IMG Credit: Major League Wrestling

Fusion #11
Date: June 29, 2018
Location: Gilt Nightclub, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Rich Bocchini, Tony Schiavone

Things are starting to take shape around here but at the same time, there is still new stuff being addle every week which makes the show that much more fun to watch. We’re also getting closer to Battle Riot later this month, which should be a lot of fun if they do it right. I’m not sure what to expect tonight so 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 show with Barrington Hughes fighting Sami Callihan’s goons.

Hughes, with a bandage around his head, says he was jumped from behind by something made of metal. They’re not done quarreling or rumbling.

Opening sequence.

We look back at Kotto Brazil beating Vandal Ortagun last week.

Kotto is proud of his win but here are Callihan’s goons and Callihan himself to jump Brazil from behind. Callihan says that’s a message for MVP, as that feud is still going. They take Kotto away.

Ariel Dominguez vs. Jaye Skye

This is a Prospect match and Dominguez weighs 140lbs. They lock up in the corner but here are Su Yung and Zeda Zhang (from the Mae Young Classic) to beat them both down for a no contest after about a minute.

Video on Low Ki wanting to claim the bounty on Shane Strickland. He wants to burn the house of Swerve to the ground. The bounty is now up to $60,000. I don’t like Low Ki but the low voiceover is a very nice touch and rather creepy.

Newly announced for Battle Riot: Tom Lawlor, Brody King, Low Ki, Jimmy Havoc, Samu, Leon Scott. Yes that’s Headshrinker Samu. I’m not sure I get it either.

Also announced for the show: Maxwell Jacob Friedman vs. Joey Ryan for the inaugural Middleweight Championship. That’s rather abrupt.

MVP finds Kotto (no idea how) along with a phone featuring a message from Callihan, who wants to meet him in the boiler room.

Fred Yehi vs. Sammy Guevara

Sammy has Salina de la Renta with him along with a big bodyguard. In the back, Team Filthy offers Fred what sounds to be a rather insincere good luck. A trip to the mat goes nowhere and Yehi runs him over with a shoulder. Back up and Guevara does a standing backflip instead of a leapfrog, which is rather impressive looking. Unfortunately it doesn’t do much good as Yehi grabs the arm to take over. A release German suplex drops Guevara for two but he belly to belly suplexes Yehi into the corner to cut him off.

Guevara puts him in a fireman’s carry to do some squats but Yehi slips out and forearms him in the face. There’s a powerbomb for two on Guevara and it’s time for a sloppy looking sequence where they seem to mistime multiple spots, including Guevara slipping out of a full nelson and getting covered for two. Yehi is tired of the missed spots and grabs a Koji Clutch for the tap at 6:31.

Rating: C. Yehi is getting more and more fun to watch every time he’s out there and Guevara is fine for a cocky heel who can get what’s coming to him. This worked fine and gave Yehi a win that he needed. You can go a few places with someone like him but it doesn’t matter if he doesn’t win at least a few times.

Post match de la Renta ignores Guevara’s excuses.

We look back at Yung and Zhang’s attack earlier.

Team Filthy runs into Low Ki and thank him for building up the bounty money. Low Ki brings up Lawlor being #1 contender and points out all the #1 contenders who have lost their shot. Oh and Low Ki is getting the next title shot anyway. Ki’s voice really is great for things like this.

We look back at Callihan attacking MVP until Brazil made the save, only to have Callihan and company beat them both down with the baseball bat.

Callihan says what happened to Brazil was just a warning to MVP. The boiler room challenge is thrown out again.

We look back at Team Filthy beating Jimmy Havoc down about a month ago.

Havoc is sitting by Team Filthy’s hot tub and says he’s watching them.

Clip of Fenix and Pentagon becoming Tag Team Champions.

Team TBD is arguing and can’t be interviewed right now.

Rich Swann vs. ACH

Tom Lawlor is on commentary and isn’t pleased with both guys dancing before the bell. Lawlor: “I want to beat somebody up.” Swann rolls away from an early chop in the corner as Bocchini asks why the prize in Team Filthy Open Challenges is so low. ACH gets in a roll of his own and backflips into a standoff. There’s a dropkick to put ACH down but Swann doesn’t seem interested in being very aggressive.

An attempt at a handspring bulldog is pretty easily countered as ACH pulls him out of the air and it’s off to a chinlock. A backbreaker into a snap German suplex gives ACH two and we’re right back to the chinlock. Rich: “How do you counter that suplex?” Lawler: “Don’t get caught in it in the first place.” ACH hits him in the back and we hit the third chinlock in about six minutes. I mean….do an armbar or something. Swann fights up and grabs a headscissors for two and a jumping hurricanrana brings ACH off the ropes.

ACH gets in a double stomp to the back and kicks him in the head but comes up holding his shoulder. It’s fine enough for a middle rope frog splash and a one armed deadlift German suplex gets two. Lawlor: “But what if he had two???” Swann is right back up with a Lethal Injection and they’re both banged up. A slow slugout goes to Swann off a kick to the face for two but the standing 450 hits boots. Swann tries la majistral but ACH lays down on it for the surprise pin at 12:37.

