Winfree’s MLW Fusion (EP. 117) Review 1.13.21

Hey there everyone, Winfree here for another episode of MLW Fusion. Tonight we’ll get the fallout, if any, from MLW’s Kings of the Colosseum event last week. This will also be the episode that Salina de la Renta gets to executive produce, so in addition to the tag team title match already announced (Los Parks vs. The Von Erich’s) we’ll get the debut of Mil Muertes and possibly a few other references to the defunct Lucha Underground promotion. Low Ki will also be in action tonight, so let’s get to the wrestling.

Salina is with commentary to welcome us to the broadcast, she runs down the main event then we head to the ring.

Match #1: Low Ki vs. Budd Heavy

Heavy gets the jobber entrance. Ki with a running “cross right flash” right at the bell, and KO’s Heavy to earn the ref stoppage.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Low Ki won at :08

Rating: Cushaw. . . SQUASH

Just a rehab match for Low Ki after dropping the Opera Cup finals, so it served the intended purpose.

Post match, Ki calls out King Mo, Dan Lambert, and everyone associated. He says the party is not over for them.

A recap of Lio Rush beating Myron Reed last week, then we head to Rush. He reiterates he’s the man of the hour, the 25 year old piece of gold. A little clip for his recently released song is in there as well.

Back to commentary, they mention Konnan was supposed to be here but isn’t. Salina shows up to send us to a video of what happened to him. We see Salina talking about how Konnan has been a problem for her, but Mil Muertes found him and took him out. Konnan’s name will never come from her again, and Mil has erased his entire legacy, now everyone who’s wronged her in MLW will pay.

A reminder that Filthy Island is coming, apparently.

Next a reminder that Alexander Hammerstone and Mads Krugger fought to a double count out. Contra Unit interrupts the feed, and Krugger is here to talk. He was impressed by Hammerstone’s size, strength, but saw fear in his eyes. He wants Hammerstone to bring the title to Contra’s compound deep in the underground.

Match #2: Mil Muertes w/ Salina de la Renta vs. Brian Pillman Jr.

Pillman got the jobbers entrance. Pillman powders early, Muertes stalks around the ring while he plays coward. Back in the ring Pillman avoids Muertes, but eventually gets caught and shoulder blocked down. Pillman again out of the ring stalling. Muertes no sells some chops in the ring, then chops Pillman and clotheslines him down. Mounted punches from Muertes then he drives Pillman into the corner. More blows from Muertes, and a back suplex. Pillman tries to fight back with blows, Muertes hits a snap powerslam for a near fall. Muertes rakes the eyes, then hits clotheslines in the corner. Flatliner/Straight to Hell from Muertes and we’re done here.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Mil Muertes won at 3:26

Rating: Buttercup. . . SQUASH

Extended squash, probably went on too long in that regard but Mil Muertes is here in MLW.

Richard Holliday is here via Zoom, he’s complaining about not being recognized as the Caribbean heavyweight champion. No one seems to respect his elevation of that title from a useless hunk of metal to one of the more talked about titles in MLW. He’s not happy about Savio Vega’s disrespect, and tells Savio he can have a shot anytime and at any place.

A little bit of a recap of the rivalry between Lawlor and the Von Erich’s, then an interview with Lawlor in a ref’s shirt. Lawlor is annoyed that ACH is getting a title shot next week before he did, noting he beat ACH en route to winning the Opera Cup. He says we’ll have to wait and see what he’s doing about that later, but tonight he’s here as an official.

Recap of Contra Unit ambushing Reed and Oliver and revealing Daivari’s inclusion in that group. Reed and Oliver via video now, Reed isn’t happy because he lost his title and then hates how Contra jumped them. Olivera says he still remembers how Contra took away their friend. They will take on any two of Contra Unit, they want to serve up justice.

Salina de la Renta is back with commentary, requiring her ego to be stroked. They tell her that her promotion has been acquired, she leaves in a stream of profanity.

Hammerstone next, he says he’s amused whenever anyone calls him scared because the answer is yes, but he’s not afraid of Krugger. He’s afraid of not reaching his potential, and he’s been playing the long game, he’s after the MLW world title. He’ll either jump over a hurdle, or kick it down. He’s afraid of what he’s going to do to Krugger, not what Krugger will do to him. Some mockery of what Contra’s hideout looks like, but he will fight Krugger on Krugger’s own turf and on those terms.

