Winfree’s MLW Fusion (Ep. 138) Review 3.24.22

Alright everyone, let’s see what’s going on in the world of MLW. MLW World Heavyweight champion Alexander Hammerstone has to be here or else he’ll forfeit the title. Gangrel will be here, plus Killer Kross makes his MLW return, and our main event should be a wild brawl when Jacob Fatu takes on Mads Krugger in a Stairway to Hell match.

We open with a video of Krugger promising the blood of Fatu will stain his war club, and Fatu says he made Krugger and Fatu is the real hand of the black flag. Fatu has his own club, and he’s going to use it to knock Krugger’s head off of his shoulders.

This episode comes from the Charlotte, North Carolina tapings.

Match #1: Budd Heavy vs. Killer Kross

A small “Kross is gonna kill you” chant breaks out. Kross invites Budd to give him his best shot, Kross just no sells it. Another hit from Budd, Kross just laughs it off. Kross invites Budd on again, but when he charges Kross boots him down. Kross unloads with strikes in the corner. Doomsday Saito connects, Kross winds up for the Quickening and floors Budd with it. Rather than cover Kross just gets back mount and tees off with elbows to the back of the head until the ref pulls him off.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Killer Kross won in 2:22

Rating: Delicata. . . SQUASH

Delicious squash, and the right kind of reintroduction for Kross. Post match the crowd chants for “One more”, and Kross obliges by hauling Budd up and drilling him with another Doomsday Saito suplex.

A video from last night when the Von Erichs ran into Ricky Morton on the street and they shoot the breeze. Morton gives them a history lecture about the venue before they head off for tacos. I question the necessity of that, though I’m always happy for Morton to get paid.

Richard Holliday walks in the back and finds Saint Laurent, then blows him off when Saint Laurent starts talking about Microman.

Holliday makes his way to the ring but Hammerstone jumps him on the entrance ramp then beats him into the back. Hammerstone tears up Holliday’s jacket, then Holliday shoves a masked goon into Hammerstone and runs off.

To kill time we head to a video of Los Parks and their new restaurant. They takes issue with a customer who wanted a gluten free sandwich and stomp him down. OK, that was actually kind of funny in terms of execution.

Back to the ring, here’s Gnarls Garvin and he’s got a mic. Garvin puts himself over as the best fighter in the south, he came to MLW with a few promises, he came for fights and he’s only been given pansies instead of men. If they sent another no good little boy to fight him he’s never coming back. Here comes Gangrel to answer his challenge.

Match #2: Gnarls Garvin vs. Gangrel

They tie up and fight around the corners before Gangrel bites Garvin to get him to break. They start trading rights and Garvin drops Gangrel. Gangrel heads out of the ring and they start trading strikes, then Garvin accidentally chops the ring post. Headbutt from Gangrel then more chops. Garvin fights back with elbows and chops. More brawling from both men then they head back into the ring. Gangrel kicks the middle rope into Garvin’s groin a few times then he drops an elbow on Garvin. Garvin blocks an Impaler DDT with an inverted Atomic Drop. Drop kick from Garvin and Gangrel rolls out of the ring again. Low blow from Gangrel, I guess the ref didn’t see that, or at least plays dumb. Gangrel came to the ring with a sickle, he picks it up and goes to scalp Garvin still without a word from the ref. You guys had plenty of time to edit this, and you still had to show us Garvin blading? Gangrel bites the bloody forehead of Garvin then they head towards the ring. Apparently Cesar Duran has turned this into a no DQ match, good call. Back in the ring Garvin starts fighting back with strikes but Gangrel cuts him off then unloads with blows in the corner. Running elbow from Gangrel then a bulldog. Garvin fights back with a kick then a clothesline and a scoop slam. Garvin goes for a low cross body as Gangrel is hanging over the middle rope, but Gangrel moves and Garvin just eats the floor. More chops from Gangrel, but Garvin comes to life and hits a clothesline. They head back into the ring, and Garvin climbs to the top rope but takes too long and Gangrel is able to crotch him. Gangrel heads up to the second rope and bites Garvin’s forehead but Garvin rakes the eyes, hits a headbutt, then clotheslines Gangrel down. Garvin goes for a splash, but Gangrel avoids him. Impaler DDT from Gangrel and he pins to win.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Gangrel won in 10:34

Rating: 1.5 stars

Slow, boring, pointlessly bloody, and way too long. The actual match was a touch less than the broadcast time it took since no match time is lost when MLW goes to commercial break, but still about 4-5 minutes too long.

Cesar Duran is on the phone in his office. TJP walks in and interrupts him. TJP calls himself the lock on Duran’s open door policy, and he doesn’t want to carry the crayon eating indy darlings when he could be carrying gold. EJ Nduka walks in and stands around. Duran is about to give TJP some kind of title shot, EJ objects and wants 5150. Duran acknowledges a debt to EJ for the Contra situation, and says he’ll give EJ a shot at 5150 if he can find a partner. EJ says he doesn’t need one, and if he had one in mind he sure wouldn’t tell Duran. This amuses Duran, who goes to shake EJ’s hand but is interrupted by news of Hammerstone’s war path chasing after Holliday. There was a real audio issue in this segment, Duran was almost inaudible.

