Jeremy’s MLW Underground Review 3.14.23

Hello, MLW fans! It’s Tuesday night, and you know what that means — time for another episode MLW Underground on Reelz. I’m Jeremy Thomas, and tonight’s episode will see Alex Hammerstone and Jacob Fatu sign the contract for their upcoming MLW World Heavyweight Championship match. In addition, Mance Warner will face Rickey Shane Page in a hardcore match while the Samoan SWAT Team take on Hustle & Power with the latter team’s World Tag Team Titles on the line. Plus plenty of other shenanigans I’m sure — not the least of which is Real1’s threat to sue Mance Warner and MLW over being hit by a car. The matches have a lot of potential, so let’s jump right into it.

As a reminder, the GoFundMe for Larry’s daughters is still active and if you can make a donation, that would be awesome. Thank you so much to everyone who’s done so thus far.

* We’re starting off as Real1 comes out on a wheelchair. He begins his usual opening spiel about how he’s one that everybody knows, etc. He says speaking of ID, everyone knows you can see Microman’s feet in his passport picture. And Mance Warner uses a library card for ID. He doesn’t even know how to read!

Real1 says he doesn’t read either but he always judges a book by its cover and Mance is a Waffle House menu. He says he’s in a wheelchair because Mance hit him with a car, and if snitches get stitches there’s gonna be more stitches in MLW than in MLB because when he gets hit by a car, he’ll call the cops. He says the crap hit the fan and if you mess with him, he’ll call the cops. He starts threatening to call the cops on audience members —

And here comes Mance! The Mancer plays to the crowd and Real1 says not to come near him. Mance says he’s had enough and short & sweet — he’s here to fight and doesn’t care if Enzo’s in a wheelchair.

Suddenly the AO feed cuts in and we see Rickey Shane Page talking about how we know his name, but we don’t know in him. And trust in Raven. The match is on!

Hardcore Match
Mance Warner vs. Rickey Shane Page

Page grabs a spike on his way to the ring but Mance decks him. Real1 is wheeled to a front row seat as Page fights back and hits Mance with a chair. Mance is rolled in and Page throws a chair in, smacking Mance with it. And the bell finally rings!

Page picks up the chair and Mance kicks him, but he still lays in the chair to the gut. Bodyslam with the chair against Mance’s back! Real1 is on commentary as Page slams the chair across Mance’s back. Page grabs Mance, but Mance fires back with shots before being cut off. Page throws the chair right into Warner’s face and he rolls out of the ring.

Page gets a knife from one of the AO goons and cuts the turnbuckle off the corner — then drops the chair over the ropes to the back of Mance’s head! Page rolls Mance in and grinds the chair leg into his head. Mance is fully bloody already. Page tries to send Mance into the corner but Mance blocks it and tries to slam Page’s head in the exposed corner. Page blocks it and gets Mance on his shoulders, dropping him down. Elbow drop misses as Mance moves — he goes for a second and Mance moves again! Mance with chops across the chest and jabs to the jaw. He winds up for the Dusty Elbow, then hits another one off the ropes as we go to break.

We’re back from break as Mance is throwing a ton of chairs in the ring, where Page is down in the corner. He grabs a kendo stick and waffles Page with it, then throws a garbage can recklessly in the ring. Under the ring for a couple of ringboards, sliding them in and climbing into the ring. A ringboard is set up in the corner, Mance tosses the chair into Page’s head and sets up the other ringboard as well. Page gets a shot but Mance ducks a second and hits a neckbreaker on the back of the chair. And a spear through the ringboard for two!

Mance grabs Page for a suplex, but Page blocks it and hits a kick to the head, then suplex tosses Mance into the other ringboard! Delayed cover for two. Page goes for a few chairs and sets them up in the ring. But Mance grabs the ringboard piece and nails Page with it. Chairshot to the back of Rickey! Mance finishes setting up the roads of chairs in the center of the ring, but Page grabs him for a chokehold.

Mance with a front facelock but gets backed in the corner. Page goes up and tries to powerbomb Mance through the chairs, but Mance blocks it. He goes up top — SUPERPLEX through the chairs! He covers — and Page kicks out at 2.5!

