Winfree’s MLW Underground (Episode 7) Review 8.22.20

Hey there everyone, Winfree back again for the continued re-airing of MLW’s old Underground show. Tonight we have a truncated episode, just 27 minutes long as some of the original footage was damaged and irretrievable. So if nothing else this wont take too long.

Joey Styles welcomes us to the episode, he hypes up all the action coming to the episode. Apparently this was part of their big Taboo event that features the debut of CM Punk, Raven confronting Vampiro, and Terry Funk taking on Steve Corino. Not sure how much of that we’re getting here, but I imagine not much.

Match #1: Ikuto Hidaka vs. Fuego Guerrero

They shake hands to get things going. They trade arm wringer counters early, then Hidaka hits a basement drop kick. Hidaka starts laying in strikes, Guerrero fires back and hits a diving head scissors from the second rope. Hurricanrana from Guerrero and Hidaka heads outside. Guerrero fakes a dive, then hits a tornado kick when Hidaka tried to get back in the ring. Hidaka catches Guerrero on an aerial attempt and dumps him chest first onto the barricade. Hidaka beats Guerrero around the ringside area, then they head back into the ring. Tope con hilo from Hidaka gets a 2 count and sends us to break.

Back to action as Guerrero hits a spinning kick for a near fall. Super kicks from Guerrero, then a kick to the back of Hidaka’s head in the corner. Hidaka avoids a high elevated splash, looked like a legit botch from Guerrero there. Guerrero is draped on the top rope and then eats a drop kick to the head. Spinning toe hold from Hidaka to Guerrero, then he rolls through into a modified Texas Cloverleaf, might be closer to a the inverted variation. I can’t remember what that’s called again, the King Kong something or other? Pity I can’t find those old Suicidal Dragon top ten moves videos anymore, I’m sure one of them would have the answer. Neither here nor there, Guerrero makes it to the ropes to force a break. MLW is really inconsistent with application of rope breaks or disqualification stipulations, if you can’t be disqualified then you’d never break for a rope break. Hidaka grabs the leg, but Guerrero hits an enziguri to buy himself more time to recover. Guerrero hits the Code Red but only gets 2, because why would you sell the leg work. Guerrero hits a brainbuster, tries to climb the ropes but Hidaka cuts him off. Hidaka with a top rope swinging neck breaker but still only a 2 count.

Hidaka catches a kick, hits a sit out power bomb but still can’t get Guerrero to stay down. Hidaka heads up top, Guerrero cuts him off but hitting the ropes. Guerrero up now with him, gets tossed off but lands on his feet and hits another tornado kick. Top rope hurricanrana then a standing shooting star press from Guerrero and we’re done.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Fuego Guerrero pinned Ikuto Hidaka at about 8:30 shown

Rating: 1.5 stars

The lack of story or even really selling from Guerrero really hurt this match, just another spot fest with some near falls tossed in. Not much to see here.

Simon Diamond and CW Anderson get to talk, only half of that equation should get mic time. Diamond says they set a goal for themselves and that they will revive tag team wrestling. I think this is a straight re-air of their promo from last week. Yeah, just re-aired from last week.

Styles reminds us that CM Punk is coming, he says he dislikes Punk so much that he’s actually rooting for Raven to beat the crap out of Punk next week. That cuts to a Punk promo, he says he’s the one guy Styles didn’t want in MLW and that he’s the one guy who tells it like it is, which scares everyone. He runs down how he’s straight edge that means he’s better than you, and mentions how he’s a non-conformist. He says soon enough everyone will know he’s better. I’m not a big fan of Punk in general, but the man can talk and even here he’s got such smoother delivery and ability to communicate through the camera than the vast majority of people they’ve shown.

Styles is back, next week Mike Awesome will fight Masato Tanaka for the number one contender spot. We get a Tanaka promo in Japanese, which I don’t speak. Back with Styles who runs down how Christopher Daniels finally turned Jerry Lynn to his side. Daniels and Lynn are in the back, and Daniels chastises MLW for putting road blocks in front of Lynn and himself after Lynn came around. He mentions they might have suffered short term set backs but have more long term goals to keep their eyes on. Lynn now, he says only pain agony and despair await their opponents. Back to Daniels, he says their downward spiral ends now while everyone else is just starting theirs.

Back to Styles who mentions that Taiyo Kea blew out both of his knees during an event in Japan and promises that Kea will have a spot in MLW as soon as he’s able to come back. Fuego Guerrero promo now, he says anyone can be the victim of zero gravity.

Raven promo now, he says Vampiro no showed their confrontation, Raven is over looking the ring being taken down from their event. He’s surprised that Vampiro didn’t interfere in his match with Punk, and calls Vampiro a bitch. He says he’s not closing the door on Vampiro yet though. The promo is cut off by a CONTRA Unit promo. They want to remind everyone of their occupation, and that they’re holding MLW in a death grip. They promise to drain the bank accounts of MLW, might be a little more true than not given how few guys have been paid recently. Samael is doing the talking by the way, he says this isn’t 2003, but MLW has definitely gone Underground where it will slowly die. That closes the episode.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ya81gvumxI&ab_channel=MLW

3.0

The final score: review Bad

The 411

Much as I'd like to find praise for this, there isn't much to be had. The singular match was basically every spot fest from the early 2000's, the episode was at least short but had no flow, no story, and nothing of real value. The promo work was spotty, with Punk and Daniels being far and away the best talkers then Raven's being cut short for a reminder that MLW would still like to exist going forward if they can sort out their financial issues.