IMG Credit: Major League Wrestling

Fusion #38
Date: January 11, 2019
Location: Scottish Rite Temple, Miami, Florida
Commentators: Rich Bocchini, Tony Schiavone

We’re still down in Miami and it’s time for a fairly big show. This time around we have Tommy Dreamer vs. Brian Pillman Jr. in a Singapore cane match, which should be a win for Pillman, assuming there is any form of sanity left in the world. Other than that, the build towards Super Fight continues, which should mean more Tom Lawlor vs. Low Ki. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with Lawlor outside of Promociones Dorado’s office where Salina de la Renta and Sami Callihan are arguing over a bounty. Apparently she wants Sami to take Lawlor out tonight, which Tom hears. I’ll take that over the camera inexplicably being in the room instead.

Opening sequence.

Low Ki says he’s been undefeated in MLW for fifteen years and has run through everyone in front of him. He’s not going to lose anytime soon because one day he’ll retire as the greatest champion ever.

Dragon Lee vs. Rich Swann

Swann doesn’t seem to think much of the fans, which is quite the abrupt heel turn. Lee takes over with an early front facelock as we hear about him being on a reality show. An exchange of armdrags goes to a standoff and the pace picks up in a hurry with an exchange of trips into an exchange of one counts. Not bad for about two minutes, meaning it’s a nice exchange rate. The offer of a test of strength turns into Swann dancing, which at least ties into his norm.

Swann flips over him and hits a dropkick before dusting himself off a bit. Some chops in the corner let Swann swagger a bit until Lee knocks him outside. Lee strikes a quick pose ala Andrade Cien Almas so Swann pounds him down back inside. With Swann favoring his wrist, he goes with kicks to the ribs instead to keep Lee down. Lee gets sat on top and it’s time to go after the mask, because of course that’s what you do.

That’s enough for Lee to come back and hit a slingshot dropkick in the corner and pick up the pace. A sliding knee to the face gets two but Swann kicks him in the ribs and hits a running flip Fameasser of all things. Lee snaps off a reverse hurricanrana but Swann pops up and kicks the heck out of his jaw for the double knockdown. There’s another kick to the head to rock Lee but the Phoenix Splash misses, setting up the Dragon Driver to give Lee the pin at 10:53.

Rating: B-. Swann’s random heel turn aside, it’s a good opener with Lee getting to show off. This company certainly does love its luchadors and they’re entertaining, though at some point you have to have some people beat them instead of giving them win after win like this. It’s what got Ring of Honor in trouble with New Japan and that’s not a good thing.

Sami Callihan is looking for Tom Lawlor and yells at Ace Romero for not knowing where he is.

Brian Pillman Jr. hits his cane against a wall and says that’s the sound it made when it hit Kevin Sullivan’s head. Pillman is tired of old men telling him to get off his lawn because it’s Pillman’s lawn now. Dreamer keeps hanging on too long and it’s time for Pillman to use weapons just like Dreamer does. Tonight, Pillman is taking him out. We can only hope.

Video on Lawlor vs. Low Ki at Super Fight.

Lawlor runs into Team Filthy teammate Fred Yehi and tells him to tell Callihan that he’s warming up in a side room by the kitchen.

Tommy Dreamer vs. Brian Pillman Jr.

Singapore Cane match, meaning the canes are legal. Pillman’s (who is smart enough to wear multiple layers of clothing to block some of the pain) first swing is blocked so it’s time for the pain to begin. A swinging neckbreaker takes Pillman down and Dreamer sends him outside. Dreamer borrows a beer from a fan and spits it in Pillman’s face so we can hit that ECW chant. They head into the crowd with Dreamer ripping off one of Pillman’s shirts to find another one as the logic is certainly there.

Dreamer gets crotched on the barricade and superkicked though as Pillman gets in his first offense. Pillman stays smart by caning Dreamer’s hands, followed by a middle rope cane shot to the head. Some finger bending keeps Dreamer in trouble so Pillman grabs the regular cane. The intelligence goes flying out the window as Pillman goes up top while Dreamer is holding a cane of his own.

Dreamer comes back with the Flip Flop and Fly as the announcers get into a debate over who exploits someone more: Dreamer with Dusty Rhodes of Pillman Jr. with Pillman. I’ll let you figure out why that doesn’t really work as Dreamer bends him over a chair and gets in a cane shot to the exposed back. A drop toehold sends Dreamer into the chair and it’s time for more caning. Of course that fires Dreamer up enough to make the comeback with cane shots of his own. A cutter gets two but Pillman is right back with a low blow into a swinging neckbreaker for the pin at 9:29.

Rating: D+. Nothing that we haven’t seen done better in other brawls but it’s good to see Pillman get the win on his own. Dreamer putting someone over is fine in theory but when he keeps doing it over and over again, it doesn’t quite have much of an impact. Nothing great here but at least the right person won.

Yehi tells Callihan where Lawlor is and gets a box knocked out of his hands.

Mance Warner is coming.

We look back at Konnan’s recent assaults, which may have caused Pentagon to lose to Teddy Hart.

Super Fight Control Center. New matches: Ace Romero vs. Simon Gotch II, Rey Horus vs. Aerostar and Mance Warner’s debut. Apparently it’s much anticipated, even though I don’t remember the name being mentioned until two minutes ago.

MLW World Title: Low Ki vs. Fred Yehi

Low Ki is defending. It’s a grapple off to start with Yehi taking him into the corner but getting caught in an armbar over the top. That’s broken up and we reset in a hurry. Yehi blasts him with a shot to the face and takes the champ down to work on the leg. That’s broken up so Yehi sends him into the corner for a breather. Some shots to the foot and leg have Low Ki in trouble and a quick cradle gets two. Low Ki knocks him down with a hard shot though and a really painful looking top rope double stomp to the back finishes Yehi at 4:29. I still don’t know how they can do that without some severe injuries.

Rating: C-. This was fun while it lasted but it didn’t have the time to go anywhere. Giving Low Ki a win before the title match is a good idea as Lawlor has been so hot lately that you have to give him something to even things out. Yehi is good, though he’s been away for so long that the win didn’t mean as much as it would have before.

Callihan, carrying a hammer, goes to find Lawlor and heads into a side room. A fight is heard and Lawlor comes out with the hammer, which has some blood on it. Lawlor licks the blood off to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. The rise of Lawlor continues and it’s all but time to wrap everything up with the big title change at Super Fight. Having him take out Callihan to end the show is a good idea and there doing some rather solid stuff up and down the card. The middleweights continue to go well and I’m wanting to see where some of these stories go. That’s a good place to be as we head into a major show.

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 #36
Date: December 28, 2018
Location: Scottish Rite Temple, Miami, Florida
Commentators: Rich Bocchini, Tony Schiavone

It’s time for one of the biggest matches of this taping, if not the main event of the whole thing. This week we’ll be seeing Konnan come out of retirement to challenge Low Ki for the World Title in a match that is almost destined to go the way of shenanigans. Other than that, it’s time for more build towards Super Fight, which should be a changing of the guard. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of the war between Konnan and Salina de la Renta, which has seen Konnan bringing in one name after another to go after Low Ki. With all of them having been vanquished, it’s Konnan’s time to do it himself.

Opening sequence.

The announcers preview the World Title match.

We look back at Tom Lawlor choking out Simon Gotch last week.

Here’s Gotch for the $20,000 open challenge, which is almost never a good idea.

Simon Gotch vs. Ace Romero

Romero weighs about 400lbs and Gotch knows he screwed up. Some chops just annoy Ace so Gotch jumps on his back for a choke. That goes as well as expected, meaning Gotch bails outside for a breather. The threat of a suicide dive has Gotch terrified but he comes back with some strikes to the face. Romero shrugs those off and slams Gotch, setting up the running splash for the win at 2:02. Total squash, as it should have been. You have to think that’s about it for Gotch around here after two straight losses.

Romero throws some of the money to the crowd.

Rush vs. LA Park is still confirmed for the April 4 show.

Kotto Brazil is out due to injuries suffered at a nightclub. Ricky Martinez was there and rather enjoying himself with some strippers. Martinez has been suspended but he’s not exactly worried because MLW can’t hold Promociones Dorado down.

Ariel Dominguez vs. Andrew Everett

Dominguez is a hometown boy and rather small in stature. Feeling out process to start with the overly cocky Everett getting taken down by the leg. Everett takes him down as well and hits a very soft Lionsault to the back. The nerve hold goes on for a bit before Everett goes with a big boot instead. Dominguez is right back up with a rolling German suplex, which Bocchini says Dominguez learned from training with Team Filthy. That’s quite the detail. Dominguez gets taken down again and Everett goes up, only to have his shooting star press hit knees. A small package gives Dominguez the upset at 3:05.

