Commentators: Rich Bocchini & Tony Schiavone
The 70th episode of Fusion brings the thunder as SAVIO BY GOD VEGA challenges Alexander Hammerstone for the National Openweight Championship. Also on the show Rey Horus takes on Bestia 666 and CONTRA Unit introduces their newest member one week after blinding Marshall Von Erich.
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 (MJF & Richard Holliday)
LINEUP
- Rey Horus vs. Bestia 666 (**1/2)
- CONTRA Unit vs. Jay Sky & Ariel Dominguez (SQUASH)
- Alexander Hammerstone [c] vs. Savio Vega for the MLW NATIONAL OPENWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (*3/4)
*****
Rey Horus vs. Bestia 666 [presented by Salina de la Renta]
Horus with a waistlock, standing switch by Bestia. Horus counters out with a wristlock, Bestia rolls through and reverses. Horus does some flipping of his own to counter with a hammerlock. WRESTLING! Horus with a corner whip, Bestia seats Horus on the top corner and Horus comes down with a twisting armdrag for a two-count. Bestia rolls through a backslide but misses a basement dropkick and Horus rolls him up for another two-count. Bestia bails to the floor, Horus goes for a dive but Bestia rolls back in and hits a tope suicida of his own, Horus nice enough to wait around for it to happen. Konnan still has Salina’s phone and using it for blackmail but we all know he couldn’t crack the code and is bluffing. iPhones are FORTRESSES, sir. Horus charges, Bestia with a superkick for the 1…2…Horus kicks out. Horus ducks a clothesline, Bestia with a fireman’s carry but Horus counters with a rana sending Bestia to the floor. Horus takes flight with a tope con hilo, leading to a “LUCHA LIBRE!” chant from the NYC crowd. Yes, that is the style of wrestling they do. Good job guys, y’all so smart. Back in the ring a chop fight breaks out until Bestia clotheslines Horus in the corner. Horus with a PK, Bestia ducks and rolls him up for the 1…2…no. Bestia with a mule kick but runs into a Spanish Fly and Horus covers for the 1…2…Bestia kicks out. Bestia ducks Horus and connects with a hook superkick for the 1…2…Horus manages to kick out. Horus kicks a charging Bestia, Bestia kicks back and climbs the buckles but Horus sends him crashing with a heel trip. Horus with a flying something or another for the 1…2…Bestia still manages to kick out while Salina angrily looks on. Horus to the top, Bestia climbs the buckles to stare him down. Forearm shootout, Horus sends Bestia to the mat, Bestia crotches him by running into the ropes. Bestia picks Horus up and it’s a Muscle Buster for the 1…2…3.
Bestia 666 defeated Rey Horus via pinfall with the Muscle Buster (9:38)
- Entertaining enough match with a lot of Lucha jank that was hit or miss. I enjoyed it for the most part. This whole “Konnan stole Salina’s phone” storyline is trash though and makes no sense in 2019. Can’t she just call Apple or whatever and have it wiped remotely or something? WE LIVE IN THE FUTURE! (**1/2)
After a replay we go back to the ring for Salina and a live mic. Salina says this is why she’s the best promoter in pro wrestling, and begs Konnan to stop being a bitch and give her back his phone OR ELSE. Speak of the devil here’s Konnan to retort. Konnan calls Salina a streetwalker (UGHHHH IT’S 2019) and refuses to give her iPhone back. He says he’s heard Salina is going to sign Savio Vega and brings up that he was supposed to get a bonus she didn’t tell him about. Konnan has told him and out comes Savio Vega to rip up Salina’s proposed Promociones Dorado contract.
—
-LIFESTYLES OF THE RICH AND DYNASTIC: Richard Holliday and Alexander Hammerstone are looking out the window of a palatial penthouse. Maxwell Jacob Friedman shows up bearing gifts: SUPER REAL GOLD ROLEX WATCHES. Holliday tosses his old watch to the floor and replaces it with his new piece. Holliday and MJF make fun of Teddy Hart, Hammerstone wants to move past it…but then they make fun of Teddy Hart for being a drug addict. Group hug, MJF quickly slips out to hang out with his lady friend instead. Hammerstone tears up a bit and runs off, Holliday is also getting a little emotional. This is a segment that happened.
-H2: Davey Boy Smith Jr. and Teddy Hart help Brian Pillman Jr. do a Moonsault on a hotel bed.
-HYPE: MLW brings back the Opera Cup, last won by Stu Hart, in December.
-CONTRA UNIT: Josef Samael, Jacob Fatu, and Simon Gotch introduce the fourth member of their death squad: Ikuro Kwon. He’s the man who blinded Marshall Von Erich last week. I like the production style of the CONTRA Unit segments.
