Winfree’s MLW Fusion (Ep. 160) Review 12.22.22

Alright people, back to the land of MLW once again. We’re continuing the matches taped at the Super Series back in September. The feud between Alex Hammerstone and EJ Nduka continues to heat up, Willie Mack will be taking on Jacob Fatu at some point, we’ve got Mads Kurgger vs. Mance Warner in a tables match, and a main event of Taya Valkyrie defending her title against Lady Flammer.

Mance Warner has a video promo before the match, he’s got a guitar and cuts a rambling promo.

Match #1 – Tables Match: Mads Krugger vs. Mance Warner

I appreciate the design of Krugger’s new mask, it’s a big step up from the prior one. They start brawling on the floor, and Krugger no sells some chops. Mance gets something from the crowd and whacks Krugger with it, then Krugger gets a Mexican flag and cracks Mance with it. Krugger tosses Mance over a barricade then follows him out there and resumes brawling. Mance with a chop then some chair shots but he can’t get Krugger off of his feet. They brawl through the crowd for a bit, then Mance hits Krugger with a drum, only for Krugger to boot him over the barricade. Now they’re back in the ringside area and Krugger smacks Mance off of a ring post. Krugger then tosses a few doors into the ring as we get a break.

We come back and I don’t think we’ve missed much in terms of action. Mance is bleeding from the head as Krugger looks for more plunder. Krugger finds a screwdriver and starts stabbing Mance in the head. In the ring for the first time now, Krugger sets up the doors in opposite corners. Mance gets a steel chair and low blows Krugger with it then cracks him in the head, Krugger no sells it so a second one drops him to a knee. Krugger avoids a knee strike and sets up the chairs so he can scoop slam Mance through them. Mance avoids a charge from Krugger and Krugger splashes through the door. Mance tries to fight back with some door shots, but Krugger shrugs them off and spears Mance through the other door. Krugger goes back under the ring and finds a table, which he sets up on the floor. They move to the apron, Krugger is looking to end this but Mance hits the eye poke then tosses Krugger off the apron through the table to get the win.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Mance Warner won in 7:38

Rating: 2 stars

Krugger looked like a monster here, as he should, but this was ultimately a bit too slow and featured a bit too much repetitive brawling. Also Krugger is going to have to start winning at some point, but I also get this keeping him generally strong while reintroducing Mance to the fans.

Post match Mance gets a mic, he says they fight and bleed buckets here in MLW then go back and enjoy a cold beer. He’s got a feeling that he and Krugger are going to have to do this again at some point, but he’s going to be with the crowd drinking for the rest of the night. To close he says he’s going to get drunk.

A video of Microman and Saint Laurent asking for donations in Santa get up. They’re chased off because they don’t have a permit.

Juicy Finau gets a promo in the back. He says the Samoan Swat Team is here to drink our beer, smoke our weed, and eat our food. Juicy is going to get Fatu and head to a buffet. I feel like Scott Steiner would have something to say about this.

We see Taya Valkyrie arriving, she’s been dominating the world of lucha libre for over a decade and Lady Flammer might have potential but she’s not Taya Valkyrie.

A video from Alex Kane, he calls the Bomaye Fight Club a movement and claims that the group is getting chants. They don’t take applications, but they do take names and Opera Cups right Davey? Then, per usual, he yells bomaye several times in lieu of an actual closing.

Match #2 – Peach State Prize Fight: Alex Kane w/ Myron Reed and a bunch of unnamed jobbers vs. D3

So the rules here are surviving 5 minutes against Kane and win a cash prize. Also Myron Reed is carrying the Opera Cup around on behalf of Kane. Kane gets a mic as Reed joins commentary. The goons try to get a “bomaye” chant, that goes poorly in an almost sad way. Kane says tonight someone is going to suplex island. I don’t know who told him that was a good idea but it comes across as cheap. Anyway our opponent for Kane is D3 (Daniele Dentice D’Accadia). D3 avoids a blow and lands a drop kick. Kane then catches D3 with an exploder suplex into the corner. Dragon suplex from Kane but he pulls up from a pin attempt. Some time wasting from Kane and D3 fights back with strikes but he’s caught in a capture suplex. Release vertical suplex, then a cravat and leg capture back suplex to get the pin.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Alex Kane won in 2:02

Rating: Yellow Hubbard Squash

Decent squash, D3 has fire and personality that came across.

Post match Kane tosses D3 out of the ring and gets a mic. He wants to know if that was the best Georgia has to offer, then says anyone in the back can come out and go to suplex island. Please stop trying to make that a thing. Davey Richards shows up and charges the ring but the goons stop him and that allows Myron Reed to hit a dive. In the ring now Reed and Kane stomp on Richards, then pose with the Opera Cup.

