Winfree’s MLW Underground (Ep. 28) Review

Alright everyone, welcome to another episode of MLW Underground. MLW is still building back up for their restart on July 10th, so we’re back on the Underground train. This week we’ll have Raven vs. Vampiro, The Havana Pitbulls taking on Los Maximos, and Jerry Lynn will battle Mike Modest. The Havana Pitbulls are a very young Rocky Romero and Ricky Reyes, or maybe I’m just a lot older than I feel. At any rate it’ll be fun to jump back to see that team, they were the ROH tag team champions for a period of time from late 2004 to early 2005. Well let’s get into it.

We get a reminder that Steve Corino retained the MLW world title against Terry Funk in a barbed wire match very recent to this taping. We go to the aftermath of that match, with Gary Hart berating a bloody Funk for quitting in this match after quitting years ago against Ric Flair. Hart encourages Funk to retire and mocks him before going to leave with his large body guard, but Funk tosses a chair at Hart which gets Hart to smack him with it once before actually leaving.

To the actual episode now where commentary runs down the card. Here’s our first match.

Match #1 – Tag Team Match: The Havana Pitbulls (Ricky Reyes and Rocky Romero) vs. Los Maximos (Jose and Joel)

Jose and Romero get us going. Romero opens with leg kicks, Jose doesn’t like them and they tie up then hit the corner. There’s a clean break then we get a test of strength spot before Jose gets an arm wringer. Romero counters and they trade holds and escapes before we get a stand off and both men tag out. Reyes with early kicks, Joel gets a side headlock an they run the ropes until Reyes gets a hurricanrana and tags out. Things break down now and we’re brawling on the outside. Back in the ring Romero and Joel square off. Jose tags in and Romero eats a double bulldog. Joel back in and he and Romero trade strikes with Romero winning out with kicks. Reyes tags in and Joel eats a double team basement drop kick. Jose saves Joel from a drop kick and they hit a double enziguri then a Total Elimination for a near fall. Joel eats a northern lights suplex from Reyes and then Romero tags in. Kicks from Romero, Romero chops Joel but Jose blind tags in and lands a suplex. Cheap shot from Reyes to Jose and that allows Romero to land a jumping knee strike and lay in the kicks. Jose avoids a German suplex and lands a back suplex to put both men down. Both men tag out and Joel runs wild before he and Reyes start trading strikes. They run the ropes, Romero eats a couple of double team moves including the Washing Machine. Reyes breaks up a pin attempt and hits a back suplex onto Joel. Jose hits a brainbuster for a near fall. Both the Maximos head up top with Romero, they want the double team Spanish Fly but Romero fights it off, then he and Reyes hit the Cuban Execution to win.

OFFICIAL RESULT: The Havana Pitbulls won

Rating: 2.5 stars

The only thing holding this back was a lack of story, it was just a bit too spotty for me to rate higher. But if you wanted the independent scene around this time you saw a ton of matches just like this one, and they were all about this quality.

We get an update, Steve Corino wants a match with Shane Douglas to solidify himself as the undisputed MLW champion as Douglas was apparently a champion briefly before having a falling out with MLW. Back to the ring for our next match.

Mike Modest gets a mic, and tells the fans he doesn’t have entrance music because he’s not a side show entertainer, he’s a wrestler and isn’t like everyone else doing flips trying to break their necks for the ungrateful cretins in the audience. He invites them to watch a real professional wrestling match next. Jerry Lynn comes out next and our match is set to go.

