wrestling / Columns

Csonka’s MLW Saturday Night Superfight Preview

November 2, 2019 | Posted by Larry Csonka
MLW Saturday Night Superfight Image Credit: MLW

WELCOME back to column time with Larry! Today, I am going to discuss and preview the MLW Saturday Night Superfight event. The show will feature Heavyweight Champion Jacob Fatu vs. LA PARK, Middleweight Champion Teddy Hart vs. Austin Aries, and more. I expect MLW to put on a good effort and make a lot of moves in their PPV debut, which the have built well to. So today I will breakdown and preview the event. Feel free to make your picks in the comment section. Thanks for reading! It’s wrestling, we love it and will disagree. The only rules are “have a take, be respectful, and don’t be a dick.”

 photo mlw pre_zpsrnmfsdxt.jpg

PRE SHOW: CONTRA (Gotch & Kwon) vs. Douglas James & Dominic Garrini vs. the Spirit Squad: This one is a bit of an odd one on first look. Gotch & Kwon look like they will be the “regular” CONTRA tag team going forward with Samael looking to be more of a mouthpiece for Fatu, which I love. Douglas James & Dominic Garrini are tagging together in MLW for the first time, with both working the shooter style gimmick. The Spirit Squad… are hopefully here to eat a pin. They are fine but not a team I need to see regularly in 2019. CONTRA is a heavily pushed MLW stable, and I see the Von Erichs winning the tag titles on the PPV and likely feuding with CONTRA moving forward, so they pick up the win here. WINNER: CONTRA

 photo mlw pre2_zpsky7n6c5h.jpg

PRE SHOW: Zenshi vs. Hijo de LA Park: Zenshi is a fun, flippity babyface, who has a lot of potential, but isn’t the cleanest worker just yet. Hijo de LA Park is part of Salina de la Renta’s Promociones Dorado group and they are a heavily pushed act in MLW. This will probably be a fun little lucha sprint, which Park should win. WINNER: Hijo de LA Park

 photo mlw pre3_zpsqkqpfdj2.jpg

PRE SHOW: Savio Vega vs. Leo Brien: This one is a bit hard to call. They brought Savio Vega in to be more of a player/coach and or producer for the company, but he has been wrestling. Vega has name value to a degree, but how much at this point as he wasn’t a major US star, so when does he start winning if at all and over who? The problem is that while he has some name value, he hasn’t won a match yet. Leo Brien has recently debuted as a singles as the Dirty Blondes tag team is done, and looked good in his re-debut as a single. Vega needs to eventually win to get some credibility but it shouldn’t be against Leo Brien, who is just starting his venture as a singles wrestler. WINNER: Leo Brien

 photo MLW pre3_zpsfba9vjyg.jpg

PRE SHOW: Gino Medina vs. Air Wolf: Gino Medina is making his MLW debut here, and they have been hyping him up big time. Air Wolf has been a really fun undercard babyface that has gotten over with the MLW crowds. I guess Medina will be pushed as a heel, so having him go over Wolf here would be a fine start. WINNER: Gino Medina

 photo MLW Injustive_zps7qga4lnb.png

Injustice (Brazil, Oliver, & Reed) vs. Gringo Loco, Septimo Dragon, and Puma King: Injustice vs. Gringo Loco and friends has been going on for a few months, and has delivered fun matches outside of the scary match where Brazil got knocked out. The feud has basically been MLW’s non-union equivalent of the Shield vs. Daniel Bryan and friends. Injustice have come together as a group of young, angry kids that feel MLW management and the world at large is against them. They’re shitty little douche bag heels. MLW loves them some Gringo Loco, who has become the unofficial leader of the undercard faces. Septimo Dragon and Puma King are fun and will play well with the Chicago crowd who love their luchadores. MLW LOVES Gringo Loco, but his team isn’t exactly a unified force and seem really invested in Injustice as a unit, so I can see them winning in what will likely be the opening match. WINNER: Injustice

 photo ki pillman_zpsqwk3ol6z.jpg

Low Ki vs. Brian Pillman Jr.: there isn’t a really deep story here, Low Ki tried to offer Pillman some advice, which Pillman reused and then mocked Ki about it. Ki didn’t appreciate this disrespect, which sets up the match here. Ki is a former MLW world champion and way higher up on the pecking order than Pillman. The book on Pillman is that he’s young, works hard and has improved overall, but constantly loses in all of his big matches. So the story eventually will be Pillman picking up his first major singles win, but the question is, will it be here and will it be against Ki? MLW has invested in bringing Pillman along, and you can make the argument to do it here and on their first PPV. But they also have middleweight title picture plans for Ki, and matches with either Hart or Aries as champion are pretty tempting. I think that they should go with Pillman here, but sometimes Ki doesn’t always do what’s best for business, even if he’s been on good behavior during his MLW run. I think that Ki will end up winning here even if he shouldn’t. WINNER: Low Ki