Rating: B-. This was a different kind of match as neither was wanting to go that high as neither was willing to find out if the other was that much better. ACH needed the win a lot more than Swann, but it’s kind of surprising to see someone with Swann’s WWE status and being so new take a loss. Still though, not too bad.

Overall Rating: C+. This show isn’t great but I’ve yet to see a bad episode from these guys. They put on good shows with stories that have been put together logically and you can start to see where things are supposed to go. I like what I’ve been seeing and that’s not something I can say happens with a lot of promotions with more time than this one.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of the NXT The Full Sail Years Volume III (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/05/25/new-book-nxt-the-full-sail-years-from-dallas-to-new-orleans/

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 #10
Date: June 22, 2018
Location: Gilt Nightclub, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Rich Bocchini, Tony Schiavone

We reach double digits this week with a show that isn’t likely to be as big as last week. This week’s featured match is Brody King trying to claim the $20,000 bounty on MLW Champion Shane Strickland, who has shown a willingness to fight anyone who comes against him. The other stories are starting to take shape as well so let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of Salina de la Renta issuing the bounty on Strickland and King trying to claim it by attacking him in a parking lot.

Opening sequence.

Trey Miguel vs. Danny Santiago

Actually hang on as the debuting Teddy Hart jumps Santiago and takes him down with a moonsault. Hart is taking his place.

Trey Miguel vs. Teddy Hart

They waste no time in running the ropes with Hart snapping off a powerslam. Miguel sends him outside for a springboard flip dive before tucking Hart’s head in the corner, setting up a 619. The Meteora gets two and we take a break. Back with Hart snapping off a Code Red for two and Miguel screaming a lot. The fans think it was three, even though the count wasn’t all that close.

A hammerlock DDT gets the same and Hart’s electric chair Backstabber makes me cringe. Miguel slips out of a delayed superplex and pulls Hart down into a cutter for two. Another cutter almost onto the apron (the camera shows a big gap between Hart’s head and the apron) gives Miguel two but Hart scores with Project Ciampa. A super Canadian Destroyer ends Miguel at 8:37.

Rating: C-. I’m not that big on Hart but he didn’t go insane with the flips here and that always helps him out. He used to be a bigger indy name and it helps to have someone from the Hart Family on the show. I can’t imagine him being treated like a big deal or being featured for very long so getting what you can out of him in short order is probably the best call.

Kotto Brazil says he looks up to Rich Swann and last week was a great experience. He needs to figure out how to win though.

Hart always gets heat in the back but he’s here to steal the show and make his family proud. ACH comes in and a fight is teased but Rich Swann comes in as well and things calm down a bit.

Battle Riot ad. Newly confirmed this week: Rich Swann, Jason Cade, Joey Ryan, Pierre Carl Oulette, Kevin Sullivan, ACH, Swoggle, John Morrison, Lance Anoa’i, Konnan, Sami Callihan, Davey Boy Smith Jr., Teddy Hart

Also announced for the show: ACH/Rich Swann vs. Teddy Hart/Davey Boy Smith Jr. with Brian Pillman II in their corner.

Quick look back at last week’s show.

Colonel Robert Parker has filed a complaint with the refereeing in last week’s title match, saying the Dirty Blonds were treated unfairly.

Parker hits on the interviewer and seems to make her go get a cup of coffee. They leave, so Team Filthy goes into the Stud Stable’s locker room.

Barrington Hughes vs. Paris Hakeem

A headbutt and elbow drop give Hughes the pin at 13 seconds.

Team Filthy have relieved themselves in Parker’s hat. I don’t find this funny, and neither does Parker.

Kotto Brazil vs. Vandal Ortagun

Feeling out process to start with Brazil jumping over Ortagun and superkicking him for good measure. Ortagun is right back with a neckbreaker for two and since it worked so well, another neckbreaker gets another two. An uppercut slows Ortagun down and Brazil pulls him face first into the corner for a breather. That just earns him a Backstabber (popular move around here) for two but Brazil kicks him in the face, followed by a running Sliced Bread and the pin at 5:26.

Rating: C. I like Brazil the more I watch him, but I’m not sure how much he’s going to be able to stand out in a promotion with high fliers like ACH, Fenix and Rich Swann. Giving him a win, even a low level one like this, is better than nothing though and it gives him a little higher status when he loses to other names. That’s worked for years and there’s no reason it can’t do the same now.

Salina de la Renta, while being very mean to the interviewer, is happy with the Tag Team Titles but wants Strickland taken out.

On the way to the ring, Strickland runs into Sami Callihan’s goons but Barrington Hughes fights them for him.

Shane Strickland vs. Brody King

Non-title but King, a very tattooed guy with partially green hair, might get $20,000 if he wins. Strickland goes straight at him but gets backed into the corner for some elbows to the face. Brody is sent outside for some stomps to the head but a hurricanrana is countered into a powerbomb onto the apron.

Back in with Strickland kicking away, only to get sent into the ropes for a running crotch attack to the neck. A slugout goes to Brody so Strickland snaps off a German suplex to take him down. Some running uppercuts in the corner and he kicks Brody in the back of the head for a delayed cover. King clotheslines the heck out of Strickland and it’s a giant swing of all things to put him on the floor.