Rating: C. Perfectly fine, albeit short match. The big upset was a nice surprise with the much smaller Dominguez taking advantage of the cocky veteran. That’s a story that is going to work no matter what and it was fine here too. I’m not sure how far Dominguez can go but at least they’re going him something to build from.

We look back at Teddy Hart winning the Middleweight Title.

Konnan is ready to expose Salina and Low Ki tonight.

We look back at Brian Pillman Jr. hitting Tommy Dreamer low to win a tag match.

Dreamer applauds Pillman for teaching him something. He looks into Pillman’s eyes and sees doubt and insecurity, which he had when was Pillman’s age. They’re going into a Singapore cane match and Dreamer knows what’s going on in Pillman’s head. For every Charlotte and Randy Orton, there’s an Angelo Mosca Jr. and Bruno Sammartino Jr. (David was so lame that he’s become Bruno Jr.) and Pillman needs to know what he’s doing. Dreamer has some evil things in his head and Pillman is about to find them out.

We recap Tom Lawlor vs. Low Ki, including the long brawl between the two of them on the live show from two weeks back.

We get a new H2 video with Pillman working out at a gym. He’s on the phone with a girl, saying he needs to get in his cardio but insists that she’s his best girl. Later, Teddy is with him, saying that the Hart Foundation wants the Tag Team Titles.

Lawlor is fired up about waiting seven months since winning the Battle Riot and biding his time until he gets his title shot. Low Ki is a coward who will never see a real champion when he looks in the mirror. Next week, Lawlor is coming for him.

Matt Striker hypes up the main event.

MLW World Title: Konnan vs. Low Ki

Hometown boy Konnan is challenging and there’s no DQ. Konnan gets smart by knocking him cold with a loaded sock but Ricky Martinez pulls the champ to the floor for the early save. Salina comes out to check on the bloody Low Ki, who finally crawls back inside. He’s still able to kick at the mostly immobile Konnan but falls down into the Tequila Sunrise. That’s enough to draw Martinez inside for the save but Low Ki dropkicks him by mistake.

What looked like a battery shot puts Low Ki down again so Salina comes in, only to have Konnan take the cane away. Low Ki makes another save and gets a beer bottle, which he stomps Konnan face first into for even more blood. Some shots to the cut make things even worse for Konnan and Martinez comes in for a few shots of his own. Cue Hijo de LA Park to make it even worse with Low Ki pounding on the kidneys until the referee stops it at 5:37.

Rating: D-. Well that wasn’t quite what I was expecting and I wasn’t sure what to expect. Konnan wasn’t going to be able to work a match here so that’s fine, but this felt more like “what was the point” more than anything else. It was entertaining in a freak show way, and that’s not exactly enough for a match that was hyped up this heavily.

Post match Salina hands Low Ki a spike….and he stabs Konnan in the back, which the announcers call a shanking. Lawlor FINALLY comes in for the save. That’s quite a bit too far and not something I really wanted to see in a wrestling show. Once you get into attempted murder, it’s a little too much for me to take.

Pentagon is down in the back to end the show (with Tony saying it must be the work of Promociones “Delrado”). At least that explains the lack of a save.

Overall Rating: D. The opening two matches weren’t much to see but they weren’t the point of the show. Part of the problem at the moment is we’re waiting on Super Fight where Lawlor should win the title in the most obvious title changes in years. That’s all well and good, but at the same time it can make for some trying times before we get to the title change. The shanking things was a bit much, but maybe they need to write Konnan off TV for a bit. Not a great show, but most of that is due to me not liking the big angle at the end. We’ll call it a misfire, instead of something horrible though and that’s going to happen.

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 #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 #31
Date: November 16, 2018
Location: Cicero Stadium, Chicago, Illinois
Commentators: Rich Bocchini, Tony Schiavone

It’s time for a fresh taping cycle as the company makes its Chicago debut. The main event tonight is Sami Callihan vs. Tom Lawlor in a Chicago street fight as Lawlor continues his march towards the World Title shot in February. Other than that it could be almost anything, which is one of the areas where MLW shines. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of Low Ki ripping Daga’s ear apart (egads) to retain the World Title last week.

Konnan arrives and is greeted by Low Ki, Salina de la Renta and Ricky Martinez. Low Ki talks about adding Daga’s ear to his trophy case. Now he wants something from Konnan though, because Konnan hasn’t gotten the idea just yet. Real men settle their differences differently around here and Low Ki challenges him to a fight. Konnan says Low Ki knows better because he’s retired. Salina taunts him a bit and Konnan seems a little more intrigued. He leaves and Low Ki smiles, saying they’ll get Konnan to do it soon. This could go somewhere, if nothing else just to see who Konnan pulls out to fight for him.

Opening sequence.

Lawlor isn’t worried about Low Ki and Callihan. Tonight, he’s taking care of Callihan before moving on to the title.

Ricky Martinez vs. Dr. Rex Bacchus

Martinez has to wrestle in a face shield due to a broken nose. As the referee is taking care of Ricky’s jacket, a headbutt with the mask drops Rex and it’s off to the Madison Rayne hip thrust faceplants on the mat. Bacchus gets in a few kicks but Ricky slaps him in the back and hits an electric chair faceplant. A wheelbarrow suplex sets up a Dominator piledriver (kind of cool) to finish Bacchus at 1:59.

Lawlor is warming up with Simon Gotch, who Lawlor wants out there with him tonight. They’ll have a press conference after the win.

Dirty Blonds vs. Size Matters

That would be Joey Ryan/Swoggle, but Joey has a torn pec and won’t be able to do much. The fans chant HAPPY BIRTHDAY at Joey (a day late but close enough), who delivers his blow pop to a fan. Swoggle pulls out a huge lollipop for a fan as well and it’s time to discuss the injury. Joey has heard that torn pecs are going around at the moment and while he hasn’t seen a doctor yet, he wasn’t going to miss a show in Chicago.

The Blonds jump them to start and Joey gets knocked to the floor, as you had to expect early on. Swoggle gets choked in the corner and Brien punches Joey off the apron. With Brien holding him by the chin, Swoggle pops him with a right hand and manages a German suplex. Ryan comes in for some one armed offense as everything breaks down. Swoggle knocks Patrick down in the corner for a running hip attack but gets run over in the corner. Everything breaks down and Joey pulls out the blowpop for Sweet Tooth Music, setting up a tadpole splash to give Swoggle the pin at 3:27.

Rating: D. I get that Joey is injured and can’t do anything. That’s understandable and there’s nothing else he can do about that. That being said, what in the world is the point in having the Blonds lose here? They haven’t won anything in forever and I liked them from the start. Now they’re losing a comedy match clean in just a few minutes? I really don’t get this and don’t care for it either.

Post match Ryan takes off the sling to show off a horrible looking bruise. Joey: “At least I still have my d***.” He’s probably going to need surgery but he’s so glad he got to wrestle in Chicago one more time. The more I see of this, the more I think it should have just been for the live audience only. They couldn’t fill in this five to six minute block with something else?

Sami Callihan is willing to do Promociones Dorado’s bidding if they keep paying him. MVP is still wasting away in a boiler room in Florida. Shane Strickland was injured before his title match. Jimmy Havoc was sent back to England. It’s going to be the same with Tom Lawlor because Sami isn’t scared of a UFC fighter. He’s scared of himself and what he’s going to do in a street fight. This is Sami’s world because he is MLW.

Battle Riot II is coming on Wrestlemania weekend. The first one wasn’t bad so I can go for this.

Konnan held a press conference and says he’s coming out of retirement because he’s tired of Salina and Low Ki. He knows he’ll be the underdog and shouldn’t win. But what happens when he beats Low Ki?

Rundown for the two Miami shows.

Rush is coming in three weeks.

Next week is the Thanksgiving special with Low Ki defending against Shane Strickland.

Strickland won’t answer any questions.

Tom Lawlor vs. Sami Callihan

Street fight so Sami throws the weapons inside during his entrance. Lawlor is in street clothes and they start fighting in the aisle. A running kendo stick shot misses and Lawlor slaps on the rear naked choke on the floor. That’s broken up and the first trashcan shot puts Lawlor down. Callihan throws a piece of the barricade at him and someone keeps honking a horn.

They take turns hitting each other with a trashcan with Lawlor getting the better of it and kicking away at the chest. Some chair shots keep Callihan in trouble and he wraps one around the arm for a Kimura. They fight on the apron with Callihan hitting a piledriver, followed by some chair shots to the back. It’s table time but Lawlor escapes a powerbomb and grabs an ankle lock.

Callihan grabs the barricade but gets put underneath the barricade, which Lawlor shakes to really hurt him. A fan has a USE MY SIGN sign and Lawlor does just that onto Callihan’s head. Callihan is fine enough to send him into the barricade but Lawlor is right back with a Superman punch. Since they’re trading moves, Callihan hits a Death Valley Driver through the table to take over again. With Lawlor down, Sami grabs a railroad spike….and a VHS tape? He drops the tape (most of us did years ago) and puts the spike in Lawlor’s mouth to draw some blood.