Promo from new MLW Middleweight champion, Shun Skywalker. He speaks Japanese that goes untranslated, but then goes to English long enough to say he’ll be in Philadelphia.

EJ Nduka promo, he reminds us he’s built for this. He’s as strong as the diamonds he wears, pressure makes diamonds and he’s not afraid of the pressure Hammerstone tries to bring. Nothing about EJ is decoration, this is real and then next time they square up it’s over. He reminds us that he’s had Hammerstone’s back for a long time, dating back to the War Chamber. And for that Hammerstone ducked him and wouldn’t give him a shot, so he had to take it. EJ is how he says he is, he’s the Judge and everyone’s just living in his court yard. I think he meant court room. To close he warns that Hammerstone is in trouble. Decent overall promo from EJ, apart from that little flub at the end.

A reminder that Davey Boy Smith Jr is returning to MLW, and I’m still a little tickled they’re using the old PRIDE FC theme for him.

Microman, Lance Anoa’i, and Jacob Fatu are at a bar drinking egg nog. Lince Dorado shows up with a gift for Microman and Lance offers him a Santa hat. The gift is a robe for Microman, who shows it off as it matches Dorado’s. They resume drinking.

Hammerstone promo, he brings up going through the stage with EJ a couple of weeks ago. He didn’t like going through the stage with EJ, but he’s glad they did it. Those are the moments that remind him why he does this, he’s had all kinds of moments like that when he’s waiting for a stinger to abate, or the time’s he’s been hit so hard he can’t remember the match or the day, he has to ask himself why he does this in those moments. This is all he knows how to do, and it keeps him up at night. But what is this for EJ? He thinks this is just how EJ plays superstar. We’ve been told over and over why EJ is special, a former star in football and bodybuilding, but that just means he’s good enough to be kind of successful at a few things but never good enough to reach the top of anything. EJ hasn’t had those moments when he has to think why he does this, this is fun for EJ, a way for him to pretend he’s a superstar. Now he’s going to give EJ those moments of why. EJ has been coasting on God given gifts, but God left out heart and passion, and after Hammerstone makes him wonder why, EJ will have to realize he doesn’t have a why. Once Hammerstone makes him realize what this business can be, EJ’s going to have to find the next thing where he can pretend to be a big deal. Dang Hammerstone, I occasionally forget he can pull these kinds of promos out when given the chance to do so.

News that Alex Hammerstone vs. EJ Nduka is set for January 5th in a Last Man Standing match.

Back to the ring for our main event.

Match #3 – MLW Women’s Featherweight Title Match: (c) Taya Valkyrie vs. Lady Flammer

They tie up, Taya then shoves Flammer away showing off the power edge she has. Another tie up, and again Taya pushes Flammer away. Kick from Taya then Flammer hits the ropes to land a hurricanrana only for Taya to come back with an arm drag. Flammer with some strikes but Taya puts her in the ropes and hits a Nakamura style sliding German suplex to send us to a break. We come back to Flammer landing a drop kick which sends Taya to the floor then following up with a suicide dive. Flammer slams Taya into the ring post then sends Taya back into the ring. Taya fights back with body blows then a chop. They start trading strikes on their knees, but Flammer looks to fire up and lays in some stomps in the corner. Again Taya fights back with some strikes before sending Flammer into a corner but Flammer lands a super kick. Taya gets Flammer into an electric chair position then hits a Snake Eyes. Some strikes from Taya now then a clothesline to drop Flammer. Blue Thunder Bomb from Taya gets a 2 count. Flammer fights back with strikes then chops Taya in the corner and this a drop kick version of Shattered Dreams for a near fall. They start trading strikes now, with Taya getting the better of things then hitting a Spear for a 2 count. Taya repositions Flammer then heads up top, but Flammer is able to cut her off and then climbs up with Taya. They trade strikes but Taya drops down then hits Flammer with a sit out powerbomb for 2. Flammer then hits a Canadian Destroyer but only a near fall as it does not destroy that particular Canadian. Back kick from Flammer gets another 2 count. Taya starts firing up now and unloads with strikes, hits a knee strike then the Road to Valhalla connects and we’re done.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Taya Valkyrie retained the title in 8:48

Rating: 2.5 stars

There was a very lucha libre feel here in terms of structure, which isn’t always my personal cup of tea, but they worked hard to make Flammer seem like a threat and she definitely came off well when it was all said and done.

Taya poses with the belt as the episode ends.

6.0

The final score: review Average

The 411

The quality of the ring work was down a bit this week, or at least it didn't quite reach me but given the slightly extreme stylistic choices for two of the matches that tracks. The advancement of EJ Nduka and Alex Hammerstone was good, with both men cutting some solid promos to that effect. Ultimately the rest just came across as more Average than Good.