MLW Fusion begins with a bandaged Mance Warner says that he and Jimmy Havoc have been dancing a long time with one another and every time they do, Ol’ Mancer flips that table to whip some ass. Priscilla however, came in and kicked him in hits nuts and took money out of his pocket, but that’s okay, because Mance is still ready to dance. In Dallas, he and Havoc are going to take off the ring ropes and wrap the whole building in barbed wire, baby. And it will be Mancer at the end, sitting in Jimmy’s blood, drinking light beers and heading to that pay window.
Tonight The Opera Cup continues as the semi-finals begin with Davey Boy Smith facing off against Alexander Hammerstone, but first we have an unexpected bout between “Filthy” Tom Lawlor and “The Last Great Von Erich” (?)
Lawlor grabs the mic. All anybody wants to talk to him about is The Von Erich family. Well, the Von Erichs are idiots, imbeciles and dumbasses. The only people dumber are the fans in attendance in the NYC arena. He begins to question if Ross and Marshall are really Von Erichs. But someone he does know is a “Von Erich” and that’s his next opponent: straight from the loins of the late, great Lance Von Erich comes “Rip Von Erich.”
Match 1
“Filthy” Tom Lawlor vs. “Rip Von Erich”
Lawlor teases a test of strength with Rip but Rip resorts into side headlock before Lawlor shoves him to the ground. Lawlor just completely owns Rip as the copycat competitor stands no chance against him. He puts on an elevated single leg crab and Rip makes it to the ropes. Rip goes for a discus punch but Tom puts him in an airplane spin. Rip still tries for the claw, but Tom puts him in his rear naked choke with a modified Claw to add salt to the wound. Rip “Van Winkles” out and the match is over.
WINNER: Tom Lawlor
Lawlor calls new MLW ring announce Mark Adam Haggerty “Joe Rogan” before telling him to take a hike. Lawlor states he’s going to remain undefeated against The Von Erichs. Then people really should be chanting for “Filthy Tom” and not those “Hawaiian Hillbillies.” You better believe that prompted an unexpected appearance from both Ross and Marshall to the delight of Queens, but the brothers get ambushed by The Spirit Squad. Tom’s corner men join in on the attack as Tom takes Marshall’s cowboy hat before tossing it back at him before they all exit.
We saw Richard Holliday talking to Hammer about how he thinks The Dynasty should scoop up hot free agent Gino Medina to their squad, but enter Salina de la Renta who makes it clear there is plenty to offer when it comes to her and Promociones Dorado. It doesn’t look like The Dynasty will not be able to touch ‘El Intocable.’
Alicia Atout joins Davey Boy Smith Jr. before he takes on the aforementioned Hammerstone and asks him who he thinks is “the true power” in MLW. “The power can be debated,” says Davey Boy and while Hammerstone may be powerful and hardest-hitting competitor in Major League Wrestling, but Davey Boy excells in the technique and submission wrestling decision. And as the match gets longer and fatigue kicks in, that means Hammer will be tapping out “like the bitch” he is.
MJF is on commentary for the big bout between Davey Boy and Hammerstone, who he’ll be rooting for because he beat one of the “best in the biz” (which is him). As Hammer enters with Holliday, MJF can be heard saying “that’s my boy, baby” and Hammerstone looks all but ready to roll.
Opera Cup Semi-Finals (Round 2)
Davey Boy Smith Jr. vs. Alexander Hammerstone
The bell rings, and they start off with a collar-and-elbow tie-up. Davey Boy wrenches down the arm of Hammer before locking him in a surfboard stretch. Hammer tries to power out as MJF. Hammer finally escapes with a back elbow, but DB hits one of his own. Hammer gets thrown to the corner.but Hammer soon throws Davey Boy over the top rope as DB skins the cat. Holliday distracts DB and that does give Hammer the chance to send him outside. Belly to back suplex on the metal barricade. He rolls Davey back in for a two count.
DB tries to headbutt his way free but Hammer finds the moment to stomp a mudhole into his opponent. DB finds himself in a rear naked choke center of the ring. Hammer hits one crisp dropkick for a near fall.
Hammer hammers away at Davey with some hard punches, but DB shoots right up to wag a finger. He gives Hammer a few receipts before sending him into the turnbuckle and giving him a ten-punch in the corner. He slams Hammer down and delivers a leg drop.
Another two count. Three German suplexes by Davey for another two count. Hammer shows his athleticism but flipping out of a belly-to-back and savate kicks Davey right in the mush. Hammerstone looks to go for what may be a Nightmare Pendulum, but Davey reverses it into a crossface center of the ring. This could have signified the end for Hammer but Holliday distract Davey, causing DB to release the grip. Holliday hops up on the apron and ducks a swing from Davey. He grabs Davey, letting him get ready for a strike from Hammer, but Davey moves and Hammer boots the Air Pods off of Richard. Running powerslam by Davey before he climbs the top rope. He hits a diving headbutt for the 1-2-3 and he advances!