To get extra violent, Sami uses the sign to cut Lawlor’s mouth even worse. It’s back to the VHS, which Callihan breaks, and uses the tape to choke away. Lawlor fights out and gets another table, but a powerbomb is countered with a low blow. Callihan hits a piledriver for two and finds the baseball bat. That takes too long as well so Lawlor hits a low blow of his own. Callihan fires off some headbutts but charges into a powerbomb. Lawlor breaks the baseball bat over his knee and the choke goes on. Being driven through the table doesn’t break it up and Lawlor adds a stab with the broken bat to make Callihan tap at 18:19.

Rating: B. They beat each other up well and it felt like they wanted to hurt each other, which is exactly the point of something like this. Lawlor winning is the right call of course as he keeps rolling over everyone on his way to the title shot. It’s still a long way off but he’s beaten almost every big name. I’m not sure who that leaves him to defend against once he wins the title, but at least he’s becoming a major star in the process.

Post match Gotch takes him to the back for the press conference….and it’s Low Ki, Martinez and LA Park, with Gotch closing the door as the beating ensues. You could see this one coming a mile away and it still worked well.

Overall Rating: C+. This was a one match show and that carried most of the show. Lawlor is practically a full on face and that’s going to help him more than anything else. You couldn’t hang on to him as a heel that much longer so it’s the right move to switch him over like this. The ending angle gives him a mini feud with Gotch as we move on towards the showdown with Low Ki. The rest of the show ranged from just there to bad, but at least the big story worked well.

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

Never Say Never
Date: December 12, 2017
Location: Gilt Nightclub, Orlando, Florida
Attendance: 250
Commentators: Rich Bocchini, Tony Schiavone

I’m still at it with these one off shows that MLW ran before they got a full time TV show. This is their second such show after a pretty good first edition. A few months have passed and there isn’t much to preview here as there wasn’t much set up to build towards a second show. If most of the cast is back though, this should be fun. Let’s get to it.

The opening video has a Christmas theme with places at a table set for various wrestlers. Jimmy Havoc is there with a glass of wine to say Happy Christmas. That was creepy in a way.

Opening sequence.

Tom Lawlor vs. Matt Riddle

Well this could be good. It’s almost weird seeing Lawlor with clean looking hair. Feeling out process to start as they trade some light punches with neither going anywhere. Some grappling goes the same way with Lawlor holding him up against the ropes. Riddle takes him down into a rear naked choke but Lawlor makes the rope in short order. Some heavy forearms in the corner keep Lawlor in trouble so his unnamed corner men take him to the floor for a much needed breather.

Lawlor is right back with a triangle choke but Riddle gets out again so it’s a release German suplex, with Riddle bouncing back to his feet first. That’s fine with Lawlor as he throws Riddle with another German suplex, this time for two. Riddle pops up again and hits a jumping knee to the face, setting up the Bro To Sleep (that’s so corny that it’s awesome) into a bridging German suplex for two more.

A backsplash gives Riddle another two but Lawlor t-bones him down. Lawlor’s piledriver is countered into a backdrop driver with Riddle holding him on his back and dropping down (cool) but Lawlor is right back with a Tombstone for one. Riddle starts striking away and picks him up for a Tombstone of his own, only to slam Lawlor down onto his back instead. Lawlor slaps on a Fujiwara armbar and rolls into a double arm crank. That goes nowhere so he tries a cross armbreaker, with Riddle rolling out and elbowing him in the face. The rear naked choke goes on and Lawlor flips the fans off before passing out at 14:56.

Rating: B. They played to their strengths here but it’s so strange to see Lawlor take a clean fall. He would go on to become one of the top stars in the promotion and having Riddle just beat him like this is very strange. Riddle wouldn’t be around long though as he was all but destined to be in WWE. Given his look and skill level so soon into his career, it really was just a matter of time.

Post match Lawlor’s corner men interrupt Riddle’s interview so he beats them up too. Riddle says if Lawlor wants to bring in his bros, Riddle can bring in his buddy Jeff Cobb for a tag match next month. Lawlor doesn’t say anything.

MVP is ready for his match tonight when Stokely Hathaway comes in to make an offer. That’s not cool with MVP, which doesn’t work for Hathaway. MVP basically tells him not to do anything stupid and to be wise.

Saieve Al Sabah vs. Mike Parrow

Fallout from last time when Parrow powerbombed him. Saieve jumps him before the bell but gets shoved away with ease. Some snap jabs work a bit better, though for all of three seconds as Parrow suplexes him down. One heck of a clothesline knocks Saieve out of his show (dang) and a big toss sends him outside for a great looking bump. Parrow powerbombs him into the post, followed by a fall away slam into the corner for two more. Saieve gets in a shot to the knee and pulls out some brass knuckles. The powerbomb is broken up with right hands to Parrow’s head to give Saieve the pin at 3:38.

Rating: D+. Saieve’s bumping looked great but the booking didn’t work very well. Parrow dominated him but then loses in the last few seconds after Saieve gets in two or three shots? I’ve never been a fan of that kind of booking and the knuckles finish didn’t felt way out of place. Parrow looks awesome though and that’s going to keep him around for a good while.

Dirty Blonds vs. Seth Petruzelli/Rhett Giddins

The Blonds are a southern team with some size to him while Petruzelli is the striking coach at the WWE Performance Center. Another pre-bell attack (with Tony pointing out how common they’ve been tonight) doesn’t work for the Blonds as stereo superkicks put them on the floor. Giddins starts with Leo Brien (partner of Michael Patrick) with both guys taking their time early on. Brien shoulders the heck out of him but Giddins pops back up for a slam.

That means a breather on the floor, where they take Petruzelli off the apron. Giddins gets choked down and Petruzelli gets knocked off the apron again. The Blonds take turns beating on Giddins as Tony is having a great time listing off the old southern wrestlers that have inspired them. A chinlock doesn’t last very long so Patrick knees Giddins back down. The diving tag attempt is broken up again with Petruzelli being pulled down for the third time.

We hit the nerve hold for a bit but Giddins fights up and kicks him in the face. A discus punch and rolling out of the way of an elbow are enough for the tag to Petruzelli, who receives almost no reaction whatsoever. Petruzelli barely gets to do anything before a low blow cuts him down. Giddins comes back in off a blind tag and a hard clothesline finishes Brien out of nowhere at 8:28.

Rating: D. I wasn’t feeling this one, even though I like the Blonds quite a bit. Giddins looked good but it felt like they were limiting Petruzelli’s in-ring time. That made for a weird match and the ending felt really sudden. This was easily the weakest thing that they’ve done so far but maybe it was just a one off.

Barrington Hughes, a 400lb+ monster, warms up with a huge meal of pizza, burgers and fries. He’d like his privacy though and tells the cameras to leave.

Barrington Hughes vs. Andrew Merlin

Trash talk, elbow to the head, seated senton to crush Merlin at 22 seconds. Bocchini: “Maybe nine seconds?” I didn’t know King Kong Bundy was now wrestling as Barrington Hughes.

Chelsea Green, who is scheduled to face Santana Garrett, has been attacked by a woman we can’t see.

Vandal Ortagun vs. Jimmy Yuta

Ortagun used to be in NXT on the Florida circuit. They trade chops to start as we hear about Yuta currently being a student. You don’t hear that every day. Ortagun gets dropped onto his face for a running kick as the announcers talk about Ortagun’s time in NXT. It’s so weird hearing Tony talk about modern wrestling. A chop block cuts Yuta down and it’s time for the Ric Flair knee work package.

The leg gets wrapped around the middle rope and there’s a dragon screw leg whip for two. Yuta fights up and hits a backdrop, followed by a rollup into a superkick. Thankfully Tony explains that the knee injury prevented it from being at full strength because he knows how to do his job. Ortagun takes him down by the knee again and the half crab goes on. Yuta grabs the rope and is right back with a Blue Thunder Bomb. The top rope elbow is enough to finish Ortagun at 6:21.

Rating: C. Yuta has grown on me a lot over the last few months and there’s potential in there to be a perfectly good high flier. He’s got a good look and can wrestle a pretty good match. That’s not bad for someone so young. Ortagun is a good choice for a spot like this as he’s got the experience to make anyone look good, which is what you want for someone young like Yuta. Nice match here.

Jimmy Havoc and Darby Allin are ready to hurt Shane Strickland and John Hennigan in the main event. A lot of blood is promised.

Santana Garrett vs. Leva Bates

Bates is better known as Blue Pants and she dances to the ring. She’s also not the person who attacked Chelsea as the hair color doesn’t match. Santana takes her to the mat to start and holds onto a headlock. Back up and Bates shoves her away, only to get rolled up for two. Bates has no choice but to shake her hand as Garrett is toying with her so far. Something like the Black Widow is broken up and Bates kicks her in the back.

