wrestling / TV Reports
Winfree’s MLW Azteca (Ep. 1) Review 1.06.22
Image Credit: MLW
Loading...Alright everyone, with Fusion ALPHA in the rear view mirror it’s time for the next MLW mini series: Azteca. The latest offerings were done as part of MLW’s time in Mexico and feature a blend of MLW regulars as well as The Crash Lucha Libre, a Mexico based promotion. Specifically tonight we’ve got Richard Holliday taking on Psycho Clown, trios action, and a main event tag team match when MLW heavyweight champion Alexander Hammerstone and Pagano take on King Muertes and Taurus. This is MLW’s first offering for the new year, so let’s see what they’ve got for us.
Cesar Duran is out first and he welcomes everyone to the best lucha libre in the world. He wants to show the world that this is the best, not that trash gringo stuff aimed at little kids. That leads to our new intro for this series. Back to action here come the wrestlers for our first match.
Match #1 – Trios Match: Aramis, Destiny, and Myzteziz vs. Arez, Black Danger, and Dinamico
Myzteziz and Dinamico are up first, and we get a botch right away on a twisting armdrag. We’re lucha rules here, so touching the ground can constitute a tag. Everyone takes turns with drop kicks and head scissors. Destiny tries a suicide dive but he runs into a chair shot. Danger hits a drop kick and everyone’s out so now the rudos take turns diving culminating with Dinamico doing an absurd twisting flip onto the pile. Arez squares off with Destiny and hits a headbutt then a diving cutter followed by a slingshot DDT. Dinamico and Danger with stereo splashes but Aramis and Myzteziz break up the pin. Stereo dives from Myzteziz and Aramis as Desinty then knocks Arez onto Danger. Things remain chaotic, Destiny gets caught on the top rope by Dinamico but Destiny catches him off the top rope with a cutter. Twisting plancha from Myzteziz as he goes after Arez. Hurricanrana from Destiny, Aramis hits a wheel kick on Danger and they do the usual lucha spots then Aramis flips out of a top rope German. Spanish Fly from Aramis lands, but he runs into a kick from Arez then Dinamico hits a cutter. Danger up top, he hits a 630 and all the rudos get big aerial moves but the stereo pins only get 2.
Everyone starts brawling again, Danger and Destiny fight out of the ring then Destiny dives onto him. In the ring Aramis and Myzteziz hit stereo 450 splashes to Arez and Dinamico but that only gets 2. Arez kicks Aramis as Dinamico dives onto Myzteziz. Arez and Aramis trade insane counters before Aramis hits the Desnucadora del Mosquetero with a boat load of rotations to pin and win.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Aramis, Destiny, and Myzteziz won in 8:00
Rating: 3 stars
Slightly generous 3, this was spotty in places and while I can appreciate stylistic differences in professional wrestling this one got a bit too chaotic for my liking. That said the match didn’t feel as long as it was, which is a credit to the wrestlers.
We get some news that Alex Hammerstone has signed an extension with MLW. A recap of Alex Kane winning the national openweight title and the establishment of the Bomaye Fight Club, plus his growing issue with Calvin Tankman. Next Alicia Atout interviews Kane and Mr. Thomas in the back. Kane doesn’t think he crossed a line by pressing charges against Tankman, and says he’s not afraid of anyone including God and his own mother. Thomas wants to know where Tankman is, Kane answers that he’s out on bail and couldn’t leave the country. Kane promises that when Tankman finally gets his life together his story will end with Tankman choking on a submission as the crowd chants Bomaye.
Next week Alex Kane will defend that national openweight title against Aerostar.
Cesar Duran and Karlee Perez are in his office, talking about a new force that they might not be able to control. Duran wants to know when Perez got squeamish about uncontrollable powers, she tries to relate the parable of the scorpion and the frog but Duran knows not only it, but that both he and Perez are scorpions. King Muertes shows up, Perez and Duran remind him that the old gods require sacrifice and blood. Muertes says Hammerstone and Pagano will be his sacrifices. Perez wont be ringside for that match, she’s got her own undertaking that’s vital. Duran tells Muertes that he’s secured a mythical creature brought to life to be his partner. Muertes promises that when Perez returns both Pagano and Hammerstone will be no more.
