10/26 MLW Fusion TV Report: “It looked like Holliday might fall directly into the steel crotch of Joey Ryan. Wow, I can’t believe I’m typing this” plus PCO vs. LA Park, Callihan vs. Havoc

MLW FUSION – EPISODE 28
OCT. 26, 2018
TAPED IN NEW YORK CITY
AIRED ON BE-IN SPORTS NETWORK
REPORT BY KRIS KARCHER, PWTORCH CORRESPONDENT

Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Matt Striker

The MLW intro aired.

They showed footage from the “media day” in Chicago, where Sami Callihan attacked Tom Lawler. They showed Callihan dumb Lawler backstage while Low Ki and Salina de La Renta watched on. Low Ki taunted Lawler with the title as he was being choked out.

A special Halloween themed Fusion intro aired.

Tony Schiavone and Matt Striker (in costume) introduced the show and hyped the matches coming up tonight.

(1) Richard Holliday vs. Joey Ryan

Ryan was very over with the crowd and a woman in the crowd was willing to eat his lollipop out of his mouth. Holliday took over on offense early seined Ryan into the corner. When Holliday dropped Ryan crotch first on his knee, Holliday hurt his own knee and Ryan was not affected. Holliday hit a German suplex on Ryan. The crowd chanted you still suck as Holliday continued to control Ryan. Ryan fought back hitting a spine buster for a two count. After both men collided and Ryan fell to his back, Holliday was still standing but was on wobbly legs. It looked like Holliday might fall directly into the steel crotch of Ryan (wow, I can’t believe I’m typing this) but instead rolled through into a pinning predicament that got him a two count. Holliday then hit Ryan with a backbreaker and transitioned immediately into a spinning neck breaker for another two count. Holliday went for The Market Crash, but Ryan reversed. Ryan took out the lollipop and tried to stick it in Holliday’s mouth but Holliday avoided the lollipop and rolled up Ryan for two. Ryan rolled out of the pin and then immediately stuck the lollipop in Holliday’s mouth. When Holliday stood up, Ryan gave him sweet tooth music for the win.

WINNER: Joey Ryan

(Karcher’s Analysis: Short little match with not much to it. The crowd was reactions were very good. They cheered Ryan hard and booed Holliday hard. Holliday is so bland to me. He reminds me of TIno Sabbatelli. With MJF already on the roster I’m not sure that Holliday is a necessary addition to the roster. I believe MLW just signed him to a deal so hopefully, they have plans to make him a more fully fleshed out character and have him participate in some storylines going forward. I really enjoy Joey Ryan’s whole gimmick and I know that he’s not everyone’s cup of tea but I always find myself giggling to at least some of his antics every match.

They aired brief highlights from Sami Guevara’s loss to El Hilo de LA Park last week. Then they went backstage to Konnan giving Guevara advice. Konnan said Sami needs to focus. He told him to get his head back into the game. Guevara seemed to be motivated as he left. Just then Low Ki, Rickey Martinez, and Salina de La Renta appeared. Salina spoke to Konnan in Spanish, Konnan answered by calling her a brooha. He called Martinez an Amish troll and told Low Ki that he had someone for him. Konnan said Daga and Low Ki laughed and said he would destroy anyone that Konnan puts in his way. Konnan called him ex-champ.

They aired a short promo hyping the upcoming debut of Rush.

Schiavone told us that Jimmy Havoc has won the coin toss and then we went backstage with Kaci Lennox who was with Havoc so he could spin the wheel that would decide what kind of match he would have with Callihan later that night. Havoc silently walked up and spun the wheel. It landed on spinner’s choice. Havoc contemplated a number of the matches but then decided that none of them stood out to him and instead he chose to do all of them at once. He said MLW was going to need to bring everything they have to the arena and told Callihan he was dead.

