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MLW Saturday Night Superfight
November 2, 2018

by Samoa Rowe

Live, from the Cicero Stadium in Chicago, Illinois. Our hosts are AJ Kirsch and Rich Bocchini This is MLW's first ever traditional pay-per-view broadcast, though I'm watching it on Fite. The venue looks packed on TV, with commentary claiming 2,300 fans in attendance.

H2>MLW Tag Team Championship (Texas Tornado Match):
The Dynasty © (Maxwell Jacob Friedman and Richard Holliday) vs. The Von Erichs (Marshall and Ross) MJF and Holliday heel it up on the mic beforehand, calling the Von Erichs "fake Texans from Hawaii" who "can't afford their own shoes." Crowd eats it up. The Von Erichs don't like what they've heard and storm the ring before the opening bell. The Dynasty turn it around by driving the Von Erichs into the guard rail. Marshall eatsa ring bell shot and takes a powerbomb on the apron. The Dynasty double team Ross in the ring to massive heat, and they pick him apart as if they are trying to win the match and not just fill time. Ross reverses a double wrist lock but the Dynasty imitate the Nature Boy on their way to hitting stereo elbow drops. Marshall wakes up to run wild through the Dynasty. The Von Erichs hit stereo somersault sentons. Von Erichs hit Holliday with a hip toss power slam. MJF returns and snaps the rope into Ross to break the claw! MJF's superplex sets up Holliday's splash, but Marshall breaks the pinfall via moonsault! The Von Erichs finish MJF with a claw/back suplex combo to claim the gold at 9:52! Great energy and sense of urgency in this hot opener, ***.
Winners and new MLW Tag Team Champions: Marshall and Ross Von Erich

H2 TV with Brian Pillman Jr, who appears to have been putting in extra time in the gym preparing for Low Ki. Harry Smith puts over Pillman's history with the Hart family and they hug it out.

Injustice (Myron Reed, Kotto Brazil, and Jordan Oliver) vs. Gringo Loco, Puma King, and Septimo Dragon

Injustice are a cheap heat group, attempting to get booed for being vague-ish Black Lives Matter/Antifa activists. I find their act tiresome on Fusion, but they are lower card guys, so it doesn't matter too much. Injustice quickly pass weaponry amongst themselves to trick the referee and cheap shot their opponents before the bell. Crowd is hot for hometown boy, Gringo Loco, who catches Oliver with a head scissors takedown. Reed and Dragon sprint through an exchange, with Dragon hitting a standing Spanish Fly. Puma King destroys Brazil with a face plant and superkick. Brazil gets triple teamed with rapid fire lucha attacks, and might have lost a tooth in the process. Jordan gets triple teamed into a spear, and the good guys hit consecutive dives to massive crowd approval. Reed uses his chest protector to block open hand chops, which allows Injustice to sneak back to snap suplex Gringo. Brazil's sling blade on Gringo establishes him as the face in peril. Gringo counters Jordan's top rope attack into a sit out powerbomb! Match breaks down as Dragon hits a double dropkick, and Gringo drapes Reed on his knees for Puma's flying double stomp to the chest protector! Injustice catch Puma on a dive, but Dragon knocks them down with a dive. Meanwhile, Gringo's split legged moonsault gets 2 on Reed. Stunner counter by Reed, but Gringo counters back with a sick piledriver for 2. Match continues to break down as Brazil and Oliver hit rapid fire dives. Reed hits a sick Ace Cutter over the ropes! Reed's springboard 450 splash finishes Dragon at 10:18! Match totally overdelivered, with all six guys bringing their working boots and bustin out a tremendous spot-filled battle, ***¾.
Winners: Injustice

Video package for Hart vs. Aries. At one point, Aries opened a GoFundMe for support after an attack by Hart, which is a fantastic touch. The story is that Aries has been the aggressor in this rivalry, but absolutely can't handle any physical response.

MLW World Middleweight Championship:
Teddie Hart © (with Mr. Velvet, the cat) vs. Austin Aries

