Winfree’s MLW Fusion: Filthy Island (Ep. 122) Review 2.17.21

Hello everyone, Winfree back again for the latest episode of MLW. This week we have the much ballyhooed Filthy Island, a series of events brought to you by your 2020 Opera Cup champion “Filthy” Tom Lawlor. There’s a surprisingly high number of matches currently announced, Low Ki rematches King Mo, Mil Muertes meets Savio Vega in an Aztec Jungle Fight, Kevin Ku battles Zenshi, Rocky Romero takes on Grinto Loco, and we’ll see Dominic Garrini’s Prizefight Challenge.

We open with a disclaimer that MLW has no affiliation with Filthy Island and assumes no liability in the event this is a fraudulent business venture. Fair enough.

Somewhere in Hawaii Tom Lawlor is on the phone saying he’ll handle stuff. He calls over Garrini and says there’s a problem with catering as it’s stuck in port and there’s no spam. Garrini says it’s a delicacy and we can’t have catering without spam. Lawlor sends him to the port to engage in some implied sexual situation to get the rest of their food out of the port.

Filthy Island video intro, then we head to commentary where Tom Lawlor is with Dan Lambert. There is a ton of off brand product placement on their announce table, that’s quite funny. They’re being hosted on the Von Erich estate apparently, I’m sure that wont backfire on them. Commentary runs down the card for us.

Some production assistant has a stereo set up for entrance music and has to physically change tapes for each wrestler. That’s both funny and accurate depending on just how local you go for either wrestling or MMA events. Garrini’s challenge is up first. Oh God, the ring doesn’t even have ropes and any fans are just on couches or whatever other chairs they brought. This is hilarious.

Match #1: Dominic Garrini’s Prizefight Challenge – Dominic Garrini vs. Mauna Loa

Loa attacks early and drops Garrini then hits a splash for 2. Garrini rolls out of the ring and complains about the size and savagery of his opponent. Back in the ring Garrini hits a hip toss, grabs the rear naked choke and wins.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Dominic Garrini won

Rating: Red kuri. . . SQUASH

Not much of a match, but this whole set up is tickling my funny bone.

We head to the jungles of Mexico for the Aztec Jungle fight, our regular MLW commentary team will be handling that match.

Los Parks have a message for Contra Unit, they wont be giving up the tag belts and even think the MLW World Title would be a nice gift for the Azteca Underground higher ups. LA Park also decides he’s coming for Hammerstone’s Openweight title, and calls him a “vascular coward” which is a great little line.

Commentary with more discussion of the card. We get a graphic that opportunities abound for believers, along with an Azteca Underground website.

Richard Holliday is here with Alexander Hammerstone and they’re not impressed with Hawaii right now. Holliday says he’s doing what every Caribbean champion should on the islands. They both decided to head back to their hotel and get massages. There’s an update from the Yucatan, Salina de la Renta and a ref have arrived and a note from “El Jefe” the boss at Azteca Underground promises blood will flow for the believers. I just have to note, if this somehow isn’t a set up for some kind of Lucha Underground/Dario Cueto re-emergence I’m going to be really upset.

Back to Hawaii for our next match.

Match #2: Kevin Ku w/ Dominic Garrini vs. Zenshi

Zenshi dives out of the tree next to the ring to get the match going. Slam from Zenshi then a drop kick and Ku heads out of the ring. Ku avoids a shooting star press and hits a modified Alpamare waterslide onto the apron. Knee to the body from Ku back in the ring, they play around with the lack of ropes and even turnbuckles. Zenshi tries an enziguri but Ku counters into a dragon screw leg whip. Ku is after a leg lock, he’s got a half crab on, there aren’t even ropes for Zenshi to get to and force a break. Zenshi is able to turn and kick Ku off of him. Ku with a double leg into the full Boston Crab but Zenshi wont give up and hits a roll up for 2 but then gets clotheslined by Ku. Kicks from Ku, Zenshi with a leg kick. Ku with a chop and they fight over a suplex, Zenshi with a roll up and Garrini hilariously accuses Zenshi of grabbing the ropes. Headbutt from Zenshi, Ku fights back and they trade strikes but Zenshi with a Pele kick for 2. Ku throws Zenshi into the ring post, now he’s after a German suplex but Zenshi is holding onto the post. Zenshi flips out of a Dargon suplex and hits a series of kicks, tries a neckbreaker but Ku counters with a bridging Dragon suplex to win.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Kevin Ku won at 4:59

Rating: 2 stars

Objectively it’s more like 1.5, but I’m giving them a little extra for making the absurd situation work to their advantage.

Some good natured bickering on commentary as they talk about the set up and accommodations. Video from the Von Erich boys, they say Low Ki is walking into a trap and that Lawlor has been treating their island like a trash can. They decide to head over and crash the party.

Lawlor threatens to have the Von Erich’s arrested if they show up, for trespassing or something.

Back to the Yucatan, Savio Vega is here and starts talking to Salina. Here comes Mil Muertes and he starts laying into Vega. They both trade punches and whatnot as the feed is lost.

Apparently MLW Underground re-airings will start again next week. Oh joy.

Commentary mentions they’re trying to get the feed back from Mexico, but to fill time we’ve got Alicia Atout talking via Zoom to TJP. She asks about his actions towards Bu Ku Dao after their tag team match. TJP says they lost which sucks, and mentions that for 22 years he’s been doing this and they cut to footage of him from early days MLW but over the last six years or so he’s been dominating wherever he goes. With all of his traveling lately he’s been trying to move out of just the cruiserweight divisions around the world and is looking for tag team glory, doesn’t matter who his partner is he’ll drag them to success. But Dao has been actively taking stuff away from him, and he doesn’t feel he can teach Dao anymore. Atout asks him about bullying Dao, he says bullying is a bit of an exaggeration and talks about getting bullied coming up but he got better than them and that ended it while Dao is being whiny. They get into a bit of a back and forth, TJP says if the only thing Alicia wants to ask him about is Dao then there’s nothing left to say and ends the interview.

