MLW Fusion results: Middleweight title match, Hammerstone debuts

Quick recap —

• Ace Austin defeated Rich Swann
• Alexander Hammerstone defeated Ariel Dominguez
• Teddy Hart defeated MJF to retain the MLW Middleweight title

Full rundown —

– This week’s episode opened with H2tv with Davey Boy Smith Jr. talking about the culture and his time in Japan. He talked up the culture, technology, and the people, and he met a native and spoke a little Japanese with her.

– Matt Striker and Rich Bocchini welcomed us to South Philadelphia as they hyped up the main event between Teddy Hart and MJF, and also the debut of Alexander Hammerstone.

– We cut to a pre-taped promo from Salina de la Renta where she sarcastically congratulated new MLW World Heavyweight Champion “Filthy” Tom Lawlor for being equally as dumb as the fans. She said that Low Ki is entitled to a contractually obligated rematch and she wants it at Intimidation Games in Chicago.

Ace Austin defeated Rich Swann (5:10)

Swann continued his recent cocky attitude change throughout this match. He swaggered down to the ring as his in-set promo told us that there is nothing but electricity when he enters an arena, and he told us to get ready to party all night long. However, he was not ready for a party at the end — with Austin winning in surprising fashion.

Swann went for a handshake to start things off — but he pulled back and danced a little in Austin’s face to annoy him. They exchanged arm ringers and standing headlocks, but we were quickly interrupted by a graphic quickly flashing on the screen for “Contra” which also included the words “Operaciones,” “Nihilistica,” and “Armada.” The announcers made no reference to this as we sharply went back to the action.

Austin escaped from a headlock with a headscissors, but Swann cartwheeled out of it with no harm done. Austin responded with a cartwheel reversal of his own as they both started mirroring each other with leg sweeps, quick pin attempts, dropkicks, and finally a nip up.

Swann eventually got the advantage with a big knee to the gut, but Austin fought back with a takedown, kick to the back of the head, basement dropkick, and a clothesline splash in the corner (a la The Miz). He went for a springboard to the top rope, but Swann shoved him off the top to the outside to take back the advantage.

On the outside, Swann hit a stiff chop before rolling Austin back in. Austin tried to fight back with forearms and chops of his own, but Swann retaliated with more chops and a big high kick for good measure. The plucky Austin didn’t back down, spinning around and hitting a high kick of his own.

Both wrestlers then exchanged spinning back fists, kicks, and chops before hitting a pair of big boots that knocked each of them to opposite corners. Swann charged — but Austin hit him with a springboard knee to the face.

Austin took the opportunity of Swann’s positioning, climbed the corner to the top rope, and hit a big reverse splash and went for the cover. The referee seemed hesitant to count the three and stalled after the two count, but he eventually counted to three as Swann did not kick out.

Rich Bocchini entered the ring for a word with Swann, but before he could say anything, Swann smacked the referee and knocked him to the outside. He snapped and was screaming at the ref that it was a two count. Bocchini asked him why he has been a different person in the last few months, and Swann responded by punching him in the face too!

Swann went and grabbed the ring announcer and tossed him to the ground before making his way out of the arena.

Alexander Hammerstone defeated Ariel Dominguez (3:36)

Hammerstone made his MLW debut here in a very impressive outing. He was billed as 251 lbs and looked every bit of it against the smaller, quicker Dominguez. In an in-set promo, Hammerstone said that the future has arrived in MLW.

Hammerstone immediately grabbed Dominguez by the throat and backed him up to the corner. He got him up in a Gorilla press slam, but Dominguez slipped out. No worries for Hammerstone, though, as he just booted Dominguez right in the face and knocked him across the ring.

Hammerstone then deadlifted Dominguez around the waist and held him for a few seconds before tossing him with a German suplex, with Dominguez flipping in mid-air and landing on his face.

A hard right hand hit for Hammerstone. He began toying with Dominguez before raining down right hands and forearms on the ground. He hit a huge pumphandle delayed fallaway slam that the crowd wanted one more of — but Hammerstone picked him up, looking to comply with the baying crowd, and just dropped him to the mat. He told the crowd that they did not control his matches.