WINNER and advances to the finals: Davey Boy Smith Jr.
In a very surprising move post-match, Davey extends a hand to Hammer in respect. What may be even more surprising is that Hammer goes in for the handshake, but it’s Holliday who snatches the hand of Hammer stopping The Openweight Champ from shaking hands with the enemy. Hammer looks reluctant to withhold, but leaves without a handshake.
Alicia Atout is standing by with Brian Pillman who is set to face Timothy Thatcher in his semi-final match of The Opera Cup. Alicia asks if Pillman feels like the underdog in the bout and Pillman certainly gets that vibe from a lot of people. “History will tell you that my father was an underdog,” says Pillman Jr. and the same goes for him. Nobody tapped him on the shoulder to join pro wrestling. Enter Kotto Brazil who thinks Alicia should be talking to him because Injustice is undefeated and they are the alternates in The Opera Cup. Brazil insinuates that Pillman might not even make it to the finals, but then wishes him luck. This fires Brian up as the two talk trash to one another, leaving Atout by herself.
The feed cuts to CONTRA and we see Josef Samael with MLW World Heavyweight Champion, Jacob Fatu. Samael says that a year ago, the world was so much safer, but that’s no longer the case. He says tonight they face the Stronghearts, and just like The Hart Foundation, CIMA and his team with deal with the global dealers in violence.
Another huge acquisition is on it’s way to MLW as we see a teaser for Erick Stevens!
It’s main event time as #Stronghearts, El Lindaman, Shigehiro Irie & CIMA make there way to the center of The Melrose Ballroom. The OWE competitors come out to a huge reaction as Rich Bocchini drops some big news on the pro wrestling world: CIMA will be challenging Jacob Fatu for the World Title at Fightland in Philadelphia!
Speaking of, The Champ enters with Gotch and Samael to face the men they ganged up on earlier. Fatu drapes the CONTRA flag over the top rope as the two groups stare one another down.
#Stronghearts (CIMA, Shigehiro Ire & El Lindaman) vs. CONTRA (Jacob Fatu, Josef Samael & Simon Gotch)
CIMA and Gotch start the bout off as they both collide with clothesline. CIMA gains the advantage and do an assisted dropkick in their respective corners.
El Lindaman gets a tag and goes for a suplex, but finds himself in CONTRA’s corner. Samael receives the tag and he and Lindaman trade chops before he drops Josef down with high flipping dropkick.
It’s not long before Fatu gets th
e tag and changes the momentum with his brute force who tags in Gotch for a flipping T-Bone suplex. Gotch tags in Samael and the succinct tag work by CONTRA is in full effect. The 5’3″ Lindaman goes for a bodyslam on Fatu and gets him up, but the massive champ crashes down on top for a two count. He bites the forehead of Lindaman in the corner before tagging in Gotch. European uppercuts by Gotch, but Lindaman tags in Shigehiro Irie. He delivers an innovative splash with the help of the ropes for a very near fall.
Gotch goes for the piledriver but Irie finds a way to reverse and put Samael in a piledriver on top of Gotch. Fatu and Irie face one another off and the two go for double cross bodies at once. Fatu pops right back up! Irie headbutts Fatu, but the champ does a standing spinning Uranage in one jaw-dropping feat of strength!
Two count. The fights spills out onto the outside as the official tries to restore order.
Irie and Fatu both trade suicide dives and #Stronghearts all set their sights on the MLW champ. All three deliver strikes to Fatu who begins to fight back.Fatu charges at Lindaman who drop-toe holds him down on the ropes for CIMA to deliver a double foot stomp.
El Lindaman almost gets the three count on Fatu in just one amazing display of pure power when the 5’3″ fighter German suplexes the Champion! All CONTRA Unit members get put down and Lindaman is the last man standing who does a somersault plancha onto Samael on the outside. Irie takes out Gotch who then gets superkicked by Fatu. CIMA charges at Fatu but Fatu hits him with a pop-up Samoan Drop and gets the pinfall on his future opponent!
WINNERS: CONTRA Unit
Camera cut to Tom Lawlor once more who has an offer for The Von Erichs. He finally saw a glimmer of fight back in the brothers. And if they haven’t noticed, Team Filthy Dojo is back open for business and it is booming. He wants to see if Ross and Marshall are will to put their tag belts on the line against his two star pupils. He knows that his students are ready for a belt ceremony and he’s ready to show people “what martial arts can do for you.”
These results were written by @DOMINICDEANGELO but are COURTESY OF MLW.COM. Watch the full episode of this week’s MLW Fusion below:
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