Back from a break with Brody getting knocked into a chair and Shane hitting a double stomp, breaking the chair in the process. That certainly looked good. Shane’s kicks to the chest back inside just seem to tick the big man off and it’s another hard clothesline to take him down. That’s enough for King, who tries to go old school with powder. Strickland, probably noticing the powder coming out of Brody’s hand, knees him in the face instead for the pin at 12:04.

Rating: C. Brody was fine for a one off monster for Strickland to slay and that’s all this needed to be. Strickland has turned into the kind of guy that they want him to be, as he’s a bigger star than anyone on the show and there are a bunch of people I’d like to see him face. Throw in a foil like de la Renta and they have a pretty good story at the moment.

Post match Low Ki comes in to beat Strickland down and de la Renta comes in to smile. Low Ki holds up the World Title to end the show. Well so much for the big story being interesting.

Overall Rating: C. The best way to describe this show is a perfectly acceptable hour long wrestling show. I’m liking the mix of newer names with the established veterans and it never feels like a nostalgia show or one last check for a bunch of the bigger names. The show is easy to sit through and while it’s nothing revolutionary, a classically booked show is a very nice change of pace. Another fine show this week, which is the standard around here.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of the NXT The Full Sail Years Volume III (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/05/25/new-book-nxt-the-full-sail-years-from-dallas-to-new-orleans/

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 #9
Date: June 15, 2018
Location: Gilt Nightclub, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Rich Bocchini, Tony Schiavone

It’s time to change things up a bit this week with the first ever Tag Team Champions being crowned. This has been teased for a little while and it’s something that could add in a new dynamic to the show. There are several ways to go with the titles, but there’s a good chance that a surprise team walks out with the belts. Let’s get to it.

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

Colonel Robert Parker is giving the Dirty Blonds some strategy for the Tag Team Title tournament. They’re not overly worried.

Opening sequence.

We hear about Battle Riot coming to New York City, which seems to be a 40 man Royal Rumble.

Earlier this week, Brody King tried to collect Salina de la Renta’s bounty on Shane Strickland in a parking lot. This meant shoving Strickland over and that’s about it.

MVP isn’t worried about Maxwell J. Friedman, whose mouth has written a check that his mouth can’t cash. Friedman is going to be taken to school and MVP is going to be his teacher. When Friedman is done, it’s time to go after Sami Callihan and his get along gang.

MVP vs. Maxwell J. Friedman

Before the match, Friedman calls MVP the Jabronin Ronin. Friedman hides in the ropes to start so MVP forearms him in the back and hits a belly to back. A running boot in the corner is blocked though and it’s a poke to the eye like you should be seeing from a villain. Friedman cranks on an armbar and we take a break.

Back with MVP throwing some right hands and the Ballin Elbow connecting for no cover. There’s a fisherman’s suplex for two and the Playmaker connects, drawing out Callihan and company. MVP dives onto the trip, allowing Friedman to get in a low blow, followed by a rollup with feet on the ropes for the pin 7:34.

Rating: D+. Friedman is a pretty simple, basic character and that’s all he needs to be. He doesn’t have the best in ring skills but he’s not the worst either, putting him right in the middle on a show full of others who happen to be right in the middle. MVP is the same guy he’s been for years, meaning I’m still not much of a fan.

Ad for Battle Riot, explaining that it’s a Royal Rumble with pins and submissions with the winner getting a World Title shot anyplace anytime. Confirmed for the match: Jake Hager, Barrington Hughes, Jimmy Yuta and Pentagon Jr.

Barrington Hughes doesn’t like the idea of a bounty on someone who is just doing his job.

Jimmy Yuta and Jason Cade are ready to win the Tag Team Titles, with Cade saying he’s the captain. This goes as well as you would expect.

Simon Gotch vs. Parrow

This is Gotch’s $250 challenge, with Parrow only having to last five minutes to win. Parrow is a good sized guy who we’ve seen before and part of the Stud Stable. Gotch kicks him in the face and the 6’4 300lb Parrow bounces back with a shoulder to send Gotch outside. Back in and a chokeslam is countered into a kneebar but it’s too close to the rope. Tom Lawlor gets in a cheap shot with what looked like a shoe, setting up the rear naked choke to put Parrow away at 1:55.

Post match the Dirty Blonds come out for the save.

Brody King, a bounty hunter with a big beard, challenges Strickland for next week.

MLW CEO Court Bauer calls in and says the match is on for next week.

Elimination rules and anything goes with the titles vacant coming in. TBD is Cade/Yuta of course. It’s WCW rules with one person from every team in at once but everything breaks down in short order. The brothers are sent to the floor and TBD get backdropped at the same time. TBD dive into stereo superkicks but the Blonds pull Pentagon and Fenix outside. That just means stereo flip dives from TBD, followed by Brien’s own flip dive from the apron.

We settle down (kind of) with Cade getting caught in a double whip spinebuster for two as Yuta makes the save. Brien starts in with some suplexes and a backsplash to Fenix for two but Cade is back in for a tornado DDT. A top rope elbow from Yuta and a frog splash from Cade are enough to put Brien away and get rid of the Blonds at 4:28.

