Previously on MLW Fusion: Barrington Hughes was saved after a post match victory by Kotto Brazil from a Sami Callihan and Death Machine attempt, Sami Callihan beat Kotto Brazil in an impromptu match, Teddy Hart threatened to pee on people, Joey Janela got dumped by his girlfriend Aria Blake for MJF in the middle of a match MJF won and John Hennigan beat Teddy Hart in a very Teddy Hart match.
Cold Open
The show starts with a graphic saying “In Memory of Jim the Anvil Neidhart”
Then we get a recap of last week, all the craziness that Teddy Hart did and how that match with Hennigan was actually a number one contender match. John Hennigan gets his title match tonight.
Matt Striker and Tony Schiavone tell us that Team Filthy and Stud Stable are having a Dojo Match tonight.
We also get some War Games hype. Also, THE HART FOUNDATION debuts tonight against ACH and Rich Swann.
The Hart Foundation vs. ACH and Rich Swann
Brian Pillman Jr. is first out to some weird ass music. I can’t get over how much I love the MLW’s theme song and how much I loathe all the wrestlers in MLW’s theme song.
Hart Foundation ask for the playing of the Canadian national anthem. The crowd chants USA during the anthem. I found out what happened to Teddy Hart’s facial expressions, Brian Pillman Jr. took them all. Pillman Jr. is dripping in charisma and you can sense his love for what he is doing.
Rich Swann was dancing in the ring and Teddy walked up, helped Rich to his feet and told him to cut out the dancing. Everything Teddy does is just weird shit. Let’s not forget Davey Boy Smith Jr. is in the ring too. One of the most legit wrestler/fighters in wrestling today.
“Hart Foundation” and “Brian Pillman” chants from the crowd. The match starts with DBS and ACH doing a bit of wrestling and then Teddy and Rich are both tagged in and they do a bit. It’s slower paced but it’s building.
Teddy does an expressionless springboard arm drag and gets a “Teddy” chant from the crowd. Rich shows just as much athleticism and hits a dropkick to the sound of crickets. We weren’t told who were the heels in this match, but if the crowd is to be believed, Hart Foundation are the fan favorites.
Davey gets tagged in and takes Rich Swann and powerslams him over the top rope onto ACH. They cut to commercial break and when we come back ACH and Swann are in control. Swann was going for a top rope hurricanrana that ACH was supposed to turn into a powerbomb but the distance was off and it came off pretty awkward.
ACH trolls the Hart Foundation by putting Teddy in a Sharpshooter which brings Pillman to the apron. Davey Boy is quick to break up the submission. ACH is taking out of action and Swann attempts a top rope manuever but Brian Pillman is able to hit Swann in the crotch with his cane. That leads to Teddy doing an electric chair into a backcracker for the win. It was an alright match. It didn’t set the world on fire that’s for sure. It was like I said before a very Teddy Hart match.
Shane Strickland, Barrington Hughes and Kotto Brazil are joined by John Hennigan in a backstage interview. They learn that the last participant in War Games on Sami Callihan’s team. You have Sami Callihan, The Death Machines, Jimmy Havoc and now Abyss. Callihan and company jump Strickland’s group from behind but Strickland’s group is saved by Tommy Dreamer.
Konnan and The Lucha Bros. cut a promo about how they are free from Salina De La Renta now. Then they speak in Spanish.
Dojo Match
Tom Lawlor vs. Mike Parrow
Jake Hager steps to Tom Lawlor and they get ready to fight except Parrow is the won who starts fighting. The match just starts and has commentary! It’s a lot like an MMA fight and not much like a wrestling match. Worked MMA is weird shit.
Lawlor has gloves and Parrow does not. No one is really landing many strikes and you can tell that Tom is in control even though he is getting beat down. Just by body control alone, Tom is the general.
Tom hits a ceiling assisted hurricanrana and then puts a Kimura on Parrow for the win by tap out. Tom won’t let go and keeps saying he will break Mike’s arm. Tom is locked in the cage though and the Stud Stable is able to take out Seth Petruzelli.
MLW World Heavyweight Championship
Low Ki (c) w/ Salina De La Renta vs. John Hennigan
Still can’t get over how big that belt looks in comparison to Low Ki. It’s so comical. Hennigan has taped ribs from the Callihan attack. As he makes his entrance holding his ribs, he at least as a slightly memorable entrance song.
Salina makes her way out with a cane and some attitude. Low Ki got the best entrance song in MLW right now. Probably because its the beat to The Truth by Beanie Sigel. For real though, MLW’s relationship with Wale is well know. How do they not just have bangers for entrance songs?
Commentary puts over Hennigan’s injured ribs so much they are basically telegraphing the finish. The match does start out very slow during the feeling out process. Hennigan chooses to work over Low Ki’s leg. I’m pretty sure it isn’t Ki’s kicking leg, but its a leg nonetheless.
A lot of mat wrestling and counter wrestling. This match is what the AWA would call ‘scientific’. Matt Striker likens this to Inoki vs. Ali which is notoriously known as one of the worst matches in histroy. It is also considered the world’s first MMA match. It does feel like an adequate comparison. The crowd is kind of waiting for something substantial to happen.
Hennigan goes to the top rope and Low Ki kicks John to the outside. Then Hennigan gets bodyslammed on the ONE area out of the ring that isn’t concrete. Legit just some padding placed on the concrete with its only visible reason being the bodyslam to the concrete.
This double stomp spot is what kind of gets the match to the next gear. Low-Ki is in complete control and starts working over the injured ribs of John.
Hennigan is able to counter Low-Ki with a kick to the head and follow that up with a sliding German suplex. Schiavone is excited because he says he has never seen that before. Even though it was in the Teddy Hart vs. John Hennigan match from last week.
Hennigan hits a Shining Wizard and misses the Starship Pain. That leads to Low-Ki hitting a double stomp from the top rope for two. John is too out of it though and Low-Ki gets the win with a kick to Hennigan’s head. Lackluster match. Both men worked hard but something just didn’t click. The plus side is that Low Ki celebrates with the MLW championship which is as wide as him.
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