wrestling / TV Reports
Winfree’s MLW Fusion Alpha (Ep. 13) Review 12.16.21
Image Credit: MLW
Loading...The Fusion ALPHA series continues to draw towards a close with the Azteca limited series set to replace it once it concludes. Tonight we’ve got plenty of action as LA Park takes on Homicide, Willow Nightingale battles Holidead, and the MLW Middleweight title will be defended by Tajiri against Atsuki Aoyagi. There’s the budding friction between Richard Holliday and MLW Heavyweight champion Alexander Hammerstone that might continue, and further seeds to be planted for the Azteca series. So with all that out of the way, let’s get to the action.
5150 video to start, Konnan warned Los Parks this was coming and while they asked for a weapons match that was a mistake. 5150 was confident and did what they said they would, they ask for whoever says they’re the best and they can only claim that if they beat 5150. Boogie waxes poetic about gangsters and the game, but he got out of the game and became a tag team champion. Rivera reiterates that they did what they said they’d do, and plan to spread love after their win the Brooklyn way. They learned from the gangster movies, so they wont forget what it’s like to come from the slums and rock bottoms will show you things the mountain tops never will.
Commentary runs down the card for us, and tells us that Calvin Tankman was arrested after attacking the Bomaye Fight Club last week.
Picture in picture video promo from Holidead as she heads to the ring, she and her demons are drawn to the bright and bubbly aura of Willow Nightingale. She can’t wait to rip the purple hair of Willow out and wear it as a necklace. It’s time for darkness to fall on Willow. As Willow heads to the ring she pauses seeing Dr. Dax and says she has someone on her side, then brings out the Blue Meanie to keep Dr. Dax in check.
Match #1: Holidead w/ Dr. Dax vs. Willow Nightingale
Willow hits a Thesz press right away and fires up but gets caught in a side slam. Willow avoids a leg drop and hits a super kick. Running hip attack in the corner from Willow then a big boot to follow up. A senton from Willow gets a 2 count. Willow heads up top but she’s in the corner with Dr. Dax who slows her down enough for Holidead to kick her down then hit a suplex. Holidead starts working the leg for a moment then lands a few leg drops. They move to the apron and Holidead lands a leg drop there which gets another 2 count back in the ring. Willow fights back and hits a series of clotheslines then chops. Avalanche in the corner then Willows heads up top and hits a drop kick but Dax distracts the ref. Come on Meanie, do something. Willow takes out Dax, then Holidead shoves her into the ref and tosses Willow out of the ring. Holidead sends Dax at Willow, now the Meanie gets involved and brawls with Dax. Back in the ring Willow hits a super kick to Holidead, Meanie and Dax in the ring as well so Willow and Meanie can hit stereo offense. Here comes Arez though and he drop kicks Meanie allowing Holidead to hit Darkness Falls (Christopher Daniels’ Angels Wings) to pin and win.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Holidead won in 5:11
Rating: 2 stars
I didn’t care at all for how overbooked this got, we had Meanie and Dax, a ref bump, and a run in. It was just unnecessarily complicated. The action itself was fine enough.
Cesar Duran is on the phone in the back when 5150 roll up on him. Duran halts their shenanigans, then joins in their celebration. 5150 got rid of Injustice, then took the titles from Los Parks, Duran approves of them and reminds them they’re going to Mexico soon. Konnan asks if Duran has anything to help, Duran reaches into his jacket and Rivera and Boogie wonder if he’s strapped up, but Duran slowly removes a deck of cards. I’m not the biggest fan of 5150’s promo style and they’re terribly repetitive, but once they actually started interacting with Duran they came alive just a bit in terms of presentation.
Marshall Von Erich plays PacMan in his home, saying if he can’t be a wrestling champion he’ll at least be PacMan champion. Ross comes in with the contract for their title match to fire him up. They note they’ve been a year without their titles, they plan on fighting 5150. They’re going to train hard and get ready to reclaim their titles.
A reminder that MLW Azteca, the next limited series, starts on January 6th.
We get some footage to remind everyone that Homicide debuted for MLW way back in 2003, feel free to check out my reviews of MLW Underground for some of those matches. It was a nice little touch. LA Park comes out with a chair, per usual. We also get a reminder that on the first episode of MLW Underground LA Park, then going by La Parka, wrestled Jerry Lynn.
Match #2: Homicide w/ Julius Smokes vs. LA Park
Two brawlers here, this could be good. Both men play with the crowd first, the crowd is split pretty evenly, then we get into the action. Both men with strikes then Homicide with a sloppy drop kick. Park out of the ring, Homicide with his flipping suicide dive. Back into the ring Homicide heads up top but Park catches his crossbody and dances while holding him then sets him down and drills him with a headbutt. Running knee from Park sends both men out of the ring and Park gets his chair and whacks Homicide with it. Homicide is set in the chair, Park then hits a suicide dive onto the seated Homicide. Heck of a spot. Back into the ring now but Park’s cover only gets a 2 count. Homicide drops Park with a DDT for a 2 count. They trade running clotheslines in the corner then Park struts and drops Homicide with a clothesline. Both men up and Homicide hits an exploder suplex for a 2 count. Park with a clothesline to the back of the head then a running hip attack that drops Homicide for another 2 count. Homicide with a drop kick to the knee then a swinging neckbreaker for a near fall. Cutter from Homicide but that still can’t put Park away. Homicide heads up top for a tornado DDT but Park tosses him off then Spears him for the win.
OFFICIAL RESULT: LA Park won in 5:40
Rating: 2.5 stars
Despite the general lack of weapons these two turned in a watchable little brawl. The pace wasn’t great down the stretch, but they busted out a couple of impressive spots.
We get an update on KC Navarro after nZo attacked him last week. They’re calling it a neck break but a simple one, so he’ll need surgery.