Back to the mat, I can’t call it a ring with a straight face, for more action.

Match #3: Gringo Loco vs. Rocky Romero

Romero talks briefly with Lawlor on commentary, he’s a little baffled by the set up. They tie up and trade arm wringer escapes and counters before breaking. Greco Roman knuckle lock up, they trade monkey flips then Romero with an arm drag. Gringo with an arm drag of his own, they’re trading them now then Gringo hits a tilt a whirl backbreaker for 2. Romero back up and they trade strikes. Back kick from Romero lands and then he’s back to the arm. Gringo with some elbows to get free and now they’re trading hammer lock escapes. Romero with a headlock throw, then Gringo realizes there are no ropes to run. Low drop kick from Romero, then a la magistral cradle for 2. Gringo gets the better of a sequence and he’s after an Indian death lock with an arm locked. Romero fights free and lands a chop, they start trading chops now. Forearm strikes traded, Romero keeps firing up after each blow and eventually gets the better of it and lands clotheslines. Gringo off the mat, Romero with a diving hurricanrana onto the grass. Romero says this one is for his dog, and resumes attacking Gringo. Gringo fights back with a drop kick to set Romero on the love seat then he dives onto it wiping out Romero and, according to Lawlor on commentary, the VIP lounge. Back on the mat Gringo with a British Fall for a near fall. Gringo misses a backflip moonsault and Romero punts his arm. Romero after the arm now, Gringo tries to fight back and hits a spinning enziguri for another near fall. Firemans carry from Gringo but Romero fights out and hits an arm breaker then a heel kick. Flying knee from Romero, then a tornado DDT kicking off of the post for the 3 count.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Rocky Romero win at 8:50

Rating: 2 stars

I can’t stress enough how much these guys are doing everything they can to make the deliberate absurdity here work. And it’s paying off.

Our feed is back from Mexico apparently. More brawling from Vega and Muertes. Muertes threw a leaf or something at Vega and gets the advantage. A lot of attacks to the eyes from Muertes. Vega starts trying to fight back as we get a Contra Unit hack. Josef Samael says it’s a dangerous world yet the children of Injustice are oblivious to it. Perhaps he’s just too young to realize and too stupid to understand consequences, Jordan should have stayed in the kiddie pool because he can’t handle the deep water. There will be a public execution of Jordan Oliver courtesy of Fatu.

We get a recap of Rush’s title win last week to become a double champion, then a live stream of the Von Erich boys heading to the venue. They’re on their way.

Next week MLW Underground re-airs again, but on March 3rd we’ll get Jacob Fatu defending the MLW world title against Jordan Oliver and Los Parks defending the tag team titles against Simon Gotch and Daivari. We lose that feed, but we’re back to Chichen Itza to see Muertes and Vega brawling. Muertes has vines and is choking Vega but Vega fights free. Vega takes over, he’s got a crowbar but Muertes fights back and gets the weapon. Muertes knocks Vega out with the crowbar then pins Vega. But Muertes isn’t done yet, he’s got a shovel and starts digging a hole. As someone who’s dug not a full blown human grave but a few animal graves dug to proper specifications he’s going to be there for a while.

We head back to Filthy Island, we’ve been getting little recaps from the first King Mo vs. Low Ki fight and we see that finish. Back to the venue as Lawlor tries to sell Richard Holliday and Alex Hammerstone on their seats. Those two are back in the love seat, Hammerstone seems down to sit and enjoy but Holliday says he wont invest in this. Hammerstone asks about spam, which he was promised. Lawlor brings out the knockoff spam, Holliday is disgusted but Hammerstone seems down and says they’ll consider it. Not the strongest comedy segment, but not the worst either.

Our Top 10 contenders list is next.

10. Jordan Oliver
9. Calvin Tankman
8. Myron Reed
7. Mil Muertes
6. Richard Holliday
5. Mads Krugger
4. Low Ki
3. Lio Rush – MLW middleweight champion & AAA cruiserweight champion
2. “Filthy” Tom Lawlor
1. Alexander Hammerstone – MLW national openweight champion
MLW World Champion – Jacob Fatu

Our main event is up next.

Match #4: King Mo vs. Low Ki

Ki comes out swinging, working body shots then Mo with a single leg and drops for a leg lock. Mo working the leg, hits a high single leg slam then tries to work for an inside heel hook. Mo mocks Ki back on the feet, Ki up on the shoulders and switches to the inverted triangle from the shoulders. Mo slumps to the mat, he starts reaching for the ropes but of course there are none and then taps.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Low Ki won at 1:34

Rating: DUD

Way too short to amount to anything and the bizarre finish didn’t help.

There’s some controversy about whether Mo was tapping or reaching for the edge of the mat. Everyone yells at the ref then all of Team Filthy jump Low Ki. Here comes the Jeep with the Von Erich boys and we get a brawl between the six men, Lawlor is tossed onto the hood of the car and the faces wind up standing tall to close the show.

7.0

The final score: review Good

The 411

This is mostly a comedy episode, and as such your personal enjoyment is going to live or die but how much you laugh. Personally I laughed a lot. The only real down side was the main event, which was much more loose angle advancement than an actual match. The Aztec Jungle fight was broken up mostly because neither man was in a position to much but brawl with punches and in this case breaking it up likely saved the experience from becoming entirely monotonous. Again, if you get the humor here this will be a success, if it doesn't make you laugh I imagine this will be a very painful watch.