That earns Bates a high five but she’s mean enough to grab a rollup for two of her own. Santana gets in something close to a Last Chancery for a few seconds but Bates slips out and puts on a Crossface. That’s broken up as well and Garrett is back with a front facelock. Tony starts talking about Larry Zbyszko teaching Garrett psychology, which isn’t the kind of thing you expect most commentators to bring up.

Bates trips Garrett down and poses before hitting a slingshot rolling spear for two. Garrett loses her headband so Bates stomps on it, which just ticks her off again. They start shoving and shouting at each other until Bates charges into a raised boot in the corner. A Russian legsweep gets two and Garrett goes after her in the corner, only to get caught in the Tree of Woe. Bates hits the top rope double stomp but goes back up and gets hurricanranaed back down. Garrett hits a handspring moonsault (cool) for the pin at 14:38.

Rating: C+. Garrett really is a solid worker and I’m a little bit surprised she hasn’t been signed up by a bigger name company. They told a nice little story here and while Bates was in over her head, she fought her way through it and they had a nice match as a result. Not too bad here, which is better than having a women’s match for the sake of a women’s match.

Post match Garrett poses and the same woman who attacked Green runs in for a kick to the knee.

Maxwell Jacob Friedman has a promo in the back but there’s no audio.

Maxwell Jacob Friedman vs. Joey Ryan

These two are joined at the hip. Friedman brags about being awesome and undefeated, both of which will still be the case after the match. The bell rings but Joey has to give away a lollipop and oil up. With that out of the way, Joey offers him a chance to touch it. He tries to force Friedman’s hand down there so Friedman escapes and demands that the fans stop encouraging it.

Friedman tries an atomic drop and that’s probably a sprained MCL at least. Joey tries to make him touch it again and now it’s time for the lollipop from the trunks. That’s finally enough for Friedman, who kicks him in the ribs and sends Joey shoulder first into the post. An armbar goes on for a bit until Joey sends him to the apron but Friedman comes back with a springboard Codebreaker to the arm. Ryan gets in a spinebuster for two but Friedman bails to the floor before the superkick.

Of course that means a suicide dive to take Friedman down again but he’s right back with a powerbomb inside. Friedman goes for the lollipop, only to have his arm chopped to put it into his own mouth. That means the superkick so Ryan can drop to his back as Friedman does the comical fall onto the crotch. The staggered Friedman takes a Canadian Destroyer but Ryan goes for the crotch again, allowing Friedman to poke him in the eye. Another armbar makes Ryan tap at 8:22.

Rating: C-. I don’t know if it’s listening to Ryan’s very good out of character interviews or just how dedicated he is to the gimmick, but the guy is growing on me. Friedman going over makes sense as he’s the kind of guy who is going to be around here more frequently. Ryan is a bigger name too and a win over him means a little more. Perfectly fine comedy match here.

Post match Joey offers a handshake but gets flipped off. I think you can guess where that hand goes, setting up the special suplex.

Plug for the MLW podcasts. Some of those aren’t half bad either.

MVP has nothing to say about his discussions with Stokely Hathaway.

MVP vs. Brody King

King is a very big guy with a ton of tattoos. They stare each other down to start but MVP stops to yell something at the crowd that I can’t make out. The battle over the lockup goes nowhere so King kicks him in the face to take over. A backsplash (with some height) gets one and a running splash in the corner hits MVP again. MVP misses a boot in the corner and gets kicked out to the floor for his failed efforts. King throws him over a pile of chairs onto the concrete for a crash.

You don’t put a wrestler near chairs as MVP uses one to crack him a few times but he can’t suplex him onto the open chair. A slugout goes to MVP but Hathaway pops up for a distraction, allowing King to shove MVP onto the chairs again. They finally get back in so King can hit a tilt-a-whirl slam for two. King misses a dropkick but, as usual, the Ballin Elbow takes FOREVER to set up, allowing King to clothesline him back down.

A gutwrench sitout powerbomb gets two more but another powerbomb is countered with a hurricanrana. MVP gets in a t-bone suplex and they’re both down with MVP holding his back. His back is so messed up that the Playmaker takes too long, allowing King to hit a Michinoku Driver for two of his own. King misses a spinning high crossbody though and a running kick to the head finishes him off at 11:53.

Rating: C. Nice power brawl here but MVP still doesn’t do much for me. He’s a guy who used to be someone but there’s very little about him that stands out in any of his modern matches. King is good in a Luke Harper type big man enforcer role and that’s a job you could have for a very long time going forward.

They shake hands post match.

The announcers talk about an upcoming World Title tournament. So this place has a bit more of a future.

Sammy Guevara vs. Jason Cade

Sammy has Salina de la Renta with him. We have to stall for a few seconds so Sammy can take off his shirt and that means a dueling chant of MILK FIRST vs. CEREAL FIRST. This is what the two of them have been talking about on Twitter as of late, because that’s what wrestling has become. Just picture Race and Brisco having that discussion. Sammy takes over to start by sending him to the floor but Cade slides back inside for a dropkick. Cade’s dive is blocked by a jumping knee to the floor and now Sammy gets in a dive.

Cade is right back in for a dive of his own but this time he spends too much time bragging and gets hit with a dive as well. Since that’s not enough, Cade slides back in for another dive. Fans: “CEREAL FIRST!” Back in and the announcers debate types of cereal as Cade scores with some chops. A Russian legsweep puts Guevara on the apron but they think better about going to the top at the same time. Salina offers a distraction so Sammy can hit a top rope double stomp (kind of) onto the apron.

Sammy stays on the ribs by running the ropes before stopping for a chinlock. He’s no Kevin Owens but Sami Zayn is no Salina. Cade fights up and hits a Russian legsweep into the corner, followed by a springboard crossbody for no cover. A handspring Codebreaker gets two with Salina screaming or a kickout. Sammy is fine enough for a Spanish Fly and a low superkick but a shooting star misses.

They trade strikes to the face, miss strikes to the face, and then hit strikes to the face at the same time for a double knockdown. It’s Cade up first with a running knee to the face and a Code Red for two. Sammy kicks him off the top for a crash and now the shooting star press connects for a near fall of his own.

Rating: C. This felt like the required indy match and while that’s fine, it was a little long for this late in the card. I like Cade, but he’s not someone who gets big wins most of the time. That’s not the worst place to be on the card as he’s going to put in watchable matches, but I’m not sure on Sammy. He has the pieces, but hasn’t put them together just yet. More time would help, which is the case for so many of these younger guys.

Hathaway swears vengeance on MVP.

Shane Strickland talks about being proud of beating Ricochet last time but Darby Allin and Jimmy Havoc attacked Shane to ruin his moment. They want to give Shane what he wants so Shane is ready to fight with John Hennigan at his side.

Shane Strickland/John Hennigan vs. Darby Allin/Jimmy Havoc

No DQ and the thumbtacks are poured out before the good guys come out. Hennigan makes the mistake of charging in before Shane shows up. He fights out of a double suplex so Shane can even things out (coming through the crowd for some reason) and the fight is on with Allin dropkicking Hennigan almost into the tacks. Shane throws Allin into them instead and Hennigan powerbombs Havoc onto Allin onto the tacks for a good visual. Havoc’s chop hits post (though he pulled up) and it’s already time for a table.

With chops not working, Havoc pokes Shane in the eye to cut him off. Hennigan and Allin get back inside and fight on the corner but head to the floor instead. Havoc busts out a staple gun and you can hear the groan in Tony’s voice. That means a piece of paper gets stapled to Shane’s face (Tony: “WHAT AM I WATCHING???”) and another to his back. Shane is right back with a staple into Havoc’s head as the announcers are losing it. Tony: “Ok. We have lost our minds.”

They trade off with Allin armdragging (that feels out of place at the moment) Shane but being left alone in the ring. Havoc isn’t done with the staples and here’s Allin to flip dive onto the two of them. It’s time for a bunch of chairs in the ring (Tony: “After a staple gun, a chair is kind of a disappointment for me.”) with one of them being wedged in the corner. Havoc gets extra evil by cutting Hennigan’s fingers with the edge of the paper (a kind of brilliant way to go in a hardcore match) and Bocchini says that’s worse than the staples. I mean….maybe?

Havoc has a seat in a chair but Hennigan gets back up and backdrops him onto two unfolded chairs. That actually gets two as the announcers are surprised that you can get pins here. Fair enough given the level of carnage here. Shane comes back in with a 450 on Allin and it’s time for a cookie sheet. Allin flips out of a German suplex and hits Shane in the knee with Hennigan having to come back in for a save.