MLW has somehow been able to employ Aries, Hart, and Low Ki for an extended period of time without newsworthy backstage altercations or without any of them abruptly quitting. There must be some strong management running the show, or maybe these guys just figure they've burnt their last bridges. Hart carries his cat to the ring, continuing the family tradition of being weird cat people. Hart takes too long removing his entrance garb and Aries blasts him with a torpedo suicida. Crowd chants "Austin A-hole" as he tosses Hart into the rail. Aries's missile dropkick gets 2. Hart shoves Aries off the ropes and takes over with punching and kicking. Aries answers with a Death Valley Driver onto the apron! Aries follows with a slingshot senton and targets the leg. Aries applies a nasty leg submission while thrusting his boot into the back of the head. Aries applies the Last Chancery, but Teddie gets the ropes. Teddie punches his way back into it and counters with a backstabber. Belly to back suplex by Hart gets 2. Roaring forearm by Aries and Hart sells it like death. Hart counters with a high elevation backstabber. DDT by Hart looks deadly, but Aries gets a rope break. Aries counters with a top rope sunset flip bomb and rolls into the Last Chancery! Hart claws his way to a rope break! Hart hits a desperation neckbreaker onto the ropes and nails a split legged moonsault to ringside! Loud "Teddie" chants from the fans. Aries crotches Hart on the top rope and nails a roaring elbow and running dropkick. Brainbuster by Aries but HART KICKS OUT! Crowd ate that nearfall up. Hart dodges a dive and Aries goes flying face first into the rail! Aries sells this so well, I think he might be really hurt. Aries was playing possum and gains almost steals it with an inside cradle, which prompts Hart to fire off a Canadian Destroyer for the win at 18:37! I loved this, Hart looked to be in trouble throughout and Aries just shined as the undersized villain, ****¼.
Winner and still World Middleweight Champion: Teddie Hart

The Contra Unit has their sights set on the Von Erichs and Teddie Hart.

Brian Pillman Jr. vs. Low Ki

Low Ki doesn't like Brian's "Property of Pillman Jr." shirt and slaps the taste out of his mouth. Pillman returns the favor. Pillman fakes Low Ki out with a dropkick and slaps his bald head instead. Low Ki rips Pillman's shirt and hits still chops to the chest. Audio drops as Low Ki hits a punishing power slam onto the wood floor. Low Ki applies a head scissors but Pillman comes back with a dropkick. Low Ki escapes a loose modified chinlock but Pillman dishes out a hard belly to back suplex. Pillman absorbs some knee strikes and counters into a flying shoulder tackle for 2. Low Ki viciously attacks the head, so much that the ref might call off the match. Pillman is in a daze when he defiantly throws his mouth guard at Low Ki, who answers with a somersault kick to the head. Ref calls the match at 8:12! The intensity was off the charts, ***.
Winner: Low Ki

Low Ki pulls Pillman up and explains that he was only teaching him a hard lesson. Low Ki offers a handshake, and Pillman seems to have no choice but to accept. Low Ki's respect is sincere, no hard feelings.

Surprise announcement: MLW and AAA are teaming up! Expect to see AAA talent appearing in MLW and future supershows!

Timothy Thatcher (with Douglas James) vs. "Filthy" Tom Lawlor

These two dangerous men don't like each other one bit and aggressively lock up. Lawlor starts throwing forearms and applies a front choke hold at ringside, but Thatcher drives him into the rail They resume chain wrestling in the ring, using MMA style strikes and kicks to gain advantages. They both go for the same leg submission and trade open hand strikes. Lawlor applies a Figure Four but Thatcher rolls out of it. Crowd is not really feeling this. Lawler reverses an armbar into an airplane spin driver. Thatcher can't quite get an armbar, and they return to their feet for a slugfest. Belly to belly suplex by Thatcher but Lawlor reverses with one of his own. Lawlor breaks a potential choke with a throw into the rails. Lawlor wakes up the fans with a series of calculated chops to the chest. Thatcher answers with a Butterfly Suplex into an armbar. They trade suplexes and Lawlor counters into a Tombstone Piledriver for only 2. Thatcher traps the leg for some vicious blows, and they trade headbutts while tied up. Lawlor's pump handle suplex nearly kills Thatcher, who manages to kick out. Lawlor hits a sequence of MMA style blows, busting Thatcher open the hard way, and finishes with a rear naked choke at 16:13! This was completely different from anything else on the card, but it took a while to get over with the crowd. Great physical action, even if it felt a bit like they were spinning their wheels at times, ***.
Winner: Tom Lawlor

Lawlor is interviewed in the ring about his plans going forward. He says he can do whatever he wants and MLW will stay filthy.

Stairway to Hell Match:
Bestia 666 (with Salina de la Renta) vs. Jimmy Havoc vs. Mance Warner