-WAR CHAMBER CONTROL CENTER: Who will team with Tom Lawlor, Ross Von Erich, and Marshall Von Erich to face CONTRA Unit in the War Chamber? No one knows but we do know Ikuro Kwon is CONTRA’s mystery fourth member.
-Ross Von Erich is apparently in Hobbs & Shaw which opened #1 worldwide last weekend. Cut to last week’s blinding of Marshall Von Erich via Ikuro Kwon.
–Kaci Lenox is backstage with Ross Von Erich and “Filthy” Tom Lawlor. Ross says that Marshall is in Hawaii seeing an eye specialist and may not even see his baby be born. Lawlor interrupts and says they are going to WAR…at the WAR CHAMBER you see.
-MLW touts its allegiances with Pro Wrestling NOAH and The Crash Lucha Libre.
-Kaci Lenox welcomes Mance Warner and his whiteboard to the interview area. Lenox asks for a game plan, Warner has her draw some trees on his whiteboard. Warner hands her the whiteboard and brings in a CHAINSAW. Warner said he cut Salina’s men down and now she’s coming back through to take out the roots. Warner walks off, leaving Lenox and her beautiful trees. Mance Warner rules.
—
CONTRA Unit (Josef Samael & Simon Gotch) vs. Jay Sky & Ariel Dominguez
Gotch immediately drops Dominguez with a kick and knocks Sky off the apron. Gotch with a suplex, Samael tags in and immediately locks in a Camel Clutch for the tap.
CONTRA Unit defeated Jay Sky & Ariel Dominguez when Josef Samael made Dominguez submit to a Camel Clutch (0:31)
- RATING: SQUASH
Samael immediately stabs Dominguez in the mouth with a RAILROAD SPIKE and Gotch drops him on his head with a Gotch Piledriver. Daaaaayum.
—
-EARLIER TONIGHT: Savio Vega rips up his Promociones Dorado contract. No bonus for Salina de la Renta.
-A video recaps the feud between Mance Warner and Promociones Dorado, as well as Konnan’s blackmail of Salina de la Renta using her phone. Konnan forces Salina to make a match between Jimmy Havoc and LA Park. Warner takes on Ricky Martinez next week.
—
Alexander Hammerstone [c] [w/ Maxwell Jacob Friedman & Richard Holliday] vs. Savio Vega for the MLW NATIONAL OPENWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
I’m watching a Savio Vega title match in 2019. MLW f*cking rules.
Hammerstone overpowers Vega to start, seemingly unconcerned with his opponent. Vega responds with a series of rights and a chop. MJF demands Vega not chop him again, but Vega does. Ooooo Savio is a rebel. Vega settles into a hammerlock, keeping it applied as Hammerstone tries to counter. Hammerstone gives up on the technical stuff and breaks it with a back elbow. Vega misses a corner splash and goes shoulder-first into the buckles. Hammerstone goes to work with boots, while Holliday cheap chokes behind the ref’s back. Hammerstone stifles a Vega comeback and settles into a front chancery. Bocchini and Schiavone are otherworldly bad and awkward in the call for this one, it’s distracting. Vega escapes, Vega runs into a pump kick. Hammerstone MISSES a missile dropkick and Vega embarks on his comeback string. MJF takes the top turnbuckle pad off while Holliday distracts the ref. Hammerstone rams Vega into the exposed steel and hits the Nightmare Pendulum for the 1…2…3. Vega’s legs bended real awkwardly on that landing.
Alexander Hammerstone [c] defeated Savio Vega via pinfall with the Nightmare Pendulum to retain the MLW NATIONAL OPENWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (7:41)
- I haven’t seen Savio Vega wrestle in like twenty years so that was novel for me, but it was also a Savio Vega with twenty years and a bunch of miles on him so it was a real slow and awkward match. Bocchini and Schiavone didn’t help with their meandering awkward pause commentary that was actively grating towards the end there. Do these guys even like each other? Hammerstone makes another successful defense but had to do it via nefarious methods. Nefarious methods to beat a dude who’s in the twilight of his career. Right on. (*3/4)
Brian Pillman Jr. shows up and steals Hammerstone’s jacket while Vega is checked on by officials. Hammerstone chases Pillman to the back, MJF and Holliday stick around to talk trash as Vega is helped to the back. That’s the show?
*****
FINAL THOUGHTS: Seeing Savio Vega in 2019 was pretty cool and I like the cut of CONTRA Unit’s jib but besides that I was not really into this episode of Fusion. I didn’t find the Dynasty/Hart Foundation segments particularly interesting and the whole storyline of Konnan stealing Salina de le Renta’s phone feels real archaic and goofy. Bocchini and Schiavone didn’t help either, they have NO chemistry as a commentary team. Yeesh. I love MLW in theory, I’m hoping one of these episodes of Fusion makes it a reality too.