The Highly-Official-Super-Serious Top 10 list is next.

10. Laredo Kid
9. ACH
8. Myron Reed
7. Mads Krugger
6. Richard Holliday
5. Lio Rush – MLW Middleweight champion
4. LA PARK
3. Low Ki
2. “Filthy” Tom Lawlor
1. Alexander Hammerstone – MLW National Openweight champion
MLW World Heavyweight Champion – Jacob Fatu

OK, Lawlor has a point if number 8 is getting a shot ahead of him, that’s some BS right there.

Tom Lawlor makes his way out to the ring as the guest ref for our main event.

Match #3 – MLW Tag Team Title Match with Special Guest Referee Tom Lawlor: (c) The Von Erich’s (Ross and Marshall) vs. Los Parks (LA PARK and Hijo de LA PARK) w/ Salina de la Renta

Los Parks attack before the bell and we get some brawling early. Lawlor has the bell sounded as the beatdown continues. Hijo has Ross while PARK is attacking Marshall. The ref admonishes Hijo for choking but isn’t doing much to get control over the match. Some belt shots to Marshall and Ross. Oh, apparently this is some kind of tornado match? If so that has been incredibly poorly explained. The confusion is real. PARK gets a stool, and abuses Ross a few times, then uses it on Marshall. OK, yes this is tornado rules, and no DQ? Then why is commentary annoyed by the ref not handling the match in terms of weaponry? This makes no sense. Hijo and PARK double team Marshall, but both Von Erich boys are up and they double drop kick then hit stereo suicide dives on the outside onto Los Parks. Ross tosses Hijo into the ring post while Marshall attacks PARK. PARK and Marshall back into the ring. Lawlor and Marshall trade words, that slows down the momentum of Marshall. Marshall and PARK trade blows, then PARK hits an avalanche in the corner, Marshall with one of his own. Hijo ambushes Marshall, Ross gets involved and they trade blows as Lawlor complains about the lack of a tag. So even the ref doesn’t know the rules? Ross with a super kick and a falcon arrow, Lawlor with a comically slow count leading to a near fall. Hijo with a pump kick, then a kick to the knee and super kick. PARK is on the apron, Hijo hits a Yoshi tonic for a near fall but Lawlor with a fast count. Both Ross and Hijo to the outside, PARK and Marshall in. When they say tornado do they mean lucha tags rules? This match can’t keep it’s own rules consistent. PARK with a dive onto Marshall, Hijo dives onto Ross. All four man back in the ring, Lawlor complains of a cramp. The Von Erich’s with a double roll up, might have won but Lawlor wont count. Roll up from the Parks, fast count but just for 2. Lawlor sent over the top rope accidentally. PARK with a clothesline to Marshall, Ross clotheslines PARK then gets a claw on Hijo and a claw slam but there’s no ref to make the pinfall. Salina into the ring and sprays something into the eyes of Ross, PARK spears Marshall then a PARK lookalike shows up, I think that’s actually LA PARK Jr. PARK with another spear to Marshall I think as the camera angle wasn’t great. PARK covers Ross, so maybe he speared Ross, and Lawlor back into the ring with a fast count of 3.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Los Parks (LA PARK and Hijo de LA PARK) became the NEW MLW Tag Team Champions at 10:36

Rating: .5 star

What a clown fiesta. The rules couldn’t be kept straight by anyone, from the wrestlers to the ref to commentary, the action was just dull repetitive brawling, and overbooked barely begins to describe the finish as we saw manager interference followed by a third man, followed by the crooked ref fast counting. Just a mess.

PARK and Hijo celebrate with Salina.

We close with a graphic that says Salina’s management company is now a subsidiary of Aztec Underground.

4.0

The final score: review Poor

The 411

If MLW was deliberately making this a bad episode to get some kind of meta heat on Salina it was still a bad call. This wasn't good, two squash matches and a main event featuring one big clown fiesta. The only saving grace you could possibly give this show is angle advancement, Konnan's absence is more or less explained and Muertes finally debuted, but this wasn't good. Looking forward I'll only say the following, if this leads to Fernando Gil reprising Dario Cueto I'll forgive a lot of the nonsense. But for now, this was a pretty poor episode.