Major League Wrestling Fusion – April 27, 2019: A Much Needed Break

IMG Credit: WWE

Fusion #55
Date: April 27, 2019
Location: Melrose Ballroom, New York City, New York
Commentators: Jim Cornette, Rich Bocchini

We’re still in New York and that means it’s time for Jim Cornette’s head to continue exploding. The main event this week isn’t your usual violent brawl, as this one is a different kind of brawl. In this case it’s a tables match between the Dynasty and the Hart Foundation, which has been a rather nice feud. Let’s get to it.

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

Richard Holliday and Alexander Hammerstone are leaving the building and find that the Hart Foundation have trashed their car again.

Opening sequence.

The National Openweight Title is coming. Seems to be a midcard title.

Jordan Oliver vs. Kotto Brazil

Oliver takes him into the corner to start so Kotto comes out with a dropkick. Cornette is too busy trying to figure out why Brazil losing an eye in a bar fight isn’t treated as a bigger deal as Kotto hits a dive to the floor. The charge only hits the post though and Oliver goes very evil by going after the good eye. A spinning kick to the face sets up a chinlock but Brazil pops up and hits a hurricanrana.

The Blockbuster into a frog splash gives Kotto two but here are Ricky Martinez and Salina de la Renta for a distraction. Oliver’s Stunner gets two so Brazil hits one of his own to send Jordan to the floor. That means a suicide dive and a second one makes it even worse for Jordan. Martinez breaks up the third so Kotto hits an even better one to take Martinez out. Back in and Jordan hits a springboard cutter (that looked good) for the upset pin at 6:32.

Rating: C-. There was a lot going on here and the ending works fine as Brazil lost thanks to a pair of interferences. The problem though is Jordan looks like he weighs about 110lbs and has arms that Adam Cole would find skinny. The match was the usual entertaining stuff from Kotto, but Jordan’s look was rather distracting throughout.

Avalanche Robert Dreissker is getting a World Title shot at some point in the future.

Avalanche is coming for the title.

The Dynasty has attacked Brian Pillman and Pillmanized his arm in the most poetic attack you can ask for.

Ace Austin vs. Rey Horus

They take their time to start as Cornette talks about how he is under the middleweight limit for the first time in forever. Austin’s headlock doesn’t get him very far so he poses instead, earning himself a dropkick into the corner. Horus starts speeding things up for a few near falls and Austin wants a handshake. Thankfully Horus is smart enough to turn that down but Austin kicks him in the ribs to take over.

A German suplex doesn’t work so Austin hits a belly to back slam and a kick to the head. They head outside with Austin firing off kicks to the chest, followed by knees to the ribs back inside. Since a luchador is involved, Austin has to go after the mask (it’s a requirement) and for once it actually comes off. Horus knocks him off the top though and gets the mask back on but Austin stays on him in the corner.

We get an inset update saying that Pillman is likely out of the main event (Quick, to the point, doesn’t distract from the match that much. Well done.) and come back with Horus hitting a slingshot corkscrew dive to take over. Austin gets posted and kicked in the face as the announcers talk about what it means to lose your mask. The Spanish Fly gives Horus two but Austin kicks him in the face. A double underhook driver gets two but Horus runs the ropes and grabs a super victory roll for the pin at 14:12.

Rating: B. I liked this one a lot but I like both guys so it’s not shocking. Austin looked better here than he has since he started debuting on national shows so he’s definitely moving in the right direction. He was hanging in there with one of the best high fliers around today and the match was a blast. Easily one of the better matches from MLW in quite some time.

We look back at the ending of the first match.

Next week: Salina is in charge.

Salina is ranting on the phone and comes up to Low Ki, who wants to talk about the National Title tournament. She leaves and Low Ki isn’t happy.

Tom Lawlor is ready for Avalanche and hasn’t forgotten about Contra. It’s a great idea to have these promos from the champ every week. Lawlor needs the practice on the mic and the champ should get some kind of attention, even if it’s just forty five seconds, every week. His delivery is getting a little better too.