Allin’s Coffin Drop is countered into an armbar and Shane snaps the arm back for a snap that actually made my mouth come open and the rest of me cringe. Havoc comes back in for some forearms but gets catapulted into a cookie sheet to the head. Strickland kicks him in the head but Havoc knocks Hennigan down and takes Shane to the apron. One heck of an enziguri staggers Havoc and an AA off the apron sends him through a table. Back in and Starship Pain only gets two on Havoc but the crowd reaction isn’t that strong as they’re going too long here.

Havoc tries to beg and then gets caught going for the double low blow. As Hennigan and Strickland look to deal with him, Allin dives off the balcony with a chair to take them both out and they’ve got the crowd right back. Allin sets up another table but takes too long, allowing Hennigan and Strickland to put him on it instead. They both go up top but here’s the woman who attacked Garrett to shove Hennigan to the floor. A double superplex puts Shane through a table for two and the woman throws in a chain. Havoc wraps it around his arm and clotheslines the heck out of Shane for the pin at 18:49.

Rating: B. They knew what they were going for here and then executed it. Havoc and Allin are good hardcore guys and it’s impressive to have them beat some big names like Hennigan and Strickland. On top of that, it was a heck of a violent match with the announcers actually adding a lot in that “this is insane” style. There’s also something great about Tony watching this violent stuff and it made things that much better.

Hathaway has a press conference to talk about MVP where he talks about MVP being in prison earlier in the 2000s. Someone negotiated a deal with WWE and then another with New Japan. That someone is of course Hathaway, who is now in charge of Black Friday Management (the heel stable started by Gary Hart in the original MLW). Therefore, Hathaway controls MVP so he’ll be facing Low Ki next month.

Overall Rating: C+. I had a good time here and that’s what matters most on the second show in a promotion’s lifespan. They offered a nice balance of stuff from start to finish and the show never started to drag. I want to see where things go from here and that’s the most important thing they can do. It’s pretty impressive to see how well they’ve hit the ground running and if they can keep that up, they might have a hit on their hands.

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

I think I like these people.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/kbs-review-praise-indy/

IMG Credit: Major League Wrestling

Fusion #27
Date: October 19, 2018
Location: Melrose Ballroom, New York City, New York
Commentators: Matt Striker, Tony Schiavone

We’re onto a fresh taping cycle and back in New York with a major main event. This time around we have Shane Strickland facing Tom Lawlor in a match that belongs on a big stage. I’m not sure what to expect from the rest of the show but this promotion knows how to build up multiple things at the same time. Let’s get to it.

The opening video looks at Strickland vs. Lawlor, with Shane talking about how people think he’s lost his edge.

Opening sequence.

The announcers preview the main event.

El Hijo de LA Park vs. Sammy Guevara

Park has Salina, who fired Sammy a few months back, in his corner. Sammy gets sent outside for an early suicide dive but he’s right back up with one of his own. Back in and Park scores with a high crossbody for no cover, opting instead to kick Sammy into the corner. Guevara manages to backflip over the rather tall Park (that’s impressive) and then dropkick him down.

Park’s own high crossbody still gets no cover as the announcers talk about next week’s Halloween special. A running Canadian Destroyer gives Park two more to send Sammy outside with Park moonsaulting after him. Back in and Sammy misses his own moonsault but is right there with a standing shooting star for two. Park gets two of his own off a super Spanish Fly but Guevara hits a low superkick. Guevara misses a charge though and gets caught in an over the shoulder piledriver to give Park the pin at 5:38.

Rating: D+. This one didn’t do it for me for the most part as Guevara is good for a spot like this but Park feels like a knockoff of his father (the name doesn’t help). The problem here is the story not being the most thrilling, as it’s not something that Salina needs to be involved in. She’s the best manager in the promotion (and one of the best around today) but this story doesn’t feel up to her level. The match was fine for an opener, just not that interesting.

Tom Lawlor says you know what to expect from him. He ran through 39 people in the Battle Riot and is the ace around here. But who are you getting from Strickland? The World Champion or the guy who won’t even show up?

Rush is still coming.

Konnan isn’t impressed by Salina’s actions last week and promises to have the Lucha Bros take out LA Park and Hijo de LA Park.

Samoan Island Tribe vs. Smash N Dash Connection

That would be Samu/Lance Anoa’i vs. Kotto Brazil/Barrington Hughes. The Samoans jump them from behind and Samu slams Kotto to start. Thankfully it’s off to Lance in a hurry for a sunset flip Backstabber (cool) but he makes sure to cut off the ring before covering. It’s back to Samu as Striker explains Samoans having hard hands. A clothesline takes Kotto down and Lance comes in to spit at Hughes.

Kotto gets up a boot in the corner but Lance slams him down to break up a hot tag attempt. Lance suckers Hughes in but superkicks him twice before the huge one can even get in. A double Stroke gets no cover as Lance misses a top rope splash instead, allowing the tag to Hughes (already with one foot over the ropes before he comes in. Hughes tries a headbutt for no logical reason as everything breaks down. Lance gets thrown into a spear on Samu and it’s Sliced Bread off Hughes’ chest into a splash to give Hughes the pin at 6:15.

Rating: D. I’m sorry what now? You have Samu, the 55 year old wrestler whose top claim to fame since the 1980s is being part of a famous family, and his son takes the pin? Lance isn’t a star or anything, but what’s the point? Just having someone pin Samu can be spun as a rub. I really don’t get this one, as Lance might not be a star, but do you really need to have him take a fall here? Someone explain this one to me.

A quieter than usual Sami Callihan says he’s ready for Jimmy Havoc next week because Havoc falsely believes he’s the most violent wrestler in the world. They used to be friends but next week, only one man walks out.

Stokely Hathaway is coming.

Shane Strickland says this is his house and MLW would be hard pressed to find someone like him.

Fightland card rundown.

Salina laughs off Konnan’s words and sees a bright future for her men.

Jimmy Havoc likes the possibilities of next week. No matter what the wheel lands on, the match will be in his favor. New York will run red with Callihan’s blood.

Tom Lawlor vs. Shane Strickland

Low Ki is on commentary and when asked about the marks the two have made on MLW, he says he just sees two marks in the ring. Feeling out process to start with Lawlor headlocking him to the mat to no effect. Low Ki actually goes into some of the best analysis I’ve ever heard, talking about what every move is designed to do as well as what it’s looking to set up. If nothing else, it makes Striker sound that much more useless.

Lawlor goes to the apron but slips, allowing Shane to snap the arm over the top rope and kick him to the floor. Another kick to the arm lets Shane wrap the arm around the barricade. Lawlor clotheslines the post by mistake (you know, because you go for left armed clotheslines all the time), allowing Shane to start in on the arm back inside. Shane can’t get an armbar of various forms so he jumps on Tom’s back and pulls back on both arms leaving Tom to bite the ropes for the break. That’s not something you see every day.

Some Low Ki style kicks (Low Ki: “I wonder where he learned that.”) and a discus lariat sets up the rolling cutter for two. Shane takes too much time going up though and Lawlor hits a spinning kick to the head to slow things down. A top rope superplex into a front chancery has Shane in trouble. That’s reversed into a suplex for the double knockdown though as both guys get a breather.

Back up and Lawlor wins a slugout so Shane grabs the bad arm in a smart move. A Falcon Arrow gives Lawlor two but Shane pops up with a jumping knee to the face as Low Ki has gone silent. Lawlor is fine enough for a one armed German suplex and Low Ki gets up as Lawlor slaps on a rear naked choke. Salina comes out for a distraction and Low Ki kicks Lawlor in the head.

Shane doesn’t cover, opting to drape Lawlor over the barricade for a double stomp to the back instead. Back in and a regular double stomp gets two so Low Ki asks Shane why he can’t get a pin. Another snap of the arm sets up a knee to the face but Lawlor manages a one arm choke while biting on the arm tape because he has one arm….for the tap at 16:40.

Rating: B. I was actually surprised by the finish, which is even more impressive when I knew the ending beforehand. Lawlor is being treated as the undisputed star of the promotion and that puts him on a heck of a path to a fight with Low Ki. Shane is on his way to rock bottom, which could make for a heck of a comeback story down the line. Good main event here, with a lot of stories being told at the same time.

After a quick look at next week’s show, Lawlor says he’s cashing in his World Title shot at Super Fight on February 2. That’s quite a long time away and I’m not sure what they’re supposed to do until then.

Overall Rating: C+. I liked the main event a lot but they were lacking a lot in the first half of the show. I’m wanting to see the Fightland show and next week’s card is looking good as well. MLW knows how to build up their shows but more importantly they’re actually good once the shows take place. This show is nothing that’s going to blow you away, but for a weekly one hour TV show that keeps you wanting to come back, Fusion is good stuff.

