wrestling / TV Reports

Csonka’s MLW Fusion Review 8.10.18

August 11, 2018 | Posted by Larry Csonka
Maxwell MJF Image Credit: MLW
7.5
The 411 Rating
Community Grade
12345678910
Your Grade
Loading...
Csonka’s MLW Fusion Review 8.10.18  

Csonka’s MLW Fusion Review 8.10.18

OFFICIAL RESULTS
– Barrington Hughes defeated Leon Scott @ 0:42 via DQ [NR]
– Sami Callihan defeated Kotto Brazil @ 10:21 via pin [***½]
MLW Middleweight Title Falls Count Anywhere Match: Champion MJF defeated Joey Janela @ 10:15 via pin [**¾]
#1 Contender’s Match: John Hennigan defeated Teddy Hart @ 13:15 via pin [***½]


– Follow all of my reviews at this link.

– Tony Schiavone and Matt Striker (replacing Rich Boccini permanently) are the commentary team.

– We open with a promo, with Kotto Brazil, Shane Strickland challenging Sami& his goons to War Games to settle the score.

Barrington Hughes vs. Leon Scott: Hughes attacks right away, they trade strikes, and Scott fires back with clotheslines. Hughes hits the uranage and big elbow drop but Wolfe runs in for the DQ. Barrington Hughes defeated Leon Scott @ 0:42 via DQ [NR] This was a good angle o keep Hughes undefeated and to further set up the War Games match.

– Post match, Sami and his goons attack Hughes and Sami lays him out with a baseball bat shot. Kotto Brazil makes the save and wants a match with Callihan now. They all brawl, Kotto runs wild with a tope onto the pile until Sami cuts him off with a powerbomb and demands they start the match. It was really nice to see Brazil get promo time; he was fired up and did well.

Sami Callihan vs. Kotto Brazil: Sami dominates and tosses Brazil to the floor, he follows and hits an apron bomb. Back in and Sami connects with head butts. Ground and pound follows by Sami. Sami grounds things, maintaining control. Brazil tries to fire up, but Sami cuts him off but Brazil gets a sunset flip for 2. He follows with a flurry of kicks and then a dropkick. Sami then cuts him off with a wicked looking flatliner. Sami makes the ref count and then attacks with a running kick to the face. Sami follows with strikes, chokes him out in the ropes, and grounds things again. Brazil again fights to his feet, Sami keeps throwing strikes, but Brazil connects with a tornado DDT. Brazil follows with strikes, lay in chops, and follows with a bulldog. Sami then fucking murders him with a sick lariat. Sami now sets up chairs on the floor, and looks to powerbomb Brazil to he floor, but Brazil slips out and hits bicycle kicks. The superkick and code red gets a good near fall. Sami fires back, but Brazil hits dropkicks as they battle up top. He looks for a RANA< but Sami cuts him off and hits the superbomb and then the shoulder breaker for the win. Sami Callihan defeated Kotto Brazil @ 10:21 via pin [***½] This was a very good match and likely Sami’s best MLW TV match. He was on here, no messing around, and Brazil continues to be an absolutely great babyface. This also played well into the start of the show as they start the build to War Games.

– Teddy Hart is interviewed and is with Davey Boy Smith Jr and Brian Pillman Jr. Teddy says that Brian has big shoes to fill, and says since he does not follow the script MLW don’t trust him.

– Kaci Lennox who is with Konnan. She asks him what is going on with him, Pentagon Jr. and Fenix. Konnan says he has known them since they started and he is making sure that no one is taking advantage of them. Low Ki arrives and says that he knows Konnan and he is better than sticking his nose in someone else’s business. Low Ki tells Konnan to mind his own business, but Konnan tells Low Ki to check his contract with Salina.