Next is a recap of the slightly acrimonious relationship between Hammerstone and Duran now that Hammerstone is world heavyweight champion.
Back to the ring for our next match.
Match #2: Richard Holliday w/ Alicia Atout vs. Psycho Clown
Alicia has joined commentary for the match. Holliday and Clown take turns trying to appeal to the crowd, they definitely are pro Clown. After a bit of that they get to the wrestling with a few tie ups but neither man gets much of an edge. Clown counters an arm wringer with a leg scissors takedown and they wind up standing off. Clown goes for the arm and winds up grabbing a side headlock then shoulder blocking Holliday down. Hip toss from Clown then a discus clothesline sends both men out of the ring. Clown back into the ring then hits a suicide dive. Clown heads back into the ring for another dive, this time Holliday intercepts him with a right hand. Back into the ring and Holliday starts dropping elbows then the ref gives a very slow 2 count. Holliday starts working the arm of Clown and we get a cut.
We come back to Holliday and Clown trading chops, then Clown with a headbutt and a running back kick to the body. They trade clotheslines then Clown hits a snap powerslam for a 2 count. Clown lands a kick but is caught with a knee by Holliday then Holliday hits a draping DDT for a 2 count. La Magistral cradle from Clown only gets a 2 count. Holliday lays in clotheslines in the corner then puts Clown on the top rope. Holliday gets a Torture Rack into a neckbreaker but that still only gets 2. That leads to Holliday heading to the top rope but Cesar Duran’s masked goon shows up and drags Alicia out of commentary. That distraction allows Clown to catch Holliday on the top rope and hits a Spanish Fly off the top for the win.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Psycho Clown on in 10:56 shown
Rating: 2 stars
This didn’t work for me, I can appreciate playing to the crowd as part of working a match but a lot of this felt more like stalling. For whatever reason these two just didn’t quite mesh together in the ring, and this match did not need to be that long.
5150 video promo, they run down beating Los Parks and Injustice but now the Von Erich boys are making noise. They’ve heard the noise the Von Erich’s are making but if they ever bring up Konnan’s name again they’ll beat them all over the arena. Rivera tells them that the reason there’s been a 40 year drought in Dallas is because the Von Erich’s can’t get the wrestling scene wet the way 5150 can. This was just River and Boogie, Rivera did the heavy lifting which was a good choice. I dug this more than their other group promos.
5150 will defend the MLW tag team titles next week. We also get news that Bestia 666 is returning to MLW soon.
The Von Erich boys train in Hawaii and Kevin hypes up Ross and Marshall. Whoever lit this video did a very poor job.
Cesar Duran is talking in the back, Holliday walks up and demands to know where Alicia is. Duran says Alicia is safe in her locker room, and he sent his goon out there to keep her safe from Psycho Clown because that man is capable of anything. The guy Duran was talking with is a Tijuana policeman, police have questions about a night club incident which Holliday denies. Holliday tells Duran he’ll be hearing from not his lawyer slash father, he’ll be dealing with him personally.
Main event time.
