wrestling / TV Reports
Jeremy’s MLW Underground Review 4.18.23
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 we we enter the War Chamber! Alex Hammerstone and the Second Gear Crew will take on The Calling inside the structure, which should be a lot of fun. Without further ado, let’s just hop right in.
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 look back at The Calling’s various attacks and calling cards from when they were a mysterious unknown group. The montage moves on to Mads Krugger’s being written off and then the reveal of Raven as the head of the group, plus Mance Warner getting involved and the group giving Alex Hammerstone the octopus. This all of course eventually leads to the attack on Hammerstone and the set up for the War Chamber match, with SGC joining Hammerstone.
This Is Our Violent Solution! (AKA Title Sequence!)
* Joe Jim Brown and Matt Striker hype the show as the War Chamber is set up. They also hype next week’s Battle RIOT V.
* Sam Laterna is with Davey Boy Smith to pull his Battle RIOT number. He picks a ball and looks at it, then says it doesn’t matter what number he chose because he’s in it to win it and will be victorious.
* We get a recap from last week when Davey Boy beat Alex Kane in the No Ropes Catch Wrestling match. The Opera Cup has been returned and the 2023 Opera Cup returns this summer with Alex Kane banned from qualifying.
* The rules for War Chamber are laid out; a coin toss determines which team enters first and we have a one-on-one for five minutes before team members enter, one per alternating team, every two minutes. After everyone is in, the victory is possible by submission, surrender, or pinfall.
War Chamber
Alex Hammerstone and Second Gear Crew vs. The Calling
First out is The Calling’s Rickey Shane Page, followed by 1 Called Manders. Manders charges in and they begin to brawl, with Page laying into Manders. Manders reverses a throw into the cage, kicks his chaps off and nails Page with it before choking him. Chops from Manders in the corner, and he lies in wait — splash into the corner, followed by a suplex. But RSP blocks it and kicks Manders, then release suplexes him.
RSP whips Manders with the chaps and tosses them out of the ring, then grabs the wrench to fishhook Manders. Euro uppercut by Page, he goes for a chokeslam but Manders blocks it and lays in strikes. Kneelift by RSP, whip reversed by Manders who hits a spinebuster. Manders has the wrench and fishhooks Page! He lays the wrench into RSP’s cut and then chokes him with it.
Page gets free and lays in an elbow, then throws Manders to the cage but Manders reverses again and stomps on a downed Page. RSP picked up and Manders tries a bodyslam with no luck. Double axehandle to the back and then a chop in the corner, Manders reverses and hits one of his own. Into the ropes for a back elbow from Manders, who then grinds Page against the cage wall. Manders grabs the wrench again to Glasgow Smile Page with it as we go to break.
Back from break and The Calling send in AKIRA for entrant #2. He slaps at Manders and goes for a German suplex, Page kicks Manders in the head and AKIRA then hits the German. Page with a choke to Manders against the bottom rope, kick to the head by AKIRA after. Manders slaps AKIRA in the chest but Page and AKIRA take him down and AKIRA with kicks followed by an elbowdrop from RSP.
They pick Manders up and throw him into the cage, followed by an arm scissors to trap Manders as Page stomps his chest. And it’s time, so here comes Matthew Justice as #2 for his team! He comes out with a chair and throws it into RSP’s head as he enters the cage, then swings from the top of the door to kick AKIRA. Chair to the head of AKIRA, then to the head of Page. Splashes to both in opposed corners and then charging chairs to the head.
Manders is up now and he and Justice slap each other, then Manders picks up Justice for a bodyslam onto AKIRA in the corner. Same to Page! Justice with a chair shot to RSP and then to AKIRA, Manders grabs a chair and chokes AKIRA with it as Justice lays into AKIRA. They trade off to beat on their opponents, and the time has counted down.
Delirious is entrant #3 for The Calling! He makes his way slowly to the ring, dodges a chair strike by Justice and then gets caught by Manders. He gets free and bites Manders’ hand! Whip reversed into the corner, Justice charges in and gets drop-toe held into the bottom turnbuckle. Manders picks Delirious up but Page pulls him down and the three Calling members take out Manders.
Delirious kicks at Justice as Manders is whipped into the corner and Delirious with a Panic Attack to Manders, and one to Justice. A chair is set in the corner and Page throws Justice headfirst into it. Delirious holds Justice there and works him over as Manders is thrown headfirst into another chair in the corner.
ALEX HAMMERSTONE is here! The champ is entrance #3 for his team and he steps into the ring. He catches Page in a belly-to-belly, kick to Delirious, German suplex to AKIRA, buckle bomb to Delirious onto RSP and then Hammerstone picks up Delirious for a powerbomb onto AKIRA! Hammerstone sets Page in the corner and chops him, then whips Justice and Manders into splashes on RSP. Hammerstone charges in for a knee to Page, then Hammerstone double-whips Manders and Justice into Page!