Holliday runs in the back and Hammerstone stalks him. Hammerstone catches Holliday and tears his shirt off before Holliday escapes again.

Confirmed is a tag team title match, 5150 will defend against EJ Nduka and EJ’s mystery partner.

In the back a bunch of masked goons walk around, and here’s Savio Vega who sneaks into Duran’s office. Savio grabs some cash, then gets Microman out of a suitcase that’s been sitting in the corner. Microman snitches to Savio about everything he’s overheard, then the two sneak out.

Match #3 – Stairway to Hell: Jacob Fatu vs. Mads Krugger

There are two weapons hanging above the ring, a baklei war club for Krugger while Fatu has gone for a kendo stick wrapped in barbed wire. Either man can get the weapons and use them, but they’ll need a ladder to reach. Krugger boots Fatu to the ground as Fatu was getting into the ring, then tries a suicide dive but he runs into a punch from Fatu. Fatu gets a ladder, but in the time it takes him to get it Krugger is recovered and hits a suicide dive onto Fatu and the ladder. Krugger tosses the ladder into the ring then tosses Fatu into the barricade. Krugger sets up the ladder and starts climbing, he gets the club but Fatu is able to tip the ladder over then hit a pop up Samoan drop. Fatu lays in strikes then posts Krugger. Fatu gets the ladder and sets it against the ropes before hitting a scoop slam, then he drops the ladder on top of Krugger. The ladder stays on Krugger as Fatu hits a handspring moonsault onto the ladder which is on Krugger. Fatu sets up the ladder, the clobbers Krugger with a right hand and Krugger loses his grip on the club which flies onto the entrance ramp. Fatu climbs the ladder but Krugger grabs him and powerbombs him to the mat. They head out of the ring and Krugger gets a chair from under the ring. Krugger whacks Fatu across the back with the chair a few times before he sends the chair into the ring. Fatu heads back into the ring and Krugger gets another chair which he tosses into the ring. Kurgger heads into the ring now and drops Fatu with a right hand. Krugger sets the ladder in the corner but Fatu is able to send him into it, pretty gnarly bump Krugger took there. Fatu sets the ladder up again, he climbs up but so does Krugger and they start fighting on the ladder, ultimately Fatu headbutts Krugger down. Now Fatu has the kendo stick in barbed wire and starts laying into Krugger with it. Fatu whacks Krugger in the head with the stick then tosses it outside of the ring.

Hip attack in the corner from Fatu then he gets a chair and sets it against Krugger in the corner. Fatu goes for the Coast to Coast, he’s got the second chair and while he can’t make the jump he does launch the chair with his feet into the chair in front of Krugger. Another pretty sick spot. Fatu covers for a near fall. The ladder is set up again, Fatu then heads out of the ring and retrieves his stick, then hits Krugger in the head again. The crowd wants tables, Fatu obliges them by getting one from under the ring. The table is placed in the ring and Fatu sets it up. Krugger grabs Fatu by the throat but Fatu avoids the chokeslam then super kicks Krugger onto the table. Fatu heads up top, climbs the ladder but Krugger meets him up there and we get a brawl on the top of the ladder. They trade headbutts, then Krugger with a massive superplex off of the ladder and through the table below. Both men roll on top of each other for a couple of perfunctory near falls. A “This is awesome” chant breaks out for a bit. Krugger takes a super kick then Fatu hits the Catatonic for a near fall. Ikuro Kwon shows up and tosses the baklei club to Krugger, Krugger then brains Fatu with the club and hits his Full Nelson Facebuster then pins to win.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Mads Krugger won in 14:32

Rating: 3 stars

This got better as it went on, which I consider a compliment. Kwon showing up was an odd choice, his loyalty has been all over the place post Contra break up and I’m not sure what he’s doing here. That said if they’re continuing the feud they made Krugger a credible threat while also keeping Fatu strong. If they’re ending it this was odd, but I think they’d only end it if Fatu is leaving. Overall a pretty fun little weapons match.

Post match Krugger gets a mic, and says on this day Contra is reborn and will be remade in his image. Fatu fights up to his feet and blasts Krugger in the head with the chair then hits a Snake Eyes on Kwon. Officials show up and pull everyone apart.

In the back Hammerstone looks for Holliday, he finds him yet again and resumes beating him, this time he destroys Holliday’s pants before Holliday sprints out of the building into the waiting limo which drives off as Hammerstone does a rather awkward run after it.

6.6

The final score: review Average

The 411

There was some funny stuff here, the Los Parks restaurant commercial was pretty well done and Hammerstone stalking and stripping Richard Holliday was a decent enough running gag. The main event was a solid plunder match, Kross got the kind of reintroduction he needed, and a few things were set up for the future. On the downside, Gangrel and Gnarls Garvin went way too long and the segment with Duran in his office had some pretty awful audio issues. That said MLW is pretty consistent with their product and ultimately this was still an Average episode.