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 #20
Date: August 31, 2018
Location: Gilt Nightclub, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Rich Bocchini

It’s the go home show for WarGames and they’ve gotten better about setting things up for the bigger shows. The big main event this week is Tom Lawlor vs. Jake Hager as part of the Team Filthy vs. Stud Stable feud, which has been about as one sided you can get while still calling it a feud. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a long recap of the Stud Stable vs. Team Filthy feud, which has been put together fairly well. They’ve certainly done something better than just having the same matches over and over.

Striker runs down the card.

Vandal Ortagun vs. Teddy Hart

The fans certainly like Hart. Ortagun decides to pose on the ropes to start so Teddy pulls him down for a stomping as the announcers talk about the referee being biased against Canadians. It’s off to something like a Rings of Saturn but Hart fishhooks him for a bonus. Back up and Hart yells at the referee a bit, as is his custom. An electric chair backstabber looks great and Ortagun is in big trouble. Hart puts on an armbar but turns it into a hanging DDT. Project Ciampa finishes the squash at 3:43.

Rating: D+. Total and complete squash here as Hart looked great. I know he doesn’t have the best reputation in the world and it’s a good idea to follow up on that. When you have a story and character handed to you, why not run with it? WWE has a bad habit of doing just the opposite and I’ve never understood why.

Simon Gotch vs. Angel Pierce

This is Gotch’s Prize Fight Challenge with the prize up to $500. Pierce is a boxer, complete with corner man and gloves. Gotch takes him down with ease and the cradle piledriver is good for the pin at 26 seconds.

Abyss is happy to be part of the cocktail of pain that is Team Callihan at WarGames. He loves war and loves games so he can’t wait to get his hands on every member of Team Strickland.

Low Ki narrates a video about Konnan coming to MLW and stealing Salina de la Renta’s talent. That puts a bounty on his head and it’s time for Pentagon Jr. and Rey Fenix to pay for Konnan’s actions.

WarGames rundown, including an explanation of how WarGames works. Also announced for the show: Joey Ryan/Taya Valkyrie vs. Maxwell Jacob Friedman/Aria Blake.

Jason Cade vs. Jimmy Yuta

They used to be partners but couldn’t get along. Yuta is tired of hearing Cade run his mouth and is ready to shut him up before going after the Middleweight Title. Cade says the only thing to be determined is how bad he destroys Yuta. A cheap shot from Cade doesn’t go well as Yuta knocks him to the floor and hits the suicide dive.

Back in and Yuta hits a top rope chop to the head as the announcers talk about how hard it must have been for Cade to make Yuta angry. Cade uses the referee as a shield and kicks Yuta in the face to take over. Some standing on Yuta’s head lets Cade talk trash and we hit the chinlock. Back up and Yuta hits a springboard missile dropkick, followed by something like a Blue Thunder Bomb for two.

The STF goes on but Cade crawls over to the ropes for the save. A reverse Death Valley Driver gives Cade two but he gets caught on top. Yuta grabs a HARD top rope superplex, throwing Cade so hard that he lands before Yuta, making the crash even worse. A slugout goes to Yuta and Cade seems to be out with the referee throwing up the X. Cue Rhett Giddins from behind to clothesline the heck out of Yuta, allowing Cade to pop up for the pin at 9:56.

Rating: B-. I liked this one better than I was expecting to as the story coming into it hasn’t been the most intriguing but the match was rather good. Both guys are starting to get somewhere and that’s been lacking from either of them. They came in as the run of the mill face team but now they’ve got an actual feud going here and the ending should let it keep going. Nicely done as the storytelling worked.

Teddy Hart is with the Hart Foundation when Kevin Sullivan comes in to praise Teddy for being innovative, but Hart doesn’t want to hear it. Smith doesn’t want to hear about it and Hart tells Pillman to pick a side already. Hart yells at Sullivan for not doing anything in the ring but Pillman says it’s about protecting him. That’s enough as Smith and Hart beat Sullivan down and bust him open. Hart tells Pillman to pick a side so Pillman hits Sullivan with the cane. He respects Sullivan but doesn’t like him.

Tale of the tape on the main event.

Tom Lawlor vs. Jake Hager

Feeling out process to start with Hager taking him up against the ropes and then down to the mat. Lawlor’s rear naked choke is broken up with a ram into the corner, followed by a good looking beal across the ring. Another beal continues the dominance and it’s off to a headlock. Lawlor is back with a belly to back suplex and a spinwheel kick but Hager powers out. Some right hands in the corner have Hager in trouble so he throws Lawlor off the top and out to the floor.

The fans aren’t pleased with Hager (Really?) as he stomps away back inside and cranks on both arms at once. Lawlor fights out but falls down, allowing Hager to get a quick two. A chinlock keeps Lawlor in trouble but he fights to his feet and scores with a discus lariat. The fans are behind him but he charges into the Hager Bomb, with Hager being stunned on the kickout.

Lawlor gets sat on top, only to catch Hager in the triangle choke over the ropes as you might have seen coming. Another armbar is broken up as Hager rolls into the ropes but they head outside with Lawlor in full control. Hager’s arm gets caught in a chair with Lawlor kicking him in the chest (wise to avoid a DQ), followed by an exploder suplex back inside. There’s a pumphandle suplex but Hager blocks the rear naked choke.

Colonel Parker is LIVID over a choke being allowed (fair enough) so Lawlor switches to an incomplete cross armbreaker. Hager reverses that into the ankle lock but Lawlor rolls out again. That’s enough for Hager, who unloads with right hands to the head. The referee gets shoved away so Lawlor pokes Hager in the eye and grabs a rollup for the pin at 13:45.

Rating: C+. That should be the end of the feud and Tony mentioned as much in the commentary after the match. Team Filthy has dominated the feud from start to finish and there’s not much reason for the two sides to keep going. On the other side though, you have Lawlor turning face, partially just due to how awesome he is in this role. That’s going to get you cheered, which can create a problem when you’re a natural villain like he is. I know it works for a lot of villains, but I’m really not a fan. Lawlor is great, but I don’t exactly want him as the anti-hero that the fans seem to want him to be.

One more WarGames promo ends the show.

Overall Rating: B-. Pretty solid effort here and I’m more interested in seeing WarGames than I was coming in. This is an interesting promotion with the TV getting most of the build but the bigger shows not getting a ton of attention. They’re doing a better job than they did with Battle Riot, but it’s still very different (not necessarily a bad thing) way of setting things up. Still though, another good, and very easy to watch show.

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/2018/07/23/new-book-kbs-complete-2003-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

Battle Riot
Date: July 27, 2018
Location: Melrose Ballroom, New York City, New York
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Matt Striker

I’ve been watching Major League Wrestling since it was brought back after a fifteen year hiatus (in other words, when it was a new company with a name that was used before) and it’s already time for a big special. In this case that would be Battle Riot, featuring forty man Royal Rumble style match, albeit with pinfalls and submissions to go with over the top eliminations. Let’s get to it.

The opening video explains the idea of the namesake match, which is good for the equivalent of a Money in the Bank contract. A few names are listed but I’ll save them for the actual match.

Opening sequence.

Stephen DeAngelis, the former ECW ring announcer, is handling introductions tonight. The set looks pretty much the same, though with a big Battle Riot graphic and the camera a bit closer and slightly elevated.

Myron Reed vs. Kotto Brazil

Reed is making his debut. They flip around without much contact to start and it’s a double nipup. Reed kicks him in the face out of the corner and knees Kotto down for two, giving us some very early frustration. Brazil takes him down into something like a kneeling YES Lock as the announcers talk about MMA taking over wrestling style. Very true indeed. Neither can hit a belly to back suplex and it’s stereo crossbodies for a double knockdown. They’re certainly mirroring each other so far and that’s perfectly fine.

Kotto drapes him over the ropes for a kick to the floor, followed by a pair of suicide dives. Being a bit greedy, Kotto tries the third but Reed runs back in for a dropkick to send Kotto outside this time. A big dive over the top (looked good) as Striker asks if Reed’s bleach blond hair is a tribute to Butch Reed, sending Tony into a short fit of laughter. Kotto grabs a suplex and puts on a modified Sharpshooter (he leans down on the back instead of stepping over) but Reed is too close to the ropes.

A nipup gets Reed out of the way of a standing Lionsault and he plants Kotto with a cutter. The 450 hits knees and gets reversed into a small package as the fans are rather pleased. Back up and Reed’s Stundog Millionaire (not a cutter Striker) doesn’t do much good as Kotto hits a running Sliced Bread (definitely not a cutter Tony) for the pin at 9:05.

Rating: C. Both guys need some polishing and it should have been a minute or two shorter but this was the right way to go for an opening match. You get the fans going with some fun high flying and let everyone have a good time out there. Brazil is starting to become a nice player and I could see him getting a shot at the new Middleweight Title before too long.

Maxwell J. Friedman isn’t concerned about facing Joey Ryan tonight because he’s too excited about being in New York City. It’s his hometown and he’s going to become the first Middleweight Champion. Why? He’s just better than Joey.