 photo thatchertom_zpszehaqal7.jpeg

Timothy Thatcher vs. Tom Lawlor: Since MLW hit TV, Lawlor has been one of the heavily pushed top stars for MLW. He won battle Riot beat Low Ki for the championship and then had a solid run with the belt before losing to Jacob Fatu. Thatcher is a polarizing performer, there are times where he comes off as a completely brilliant performer. And then other times, he really locks into his style regardless of crowd reaction, making it difficult to really engage in his matches. He arrived in MLW and called out all of the “so-called” fighters, specifically naming Lawlor, leading us to this match. The good news is that stylistically this is a great match up with a lot of potential. I think that the winner of this match will be really interesting, a win for Thatcher likely means big things for him and could add fuel to the speculation that Lawlor isn’t long for MLW. A Lawlor win likely means he’s sticking around and will remain a player near the top of the card in MLW. I wouldn’t be shocked if Thatcher won here, but I’ll go with Lawlor. WINNER: Tom Lawlor

 photo mlw ladder_zpshxhhfspi.jpg

STAIRWAY TO HELL MATCH: Mance Warner vs. Jimmy Havoc vs. Bestia 666:This feud started when Warner stole LA PARK’s golden ticket (which he earned for winning Battle Riot, guaranteeing him an MLW championship match). This angered Salina de la Renta, who sent her Promociones Dorado soldiers after Warner. They eventually got it back, but issues between Warner and Jimmy Havoc boiled over. This led to a bunkhouse match, which Warner won. But Havoc was a sore loser, and attacked Warner with barbed wire after the match. Warner missed time due to a collapsed lung, but will be back for this show, challenging Havoc to a Stairway to Hell match. This is a ladder match with barbed wire suspended above the ring. Warner is great in the hardcore environment and this is the perfect kind of math to use Havoc in, as he’s generally shit as a traditional pro wrestler but thrives when it comes to abusing his own body and the body of someone else. This has all the makings of a wild, chaotic, and bloody brawl and depending on how much you enjoy those things, your mileage may vary. BUT WAIT, MLW announced on Wednesday that following Jimmy Havoc’s vicious assault on the legendary Damian 666 on FUSION, Damian’s son, Bestia 666, has been added to the match as he looks for revenge on Havoc. This certainly changes things up and makes it an even more insane match. The question is will Mance & Havoc take each other out, allowing Besria 666 to win or will Havoc & Bestia 666 be too concerned with each other and that lead to Mance winning. It’s really hard to tell, but I’ll go with my heart here, BECAUSE ANYONE THAT COMES OUT OF A BOX IS OVER! WINNER: Old Mancer

 photo MLW Tag_zps9niwteqh.jpg

MLW Tag Team Title Tornado Tag Match: Champions The Dynasty (MJF & Richard Holiday) vs. Ross & Marshall Von Erich:Following a long and entertaining feud with the Hart Foundation, The Dynasty finally won the tag team titles and have been the smuggest assholes on the planet ever since. The Von Erich boys arrived and aligned with Tom Lawlor, battling CONTRA and winning the War Chamber match. In many ways, the Von Erich boys are a story of unrealized potential. They have been working for 7 years, and while there was WWE interest, never signed but worked a lot of NOAH, did some TNA appearances, and have landed in MLW. They have never wowed me, but have done well in MLW so far. They are undefeated, have been largely protected and may have finally found a place to succeed. MLW is really high on these two, and I feel that the get strapped up here as a rematch with the Dynasty and revisiting of the CONTRA feud will follow. WINNER: Ross & Marshall Von Erich