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(2) PCO vs. LA Park (w/ Salina de La Renta)

The crowd was split, chanting for both men. PCO started the match by shoving LA Park into the corner and then both men charged at each other colliding mid-ring. Park than did the same thing to PCO. Both men were yelling at each other at the top of their lungs. They started to slap each other. PCO choke slammed Park and then went to the top rope and hit a spinning moonsault for a two count. Park then rolled to the outside and PCO hit a daredevil dive onto park outside the ring. (I’m calling it a daredevil dive instead of a suicide dive because that’s what Striker referred to it as, adding he would do so from now on for people who might have a sensitivity to the word suicide. I like that and I think I’ll follow him in doing so.) PCO drug Park around the outside of the ring, slamming him into various objects. Back inside the ring PCO continued to stomp away at Park in the corner. Park managed to hit a clothesline in the corner and followed up with his little dance.

Park hit a big headbutt and then a dropkick to the head of a seated PCO. PCO rolled to the outside and Park then hit his own daredevil dive on PCO. Park grabbed the chair back inside the ring. He hit PCO with a chair and for some reason didn’t disqualify Park. Striker said the match was no DQ which was never mentioned until right now. Park started to whip PCO with the camera cable. The crowd chanted “Uno Mas” Park then took off his belt, rolled PCO into the ring and started to whip him with it. PCO hit Park with a powerbomb and then rolled him to his knees and hit a knee to the face and covered for a two count. PCO draped Park over the ring apron and climbed to the top rope. In an insane looking bump, PCO flipped off the top turnbuckle but Park rolled out of the way, leaving PCO to hit back first on the ring apron after front flipping off the top rope. It looked crazy painful. Park went to the top rope and hit a nasty cross body onto PCO from the top rope to floor. That one looked nasty as well as Park landed partly onto of PCO’s head. These guys are brutal.

Back inside the ring, LA Park hit PCO with a spear for the win. After the match Park cut a promo in the ring. He spoke in Spanish so all I caught was Lucha Libra and thank you. La Renta translated. She said he wanted to thank all of the fans for this experience, he hopes his work is up to their standards, and thank god for professional wrestling. Park took the mic back and seemed to call out Konnan. Again, he spoke in Spanish and La Renta had to translate. She said this message is for Konnan. Park said he already had two matches here and he is undefeated. He said he wants a shot at the World Tag Team Championships. Park spoke again and then La Renta translated. She said thank you for your disgusting money, he will gladly tag it. She said Park is going to take the tag team championships. She started to say LA Park doesn’t compare but stopped herself and said LA Park is your god. She said LA Park with finish what his men started.

WINNER: LA Park

(Karcher’s Analysis: Wow these two big men are absolutely crazy. Taking into account their size and their age I’m so impressed by the work these two managed to pull off. I was thoroughly entertained throughout the entire match. These guys despite their weight and age put on one hell of a show. Next up for park is a tag team title shot it appears. That should be fun.)

Kaci Lennox was backstage with Sami Callihan. She asked him how he feels about Havoc picking every stipulation. Callihan shoed away Lennox and said that MLW was leaving his fate up to a coin toss. He said he calls bullcrap. He said he’s going to bring everything he can find to the ring, a parking cone, barbed wire, even a yeti if he can find one. He said die jimmy die about 5 or 6 times and then did his thumbs up thumbs down thing.

They announced Tom Lawler would take on Sami Callihan on November 8th in Chicago at Fightland.

The aired a video that supposedly “went viral” this week. It said TMZ Sports in the lower left-hand corner as someone approached a man in a hood. The man in the hood was revealed to be Stokely Hathaway. Hathaway said that he was kidnaped but he managed to escape.

They replayed the footage from Havoc choosing the match stipulation for tonight.

