Winfree’s MLW Underground (Ep. 29) Review

Hey there people, Winfree for another old episode of MLW Underground. Tonight a very familiar face will be in action when “The American Dragon” Bryan Danielson makes his MLW debut against Teddy Hart. This episode is from 2004 and Danielson around that time was really starting to build himself up and find himself as a performer. We’ve also got The Stampede Bulldogs (DH Smith and Tyson Kidd) taking on The Havana Pitbulls (Ricky Reyes and Rocky Romero). All in all there’s some serious in ring potential for this episode, so let’s get into it.

Our video intro is trying to get people excited about Steve Corino battling Shane Douglas in 2004. I’m guessing that’s a failed sell. We get highlights of an encounter between the two that was part of the crowning of the first MLW champion from two years before the current air date. Douglas won that whole thing but was stripped of the title due to a promotional falling out.

Sean Naes is in the back and talks about upcoming events and matches. He’s handed a note at one point and reads some copy about Teddy Hart. Eventually he’s so disgusted by what he’s reading that he walks off, about the time he got to what would be the Patreon plug if this were a contemporary bit.

Match #1 – Tag Team Match: Los Maximos (Jose and Joel) vs. Julius Smokes and Norman Smiley

Norman and Joel get us going. They tie up, trade arm wringers then Norman hits a hip toss. Into the ropes and Norman hits arm drags then Joel avoids a big wiggle. Jose tries a flying nothing but gets caught in a Big Swing, I think Jose tagged in and the camera missed it. Jose falls into the ropes, Norman wants the big wiggle but he’s cut off by a kick from Joel. Smokes tags in and back drops Joel a few times. Chops from Smokes then a monkey flip and Norman tags back in. Norman picks up Joel and they hit a drop kick assisted powerslam for a near fall. Elbows from Norman, then a double underhook slam. Gutbuster from Norman but the pin is broken up by Jose. Smokes tags in and starts working over Joel, he attacks Jose on the floor but is tripped up by Jose back in the ring and Joel takes over on offense. Jose tags in and starts working over Smokes with a suplex. Quick tags from the Maximos as they keep Smokes isolated. A series of kicks from Joel but Norman breaks up a pin attempt. Running kick in the corner from Joel. Jose tags in and they resume stomping Smokes in the corner. Smokes is barely selling this as he sits in the corner. Eventually Smokes fights off Jose in the corner and drops him with an atomic drop then an inverted atomic drop but Joel tagged in blind and drop kicks Smokes. Joel climbs the ropes but misses a swanton bomb. Smokes with a double underhook DDT to Joel and both men are down. Both men tag out and Norman starts running wild on both Maximos. Norman gets the big wiggle on Jose, then tags Smokes back in and Smokes hits a powerslam. Joel avoids a drop kick, cheap shots Norman and Jose gets a cheap shot with a chair behind the refs back and they pin Smokes to win.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Los Maximos won

Rating: 1.5 stars

This didn’t really click, I get the Maximos working more heel but they didn’t really have a feel for how to do so here. This was my first time watching Smokes wrestle and I wasn’t terribly impressed with his work. Mostly a misfire from both teams.

Naes talks with Teddy Hart in the back. Addressing an upcoming multi man match he says there’s no extra training, he tries to kill himself every match and God or the people will keep him alive. He does some awkward rhyming, then says he and his team are the saviors of professional wrestling. That means they bring what wrestling used to be, and in the future they’ll be the only ones left. That’s not a sentiment that has aged well. His team is the past, present, and future of professional wrestling. A very awkward exchange about expensive pants transitions us out. That was not a good promo, too wandering, unfocused, and Hart couldn’t decide if he wanted to look at the interviewer, the camera, or someone just off frame to his right.

Back to the ring for more action.

Match #2 – Tag Team Match: The Stampede Bulldogs (Harry Smith and TJ Wilson) vs. The Havana Pitbulls (Ricky Reyes and Rocky Romero)

