Winfree’s MLW Underground (Ep. 24) Review 5.26.21

MLW keeps releasing older content ahead of their relaunch in July. This week we’ve got some very recognizable faces, a young Samoa Joe will battle Mike Awesome, and in the J-Cup tournament Juventud Guerrera battles Jimmy Yang plus “The Fallen Angel” Christopher Daniels will take on Super Dragon. That line up kind of hits me in the nostalgia.

We open with a video from “earlier tonight” when Terry Funk got into a brawl with Steve Corino and beat him down with a fist wrapped in barbed wire. Eventually the other EXTREME Horsemen showed up and Funk just tosses chairs at all three men.

We head straight to the ring for our first match.

Match #1 – J-Cup USA Opening Round: Jimmy Yang vs. Juventud Guerrera

Guerrera is about 2 years away from forming the Mexicools on Smackdown, and 3 removed from getting cut from WCW. They circle, then tie up and Yang shoves Guerrera into the corner and we get a mostly clean break. Yang has signed with WWE already and is filling out his contracted dates. Another tie up into the corner, this time Guerrera breaks with a chop. Yang gets a hammerlock, Guerrera with an escape. Greco-Roman knuckle lock, Yang gets the better of the position, until Guerrera jumps up and hits an arm drag then they run the ropes before Yang lands a back elbow. Big tilt a whirl head scissors from Guerrera sends Yang out of the ring, then he flies over the top rope onto Yang. Back into the ring and Guerrera takes over with strikes in the corner. Yang drops Guerrera on the top rope to counter a 10 punch, then gets a triangle choke over the top rope. Strikes from Yang, then he drops Guerrera on the top rope again but misses a wheel kick and they trade counters before Guerrear hits the spinning heel kick. They start trading chops, then hit the ropes again with Yang landing a lovely drop kick. Guerrera hits a tilt a whirl DDT for a near fall. Modified powerbomb into a face buster from Guerrera also gets a 2 count. Both men look a little winded as they go into a striking sequence, trade roll ups back and forth before they hit a double clothesline spot and both men are down. They fight back up and resume trading chops, Yang catches Guerrera on his shoulders, they trade escapes before Guerrera gets the Juvi Driver. Guerrera drags Yang into position, climbs the ropes but misses a 450 splash, then flips out of a German suplex and hits a twisting fisherman’s driver for a close near fall. Guerrera is getting frustrated, he lays in another chop and Yang can’t even stand through an Irish whip attempt. Yang pulls himself up with the ropes, and catches a flying Guerrera with a drop kick. Yang up top, Yang Time (think AJ Style’s Spiral Tap) connects and Yang wins.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Jimmy Yang won

Rating: 2.5 stars

I wanted to go three but ultimately this was a bit too spotty and a bit too sloppy in a couple of exchanges to get there. Still, a solid outing from both men. It’s kind of a shame WWE never found anything to do for Yang, the man could go.

Mike Awesome dismisses Samoa Joe, tonight he’s facing Mike Awesome and everyone knows his story. He’ll put you through a table, send you over the top rope through a table, or put a chair right through your skull. He just doesn’t care, as long as he wins. Tonight Awesome is going to run wild on you. Awesome was never a good promo, when he keeps things short and sweet he can be somewhat effective. This one missed the mark just a bit.

Dr. Death Steve Williams is in the back, he challenges PJ Walker to a tape fist match, but somehow his field of vision doesn’t extend past the physical camera, because Walker super kicks him from just behind it and promises Williams that he’s going down Horsemen style.

Match #2: Samoa Joe Sea vs. Mike Awesome

They circle at first, then tie up with Joe getting a side headlock but he can’t knock Awesome off his feet. Awesome can’t knock Joe over either though. Joe lands a chop, Awesome hits the ropes and lands a flying shoulder block. Joe out of the ring, Awesome dives over the top rope onto him. Awesome sends Joe into the barricade a few times as they brawl in the ringside area. To the shock of no one, Awesome sets a table up outside the ring. Back into the ring, Awesome gets caught by Joe with strikes but runs into a slingshot shoulder block over the top rope. Some avalanche attacks from Awesome, but he runs into an ST-Joe on the second attempt. Kawada kicks from Joe, then a snap suplex. We get a cut in the action there.

