wrestling / TV Reports
Winfree’s MLW Intimidation Games Review 4.28.22
Image Credit: MLW
Loading...Hello everyone, it’s time for a named event from the good people at MLW and tonight that means Intimidation Games. The main event is the big draw here, a triple threat match for the MLW World Heavyweight title when champion Alexander Hammerstone battles Mads Krugger and Jacob Fatu. Richard Holliday will be watching that main event closely as his issue with Hammerstone is far from over. Alright, let’s get to the action.
We open with Alex Kane and Mr. Thomas interrupting the broadcast. Kane is proud of what he did to Calvin Tankman a few weeks ago and doesn’t care that it made him unpopular. Kane and Thomas are going to come for the tag team titles. A lot of yelling “Bomaye” because that substitutes for a real catchphrase, closing line, or actual line delivery. I say this pretty much each week but Kane is still finding his voice, the problem is he’s still struggling this deep into what should be his personality developement.
Match #1 – Trios Match: Aramis, KC Navarro, and Microman vs. Arez, Gino Medina, and Mini Abismo Negro w/ Gangrel
Aramis is decked out in black tonight, showing how serious he is about getting revenge on Gino Medina for a backstage attack a few weeks ago. Aramis and Gino start us off, Gino then runs away only to be chased back into the ring. Again Gino runs away and Arez comes in along with Navarro. They hit the ropes right away and trade counters before they trade sweeps and overs into a standoff. We get a fist bump between them then Arez tags in Gino. Aramis comes in immediately and Gino again runs away. Microman and Abismo become legal, and Abismo kicks Microman down right away. Stomps from Abismo but Microman fights back and drop kicks the knee then one to the head. Gino comes in and threatens Microman but Aramis comes in and attacks him. Headscissors from Aramis then he hits a suicide dive to the floor and we get floor brawling. Arez and Navarro are legal, we’re using lucha tag rules I guess. Things have broken down and Aramis takes a double suplex from Abismo and Arez. Gino holds Microman so Abismo can lay in chops and kicks. Gutbuster to Microman over the leg of Arez. Microman avoids a kick and Abismo hits Arez then Gino runs into both of them. Navarro comes in with a double drop kick to Arez and Abismo. Gino mimes tossing Microman over the top rope but Navarro and Aramis are here to save the day. All the heels wind up on the outside then Aramis and Navarro put Microman on the top rope then he dives onto Abismo. Stereo dives from Aramis and Navarro connect next. Abismo and Navarro wind up in the ring trading strikes with Abismo getting the better of things then hitting a modified tiger driver and Microman breaks up the pin. Arm drag from Microman then another one. Abismo sets Microman on the middle rope and chops him but Microman fights back with a headbutt then a rolling senton. Small package from Microman but Arez breaks up the pin. Arez no sells some kicks from Microman, then Gangrel grabs Microman to allow Arez a few kicks. Double knee backbreaker from Arez but Aramis is here to start laying in kicks to Arez. Aramis hits an elaborate arm drag then lays in kicks and stomps. Arez heads out of the ring, Gino tries for a cheap shot but Aramis lays in strikes in the corner. Gino fights back with a spinning side slam and Navarro breaks up the pin. Around the world DDT from Navarro sends Gino out of the ring and Abismo comes in with a drop kick. Awkward clothesline from Navarro then a double stomp but Arez breaks up the pin. Arez hits a suplex. Aramis comes in but he’s out numbered. Everyone winds up on the top, but here’s Microman to facilitate the Tower of Doom spot. Microman hits a DDT onto Arez then catches both Abismo and Arez with a tandem headscissors and arm drag. Gino avoids Desnucadora del Mosquetero and hits his new finisher, a spinning cravate facebuster to get the pin.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Gino Medina, Arez, and Mini Abismo Negro won in 11:56
Rating: 3 stars
This one didn’t overstay it’s welcome, but did feel a touch long. It doesn’t help that Gino is a pretty bland personality and generic worker, but the action was mostly clean, the pace brisk, and the runtime about right.
Post match Gino steals the mask of Aramis.
In the back David Marquez interrupts the warmup of Hammerstone. Hammerstone puts over Krugger and Fatu as dangerous opponents, but he’s never defended the belt against either of them, and when he’s defending the belt he’s operating on a different level. Hammerstone keeps drinking coffee, which seems to be amping him up, then walks off.
Since we’re coming up on a big anniversary for MLW we’ll be getting some returning talent from the first generation of the promotion. The first announced returning talent will be Los Maximos.
Mads Krugger video follows, Krugger breathes deeply and he can smell fear all around him. He’s seen fear in the eyes of Hammerstone and Fatu, tonight he finishes his mission and the last thing his victims will see is his black hand clutching the World Title.
