Winfree’s MLW Underground (Ep. 22) Review 5.12.21

Hello again everyone, with MLW on temporary hiatus until July they’re back to re-airing old episodes of Underground for a bit so that’s what we’ll be talking about tonight. Last time on Underground the EXTREME Horsemen stiffed Jerry Lawler on a payout for beating Terry Funk, Justin Credible snuck around in a mask, and Steve Corino did Steve Corino things. This week Sabu battles Christopher Daniels in a Spike match, the Samoan Island Tribe takes Monsta Mack and B-Boy, and in a battle of future ROH world champions Jerry Lynn meets Homicide.

Corino, Diamond and CW Anderson are in the back talking about their excitement for War Games. The legends like Funk, Doc, and Lawler are looking ag guys in the their 30’s at the top of their game, not guys in their 90’s looking for one last shot at glory. Boy, time in wrestling is a flat circle isn’t it? Horsemen just go together with War Games, and the EXTREME Horsemen will take War Games to another level. They know the way to turn the wrestling world upside down is going after the heavy hitters and legends, they’re not disrespecting them, they do respect them but they have to make a statement. At War Games the pain doesn’t matter as long as they win. I’ve seen that match guys, and I’ve got bad news for you.

Sandman, Doc, Funk, and Lawler commiserate. Doc says it’ll be a war, but not the first one he’s been in and then asks Funk and Lawler to settle their issue. Lawler mentions that Funk’s blood isn’t even dry at his feet and they’re supposed to be partners? He’s got no issue with Sandman and Doc, but there’s 20 years of problems between him and Funk. He’ll set that aside for one night, and only one night, but will Funk do the same? Funk says he’ll never forget Lawler costing him most of the vision in his eye during their empty arena match. But this is war, and in war you need a pervert, a crazy SOB, a thief, a liar, and Funk doesn’t think they have any of those on this team. But they have four tough SOB’s who’ll get the job done the right way. Sandman proposes they hit the bar. It’s kind of crazy that even well beyond their physical primes Funk and Lawler can still talk you into wanting to see a fight.

Joey Styles welcomes us to the broadcast and runs down the upcoming War Games match as well as the upcoming title to determine the first MLW Jr. heavyweight title. But to the ring for a wild tag team match.

Match #1 – Falls Count Anywhere Tag Team Match: Monsta Mack and B-Boy vs. Samoan Island Tribe (Samu and Ekmo)

B-Boy is subbing in for Mafia tonight, and you might recognize Ekmo as the future Umaga. We get a wild brawl to start, and I imagine most of the match will be that. B-Boy gets double teamed, then Mack eats a double choke slam before being sent out of the ring. Ekmo super kicks B-Boy and then poses in the ring. They brawl on the ringside area, Samu crotches B-Boy on the guardrail. Samu whacks B-Boy with a beer while Ekmo smacks Mack around with various bits of plunder obtained in the crowd. The crowd chants for tables, Samu sets one up outside the ring and sets B-Boy on it. In the ring Mack smashes Ekmo with a chair as Samu headbutts B-Boy. Ekmo sends Mack into the steel chair, and hits the Samoan Slam (it’s a Catatonic) while Samu abuses B-Boy with a chair. B-Boy with a low blow as Ekmo gets a ladder. B-Boy hits a baseball slide to Samu while Mack gets the ladder and hits Ekmo with it. Samu gets set on the table while B-Boy sets up the ladder in the ring. Mack climbs the ladder, and Samu tosses a chair into B-Boy’s face. Ekmo slams Mack off the ladder somehow, the camera work is very shoddy trying to kee up with the chaos. Ekmo up top, and splashes B-Boy through the table on the outside to pin and win.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Samoan Island Tribe won

Rating: 1 star

Boring brawl, there was no rhyme or reason to it just a few different hardcore spots with no connective tissue. When people talk about garbage wrestling this is the kind of stuff they’re referencing. The only notable spot was the finish.

In the back Fonzie has a whistle and shows off Sabu’s current injury and talks about the massive amount of scar tissue he’s accumulated. Daniels asked for the spike match and now it’s coming and Daniels doesn’t have a chance. Any longer and that would have been really annoying, Fonzie only works in short spurts.

The Sinister Minister James Mitchell is with Mikey Whipwreck and Jerry Lynn. He says that Homicide got lucky pinning Jerry Lynn a few weeks ago, and says Homicide has seen too many Disney movies if he think he’ll be able to beat Jerry Lynn again. The old lion eats the young lion and the young lion kids when he takes over a new pride. Homicide has to deal with that, a pissed off Jerry Lynn who’s going to establish that he’s the king of the jungle in MLW. Mikey tries to sing, Mitchell cuts him off tell him he can’t sing and this is serious. Lynn talks, he says Homicide has only begun to traverse the waters of his dark domain going into a growl voice for the end there. Mitchell’s portion of the promo was good, Lynn could never really talk though and this metal growl voice he’s trying to get over isn’t really working for me.