Dominguez didn’t give up. He crawled to his feet, but Hammerstone got him and went for a suplex. Dominguez managed to slip out. Hammerstone then ran to Dominguez in the corner, with Dominguez getting the boots up and going for a springboard. Hammerstone clobbered him with a big forearm in mid-air to halt any progress the Team Filthy member was making.

Hammerstone picked Dominguez up and hit a tall stalling suplex, catching him on the way down into a Side Effect slam for the win.

– Mance Warner was outside the building in a pre-taped promo for his first appearance on MLW Fusion. He was straight on point and wasn’t being paid by the hour as he pointed out his truck he has rented for the weekend and the car he has bought outright.

Warner called himself the Southern Psycho, the Eye Poke God, and the Master of the Pop-Up Headbutt. He told us we will see him soon as he will be in action next week.

MLW Middleweight Champion Teddy Hart defeated MJF to retain his title (11:14)

MJF took the mic before the match. Before he could say anything, the Philly crowd were telling him to shut the duck up — or something very similar. MJF said he is the fastest growing superstar in wrestling and if anyone still likes the old ECW, they are white trash.

MJF started trash talking Teddy Hart and calling himself the real Middleweight Champion, saying he never lost his belt. MJF told Hart, for the first time in his life, jailbird, to grab his nuts, come out without the Hart Foundation, and face him and show everyone why MJF is better than him and everyone knows it.

Hart came out alone, and it was revealed that the rest of the Hart Foundation were back in Calgary celebrating their 90 years of wrestling in the territory. Hart wanted a handshake as the match started, but MJF pie-faced him instead. He then invited MJF to get the crowd to chant for him but instead pulled his trunks down when he turned his back on him.

Hart then went for more crowd adulation — but MJF jumped him for the early advantage.

MJF threw him to the outside and Hart seemed to collide head-first with the corner of the guardrail. He slowly made his way back into the ring — but as he was stepping through the ropes, MJF distracted the referee and kicked the rope right between Hart’s legs. He continued his assault by ramming Hart into the corner and hitting an overhead exploder suplex.

MJF got a two count with a side headlock on the mat and kept it locked in while he jaw-jacked with the crowd.

Hart fought back to his feet and arm dragged MJF off of him. Hart then had his eyes raked but was able to jump through a whip to the corner, stand on MJF’s back, and land a seamless Code Red for a two count of his own. He then hit a big powerbomb lungblower and followed up with a huge moonsault for another close two count.

In the corner, Hart lined MJF up and connected with a big uppercut. MJF fought back and launched himself off the middle rope with a double foot stomp to Hart’s arm. Hart found himself on the apron, where MJF hit him with a delayed piledriver for a very close near fall. As Hart kicked out, MJF moved straight into an armbar — adding insult to injury by biting the fingers when the referee wasn’t looking. Hart got his foot to the ropes to break the submission.

They made their way to the top rope in the corner — and Hart was able to get the advantage via a good old-fashioned wedgie. MJF dropped to the mat and Hart hit a perfect Canadian Destroyer from the top rope, but the momentum from the move popped MJF back to his feet and right into the referee, knocking him down.

Hart picked MJF up and hit a hammerlock DDT and got a visual three count — but the referee wasn’t around to make the count.

MJF fell to the outside and came back in with a chair as Hart was trying to revive the ref. Hart turned just in time and kicked MJF below the belt. Hart used the chair under MJF’s chin and hit an electric chair lungblower followed by a middle rope corkscrew moonsault for the win.

– Backstage, Hart was making his way through the Gorilla position to be interviewed by Kaci Lennox — but out of nowhere he was attacked by Richard Holliday. MJF quickly joined him for the two-on-one beatdown.

MJF used a chair to the gut of Hart and they both took turns pummeling Hart with shots to the back and head. Holliday held Hart as MJF launched a bin at him before they both whipped him into a garage door.

MJF told Hart he hoped he learned a lesson. We ended the show with Hart writhing in pain on the ground saying that MJF and Holliday had broken his rib.

Next week —

• Mance Warner makes his MLW debut against Jimmy Yuta
• Aerostar vs. Rey Horus