MLW Underground video & results: Satoshi Kojima vs. Jerry Lynn

The Big Takeaways:

• Joey Styles called the action as “Dr. Death” Steve Williams was in tag team action
• Terry Funk battled Chris Candido in a no disqualification match
• Satoshi Kojima won the MLW World Heavyweight Title with a win over Jerry Lynn

Show Review:

We opened with a music video recap of the formation of the Extreme Horsemen at the expense of Terry Funk and Dusty Rhodes during a three-way dance that also featured team leader Steve Corino. Simon Diamond and CW Anderson then joined Corino for a promo where they said they eradicated Funk’s and Rhodes’ legacies. Diamond said they all need to step aside as they were coming for the old-timers.

“When Worlds Collide” introduced us to Joey Styles who welcomed us to the Manhattan Center in New York City before hyping up Raven joining MLW, The Extreme Horsemen, and the brackets for the MLW Global tag team title tournament where they will crown new champions. 

“Dr. Death” Steve Williams & PJ Friedman defeated Afterburn & Eric Adams

We seemed to have the same audio track playing over the live crowd as last week. That especially hurt this short match as the crowd seemed to pop big when Friedman suplexed Afterburn on his head with a full nelson suplex but with no audible reaction.

After a quick early commercial break, Williams hit a doctor bomb and backdrop driver on Adams to pick up the win. We would learn later that Williams and Friedman were part of the tag team title tournament along with Mike Sanders & Jimmy Yang, “Horsemen” and Los Maximos.

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After a break into current affairs with MLWshop.com, Richard Holliday’s Dynastic coffee, and MLW radio network commercials, Styles set up the next tapings, saying Paul London would be making his MLW debut against Jerry Lynn, Masato Tanaka was on a collision course with longtime rival Mike Awesome, Terry Funk would challenge Steve Corino, and a “Mexican Massacre Challenge” rematch between La Parka and Sabu.

A couple of quick promos followed, first with Fuego Guerrero (Amazing Red) who talked about Jushin Liger and how he revolutionized wrestling and he wants to do the same in MLW. Next was a Bill Alfonso promo we saw a few weeks ago during the Anthology series, done after the first Sabu vs. La Parka bloodbath where Alfonso was screaming about a rematch before Parka jumped him, dumped trash cans on him, and challenged Sabu to the aforementioned rematch.

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Terry Funk defeated Chris Candido (w/Tammy Sytch) in a no DQ match

This built nice and slow with both feeling each other out in the early going but eventually turning this into a weapon-filled bloodbath. Funk was trying to frustrate Candido and it seemed to work as it took a cheap shot from the former “Skip” to get things going. It’s worth noting that Candido’s trunks and tights matched Funk’s in a nice tribute to the hardcore legend.

The action spilled to the outside as Funk got busted open via the timekeeper’s table and ringpost. Funk stumbled and staggered around ringside while Tammy Sytch, who accompanied Candido, got some cheap shots in too.

Funk reversed a suplex and sent Candido to the outside again before the two brawled through the crowd. Funk hit a piledriver on the floor, a DDT in the ring, and an unintentional brainbuster on the small metal entrance ramp.

After a commercial break, Candido brought a ladder into the ring on which, of course, he took a bump on as both he and Funk brawled on the top rope. Candido rallied and hit a headbutt off the top for two, but missed a second attempt off the top of the ladder. Sytch then low blowed Funk but ate a DDT for her trouble. Her dress flew up upon impact, but the MLW censors covered her modesty as Candido hit Funk with a chair and took back control.

He created a chair bridge, but it was Funk who hit a swinging neckbreaker. Funk then picked up the win after reversing a small package and holding on just long enough for the three count. Candido laid out Funk after the match with a piledriver.

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We had two more in-ring debuts hyped for the next tapings: Fuego Guerrero and a man by the name of CM Punk.

Corino then cut a promo on Funk, explaining that he has done everything Funk has, but better and quicker. He taunted Funk saying that his own brother (Dory) trained him and in their upcoming match, he will put an end to Terry’s career.

Satoshi Kojima defeated Jerry Lynn to win the vacant MLW World Title

Styles subtly, but expertly, made us aware of both competitors’ signature manuvers to watch for as the referee presented the title belt to the crowd and checked each man before the opening bell. Kojima had the Koji-Cutter, the Koji-max submission and, of course, the lariat taught to him by Stan Hansen. Conversely, Lynn had the tornado DDT to set up his cradle piledriver.

There was a slow but intense exchange of holds to open up with neither man gaining an advantage. Lynn tried an early cross armbreaker to try and deactivate some of Kojima’s lariat power, but they were both too close to the ropes. Kojima took control and brought out some Flair chops in the corner, along with a trademark “Whooo” of his own. Lynn returned the favor but succumbed to Kojima’s power after a side slam moments later.

Kojima hit a series of elbow drops as the title seemed to be slipping away from the former ECW Champion Lynn. Kojima pretended he couldn’t understand the referee when he was instructing him to get Lynn out the corner and out of the ropes.

But, the tide turned shortly after when Kojima missed an elbow drop from the middle rope and Lynn fired up with right hands, chops, and a trifecta of lariats before a reverse DDT finally took him off his feet. Kojima came back with a pair of running lariats in the corner followed by a big elbow drop from the top rope that got a two count.

Kojima removed his elbow pad, but Lynn ducked a lariat to hit a German suplex for a two count of his own. Lynn hit his tornado DDT moments later, but Kojima again kicked out at two. Styles thought the cradle piledriver was coming but instead, Lynn went for a suplex that Kojima reversed. Lynn then slipped out the back, but ended up taking a sit-down spinebuster seconds later.

Lynn finally went for the cradle piledriver, but Kojima reversed with a backdrop. Kojima then hit a Michinoku driver for a two count but he didn’t stop there, getting up and signaling for the lariat. He connected, knocking Lynn down and out and leading to a three count as Kojima became the first-ever MLW World Champion.

Taiyo Kea then made his presence felt as Kojima’s next challenger (he had defeated Sabu earlier to become the #1 contender) as he came out and signaled he was coming for the title.

The audio issues on the show continued when Kojima cut a post-match promo for the New York crowd, but we couldn’t hear a word of it or any of the ovations or pops throughout the night.

Before going off the air, we saw Raven backstage cutting a promo on Vampiro. He talked about their time in the WCW Deadpool (along with ICP) and said Vampiro has been talking about him so he wonders if he has a problem with him or maybe, he needs his help. Either way, he is eager to find out. 

Next week: The Extreme Horsemen (Simon Diamond and CW Anderson) vs. Los Maximos as the Global Tag Team Title tournament kicks off.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MppHLC3Z060