Airdate: August 3, 2019
Commentators: Rich Bocchini & Tony Schiavone
MLW gets technical this week on Fusion as Davey Boy Smith Jr. takes on Timothy Thatcher in the main event. Tony Schiavone also returns to commentary, replacing Jim Cornette. Upgrade? Downgrade? Haven’t watched in awhile so I couldn’t tell ya!
CHAMPIONS
- MLW WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION: “The Samoan Werewolf” Jacob Fatu
- MLW NATIONAL OPENWEIGHT CHAMPION: Alexander Hammerstone
- MLW WORLD MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPION: Teddy Hart
- MLW WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS: The Dynasty (Maxwell Jacob Friedman & Richard Holliday)
LINEUP
- Low-Ki vs. Jimmy Yuta (NR)
- War Chamber Control Center
- EARLIER TODAY: Konnan makes demands of Salina de la Renta
- Lifestyles of the Rich and Dynastic
- The Von Erich Brothers vs. The Spirit Squad (NR)
- FROM CHICAGO: El Gringo Loco vs. Zenshi (*3/4)
- BACKSTAGE INTERVIEW: Davey Boy Smith Jr.
- Davey Boy Smith Jr. vs. Timothy Thatcher (***)
*****
-LAST WEEK: Bestia 666 beats Mance Warner in a deathmatch, Von Erichs beat CONTRA Unit after blocking a fireball with a chair (!!!). Brawl breaks out, including Jacob Fatu and Tom Lawlor. Sounds like a cool show. Sad I missed it.
—
“The Professional” Low-Ki defeated Jimmy Yuta via referee stoppage (0:32)
Ki has been knocking folks out left and right over the past month and Yuta is hoping to escape that fate…except he doesn’t when Ki wrecks him with a kick. Oh okay.
- RATING: NA
Ki tells the home crowd to stay tuned because he has a lot of unfinished business to get to. The staircase is Nickelodeon-style green.
—
-CONTRA Unit accepts Tom Lawlor’s challenge for the War Chamber next month in Dallas. EYYYYY maybe I’ll go. No I won’t.
-WAR CHAMBER CONTROL CENTER: Tom Lawlor will team with The Von Erichs (Ross & Marshall) and a mystery partner to take on CONTRA Unit (Jacob Fatu, Simon Gotch, Josef Samael, & a mystery partner). Rules are laid out for the War Chamber, which is just War Games under a new name.
-LAST MONTH: Konnan has stolen Salina de la Renta’s phone and is promising to be a jerk about it.
-EARLIER TODAY: Konnan lists his demands to Salina de la Renta while Jimmy Havoc makes sure he doesn’t do anything. Konnan’s first demand: L.A. Park vs. Jimmy Havoc. Salina reluctantly agrees. I would have wished for more wishes myself.
-LIFESTYLES OF THE RICH AND DYNASTIC: MJF, Alexander Hammerstone, and Richard Holliday are outside a Porsche dealership. Hammerstone and Holliday love MJF’s watch. Blah blah, honestly this was pointless.
–The F*CKING Spirit Squad (Kenn Doane & Mike Mondo) make their way out to the ring for an Open Workout. Doane throws shade at New York teams for some cheap heat, with that thick WOOSTA accent. Boy do I not miss hearing that every day. Doane sh*ttalks The Von Erich Brothers until they make their way out…and we’ve got a match!
—
The Von Erich Brothers (Marshall & Ross Von Erich) defeated The Spirit Squad (Kenn Doane & Mike Mondo) when Marshall pinned Doane with an Iron Claw/back suplex combo (1:54)
Ross & Marshall drop the Spirit Squad with stereo dropkicks, forcing these EVIL MALE CHEERLEADERS to take a breather. Ross throws them back in as we go to break.
Back live Marshall is throwing clotheslines and dropkicks, including one that sends Mondo to the floor. Marshall hits Doane with a powerslam followed by a damn good Moonsault for the 1…2…Mondo breaks it up. Ross tosses Mondo out, Marshall slaps the IRON CLAW on Doane and Ross turns it into a back suplex for the 1…2…3. Their theme song did not stop for the entirety of the match.
- I’m one of those old school dork fans so seeing a Von Erich team in the ring made me real happy. They appear to be pretty good too, so I’m on board. Also the F*CKING SPIRIT SQUAD? IN 2019? Yikes. (NR)
The Von Erich Brothers’ victory is cut short by CONTRA Unit’s Simon Gotch and Joseph Samael. They brawl until a mysterious Japanese wrestler spits mist into Marshall’s eyes. Refs and officials check on Marshall while CONTRA Unit keeps trying to attack everybody, Ross included.
—
El Gringo Loco defeated Zenshi via pinfall with the Tombstone (3:58)
This match happened back in June during the Chicago tapings, but we’re checking it out now since they have time to kill due to all of these super short matches/CONTRA Unit kerfuffle. Right on. Bocchini and Jim Cornette on commentary.