Romero and Reyes are fighting with Jack Evans and Pete Wilson as they come out, they beat them down with ease and head into the match. We get some brawling right away with all four men going at it. Smith stomps on Reyes as Wilson sends Romero out of the ring. Eventually things settle into Smith and Reyes trading blows. Reyes lands in leg kicks, but runs into a back elbow. Wilson tags in and starts laying in punches and knee strikes. Reyes lands a knee and tags out. Romero lays in chops but runs into an ax kick. Wilson with a suplex into a northern lights suplex for a near fall. A rebound reverse suplex from Wilson but Reyes breaks up the pin attempt. Wilson tries to send Romero into a kick from Smith but Romero avoids it and Wilson eats the yakuza kick then Reyes cheap shots Smith and the Pitbulls take over. Running basement drop kick from Reyes as Romero was holding him down. Reyes with a double underhook suplex for a near fall then Romero tags in. Wilson eats a double team sequence but kicks out of the pin attempt. Romero lays in some kicks and chops, and a running knee strike in the corner. Reyes back in and hits a scoop slam then a tope con hilo. Romero back in and they’re really working over Wilson so far. Wilson avoids a corner rush and Smith takes Romero down with a clothesline. Wilson takes out Reyes with a running kick and tags out. Smith runs wild on both men, he hits scoop slams on both men then back drops Romero and hits a back suplex on Reyes. Reverse DDT from Smith to Romero but that just gets a 2 count. Reyes kicks Smith down and hits a bridging German suplex, Wilson comes in to try and help but gets dropped when Romero hoists him up and Reyes comes flying in to assist on a sidewalk slam and Smith is forced to break up the following pin. Smith lands an enziguri to Reyes, then sets for the running powerslam to Romero and gets it, Wilson then hits a springboard elbow drop and pins to win.

OFFICIAL RESULT: The Stampede Bulldogs won

Rating: 2.5 stars

I wanted to give this 3 but there were way too many structural flaws. No one seemed to know who was legal at any point, the ref just counted any pin attempt, and the closing sequence didn’t quite hit the crescendo you’d hope. But this was far from a bad match, Smith and Wilson were still working out all the kinks while Reyes and Romero seemed a slightly more polished duo.

PJ Friedman is still doing his discount Sith thing in the back, his training in Russia is ending and he can’t wait to hurt Norman Smiley and to use him to send a message to Vampiro. He wants Norman to know he doesn’t believe in Black Magic, he believes in suffering and pain is very real. Again, not a great promo. Not been a great night of mic work.

Naes talks more, this time referencing Gary Hart and his chaos. Apparently Homicide has been suspended indefinitely.

Match #3: Teddy Hart vs. “American Dragon” Bryan Danielson

They tie up, move into the ropes and fight for position before the ref winds up breaking them apart. Another tie up, Bryan goes after the arms and they start trading arm wringers and escapes but Hart gets Bryan to the mat with an arm wringer. Bryan escapes the wrist lock and clobbers Hart with an elbow, which gets us a video cut. Fortunately it seems to pick up right there when we come back. Another tie up, Hart back to the arm but again Bryan gets free and starts after the arm himself. Hart runs the ropes and gets a Fujiwara armbar but Bryan rolls free and works a chin lock then a hard elbow and he drops Hart with a European uppercut. Bryan back to the arm, Hart climbs the ropes again but this time Bryan crotches him and hits another European uppercut. Running knee drop from Bryan gets a 2 count. Bryan gets a backbreaker then tears the pants of Hart. Hart fights back with body shots but gets dropped by another uppercut from Bryan. They run the ropes, Hart gets the back and grabs an armbar but Bryan gets to the ropes and forces a break. Hart hits a reverse DDT and both men are down. Very awkward Samoan drop from Hart, that wasn’t supposed to go that way. Hart up top, Bryan joins him but gets knocked off by Hart. Diving DDT from Hart connects but he can’t get the cover. Hart back up top looking for a finish, he connects with Open Hart Surgery (a somersault corkscrew senton) but bangs up his arm on contact and can’t get the cover right away. By the time Hart covers Bryan is able to kick out. Hart climbs the ropes again, tries a Hart Attack (shooting star leg drop) but Bryan counters on the way down and hooks Cattle Mutilation, but Hart slips free into the Fujiwara armbar and Bryan taps out.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Teddy Hart won

Rating: 2.5 stars

I have to knock off half a star for the lame duck finish. Hart and Bryan didn’t quite mesh as well as I thought they would, though it’s not hard to see why Hart had both a ton of hype at one point and why he never quite took off either. Post match Hart does a backflip off the top turnbuckle a few times. Bryan yells at him, for mostly understandable reasons. After the third instance of this Bryan jumps Hart and we get a wild brawl on the floor between the two to end the episode.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ocPc3UhgVA&ab_channel=MLW

6.6

The final score: review Average

The 411

I might be a little too harsh here, but relative to my expectations this was kind of a let down. It just felt like with the talent they had on this show the matches should have been better, Hart and Bryan in particular is somewhat surprisingly forgettable.