wrestling / TV Reports
Winfree’s MLW: Fusion (Ep. 170) Review 6.22.23
Image Credit: MLW
Loading...Hey people, back to the land of MLW again. This time around we’ve got Jacob Fatu challenging John Hennigan for the National openweight title, the Samoan Swat team defending the tag team titles, and more shenanigans. We’re still drawing from the War Chamber tapings but things seem to be heating up a bit here. This is still a transitional period for the company as various talent leaves, arrives, and the preparation for Never Say Never continues to get underway.
First a replay of Jacob Fatu’s video from last week, he’s coming for the National championship and then reminds The Calling he’s still got something coming for them.
We’re starting off with our tag team title match.
Match #1 – Tag Team Title Triple Threat Match: (c) Samoan Swat Team (Lance Anoa’i and Juicy Finau) vs. The FBI (Little Guido and Ray Jaz) vs. The Mane Event (Jay Lyons and Midas Black)
Everyone jumps Lance and Juicy to start, that goes poorly as Juicy just tosses them off. Some corner avalanches to everyone, then Midas dropkicks Lance out of the ring. Juicy gets sent out of the ring eventually. Guido and Jaz start to isolate Lyons, then Jaz jumps onto Lance. Guido wants to dive onto Juicy, but he decides against it, then jump into the arms of Juicy who slams him into the barricade. Midas sets up Lyons for a suicide dive through a hoop, then Midas climbs the ropes only for Lance to toss him onto the pile of bodies on the floor. Lance now dives onto everyone. Juicy just doesn’t bump for anyone I guess. Midas and Lyons are sent back into the ring, and they’re sandwiched between Lance and Juicy. Running leg lariat to the seated Midas from Juicy, then Lance with a cannonball senton to Lyons. Jaz takes out Lance with a back suplex but Juicy is too big and falls onto Guido. Jaz gets a Samoan drop from Juicy, but he’s set up for a modified 619 from Midas that staggers him. Lyons follows up with a standing moonsault then Midas follows with a top rope splash and Lance has to break up the pin. Now Lance goes up top, but Lyons meets him with a strike then climbs up to fight on the ropes for a superplex. Jaz comes over to complete the Tower of Doom spot and then Guido goes for a series of pins but can’t find a three count, though he does try to pin Jaz at one point. Juicy squashes both Guido and Jaz in the corner then Lyons hits the ropes only to eat a Samoan drop from Juicy, then the Polynesian Plunge from Lance to get the pin.
OFFICIAL RESULT: The Samoan Swat Team retained the titles in 5:48
Rating: 2.5 stars
Thoughts: Not much doubt about the outcome here, but everyone more or less did their jobs. Juicy doesn’t quite seem to have worked out how to work effectively without being able to bump but that’s a pretty unique skill set so it might take more time to develop. Solid work here but nothing really stands out.
Video from The Calling. They talk about having to go around certain obstacles, and through others. Raven says Jacob Fatu is all alone, Jimmy, Jey, Joe, even Dewey don’t even know who you are and The Calling is going to crash over him, leaving him to drown in the tsunami’s wake.
In the back Mr. Saint Laurent complains to a PA, reminding him that all the Microman royalties go to Laurent not Microman.
A quick recap of Delmi Exo defeated Taya Valkyrie for the women’s title. Then we see Taya in the back talking to herself, mad that she let this happen, then complains that a nobody just beat her. She’s not here to be a loser, she’s a multi time world champion, and yells at the cameraman until he leaves.
Elsewhere we get a video from Mance Warner. Mance is hoarser than usual after the hanging from last week. He knew he was in for a fight but they decided to take him to deaths door. He was almost gone, and since Sam Adonis tried to end him he’s going to do the same thing to him. When he gets his hands on Adonis he’s going to get him in a leather strap match, and whip the skin off of his back while dragging him to death’s door. Adonis did this now, now Mance is going to end it. Some audio issues there, but Mance is a pretty solid overall promo.
Match #2: Beastman w/ Kim Chee vs. Microman w/ Mr. Saint Laurent
Microman tries to evade at first as Beastman stalks him. Now Microman hugs the leg of Beastman, who just kicks him away. Beastman picks up Microman and bites him, looking to eat the smaller man before pressing him overhead for a World’s Strongest Slam. Kim Chee wants Beastman to climb the ropes and obliterate Microman, but Microman avoids a diving leg drop. Microman gets a club from Kim Chee by accident, then cracks Beastman in the groin with it. Running Flatliner from Microman, and Matt Striker on commentary with the line of the night “Bless Beastman’s heart”, then Microman pins to win.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Microman won in 2:23
Rating: 1.5 stars
Thoughts: I get more mileage out of Microman’s stuff than most, but even for me this felt like a miss.