Match #2: Jerry Lynn vs. Mike Modest

They tie up, trade go behinds then arm wringers and escapes with neither man getting much before Lynn hits a shoulder block. They run the ropes, Lynn hitting a tilt a whirl head scissors then a flying second rope bulldog for a near fall. Lynn is sent to the apron and hits a jumping leg drop to Modest. Sunset flip from Lynn gets a 2 count and Modest begs off. Modest sends Lynn out of the ring then follows him out there. Modest slams Lynn around the ringside area for a bit before heading back into the ring. Lynn gets stomped down in the corner then Modest with a running hip attack in the corner for a near fall. More offense from Modest, Lynn rolls him up with a small package for a near fall. Release northern lights suplex from Modest for a near fall. Modest heads up top mocking the flip heavy aerial style of the time before just hopping back down and hitting Lynn more. Lynn lands a back elbow, climbs the ropes and lands a drop kick. They fight back up to their feet then Lynn fires up with a clothesline and swinging neckbreaker, then a running tornado DDT for a near fall. Lynn wants the Cradle Piledriver, Modest counters looking for the Reality Check (Air Raid Crash), but Lynn escapes and this a TKO for a great near fall. Homicide shows up, and snaps Lynn’s neck off the top rope which allows Modest to get a school boy with the tights for leverage and pin to win.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Mike Modest won

Rating: 2 stars

Pretty good match there, not surprising given the quality of those two.

In the back Los Maximos interrupt a news update on Shane Douglas possibly returning to battle Steve Corino. They’re sick of this stuff, they got screwed over tonight, then move on to yelling about Teddy Hart. They’re also beefing with Sonjay Dutt, calling for both of them to meet them in Dragon Gate.

PJ Friedman is still doing his Sith Lord impression talking about his upcoming match with Norman Smiley. This match isn’t about winning, it’s about him sending a message to Vampiro so Smiley should be ready to be buried in the middle of that ring.

We get an audio recording of James J Dillon issuing a challenge from Corino to Shane Douglas. He goes over Douglas being the first MLW champion but being stripped of the title and falling out with MLW, but Corino wants to be a fighting champion and will take on all challengers. This goes on for a bit too long.

In the back here’s Matt Martel (the future Matt Striker), he mocks our interviewer and offers to help him out with style but he’s got breaking news that Shane Douglas has excepted Corino’s challenge. There will also be a 6 man tag team match between the EXTREME Horsemen and the Samoan Island Tribe plus a dream partner to be announced later.

To the ring for our main event. Raven gets a mic and calls this a screwface match, because look at how screwed up Vampiro’s face is and wants Vampiro to get off the gas. Ultimately though he wants this to be a falls count anywhere match, or a Clockwork Orange House of Fun. No one knows exactly what’s going one here.

Match #3: Vampiro vs. Raven

We get some shoving then Vampiro starts laying in strikes but slips and takes a kick from Raven. They head out of the ring and Raven slams Vampiro around the commentary position. Raven takes the announce table and sets it up then tosses Vampiro into it, but “I am the table” because it wont break. Raven tosses Vampiro down to the floor, Vampiro throws Raven into a bunch of chairs to take over. Headbutts from Vampiro and Raven has bladed. Super kick from Vampiro, Raven returns it. More strikes from Vampiro and he slams Raven around the lounge area. Eventually they move back to the ring and Raven lands jabs but runs into a big boot. Vampiro up top, but misses a twisting senton and starts selling his leg. Raven with more jabs then a discus clothesline. Bulldog attempt form Raven is countered by Vampiro into a bulldog of his own. Vampiro gets a plastic chair but turns into a super kick from Raven, then Raven sets up the chair for a drop toe hold into it and gets the spot for a near fall. Another drop toe hold into the chair for another near fall. Raven wants another chair, this one of the metal variety and he sets it up, but Vampiro counters, the chair falls over and Raven just chucks it into the ref’s face then drops Vampiro with the Evenflow DDT. The ref is down though, and Raven tries to get him up but Vampiro is able to use the chair to assist a jump spinning kick to the face of Raven and pins to win.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Vampiro won

Rating: 1.5 stars

Fairly sloppy with way too much crowd brawling early. Not a terribly compelling match at all.

Post match commentary speculates about the future of Raven after the loss while Vampiro celebrates with the crowd to end the show.

5.8

The final score: review Not So Good

The 411

Very standard episode, some good indy wrestling early bogged down by a main event and a constant narrative about Shane Douglas and Steve Corino. I feel like even in 2004 or so getting excited about Shane Douglas wasn't a thing that was happening. All in all just shy of Average when you factor in the execution of the whole thing.