SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
MLW TV REPORT
AUGUST 24, 2018
TAPED IN ORLANDO, FLA.
AIRED ON BE-IN SPORTS NETWORK
REPORT BY KRIS KARCHER, PWTORCH CORRESPONDENT
Announcers: Tony Schiavone, Matt Striker
They showed footage of the dojo brawl from last week between team filthy and the stud stable where the dirty blondes attacked Seth Petruzelli, Lawler’s coach.
They showed a video of Tom Lawlor telling the Stud Stable that what they did was deplorable. He said it wasn’t funny and that the Dirty Blondes would face retribution tonight at the hands of Simon Gotch and Fred Yehi. He said he was going to take Colonel Parker’s top stud Jake Hager and send him to the glue factory.
Schiavone previewed the upcoming show
(1) The Dirty Blondes (w/ Colonel Parker & Parrow) vs. Team Filthy (Simon Gotch & Fred Yehi)
During the Dirty Blondes entrance they played a video from last week of the Stud Stable. Colonel Parker said he was upset that Parrow couldn’t get the job done but he was externally proud of the Dirty Blondes for what they did to Seth. Team filthy came to the ring without there usual Congo line entrance. They were more serious then usual tonight. Yehi started the match with Mike Patrick and gained the advantage by using his spread and quick hands to chop Patrick down to his size. Patrick tagged in Leo Brien and the two together where able to gain the upper on Yehi. Yehi got the tag to Gotch. Yehi stayed in the ring and hit mile Patrick with bicycle kicks to the chest and then Gotch side suplexes Patrick. The Dirty Blondes gained the upper hand by using quick tags back and forth and double teaming Simon Gotch. When the ref was distracted Tom Lawler hit the back of Leo Brien with a chair as he was hitting the ropes. Lawler then threw the chair to Parrow. The ref was distracted by this and failed to see Brien get rolled up by Gotch in the ring. After a few seconds however, the ref noticed the pin and slid over in time to make the three count.
WINNERS: Simon Gotch & Fred Yehi
(KARCHER’S ANALYSIS: Not really much to this match at all. I can’t really say much about it because it was so short and really didn’t have any memorable spots except maybe the bicycle chest kick into a side suplex spot. As is often my criticism on Fusion every week, the match was simply too short and never got a chance to really get going. I’m mildly enjoying this feud so far but they are starting to loose me a bit this far in. I think I just honestly don’t care at all about the Stud Stable. Jock Hager bores me to tears. I like the size of Parrow but I haven’t seen much from him in terms of a personality or even a standout match of his. And The Dirty Blondes are okay as far as an old school tag team goes but I think they have a curling and they are quite close to that here. Not sure they are going to be worth the airtime when you have guys in the roster who are far more exciting. I’m much more interested in the prospects of any member from Team Filthy and hopefully they can move on to something better come September. I haven’t seen any match announcement for these guys in particular for War Games.)
They showed footage from earlier in the day showing ACH and Rich Swann arriving at the building. The interviewer asked them about their upcoming tag match and they said it was very hot outside but not as hot as it is going to be in the upcoming tag match. ACH said he was going to go grab some AC so the fans can enjoy some ACH and Swann said it’s too dam hot for Zero Miedo.
They aired a promo from Tommy Dreamer. He gave his history of the Fort Lauderdale arena that War Games takes place on. He talked about seeing Dusty Rhodes and realizing he was destined to be a professional wrestler. He said he had his first main event for ECW in that building. He said he also teamed up with Dusty later on in that building. He said his return is big. He said Dusty told him War Games would take years off his life. He said he doesn’t know how many years he has left. He spoke directly to Sami Callihan and said Callihan could do nothing to him that he hasn’t already experienced. He said he is on Shane Strickland’s team because he believes in Strickland like Dusty believed in him. He said it was his first time in a War Games match and he would become the innovator of violence and that The American Dream will have the best seat in the house.
Matt Stryker reviewed the rules of War Games. Stryker also announced Low Ki vs. Rey Fenix for the MLW Heavyweight Championship and also Pentagon Jr. vs. L.A Park, and finally Brody King vs. PCO all taking place on September 6th in fort Lauderdale Fl.