We come back to Joe and Awesome trading chops. Joe with a snap mare, then chops and a kick but Awesome fights back up with rights of his own. Enziguri from Joe and Awesome heads out of the ring. Joe follows him and gets a chair from a fan then smacks Awesome with it. Joe doesn’t like that chair, he gets a more regular folding chair and bashes Awesome over the back with it. Awesome sits against the barrier, Joe with the running face wash against the barricade. Back into the ring Joe covers for 2, then they start trading chops again. Awesome lands a clothesline, but runs into a front kick. That seemed a little mistimed. Joe with a German suplex for another near fall. Bit of a powerbomb from Joe, he turns the kick out into an STF, but doesn’t yet chain the submission attempts together as Awesome gets to the ropes. Joe gets the chair, but Awesome catches him with a kick, gets the chair and brains Joe with it. Sit out Awesome Bomb follows but only gets 2. Awesome is pissed, hits Joe with the chair again then wants the Awesome Splash with the chair to assist, and gets it to win.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Mike Awesome won

Rating: 3 stars

It’s always fun to see the younger days of guys you know go on to be important figures. You can see the potential in Joe already, and to Awesome’s credit he gives him plenty of shine. Really fun hoss battle, I wish we’d seen the entire thing without the cut in the middle.

Vampiro is in the back, he was here when MLW started and he’s got beef with CM Punk. He tells Punk he can’t preach. He’s got Nosawa with him, and tells Punk not to force his views onto this man. Vampiro says everyone wants to be him, but they can’t and Vampiro has found Punk now. Not the best Vampiro promo I’ve ever heard.

The EXTREME Horsemen talk, they’re 5 strong now and are here to take over. Simon Diamond puts over Walker and Barry Windham. Barry says he was down at Mulligan Ranch, he got a call from the Horsemen who needed help. Anderson talks, he says MLW should get ready for a long ride. Not great work, but not the worst group promo I’ve ever heard.

Satoshi Kojima video promo, he says he’s coming back to MLW.

Samoan Island Tribe talk, they call CW Anderson and Simon Diamond paper champions. They’re gonna hunt them down and beat them in front of God and everybody.

CM Punk sits around back stage, ruminating on how often people in pro wrestling are attacked for no reason. Someone always jumps someone from behind, just like Vampiro sticking his nose into Punk’s business. He blames Vampiro for costing Nosawa his match with Raven, and Vampiro saving Nosawa from the beating he deserved. Punk knows all about Vampiro, but Vampiro knows nothing about him. Somewhere down the line they’re going to meet, and it’s not going to be pretty. Even Punk’s lesser promo work is quite good.

Match #3 – J-Cup USA Opening Round: Christopher Daniels vs. Super Dragon

They tie up, Dragon gets an arm wringer, Daniels escapes and gets a side headlock that Dragon escapes with a head scissors then moves back to the arm. Back up with Dragon still working the arm of Daniels. Daniels spins free, hits a single leg and gets a side headlock on the mat. They hit the ropes, Daniels then starts laying in strikes. Dragon hits a hip toss then a deep arm drag and head scissors take over then a mule kick. Daniels heads out of the ring, Dragon with a somersault suicide dive to the floor. Dragon lays into Daniels around the ringside area. Back in the ring Daniels begs off, Dragon doesn’t buy that and kicks him before hitting a running double stomp to the chest. Daniels counters a back body drop and hits a running neck breaker to take over again. Cravat from Daniels, then a neck crank. Daniels is having issues with the crowd, someone there seems to have annoyed him, and takes it out on Dragon. Dragon tosses Daniels into the corner, gets the first bit of the Violence Party but runs into a kick from Daniels and we get a video cut.

When we come back Daniels is stomping Dragon in the corner. Daniels hits a suplex, then a slingshot leg drop to the back of the head but that only gets a 2 count. Dragon fights out of a chin lock, but runs into a back heel kick off the ropes. Daniels hits a bulldog from the second rope but still can’t put Dragon away. Scoop slam from Daniels, then he climbs the ropes again but gets caught with a top rope arm drag from Dragon. Dragon lays in strikes now, and gets a Fujiawra armbar but Daniels rolls through and knees him in the head. They hit the ropes, but Dragon counters with an arm lock and double stomps the arm. Dragon gets an armbar, Daniels squirms to the ropes and forces a break. Daniels catches a charging Dragon with an STO but Dragon wont stay down. Dragon with an elbow, misses a lariat and Daniels grabs the ref so he can hit a low blow, then hits the Last Rights to win.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Christopher Daniels won

Rating: 3 stars

Slightly generous but this felt a little better than 2.5. Again seeing these two in near prime condition here is a trip down memory lane, I was a pretty big Super Dragon fan when he was active. I say this as a compliment, this was a very indy-riffic style match, and Daniels was pretty giving to Super Dragon. Daniels celebration closes the show.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5WWbSKixaw

7.0

The final score: review Good

The 411

There was an ongoing technical issue with Joey Styles being too low a volume throughout the night that hurt things, but given the talent they put on this particular episode it was going to be hard to make it bad. If anything I wanted more, the Joe and Awesome match uncut would have been nice, ditto Daniels and Super Dragon. But for what this show is, this is a pretty darn solid episode with good wrestling.