Joey Styles enumerates the various issues around James Mitchell’s Army of Darkness then sends us to Homicide.

Homicide says it’s the Homicide show, after he beats Lynn tonight he wont be a young lion anymore he’ll be the one destroying his opponents. Not Homicide’s best work, he rambled a bit but kept things intense at least.

CM Punk promo, he says he’s sick and tired of his saga with Raven. He can’t get rid of Raven, it wasn’t long ago that Raven wanted to join the circus up north that relies more on gimmick than talent. So Raven quit the booze, and the drugs, and the rats and had it all. Merchandise, video games, t-shirts, toys, one of Punk’s dreams is to have an action figure but he wont dream about working for a circus or having mediocre matches with a 350 pound man named after something only a comedy writer would laugh at. News from the future for you Punk, that sentiment did not age well. Raven had it all, but he got comfortable and relapsed into all of his vices and lost it all. Even the righteous hand of Punk can’t even help Raven, but the latest convert to the Straight Edge Army Nosawa will battle Raven and might just be the answer to all of Raven’s prayers. Nosawa will help Raven. Punk’s delivery, framing both verbally and visually, and overall presentation for this stuff is so much better than his peers and even a lot of the people higher on the card than he is.

Match #2: Homicide vs. Jerry Lynn w/ The Sinister Minister James Mitchell

The tie up, trade some mat wrestling then Homicide starts working the arm of Lynn. Lynn escapes an arm wringer, then so does Homicide and we get a cut in the action. We come back as Lynn vails to use the ring bell offensively, Homicide bulldogs Lynn onto the bell for a near fall. Homicide is bleeding from something that happened during the cut. Lynn hits the TKO for a near fall. Homicide with a mouse trap rollup and pins Lynn to win.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Homicide won

Rating: DUD

I wish to be very clear, I can only rate what is presented and what was presented was a dud. The editing here gutted what I assume was at least a competent to good match, the prior match between these two was quite good, but I can only review the show as it’s shown. Pity, I was looking forward to this one.

Lynn attacks Homicide post match and hits him with the cradle piledriver. Lynn up top with the ring bell and does a Macho Man by driving the ring bell into Homicide’s neck.

Sonjay Dutt talks, everyone’s talking about Jr. Heavyweights and he’s definitely one of them. There’s no doubt in his mind that he’ll come out on top since he’s the best Jr. Heavyweight in the world. Decent from Dutt, not memorable but he didn’t flub anything.

Styles runs down the upcoming card, then sends to Raven. Raven says he loves beating up flunkies, lackey’s, assistants, and so on so beating Nosawa will be easy for him. Short and to the point, nothing special though.

Match #3 – Spike Match: Sabu w/ Bill Alfonso vs. Christopher Daniels w/ James Mitchell

The spike has been hammered into a table in the entrance aisle, both men can use it. Both men play a bit of keep away with the spike, a lot of posturing but no contact yet. Sabu gets a low single leg, Daniels gets a rear chin lock and we get a cut. We come back to Daniels hitting a BME, then a second one but that just gets a 2 count. Daniels gets the spike, but Sabu blocks his attack with his cast and lays in rights. Sabu with the spike, Daniels with a reverse STO into the Koji Clutch, Sabu has to spike the leg of Daniels to get free. Daniels lands an enziguri, then a second one because he can. They head out of the ring, Daniels gets the table that used to host the spike and sets it up by the ring. Sabu gets set up on the table, Daniels up to the top rope but Fonzie distracts him so Sabu has time to get up there with him. They fight over a superplex spot, then Sabu punches Daniels down into the ring and hits a top rope leg drop for a near fall. The table is sent into the ring by Fonzie but Daniels plants Sabu with an STO then sets up the table. Sabu catches Daniels with a DDT, lays him on the table then heads up top, gets a chair from Fonzie and hits the Arabian Skull Crusher. Mitchell and Fonzie square off, Mitchell has the spike but Sabu clocks him. Mike Whipwreck comes in but gets knocked down by Sabu then Sabu spikes Daniels. Daniels runs into another couple of spike shots, Sabu with a spike assisted Camel Clutch and Daniels gives it up.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Sabu won

Rating: 2 stars

I think something was lost in the editing process, but even so these two had a perfectly acceptable match. With the injury Sabu was working through they were limited but made the most of it. The heels head back as the episode ends.

5.4

The final score: review Not So Good

The 411

Very up and down show, a few good bits of promo work and some other stuff that was really lacking. Ditto the wrestling, Daniels and Sabu did about as well as they could but Homicide and Lynn were killed by the cuts, and our opening tag team match was a mostly boring brawl.