Konnan is ready to come out of retirement in the Battle Riot. He’ll be on point like a decimal.

We get a vignette of skulls saying the dead will rise. LA Park is coming.

Joey Ryan had to drop five pounds to make weight, meaning he had to drop all lollipops and baby oil. No one is holding Friedman’s wealth against him but Ryan is rich too. The difference is Ryan made it in a wrestling ring, meaning he’s really good at this. He’s bringing sleazy back and he’s bringing the Middleweight Title with it. This was completely different than most Ryan promos I’ve seen and it worked very well. He can do serious (with a little sleaze thrown in) and that’s always nice to see.

Team Filthy draws their numbers (sweet) and Tom Lawlor doesn’t want to talk about his loss to Jimmy Havoc. He let the match end for the sake of Havoc’s health you see. He’s filthy, but he’s a thoughtful filthy.

Middleweight Title: Maxwell Jacob Friedman vs. Joey Ryan

This is for the inaugural (good looking) title and Ryan has only wrestled once for the promotion, which was last year in a loss to Friedman. Joey brings a lollipop with him and hands it to a fan. Tony: “Now that we’ve got that out of the way.” The oil goes down the trunks and we’re ready to go. Maxwell’s waistlock is broken up by Joey reaching his hand towards the crotch and that’s not cool.

They fight over a far less gropey wristlock until Ryan again tries to get him to touch it. Friedman agrees to touch it if they shake hands. Striker: “If you build it they will come. Pardon me.” Tony: “I’ll never be able to watch that movie again.” I really wouldn’t mention movies after saying that line Tony. Friedman misses a right hand but scores with a flying armbar, followed by a regular armbar to get us away from the odd stuff for a change. Tony equates this to the Andersons, but I don’t remember Arn giving fans lollipops.

The hold doesn’t last long as Ryan comes back with a reverse t-bone suplex as Matt goes into a weird rant about millennials. Tony: “I’m getting hot just listening to you talking about it.” Friedman stomps on the arm and spits at Ryan, who actually seems to be offended. They ram heads and Friedman is very wobbly, eventually falling head first into Joey’s crotch.

Joey pops up and no sells an atomic drop, which hurts Friedman’s knee. Striker: “WHY WOULD THAT HURT???” He also thinks there might be something in there. I’m not touching that one (no pun intended) and it’s a lollipop being pulled from the trunks. It goes into Friedman’s mouth but he pokes Ryan in the eye instead. The package shoulder breaker gives Friedman the title at 7:55.

Rating: D+. This is a situation of knowing what you’re going for and I don’t think it hit. The match was for the inaugural title and they just had a comedy match instead of fighting hard to become champion. They cut good, serious promos coming into the match but that didn’t match the tone here. It was nice to have the arm stuff and there was a story going on but it was fighting with the comedy stuff for time.

Post match Friedman spits out the lollipop and brags about how awesome he is. After calling the interviewer a dollar store Oprah, he says you can cut the line when you’re this good. He’s a supernova and everyone needs to get in their Honda Civic and get more bags of Cheetos while they watch someone better than them.

Sami Callihan and his cronies pick their names. Sami stops the tumbler, hands them their numbers and draws his own.

We look back at Low Ki winning the World Title last week.

Swoggle is underneath the tumbler to draw, even though Sami and company were said to be the last people picking. The interviewer says she hopes it’s a lucky one. Swoggle: “Because of the leprechaun thing. I bet one of the WWE writers gave you that one.” And I’d bet that you probably wouldn’t be here without those writers. He looks at his number and says it’s the old Bushwhacker Luke. That sounds like something a WWE writer would have booked in the first place.

Video on Shane Strickland having issues with Salina de la Renta and eventually losing the title.

Salina is proud of Low Ki for forming a partnership with his Black Friday Management. Low Ki is ready to fight anyone from any company. He was in the original MLW and part of Gary Hart’s Black Friday Management. Low Ki has had to survive in New York City and no one can ever deny his ability to fight.

Battle Riot

It’s a forty man Royal Rumble with pinfalls, submissions or over the top eliminations with one minute intervals. The winner gets a World Title shot anytime anywhere. Pentagon Jr. is in at #1 and Fenix is in at #2 for a guaranteed hot start. They fight over some rollups to start and trade kicks to the head for a double knockdown and it’s Brody King in after about 75 seconds (no company can get these clocks right). King hits some clotheslines but the brothers get together and double team him down in short order.

Ken Doane (Kenny of the Spirit Squad) is in at #4 and the SPIRIT SQUAD chants begin. Tom Lawlor is in at #5 to crank up the star power. A rear naked choke gets rid of King in a hurry Lance Anoa’i (son of Samu) is in at #6 but the Bros are ready with chops. Rey Horus (El Dragon Azteca Jr. from Lucha Underground) is in at #7 and a bunch of people start kicking each other in the head. Fenix misses a double stomp to Doane on the apron but the ramp saves him, which is another unique way of doing things.

Kevin Sullivan of all people is in at #8 and he wastes no time in using the golden spike. Lawlor chokes him out in less than thirty seconds, which Striker puts over as a huge deal. I get the idea but he’s 68 years old. The huge Fallah Bahh is in at #9 and crushes Horus with a crossbody but there’s no elimination. Swoggle is in at #10 (Bushwhacker Luke never had that number) and starts biting some people’s tights. That gives us a grouping of Pentagon, Fenix, Doane, Lawlor, Lance, Horus, Bahh and Swoggle.

A series of German suplexes (Striker: “He’s small so let’s call it an Austrian suplex. Do you get it?”) have almost everyone down until Lance kicks him in the head. Samu, as in Lance’s father, is in at #11 for a series of headbutts. Father and son headbutts put Bahh down but Lance dumps his dad. ACH is in at #12 as the ring is getting pretty full. That goes nowhere so it’s Konnan in at #13 (to a big pop). An STO into the Tequila Sunrise takes Lawlor down with ACH making a save.

Barrington Hughes is in at #14 for the big man showdown with Bahh, as Pentagon Backstabs ACH for the elimination (not mentioned or shown but you can hear the three count). Bahh and Hughes bang into each other for the old monster battle. Tony: “IT’S THE BELLY BUMP!!!” Swoggle interrupts and Lawlor chokes him out for an elimination. Jimmy Yuta is in at #15 as Lance and Doane get crushed in the corner for a double pin, even though Lance’s shoulders weren’t down.

Konnan gets knocked down and pinned as well, followed by the Bros backdropping Bahh out. The momentum takes the two of them out as well as we lose six people in about ten seconds. Kotto Brazil is in at #16 and hits Yuta with a slingshot spear. Horus takes another splash in the corner and it’s Richard Holliday (pretty standard looking guy who is described as marketable) in at #17. A few stomps to the back are cut off with a Hughes chop in the corner.

Fred Yehi is in at #18 and slugs it out with Brazil, who gets planted with an Alabama Slam into a faceplant (that’s a new one). Lawlor adds a powerslam for two with Horus not being able to make a save in time. Jason Cade is in at #19 and immediately gets in a fight with Yuta. That goes nowhere so everyone goes after Hughes, who tosses Horus as an appetizer. They get him out, but he takes Yuta, Cade and Holliday with him, leaving Lawlor alone in the ring. Teddy Hart is in at #20 for what could be an interesting showdown. Well at least it could be if Hart didn’t go up and moonsault onto the pile of people outside to eliminate himself.

Vandal Ortagun is in at #21 and a cross armbreaker gets rid of him in about thirty seconds. Mikey Mondo (also of the Spirit Squad) is in at #22 and gets choked out just as fast (though he never stops blowing the whistle, even after being knocked out). PCO (Pierre Carl Ouellet is in at #23 and I’m curious about this as I’ve heard so many great things about his newest run. Lawlor’s Crossface doesn’t work so he punches PCO in the face. A chokebomb plants Lawlor for no cover as LA Smooth (son of Afa, brother of Manu and Samu) is in at #24.

PCO gets knocked down in the corner for the Umaga hip attack but pops back up with a clothesline to get rid of Smooth. Simon Gotch is in at #25 and slugs away at PCO, who knocks him down without much effort. Team Filthy beats on PCO until Homicide is in at #26. Lawlor and Gotch stand back and let him work over PCO until Davey Boy Smith Jr. is in at #27. With everyone other than PCO in a Tower of Doom, the Blue Meanie of all people is in at #28 for some dancing.

Homicide joins him for a bit before tossing him out without much effort. Team Filthy gets rid of PCO (I can get why he’s hot right now as he’s huge and has a good look. I’ve also heard very good things about his Frankenstein inspired promos.) Michael Patrick of the Dirty Blonds is in at #29 and stands in the middle of the ring so everyone can bring it. Sami Callihan is in at #30 and gets rid of Homicide, giving us Lawlor, Gotch, Smith, Scott and Callihan. Everyone gets knocked down with Sami alone on one side (good visual) and Sawyer Fulton is in at #31 to give Sami some help.