Hart Foundation vs. Dynasty

Tables match with the Harts coming in at a 3-2 disadvantage. We get through the dueling fan chants before the opening bell to eat up some of the remaining time. Jim: “Rich do you have any naked pictures of your wife?” Rich: “No.” Jim: “Would you like one?” The bell finally rings and Hart jumps MJF from behind, followed by Smith superkicking Holiday. The Harts clear the ring and the fight heads outside with Hart hitting the awesome top rope moonsault.

Hammerstone gets suplexed on the floor and Holiday takes one of his own. Smith takes Holiday inside for some uppercuts and the lifting DDT makes it even worse. MJF and Hammerstone come back in and take the hanging DDT/piledriver combination as the Harts continue to dominate.

A superpowerslam hits MJF and Hart adds the moonsault. Not to be outdone (though he was outdone), Smith adds a top rope headbutt, followed by Hart’s second moonsault for a cover, which Hart thankfully lets go in less than a second. The Dynasty is back in and knocks Smith outside, leaving Hart to take a spike Tombstone. Smith gets back up and grabs a delayed vertical suplex on MJF, at the same time Hammerstone does one to Hart, meaning it’s a suplex off.

Holiday comes back in and the numbers game takes over again. Hart is down on the floor and has to ram his shoulder into the barricade to pop it back into joint. The Dynasty loads up a table but here’s Pillman to even things up a little more, albeit with one good arm. As assisted Canadian Destroyer plants Hammerstone but instead of throwing him through a table, it’s a Doomsday Destroyer to MJF. Holiday uses the delay to come in with a double low blow, allowing Hammerstone to hit the running powerbomb to put Pillman through the table for the win at 11:37.

Rating: C+. The 3-2 stuff was fine and it keeps the Harts looking strong while giving the Dynasty their first big win. This feud has some legs though and the hoss fight between Smith and Hammerstone will be more than enough to keep me entertained. What we got was fun and mainly wrestling instead of brawling, which is long overdue in the main event.

Salina makes Gringo Loco vs. Hijo de LA Park, Daga (“Dumbo”) vs. Low Ki and Pentagon Jr. vs. LA Park for next week.

Overall Rating: B-. Now this was more like it, with a nice mixture of different styles and mostly good action. Throw in a healthy dose of Salina and this was a heck of a show, with a much needed break from the brawling style main event. The stories are getting to grow a little bit and things are becoming more and more entertaining. Check out that Horus vs. Austin match if you get the chance.

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




Major League Wrestling Fusion – April 20, 2019: That Old Feeling Needs To Get New

IMG Credit: Major League Wrestling

Fusion #54
Date: April 20, 2019
Location: Melrose Ballroom, New York City, New York
Commentators: Rich Bocchini, Jim Cornette

You can see some stories coming into focus at the moment and that makes for some interesting stories. Tonight’s main event is Mance Warner vs. Sami Callihan, which should be a good way to go. Well maybe not good but at least a fun brawl. The problem is the main events are getting more and more brawl based and that can only last for so long. Let’s get to it.

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

Air Wolf/Rey Horus vs. Lucha Bros

Pentagon swears at Wolf in Spanish and we’re ready to go, allowing Cornette to rant about how much he can’t stand traveling in New York. Fenix and Wolf trade arm holds on the mat until a springboard armdrag sends Fenix outside. Pentagon superkicks Wolf down but Horus grabs an armdrag on Pentagon to take over again. Wolf and Horus’ dives are blocked by stereo kicks to the face and the fight heads outside with Fenix chopping Horus against the barricade.

Some more keep Wolf in trouble and Pentagon even takes the glove off to make it even better. The Bros unload with the superkicks, including a double shot to a kneeling Wolf. The flipping wheelbarrow splash gets two on Horus so it’s back to the chops between Wolf and Horus. A quick springboard Downward Spiral takes Fenix down so Pentagon comes back in for another superkick.

