Winfree’s MLW: Fusion (Ep. 144) Review 5.12.22

Well people, time for more MLW goodness. Tonight Jacob Fatu meets Bestia 666 in an Apocalypto Match, King Muertes will defend his Caribbean title, the war of vignettes between 5150 and the Von Erics continue, and more.

A brief profanity laden video from Jacob Fatu as he promises to destroy Bestia tonight.

As Holidead walks to the ring we cut to Cesar Duran running into Arez, and Duran wants Arez to take care of his Microman problem. The audio around Duran is still a problem.

Match #1: Holidead w/ Dr. Dax and Gangrel vs. Chik Tormenta

They tie up, Tormenta overpowers Holidead and lands a chop but Holidead returns the favor. They start trading chops and slaps before hitting the ropes with Tormenta landing a basement drop kick. Tormenta plays evasive moves then hits a suicide dive onto Holidead and Dax, but Gangrel ain’t gonna get landed on. Tormenta tries another suicide dive but Holidead intercepts her with a boot to the face. Back in the ring Holidead with some corner offense and a suplex. Holidead starts going for the leg and gets a pendulum stretch for a few moments. Tormenta hits a hurricanrana but runs into a very awkward spinebuster for a 2 count. Tormenta avoids a move and heads up top for a Meteora that gets a 2 count. Holidead avoids a second rope moonsault then hits Darkness Falls (Christopher Daniels Angel’s Wings for frame of reference) and pins to get the win.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Holidead won 4:06

Rating: 2 stars

Average match, but I don’t mean that as an insult. A couple of awkwardly timed moves hurt this a bit but Holidead is getting something of a push for a reason.

Post match Holidead gets an interview, she tells MLW to bring her opponents from anywhere because Holidead will run through the entire featherweight division.

We get a recap of the 5150 and Von Erich issues then cut to the Von Erichs in Hawaii. Marshall is cracking a bull whip then he and Ross debate the merits of whip craft as a coping mechanism. Kevin Von Erich is here and tells them that 5150 knows how to attack their hearts, and they need to lock it down and keep their eyes on the match when they get 5150 in the ring.

MLW champion Alexander Hammerstone arrives in the back, he hugs it out with the Von Erich boys, the Von Erichs tell him he’ll get the best tan in Hawaii with them and Hammerstone seems down as long as he doesn’t have to surf.

Back to the ring for our next match.

Match #2 – Caribbean Title Fatal 4-Way Match: (c) King Muertes vs. Octagon Jr. vs. El Dragon vs. El Hijo de LA Park

Pretty decent chant for Muertes to begin, then the other three jump him. Muertes fights back and takes down all three men then tosses Octagon and Dragon out of the ring. Hijo and Muertes start trading chops, this goes the way of Muertes and he caps off the exchange with a belly to belly suplex. Muertes lays in clotheslines in the corner before Hijo fights back with a kick. Muertes hits a chokeslam and Dragon breaks up the pin. Dragon lands back elbows then hits a head scissors to send Muertes out of the ring. Octagon flies in with an arm drag to Dragon, apparently the wrestlers are doing the only two men are legal thing I guess? Drop kick from Octagon then a satellite headscissors. Hijo comes in and chops Octagon down. They hit the ropes and Hijo lands a hurricanrana then a kick and heads up top for a cross body. Octagon catches Hijo and tries a side slam but Hijo counters with a head scissors that sends Octagon out of the ring. Muertes comes in and hits a snap powerslam onto Hijo, and Dragon badly mistimes his pin break up. Dragon avoids a Straight To Hell and hits some corner offense then a springboard elbow drop, and Octagon flies in with a double stomp to break up the pin. That looks stiff. Octagon hits a butterfly suplex and heads up top for a 450 splash but Hijo comes in to break up the pin.

Hijo drops Octagon with a Canadian Destroyer and Dragon breaks up the pin. Muertes drops Dragon with a DDT, then spears Hijo down. Avalanches from Muertes to everyone, but Octagon hits him with a super kick, then Hijo hits a Backstabber and Dragon a rolling Cutter. Octagon then hits a springboard splash and Muertes is down. The remaining three men square off and Octagon kicks both Dragon and Hijo, then Hijo hits a cross body onto Dragon as Dragon is on Octagon’s shoulders. Hijo with a belly to belly to Octagon that sends him into the corner. Muertes pulls Hijo out of the ring but Hijo clotheslines him into the crowd. Hijo now climbs to the top rope and hits a dive onto Muertes. Back in the ring Octagon and Dragon square off and Dragon lands a kick but is caught on the top rope with a kick from Octagon. They head up top together and Octagon hits a Moonsault Fall Away Slam from the top rope and pins Dragon to win.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Octagon Jr. won the Caribbean title in 9:26

Rating: 3 stars

Good stuff, Muertes looked like a beast and didn’t eat the pin which is smart as the Caribbean title wasn’t doing him too many favors anymore. Octagon Jr. should be fine enough with the belt, Muertes can move on to bigger things, and apart from what I think was an error near the end on a spot this all came off very well.

