6/2 MLW FUSION TV REPORT: Bandido vs. Flamita, Nzo vs. Navarro, more

MLW FUSION REPORT #147
JUNE 2, 2022 (RECORDED)
TAPED IN DALLAS, TEXAS
AIRED ON YOUTUBE
REPORT BY MARCUS ARIAS, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

MLW Fusion Commentators: Rich Bocchini and Joe Dombrowski

-Joe and Rich went over the show’s card and highlighted moments from last week’s show.

(1) GANGREL & PAGANO vs. LOS PARKS

Before the match started, Cesar Duran made an entrance and decided to change the rules of the match because traditional tag-team wrestling is “boring”. He demanded more violence and made the match a “Mexican Death Match”.

Gangrel and L.A. Park Jr. started the match. After a quick lock-up attempt, Gangrel shoved Jr. away. Jr. and Gangrel both went for a shoulder tackle that dropped Jr. to his knee after the big men collided. Gangrel shot Jr. into the ropes and followed up with a deep arm drag. They exchanged leg sweeps as the crowd cheered in approval. Jr. applied a side headlock until Gangrel fought through it and sent Jr. into the ropes, allowing Pagano to get a cheap shot in. Pagano and Gangrel took turns shoving Jr. until L. A. Park decided to get involved.

All four men brawled in the ring. Gangrel and Pagano tried to double team L.A. Park but were interrupted by L.A. Park Jr. that sent Pagano and Gangrel to the outside. Los Parks connected with a pair of suicide dives. After a quick break, Pagano fought both Parks and smashed a beer can over L.A. Parks’ head. Pagano bit the can in half and used it to slice away at Jr. Gangrel handed his sickle to Pagano. The killer clown was about to bring the sickle down but L.A. Park used his belt to stop Pagano. L.A. Park found the sickle and carved it into Pagano. L.A. Park smashed Pagano’s head into the ring post, causing Pagano’s wound to open up. Jr. and Gangrel brawled in the background.

L.A. Park sent Pagano back into the ring. Pagano and L.A. Park traded some stiff shots. Park caught Pagano with an STO after hitting his trademark dance. Park made a cover but Gangrel quickly broke the count. Gangrel stomped away at L.A. Park until L.A. Park Jr. made the save. Jr. took Gangrel to the mat with an arm drag of his own and sent Gangrel into the corner. Jr. tried for a running double-knee but was caught by Gangrel and placed on the top turnbuckle. Jr. fought Gangrel off and jumped from the second rope, catching Gangrel with another arm drag, sending Gangrel back to the outside. Jr. faked another dive and tagged in his father. L.A. Park and Pagano squared off and exchanged blows until Park hit Pagano with a big clothesline, getting a two count. Pagano caught Park with a slingshot codebreaker, getting a two count of his own. Pagano tried to gain momentum from the ropes but L.A. Park hooked Pagano with a powerslam, getting another near fall. Park got Pagano in an abdominal stretch until Gangrel broke the hold.

Jr. reentered the match and brawled with Gangrel. Gangrel managed to catch Jr. with an overhead suplex, getting a two count. Jr. connected with an enziguri and dumped Gangrel to the floor. Jr. followed up with another suicide dive. Back in the ring, L.A. Park and Pagano fought over a chair. The referee snatched the chair from Park. Park shoved the ref into Pagano, who punched the chair, taking the ref out. Pagano ripped away at Park’s mask and grabbed a bundle of skewers. Pagano jumped from the second turnbuckle and tried to drive the skewers into Park but Park avoided the attack and used them on Pagano instead. Park spiked Pagano with a DDT, driving the skewers in deeper. Park caught Pagano with a spear, getting the win.

WINNER: Los Parks in 11:00

(Analysis: This was wild. Gangrel was one of my favorites when I was a kid and Pagano is one of my current favorites so seeing them work as a team was great. A team with a vampire and a punk rock clown is right up my alley. That being said, Gangrel and L. A. Park can only really flourish in a walk-and-brawl environment. Pagano and Jr. carried most of this match. I am curious to know why the referee took the chair away from L.A. Park. It’s a hardcore death match and the ref was fine with sickle but a chair is where he drew the line?)

