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MLW: NEVER SAY NEVER
DECEMBER 7, 2017
ORLANDO, FLA. AT THE GILT NIGHTCLUB
REPORT BY TOM STOUP, PWTORCH CORRESPONDENT
-Wrestlers including Chelsea Green, Santana Garrett, John Hennigan, Brody King, Joey Ryan, and Shane Strickland sold merchandise and took photos with fans at ringside.
-Simon Grimm was observed in attendance.
-Leva Bate was announced as Chelsea Green’s replacement. Green has had to pull out of recent bookings due to injury.
DARK MATCH
-Serpentico defeated Sue Sherax (uncertain spelling) via pinfall.
(1) Matt Riddle defeated “Filthy” Tom Lawlor via submission.
The two exchanged verbal barbs before Riddle quickly grasped and maintained dominance, despite Lawlor’s wingmen getting their man out of dodge at one point. Between holds, strikes and suplexes, the style clearly blended the worlds of MMA and pro wrestling. Lawlor escaped a rear naked choke, sending Riddle’s face in to the top rope in the process, and took control with a cross armbar, a triangle, and two release German suplexes – the first of which Riddle no-sold. Riddle flurried in to a GTS for a two-count, then combined a gutwrench and a senton for another near fall. Lawlor reversed a tombstone attempt in to a tombstone of his own, and stuck out his tongue during an over-confident cover for a mere one-count. A sequence of mat wrestling then resulted in a second rear naked choke from Riddle, which caused Lawlor to pass out while holding up a middle finger.
When Lawlor came to, he accidentally attacked the referee in his daze. Lawlor’s lackeys stepped to the celebrating Riddle, who kicked one away and dropped the other on his head. Riddle – amidst statements of “Bro” – then challenged Lawlor and a partner of Lawlor’s choosing to a tag match against himself and Jeff Cobb.
(2) Saive al Sabah defeated Mike Parrow via pinfall.
Al Sabah attacked before the bell and held his own against the burly Parrow, his offense so frenzied he lost his left sneaker when repelling off a turnbuckle. Parrow chucked al Sabah from the ring and al Sabah took a nasty tailbone bump to the hardwood. Al Sabah then brought brass knuckles from his waistband and used them relentlessly during Parrow’s murderbomb attempt, subsequently achieving the fall.
When Parrow came to, he chased a taunting al Sabah out of the nightclub shouting, “I’m gonna kill you!”
(3) Rhett Giddins & Seth Petruzelli defeated Dirty Blondes via pinfall.
The Blondes taunted everyone in sight, and maintained manipulative control over Giddins while keeping Petruzelli away from tags. When the action spilled outside, a recognizable fan in the front row hilariously held up one finger to silently spurn any accidental contact. Petruzelli finally got the hot tag and sailed in to a hot offensive until falling to a low blow behind the referee’s back. Giddins tagged in on the sly and hit a gnarly clothesline for the win. After the bell the Blondes briefly spatted at ringside, then hugged it out.
(4) Barrington Hughes defeated Andrew Merlin via pinfall.
Hughes taunted Merlin in to attacking first, easily blocked a punch and, shrugging, hit a running sit-out splash for the three.
(5) Jimmy Yuta defeated Vandal Ortagun via pinfall.
The athletic affair centered around Ortagun’s meticulous assault on Yuta’s left knee. Yuta zealously overcame with a flying elbow drop.
-After the event this correspondent caught up with Ortagun, who seemed positive but lamented having but six minutes to work with.
-MLW: Zero Hour was announced for January 11.
(6) Santana Garrett defeated Leva Bate via pinfall.
Bate – not in cosplay – was announced as “hailing from Twitch,” and danced in the audience. She climbed the turnbuckle and fist-bumped a fan on the upper level.
The wrestlers matched up evenly, verbally acknowledging that they were “just having fun” until Bate began antagonizing Garrett. Garrett secured a Muta Lock that was broken at the ropes, then Bate held on to a crossface that was finally rolled in to a two-count for the break. Bate swiped Garrett’s signature headband and invoked He-Man with the declaration, “I have the power!” She headbutted Garrett then reeled back, muttering, “How do you do that?” She flung the headband back at Garrett saying, “This is crap; it doesn’t give me power at all!” Bate tried calling for a timeout after suffering a top rope splash. Garrett hit Eat Defeat for a close two-count. Bate came back with a double-stomp from the turnbuckle to even the momentum. Garrett finally put things away with a running backflip splash.
As Garrett celebrated, Priscilla Kelly quickly appeared, attacked Garrett from behind, and fled just as fast.