Back from a break with all four down in the ring until Cade pops up for some chops to the Bros. A double superkick rocks Yuta and he’s tied up in the Tree of Woe. With Cade seated beneath him, Pentagon gets launched into the two of them, only to have Yuta pop up with a kick to Pentagon’s leg for two. TBD go up top for a double missile dropkick on Fenix and Yuta’s German suplex gets two more. Pentagon comes back in and tells Cade CERO MIEDO. Cade: “I DON’T KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS!”” Eh good for a laugh.

The Sling Blade gets two on Cade and a Codebreaker is good for the same. Something resembling an Angle Slam gives Yuta two but Fenix dives in with a dropkick for a great looking save. An over the shoulder sitout Tombstone plants Yuta for another near fall but Cade is right back in with a handspring Codebreaker.

We haven’t had a dive in awhile so Cade nails a suicide version, leaving Yuta to eat a rolling dropkick to the face. Cade is back in with a hurricanrana to set up the elbow/frog splash combination for two more. As you might have expected though, Cade hits Yuta and calls him stupid as a result, setting up a superkick into the Pentagon Driver for another near fall. A spike Fear Factor on Yuta is enough for the pin and the titles at 16:07.

Rating: C+. It was a fun and wild match but if it’s the first time the titles are going to be decided, I could have gone for some more actual tag team wrestling instead of just a bunch of spots. Now that being said, what we got was an entertaining match in the lucha style and it’s the right call to give Pentagon and Fenix, who have been two of the stars of the show, the titles in the first place.

Salina busts out the Patron (thankfully sans Alberto) as the celebration is on to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. This was a show that they needed to get done with the Tag Team Titles being something that can help them later on. They got the first champions right and that’s what matters most here, plus the match itself was entertaining. I’m actually looking forward to seeing Strickland again next week and that’s why you have someone like him in the top spot: he’s an attraction and feels like a big deal, which is what you want in a champion.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of the NXT The Full Sail Years Volume III (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/05/25/new-book-nxt-the-full-sail-years-from-dallas-to-new-orleans/

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 #7
Date: June 1, 2018
Location: Gilt Nightclub, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Rich Bocchini, Tony Schiavone

With Pentagon out of the way, it’s time for Shane Strickland to find a new challenger to the World Title. I’m not sure who that can be as Tom Lawlor would seem to be one of the best options but he’s busy with Jimmy Havoc at the moment. Other than that, you never can tell what you might see on this show, which can be both good and bad. Let’s get to it.

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

The backstage interviewer is outside Jeff Cobb’s (Lucha Underground’s Matanza) locker room when the Stud Stable comes in with Colonel Parker promising to put Cobb on a stretcher tonight.

Opening sequence.

Jake Hager vs. Jeff Cobb

Hager is better known as Jack Swagger and is part of the Stud Stable. Cobb, who the fans seem to like, is a fellow wrestling machine but is built more like Samoa Joe. Hager wastes no time in taking Cobb into the corner and tossing him across the ring in an impressive power display. A German suplex gets Cobb out of trouble for a few seconds but a clothesline to the back of the head takes him right back down. It’s too early for the ankle lock so the announcers start talking about the rest of the card instead of what’s going on here. Dang it MLW not you too.

Cobb fights out of a chinlock and forearms away in the corner but charges into a pair of boots. The Vader Bomb gets two but Cobb is fine enough to hit an Oklahoma Stampede for two of his own. Cobb can’t hit the Tour of the Islands and misses the standing shooting star press as well. The second Vader Bomb hits boots but Hager reverses into the ankle lock for the tap at 6:40.

Rating: C. Hager is someone who could be a player around here as he has the WWE pedigree and still looks like a killer. The Stud Stable could use a singles name like him too as just being a tag team isn’t going to get them very far. Cobb is a good choice to have around as well but given a loss like this, which was mostly one sided, I’m not sure how big he’s going to be around here.

Cobb is taken out on a stretcher and after a break, goes into an ambulance with a fractured ankle. That’s a great way to get the ankle lock over early on.

Quick look at Strickland retaining last week.

Shane says that was a hard match last week and is glad that the title is still around his waist. He runs into Salina de la Renta, who says it’s not over. Shane isn’t intimidated but she says be careful what you wish for. She has someone in mind for him.

Next week: Fred Yehi vs. Tom Lawlor.

Team Filthy doesn’t think anything of Yehi because he’s a little guy (“About yay high.”).

Sami Callihan and his big bald (and still unnamed) friend say they’re still taking over everything. Thanks for the update on that one.

Maxwell J Friedman is having some champagne at ringside.

The MLW Top Ten:

10. ACH

9. Jake Hager

8. Joey Janela

7. Barrington Hughes

6. Jimmy Havoc

5. MVP

4. Sami Callihan

3. Rey Fenix

2. Pentagon Jr.

1. Tom Lawlor

So Lawlor is #1 contender. I guess that should do it for Havoc’s deal, at least for now.