-It was announced that next week will be the return of MLW Fusion: Rise of the Renegades.

(2) NZO vs. KC NAVARRO

Before the match, nZo cut a promo explaining that he had done a lot in his ten years in the business but still has more to teach. He remembered meeting KC at an autograph session and KC asked for nZo’s notes on a match. nZo said that he invited KC to his gym where he beat up KC. nZo did the same when he got to MLW. nZo complimented KC, saying that Navarro has heart and said that KC wanted to make a name for himself, now is the chance.

nZo shoved KC hard into the corner as soon as the bell rang. nZo went back to the corner and held down Navarro until the ref started the count. Eventually, nZo broke the hold and nailed KC with a vicious chop. nZo tossed KC across the ring. Navarro ducked a clothesline attempt but got caught with a fall-away slam. nZo shot KC back into the corner and went for a splash but KC got out of the way. KC connected with a moonsault and got the win, giving nZo his first loss in MLW.

WINNER: KC NAVARRO in 2:00

(Analysis: This was short and sweet. KC wrestled a more aggressive style since he had fought nZo last time, showing that he may be taking nZo’s lessons to heart. The finish was very reminiscent of the famous 1-2-3 Kid/Razor Ramon match, which the crowd seemed to love. KC Navarro came off like a star tonight and I expect good things from him.)

-Richard Holliday and Alicia Atout were in Cesar Duran’s office. Duran thanked Holliday for his help last week because otherwise, Cesar would have destroyed Hammerstone. Cesar said that there should be consequences for Holliday’s actions. Richard suggested opportunities instead. As they started to hammer out the details, Alicia closed the office door.

-Another Killer Kross vignette aired.

-Bandido, KC Navarro, The Samoan Swat Team, and Richard Holliday were announced for Battle Riot.

– A camera crew caught up with nZo, who ran through the backstage area. nZo accidentally ran into Jacob Fatu, who was not too pleased.

(3) BANDIDO vs. FLAMITA

Both men traded forearm shots right from the start and exchanged counters, mirroring each other move for move. Eventually, momentum went in Flamita’s favor as he began to stomp away at Bandido, and followed up with a big shoulder tackle. Flamita tried to rip off Bandido’s mask. Flamita got a two-count after a dropkick to the back of Bandido’s head. The luchadores took the fight outside and brawled around the floor. Bandido tried to fight off a suplex attempt but Flamita was able to keep his grip and flattened Bandido on the ramp.

After a break, Flamita and Bandido were back in the ring. Flamita had Bandido locked in a half-crab until Bandido made it to the ropes. After another striking battle and chain sequence, Bandido sent Flamita to the outside with an impressive head-scissors takeover. Bandido followed up with a Fosbury flop, landing on his feet. Bandido rolled Flamita back into the ring and went for a springboard move but was cut off by Flamita, causing Bandido to go to the floor. Flamita landed a corkscrew plancha.

Back in the ring, Bandido tried for the springboard again but Flamita ducked under. As Flamita bounced off ropes, Bandido caught him with a military-press driver, getting a near fall. Bandido tried to shoot Flamita into the corner but Flamita turned it around and sent Bandido into the second turnbuckle hard. Flamita connected with a tiger-feint kick and teased a top rope move but decided to kick Bandido in the head instead. Flamita got a near fall after a slingshot DDT. Bandido countered a powerbomb attempt into a sunset bomb. Bandido followed up with a pop-up cutter. Bandido went for the 21-Plex but Flamita countered it with a super kick and tiger-driver for another two count. Flamita went for a moonsault but Bandido got his feet up. Bandido finally managed to hit the 21-Plex for the win.

WINNER: Bandido in 12:00

(Analysis: This was great. MLW commentary did a great job of establishing the history between Flamita and Bandido. With these two being former tag champs and stablemates turned rivals that know each other so well, this was a simple but effective story. The match had a lot of textbook lucha spots that some may say look to be contrived but these two are so good at what they do that it emphasizes the free and flowing nature of the lucha style.)

-Commentary previewed Rise of the Renegades as the show went off the air

CATCH-UP: 5/19 MLW FUSION TV REPORT: 5150 vs. The Von Erichs, MLW Tag Team Championship match, more