Winfree’s MLW Underground (Episode 12) Review

Hello again everyone, welcome to another MLW Underground episode. I’m Robert Winfree, helping you along through this bizarre trip back in time. Tonight we’re finally getting the MLW world title match between champion Satoshi Kojima and Mike Awesome. It should be a hard hitting affair, if the editing process doesn’t absolutely butcher the match. Let’s get to it.

Promo from Awesome, he’s coming for Kojima and plans to show him what underground wrestling is and will prove himself the best heavyweight champion in the world tonight. Joey Styles welcomes us to the show. He hypes up the main event, and even threatens us with an EXTREME Horsemen appearance. Then he tosses it to the ring for our first match.

Christopher Daniels gets the mic. He says the fans services are no longer needed as they pertain to Jerry Lynn. Lynn has opened his eyes and seen the light. He introduces Jerry Lynn as the “Evil F’N Show”. Trying way too hard guys. Lynn takes the mic, tells the crowd they can chant Jerry all they want, he doesn’t care anymore. He calls the fans brainwashed corporate mutants who only like what they’re told to like. He mentions Paul London isn’t here because his father’s in the hospital, then runs down all the things he missed so he could wrestle. Apparently he was in Japan wrestling when his daughter was born. He says he’ll help the people justify their ticket purchase by taking on anyone in the back.

Match #1: Jerry Lynn w/ Christopher Daniels vs. Kid Romeo

Lynn ambushes Romeo at the start of the match. Lynn controls things early with strikes. Romeo with counter sequence and Lynn heads outside to slow the tempo. We get a break after that. Back from break and Lynn is in control with a rear chinlock. Romeo fights out with elbows but runs into a shot to the guts. Lynn keeps things grounded with a front headlock, he and Romeo have a conversation and Romeo hits a schoolboy roll up then an enziguri. Both men are down, back up and Romeo takes over with fast paced offense. Bulldog from Romero gets a near fall. Kicks from Romeo, then he runs into a TKO for a near fall. Lynn is annoyed by the count but gets back to fighting. Lynn sets for the cradle piledrive but Romeo counters with an air raid crash, Daniels distracts the ref on the apron to save the match. Lynn with a low blow, cradle piledriver and we’re done.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Jerry Lynn defeated Kid Romeo at about 5 minutes shown

Rating: 1.5 stars

Painfully generic, a total placeholder for the ongoing Lynn and Paul London issue. That is Lynn’s first MLW victory according to Styles.

Homicide promo now, he says he’ll be at the upcoming event and will take on anyone and show them the best strong style hardcore wrestling on the east coast.

Oh no, the EXTREME Horsemen are talking next. Diamond starts, but someone walks in front of their shot. Oh, it’s Mike Awesome. Corino walks up to him and says they’ve got a lot of belief in him winning the title. Corino says he’s going to be the number one contender once Awesome wins the title, and he wants to be next in line. Awesome tells him to get off his back and he can get that shot whenever he wants. I’m sure that wont come back to bite him in the butt.

Styles runs down the Punk vs. Raven issue. He notes Raven seems to be having a good time in his career right now. That sends us back to Raven, Punk walks up to him. Punk with minimal tattoos is just weird to look at. He tells Raven that sooner or later he’ll beat him and it’ll be out of the frying pan and into the fire for him. Simply Luscious is lurking in the background. Raven asks him to use a few more cliches, Punk obliges by asking him to stop running before walking off. Raven promises to give Punk another Raven Effect.

Back to Styles, he’s moving on to the feud between Los Maximos and the Samoan Island Tribe. That sends us to the Tribe, who tell Los Maximos they’re getting better. They tell Los Maximos to strap their Nike’s on tight and pack a lunch because it’s going to be a long night. Mana closes with “TEABAG” and I kind of want to die. Seriously, who in the world thought that was a good line/catchphrase?

Back to Styles. He runs down the contenders for the World Title and then we get that EXTREME Horsemen promo. Diamond starts again, he promises they’ll continue rewriting wrestling history. Corino walks off again to talk to a random Japanese dude who can translate for him. They head over to talk to Kojima, Corino does the same schtick here that he did with Awesome. They realize Kojima speaks English and toss out the translator. Kojima agrees to give Corino the next shot if he beats Awesome.

Styles explains to all the small children watching this independent wrestling show this means that Corino is guaranteed the next shot no matter who wins. We come back from break ready for the intros to the main event.

