wrestling / TV Reports
Winfree’s MLW Underground (Episode 17) Review
Image Credit: MLW
Loading...Hello everyone and welcome to episode 17 of MLW’s re-airing of Underground. I’m Robert Winfree and I’m checking in to let you know just how bad these shows are. Tonight Mike Awesome gets a rematch with Steve Corino for the MLW world title, like all Corino matches I expect it to be horribly uninteresting.
We open with a Corino promo, so you know, it’s one of those episodes. Corino mentions Awesome being champion for all of 10 minutes before Corino beat him. He says that no matter the physical difference Corino is a smarter wrestler than Awesome, and that Awesome can’t beat him no matter how many weights he lifts and tonight is Awesome’s last shot at the title. That sends us to the usual intro.
Joey Styles welcomes us to the broadcast and runs down the card. He then sends us to the ring for singles action.
Match #1: CW Anderson vs. Dr. Death Steve Williams
Williams has to win this to potentially set up a tag title match for himself and Sandman, Sandman has to beat Diamond next week as well for that to happen. Anderson jumps on Williams as he’s getting into the ring. Williams with rights to stifle the offense of Anderson. Anderson heads out to regain himself. Williams with a dive onto Anderson and resumes beating him around the ringside area. A table is set up and Anderson is tossed into it but it was at an odd angle and didn’t break. Anderson takes over and tosses Williams into the table, but again it wont break all the legs are broken though. They brawl around the ringside area for a bit and we get a break.
Back from break and in the ring. Williams runs into a superkick but Anderson can’t pin him. Anderson gets caught in a modified stampede slam but the ref took a bump so all Williams gets is a visual win but nothing official. Diamond in, lands a superkick and drags Anderson over Williams but that still just gets 2. Sandman chases Diamond out of the ringside area. Anderson gets a sleeper hold but Williams counters with a backdrop driver and we’re done.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Dr. Death Steve Williams pinned CW Anderson at about 5 minutes shown
Rating: 2 stars
Generic match was generic. 2 might even be slightly generous.
Back to Styles who reminds us this means next week Sandman and Simon Diamond will wrestle to let Williams and Sandman have a shot at the tag team titles. Up next Da Hit Squad will make their debuts in MLW. That leads to a promo from them, they’re glad to have left Brooklyn behind and be in Florida to show everyone they’re the toughest. It doesn’t get tougher than these two. They put over the Samoans as inspirations to them, but they’re here to take their spot. Doesn’t matter what style, or what location, they’re coming to show the Samoans a glimpse of what they used to be. This promo keeps rambling, needed some editing.
Styles again, who runs down Terry Funks recent encounter with Abdullah the Butcher but they can’t show it due to the violence. The EXTREME Horsemen have found someone else now that Abdullah has failed, they will bring Jerry Lawler to wrestle Funk at an upcoming event. Also at that event Raven will battle CM Punk in a Straight Edge Rules match, Styles recaps the issues between Punk and Raven that are continuing to build.
That cuts to Punk behind a bar. He welcomes us to a happy hour sponsored by the straight edge lifestyle, then toasts to Raven’s recent loss to Punk. All those late nights and parties have helped him lose his edge, all the booze and drugs in the world wont help the old man Raven against him. He says Raven is going to have to play under Punk’s rules, and he’ll find out why Punk is the choice of a new generation and better than him. Punk has such a natural feel for these segments, still rougher in the improved stuff but give him time and something to say and he’ll figure it out.
Back to the ring.
Match #2 – Tag Team Match: Da Hit Squad (Monsta Mack and Dan Maff/Mafia) vs. Samoan Island Tribe (Samu and Ekmo)
Mana is out, for some reason. You might recognize Ekmo as Jamal/Umaga of WWE fame. All four men square off early and the Squad jump the Tribe. Ekmo tries a Samoan drop but Mafia escapes and takes him out. All four men wind up on the outside and we’ve got ringside brawling. Samu and Mack brawl as Ekmo gets a chair and brains Mafia with it. Mack and Samu in the ring now, Samu is getting the better of things. There’s a table set up outside and Ekmo puts himself through it after Mafia moves away from a charge. Samu gets double teamed for a bit. Ekmo back in and superkicks Mack. Mafia tries to suplex Ekmo, that doesn’t go well but Mack recovers and they double suplex Ekmo. Mafia gets a figure four leg lock and Mack gets a frog splash but Samu save the match. Samu takes out Mack as Ekmo catches Mafia with a blackhole slam. Da Hit Squad gets beat down for a bit then the Tribe tosses the ref out of the ring. Samu with a bronco buster to Mafia. Officials come in to call off the brawl.