(2) Rickey Martinez (w/ Salina de La Renta) vs. Jobber.
Martinez rammed jobber into the corner and jobber fell through the ropes to the apron. Martinez brought him back in over the top rope and then lifted him up over his by his pants and dropped him on his face for the three count.
WINNER: Rickey Martinez
(KARCHER’S ANALYSIS: Nothing really to this match. It was a simple squash match to try and establish a new threat in La Renta’s faction. I wish Martinez would have shown off a bit more of his offense as the point of a squash match is to showcase not only dominance but establish the effectiveness of the winners move set. This was simply to squashy of a squash in my opinion. This is the same Jobber that MLW has been using however for this episode they did not mention his name. The guy dresses up in a Karate style get up and dances around the ring in an almost comical manner as he tried to use dance like maneuvers to throw off his opponent. It hasn’t worked out so well for him so far.)
The showed a video package with footage from last week of the championship match between Hennigan and Low Ki.
They aired a promo from Low Ki after last weeks match. He said this is the beginning of his reign and he will reign supremacy in MLW. He said it doesn’t matter what country or where you come from he is taking all challengers. He said it doesn’t matter if you think your part of a club or if you think your part of an underground.
They replayed the footage of the backstage fight from last week between the two War Games teams. The. Went to a new video from Sami Callihan. Callihan said he doesn’t care if Tommy Dreamer is on the team even though he respects what he has done. He showed the scar that the kendo stick supposedly left on Fulton’s back. Fulton said that Dreamer was his at War Games. Callihan said thumbs up, thumbs down.
The showed a video from abyss. He named all his opponents and asked them if they realized what they have done? He said MLW will be hit with a title wave the likes of which it has never seen before. He spit at the idea of Tommy Dreamer being the innovator of violence. He said he can’t wait to mess up Hennigan pretty face. He told them not to worry because he was bringing the pain, the suffering, and the carnage.
The showed Pentagon, Fenix, and Konnan strategizing backstage.
The replayed some footage of the match earlier between the Dirty Blondes and Team Filthy. This looked like additional footage or maybe another angle. They showed an argument breaking out between Parrow and The Dirty Blondes who seemed to be under the impression that Parrow was the one who hit Brien with the chair. Then they cut to a video promo from Tom Lawler. Lawler said all he has wanted since he got to MLW was a title shot, but the Stud Stable has been in his way this whole time. He challenged Hager to a one on one match next week.
They went backstage where Vanessa Craft was interviewing Salina de La Renta and Low Ki. Craft asked La Renta if she cares to comment on the lawsuit that was filed against her. La Renta said she did not wish to comment on the frivolous lawsuit. She said Fenix was playing intimidation games but the Low Ki was not easy intimidated. Low Ki said he is going to make short work of Fenix and after his he is going to take on all the best challengers in the world. He said he is going to have very long title reign and no one is going to be able to cut that short.