Hammerstone stomps at AKIRA as Manders brawls with Page and Justice works over Delirious. Hammerstone works AKIRA over with a chair, then lets Manders take it to him. RSP brawls with the champion, Manders chops AKIRA in the corner and the next man is coming.
The Calling’s final entrant is Dr. Cornwallis. He clotheslines Manders and Justice, then grabs Hammerstone and sends him into the ropes — spinning heel kick. Cornwallis works over Manders in the corner as AKIRA nails Hammerstone with the wrench in the cut. He chokes the champ as RSP drives the chair into Hammerstone’s cut. Delirious and AKIRA now working Hammerstone and stomping him down in the corner as RSP jams a fork into Justice’s head.
Mance Warner is out as the final member of Team Babyface! He comes down with a chair and slams the door in Cornwallis’ head, then enters with the chair and ducks a shot by Page, slamming AKIRA. He nails punches RSP’s chair into his face, bits Delirious’ foot and knocks him down. Manders is up as we go to break.
Big brawl with most involved starts as we come back from break. Mance with a shot in to Page in the corner, Hammerstone fights off Cornwallis but is still down. Delirious and AKIRA set Justice and Mance in opposite corners and climb — but Mance is fighting back, as is Justice. Mande grabs the barbed wire off the top as Justice grabs a chair and Mancer does too. Double shots to Delirious’ gut, then a chair toast by the SGC and chairs thrown into the Calling.
Hammerstone is hurt and has been pulled out of the ring and helped to the back, as the SGC throw chairs in succession at Cornwallis. Mance with a chair shot to Cornwallis, Mance pulls more barbed wire down as Delirious is thrown into RSP. Mance keeps yanking the barbed wire off but can’t get any of it, so he gets a chair and comes off the rope with a shot to the head to AKIRA, who was on Mancer’s shoulders! Mancer covers, but AKIRA kicks out at two.
Cornwallis is up now and chops both Mancer and Justice down. He pulls Manders up but Manders with the suplex, and a lariat to Delirious. AKIRA catches Manders with a kick and half and half suplexes him. Mance up and lays in the jabs to AKIRA, he winds up multiple times and decks AKIRA, then throws a chair that he catches before hitting the knee into the chair.
A bloodied RSP hits Mance with a spinning elbow but Justice is up and lays into Page with a chair. He swings again but RSP ducks it and hits a kick to the head. And now The Calling’s goons are called to the ring, grabbing a table and bringing it toward the door as The Calling lay into the SGC.
Back from break and the chair has been brought into the ring. Page sets it up as Mance fights with Cornwallis. Delirious is thrown into the corner by Manders and RSP gets a chair thrown into his face from a position up top. gets fought off but another chair is laid in. Mancers and Mancer set up two chairs on the table and Mance goes up top — SUPERPLEX through the chairs and table!
Everyone is down now as the remnants of the chair is taken out of the ring. Mance covers Page but Delirious breaks it up with Shadows Over Hell. Delirious covers but Justice flies off the top to break it up. Justice covers and AKIRA with a knee, he huts a German to Justice and RSP grabs Justice for a DDT, cover for three.
Winner: The Calling (27:30)
Rating: *** 1/4
Thoughts: If you like this kind of thing, this match was for you. It’s not my absolute favorite but I can appreciate the strength of a good trainwreck, which was what we had here. The Calling picking up the win was needed to help establish them, and Hammerstone being taken out due to injury serendipitously worked in the match story’s favor by giving the SGC a bit of protection in the loss.
Afterward, The Calling celebrates on the ramp with Raven.
* Matt Striker says The Calling have cemented themselves and question what happens to the title picture from here.
* We get a montage of Taya Valkyrie’s Women’s Featherweight Title reign, and Delmi Exo being denied a title shot. We then go to Delmi who says Taya has been testing new waters and has a foot out the door. She says she’s coming for the title and it’s time for the God Queen to Reign.
* The MLW media team tried to ask Taya about Delmi in the parking lot and Sam Adonis said they are allowing no questions.
* An ambulance arrives at the arena as we go to break.
* Back from break and Sam Laterna has an update on Hammerstone from Court Bauer. Court says that Hammerstone is in a lot of pain and the docs are checking on him. He’s going to the hospital and they’ll take it day by day. Sam asks about an interim title and Court says he doesn’t like that and they’ll see how it goes.
Laterna asks if a new champion could be vacated, and Alex Kane walks in and says that it sounds like Bauer needs to crown the Uncrowned King. Davey Boy walks up and says he choked Kane out and knocked him out. Kane attacks and they brawl as things get chaotic backstage as the rest of the roster gets involved.
Next Week:
– MLW Battle RIOT V
And with that, we’re done for the night!