(3) Sami Callihan vs. Jimmy Havoc – Anything Goes match

Callihan was really getting into it with a few fans at ringside. Callihan tried to do his thumb thing but Havoc punched him before he could finish. Havoc pulled a chair and a dog collar out from under the ring. Then he grabbed a stapler but Callihan turned the corner and took the upper hand. Havoc ducked a chop and Callihan’s hand hit the bare post. Havoc sat Callihan in the chair and ran around the ring to build up momentum. Right before he reached Callihan though he stopped and poked his eyes instead. Havoc started to stalk Callihan with the stapler. Back inside the ring Callihan stabled Havoc’s head and then one to his armpit. Gross. Then Callihan stapled Havoc’s crotch. Ouch. The crows tie your shoes and Callihan took off his shoe and threw it up the entrance ramp. That was funny. Callihan was wearing heart socks and the crowd chanted “Let’s go heart socks!” So Callihan took off his other shoe and then his socks. The crows booed this.

Havoc grabbed an 8×10 of Joey Ryan and used it to give Callihan a paper cut in between the fingers. Havoc repeatedly used the paper on Callihan’s mouth, and then toes. Havoc grabbed a lemon, bit half of it and then poured the juice into Callihan’s wounds. The crowd chanted get some salt. Havoc then acted like he was going to charge into Callihan stuck in the corner but then stopped short, picked up the stapler, and stapled Callihan’s crotch. The crowd started chanting very loudly and Havoc rolled to the outside and grabbed a shaker of salt, Havoc then stabled Callihan’s foot and poured on the salt. Havoc then grabbed a body bag and an urn from under the ring. Havoc opened the urn, spit in it, and then went to dump it on Callihan but Callihan tossed the urn into Havoc’s face. Callihan then low blew Havoc, gave him a death valley piledriver for a two count. Callihan started to beat Havoc with his shoe. Callihan started to put Havoc’s body into the body bag. He zipped the bag and then turned the crown and started his thumbs up thumbs down bit when Havoc sat up in the bag. Callihan then gave Havoc another pile driver while Havoc was still inside the body bag and picked up the win.

WINNER: Sami Callihan

(Karcher’s Analysis: That was really fun. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, hardcore matches really aren’t my thing. I can appreciate the danger but often times they go for the whole violence for the sake of violence thing. This I actually thought was well done. Nothing was overly dangerous here. Hell the PCO LA Park match was probably more detrimental to the health of the participants. I’m not sure if there were actually staples in that gun but I kind of hope there wasn’t. The crowd still popped for the stapler regardless so why not make it as safe as possible. I loved the bit with the lemon. Also, Callihan taking off his shoes and socks due to the crowd reaction was a genius touch. I really think Callihan has that rare wrestling instinct where he knows exactly how to work an audience. This was also the best I’ve ever felt about Jimmy Havoc. I’m usually not a fan of his matches or character but for some reason, it really worked for me here. This one was a bit short for what we are getting used to in Fusion main events, and I wouldn’t have minded another 5-10 minutes but again I was entertained all the way through with this match.)

FINAL THOUGHTS: Fun show. I’ll go with a 7/10 this week. I liked all three matches and really dug the last two. PCO and LA Park had one hell of a physical match, and Havoc and Callihan was probably the most fun hardcore match in recent memory. Overall it was an entertaining week that managed to get by without MLW’s top their talent. No Low Ki, Strickland, Pentagon, Fenix, or Lawler on this show inside the ring but the show didn’t feel like it was lacking entertainment. That’s it for this week folks. Next week is Tommy Dreamer taking on Brody King which doesn’t sound all that exciting, and a six-man tag between The Heart Foundation and ACH, Rich Swann and the debate of Marko Stunt which does sound exciting. I’m Kris Karcher signing off, be sure to check back here for my MLW Fusion report, exclusively on PWTorch.com.

NOW CHECK OUT LAST WEEK’S SHOW: 10/19 MLW Fusion TV Report: Schiavone and Striker call action between Shane Strickland and Tom Lawler, plus Sammy Guevara, Sami Callahan, Jimmy Havoc, Samoan Island Tribe