Both men on their knees, Mance blocks punches and delivers his own! They’re up to their feet and trading blows, Mance off the ropes with a lariat for two. The AO entities are setting up a table in the corner as Page hits Mance with a back elbow and sends him headfirst into the exposed turnbuckle. The entities setting up another table, Mance grabbed by the throat on the apron — Mance blocks it and DDTs Page through the table!

Mance slowly up and rolls Page into the ring — and Real1 hits Mance with the crutch! Chokeslam through the chair and that’s it.

Winner: Rickey Shane Page (11:04)
Rating: ** 1/2
Thoughts: I mean, if anyone expected this to be anything less than a car crash, I don’t know what to tell you. Mance and Page did some stupidly hardcore things here (but not TOO stupidly hardcore) and you like hardcore matches this probably worked. Honestly, we were all just waiting for the obvious Real1 interference anyway because it was clearly happening.

Page sets an AO business card on Mance and then leaves.

* Taya is on her phone filming Billie Starkz doing a photo shoot and mocking Starks along with John Hennigan and Sam Adonis. They say Billie makes them sick and Taya gets in Billie’s face. Billie says that respectfully, she wants the gold. Is the bullying and these idiots what she’s about? Taya says she knows Starkz is a cute up-and-comer but gold isn’t good for her complexion. Hennigan tells Billie to calm down and they go a bit more before Taya says she’s feeling generous, and Billie will get her chance at the title. Trick or treat, bitch.

* Cesar Duran is out on the ramp and asks who their new favorite promoter of Azteca Lucha is? It’s him and he has news: he’s bringing tonight the new World Middleweight Champion. His name: La Estrella!

MLW World Middleweight Championship Match
Lince Dorado vs. La Estrella

The match starts right after the break, and Lince offers Estrella a handshake. Estrella goes to take it but trips Lince instead. Estrella into the ropes, handspring that dodges a kick, he trips Lince again. Lince catches Estrella and shoots him into the ropes, some acrobatics follow that end with Estrella hitting a handspring rana that sends the champ out to the floor. Estrella off the ropes and he dives through with a twisting tope onto Dorado! Back in and Estrella covers for two.

Snapmare by Estrella and a springboard senton, followedf by a whip across the ropes — but Lince flips out and grabs Estrella for a German suplex. Estrella on the attack but Lince moves, springboard armdrag and a rana off the ropes. Thrust kick by Lince, and a springboard cutter for two.

Lince up and he lies in wait, Estrella runs at him and is set on the apron. Clothesline by Lince, who goes up top — leaping rana to the apron to send Estrella to the outside!

Back in the ring now and they trade forearms, they go into the ropes for double handsprings and an awkward double kick, they fall down with Lince on top for two. They charge at each other, Lince catches Estrella for an armdrag and then a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker — moonsault off the bottom rope, then the middle! And now the top rope — and Estrella gets his feet up under Lince’s jaw! Lince set up in the corner, Estrella with a baseball slide German suplex!

Estrella up top now, Lince is staggering — missile dropkick! Estrella with a PoisonRana! Cover by Estrella, but Lince kicks out just before two. Estrella is going up top again, but Lince is up and slaps him. Lince up top — super hurricanrana! Cover for two, but Duran blatantly pulls Estrella out in front of the ref and acts like he’s innocent, which is hilarious.

The ref is talking to Duran — and Microman is on the apron from the other side! He dives onto the henchman! Microman has the kendo stick and takes aim at Duran as Lince gets on the apron, and gets hit with a kick to the head from Estrella. Estrella on the second rope and goes to suplex Lince — but Lince counters and powerbombs Estrella! Lince up top, shooting star press and that’s it.

Winner: Lince Dorado (8:07)
Rating: ** 3/4
Thoughts: There were some awkward moments in here (that Poison Rana wasn’t great), but all in all this was good old fashioned high-flying fun and I always appreciate that.

* Alex Kane cuts a promo with Mr. Thomas, saying that in two weeks, Davey Boy gets his big money prize fight. Alex points out that they’re on Sky TV in the UK and Davey Boy’s home country will witness a tragedy because the mission is submission, and Kane will throw Davey Boy all around the world.