This is a ladder match with barbed wire hanging above the ring. Match begins in the entrance aisle as Havoc meets Warner with a garbage can. Warner dispatches Havoc and drives the can into Bestia's face mid-dive. Mance gets a ladder, but Havoc lunges at him with a staple gun. Warner counters by stapling the groin of Havoc! Fans hand dollars to Warner and he staples them to Havoc's back. Yuck. Fans have to hold the rail still so Warner can bridge a ladder for a chokeslam on Havoc. Bestia returns to drive the face of Warner into the ladder. Bestia and Havoc climb for the barbed wire, but Warner knocks them both over. Warner is bleeding heavily as he sets up wooden planks around the ring. Bestia slams Havoc onto a ladder. Warner pummels Besta and pushes Havoc off the ladder and into a wooden plank! Warner retrieves the barbed wire, but Bestia disrupts him from using it on Havoc. Havoc helps Bestia rub the wire over Mance's face. Ew. They place the wire on a trash can and suplex Warner onto it! Havoc and Bestia's alliance expires as they both want the pinfall. Havoc sends Bestia into the announce table (potentially injuring a ring crew guy in the process). Bestia slams Havoc onto the side of an open chair! Havoc throws Bestia off the ladder onto the same chair! Crowd loves this. Havoc sets a plank on two chairs, but Warner is back. Havoc blinds Warner with the wire and then sticks it into Bestia's groin. Desperation lariat by Warner on Havoc, but Bestia clocks him with the chair. Bestia resets the bridged plank and knees Mance in the face. Warner superplexes Bestia through the plank for the win at 14:00! Nice to see the coolest spot of the match actually be the finish. This match was totally gross, so I'm a bit ashamed to say that I liked it a lot, ***½.
Winner: Mance Warner

Havoc is a sore loser and attacks Warner after the bell. Havoc bridges a guard rail and piledrives Warner onto it. Acid Rainmaker by Havoc, who then wipes Mance's blood over his face. That's not sanitary.

Special Announcement: there will be a special Thanksgiving edition of Fusion, free on Youtube! That should provide some good fodder for Thanksgivin' Thumpin'.

MLW National Openweight Championship:
Alexander Hammerstone © vs. Davey Boy Smith Jr.

They lock up and Smith nips up out of a head scissors. Smith goes for a hammerlock and surfboard stretch. Hammerstone twists into the ropes and cheap shots with a back elbow to gian the upper hand. Delayed vertical suplex by Hammerstone, but Smith stands right up to deliver one of his own. Hammerstone exposes a turnbuckle and begins targeting the lower back of Smith. Smith fights back with a leg drop for 2. Hammerstone answers with a missile dropkick for 2. Smith counters with a superplex and falling headbutt for another 2 count. Hammerstone hits a T-Bone suplex. German suplex by Smith, but Hammerstone stands right up and hits another German. Smith stands up and hits a reverse headbutt before delivering rolling Germans! Smith applies a crossface and pushes off the ropes to roll into the center of the ring! MJF and Holliday run in for the timely distraction, and Hammerstone shoves Smith into the exposed turnbuckle! Hammerstone kicks the face for a decent nearfall. Smith counters with an inside cradle, but Hammerstone grabs the ropes for a reversal to steal the pin at 13:29. Good heavyweight style match that was really cooking down the stretch. Good dastardly heel victory for Hammerstone, ***.
Winner and still National Openweight Champion: Alexander Hammerstone

MLW World Heavyweight Championship:
Jacob Fatu © (with Josef Samael) vs. LA Park (with Salina de la Renta)

LA Park rallies the fans with a Spanish promo. Crowd is red hot for this at the opening bell. They immediately exchange hard open hand shots. They trade and no sell snap Germans! Park throws the ref into Fatu as a distraction to hit a knee to the forehead! Sick dive by Park sends Fatu into the rail! Park is hobbling a bit and takes a cheap shot from Samael! My Roku warns me that it's overheating, so I have to switch to watching on my browser (only mentioning it because the timing may be off and I might miss something). Fatu goes after Park's mask, and Samael interferes again with a metal spike. Park is bleeding through his ripped mask. Fatu methodically works Park over, with more timely cheap attacks from Samael along the way. Desperation power slam by Park gets 2. Superkick by Fatu and back handspring splash gets a good 2 count. Park connects with a twisting senton for a nice nearfall. Park lifts a plastic production table over his head and lays Fatu out! Park breaks the ring bell over Fatu's head! There's a dueling chant as Park whips with his weight belt. Desperation springboard tackle by Fatu, followed by a running dive over the ropes! Crowd LOVES this. Fatu sets a table in the corner while Samael gets in several more cheap shots. Fatu hits a wild Uranage but completely misses a moonsault! Samael breaks the cover via FIRE BALL in the ref's face! Salina smacks Samael and LA Park misses a spear and sends her into the table! Fatu hits a superkick and Samoan drop! Fatu's moonsault finishes at about 20:38! Wild main event with some bells and whistles, but not in an annoying way, ****.
Winner and still MLW World Heavyweight Champion: Jacob Fatu

MLW made a serious statement with this show and are definitely earning a place in the crowded field of emerging hot wrestling products in 2019. This show was so hot that it caused my Roku stick to melt down. Check this out!

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