Winfree’s MLW: Fusion (Ep. 190) Review 11.09.23

Well everyone, let’s see what MLW is up to this week. The build to Fightland continues, and Don King will have one of his very sad recorded segments here while the triangle between Matt Cardona, Jacob Fatu, and MLW World champion Alex Kane solidifies. Janai Kai will be around as well, plus Tracy Williams will be in action. We’re drawing from the Slaughterhouse taping set still, but again if that changes for a specific match I’ll let you know.

We open with an announcement that at Fightland we’ll get a rematch between The Calling and the Second Gear Crew in a ladder match. That seems academic after how their tables match ended.

To the ring for our first match.

Match #1: Griffin McCoy vs. Tracy Williams

They tie up, trade arm wringers and escapes with Williams getting the better of the mat wrestling as he takes things down to the mat. Griffin with an ankle pick and tries to work the leg of Williams but Williams escapes then hits a takedown and stomps on the leg of Griffin. Now Williams goes to work on the leg, Griffin kicks him off and then Williams with some pinning situations then he winds up grabbing a side headlock. Griffin escapes the headlock and kicks the arm of Williams, then hits an arm wringer takedown. Williams with a chop then a back suplex and a chancery suplex to follow up. Some strikes from Williams but he can’t hit a throw as his arm is hurting, they do some rope running and Griffin lands a high kick to drop Williams. More kicks from Griffin then he tries a half and half suplex but can’t finish it and has to settle for another kick to the back. Williams starts to fire up, he lands a chop then another back suplex. Corner chops from Williams then a back elbow, he climbs the ropes but Griffin with a gamengiri and they fight on the ropes but Williams with a modified DDT that drops Griffin face first onto the top rope. A cross legged shin breaker follows, then a Dragon Screw leg whip from Williams. Williams grabs an STF after that, Griffin tries for the ropes, Williams grabs the Crippler Crossface instead but Griffin does get to the ropes anyway and force the break. Griffin fights off a Piledriver and they start trading strikes, Williams counters a Sunset Kick with an Ankle Lock, Griffin is in pain but he’s able to kick free. Williams wants a Piledriver, but Griffin accidentally kicks the ref then while the ref can’t see he hits Williams with a low blow. Griffin follows that with a half and half suplex, then the Sunset Kick (Cody’s Disaster kick) connects to get the 3 count.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Griffin McCoy won in 8:35

Rating: 3 stars
Thoughts: This is a slightly generous 3 stars, but I was a little surprised when I looked at how long this went because it kind of flew by. Good wrestling does that though, and while I was surprised to see Tracy Williams take another loss he and Griffin turned in a solid match.

We get a get a quick recap of some of the shenanigans from last week.

Mr. Saint Laurent talks next. He’s got big plans for Fightland that he’ll unveil later tonight, but warns that there are receipts coming to Jacob Fatu for stealing Cardona’s car. He’s a man of wealth and taste, he doesn’t deal with thugs and savages like Fatu and his people. There will be a new World Titan Federation logo revealed in a minute or two. He’s going to bring sports entertainment to MLW, wrestling only exists because comic books got too expensive for virgins and now he’s trying to elevate the scene away from them. He really wants the 1% to embrace sports entertainment. We do see that logo show up after he’s done talking.

Back to the ring for our next match.

Match #2: Janai Kai w/ Salina de la Renta vs. Riley Krowe

Kai attacks at the bell with a side kick to the face, then a few follow up punches on the ground before the ref jumps in and waves this off.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Janai Kai won in :14

Rating: Spaghetti SQUASH
Thoughts: Delicious squash.

Kai and Salina get an interview on the entrance stage, Salina takes the mic from Sam Laterna and dismisses her. Salina puts over Kai, Kai then gets the mic and just says “kick demon”. OK then.

Video from The Calling. Rickey Shane Page promises to turn Fightland into a Wasteland. He calls Cannonball his weapon and promises the weak will be culled, then he and Akira share some glares.

Back to commentary, RSP runs up on them but 1 Called Manders and Matthew Justice show up, Akira is here as well and all four men brawl for a bit as we get a cut.

Fightland update, our “new” match is a repeat announcement of the tag team title match in a ladder match. Other than that they just run down the matches that have already been announced.

In the back Sam Laterna interviews Rocky Romero. Rocky is happy to finally get a worthy opponent in the MLW ring in the form of Mascara Dorado, but he doesn’t have time for Ichiban and advises him to stay in his lane.

Don Kin video, man this is just sad as you can see him reading the script. All he does is remind us that Alex Kane will defend the title at Fightland. I don’t know what MLW paid Don King for this but it was too much.

One Shot update, Rickey Shane Page will defend his National Openweight title against Jimmy Lloyd. OK then.

Tom Lawlor talks in the back, he’s only been here for a minute but he’s already sick and tired of Alex Kane and the Bomaye clowns. He says any of them can come get a piece of him, at the Fusion on Thanksgiving the leaders in sports entertainment will feast on Bomaye. You know, I know he’s supposed to be the heel here but Lawlor has done nothing but speak truth since returning to MLW.

Midas Black introduces himself and Jay Lyon for the next match.

Match #3 – Tag Team Match: Mane Event (Midas Black and Jay Lyon) vs. Bomaye Fight Club (Mr. Thomas and O’Shay Edwards)

Edwards wants Lyons, and gets him. They tie up, but neither man can overpower the other. Some strikes now from Lyon then he avoids a back body drop. Edwards flexes but gets low bridged while charging Lyon. Lyon knocks Edwards off the apron, then Thomas tries to get involved but Black sends him out of the ring then holds the hoop open for Lyon to dive through onto Edwards and Thomas. Back in the ring Lyon gets a 1 count. Black tags in but Thomas with a blind tag before Edwards runs over both Black and Lyon. Thomas then tags in for some reason. Lyon eats an Oklahoma Stampede from Edwards then a Black Hole Slam from Thomas. That leaves Black alone to take an assisted powerbomb and Thomas gets the pin.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Bomaye won in 3:01

Rating: 2 stars
Thoughts: Glorified squash, the tag team scene in MLW is pretty barren and I’m not sure beating up the somewhat lovable goofs of the Mane Event is really going to help the Bomaye group in their presumptive face turn. I say presumptive because there’s nothing else going on in this promotion on the face side, on the heel side you’ve got WTF, Salina’s new group, and The Calling. Bomaye is kind of face by default despite still acting heelish and it makes for a very weird dynamic.

In the back Mance Warner talks with Manders trying to get him ready for the ladder match. There’s a white board and Mance tries his best to illustrate how they want that tag team title match to go. They plan on hitting the pay window. Well Akina and RSP attack again because these groups are just randomly brawling to fill air time.

In the back Court Bauer officiates the contract signing for Alex Kane and Jacob Fatu. Immediately this turns into a brawl because less of Kane talking is always a good thing. We can see MSL laughing at the chaos as the episode ends.

6.0

The final score: review Average

The 411

Decent by Fusion standards, we got one pretty good match then a few less than interesting offerings. The constant brawling between the Calling and Second Gear Crew is just comical at this point but that feud seems to be coming to a close sooner rather than later, which is for the best. The Calling lost a ton of steam without Raven's presence and the sooner Akira and RSP split the better at this point. The Cardona, Fatu, and Kane triangle remains in place but I'm still compelled to point out that Kane is the least interesting side of it. But for a Fusion, I'll call this one Average, only Griffin and Williams is really worth looking up.