The Pentagon Driver gets two with Horus making the save this time around. Horus dives into a kick to the ribs but is fine enough to grab a Spanish Fly for two more. Not to be outdone, Fenix hits the spinning kick to the head, setting up the Black Fire Driver for another near fall. The Bros have had it though and it’s a double superkick into the spike Fear Factor for the pin at 7:43.

Rating: C+. Oh like this was going to be anything other than good. The Bros are one of it not the best tag team in the world today and they make anyone with them look that much better. Air Wolf has gotten so much better since his debut and while he’s still not great, he’s turned into someone who can have a good match against anyone. Having it be against the Lucha Bros just made it really easy.

Video on Contra vs. Tom Lawlor.

Salina de la Renta won’t say when LA Park will cash in his title shot because it doesn’t make sense to say when they’ll go for the title. She calls Sami Callihan a warthog so here’s Sami to break up the press conference.

Ace Romero vs. Josef Samael

The fight starts on the ramp with Samael already bailing. A chop has no effect on the huge Romero but kicking the ropes as he gets inside certainly does. Some crossface shots keep Romero in trouble but he drops backwards onto Samael for the breather. Romero goes up top and gets slammed down, with the crash knocking the referee off his feet. To go really old school, Samael loads up the boot and kicks Romero in the face for the pin at 3:13.

Rating: D. Romero is a monster but Samael shouldn’t have been selling that much in one of his first matches. The team is an awesome group but Samael isn’t the most thrilling guy in the world. Believe it or not he’s a former NWA World Champion, which thankfully hasn’t been mentioned yet. You can figure out why it’s a good idea on your own.

Post match the beatdown is on until Barrington Hughes comes in and gets beaten down as well.

Lawlor says if Contra wants to be famous, come after the champ. He’ll face any combination of them face to face, man to boys. It’s time to remind people how filthy he can be, and he has friends coming.

We look at LA Park winning Battle Riot II.

We look back at Sami going after Salina earlier tonight.

Ricky Martinez comes up to Sami and the fight is on in the stairwell.

We look back at the Hart Foundation stealing the Dynasty’s car.

We see the Harts inside the car, with smoking and cats doing various cat things. They imply that something is in the glove compartment and also suggest that MJF did various, uh, favors, to get into the Dynasty. Hart: “With those tight pants of his.”

Gringo Loco vs. Puma King

How many times can we see this match? Loco dives over him to start, setting up an anklescissors for no effect. Cornette goes into his regular explanation of why luchadors roll around so much as they flip to a standoff. Puma won’t shake hands, instead going with a spinebuster and low superkick. The top rope hurricanrana sends Loco to the floor for the springboard dive.

Back in and King hits what looked to be a low blow but Loco is fine enough for a springboard cutter for two of his own. King hits a heck of a pop up powerbomb and goes up top, only to get caught in a super Spanish Fly for two more. Puma grabs a superplex and rolls into a second but the third is blocked. The top rope hurricanrana is countered into a tiger bomb to give Loco the pin at 6:53.

Rating: C-. The match was fine but it feels like we’ve seen this one a few times now. The point of this show is to mix the styles up but having the two people who wrestle a similar style doesn’t work over and over. It was entertaining, but I rolled my eyes when I saw who was going to be involved.

Salina has a proposition for Mance Warner if he’ll take care of Sami for her. Warner turns the hat around but his granddaddy Mad Dog taught him what happens if you lay down with women like him. He’ll pass on those fleas. Salina: “Well….uh….your genitalia has fleas!”

The Dynasty drinks Red Bull with MJF saying they’re not firing on all cylinders. The losses have been flukes and they want to take the Hart Foundation down. We get a group cheer, but Hammerstone doesn’t seem convinced.

Sami Callihan vs. Mance Warner

After Cornette gets in a shouting match with Callihan, the brawl is on in a hurry. They fight to the floor with Sami choking against the barricade but the first eye poke gets Mance out of trouble. Beer can shots to the head keep Sami down but he finds a chair and drives it into Warner’s throat. A suplex on the floor (after several block attempts) just wakes Warner up so Sami gives him another one onto an open chair.