OFFICIAL RESULT: No Contest (too much ass kicking) at around 5 minutes shown
Rating: 1 star
Honestly it takes a lot to take a wild brawl like this and make it interesting, and I don’t think they did that here.
Da Hit Squad and the Tribe resume brawling as officials try to restore order. That goes on for longer than it should have.
Mike Awesome promo, he calls the world title an afterthought, just a bonus as the last time he was here he took Tanaka out with a powerbomb. He wants to do the same thing to Corino tonight.
Back to Styles to promote an upcoming event and the matches associated with it. That sends us to a Los Maximos promo. Ugh. Jose and Joel talk about complaints in the wrestling business generally and people asking for stuff. Joel talks about the style they bring to wrestling, they were ready to show the world who they are and challenge anyone to come to MLW and fight them. Expect the unexpected again.
Cut to Fonzie and Sabu, Fonzie promises payback for their attack on Sabu.
Back to Styles, who gives us the kayfabe explanation for Whipwreck filling in for La Parka a few weeks back. He mentions Sabu and Christopher Daniels will have a spike match. That sends us to Whipwreck, his rubber ducky, and the Sinister Minister James Mitchell.
Mitchell promises that Daniels will return and take on Sabu. Mitchell believes in an eye for an eye, and he promises that Daniels will get his pound of flesh from Sabu. Whipwreck is talking with a plastic dragon. He falls over and sees a wooden stake. Mitchell tells Sabu that if he wants to play mind games with the Devil he’ll lose.
Styles again, he sends us to the main event.
Match #3 – MLW World Title Match: (c) Steve Corino vs. Mike Awesome
Awesome jumps Corino as soon as Corino gets in the ring. Avalanche attacks from Awesome to down Corino. Corino eats a German suplex and then is sent to the outside. Awesome is in full ass kicker mode as he abuses Corino around the ringside area. Corino back drops Awesome into the crowd, and he takes over the brawling for a bit. Awesome gets sent into the ring post and they get back into the ring. Slingshot shoulder block from Awesome gets a near fall. Awesome resumes beating Corino for a bit. Corino drop kicks the knee to slow down Awesome. Some knee work from Corino now, Awesome with back chops to dissuade him. Corino grounds Awesome then gets a chair. Headshot with the chair, and another one that’s totally unprotected. Not to editorialize too much but that’s hard to watch knowing what happens with Awesome. Cover by Corino but just a 2 count. Corino gets the chair again, and heads up top for a super braining but Awesome intercepts him on the top rope. Awesome hits a superplex and both men are down. Awesome has the chair now, but Corino kicks him in the groin and tries to counter but Awesome gets the chair and brains him a few times. Now Awesome up top, super braining connects. Awesome hits a sitout Awesome bomb, then the top rope splash from all the way across the ring but Corino kicks out at 2.
Despite that setback Awesome gets a table and tosses it into the ring. Another table from the other side of the ring as well. Corino eats a clothesline, and Awesome sets the tables in opposite corners. Corino avoids an Awesome bomb attempt, Awesome accidentally clotheslines the ref and Corino lands a superkick. The ref is down, as Awesome hits a running Awesome bomb through one of the tables. That’s not enough for Awesome, he wants to break the other one with Corino’s body. Corino driven through the other table but there’s still no ref. Cover from Awesome, the ref crawls over for a slow count and Corino kicks out at 2.
Low blow from Corino, then a punch with some kind of foreign object and he’s got a cover for a near fall. Corino’s had enough, he calls the other EXTREME Horsemen and they all start putting the boots to Awesome. Corino gets the chair, but Terry Funk is here. Funk with a trashcan and lays waste to the Horsemen. Funk throws the chair at Corino but Corino ducks and it hits Awesome. Diamond and Anderson occupy Funk, Corino covers Awesome and retains the title.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Steve Corino defeated Mike Awesome at about 9 minutes shown
Rating: 2.5 stars
Typical Corino match, this also really didn’t need Corino kicking out of being driven through multiple tables but I guess your chicken shit heel needs to look strong too? It is certainly edifying to see how much of contemporary wrestling excesses have their roots back this far though.
Post match the EXTREME Horsemen beat down Funk. They wrap tape around Funk’s neck and hang him over the top rope but Dr. Death shows up with Sandman and we end the episode with a bit of a schmoz.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0bMmvvGveo&ab_channel=MLW