Rich Swann vs. Kotto Brazil

This is Swann’s MLW debut and he’s dancing, despite not having the fastest music in the world. We get a CAN YOU HANDLE THIS chant to start and the dancing continues, so at least Swann still has some holdover appeal from WWE. They trade headlocks to start before switching to a long pinfall reversal sequence into a standoff. A jumping Stunner from Brazil cranks the pace up a little bit and a springboard forearm makes Swann hold his face.

Brazil grabs a chinlock (needs more grabbing of the chin) to keep things in control as Friedman doesn’t seem impressed. Swann is back up with a dropkick and the pace actually slows a bit. A SHH chop is loaded up in the corner but Swann punches him in the face instead. Something like a torture rack with Swann on one knee and bending Brazil down a bit has him in more trouble as Swann is being very, very cocky here. Like, to the point where he’s almost a heel which….isn’t the worst idea in the world.

A missile dropkick gets two on Brazil and now it’s an abdominal stretch with Swann picking up the leg off the mat. With that going nowhere, Swann goes up and dives into….I think it was supposed to be a dropkick but was kind of a leg to the ribs instead. A Blockbuster (which actually connects) gives Brazil two but Swann comes back with a Lethal Injection. Brazil pulls him down into a reverse Rings of Saturn (Naomi used it for a bit last year) and then a Crossface for good measure. Swann makes a rope and they slug it out with Brazil going down, setting up the Phoenix splash to give Swann the pin at 12:59.

Rating: C-. What in the world was that? Like really, what were they going for here? If you’re bringing in Swann, a former champion in WWE and someone who got a strong reaction, as a heel (which is doable), don’t have him go move for move with someone who has never actually won a match around here. If you’re bringing him in as a face, which seems to be the idea with Friedman not being pleased, don’t have him being so cocky and having so many problems. This should have been about seven minutes shorter and more of a squash, so I’m really not sure what they were going for here.

They shake hands post match to make things even more confusing. Swann leaves but here’s Sami Callihan to hit Brazil with a baseball bat.

Sami Callihan vs. Joey Janela

Sami has two monsters with him, one of whom is the bald guy we’ve seen before but the other is an even bigger guy with messy hair (who appears to be Sawyer Fulton from NXT). If nothing else, Sami has a cool nickname with the Worldwide Desperado. Joey has Aria, who apparently used to be a backstage interviewer around here, in his corner as usual. Friedman is still at ringside so maybe we’re not done yet.

Janela knocks Callihan into the two monsters (with Fulton being seen on the jacket of the guy with hair, meaning we at least have one person confirmed) and the fans are rather pleased. Back in and Callihan clotheslines him down but Joey forearms away with reckless abandon. That just earns him a piledriver on the apron (they use that way too much) and we take a break. We come back with Janela hitting a sunset bomb for a breather and a Death Valley Driver gets three….but there’s a boot on the ropes.

So we keep going with the fans still behind Janela, though they oddly quiet down when he scores with some superkicks. Sami’s piledriver is no sold (erg) and he hits a fifth superkick before going down. A slugout goes to Janela but he misses a moonsault for a big crash. They head outside with Janela being sent into Friedman, who beats the heck out of him for messing up the champagne. Back in and Sami’s double underhook shoulder breaker is good for the pin at 9:03.

Post match Friedman beats up the bloody Janela even more and pours champagne on him to end the show.

Overall Rating: D. This was the first real miss of the series with only one debut hitting and two matches being ranging from badly booked to just not being interesting in the first place. Maybe it’s me not liking some of the people on this show but it’s not a good sign when the Stud Stable and Colonel Parker were the best things on the show. I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt until next week but I really hope this isn’t the way they’re heading most of the time.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of the NXT The Full Sail Years Volume III (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/05/25/new-book-nxt-the-full-sail-years-from-dallas-to-new-orleans/

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 #6
Date: May 25, 2018
Location: Gilt Nightclub, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Rich Bocchini, Tony Schiavone

It’s title week as Shane Strickland is defending the World Title against Pentagon Jr., who misted Shane in the eyes and had to defend his #1 contendership as a result. Other than that it’s hard to say what we might see around here as it could be anything from established names to fresh talent. Let’s get to it.

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

Shane Strickland and Barrington Hughes arrived in a very nice car earlier today with Shane telling reporters that Pentagon should be worried. Salina de la Renta comes up to say that the title is rented just like the car. Hughes calls her a witch in Spanish.

Opening sequence.

The announcers chat for a bit.

Santana Garrett vs. Chelsea Green

Santana has been in NXT and TNA while Green is better known as Laurel Van Ness. They shake hands to start with the announcers talking about how close friends they are. A battle of the wristlocks doesn’t get either of them very far and neither can hit a right hand. Some rollups get two each and Chelsea goes mean with a slap to the face. The fans DON’T like that one so Chelsea takes her into the corner….and finds some lipstick? She shouts about that for a bit before a running knee to the face gets two.

The lipstick goes on and seems to make Chelsea a little nuts (I’ve seen this somewhere before) and she sends Santana head first into the buckle. Something like a curb stomp into the corner rocks Santana again and we hit the chinlock. As usual that triggers a comeback but Chelsea forearms her to the apron. Garrett is right back with a kick to the chest and a Russian legsweep (nice one too) for a near fall of her own. Back up and Santana spins out of a suplex, setting up a MickieDT for the pin at 7:56.

