmy Yuta runs in and dropkicks him down.

Post break, Yuta promises to play dirty along with Cade.

Fury Road rundown, including Maxwell Jacob Friedman defending the Middleweight Title against Cade and Yuta. Makes sense.

Brody King is ready to face Tommy Dreamer and show him some real violence at Fury Road.

Callihan and Havoc are still fighting with Havoc being choked down until a wet floor sign to the head gets him out of trouble. They fight into the men’s room with Callihan getting a face full of soap. After a break, Havoc can’t find Callihan.

Shane Strickland is ready to prove that he’s still the ace when he faces Tom Lawlor.

Friedman and Aria Blake try to get in to see Salina de la Renta but get shut down.

Cade isn’t happy with Yuta for interfering in his match and swears vengeance.

Court Bauer makes Callihan vs. Havoc: Spin the Wheel Make the Deal for Fury Road. I’m down.

Lawlor is ready to beat up Strickland and prove that he’s the present and the future. He wants to prove that this is a filthy world, not Shane’s house.

Video on Salina de la Renta vs. Konnan in a battle over talent and power.

MLW World Title: Low Ki vs. Rey Fenix

Fenix is challenging and we get the Big Match Intros. They stare each other down to start without much happening in the first minute. Fenix starts speeding things up and hits his springboard armdrag to send Low Ki outside, meaning the big flip suicide dive to drive him into the barricade. The loud superkick has Low Ki in even more trouble and a standing moonsault gets two back inside.

Low Ki dropkicks him down though and Fenix invites the champ to kick him in the chest. One heck of a chop on the floor sends Fenix over the barricade and the pace stays slow. Back inside and we hit the neck crank with Low Ki going after the mask. A double stomp gets two and they head outside again, this time with Fenix being catapulted face first into the post (DING!) to draw some blood.

Fenix gets chopped even more and can barely stand as the referee starts checking on him to make sure this can keep going. Of course Fenix gets up and screams before losing a chop off. Fenix does an Undertaker situp but can’t do much more after that, despite the fans loudly cheering for him. So he really is like Undertaker. One heck of a chop slows Low Ki down so he kicks Fenix into the corner again.

Low Ki grabs him by the hands and goes up top, only to have Fenix grab a double springboard into a hurricanrana. A rolling cutter gets a delayed two on the champ and the Ki Crusher is blocked. Instead Ki kicks him out of the corner for two and the top rope double stomp gets the same.

The big kick is countered into a rollup for two more and they both head up top. Fenix gets the better of it with a springboard Spanish Fly and the kickout shocks them both. A reverse hurricanrana drops Ki on his head but Salina takes Fenix’s mask off, setting up a great looking top double stomp to the back to retain the title at 14:28.

Rating: B. These two beat the heck out of each other and they got somewhere with the idea of Fenix fighting from behind. Those near falls were awesome and Fenix is someone easy to cheer for, making this quite the match. They can save Pentagon vs. Ki for later on or whenever Ki gets a partner for the big tag war. Very fun brawl here and they beat each other up as you would have wanted to see them do.

Salina yells in Spanish and poses with Low Ki.

In the back, Havoc and Callihan are still fighting as they go outside. Callihan gets knocked down some steps and calls Havoc crazy. Havoc: “I know it!” Callihan runs away from Havoc’s kendo stick to end the show.

Overall Rating: B+. It’s a good sign when you have two matches on a show and both of them are either good or quite good. Throw in the whole Havoc vs. Callihan thing that set up a big gimmick match for the special show and this was a heck of a night. I want to see Fury Road and that’s a good sign going forward. Really strong show this week and one of the better Fusions to date.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2003 Smackdown Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/09/07/new-book-kbs-complete-smackdown-2003-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6