Winfree’s MLW Fusion Alpha (Ep. 7) Review 11.03.21

Alright everyone, time for another episode of MLW Fusion Alpha. This week new Caribbean champion King Muertes will be in action, Alex Kane will hold his Prize Fight Open, and the Sea Stars will battle Willow Nightingale and Zoey Skye. We’re also still waiting on MLW World Heavyweight champion Alexander Hammerstone to announce his two remaining team mates for War Chamber.

We open with Cesar Duran on the entrance ramp and he heads to the ring with a mic. Duran knew he was missing something from this card when he put it together. He was missing a sacrifice, and asks the crowd who they want to see sacrificed. Before they can answer here comes 5150. Konnan gets a mic and says Duran has been ducking him all week, and reintroduces himself. Julius Smokes talks next, he does a decent hype spot, then hands the mic to Danny Rivera. Rivera plays with the crowd then Slice Boogie and again plays with the crowd. The crowd somewhat plays along. Duran asks if they’re high. He told Konnan he’s here for business not these shenanigans. Konnan says his crew taking on Los Parks is the big match everyone wants and threatens them. Los Parks, all three of them, are show up. Rivera and Boogie with dives, and we get right into a brawl. It takes a bunch of refs and security personnel to corral all of them into the back. Los Parks eventually head back, but here comes Tom Lawlor and Kevin Ku. They just walk by Konnan and approach Duran in the ring. Duran asks who invited Lawlor down here. Lawlor wants to cut to the chase, he’s been treated like crap since winning the 2020 Opera Cup, he was screwed in the first round of this years Opera Cup, got screwed against Hammerstone, and demands to be treated like a big time prize fighter. Lawlor wants a title fight. Duran thinks, and says he’s a man of the people, and he’s got a very big match for Lawlor, a Casket Match against King Muertes for the Caribbean title. Be careful what you wish for, then Duran dismisses Team Filthy.

Alright, after all that it’s time for our first match.

We get a video from Mads Krugger, he’s the leader of Contra and will march his soldiers into War Chamber to destroy Hammerstone and MLW. Not the strongest promo, and I’m not sure how much the voice distortion helps him. That said, Krugger declaring himself the head of Contra could signal either a decent angle or some personnel shifts.

Match #1 – Tag Team Match: Sea Stars (Ashley Vox and Delmi Exo) vs. Willow Nightingale and Zoey Skye

Vox and Skye start us off. They tie up and then run the ropes for a bit before Vox lands a drop kick. Delmi tags in and starts after the arm. Vox tags back in and they hit an assisted rolling senton onto Skye. Skye fights back with a jawbreaker and is able to tag Willow. Willow helps turn the tide and Vox takes some corner offense. Vox fights back with strikes but runs into a super kick. Skye in, Willow with a senton then slams Skye onto Vox for a 2 count. Some kicks form Skye but Vox fights back with elbows before getting tripped up and kicked again. Skye heads up top but eats canvas after trying a cross body and both women are down. Both tag out and Delmi runs wild on Willow including hitting a Northern Lights suplex for a 2 count. Vox back in, they try to set up a double team move but Skye interrupts that and saves Willow. Willow tags out and everything breaks down, Willow gets sent out of the ring and here’s Holidead from under the ring to attack Willow and drag her under there with her. Back in the ring Zoey takes a flying double knee strike from Delmi, then the Tidal Wave (Vox hits a rolling senton off of Delmi’s shoulders) to pin and win.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Sea Stars won in 4:36

Rating: 2 stars

They worked hard, but the crowd did not care one iota about this match.

Post match Holidead comes out from under the ring and stands creepily before the other women drag Willow out from under the ring.

We get a recap of King Mo and Alex Kane attacking Calvin Tankman last week. That leads to a Kane video, he can confirm that Tankman is out of the Opera Cup and he’ll be in as his replacement. The only mission now is submission and the Opera Cup is about to get all of this work.

A vignette for Big Beef Gnarls Garvin, he’s coming soon.

A reminder that there will be a Ladder Match at Fusion on Thanksgiving for the MLW National Openweight title. We know four of the five participants, Alex Shelley, Myron Reed, Zenshi, Alex Kane, and one wild card spot. That might wind up being a really cool match.

In the back Alicia Atout tells us that Tankman still plans on participating in the Opera Cup despite the attack.

To the ring and here comes Alex Kane along with King Mo. It seems Warhorse will be the one answering the open challenge. Warhorse headbutts King Mo to send him out of the ring and get the match going.

Match #2: Alex Kane w/ King Mo vs. Warhorse

Kane tries to overpower Warhorse but Warhorse fights back with strikes then he heads out of the ring to menace King Mo. That was a poor decision as Kane jumps Warhorse from behind and they start brawling around the entrance ramp. Warhorse did get the best of that as they head to the ring, but once there Kane slams Warhorse into the buckles. Warhorse head bangs the corner, then they start trading headbutts. Kane runs into a kick, then Warhorse hits a top rope dropkick. Kane has had enough of this, King Mo distracts Warhorse and that allows Kane to catch him and hit an exploder suplex into the corner. Stomps from Kane as he retains control. Kane sends Warhorse chest first into the corner, then hits a pumphandle suplex for a 2 count. Warhorse starts trying to fire up with strikes but Kane slaps him down. Warhorse flips out of a back suplex and boxes the ears, but gets caught in a swinging back suplex from Kane. Kane wastes time talking with the crowd and Warhorse gets back into the fight with strikes but runs into a rip cord Olympic Slam. Kane doesn’t go for the cover though, he wants another suplex and hits a cradle suplex to pin and win.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Alex Kane won 5:42

Rating: 2.5 stars

Warhorse made the most of this spot, and Kane was quite giving all things considered. Post match Alicia Atout asks Kane on the entrance ramp about bumping off other competitors to get a spot in the Opera Cup, Kane says he’s taking that cup whether you him to or not.