Rating: C. This was a perfectly acceptable match with both women doing some good things but very little spark or fire. They had something of a story with Chelsea attacking her friend and going psycho with the lipstick but it never got past a certain level. I’ll certainly take safe over a complete gamble though so this could have been much, much worse.

Tom Lawlor “apologizes” for what happened with Havoc two weeks ago. As usual, Lawlor nails the complete jerk promo.

Simon Gotch vs. Danny Santiago

This is Gotch’s Open Challenge and if Santiago can last five minutes, he makes $250 (which makes the fans laugh). A capture suplex and piledriver end Santiago in 48 seconds. That’s all this should have been.

Joey Janela and Aria Blake have no explanation for why they’re leaving Maxwell J. Friedman’s locker room.

Post break, Friedman freaks out because he finds cigarettes and domestic beer in his dressing room. This is NOT ok!

Video on Shane Strickland vs. Pentagon Jr., which has been well built up for the last few weeks.

MLW World Title: Shane Strickland vs. Pentagon Jr.

Strickland is defending and Pentagon has Salina de la Renta. Hang on though as de la Renta brings in a mariachi band to sing the Mexican national anthem. Shane’s eyes seem fine after the misting that helped set up the match. They circle each other to start until Shane shrugs off a superkick to the ribs and knees Pentagon in the face. That’s enough to start a fight in the crowd with Shane getting the better of it, only to springboard into a superkick back inside.

Pentagon gets creative by tying Shane’s arms to the rope with a camera cable and it’s time to chop away. We take a break and come back with Low Ki sitting in the aisle as Pentagon stops to dance, much to de la Renta’s annoyance. There’s a kick to Shane’s leg but he’s fine enough to knee Pentagon in the head. A 619 to the ribs sets up the rolling cutter for two more and Strickland isn’t sure where to go next.

Shane takes the kneepad down but misses a running knee. Instead he stands on his hands and gets kicked in the ribs for one and they’re both down again. It’s Pentagon up first but he can’t break the arm. Instead he has to save his own arm and you can see de la Renta getting a little nervous. An exchange of kicks to the head puts them both down and we take another break. Back again with the fight on the floor again until Pentagon takes him to the apron for a Canadian Destroyer.

That doesn’t even warrant a cover as Pentagon would rather kick him down instead. The Pentagon Driver gets two and it’s chair time. Of course Shane puts him in the chair instead but dives into a powerbomb while Pentagon is still seated. The Fear Factor (Tony really needs to get the names straight) gets two and a big reaction on the kickout. Salina, looking angrier and more emotional than I’ve ever seen her, gets up and takes the mist from Pentagon by mistake (seems fine). Shane knees Pentagon down and hits the top rope double stomp (Swerve Stomp) to retain at 21:58.

Rating: B. This felt like a big match with both guys working hard and that’s all you can ask for here. Strickland is feeling like the biggest thing around and having him pin Pentagon clean is all you can ask for here. Pentagon can claim that he was distracted or whatever and de la Renta can come back with someone else later on. Good main event and it felt important.

Overall Rating: C+. I’m not sure how smart it is to give one match thirty minutes on an hour long show but I can appreciate them trying something big on a newer series. Strickland is coming off like a more important deal every single week and the women coming in for the first time was a good idea. They did some good enough stuff on here and we can move on to a fresh challenger for Strickland. Another nice effort as the show is starting to find its footing.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of the NXT The Full Sail Years Volume III (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/05/25/new-book-nxt-the-full-sail-years-from-dallas-to-new-orleans/

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 #4
Date: May 11, 2018
Location: Gilt Nightclub, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Rich Bocchini, Tony Schiavone

Things are starting to get interesting around here as we’re starting to see some names that we’ve seen before. They have a big enough roster to keep things fresh every week and that’s a good sign, though we are coming up on our third ACH match in four weeks. We’re also getting Jimmy Havoc vs. Joey Janela in an anything goes match, which should be fun if they can get violent. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of Havoc and Janela’s issues, which includes a lot of brawling in various places.

Opening sequence.

We recap Team Filthy attacking ACH last night, setting up the following match.

Tom Lawlor vs. ACH

Before the match, ACH says this is wrestling and not mixed martial arts. Lawlor wastes no time with a takedown and kicks him in the back. In a change of pace, Lawlor offers ACH a free shot to retaliate but it hurts ACH’s own foot. ACH starts the flipping so Lawlor lays on his back and says bring it. This goes badly for ACH as well and a crucifix doesn’t get him very far either. Another rollup has Lawlor on the floor and we take a break. Back with Lawlor in control and working on the arm as so many MMA style wrestlers like to do.

With that going nowhere it’s a front chancery suplex for two instead. The Rings of Saturn continue the clinic on ACH and it’s off to a seated top wristlock. ACH finally gets up and hits a basement dropkick, followed by a middle rope cutter for two. We’ll try some wrestling now with a German suplex getting two on Lawlor. That just earns ACH more suplexes and a choke gets two arm drops. Cue Team Filthy for the distraction though, allowing Lawlor to hit him in the head with the steel forearm. A choke finishes the out cold ACH at 10:12.