 photo EGczA_oWsAA0rpl_zpsby4uyu5g.jpg

Openweight Champion Alexander Hammerstone vs. Davey Boy Smith Jr: Hammerstone is the first ever MLW Openweight champion, defeating Brian Pillman Jr in a tournament final to claim the championship. He’s been a good champion so far and as part of the Dynasty, a featured act with a ton of potential and one that is still getting better. The Dynasty have been linked with and feuding with the Hart Foundation, seemingly forever in a really enjoyable feud. The build to this match has been about more than just the championship, as it’s been heavily implied on TV that Hammerstone is fucking Smith’s sister, thusly making it personal. Smith has really shined at times as a singles performer in MLW and has been a guy desperate to prove himself in that regard. I think that it may be a rough night for the Dynasty and think Smith takes the title here in a division he could really thrive in.. WINNER: Davey Boy Smith Jr

 photo EGiL-tIXUAYdI_h_zpsupln17pi.jpg

Middleweight Champion Teddy Hart vs. Austin Aries: Teddy Hart’s wrestling career has largely been defined by being wrestling’s problem child. Shots with ROH, WWE, TNA and many other places ruined by attitude issues and later in life, legal issues. Don’t get me wrong, he’s always been talented, but his issues have outweighed that aspect of his career. And then there is Austin Aries, a man who is extremely talented, but is unfortunately more well known for being a problematic asshole for the promotions he worked for. He had a career resurgence in TNA and later returned with Impact and was doing great. He won the championship and when he finally lost it, reportedly “no sold the finish and went into business for himself.” Impact played it off and many thought that he would return but he never did. Hart has been a model employee for MLW so far and delivered in the ring, and so far. Aries has done well. Court Bauer in the asshole whisperer, seemingly being able to keep Hart, Aries, Ki, & LA PARK under control and happy. I have greatly enjoyed Hart in MLW, and when Aries is on he can still go. He arrived in MLW and immediately made it known that he wanted Hart’s title. He also cost the Hart Foundation the tag team championships when he brainbustered Hart on the apron during a title match. The issue is now personal, which should add some good heat to the match. As I mentioned in my opening, I see a lot of changes on this PPV and think Aries takes the championship here. WINNER: Austin Aries

 photo fatupark_zps8vyfxy0d.jpg

No DQ MLW Title Match: Champion Jacob Fatu vs. LA PARK: And now we come to the main event of the evening. Tom Lawlor had won battle Riot, beat Low Ki for the championship and then had a solid run with the belt before losing to Jacob Fatu. PARK earned a golden ticket for winning the second Battle Riot, guaranteeing him an MLW championship match, which he is cashing in here tonight and hoping to repeat history and make Battle Riot winners 2 for 2 in challenges. Many are wondering why 50 plus year old PARK is the challenger here. Well, PARK is a legend, he can still go when he wants to, and in 2018 proved that he was still a draw, look at some of the gates he drew in Mexico, and in 2019, has been a draw for MLW, especially his big Hispanic markets like Chicago. I will freely admit that PARK has been hit or miss in the ring throughout 2019; he works hard when he wants and when he doesn’t, gets by on name value and charisma. But much like Teddy Hart, Court Bauer seems to get him to work when he wants him to, and I feel in many ways looks to his as his version of “Terry Funk in ECW.” He’s a legend that has name value, and again, has been a draw. Jacob Fatu had been garnering tons of positive reviews prior to his MLW signing, with rumors of interest from WWE and other promotions. He took MLW by storm and won the championship from Tom Lawlor with CONTRA at his side. The no DQ stipulation should play well to the strengths of PARK, but will also allow for CONTRA & Promociones Dorado to likely get heavily involved, which may take away from the match, but hopefully I am wrong. PARK is a legend and a draw, and I can see the appeal of strapping him up, but Fatu is a young up and comer who is constantly improving, has unlimited potential and feels like the kind of talent that they should be building around. It likely won’t be easy, but I have Fatu retaining here. WINNER: Jacob Fatu

JOIN 411 TONIGHT AT 8PM FOR OUR LIVE COVERAGE OF THE SHOW

 photo The411onWrestling-KHC15_1A_zps84kblpqb.jpg

The 411 on Wrestling Podcast returns to the 411 Podcasting Network for episode 63. On the show, 411’s Larry Csonka & Jeremy Lambert break down week five of the Wednesday Night Wars between NXT & AEW, and preview MLW Superfight. The show is approximately 96-minutes long.

* Intro
* AEW Dynamite (10.30.19) Review: 2:45
* NXT (10.30.19) Review: 34:45
* The Comparison/Who Won Week Five: 54:45
* MLW Superfight PPV Preview: 1:02:45

* iTunes
* Spotify
* Stitcher
* Google Play

– End scene.

– Thanks for reading.