Post match Mr. Saint Laurent has a mic and puts over Microman.
John Hennigan is warming up with Sam Adonis, Adonis is pumping him up and then thanks Hennigan for helping him take out Mance Warner last week. Hennigan plants on beating Fatu tonight, and this one is for Taya. Adonis will be on commentary for that match, so you know, shenanigans incoming.
Our first Opera Cup participant is announced, Davey Boy Smith Jr. while it’s confirmed again that Alex Kane is banned from the tournament.
Never Say Never car update.
Alex Kane and Mr. Thomas are interviewed, and Kane objects to not being in the Opera Cup. Kane then calls Alex Hammerstone just a thing to overcome. The League is just taking things from him. Well Bomaye is going to give back to the people since the League is taking, and he says again we’ll get an open challenge next week.
Sam Adonis has joined commentary for our main event.
Match #3 – MLW National Openweight Title Match: (c) John Hennigan w/ Taya Valkyrie vs. Jacob Fatu
They tie up, and Fatu shoves Hennigan away. Hennigan wants a test of strength, then switches into an arm wringer and grabs a side headlock. Hennigan into the ropes, and he runs into a Fatu shoulder block that sends us to a cut.
I don’t think we missed much on the cut and we come back to Fatu and Hennigan circling in the ring again. Hennigan elbows the back of Fatu’s head and tries to take over with strikes but Fatu comes out of the corner and shoulder blocks Hennigan pretty much out of the ring. Taya gets in the ring to distract Fatu allowing Hennigan to hit a chop block from behind. Kicks from Hennigan and he’s in control now. Things head out of the ring and we get some brawling which favors Fatu as he starts smacking Hennigan around. Hennigan hides behind Taya, Fatu goes around her and continues landing palm strikes. Fatu bounces Hennigan around the barricade then punches him out of a chair. Headbutt from Fatu, Hennigan keeps trying to run away but Fatu keeps landing strikes. They head back into the ring and Hennigan lands some kicks in the corner now. Neckbreaker from Hennigan then some mounted elbows but he can’t find a pin and we head to break as he grabs a rest hold.
They trade strikes as we come back. Running knee from Hennigan then he heads up top but Fatu punches him off the top rope and to the floor. Suicide dive from Fatu connects. Back in the ring Fatu heads up top for a crossbody and a 2 count. Superkick from Fatu then the handspring moonsault but again only a near fall. Hennigan hits a Moonlight Drive to stop the momentum, but only gets a 2 count. Hennigan wants Starship Pain, but Fatu rolls away and Adonis leaves commentary to throw stuff at Fatu and distract him. Hennigan gets a chair, but the ref takes it away and Fatu lands a superkick but because those don’t matter these days he’s free to roll up Fatu after Taya cracks him with the belt, but again only a near fall. Not the best kick out from Fatu there. Another knee from Hennigan, but here’s Delmi Exo to neutralize Taya, as Mance Warner attacks Adonis at commentary. Everything’s broken down as Hennigan and Fatu fight on the ropes. In the back Lance Anoa’i is fighting The Calling to keep them occupied. Fatu knocks Hennigan down, hits a moonsault, but Taya pulls the ref out of the ring to stop the pin. Delmi chases Taya again and here’s Juicy Finau to pick up Taya and carry her away as Hennigan lands a Disaster kick and both men are down. Both men start trading punches as they stand, Hennigan eventually hits a poisoned rana then a knee strike. Starship Pain from Hennigan connects but only a near fall as Fatu kicks out again. Hennigan is in shock but looks to continue the attack with strikes in the corner. Fatu catches Hennigan with an avalanche and more corner offense of his own. Superkick from Fatu then a pop up Samoan drop. Double jump moonsault connects and that’ll do it.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Jacob Fatu won the title in 14:13
Rating: 3 stars
Thoughts: Decent closing stretch but the opening bit and brawling was really slow and just served to pad the run time. The over booking still annoys me, but that’s a personal thing more than anything else. Fatu getting gold was inevitable given his standing in the company and the National title could use a boost as it’s struggled a bit to find real footing and value since Hammerstone vacated after becoming a double champion.
Fatu celebrates with the title, he gets a mic and plays with the crowd and says on behalf of him and the bloodline he comes from, thank you.