Match #3 – Apocalypto Match: Alexander Hammerstone and Pagano vs. King Muertes and Black Taurus
No rules in this one, so we get chaos right away with all four men brawling. Muertes clotheslines Hammerstone out of the ring, then Pagano sends Muertes out of the ring with a knee. Pagano and Taurus square off while Muertes and Hammerstone brawl on the outside. A lot of strikes from Pagano, Taurus turns the tables in the corner with clotheslines and a kick. Muertes starts using a cheese grater on Hammerstone but he replies with chair shots. The camera work here isn’t stellar so I’m missing things as they move back and forth between the pairings. Taurus and Pagano trade strikes again, Hammerstone brains Taurus with a chair as Muertes whacks Pagano with an oil pan. Hammerstone and Muertes square off in the ring now and start trading punches. Hammerstone catches Muertes with an overhead belly to belly suplex then a sick kick for a 1 count. Muertes hits a snap powerslam on Hammerstone and starts laying in rights. Pagano heads to the apron but Muertes is able to slam him into the ring. Taurus whacks Pagano with that blue oil pain as Muertes spears Hammerstone. Outside of the ring Taurus spears Pagano over the barricade and into the fans. Muertes has found a broadcast tripod under the ring but Hammerstone saves Pagano and starts brawling with Taurus. The barricade collapses under the weight of all four men, then Muertes spears Pagano into the fans and Taurus drives Hammerstone into the opposite barricade. Taurus gets the camera cord and whips Hammerstone a few times then chokes him with it. Muertes and Pagano are brawling up the entrance ramp as Hammerstone starts making his comeback on Taurus. Muertes suplexes Pagano on the stage as Hammerstone pump kicks Taurus into the fans. Facebuster from Muertes as Hammerstone and Taurus fight into the ring. Hammerstone sets up a chair in the corner but Taurus is able to send Hammerstone into it. Taurus has a trashcan while Muertes starts driving the chair into Hammerstone’s chest. Taurus puts the trashcan on Hammerstone then Muertes whacks the can with a chair.
We get a minor cut, don’t know how much might been lost. Muertes is choking Hammerstone with the chair, then DDT’s Hammerstone onto it. Taurus gets a big piece of floorboard and starts setting that up on the outside. Pagano takes a bunch of shots from the trashcan lid courtesy of Muertes. Pagano tries to fire up on Muertes with a series of strikes but runs into a clothesline. Taurus tries to take out Pagano but he eats a multi rotation rip cord clothesline. Pagano and Muertes square off now, they trade punches before Muertes hits a head scissors takedown then a spear for a 2 count as Hammerstone breaks up the pin. Hammerstone lays in punches to Muertes, kicks him in the face, then avoids a corner rush so Muertes posts himself. Torture Rack from Hammerstone, into a Burning Hammer on the trashcan but that only gets 2. Call me old fashioned, but a Burning Hammer is one of those moves you shouldn’t kick out of. Hammerstone gets the floorboard and sets it in the corner but Taurus is in to hit a bulldog on Hammerstone. Taurus tries to send Hammerstone into the board but Hammerstone puts on the brakes, then catches a charging Taurus with a back body drop through the board. Pagano hits Muertes with a flipping neckbreaker then hits an Emerald Flowsion onto the chair. Hammerstone hoists Taurus up for a powerbomb, Pagano then hits an assisted clothesline and Taurus heads out of the ring. Muertes is back now and runs wild on both men for a but but the numbers are too much and Hammerstone drills him with a German suplex. Powerbomb from Hammerstone to Muertes then Pagano with a suicide senton through the ropes to send himself and Taurus trough another bit of floorboard on the outside. Hammerstone wants the Nightmare Pendulum, Muertes tries to counter with Straight to Hell, they trade counters for a bit before Muertes hits a Backstabber for 2. Pagano with a Death Valley Driver through another board on the floor to Taurus. Hammerstone hits the Nightmare Pendulum to pin and win.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Alexander Hammerstone and Pagano won in 16:00
Rating: 2.5 stars
Another match that just didn’t quite work for me, the middle section in particular was kind of a drag as they struggled to really fill the match time. I’m also just not a fan of how they tried to edit this together, it resulted in a choppy viewing experience where some pretty big moments were missed. I’m also docking this because I hate people kicking out of a Burning Hammer, if you don’t want that to end the match fine but find another way to break up the pin.
Cesar Duran stares from the entrance stage and mimes the throat slash at Hammerstone. That’s a signal for Pagano to turn and he brains Hammerstone with a cookie sheet. All three men beat down Hammerstone, then a bunch of goons in masks head down as well to surround the ring. The goons carry the beaten Hammerstone out of the ring as we end the episode.