Rating: C-. This was a glorified squash from Lawlor as he picked apart ACH and cut him off at every single turn. That’s the kind of match you need from someone like Lawlor who isn’t the most well known wrestler in the world. He plays a good heel though and taking apart someone that gave Austin Aries trouble was the right way to go. Nice performance here and Lawlor looks like a star.

Shane Strickland isn’t happy with the shrine he found in his dressing room last week and gets in Salina de la Renta’s face about it. Pentagon shows up and mists Strickland in the face. Salina looking cold and calm during the whole thing is a good idea.

Strickland gets his eyes washed out to little avail.

Maxwell J. Friedman vs. Fred Yehi

Yehi, a guy I don’t think I’ve actually seen before, is from Evolve but has recently wrapped up his time there. A headlock takeover annoys Friedman to start and Yehi stomps on his hand. The second attempt has Friedman thinking twice so Yehi gets in a running shoulder, which seems to hurt his own arm. A very hard German suplex (almost a German suplex driver) plants Friedman again and a request for time out is ignored.

Friedman is smart enough to hit a Codebreaker onto the arm and then just punches it for good measure. We hit a Fujiwara armbar but Yehi is back up with a running dropkick. Some knees to the head rock Friedman and rapid fire kicks to the chest make it even worse. A quick poke to the eye cuts Yehi off though and Friedman stomps on the arm again, setting up a rollup with trunks to pin Yehi at 8:24.

Rating: D+. This was a weird match with two very different styles not really meshing. Yehi is an athletic freak who was moving at a very fast pace and does all kinds of awesome looking things. Then you have Friedman, who isn’t the most thrilling performer in the world but knows how to play a heel with the limited set of actions. That makes for a hard match to pull off with Yehi moving fast and Friedman moving very slowly. Yehi could tear the house down under the right circumstances, but Friedman is a more interesting character.

Post match Friedman has a seat on the stage and talks about how sad it is that the loser’s purse isn’t enough for Yehi to go to Golden Corral the next three times. Friedman is jealous of the people because they don’t know how hard it is to go home to a perfect ten woman. Or how bad it is to have a sub par limo driver. He’s just better than us though and we know it.

We look back at MVP vs. Sami Callihan from last week.

Callihan says he talks when he wants to and he keeps going like “a machine gun of an enigma.” He’s creating an army of like minded individuals and here’s the big bald guy from last week to stand behind him, still without a name.

As a result of misting Strickland, Pentagon has to put his title shot on the line against Rey Fenix next week.

Joey Janela vs. Jimmy Havoc

This is a Bogus Adventure match, meaning anything goes and there must be a winner. Janela has a good looking woman named Aria Blake with him. Back to back stereo bicycle kicks go nowhere so it’s Joey kicking him to the floor for a suicide dive. Janela pelts a chair at Havoc’s head and then suplexes him onto said chair on the floor to really knock him silly. Back in and they chop it out with the rather plain physiqued Janela getting the better of it but missing a moonsault.

With Janela sitting in a chair, Havoc tries a running monkey flip but slips and falls down in a heap instead. It’s time for more chairs and the required table but Janela’s chair shot to Havoc just wakes him up and he chairs Janela in the head. A package piledriver onto a pile of chairs gives Janela two and it’s table time. The top rope backsplash only hits table though and Havoc dropkicks him through the door. There’s a Death Valley Driver onto the chairs and the Acid Rainmaker gives Havoc the pin at 9:04.

Rating: C+. This one depends on your taste in violent matches, meaning it was good for what it was but not the best thing in the world otherwise. The problem here was the lack of selling to make the violence mean much as they kept popping back up like it was nothing. Just let them stay down a little bit instead and it will be that much better.

Post match Havoc leaves into the parking lot and literally bumps into Team Filthy, earning himself a beatdown to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. That ending was an interesting way to go and a sign that things are getting better. They’ve set up some characters with Havoc and Lawlor and now those characters are interacting. That’s how basic booking works and I’m curious to see where that story goes from here. The rest of the show introduced a few more people and the fact that they’re moving forward with some of them is a good sign. Now just keep that up and give us some better matches in the process and things will be even better.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of the NXT The Full Sail Years Volume III (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/05/25/new-book-nxt-the-full-sail-years-from-dallas-to-new-orleans/

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 #1
Date: April 20, 2018
Location: Gilt Nightclub, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Rich Bocchini, Tony Schiavone

This is something interesting and since it’s me, I’m behind on the schedule. Major League Wrestling was around for a little while in the early 2000s but went away for a long time, only to be resurrected after some successful one off shows. They got a TV deal on beIN Sports and air a weekly show, which has been around for a little over a month now. I’m not sure what to expect here but if the first few episodes are good I’ll add it to the weekly schedule. Let’s get to it.

We see some clips from old wrestling promotions and the original MLW, which had some big name stars (CM Punk, Bryan Danielson etc). Nice opening and a good way to make this show feel more important.