Match #2 – MLW World Title Match: (c) Satoshi Kojima vs. Mike Awesome

They go chest to chest immediately and shove each other. They run into each other a few times, neither man will go over from shoulder blocks. Chops go back and forth now, neither man gets an edge. Kojima finally hits a shoulder block and sends Awesome to the outside. Dive from Kojima, Awesome only kind of caught him. They brawl around the ringside area for a bit, Awesome winds up back dropped into the crowd. Awesome slams Kojima onto the barricade.

We get a cut and come back in the ring with Awesome holding a chair and Styles reminding us this is no DQ. Awesome uses the chair for a bit, until Kojima kicks it into face to counter a charge. Kojima with the chair now and lays into Awesome for a bit before tossing it out of the ring. Chops from Kojima in the corner, he heads up top and hits a falling elbow for a near fall. They start trading chops again, neither man will go down. Kojima ducks under a lariat and hits a German suplex. Back up, cutthroat neckbreaker from Kojima for a near fall. Kojima tries for the lariat but runs into one. Sitout Awesome bomb from Awesome but Kojima kicks out at 2. Awesome to the top rope, Awesome splash but that also only gets 2. Awesome heads up for another one but Kojima cuts him off then hits a superplex. Kojima is slow to cover and that lets Awesome kick out. Shining Wizard from Kojima for another near fall. Kojima sets for the lariat but gets dropped over the top rope. Awesome with a running Awesome bomb but again Kojima kicks out. Awesome is getting pissed now, he points to the outside. There’s a table under the ring for Awesome, and he puts it in the ring. Awesome sets the table up, but the ref gets kicked as he was trying to set Koji up. Koji counters with a Koji cutter and a lariat for a visual finish but the ref is down.

Kojima tries to revive the ref, Awesome is back up and hits a spear to Kojima. Awesome bomb through the table and Awesome is the new champ.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Mike Awesome defeated Satoshi Kojima at around 10 minutes shown

Rating: 3 stars

These two worked the predictable style, but it was a solid hoss fight with some pretty good near falls and an ending that helped protect Kojima as well as putting over Awesome.

Awesome poses with the belt post match. Corino comes out with a mic, he says history has been made once again. I mean, that’s universally true, it’s made every day. On behalf of the EXTREME Horsemen, MLW, and all the fans Corino congratulates Awesome. He says in the back Awesome agreed that Corino was the number one contender. Corino runs down the list of names he’s bested, and says he was promised the first title shot whenever he wanted. Awesome agrees. Corino talks about the upcoming dates for MLW but wants his shot now.

Match #3 – MLW World Title Match: (c) Mike Awesome vs. Steve Corino

Corino lays into Awesome on the outside of the ring. Chair shots from Corino. Corino gets a table and sets it up on the outside. Awesome throws Corino into the fans and gets a chair of his own.

Back from break to Awesome landing a chair shot from the top rope but only getting a near fall. Awesome abuses Corino for a bit, Corino avoids a corner rush but eats a German suplex. That was ugly. Awesome heads out of the ring and gets yet another table to send into the ring. The table is set up in the corner. Clothesline from Awesome drops Corino. Awesome sets for the running Awesome bomb but Corino slips free and kicks him in the groin. Corino misses a super kick and Awesome hits the running bomb through the table. Awesome calls for a toss to the outside, he’d rather hurt Corino more. Diamond and Anderson run in. Awesome attacks them for a bit but runs into a super kick from Corino and we’re done.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Steve Corino defeated Mike Awesome at about 5 minutes shown

Rating: 1.5 stars

More angle than match, though that might be due to editing. Corino only works a WWE-lite style despite his aspirations. This felt bland and had a horribly telegraphed ending, which could be forgiven if the journey to the destination was interesting. It wasn’t.

Awesome looks befuddled as the EXTREME Horsemen celebrate. Corino poses with the belt, and gets a mic. He says it’s reality, tonight begins the rise of the renegades led by the EXTREME Horsemen. That closes the show.

6.8

The final score: review Average

The 411

A better show all in all, they had more than one match and everything flowed rather than felt chopped up. Kojima vs. Awesome was an enjoyable slug fest and that took up the bulk of match time. Corino and Awesome was more angle than match, and honestly felt long even at only the aired five minutes. The Punk and Raven promo wasn't great, but given the talent involved it wasn't bad either. My complaints are fairly limited on a technical level, though I have to imagine on a creative level even in 2003 or so the EXTREME Horsemen felt more like a meme than anything legitimate.