wrestling / TV Reports
Winfree’s MLW: Fusion (Ep. 185) Review 10.05.23
Image Credit: MLW
Loading...It’s MLW time again people, and things over there have started looking up just a bit. There was a pretty serious dip for a few weeks, but the last couple of episodes have hinted at things moving forward. With Slaughterhouse coming up soon there’s a need to build some momentum there, and in general hopefully things can continue to build after the lull and reset that happened a few months ago. As for tonight we’re continuing to draw from the Fury Road tapings, Alex Kane will be in action, the Second Gear Crew’s war with The Calling will continue, and I’m sure a few people will talk.
Commentary runs down the show tonight.
We get a brawl right away on the floor. Mance has joined commentary. Weapons are sent into the ring as Cannonball briefly rakes the eyes of Justice before eventually everyone gets in the ring and we get a bell.
Match #1 – Tornado Tag Team Match: Second Gear Crew (1 Called Manders and Matthew Justice) w/ Mance Warner vs. The Calling (Talon and Cannonball)
Talon and Cannonball miss chair shots, Manders and Justice then hit some corner attacks and Justice throws a chair around the head of Cannonball then hits it with a chair as it got hung up there. Talon is tossed into Cannonball, but Cannonball no sells and hits a double clothesline. Cannonball slams Talon onto Manders, then suplexes him into Justice. Cannonball sets up a chair, then hits a hanging Anarchist suplex to Manders onto the chair which collapses under the impact. Talon hits a corner dropkick to Justice, then one to Manders as well and we get a cut.
Doesn’t seem like we missed much, but two chairs are set up and Justice and Manders seated into them, but when Cannonball tries to slam Talon into them they move and Talon eats chair. Justice and Manders abuse Cannonball with chair shots for a bit then Manders picks up Talon and slams him into Cannonball. Spear and lariat to Talon, but Cannonball splashes onto the pile of pin attempts to break them up. Cannonball hits Manders with a chair, then one of the ugliest Tiger Driver ’91’s you’ll ever see drops Manders almost on his head but Manders still kicks at 2 because nothing means anything. Justice comes back in with a chair and cracks Cannonball out of the ring with it, then he dives onto Cannonball. Talon eats a lariat from Manders then Justice with a top rope splash to get the pin.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Second Gear Crew won in 4:57
Rating: 1.5 stars
Thoughts: Sloppy, disjointed, a relic of what you’d hope is a bygone era of wrestling philosophy.
Manders and Justice celebrate after the match, and Mance joins them as they head to the back.
Love Doug is badly strumming a guitar and singing. Sam Laterna asks him about it, Doug is then interrupted by Jacob Fatu. Fatu says he has the voice of an angel, proving just how much head trauma Fatu has taken.
We get a recap of Tony Deppen and TJ Crawford aligning last week. TJ and Deppen talk in the back, Deppen says he came to MLW for money. The product, the fans, or anything else just doesn’t matter. But he saw someone who reminded him of himself at a younger age, TJ Crawford. TJ is glad they took out Kevin Blackwood, and then talk about how they both just came back from injury and that it’s awesome to have put Blackwood on the shelf they just occupied. They’re here to take of MLW at any cost. Generic promo is generic, but that doesn’t necessarily mean bad.
Mr. Saint-Laurent is in the back with Sam Laterna. He’s asked about last weeks “expose” which didn’t expose anything. MSL claims it was just a hit piece and a sad commentary on the state of MLW affairs. Not sure you should be breaking the 4th wall that way bud. He goes on for a bit about how he deserves a cut from anyone he signs, and objects to being painted as nefarious when he’s a legitimate businessman. MLW is doing business with Don King, so he’s kind of got a point. MSL says there will be a lawsuit, and promises to make anyone who signs with him a superstar.
Next we get a recap of MLW coming back from the dead in 2017. A lot of interesting names now that we’ve got a few more years after that event. This leads to a replay of Shane “Swerve” Strickland vs. Ricochet which main evented that card.
Match #2 – 2017 replay: Swerve Strickland vs. Ricochet
Slow circling, then a tie up and Ricochet forces Swerve into a corner but we do get a clean break. Swerve goes for a hammerlock, and forces Ricochet into the corner then gives his own clean break as Ricochet walks to the apron then saunters to another corner. Swerve holds the ropes open, Ricochet jumps over the ropes back into the ring because the one ups manship is in full effect. Quick takedown from Ricochet into a modified Indian Death lock, then transitions to a reverse bow and arrow hold. Swerve fights free with some finger manipulation then he switches into a biceps crusher to control Ricochet. Omoplata now from Swerve, Ricochet rolls free then escapes an arm wringer with a single leg takedown. Again Ricochet ties up the legs of Swerve then rolls into a front headlock. Swerve fights free but eats some strikes from Ricochet. Chop from Swerve though, he wont be intimidated by Ricochet and they stare off.
Ricochet quickly goes with strikes again then a side headlock but Swerve counters into one of his own then hits a shoulder block but Ricochet bounces right up. Rope running time and it all ends in a stalemate eventually as Ricochet avoided a JML driver then Swerve avoids a Benadryller. Fun sequence. Ricochet scoots into the ropes to avoid a butt scooting Swerve and the ref forces them to reset after a bit. Right hand from Swerve and he keeps after Ricochet with strikes. Ricochet kicks Swerve out of the corner, then tries to follow with a dropkick but Swerve jumps with him and catches him in an armbar. Swerve grounds Ricochet and wrenches on the arm of Ricochet, eventually snapping it backwards with a stomp. More arm work from Swerve as he tries to keep Ricochet grounded and the pace slower. Swerve grabs at a Rings of Saturn version and Ricochet has to get to the ropes to escape the hold. Ricochet tries to fight back but Swerve has more firepower right now and punches him down then stomps the arm. Ricochet into the ropes and hits a shotgun dropkick to turn the momentum in his favor.