A hype package for EJ Nduka follows, he talks about growing up in Dallas, Texas. He was a three sport athlete in high school, basketball, football, and track before dedicating himself to football for college. Football taught him humility, determination, effort, and always giving your best. He’s determined to be the best, and that’s permeated every bit of his life from athletics to academics and he runs down some academic accolades as well. So he’s not just a savage, he’s smart.
Rok-C will debut at Blood and Thunder on January 21.
We get a little recap of Alexander Hammerstone declining to work with Cesar Duran, including his brawl with Matanza Duran last week.
A brief interview with the chief cameraman Charlie Bruzeez (I’m probably spelling that wrong, they didn’t show the correct spelling) for MLW follows, he runs down some of his history in the pro wrestling business as a cameraman and film editor. He did a lot of work with ECW, and has been with MLW since the beginning. Fun little segment. Back live Charlie is honored by the crowd and they unfurl a banner that will go in the rafters of this building.
The Bomaye Fight Club talk, Mr. Thomas is in pain after Tankman’s attack last week. Alex Kane says they’ve retained the services of MLW sponsor Stephen New and Tankman is going away for a long time. So while Tankman is watching from his phone Kane is going to build his kingdom one win at a time.
A slightly creepy vignette for someone in clown makeup airs, I don’t recognize him from this and no name is shown.
Calvin Tankman has an audio interview, he’s calling in from jail. Tankman says nothing is going on as he’s sitting here, he’s been stuck for hours thinking about Kane and Mr. Thomas. But this isn’t going to keep them safe, but he’s thought about it and when he gets out of here he’s going to make sure no one can interfere in what he’s going to do. He will end both Alex Kane and Mr. Thomas when he gets back. Apparently his bail was posted as they’re talking, and again promises we’ll see soon what he’s got in store for Kane and Thomas.
The first main event for MLW Azteca will be a tag team match, King Muertes teams with Taurus to take on MLW World champion Alexander Hammerstone and Pagano.
Our main event took place in All Japan but we’re getting an airing here.
Match #3 – MLW Middleweight Title Match: (c) Tajiri vs. Atsuki Aoyagi
Big clash of styles here, Tajiri as the grizzled veteran against the upstart young Aoyagi. Both men take their time before tying up into the ropes. Aoyagi gives a clean break out of the ropes. Another tie up, they trade go behinds then Tajiri hits a drop toe hold but Aoyagi counters with a side headlock that Tajiri counters with a hammerlock. Aoyagi scoots to the ropes to force a break, which Tajiri does cleanly. The old test of strength then Tajiri moves back to the arm with a hammerlock that Aoyagi counters with a headlock then hits an armdrag. Aoyagi holds the arm as they jockey for position then starts moving to a hammerlock. Tajiri doesn’t seem to have a good way out of the hold as Aoyagi keeps working the hold. Tajiri backs into the corner to force a break but lands an elbow. Aoyagi avoids a corner attack and hits an armdrag, Tajiri counters and hits a neckbreaker to slow the younger man down. Tajiri starts focusing his offense on the neck of Aoyagi, he hits another neckbreaker for a 2 count then grabs a chinlock. Aoyagi fights back with strikes but Tajiri cuts him off with a back elbow and returns to the chinlock. Again Aoyagi fights back to his feet and hits the ropes then uses a back suplex to escape a sleeper attempt and both men are down.
Both men back up and they start trading punches, Aoyagi gets the better of this and hits a running elbow in the corner. Aoyagi has quickened the pace now and is getting the better of things. Tajiri blocks a handspring back elbow, his old move that Aoyagi tried, and takes a powder. Aoyagi stands, heads up to the second rope and hits a moonsault onto Tajiri. Back into the ring Aoyagi hits a springboard drop kick then a standing moonsault for a near fall. Aoyagi back up top, but misses a moonsault then charges at Tajiri and gets caught in the Tarantula. Tajiri sets for the Buzzsaw kick but Aoyagi ducks then hits a handspring kick for another near fall. Aoyagi is rolling, he heads up top but again misses the moonsault. Tajiri has the Buzzsaw kick blocked and Aoyagi lands an enziguri then a Trouble in Paradise kick for a great near fall. Aoyagi is still keeping the pace high, he heads up top but misses a 450 splash. Tajiri tries a Magistral cradle but Aoyagi counters into one of his own. Tajiri has had enough of this and drills Aoyagi with a piledrive for a near fall and he takes over. Aoyagi can’t counter the Buzzsaw kick this time and Tajiri pins to win.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Tajiri retained the MLW Middleweight Title in 11:34
Rating: 3 stars
Decent little story, the old veteran Tajiri wanting to keep the pace slow and focusing on the head and neck while Aoyagi wanted a fast paced high impact match. When Aoyagi got things accelerated he did well, but ultimately falls to his compromised neck being targeted with a piledriver to set up the Buzzsaw kick. Tajiri’s control segments were a little slow, which held this back a bit, but not a bad match by any stretch.
Back to the States and Cesar Duran walks in the back, Richard Holliday wants to talk to him about NFTs. Duran says Holliday should have his father send any business inquiries to his business man, Budd Heavy. Heavy is in the background drinking beer, and Holliday buys this while Alicia Atout tries to tell him he’s being played and Druan walks off. Duran is walked up on by Gnarls Garvin, Garvin is pissed off and will fight for no money. Duran appreciates his spirit and thinks he’ll have plenty of opportunities. As Duran keeps walking Hammerstone walks up to him, and says sending Matanza after him was the wrong move. Duran tries to tell him about carrots and sticks, Hammerstone tells him straight up that if he tries to double cross Hammerstone it wont work out well for him. Duran just promises to see him in Mexico. Duran and Hammerstone play off of each other well, and that ends the episode.