Shane Strickland is in at #32 and goes right for Sami, which isn’t the most surprising thing in the world. Fulton cuts Shane off with a low blow until Leon Scott (Sami’s other crony) is in at #33. A double clothesline gets rid of Davey (fans are NOT happy) and Drago is in at #34. The ring is getting full again as everyone chops away. Leo Bryan (Wasn’t that spelled Brien before?) is in at #35 but the Blonds can’t get rid of Gotch. Joey Ryan is in at #36 and gets Sami all the way to the apron (Tony: “One is sick and the other is sicker.”).

Maxwell Jacob Friedman is in at #37 and goes right after Ryan to keep up their earlier issues. Team Lawlor gets together to dump both Ryan and Friedman and Jake Hager is in at #38. Hager knocks Scott out and saves himself from Sami and Fulton. John Hennigan is in at #39 and dives over the top with a clothesline to Sami in a sweet entrance. Hennigan dumps Patrick and Hager/Bryan get rid of Gotch. It’s Jimmy Havoc in at #40, giving us a final grouping of Lawlor, Bryan, Callihan, Fulton, Strickland, Drago, Hager, Hennigan and Havoc.

Drago is out first to get us down to eight. Shane’s top rope double stomp hits Bryan and that’s enough to get rid of him. Hennigan saves himself from Sami and rolls Fulton up for an elimination. Shane tosses Havoc and saves himself from being eliminated by Sami. That’s not good enough for Sami, who piledrives Shane on the apron to get rid of him. Lawlor chokes Sami out on the apron to get us down to Lawlor, Hennigan and Hager. Not bad for a final trio and certainly three of the bigger names. The Moonlight Drive is broken up and Hager shoves Hennigan out to give us the final two.

A powerslam plants Lawlor for two but he’s back with a triangle choke over the corner. The fans are behind Lawlor (the underdog here in a bit of a twist on the booking), even as he’s powerbombed out of the corner. Hager gets caught in a German suplex but Lawler can’t follow up due to exhaustion.

Rating: C. This was a tale of two matches with the first half not being much and the second half being a lot of fun. I get why they bumped it up to forty (it did have a great ring to it) and the match was perfectly fine, but it would have flowed better with thirty people instead of forty. Still though, for their first big event, this was far from bad and the ending made Lawlor look like a star.

Post match Lawlor says he’s earned what he deserves whenever he wants it. The L in MLW now stands for Lawlor.

Overall Rating: C+. While not great, it’s a strong enough first special and I could see them doing even better when they have more experience. Lawlor looked great, we have a new title, and it’s easy to build some feuds off of the main event. This show has done more than a lot of other promotions can’t do: establish a strong baseline that you know they won’t go underneath. Things are good around here at the moment and I want to see where things go from here.

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/2018/07/23/new-book-kbs-complete-2003-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 #14
Date: July 20, 2018
Location: Gilt Nightclub, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Rich Bocchini, Tony Schiavone

It’s the go home show for Battle Riot and if you listen to most of the wrestlers, you might not know that. I could go for a much harder sell this week and maybe that’s the case, but the vignettes and promos that they’ve had already have me interested in the card. That’s harder to do than it sounds so well done there. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a look at Shane Strickland’s rise to the top of the promotion. However, this last also caused him to be the target Salina de la Renta and her $60,000 bounty. Tonight Low Ki is trying to claim the money and the title. If nothing else, at least get get some more of Low Ki’s incredibly awesome voice.

Opening sequence.

Kiki Roberts vs. Kahuna Khan

This is a prospects match, meaning they’re trying to prove themselves. Kiki is rather flamboyant and Kahuna’s shirt says “I’m fat. Let’s party.” The bell rings and here are Su Yung and Zeda Zhang to lay them both out for the no contest at we’ll say 1:05.

The beatdown continues post match with Tony naming the team the Kodokushi (Lonely Death) Death Squad.

The Stud Stable comes up to Fred Yehi but Team Filthy comes in for the save. Lawlor hands him a shirt and Yehi accepts.

We recap Tom Lawlor vs. Jimmy Havoc, which started a few weeks ago (more than a few now actually) when Lawlor and company attacked Havoc. You don’t do that to a crazy man like Havoc, who has sworn revenge on Lawlor. That’s cool with Lawlor, who says bring it on.

Jimmy Havoc vs. Tom Lawlor

This is a grudge match, meaning No DQ. Havoc sends him straight to the floor for a suicide dive and grabs an early chair. Instead of taking it back inside though, Havoc sits him in the chair for a running eye poke in a funny spot. Havoc throws what looks like a piece of plywood at him and Lawlor is bleeding from the back. That sounds like a call for a cheese grater but Lawlor takes it away and carves up Havoc’s head instead.

Havoc throws him into the chairs to cut Lawlor off again as Lawlor is having trouble hanging in Havoc’s world. He can however find a staple gun to stab Havoc in the head, drawing even more blood. Lawlor even staples an envelope to Havoc’s head with Tony saying he’s digging this. Back in and Havoc grates Lawlor’s crotch so Tony starts giving recipes. I really shouldn’t be laughing at that but it got a nice chuckle. To be fair though, what other response are you supposed to have when someone runs a cheese grater over his opponent’s crotch?

Lawlor tosses him onto the chair with a release German suplex and Havoc has a good crimson mask going. A Death Valley Driver through a piece of plywood in the corner is broken up and Havoc pulls out a piece of paper to give Lawlor a paper cut. That’s….I think brilliant? Havoc does it again and then pulls out a lemon to make the cut burn.

Lawlor takes the pizza cutter away and carves up Havoc’s arm. Bocchini: “MAMA MIA!” Ok I chuckled. A backbreaker onto the side of a chair is a lot more serious and Havoc is down again. Havoc pops back up and hits the Rainmaker for the pin (with Lawlor looking up at the referee at two and putting his head back down) at 9:39.

Rating: B-. This is a hard one to grade as I’m not wild on the crazy violent matches but it suits Havoc quite well and they had more than enough unique spots to make it work. I can go for this a lot more when they surprised me with the ending. Lawlor was in over his head with someone this violent and while he’s been hot as of late, it didn’t make a lot of sense to have him beat someone ticked off and in their element. The blood was actually a bit refreshing too. If you’re going this violent, there are a few things you need and that’s at the top of the list.

Sami Callihan says he attacked Strickland last week. He’s not happy with what Shane has become because Shane has let the fans get in his head. Sami is coming for him.

Kotto Brazil and Barrington Hughes aren’t happy with Shane being attacked so often but Shane comes in to say he’s got this.

Quick Battle Riot preview.

Salina de la Renta has the money waiting for Low Ki. Low Ki is ready because he’s a professional.

MLW World Title: Low Ki vs. Shane Strickland

Shane is defending and coming in banged up. The champ’s entrance feels big and he’s coming off like a total star, which is exactly what they were going for with him. They have a lot of time here too, even after the Big Match Intros. A long staredown leads to Shane hammering away and taking Low Ki down with a judo throw. Low Ki goes with the kicks in the corner to take over and a headbutt has Shane in more trouble.

The pace slows a lot until Shane gets in a hard slap to the face to stagger Low Ki back a few steps. With the commentators comparing Strickland to John McClane (banged up but keeps fighting for more), Low Ki comes back with a vengeance by choking over the ropes. Shane chops away but a double stomp cuts him off again. Low Ki is doing more than the standard strikes here and that makes it so much easier than usual. The precision of the offense fits the Professional deal too.

Shane kicks him to the floor and hits a hurricanrana as he keeps fighting to hang in there, even while Low Ki is staying steady. The gear isn’t staying as steady though as Shane rips open Low Ki’s shirt and chops at the bare chest. A half and half suplex gets two on Low Ki but he counters a catapult into a middle rope double stomp. That was a sick landing. Shane kicks away and the rolling cutter gets two. The top rope stomp misses though and Shane’s bad knee is banged up even worse. A hard kick to the back of the head gives Low Ki the pin and the title at 13:17.

Rating: B. There was a great story here with Shane not being able to hang in there forever because Low Ki was too good and knew how to take Shane out when he was too banged up to properly defend the title. Low Ki picked him apart like a professional would and that made for a very good match with an even better story. I liked this a lot and Shane continues to look great.

Low Ki and Salina celebrate with Salina handing him the money to end the show.

Overall Rating: A-. That’s pretty easily the best show they’ve had yet with two very good matches and a big moment to end the show. I still want to see where they go with Battle Riot, which really does seem to be getting a ton of focus. It was mentioned more here, but I don’t remember more than one or two wrestlers talking about the show. They had a very good TV show to build some momentum though and that’s a great sign. Solid show tonight and things are looking up.

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/2018/07/23/new-book-kbs-complete-2003-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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

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