Loco and Zenshi show one another up with their flippy-do’s as the Chicago crowd honks their bike horns or whatever. Zenshi ducks an enzuigiri and connects with a cannonball kick as Myron Reed walks around with his social justice sign and social justice tape over his social justice mouth. Zenshi with a cool slingshot corkscrew splash for a two-count after bowing for the crowd. Zenshi tries a back handspring cutter but Loco catches him and hits a Tombstone for the 1…2…3.
- Zenshi looked cool with all his flashy offense but it didn’t mean sh*t as Loco put him away rather quickly. Kinda like when Indiana Jones shot that dude in Raiders of the Lost Ark. (*3/4)
—
-MOMENTS AGO: CONTRA Unit wrecked The Von Erich Brothers.
–Davey Boy Smith Jr. dodges questions from Kaci Lenox about his sister cavorting around with Alexander Hammerstone, and says he’s too damn strong and powerful for Timothy Thatcher. Lenox asks if he’s sure it won’t be a distraction, in comes Brian Pillman Jr. who says girls will be girls and leads Lenox away. K.
—
Davey Boy Smith Jr. defeated Timothy Thatcher via submission with a crossface (14:46)
This is Thatcher’s MLW debut. Hell yeah. I loved his run as EVOLVE Champion. Well most of it. I already know what Thatcher can do, I’m more interested in seeing DBS Jr. do some technical wrasslin’.
Handshake to start, then they jockey for position. Smith brings Thatcher to the mat, Thatcher rolls through an ankle lock into a lateral press for a one-count. Thatcher goes for another hold, Smith gets into the ropes and we break clean. Smith with a side headlock takeover, Thatcher quickly counters with a headscissors which Smith kips out of and they reset once again. Smith with a judo-like throw into a side headlock, Thatcher counters into a chinlock. Thatcher with a half-nelson, Smith slides out and applies a hammerlock. Thatcher escapes and applies a standing leglock, turning it into a half-Crab with a high extension of the knee. Smith kicks him off, Thatcher immediately goes back to the knee with another leglock, pulling back on the ankle. Smith kicks Thatcher in the spine, manages to get to the bottom rope to force break. Thatcher doesn’t relent, driving knees into the spine and going for another toehold. Smith grabs the ropes, Thatcher quickly breaks and the ref forces separation. Thatcher sweeps the legs and goes back to the toehold. Smith kicks him off, Thatcher with a release belly-to-belly suplex followed by a leglock while kicking at the bigger man. Smith breaks out with a series of slaps and a headbutt, knocking both men loopy. Smith blocks a belly-to-belly and takes Thatcher to the mat with a cross armbreaker attempt. Thatcher locks his fingers and turns it into an ankle lock grapevine. Smith fights through and reverses into a Sharpshooter which Thatcher quickly gets to the bottom rope to force a break.
Smith and Thatcher trade forearms as they give each other MEAN BOY FACES. Smith with a backslide for the 1…2…Thatcher kicks out and rolls Smith up for the 1…2…nope! Thatcher tries a sunset flip, Smith sits on him for the 1…2…Thatcher reverses for the 1…2…Smith flips back around for the 1…2…kickout. O’Connor Roll by Smith for the 1…2…Thatcher pushes him off just in time. Slapfight, Smith with a bridging German for a one-count. Thatcher with a release German suplex of his own. Smith with a standing switch into a couple of German soo-plays. Thatcher reaches for the ropes, Smith grabs the arms and hits a bridging Tiger Suplex for the 1…2…THATCHER KICKS OUT. Thatcher brings Smith to the mat with a cross armbreaker attempt and kicks at Smith to get him to release his locked fingers. Finally Thatcher breaks it up and wrenches back. Smith tries to overpower him, Thatcher turns it into a triangle choke. Smith deadlifts Thatcher and breaks it with a power bomb, going right into the Crossface. Thatcher taps almost immediately.
- A well-wrestled match and everything but it didn’t hold my attention as much as I was hoping for. Watching Thatcher work is great, and Smith kept up with him well, but I don’t know maybe I just wasn’t in the mood for a slow technical match like this. Still good enough to give it some snowflake love, but I wouldn’t be surprised if you liked this more than I did. (***)
Georgia Smith, Davey’s sister, shows up in the entryway for a post-match interview. Smith thanks the crowd for chanting his name, and they respond by chanting his name. Well okay then. Davey changes gears to Alexander Hammerstone, saying it’s a matter of time before he slaps on the Cross Face Chicken Wing. Davey tells Georgia he will not be light on her boyfriend. K. That’s it.
*****
FINAL THOUGHTS: Solid, if dull, main event and a whole lot of story development this week on MLW Fusion led to a breeze of an episode to watch. But enough about this show, next week has SAVIO BY GOD VEGA so let’s all take a nap till Saturday, cool?