In the back Tom Lawlor is at a whiteboard game planning with Kevin Ku. Ku doesn’t understand Lawlor’s doodles, but Lawlor is counting on Ku to keep him away from the casket. Lawlor plans on leaving after they win, Ku notes that sponsorship money is down after Lawlor’s Opera Cup loss and Ku doesn’t think this works anymore. Ku has to be on his own now. Lawlor is not happy.

We get another Contra video, this time Josef Samael waxes poetic about how full of lies the United States is. He is the leader of Contra, the real El Jefe and he’s got five soldiers ready to give everything to defeat MLW. Whatever Alexander Hammerstone has it’s not enough, he’ll leave MLW in ruins after War Chamber. Samael is still really good at these kinds of promos.

There’s a quick video from Hammerstone, he doesn’t quite trust Duran when it comes to filling out his team as he’s trying to defuse rumors of him and Duran aligning.

Richard Holliday in the back with Alicia Atout, he removes the bandages on his face and says he’s got a huge marketing campaign set for Japan. Holliday is planning on selling candy in Japan, Atout wants a free sample. They find MLW Middleweight champion Tajiri eating his candy, and comedy follows.

A minor update on Holidead, apparently Cesar Duran has given her a bonus for “ambitious violence”. I approve.

Back to the ring for our main event.

As Lawlor waits in the ring a hooded woman comes down with some burning sage. She reveals herself as Karlee Perez, the former Catrina who managed King Muertes in Lucha Underground.

Match #3 – Caribbean Title Casket Match: (c) King Muertes vs. Tom Lawlor

Muertes intimidates Lawlor early, then Lawlor tries to jab and move but runs into a spear. Muertes lays in strikes and slams Lawlor around. Lawlor fights back with strikes then they trade takedowns. Lawlor heads out of the ring, he gets cut off by Muertes though and Muertes slams him into the coffin. Muertes sets up the coffin so it leans against the ring and resumes slamming Lawlor into it. Muertes with a DDT onto the coffin then he sets it back on the pedestal it occupies. Back into the ring and Muertes hits a TKO and opens the coffin. Lawlor gets dumped in the coffin but fights off the attempt to close it and lands kicks. Lawlor hits a Stunner over the top rope then heads into the ring and drop kicks the knee of Muertes. Knee from Lawlor connects then he tries to drag Muertes to the coffin but he’s too heavy. Given that Lawlor is actually taller this doesn’t come off as well as it might otherwise. Muertes tries to come back with a goozle but Lawlor strikes him down and gets him in the coffin. Muertes fights off the attempt to close the coffin and punches Lawlor off of him. They fight on the ring apron now, trading strikes before Muertes slaps Lawlor off of the apron. Muertes crotches Lawlor on the barricade and lays in chops. Lawlor sends Muertes into the barricade and starts laying in strikes then gets a padded chair but as he goes to strike Muertes with it Muertes punches him in the mouth. Lawlor gets the chair again and hits Muertes in the gut with it, but Muertes avoids a head shot and then powerbombs Lawlor onto the coffin. Slightly awkward spot there. Back into the ring and Muertes lays in clotheslines in the corner. Lawlor tries to fight back with strikes and hits a Roaring Elbow then jumps onto the back of Muertes and grabs a rear naked choke. Muertes begins fading, he crawls towards the coffin before appearing to pass out. Lawlor rolls Muertes into the coffin but again Muertes fights off the attempt to close it. Lawlor goes nuts with punches, but Muertes chokes him and knocks the lid clean off of the coffin. Muertes moves Lawlor into the ring, Lawlor lands a kick but runs into a snap powerslam. Lawlor jumps for a guillotine choke to counter a spear, he’s got it locked in but Muertes stands and kills him with a Straight to Hell. Muertes wants the lid opened, he rolls Lawlor into the coffin and closes the broken door to win.

OFFICIAL RESULT: King Muertes retained the Caribbean title in 11:57

Rating: 2.5 stars

Casket matches are hard to pull off in a compelling fashion, you can count on one hand the number of legitimately good examples of this kind of match. Granted Muertes is one half of the best casket match you’ll see (him vs. Fenix from Lucha Underground) but this one goes more into the pile of uninspired entries. Lawlor and Muertes might be able to have a compelling match under normal circumstances, but this just never really clicked. This was apparently Lawlor’s swan song with MLW, he confirmed his free agency on twitter very recently.

6.0

The final score: review Average

The 411

A bit of an off episode this week, the wrestling was just passable and there didn't seem to be much in the way of angle development. But setting up for Los Parks and 5150 could be good, the downside was just the promo bit where nothing quite clicked between Duran and Konnan. Capped off by a lackluster main event, this episode just existed.