(3) Pentagon Jr. & Rey Fenix (c) vs. ACH & Rich Swann (MLW Tag Team Championship)
During the ring introductions Pentagon grabbed the microphone from the ring announcer and did the intros for Fenix then handed the mic to Fenix who Introduced Pentagon. Both ACH and Swann kicked the Lucha bros right as soon as they finished. They tossed them both outside the ring. ACH grabbed the mic and said I’m the best wrestler in the world. As the two went to dive to the outside Fenix slid in and gave both men a double stunner. Pentagon then out Swann in his shoulder and Fenix jumped from the top rope and double stomped Swann to the Matt. Fenix then dove outside onto ACH and pentagon got a two count on Swann. Pentagon quoted the crowd and gave Swann a huge chop to the chest. The crowd chanted uno mas. Fenix and Pentagon got a double super kick for a two count on Swann. As ACH and pentagon jr. squared off the crowd started dueling chants. ACH and Fenix had a fast paced exchange with Fenix that ACH got the better of and then ACH sling shot himself over the top rope and onto Pentagon on the floor. The crowd was really behind ACH here. Back inside the ring ACH hit a nice looking back breaker into a German suplex for a two count on Fenix. Pentagon hit ACH with kick to the head in his corner to slow his momentum. When ACH eventually tug in Swann, Fenix threw Swann over his head but Swann managed to land on Pentagon’s shoulder and pull off a hurricanrana. Great move. Swann hit a series of head kicks and then a hurricanrana on Fenix from the top rope. Fenix landed on pentagon and Swann covered for a two count. The announcers both claimed to have lost track of the legal man due to the craziness in the ring. Fenix hit a beautiful spinning kick to Swann’s face as he bounced off the middle rope. Pentagon and Fenix hit double superkicks to their opponents. Pentagon then used Fenix in an odd move I’m not sure the name of. Fenix lifted Pentagon in wheelbarrow fashion but then kind of flipped and pentagon ended up almost in position of a styles clash using a spinning Fenix and driving him into ACH. That got them a two count. Sorry for the confusing description but I honestly have never seen that double team move. ACH has both men on his shoulders but Fenix managed to escape. ACH then threw Pentagon at Fenix. Pentagon and Swann exchanged some nasty looking super kicks. Pentagon hit Swann with a pentadriver but ACH managed to break up the pin. ACH stood on pentagons hand and mocked him. All four men where involved in a quick move exchange where ACH hit Pentagon with some stuff kicks and upper cuts, Fenix hit ACH with a rolling cutter, Swann hit Fenix with a roll through splash and then a 450 for a two count that was broken up by Pentagon with a double stomp to Swann’s back. All four men stood up and chopped and slapped each other’s chest. ACH was particularly entertaining for this exchange. Swann and Fenix both hit variations of backhand spring cutters at the same time and then ACH and Pentagon both went for a big boot at the same time causing all four men to be down again. The crowd chanted this is awesome. Swann went to the top rope but Fenix sprang pup and uppercut Swann sending him back down. Fenix went to the top and powerbombed Swann from the top rope to the Matt. Pentagon held Swann in pile driver position and Fenix hit a double stop to Swann from the top rope and Pentagon drove him. Pentagon then covered Swann and got the three count.
WINNERS: The Lucha Bros (Pentagon Jr. & Rey Fenix)
(KARCHER’S ANALYSIS: Wow. As expected this was a great match. The athletic ability of all four men was on full display here. The crowd was very into the match and I was happy to see ACH get so much love from the crowd. He is one of my favorite wrestlers in any promotion right now. He’s just so entertaining to watch in the ring. He is the perfect blend of comedy and athleticism in my opinion. The Lucha Bros are also really at the top of their game right now. I enjoy them as singles stars mostly, but as a tag team they really have some incredibly innovative offense. All four guys really showed up and were on top of their game. Very good main event and I wish we could get a match if this caliber every week on fusion. Next week is Lawler vs. Hager and somehow I don’t feel like that will be able to live up to this match.)
FINAL THOUGHTS: Decent show this week capped off by an incredible main event tag match. The first two matches left much to be desired in terms of in ring action but that’s to be expected most weeks on fusion. We usually only get treated to one great match and only if your lucky one or two half way decent ones before that. I liked the Tommy Dreamer and Abyss promos. Dreamer more so than Abyss. Dreamer was believable in his desire to honor Dusty and participate in the match he created. I also like how he recited his history with that particular building. Details like that make the past seem important and I like to think that Dreamer cares so much about the milestones in his career that he would recall every time he had been in different buildings. The feud between the Stud Stable and Team Filthy has run its course and should end soon. Hopefully next week we can have Lawler beat Hager and move on to a possible title shot against Low Ki. That’s the only match announced for next week. That’s it for this week.
NOW CHECK OUT LAST WEEK’S REPORT: 8/17 MLW TV Report: John Hennigan vs. Low Ki, The Hart Foundation (Teddy Hart & Davey Boy Smith Jr.) vs. ACH & Rich Swann, Tom Lawler vs. Mike Parrow
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.