As tends to be the case in every MLW main event, countouts and DQ’s aren’t a thing as Mance sends Sami to his knees off a chop. They head inside with a chair being thrown in and the bell rings….which seems to be a mistake. Mance uses the distraction to chair Sami in the back as the announcers get in an argument about Sami being a guest on Cornette’s podcast. Sami gets creative by tying Mance up with his own suspenders and wrapping a chair around his neck. Warner is back up with a Bionic elbow but the drop toehold sends the chair into the throat again.

That doesn’t seem to do too much damage as Mance sits him in the corner and hits a headbutt. Sami is right back with a Tombstone through the open chair….for two. If that’s not going to be the finish, don’t do the spot. A table (with only one leg) is brought in and set up in the corner with Sami spearing him through it for one. Back up and Sami spits in his face so it’s a lariat into the knee to the face for two more. Mance loads up something in the corner but Ricky Martinez and Hijo de LA Park run in to jump him for the DQ at 10:05. Yes a DQ after all that.

Rating: C. The near falls were ridiculous here but the problem is that it was another brawl in the main event. That has been the case way too many times lately and it’s getting really repetitive. Warner not losing is a help, but he needs to get a pin in one of these matches at some point.

Post match Sami makes the save and it’s a handshake between Callihan and Warner. They keep brawling with Part and Martinez to end the show.

Overall Rating: C-. I liked most of the show but it’s starting to feel repetitive around here. It seems that almost every show is nearly the same and a lot of the feuds are going longer than they should. It’s still an entertaining show and doesn’t feel long at all, but they need something fresh in here to keep things going.

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




Major League Wrestling Fusion – February 22, 2019: Southern Charm

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




Major League Wrestling Fusion – September 7, 2018: Make Sure You Clear The Shark

IMG Credit: Major League Wrestling

Fusion #21
Date: September 7, 2018
Location: Melrose Ballroom, New York City, New York
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Matt Striker

It’s time for another big tag match with the Lucha Bros defending against Drago and Rey Horus as Lucha Underground continues to take over the wrestling world. Other than that it’s time for the fallout from WarGames, which should be airing sometime soon. They’re getting the schedule down at least and that’s a good sign. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a video on Pentagon Jr. and Fenix winning and defending the Tag Team Titles. They’ve also gotten on Salina de la Renta’s bad side, which is never a smart move.

Opening sequence.

Matt Striker runs down the show.

Richard Holiday vs. Fred Yehi

Holiday was on some of the standalone shows that aired before Fusion debuted and describes himself as the Most Marketable. The marketability might be a little higher if they learned how to spell his name, which is different in the pre-match graphic (Holliday) and in the graphic during his entrance (Holiday).

Yehi takes him down without much effort as Striker talks about Yehi going to German on an excursion for three months in the next few weeks. Some chops in the corner set up a snap suplex as Holiday is in big trouble. Holiday is tired of getting chopped over and over so he takes Yehi down and fires off rights and lefts. Yehi punches him right back down though and slaps on a Koji Clutch for the tap at 4:41.

Rating: D+. Just a squash here and Yehi looked good. Yehi is a talented guy as you can always have a place for the wrestler who can look one submission after another. It makes for an entertaining match almost every time and that’s what we got here. Holiday is fine enough for a jobber and you need those kind of people around on the roster.

Clip of the Hart Foundation beating Kevin Sullivan down. Given that it’s Sullivan and Pillman, there’s always the chance that this is a ruse and they’re really together.

Brian Pillman Jr. doesn’t have nightmares about Sullivan anymore because he walked up to the boogeyman and put him out of his misery. Why do that in the midst of his prime and his youth? Pillman can’t do what he needs to do with Sullivan and his archaic thoughts. Sullivan is the same man who was in the ring with Pillman’s dad twenty years ago and as Sullivan said, a leopard never changes its spots.

Video on Homicide, including him attacking Court Bauer back in the original MLW.