Swerve fights off a reverse suplex and lands a kick then trips of Ricochet and hits a springboard double stomp for a 2 count. Ricochet avoids a JML Driver and grabs a Victory Roll for 2 then they trade strikes again. Kicks go back and forth then Swerve hits a knee kick and a modified Swerve Kick, I don’t think it was his finisher yet, but then Ricochet catches him coming off the ropes with a lariat and both men are down. They slowly pull themselves up and start trading strikes again, Ricochet might have a bit more in the tank now that we’re deeper into the match as he seems to be getting the better of things in the striking exchange. Both men land rights at the same time a couple of times then Ricochet hits a German suplex. Ricochet up top, but Swerve palm strikes him then kicks him in the head. Swerve climbs up there with Ricochet and looks for a superplex but Ricochet fights him off then thinks about an avalanche Tombstone piledriver but Swerve slips free, lands kicks, then hit Ricochet with a jumping DDT from the second rope but only gets a near fall. Swerve up top, Swerve Stomp but only a 2 count. Swerve pulls Ricochet into an Electric Chair but Ricochet fights free and lands a boot but Swerve comes off the ropes with a Sick Kick only for Ricochet to hit a poisoned Rana then rolling Northern Lights suplex into a regular suplex. Ricochet up top, 450 splash but only a near fall. Ricochet goes back up top and wants a Shooting Star Press but Swerve avoids him and lands a running dropkick, but Ricochet avoids a lariat and lands an enziguri and a Vertigo Driver but again can only muster a 2 count. A few insulting strikes from Ricochet, then he spits on Swerve. Swerve grabs a Victory Roll for 2, then hits a back suplex into an armbar but Ricochet quickly rolls free. Knee strike from Swerve out of the Gory Special, similar to Tay Melo’s Tay-KO. Swerve stomps on Ricochet’s head a few times then locks in a biceps crusher/short arm scissor, Ricochet thinks about tapping but is able to roll through then uses raw power to hoist Swerve up and hit a powerbomb to break the hold. Ricochet then hits a Benadryller Mk 2 but Swerve catches the kick and grabs a rolling short arm scissors, this time Ricochet can’t reach the ropes and when he tries to roll through the hold gets wrenched up behind his head and he has to tap.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Swerve Strickland won in 24:10 shown
Rating: 3.5 stars
Thoughts: For kicks and giggles I looked up what Larry thought of this match when it originally happened and he clocked it at 33:25 and rated it 4 stars so we clearly lost something here. I’m happy to assume whatever was lost in those minutes would have pushed this to 4 stars, but in this case I’m only rating what was shown. It’s a nice little look back at two guys who would become fairly substantial players in the two big promotions, this was during Ricochet’s farewell tour and he’d debut in WWE shortly after while Swerve was still in the indys for a bit before his NXT tenure and then eventual move to AEW. Good match here, they went against expectations in some respects because while there was aerial stuff it was kept minimal and this was a much more grounded and physical battle between the two. It’s also not too hard to look at a match like this and realize both men were destined for much bigger things in the world of wrestling.
We get an interview in the back with Alex Kane and Mr. Thomas. Kane wont send this guy to suplex island, but instead hoe island. For a long time I thought Johnny Location’s “Slamtown” was the worst iteration of Suplex City, but this is indeed worse. It doesn’t matter who MSL puts out because Kane can still yell Bomaye. Kane still feels incredibly rehearsed and artificial.
Salina de la Renta is in “Mexico City” and she’s here to meet with people and bring the alliance of MLW and CMLL to fruition but there will be a price to pay for Court Bauer.
Slaughterhouse update, our new match is title for title with Rocky Romero puts his Historic title up against Akira’s Middleweight title. Other than that it’s just stuff that’s already been announced.
The Calling has a video, they’re going to ruin Salina’s plans as Akira only lives for the slaughter and promises to make Rocky need that eyepatch for real.
Main event time, and MSL comes out first to the introduce Gene Snitsky as Alex Kane’s opponent.
Match #3: Alex Kane w/ Mr. Thomas and J Bouji vs. Gene Snitsky
Snitsky just sits in the corner, bemused at best by the antics of Kane and his goons. Some bad posing from both men, Kane looks downright pedestrian in size beside Snitsky. Kane hits a throw but Snitsky bounces up and elbows him. German supelx from Kane then some corner strikes from Kane. Another German suplex from Kane but then Kane runs into a boot and we get a cut. I don’t think we missed much on the cut there. Snitsky easily picks up Kane and slams him. Elbow drop from Snitsky, then another one for a 2 count. Scoop slam from Snitsky then he decides to climb the ropes, that’s probably a bad idea and yeah, he misses a somersault senton. Kane locks up the Fade to Black and Snitsky taps.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Alex Kane won in 4:32
Rating: 1.5 stars
Thoughts: Borderline squash, and frankly a squash might have been a better idea. Snitsky has never been a great worker, and Kane is still finding his footing in a lot of ways. This was disjointed, oddly laid out, and about the only thing going for it was they didn’t take too long.
Kane and goons celebrate post match to end the episode.