The announcers (I’m sure you know Schiavone but Bocchini is former NXT announcer Rich Brennan) give us a quick welcome before throwing it to the ring.

ACH vs. Austin Aries

ACH says he’s as real as it gets and has bad ribs coming in. A handshake gets us going and they fight into the corner as I try to get my head around the idea of Tony Schiavone talking about ACH and Austin Aries. They go with a technical sequence to the mat until Aries has to nip his way out of a wristlock. The Last Chancery is broken up and it’s time for Aries to chill on the top. Back in and ACH flips around a lot, which seems to impress Aries for a change.

Some very fast armdrags have ACH down and there’s the basement dropkick for good measure. ACH’s dropkick gets two and a springboard version knocks Aries from the apron to the floor. That goes nowhere so Aries gets in a shot to the ribs to take over again and they walk around the ring a bit. An elbow to the back gives Aries two more as he’s certainly focusing on a target.

We go very old school with a Stump Puller (picture an electric chair if ACH is sitting on the mat and Aries is pulling on his leg) before Aries misses a missile dropkick. ACH is way too quick to go up top though and the missed splash only bangs up the ribs again. He’s fine enough to get two off a slingshot cutter and they both need a breather. The Pendulum elbow (spinning elbow according to Tony, which is fair enough) gives Aries two but a kick to the face cuts him down again.

This time the splash connects for two and ACH can’t believe the kickout. He’ll have even more trouble realizing what’s going on after a Death Valley Driver onto the apron knocks him silly. And then, because modern wrestling is annoying, ACH is trying the 450 only 45 seconds after a Death Valley Driver on the apron. That hits knees though and the Last Chancery….still doesn’t finish as ACH makes the rope. Instead Aries forearms him in the face and hits the brainbuster for the pin at 17:32.

Rating: B-. This went a few minutes longer than it needed to (you could have gone from the Death Valley Driver to the brainbuster with nothing in between) but it was a good way to start a new show (mainly due to the lack of commercials). ACH isn’t a name that a lot of fans are going to know but Aries was at Wrestlemania just last year. I had a good time watching this one and it’s a promising start to the show.

Jimmy Havoc, a British wrestler, talks about the history of fans wanting blood for wrestling in Florida. They haven’t gotten that in recent years but he’s going to change all of that.

Barrington Hughes vs. Chico Adams

Hughes (the Caramel Colossus, who says he won’t stop until he reaches the top) is 469lbs and finishes with a Rock Bottom at 9 seconds (his second fastest win to date). He’s at Viscera levels of disturbingly huge so getting him in and out of there so fast is the right idea.

Next week: MLW Champion Shane Strickland vs. Jimmy Havoc.

Rey Fenix vs. Pentagon Jr.

This should be a layup and the winner gets a future World Title shot. Pentagon is introduced as Penta El Cero but his graphic says Pentagon Jr. He also has what appears to be a standard good looking manager named Salina de la Renta. Fenix offers a handshake but gets the CERO MIEDO treatment. Some kicks to the head have Fenix in early trouble but he’s right back with kicks to the head of his own and it’s a double knockdown.

Back up and Fenix bounces along the ropes (including bouncing on his back onto the top rope), setting up an armdrag to the floor and a suicide flip dive. They head back in where Pentagon dropkicks him out of the air for a nice counter to take over again. Pentagon heads outside and chops him against the post before, of course, chopping the post by mistake. A running hurricanrana from the apron into the crowd (albeit in slow motion as it’s hard to roll over people) has Pentagon in more trouble.

Back in again and Fenix starts kicking him in the head, followed by a triple springboard missile dropkick for two. A Backstabber out of the corner gives Pentagon two and we take a break. Back with NOTHING CHANGED (THANK GOODNESS!) and Fenix grabbing some rollups for a near fall each. Fenix catches him on top with a super C4 for two more but charges into a powerbomb backbreaker.

Tony tries to figure out why the fans are cheering a rudo (I….don’t know how to handle Tony talking about rudos), followed by Pentagon backdropping him into a powerbomb for a sweet landing. We even get a catchphrase with Tony dropping “What’s major league? THAT’S MAJOR LEAGUE!” The Fear Factor gives Pentagon the pin at 14:09.

Rating: B. Like I said, kind of a layup with Pentagon being one of the biggest indy stars around at the moment and Fenix being crazy levels of exciting most of the time. You don’t need to do much more than let these two go insane and do all kinds of high flying stuff. Pentagon winning makes sense and while I doubt they would put the title on someone so hot, it’s cool to see him getting a big win.

A long video package and a handshake ensue.

A video on Strickland vs. Havoc takes us out.

Overall Rating: B+. Now that’s how you start a new show. This was all about giving you a taste of what you had coming and they did a solid job of making me want to see where things going. You had two good, long matches and stuff being set up for next week. They did something smart by having the hotter matches open things up, though I could see having the World Champion around in the first week. The question is how long can they hold this up, and that’s what we’ll see next week.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of the NXT The Full Sail Years Volume III (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/05/25/new-book-nxt-the-full-sail-years-from-dallas-to-new-orleans/

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

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