wrestling / TV Reports
Jeremy’s MLW Underground Review 3.28.23
Image Credit: MLW
Loading...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 start off with a montage recap of Hammerstone vs. Fatu from last week, which saw Hammerstone retain the World Title before being attacked by The Calling.
This Is Our Violent Solution! (AKA Title Sequence!)
* Mister Saint Laurent starts off in the ring, saying he’s excited to be back in Philly. MSL says tonight is the night of the Mega Micro-Fight as Real1 takes on Microman, and everybody knows Real1 outweighs Microman by 158 pounds and is 38″ taller, so he calls for people to show their appreciation for Microman, who heads to the ring.
* We also get a bit from Mance Warner earlier today from the pay window, talking about how he’s enjoying his pay bonus and will beat down Real1 later. Microman walks up and Mance says he wants a cold one. He hands it over and they toast, and Mance gives Micorman a kendo stick, christening him extreme as hell.
Real1 does his usual shtick before the match and says rumor has it Microman’s been running his mouth, but he can’t run his feet, the little Ewok. He’s Smacktalker Skywalker, and says that you can’t teach what he is. He says he’s gonna put the hurts on Microman like an Eagles jersey, saying they suck for the extra heat. He says he’s gonna take Microman to new heights and hold him up for the world to see like Simba that he’s a piece of crap. He then takes shots on MSL, saying he should have saved money by shipping Microman with a couple stamps. He says Microman’s not gonna do anything about it, he’s the damn man, and this is going to be nothing SHORT of a stretcher job, and Microman will in an incubator at the Saint Jude Medical Hospital. There’s only one word to describe Microman: D.W.A.R.F.
Microman vs. Real1
Real1 with a dropkick to start the match. He exits the ring and grabs MSL, snagging his chair and teasing hitting him with it. He jaws at MSL and sets the chair in the ring as we go to break.
Back from break and Real1 has a mic again, calling MSL an overweight vegan and telling him to hold the mic. Real1 grabs Microman and picks him up, doing a Lion King riff but getting kicked by Microman. Microman dodges an attack, then ducks and trips Real1 face-first into the set-up chair. The ref checks in Real1 and Mance slides the kendo stick in the ring. Mance distracts the ref, and Micorman hits Real1 with it. He rolls Enzo over and covers for three.
Winner: Microman (3:17)
Rating: N/A
Thoughts: This wasn’t a match as much as it was an angle, there were only a couple moves. If you don’t mind Real1’s thing it was entertaining enough; even if you don’t though, it was kept short enough that it didn’t grate too badly.
Mance and Microman celebrate after the match as Real1 is stretchered out.
* Alex Hammerstone is coming to the ring. He stops at the stage and says to cut the music, calling out AKIRA and Raven for sending goons to attack him last week and turned what should have been one of his proudest moments a moment where he was left laying. He doesn’t know if they think he’s an easy target or the good guy, but he’s going to show them that there’s evil in his hands and this was the wrong game to play. Attacking him was the stupidest thing they could have done, because it doesn’t send him running scared; it makes him want to fight. He wants them in War Chamber where there’s nothing to hide and no games; just WAR.
* We get a video package detailing the history of the Opera Cup, from the days of Stu Hart to Davey Boy Smith Jr. winning it in MLW. We then see Alex Kane winning it and a brief look at Kane and Smith feuding over it.
* Davey Boy is backstage warming up with a Billington and says that when he steps in the ring with Alex Kane, Kane’s going to feel like he’s riding the wall of death. When he’s done with Kane, he won’t know what day or year it is, and he’s going to break Kane in two. And after he’s done, Kane can retire to the nice fantasy Suplex Island and not worry about training or walking down the beach, because he won’t be walking.
* A new video by The Calling shows off their tools: sickles for crops, chains to bind, nails to build. AKIRA says he’s lived his life with honor, and it’s a burden because now he sees a sickle can cut, a chain can choke, and nails can crucify. Trust in Raven.
AKIRA vs. Mike Law
Law charges at AKIRA, who nails him in the head with the sickle before the bell. Knees to the chest and we go to break.
AKIRAis choking Law against the ropes when we’re back and sticks the sickle in Law’s mouth. off the ropes for a knee across Law’s back, inverted facelock slam (the Death Penalty) for three and that’s it.
Winner: AKIRA (2:23)
Rating: N/A
Thoughts: RIP Mike Law.
AKIRA leaves a card in Law’s mouth after the match.
* We get a hype promo for MLW Battle RIOT V.