In Two Weeks:
– Alex Kane vs. Davey Boy Smith Jr.

Next Week:
– MLW Women’s Featherweight Title Match: Taya Valkyrie vs. Billie Starkz
– MLW World Title Match: Hammerstone vs. Fatu

* Court Bauer is on the stage with a table to sign the biggest match in MLW history: Alex Hammerstone vs. Jacob Fatu for the title next week. He introduces Fatu, who comes in and sits down. Hammerstone is next and Fatu stands up as the champion comes in. They stare off and then take a seat.

Court signs the contract, then hands it to Fatu to sign. Hammerstone is next. The match is official — and then an AO video cuts in showing Hammerstone getting the octopus. We’re right back through and Hammerstone says he knows what’s going on. 20 years now, Court has had this weird obsession with Samoans, trying to recreate the past. He says Court doesn’t want him to be champion and wants Fatu to be his golden pony. Hammerstone doesn’t care who his dad, cousin or family is — and of course now it’s a brawl that gets broken up.

* The Anao’i family is here to watch the SST’s match in the main event.

* Cesar Duran is walking with the henchmen, but they put a bag on his head and abduct him. Okay, then.

MLW World Tag Team Championship Match
Hustle & Power vs. Samoan SWAT Team

Hustle & Power attack the SST from behind and the brawl starts on the outside. Tankman is brawling with Juicy, EJ with Lance who gets sent into the ringpost. Juicy chops on Tankman, who fires back with some elbows. They’re trading shots and tables are already in the ring as Lance chops EJ on the other side of the ringside area.

Tankman with a chair to the gut of Juicy, then across his back as Lance is thrown into the guardrail. Tank and Juicy both grab chairs as EJ slides another table in the ring — Tankman sets his chair up and sits down. And so does Juicy! They’re trading sitting shots as EJ bates on Lance on the other side. Juicy and Tankman are clubberin — and EJ comes off the apron with a somersault senton onto Juicy!

Lance in the ring now and dives to the outside onto the champions! he grabs EJH and rolls him in the ring — and NOW the match starts. Lance sets up the table in the corner and lays into Nduka, then hits him with a massive slap to send him sitting on the table. Lance charges in but EJ catches him and spinebuster into the table! Cover for two and we’re on break.

Back from break and Tankman throws Lance in the corner, then charges in but Lance gets the boot up. He dives over Tankman and tags in Juicy! Juicy in hot and chest bumps both men, then splashes EJ in the corner, whips him into Tankman and charges in for a splash on both men. Juicy backs up and charges in EJ escapes the squeeze but Tankman gets nailed. EJ up on Juicy’s shoulders, and he tries to get Tankman up there too but no dice.

The champs beat on Juicy and whip him into the corner – Juicy breaks through and hits a double crossbody! Both champs out of the ring now, and Juicy rips the shirt off — he dives THROUGH the ropes onto the champions! Juicy grabs Tankman and rolls him in, Lance with a splash off the top for a nearfall.

Lance points up — Juicy is going up top! But EJ pushes him off the top rope. Juicy out of the ring, Lance gets nailed by EJ and Tankman pounces him. Whip into EJ’s arms, he picks Lance up for a lifted neckbreaker for almost three, but Lance kicks out. Tankman out of the ring and Juicy throws him into the guardrail. EJ has powder but Lance kicks it into EJ’s face. Superkick, then Juicy picks him up for the Samoan Drop — and the Polynesian Plunge for three! New champs!

Winner: Samoan SWAT Team (5:05)
Rating: ** 3/4
Thoughts: A good, solid brawl for the time we had. Nduka and Tankman losing the titles was written on the wall, and all sides delivered fairly well here.

The Anoa’i family is out to celebrate with the SST. We get a hype video for Hammerstone vs. Fatu next week, and we’re done for the night!

7.0

The final score: review Good

The 411

When MLW Underground stays focused, they deliver a solid show. This was a good example of that. We had a couple of very decent matches and a hardcore match that won't be for everyone, but worked for those who like that kind of thing. The rest was build toward next week's matches and that was carried off effectively. All in all, a pretty enjoyable show for the most part.