wrestling / TV Reports
Winfree’s MLW Underground (Episode 14) Review
Image Credit: MLW/YouTube
Loading...Hello there everyone, Winfree back again for another rebroadcast of MLW Underground. All the way up to episode 14, let’s see jump back into the time machine and look at wrestling way back in 2003-04.
A quick recap of the sinister alliance starting to form last week between Christopher Daniels, Jerry Lynn and James Mitchell. Now a promo from Fonzie after the attack, he says he always ends up in the hospital after he comes to this promotion. Sabu makes his way outside where he’s ambushed by Whipwreck and Jerry Lynn, they slam a car door into his head a few times before Mitchell leans out of the window and tells Sabu “Eye for an eye” before they drive off as Whipwreck cackles.
That leads to the usual intro. Joey Styles is here again for hosting and commentary detail. He runs down all the ECW alumni who’ve showed up recently and promises a match between Raven and CM Punk later tonight.
Match #1: Michael Shane w/ Francine vs. Homicide
Shane plays around with the crowd a bit before they lock up. Neither man gains much advantage from the lock ups. Shane delaying things, stalling a lot. Shane gets a shoulder block, Homicide hits a couple of arm drags then a drop toe hold and Shane powders to regain himself. Homicide tries to attack Shane, he counters a sunset flip and drops Shane with a punch. Homicide takes over with strikes now, a running knee strike to Shane sends us to break.
Back and both men are down. Both men up and Homicide back to strikes to keep Shane on the back foot. T-bone suplex from Homicide gets a two count. Shane tries to fight back, but Homicide hits him with the Cop Killah but Francine breaks up the pinfall. Homicide stalks Francine back into the ring, Shane hits the reverse STO but can’t keep Homicide down. Pop up powerbomb from Shane but he still can’t pin Homicide. Homicide blocks the super kick, and locks in the STF but Francine distracts the ref as Shane taps out. Homicide nearly takes out Francine, Shane attacks and rolls him up but still no finish. Big boot from Homicide but Shane wont stay down. Scoop slam from Homicide, he heads up top but Francine interferes again. Homicide grabs her by the hair and drives her head into Shane’s crotch several times in the corner. Shane saves Francine from a move, hits the super kick but Homicide kicks out again. Shane wants the Cop Killah, Homicide counters and rolls him up to get the win.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Homicide pinned Michael Shane at around 9 minutes shown
Rating: 2.5 stars
This was overly long, not boring but got very repetitive down the stretch and felt like they tried to do too much. I didn’t need two visual wins for Homicide and then a parade of near falls before a roll up win, which is a complaint I have about a lot of modern wrestling matches now that I think about it. That said Homicide’s connection to the crowd is undeniable, Shane still feels green here as he’s mostly doing heel schtick 101 rather blandly.
Back stage Mitchell says there are a lot of levels to success in wrestling. There are the superstars, the journeymen, the losers, and the level he specializes in the level of lost souls. Men who have never been given their due regardless of how talented they are. He promises to build an army of darkness to turn MLW on its ear. He asks if you know what it’s like to be isolated for years, have your friends ignore you and your messages. Whipwreck interrupts to say his duck isn’t swimming, Mitchell advises him to turn on the water. Mitchell really doesn’t get enough credit. He mentions the tag partners who left Whipwreck behind. Whipwreck still can’t make his duck swim, Mitchell now points him to a toilet instead of the shower he had been coming in and out of. Mitchell notes that Fonzie and Sabu came to MLW while still leaving Whipwreck behind. He brings up the history of Sabu, and says at the end of all his matches and insanity all he has is a broken body and mind, things he broke just to impress some hardcore wrestling fans. He says hardcore wrestling fans are subhuman beings enthralled by cheap liquor, lottery tickets, internet porn and kayfabe sheets. Sabu ruined his life for that, but ignored Whipwreck? He says Whipwreck will sober Sabu up, Whipwreck shows up and is happy that his duck was swimming. Evil/insane laughter follows to close the promo. It’s a crying shame Mitchell never got a bigger run, the man is really really good.
Styles with our weekly rundown of the highly official top contenders rankings. He recaps the CM Punk and Raven issue, plus mentions that the tag team champions will grant Steve Williams and Sandman a title match if Doc and Sandman can best them in singles matches. We also get a recap of the Lynn vs. Paul London feud. They re-air the promo Lynn cut about London missing their match due to his father being in the hospital.
We get a recap of the video bit that opened the episode. In the back Fonzie is with Sabu and Fonzie is mad, he promises Sabu will hurt people and that they’ve got revenge on their minds.
Sandman and Williams promo now. They ambush the EXTREME Horsemen and the video cuts out. Styles mentions that Los Maximos have been taking beatings from Samoan Island Tribe, apparently next week will be a rematch between those two teams. That leads to the walkouts for our main event.
Simply Luscious shows up before the match starts, she’s got a chair and sits down ringside. Punk has a mic now, he asks if the people here know who he is. We get the usual straight edge script. He’s going to prove he’s better than Raven, a degenerate who’s built a legacy of drug use and stints in rehab. He says it’s not 420 time, it’s clobberin’ time.
Match #2: Raven vs. CM Punk
Punk plays heel early, hiding out in the ropes when Raven gets close to him. Raven unloads with punches and tosses Punk out of the ring. Punk back in quickly. We get a cut, now Raven has a chair and drop toe holds Punk into the chair. Punches from Raven, then he sets the chair up in a corner but that delay lets Punk hit a low blow. Punk with a shining wizard but Raven kicks out of the pin attempt. Punk gets the chair now, and a chair assisted shining wizard still can’t put Raven down. Raven with the Evenflow DDT but Michael Shane shows up and pulls Raven out of the ring. Punk with the DDT and pins Raven.
OFFICIAL RESULT: CM Punk defeated Raven in about 3 minutes shown
Rating: 1 star
I’m going to acknowledge that the editing process almost certainly killed this match, if it were any shorter I just wouldn’t have rated in on principle. That said, what we saw was well executed but painfully familiar heel shenanigans. Punk’s charisma is evident, he’s much better with a live mic than a back stage segment at this point, but whatever went down in this match was left on the cutting room floor.
Punk and Shane celebrate, then resume stomping down Raven. They set up the chair and drop him across it. One more drop toe hold onto the chair. They go for a third but Norman Smiley shows up with a chair to chase them off. Smiley gets a mic, he challenges the two of them to a tag team match. Punk has already peaced out leaving Shane alone for the moment. Raven accepts Smiley’s offer of teaming up, and they both do the catchphrase thing.
Video promo from MLW champion Steve Corino now. He says the EXTREME Horsemen always said they would run MLW sooner, not later and here they are. Everything he’s said in MLW has come true, he promises to take the title around the world and defend it. He doesn’t care who comes after him, because he’s the world champion. He mentions Terry Funk, saying he hasn’t forgotten about him and tells Funk to dredge up anyone he wants to come after them because the EXTREME Horsemen aren’t letting go of the gold in MLW.
That will close out the episode.