* Bomaye Fight Club is backstage and Kane says 2023 is the year of of the Suplex Assassin, the year of Alex Kane. He’s knocking everyone out, choking everyone out and dropping them on their heads. And he’s gonna put DBS’ ashes in the Opera Cup, after which the World Title is coming to him.
* We get a reminder of Cesar Duran’s abduction, and Taya is backstage with John Hennigan. She wanted the Sarah McLachlan song but the rates were too high, so she instead films an spot with sad music asking for the return of their leader who is missing. If fans have any information about his whereabouts, call 1-900-LUCHA. She promises a reward with pesos — lots of them ($1,000,000,000,000 to be specific).
* A vignette on Lio Rush is next, highlighting his trip to Japan. He returns to MLW Underground next week.
* 1 Called Manders is in a cornfield and talks about how he’s been carving his name in the pro wrestling scene. He says he’s asked what makes a cowbody and it’s not the hat, rope or boots; it’s the grit, being too stubborn to quit, and the free spirit that runs through his veins, which is what he brings. He doesn’t care who it is, how big or small you are. it could be 1-on-1, 2-on-1, 5-on-1, 10-on-1, 100-on-1, he’ll fight you. He’s looking to add some gold to his belt buckle.
Next Week:
– Rickey Shane Page vs. 1 Called Manders
* Backstage during the intros for the main event, The Calling attack EJ Nduka and leave him lying.
Alex Kane vs. Davey Boy Smith, Jr.
Davey and Kane stare off and start jockeying for position a bit, locking hands and going into a lockup. Davey Boy backed into the ropes and Kane pie-faces him on the break. They lock up again, Davey Boy with a headlock and takes Kane down. Kane with a headscissors to escape and they’re both up; Davey Boy offers the hand and then pulls back. Kane with a kick to the knee, and front facelock into a suplex, but Davey Boy blocks it and hits one of his own instead.
Davey Boy charges in but Kane pulls the ropes down and Smith to the outside. Kane dives onto Smith through the ropes. He sends Smith into the guardrail and then brings him across the ringside area to do it on the other side. German suplex by Kane onto the ring mats! Smith rolls back into the ring but left on the apron, Kane up on the apron and hits a splash onto Smith.
Kane back in now and looms over Smith, he grabs him and knocks him down with a quick jab. T-Bone Suplex from Kane, he mocks Smith who fires back with a headbutt to the gut but Kane kicks him in the head. Another T-Bone from Kane and a cover for two.
Kane slams Smith headfirst into the turnbuckle after a couple of shots to the head, but Smith is fired up. Kane with knees and heads to the turnbuckle but Smith isn’t having it and goes forehead to forehead with Kane, but Kane fires back with a punch and nails a German suplex. But Smith is right back up and hits a release German of his own! Kane with a German, followed by Smith with one, and Kane with another! Both men are woozy but Smith hits one more as we go to break!
Both men up when we come back and Kane with a forearm to the face. Smith fires back and we’re trading blows in the center of the ring. Back and forth Euro uppercuts and then knee lifts, Kane into the ropes for a powerslam from Smith for two.
Neckbreaker by Smith, he’s back up and hits a legdrop on Kane and then a second one. Smith signals that he’s going to end it and goes up top, legdrop off the top and a cover for two. He grabs Kane but Kane with a jawbreaker and a leaping Downward Spiral. Kane goes to the second rope but Smith kips up and hits a bulldog powerslam! Smith goes for the shaprshooter but Mr. Thomas is on the apron. Smith nails him, Myron Reed hands Kane something and sprays Smith in the eyes with it. Mark of Kane and that’s it.
Winner: Alex Kane (10:43)
Rating: ** 3/4
Thoughts: Not a bad match at all. It wasn’t super fast-paced, but it had some decent psychology to it and they had some fun segments like the trading Herman suplexes bit. Perfectly fine main event.
The BFC celebrate with the Opera Cup as they exit and Smith flushes his eyes with water. Sam Laterna asks Alex Kane about what the liquid was, and Kane doesn’t know what she’s talking about. He just hit Smith with one of 100 suplexes and it was 1-2-3. Sam presses the question and Kane says it’s Bomaye Juice.
* Mance and the SGC are drinking beers in a kitchen and Alex Hammerstone comes in. He’s offered a beer and a protein shake but passes. Mance says he was talking about violence and hurting people, and Hammerstone says he’s been thinking about that too. Mance says he knows Hammerstone put out a challenge for War Chamber, and Mance and SGC make their pitch. Hammerstone says they’ve got some ideas turning in his head, and it looks like they have their War Chamber crew.
And with that, we’re done for the night!