5150 video, Rivera with some fast talk running down Texas and the people who live there. Hernandez just stands around. Rivera promises to send the Von Erichs back to the stables shoveling manure after they beat them in a Bunkhouse Brawl next week.

We get a sit down style video with Calvin Tankman. Tankman talks about growing up as a preacher’s kid who was obsessed with sports. He was talked out of wrestling and pursued football, but had a cousin who would watch Nitro with him. Wrestling was always his first love, and nothing he’s ever done measures up apart from being a father. He talks about the sacrifices his father made for their family and despite hardship he never quit, and he’s taken that work ethic with him into wrestling. Every time you’re knocked down or think it’s not worth continuing you get up and keep going, that what “heavyweight hustle” means. Decent little video, this wasn’t quite as good or insightful as Hammerstone’s but this isn’t a bad way to fill air time and help your talent get a bit more exposure.

Match #3 – Apocalypto Match: Jacob Fatu vs. Bestia 666

Bestia avoids a charge and lands body shots then hits a hurricanrana. Fatu kicks Bestia down then starts laying in strikes while trash talking Bestia. They hit the ropes and Bestia slips out of the ring but Fatu follows him with a suicide dive. Fatu abuses Bestia around the ringside area for a bit, laying in strikes and bouncing him off the barricade. Eventually Bestia avoids a chop and Fatu chops the ring post, but Fatu returns the favor and Bestia chops the post as well. Back in the ring Fatu hits a top rope cross body for a 2 count. Fatu starts looking for a weapon under the ring, after some searching he finds a steel chair, and another one. Back in the ring Fatu sets up a chair in a corner but Bestia starts trading hands with Fatu. Fatu catches Bestia with a tilt a whirl powerslam for a 2 count. Bestia fights back with a kick and an around the world DDT for a 2 count. Bestia takes the second chair and again sets it up between the ropes in a corner, he tries a Cutter but Fatu with the old hand stand counter then hits a super kick but Bestia counters a pop up Samoan Drop with a Crucifix Bomb for a near fall. After that Bestia slams Fatu head first into one of the chairs, and tries for a Muscle Buster which kind of works for another near fall. Given the size difference the Muscle Buster wasn’t a wise move. Bestia gets both of the chairs and wallops Fatu with one of them a couple of times before laying them in the middle of the ring. Fatu catches a charging Bestia with a pop up Samoan Drop for a 2 count. Fatu tries to take over, but Bestia catches him with a Canadian Destroyer out of the corner for a pretty compelling near fall. Bestia heads out of the ring to look for plunder under the ring, he finds a wooden door/ring board and shoves it into the ring. With the chairs and wood Bestia creates his own makeshift table then starts laying in strikes but Fatu catches him with another pop up Samoan Drop, this time through the board. Fatu then hits the double jump moonsault and wins.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Jacob Fatu won in 9:41

Rating: 3 stars

Nearly 3.5, these two had a perfectly acceptable brawl and Bestia got to look strong even in defeat.

In the back Cesar Duran has a press conference. Duran hates talking to the press, because despite him giving the best wrestling in the world no one appreciates it. But given his extreme success he’s going to make an announcement. The next MLW World Heavyweight title match will be special, and he introduces the next challenger Richard Holliday. The fake booing is a little annoying. Holliday says it’s time for the top of the mountain to get the change that it needs. Hammerstone crashes the conference and they yell at each other, Alicia Atout throws a drink in Hammerstone’s face, Hammerstone gets pissed and swings at Holliday but misses and lays out Duran. Duran drops to the floor as we head end the episode.

7.4

The final score: review Good

The 411

Good episode this week, some quality wrestling, segments that advanced the relevant storylines, a nice little stinger for next week, I've got very few complaints. The couple of botches stood out because most of the work was clean, and a few audio issues still showed up, but on the whole this was a pretty good episode of Fusion.