MLW Fusion results & video: ‘Filthy’ Tom Lawlor vs. Ross Von Erich

***Big takeaways***

• Team Filthy gained a new member as Erick Stevens helped Tom Lawlor and Dominic Garrini get another one over the Von Erich brothers. Stevens debuted and defeated Douglas James earlier in the night.
• Logan Creed and King Mo dispatched Moonshine Mantell and Dr Dax quickly in singles action. 
• The tension continued to build between both Mance Warner and the Dynasty, and Injustice and Brian Pillman Jr.

***Full Review***

We saw a video recap from Thanksgiving night 2019 when “Filthy” Tom Lawlor turned his back on the Von Erich family, screweing Ross out of the MLW World title in his match against Jacob Fatu. 

Logan Creed defeated Moonshine Mantell by pinfall (3:29)

The former Grogan has left the Dynasty and made short work of his opponent tonight. Creed had an in-set promo during his entrance, calling the Dynasty rich, entitled pricks and said his name isn’t Grogan or Gorgan as they have been calling him: it is Logan Creed. He added that thanks to Mance Warner, the heathen has been unleashed. For the first time, the commentators picked up on the confusion surrounding Creed’s name.

Mantell tried early chops and right hands, but Creed floored him with a shoulderblock and went to work. He went for a full nelson, but Mantell reversed it and fired up again…but not for long as Creed gave him a chokeslam backbreaker and a big boot that sent him to the outside. The 300-pound giant than ran and dove over the top rope to the floor landing a massive tope dive. Back inside, Creed quickly put him away with a powerbomb for the pin and win.

— Lifestyles of the Rich and Dynastic was next and this week we had Hammerstone, Holliday, and Medina arguing about Logan Creed. Hammerstone said he got him as a present from Giants ‘R’ Us at a discount price. They turned their attention to Mance Warner and agreed to take him out.

— We then got the PWI rankings for the top ten MLW World title contenders: 10. Dominic Garrini, 9. Low Ki, 8. Jimmy Havoc, 7. Richard Holliday, 6. “Filthy” Tom Lawlor, 5. Mance Warner, 4. Brian Pillman Jr., 3. Myron Reed, 2. Alexander Hammerstone, 1. Davey Boy Smith Jr.

— The cameras then caught up with Erick Stevens backstage as he called out Davey Boy Smith and called him the toughest competitor in MLW. 

Erick Stevens defeated Douglas James by pinfall (8:32)

Stevens was successful in his debut, but James made him work for it and looked really good in the process. James got Stevens to the floor early on and gave him a condescending slap to the head. He continued to outwrestle him with speed and agility and come close to picking up the win after a sunset flip bomb. James tried a suicide dive through the middle and bottom rope, but Stevens caught him on the outside and slammed him on the ring apron. Stevens took over and pummelled James in the corner, flooring him with a back elbow.

They exchanged slaps to the face and James hit a hurricanrana followed by kicks to the leg. Stevens caught one of the kicks and hit a big chokeslam for a two count. Stevens then fishhooked James while getting a surfboard locked in as we went to a commercial break. 

Back from the break, James fired up again. He hit a high knee to the cheek and a superkick to the jaw that was followed up by a meteora for a close two count. James then hit a series of kicks to the chest and added in one to the head, followed by a stiff forearm. Stevens fired back himself, dropping him gut first onto his knees. A strong lariat was followed up by a northern lights brainbuster with Stevens pickeing up a hard-fought win in his debut match for MLW.

— We saw a video from the Dynasty meeting Mance Warner earlier in the day. The meeting was unnaturally well mannered. Hammer was nursing his hands and we soon found out why. Warner turned the corner and found his uncle lying on the ground having just been beaten up.

— CONTRA’s propaganda video had Samael letting us know Ikiro Kwon has been sent to Japan to sort out CIMA while Fatu put out a warning to all the luchadors from AAA.

— The cameras caught up with Tom Lawlor earlier in the day. He was asked about Davey Boy Smith Jr. and the Von Erichs teaming up. He said both families had better times in the past, and that is where they should stay. He warned Smith that he will lose more than an eye if he continues teaming with them.

— Injustice had their video promo package for this week. They talked about Brian Pillman Jr. and his failed shot at the MLW World title two weeks ago. Kotto Brazil hinted at why they wanted Pillman in the Opera Cup and title match and not he or Myron Reed. But, he then said it didn’t matter because in the end, they will get their justice.

— Jimmy Havoc and Priscilla Kelly said their war with Mance Warner is over. But now, Havoc is going to regroup and whoever is next for the ultraviolence should be scared. 

King Mo (w/ Dan Lambert) defeated Doctor Dax by submission (1:09)

Before the entrances, we saw a recap of the simmering tension between Mo and Low Ki after they clashed during a recent interview. The commentary team continued to hype this potential clash after the match as well. Dax jumped Mo before the bell and hit a big overhead double chop to the chest. Mo fired back with right hands and tried to lift the huge Dax with a high crotch lift but was unsuccessful. Dax then easily scooped up Mo, but Mo slipped out the back and locked in a rear naked choke for the tapout.

Ross Von Erich defeated “Filthy” Tom Lawlor (with his cornerman) by disqualification (7:05)

Lawlor came out with a cowbell and cowboy hat while his Team Filthy cornerman had a hobby horse to continue riling up the Dallas crowd. Ross got a good ovation from his home state crowd and he went straight to work at the opening bell. He launched himself at Lawlor and hit right hands and kicks to the gut. He threw Lawlor chest first into the corner and kicked him out the ring. On the outside, he rammed Lawlor into the ring post and the guard rail, dropping him back first on the apron. 

Lawlor caught him coming in the ring and slammed him, but Ross quickly recovered with a slingshot elbow for a two count. Lawlor then faked being thumbed in the eye and with the referee attended to the “injured” Lawlor, the cornerman tripped Ross’ leg and the suddenly ok Lawlor jumped up and knocked Ross to the ground. He choked Ross with his shin behind the referee’s back and kicked him square in the chest time and time again as Ross tried to fight to his feet. 

On the final kick, Ross rolled through and fired up to his feet. He hit Lawlor with a dropkick, a big running boot to the face, and a stalling dropkick in the corner. Ross then dumped Lawlor on his head with a huge impaler DDT/brainbuster for a two count and then a falcon arrow for another two count. Ross called for the claw as he knocked the cornerman off the apron, but before he could lock it in, Dominic Garrini ran in for the disqualification. 

Ross’ brother Marshall flew in and saved his brother from the 2-on-1 attack. The Von Erichs singled out Lawlor and were about to hit him with the claw assisted slam but out of nowhere, Erick Stevens jumped into the ring and knocked both brothers down. Lawlor and Garrini got to their feet and it was now a 3-on-2 beatdown in favour of Team Filthy. Lawlor choked Marshall with the cowbell and Stevens choked Ross with Garrini’s purple belt, spitting and blowing his nose on the Texas flag before stomping on it in the middle of the ring.

You could feel the fans were at a fever pitch and ready to explode as a trash can was launched into the ring from the crowd. Stevens and Garrini used the trashcan on the Von Erichs before Stevens himself finished off the insult by dropping the Texas flag into it as he, Lawlor, and Garrini were lucky to escape Texas unscathed. 

***Next Week***

• Los Parks (LA Park and El Hijo Del LA Park) vs. CONTRA Unit (Simon Gotch and Josef Samael) in a lumberjack match
• Injustice (Kotto Brazil & Jordan Oliver) vs. Laredo Kid and Zenshi
• Mance Warner speaks