Champion MJF vs. Joey Janela w/Aria Blake: Janela and v start their match in the back and brawl into the venue. Both men use MJF’s scarf to choke each other out. MJF cuts off a dive and slams Janela off of a table. They continue to brawl into the crowd, and then to ringside where Janela gets posted. Janela quickly battles back, slamming MJF to the floor and then slams him off of some chairs. The superkick follows. MJF uses Blake as a distraction, slams Janela on the apron and they battle into the ring where MJF takes control. The powerbomb follows for 2. MJF grounds things, but Janela fires up and escapes. MJF cuts him off with a knee strike. post break, and Janela lays out MJF on the floor, lays a chair on him and follows with an apron double stomp. They brawl onto the stage and MJF low blows Janela and now looks for a piledriver. Janela escapes with a backdrop and asks Blake for a kiss, but as set up last week, she turns on him and hits him with a bottle, allowing MJF to retain.Champion MJF defeated Joey Janela @ 10:15 via pin [**¾] This was an overall pretty good match, but the real story is the turn, which while predictable after last week, came off well. I hope that this leads to Janela bringing in Penelope Ford to even the odds and continue the feud.

– Post match, MJF makes out with Blake, over a fallen Janela.

– Sami Callihan recruits Jimmy Havoc to his War Games team, selling him on the fact that he can do great violence to others. Sami offers to buy him drinks so that they can talk it over some more.

– Team Filthy is outside and Tom Lawlor wants to know what the smell is and Simon Gotch says it smells like Tennessee and what they did to Robert Parker’s hat (they shit in it). Parker has a challenge for Lawlor and Lawlor says he can come to the gym and challenge them.

– Konnan meets with Fenix and Pentagon Jr about their contracts. Pentagon and Fenix rip up their contracts with Salina and walk away with Konnan.

– Kevin Sullivan meets with Brian Pillman Jr. and Kevin says Teddy Hart is not the type of guy you want to hang out with, because he won’t help him.

John Hennigan vs. Teddy Hart: I was led to believe that Hennigan would be known as Johnny Major in MLW; I am disappointed. They work some good back and forth and into a stand off. Hennigan looks to take control, Hart works some flippity doo counters and they again work into a standoff. Hennigan grounds the action, but Hart escapes and follows with rights. They work to the corner, Hart gets a rolling heel hook, but Hennigan kicks him to the floor. Hennigan looks for a dive, but Hart walks away. Post break, and Hart is in control and covering for 2. Hart now hits an Arabian moonsault to the floor. Hart follows with strikes and continues to control on the floor. Back in and Hart heads up top and hits a spike piledriver, but Hart is slow to follow up. Hart now goes for a moonsault but eats knees. They trade strikes, Hennigan hits a running knee strike and takes Hart up top. He follows him up, and the Spanish fly connects for a good near fall. Hennigan looks for starship pain but Hart rolls him up with the tights for 2. Hennigan hits a snap German and follows with starship pain for 2. Hennigan back up top and misses the elbow, and Hart locks on a bear hug and transitions into a hammerlock DDT. Hart hits a powerbomb into a backstabber, and follows with a springboard senton and covers for 2. Hart looks for a sunset flip, but in a cruel twist of fate, Hennigan hits the bulldog sit-down counter and picks up the win. John Hennigan defeated Teddy Hart @ 13:15 via pin [***½] This was a very good back and forth match, and an overall tremendously fun main event. Hart can be really flaky in his matches, but Hennigan reigned him in and they delivered.

NEXT WEEK: MLW Champion Low Ki vs. John Hennigan, ACH & Rich Swann vs. The New Hart Foundation, & The Stud Stable vs. Team Filthy in a Dojo Challenge.

– End scene.

– Thanks for reading.

 photo fe36ffd0-0da4-4e3b-a2d3-b026b341dd87_zps41ef5d61.jpg
“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia!”

7.5
The final score: review Good
The 411
This week’s episode of MLW Fusion was easily the best MLW show in a long while. The opening portion was extremely strong as they focused on the build to War Games, Blake turned on Janela, we had a lot of good wrestling and set up well for next week. This felt more like what MLW should be.
legend