MLW Fusion results: Von Erichs vs. Contra Tag Team title match
The Big Takeaways:
Team Filthy ruined the Von Erichs/CONTRA Tag Team Title match in the main event as a chaotic brawl closed the show and Low Ki advanced to the finals of the 2020 Opera Cup.
Show Recap:
Calvin Tankman defeated Zenshi (3:44)
On paper, this was the classic big man vs. little man contest with Zenshi weighing in at 172 and Tankman a huge 355. But, in execution, it was more than that as Tankman showed off his own heavyweight high flying with a leapfrog and dropkick early on.
Zenshi may be one of the most agile wrestlers out there today and he showed that off with a handspring Pele kick and a top rope tiger feint kick. When he tried a 720 off the top rope, Tankman caught him with a spinning back fist as he landed and finished him off with the Tankman driver. He then called out everyone in the MLW locker room after the match, saying they can line up and test themselves but they won’t like the outcome.
— Salina de la Renta was in Mexico summoning her latest acquisition, Pascal Mendoza. She talked about him losing everything at seven years old and hating the world ever since. He has been reborn a thousand times and will unleash the purest vengeance to the world. Her executive producer episode on January 6th has been postponed as Kings of Colosseum will take place that night instead.
Violence is Forever (Dominic Garrini and Kevin Ku) (w/ Filthy Tom Lawlor) defeated Jason Dugan and Robert Martyr (1:54)
This was a brief showcase for the debuting Team Filthy team as commentary talked both them and the depth of the tag division up. Ku got the pinfall after a combination brainbuster and kick to the back of Dugan’s head. It looks like they will be in the tag title picture and inserted into the ongoing Team Filthy vs. Von Erichs feud.
— In what should be an excellent match, Lio Rush arrogantly played hardball while he flaunted his wealth and countered Myron Reed’s challenge to a Middleweight title fight in December. Instead, he challenged him for Kings of Colosseum on January 6th, made official later in the show.
— Another match may be made for Kings of Colosseum as National Openweight Champion Alex Hammerstone challenged Mads Krugger. Hammerstone has his eyes set on Jacob Fatu and the MLW World title, but he wants to do it right and what better way to build up to a huge title fight than having the challenger work his way through the stablemates of his enemy, especially the seven-foot monster who attacked him with a chair three weeks ago.
Opera Cup Semifinals: Low Ki defeated Richard Holliday (9:19)
Hints were dropped that both King Mo and Gino Medina might make their presence known as Dan Lambert was still protesting earlier in the night that Mo should have taken Ki’s place in the tournament. As Holliday was making his entrance, we were told that Medina had to be escorted from the building after having an altercation with Holliday moments before he stepped through the curtain. Neither ended up showing up which just added to the tension and the build to their eventual clash.
Ki gave a pre-match prediction saying that he will knock Holliday’s earbuds off in a variety of different ways, but Holliday retaliated by hoping that Ki’s bravado in his lungs can handle Holliday’s rarefied air. Holliday was gasping for that rarefied air at the five minute mark as Ki locked in the same electric chair chokehold that led to the finish of hs win over Davey Boy Smith Jr., but Holliday broke it up by getting to the ropes.
Holliday twice came close to winning, first with a big pop-up sit-out powerbomb after he dodged Ki’s kick to the back of the head and then moments later with a big spinebuster. But it was Ki who picked up the win with the Warrior’s Wrath double foot stomp from the top rope. After looking at the title for a few seconds, Ki tossed the IWA Caribbean title to Holliday after the match, hinting at a potential future rematch between the two.
MLW Tag Team Champions Marshall and Ross Von Erich defeated MLW World Champion Jacob Fatu and Simon Gotch by DQ to retain (7:18)
The opportunity for Fatu to become the first-ever MLW double champion was played up here, but this really was just a high profile match that was used to set up future matches stemming from storylines that started before lockdown. From the start, they harkened back to the previous fights between these two teams as they brawled around ringside while the Von Erichs theme played.
Once in the ring, Gotch took the fight to the mat and Fatu used his power to keep Ross away from his brother until a low bridge unleashed Marshall for a barrage of attacks. Fatu broke up a pin with a huge running senton but was sent to the outside after a hurricanrana by Ross. Marshall claw slammed Gotch through a table at ringside as Team Filthy ran in and attacked the Von Erichs causing the disqualification. Jordan Oliver was also out there attacking Gotch, a nod to the feuds they kept going during the lockdown Pulp Fusion episodes which might be fulfilled in the coming weeks.
Next Week:
- National Openweight Champion Alex Hammerstone vs. TBA
- “Filthy” Tom Lawlor vs. ACH in an Opera Cup semifinal match