Homicide vs. PCO

This could be fun. They slug it out to start with PCO shouting every time he’s hit. A heavy shoulder puts Homicide down, followed by a sitout Michinoku Driver for two. Homicide suplexes him into the corner though and PCO actually stalls for a minute. A middle rope knee to the back of the neck gets two and there’s a cannonball off the apron to take PCO down again.

With that working, Homicide tries a posting and just wakes PCO up a bit. Salina de la Renta is watching from the front row as PCO hits a chokeslam to put Homicide back on the floor for a suicide dive. Back in and PCO hits a heck of a moonsault for two more as Striker dubs Schiavone T-Bone. A top rope splash gets another near fall so PCO goes up again, this time getting superplexed back down. PCO dares Homicide to hit him and then get staggered by a clothesline. He’s fine enough to forearm Homicide in the chest though and that’s enough for the pin at 8:13.

Rating: C. These guys beat the heck out of each other for a few minutes and I can see why PCO is such a popular guy at the moment. He has a great look and awesome intensity, which is more than enough to carry someone with his size and experience. He’s great for a special attraction monster kind of character, though showing off some more of his promos and vignettes would be a good idea.

Clip of Rhett Giddins helping Jason Cade beat Jimmy Yuta last week.

Cade doesn’t know why people are calling last week’s win controversial. He’s on to winning the Middleweight Title now.

Fury Road is coming on October 4, featuring PCO vs. LA Park and Low Ki defending the World Title. Tony says the show is on October 3. You might want to get that straight guys.

Quick video on Low Ki and Salina vs. Konnan and company.

Next week: WarGames. Well ok.

Video on the build to WarGames, which is built around Sami Callihan vs. Shane Strickland. Both guys brought in a bunch of help and that means it’s time for some WarGames.

Tag Team Titles: Lucha Bros vs. Drago/Rey Horus

Pentagon and Fenix are defending and Horus is better known as Dragon Azteca Jr. Drago, with his bad shoulder, starts with Pentagon and you know that means a big target. Pentagon does CERO MIEDO but Drago grabs the hand. He poses there a little too long though, allowing Fenix to come in for a superkick but a four way strike off puts everyone down early.

We settle down to Pentagon chopping Drago until Fenix comes back in for another superkick. Stereo superkicks drop Drago again, followed by the top rope double stomp to Horus’ back as the champs are rolling early. Drago comes back in but gets superkicked as well (this is getting a little too Young Bucks-y) and another superkick sends Horus into the corner. A top rope armdrag sends Fenix to the floor but Pentagon kicks Drago in the ribs to break up a suicide dive. We settle down again to Drago vs. Horus as the announcers discuss lactic acid.

Pentagon chops him so hard that Horus can’t stand up but he’s fine enough for a standing C4, drawing Fenix back in for another save. Everyone is down again until Drago DDTs Fenix for two. One heck of a super hurricanrana brings Fenix down from the top and Horus’ crazy tornado DDT gets two on Pentagon. Back up and the Pentagon Driver plants Horus for two and the top rope double stomp Fear Factor gets the same. Well that’s the jumping the shark moment. A second double stomp Fear Factor is enough to retain the title at 9:58. There was zero need for the first kickout.

Rating: C+. This had a slower motion lucha feel with nothing in the way of structure or tagging, meaning it was a bunch of spots and stuff until the overdone finish. It also doesn’t help when the Lucha Bros had a much better match in a similar style against ACH and Rich Swann just a few weeks back. It’s entertaining, but not exactly great.

Post match Fenix thanks the fans for coming out and promises a bigger fight down the line. Pentagon thanks Drago and Horus for coming to MLW to challenge them. That’s the most English I’ve ever heard him speak.

Overall Rating: C. Nothing great this week but a perfectly watchable show and that’s all it needs to be. WarGames alone is more than a big enough draw for next week’s show and it could be a heck of a night. MLW seems to know how to do the big nights and if they can nail WarGames, everything is going to be fine.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2003 Monday Night Raw 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