MLW Anthology results & video: The Extreme Horsemen

By Iain Oliver
Published: 21 Jun 2020, 08:04

The Big Takeaway:

MLW returned to its roots with this week’s Anthology focusing on Steve Corino and the Extreme Horsemen. Corino battled Dusty Rhodes and Terry Funk in a three way Florida Death Match that saw the debut of the Extreme Horsemen after the bloody battle. The Horsemen then entered the two ring, double cage War Games match when they took on Funk and his Funkin’ Army.

Show Review:

Steve Corino defeated Dusty Rhodes and Terry Funk in a three-way Florida Death Match (13:07)
War Memorial Auditorium | Ft. Lauderdale, FL | December 2002

Funk and Corino were on the same page early as they took turns going one-on-one with Rhodes, eventually using their numbers advantage and a trash can to get the legend down on the mat. However, their alliance was short lived as Funk turned his back on Corino and clobbered him with the trash can.

A brawl outside the ring included Rhodes exposing Funk’s backside (to the horror of both Joey Styles on commentary and the live audience), a steel chair that did the rounds with everyone taking turns, and a few bionic elbows for good measure.

Inside the ring, Rhodes hit Funk with a shovel, but moments later, he took the handle to the groin as he was jabbing Corino. To make matters worse, Funk drove the shovel into Corino’s throat and on the outside of the ring, he slipped off the guardrail and caught his leg between the rungs.

As Rhodes was hitting Corino with some more bionic elbows, CW Anderson and Simon Diamond interfered and took out Rhodes’ ankle with a steel chair. Rhodes was taken to the back so it left Funk on his own against Corino, Anderson, and Diamond.

Being the underdog lit a fire in Funk as he ran wild and waffled all three men with another trash can. The numbers game eventually caught up with Funk, however, as Corino floored him with a DDT. The referee refused to count the pin due to the interference so Corino gave him a DDT, too. Replacement referee Jon Finegan eventually made the count and declared Corino the victor.

The Funkin’ Army (Terry Funk, Sandman, “Dr. Death” Steve Williams, Sabu & Bill Alfonso) defeated The Extreme Horsemen (Steve Corino, Barry Windham, CW Anderson, Simon Diamond & PJ Walker) (20:16)

War Memorial Auditorium | Ft. Lauderdale, FL | September 2002

Anderson and Sandman were out first for their respective teams. We got the full Metallica “Enter Sandman” entrance which was a delight to see and hear unedited. In a smart piece of booking, we not only got to see Sandman make the entrance at his own pace but since the entrants were only two minutes apart, the action never lagged and no one was exposed in the ring for too long.

Then-MLW World Champion Corino was third out and interestingly announced as “The King of Kings” which sounds familiar. Corino had barbed wire wrapped around his fist and, of course, he took the wire to Sandman’s forehead, busting him open more than his Budweiser can did during his entrance. They harkened back to ECW with a caning spot as Anderson held Sandman and draped him between the two rings set up for the match.

Funk was out next to even the sides, throwing a chair into the ring from the elevated entrance stage and immediately going straight for Corino to continue their ongoing war. We were told Funk had an upcoming title shot and chose a dog collar match for the stipulation. Funk dragged Corino from one ring to the other and dropped the champion with a piledriver.

The Horsemen got the upper hand when Simon Diamond entered to make it 3-2 in their favor. Both Global Crown Tag Team Champions (MLW’s first name for the belts) were now in the ring as Diamond took a chair to Funk while Anderson ran Sandman’s face against the steel fence.

Steve Williams was next out to even the score as we were told this was the last member of Funk’s team. Jerry Lawler was originally supposed to be in the match but “the evil McEmpire” pulled him out according to Styles. Funk had agreed to take the match even though they were two men short as Barry Windham had been recently added to the Horsemen team.

PJ Walker (Justin Credible) brought a ladder out as he gave the Horsemen a 4-3 advantage. He and Anderson whipped Sandman into the ladder as Funk seesawed between the ropes as Corino fired off right hands. But moments later, the crazy Funk did his signature airplane spin ladder spot, taking out some of the Horsemen in the process.

Windham was supposed to come in next, but Sabu made a surprise return and ran wild, evening the odds and bringing Funk’s team back into the match. Sabu’s left arm was heavily taped up and did not look fully healed from the injury that had previously kept him out of action.

Windham was out next and the Horsemen’s bounty hunter took out all members of Funk’s team. However Bill Alfonso, who came out with Sabu, got on the mic to declare the uneven teams were bullsh*t and he became the fifth member of Funk’s team.

Sabu came off the top rope and put Walker through a table with a legdrop. Funk then brought a flaming branding iron into the ring, branded Corino across the back, and spat fire into his eyes. He then locked in his famous spinning toehold to make Corino give up, winning the match for his team.

**********

– Josef Samael told us in a propaganda video that he and CONTRA will abuse their power and spread their evil message throughout the world.

– It was then time for Pulp Fusion, the weekly video update on the current stars of MLW:

Low Ki and King Mo continued their war of words, only Ki was talking in Japanese and Mo was gloating he had beat him so bad he had knocked him loopy.
Mance Warner was on the phone to “Dirty” Dutch Mantel trying to book a bear to fight him in his triple cage.
The Parks were working out with sledgehammers and tractor tires while the Von Erichs were working on their grip strength with some rope and squeezing apples.
“Filthy” Tom Lawlor was debating the legitimacy of the Von Erichs whereabouts, saying they were in front of green screens all the time. He was stressing out and said he didn’t need this before his big trip as he wiped his brow with what looked very similar to a New Japan Pro Wrestling scarf.
Myron Reed told us to open our minds and vibe with him as he is dropping an album soon called “BANGers 4Ever”.
Konnan asked where Salina had been all this time. He said she was not on his level and told her the devil knows more because of his age, not because he is the devil.
Hammerstone was playing his guitar before he drank some of his own special Dynastic coffee brew that made him work out like a mad man.
Logan Creed has been unleashed. From where? I have no idea.
Salina de La Renta finished the montage by telling us all she knows we want it, she knows we need it, and said everyone is asking her where she has been when everyone should be asking, “What has she done?”

Next week: CONTRA Unit gets the Anthology treatment

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhJuA1dJNxA