(7) MJF defeated Joey Ryan via submission.
MJF admonished the crowd, telling them he’s sure they came to see him “do something” tonight, and that he would indeed “do something” – remain undefeated. Ryan gave his Blow-Pop to a fan before lubricating his body. To the fan MJF called out, “You’re disgusting!”
The match began with Ryan perturbing MJF via demands to “touch [his] dick” while MJF barked back, “just wrestle!” MJF hit a reverse atomic drop and collapsed in agony, then begged off. Ryan tried to leverage his opponent’s hand to his groin, then pulled a second Blow-Pop from his trunks and received a forearm for his efforts. MJF remained on offense for a time, focusing more on berating audience than his opponent. He utilized an ear clap and a back rake. He was soon superkicked with that second Blow-Pop in his mouth, then losing his balance to fall headfirst in to Ryan’s waiting privates. Moments later MJF managed to lock in a sudden submission for a quick tapout.
Ryan offered a post-match handshake, but got flipped off. Ryan naturally turned this in to an opportunity to Penis-Plex MJF.
(8) MVP defeated Brody King via pinfall.
King’s intimidation tactics didn’t work on the cocky MVP, who easily got the crowd on his side. The contest was hard-hitting from the bell, and wreaked havoc on ringside seating as the wrestlers hurled one another in to chairs, and hurled chairs in to one another. As MVP looked to suplex King in to more chairs, Stokely Hathaway stood atop a lounge table and poured out a drink while glaring at MVP. King took the opportunity to claim dominance with maneuvers so powerful MVP struggled to rally at even the most opportune moments. Hathaway continued to glare at MVP from his cushy accommodations. The brawlers traded thunderous near falls until MVP emerged victorious with a swift kick to King’s head.
Hathaway stood up at the bell, and menacingly made his way behind the entrance curtain as MVP exited at the opposite end of the club.
(9) Sammy Guevara (with Salina de la Renta) defeated Jason Cade via pinfall.
Guevara shouted about his entrance theme, “This song is f**king popping!” Cade got the crowd chanting “Cereal first!” Guevara retorted “Milk first!” The two traded twisting dives to the outside. Guevara evaded a suplex in to the audience thanks to his de la Renta, and teased a big spot only to drop in to a chinlock and declare, “Wrestling!” Cade and Guevara remained even throughout despite each delivering strong strikes and risky aerial maneuvers. Exclamations of cereal preparation preference continued to punctuate the proceedings. Guevara climbed a stack of speakers at ringside and dove at Cade who countered with a kick. De la Renta placed her client’s foot on the rope to avoid defeat, then Guevara used the ropes to leverage himself in to a winning pin.
(10) Darby Allin & Jimmy Havoc defeated John Hennigan & Shane Strickland via pinfall in a no disqualification match.
Darby Allin entered wearing a Shane Strickland mask, which he tore in half. Jimmy Havoc dumped tacks in the corner before the bell. Hennigan entered first, and got attacked before Strickland could join him. Strickland charged in (without entrance music) before Hennigan got suplexed on the tacks, and after a few close calls Hennigan and Strickland planted Allin torso-down on the tacks. Havoc was then powerbombed on to Allin, who wound up with tacks lodged in his upper lip. The match erupted in utter chaos as the duos littered the nightclub with makeshift weapons. Havoc and Strickland utilized a staple gun on one another, then flew in to the ringside seating. Once back between the ropes, Havoc poured tacks in Hennigan’s mouth and delivered a sickening punch. Hennigan and Strickland then mounted a strong coordinated offense, countering much of Allin’s acrobatics and Havoc’s violent bloodlust. Often did Hennigan invoke the name of “Slamtown”. At one point the referee counted a two, inadvertently slapping a tack in to his palm. Strickland took Allin out of the equation with a stomp to Allin’s prone elbow. Havoc pleaded, “I’m sorry,” and was then put through a ringside table by Strickland. Immediately afterward Havoc kicked out of Starship Pain from Hennigan. Darby Allin reappeared on the upper deck with a chair taped to his back, and he recklessly lobbed himself in to his opponents. Priscilla Kelly then reappeared, shoving Hennigan off a turnbuckle and through another ringside table. Strickland kicked out after being superplexed through a table in the ring. Kelly then gave Havoc a chain, which Havoc used to strike Strickland for the fall.
Allin, Havoc, and Kelly celebrated in the ring. Once they departed, Hennigan and Strickland commiserated and enjoyed a standing ovation to end the show.
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