Myron Reed has a video, he’s pissed because someone robbed him of the chance to be both the Middleweight and Openweight champion at the same time. Whoever the masked guy was he needs answers, you got Reed’s attention. It could have been anyone, someone operating on behalf of Duran, maybe even someone using the open door policy. But it doesn’t matter, because next week Reed will put his title on the line and if his attack isn’t a ho, he’ll show up and show his face.
Alex Kane and Mr. Thomas walk in the back and put themselves over. They find EJ Nduka and Calvin Tankman, a bunch of shoving and yelling follows but none of it really translates.
5150 talk while playing pool, Rivera and Hernandez seem to be getting along when Julius Smokes enters the scene. Smokes makes noises, then reveals he stole the WCCW title belt that the Von Erichs had put on display in a museum. They debate about what they’ll do with the belt before deciding to take a road trip with it.
We get a reminder that Taya Valkyrie is returning to MLW.
Before the main event Richard Holliday walks down to join commentary. This leads to Hammerstone jumping him after his introduction and beating Holliday sending him to the back. Krugger and Hammerstone start brawling then Fatu hits a dive as the bell rings.
Match #2 – Triple Threat Match for the MLW World Heavyweight Title: (c) Alexander Hammerstone vs. Mads Krugger vs. Jacob Fatu
Fatu and Krugger get into the ring and Fatu misses a corner attack then takes an avalanche. Krugger hits a big boot then boots Hammerstone off of the apron. Fatu fights back with strikes but runs into a spinebuster. Krugger gets the CONTRA flag and chokes Fatu with it before Fatu fights free and lands a super kick. Hammerstone pump kicks Krugger, then he and Fatu hit a double kick to send Krugger out of the ring. Fatu and Hammerstone square up, Hammerstone lands a kick but Fatu avoids a Nightmare Pendulum then Hammerstone counters a pop up Samoan drop. Bell to belly suplex from Hammerstone, Fatu then hits a Catatonic to counter and the handspring moonsault for a 2 count. Krugger re-enters the ring and goozles both Hammerstone and Fatu then hits a double chokeslam. Hammerstone and Fatu head out of the ring, then Krugger hits a dive onto both of them. Krugger and Hammerstone start brawling around the ringside area for a bit then head into the ring. Hammerstone takes a chokeslam facebuster and Krugger gets a 2 count on the cover. A lot of punches and head slams from Krugger then a kneeling Flacon Arrow for a 1 count. Hammerstone Hulks up, and drives Krugger into the corners before hitting him with a powerslam. Fatu comes in and takes a powerslam of his own. There’s a chair now under one corner, no one’s used it yet though. Krugger avoids a Nightmare Pendulum and sends Hammerstone to the apron. Hammerstone lands an enziguri and they both head up top where Krugger hits a fall away slam only for Fatu to come flying in with a Swanton bomb onto Krugger for a near fall. There’s another chair under the opposite corner from the first one, so expect those to come into play. Fatu and Krugger trade punches then Hammerstone comes flying in with a double drop kick to put both of them down. Hammerstone hits Fatu with a TKO but only gets a near fall. Fatu fights back and hits a pop up Samoan drop. Krugger tries to use the chair but Fatu takes it form him and brains him with it then hits a hip attack to Hammerstone. Fatu wants to hit the Van Terminator onto Hammerstone, he’s using both chairs to make this happen and it mostly connects, but still only a near fall. Krugger has his baklei clup and wallops Fatu with it then sends him out of the ring. Hammerstone with a low blow to Krugger when Krugger threatens him with the club. Hammerstone tosses the club aside and drills Krugger with a pump kick. Now Hammerstone goes under the ring and finds a ring board, which he sets up in the corner. Krugger fights back and hits a chokebreaker onto Hammerstone for a near fall. Krugger is pissed now and tosses the ref down, because we needed a ref bump. Hammerstone takes Krugger down with a belly to belly suplex but the ref is down. Holliday shows up and hits the 2008 onto Hammerstone then heads out. Fatu comes in and hits the double jump moonsault, but it takes too long for the ref to recover and Hammerstone can kick out at 2. Krugger gets the chair but Fatu spears him through the ring board, and Fatu falls out of the ring. Hammerstone stands tall, drops Krugger with the Nightmare Pendulum and pins to retain the title.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Alexander Hammerstone retained the MLW World Heavyweight Title in 14:34
Rating: 3.5 stars
Good match, they used the plunder to keep things going and kept a pretty good pace. I could have done without the ref bump and visual win for Fatu, he’s a viable title challenger anyway and should be back battling for the belt once he and Krugger finish their business, but Krugger looked pretty good here. Krugger was a bit of a third wheel but battled through it to be a legitimate part of the match, kudos to him. This did fall a little too heavily into the formula of “two guys fight, one guy rests” that plagues triple threat matches though.
Post match Hammerstone poses as we get an announcement that next week Richard Holliday will take on Davey Richards.
In the back Fatu has been laid out and Bestia 666 as well as Cesar Duran pose over the fallen Fatu.
