MLW Fusion #135
March 3rd, 2022
Gilley’s in Dallas, TX
Commentary: Rich Bocchini & Joe Dombrowski
A Bounty on Davey Richards
We start the show with Richard Holliday and Alicia Atout as Atout says everybody loves the new power couple of MLW. Holliday says everybody including him, but what he doesn’t love is that he beat up CONTRA, saved Cesar Duran and he was promised an MLW World Title shot, but he was cut in line by Davey Richards. Holliday says that was rude and he doesn’t know who he thinks Richards is, but he knows who he is and he’s going to write that wrong right now because he has an incentive. Atout opens up a briefcase full of money and Holliday says this is for anybody who can permanently take Richards out of the main event. Atout says ‘boys, have at it’.
MLW National Openweight Championship: Alex Kane (c) (w/ Mr. Thomas) vs. Calvin Tankman
They start the match fast, pounding each other with fists until Kane goes outside to regroup. Tankman meets him inside in the corner, as Kane fails to try to suplex him multiple times. Kane is able to hit a stunner, but it doesn’t phase Tankman as he pounces and knocks Kane to the outside. Kane traps Tankman’s knee in the ring ropes and repeatedly kicks it. As the referee distracts the referee, Mr. Thomas hits Tankman’s knee with a lead pipe and punches. Kane goes after it, but the referee checks on Tankman as they go to commercial.
When we come back, the referee sees that Tankman can’t stand up and calls the match off. Kane goes to raise his title, as the referee helps Tankman towards the back, but we don’t hear a bell. In the meantime, we see footage backstage during the break, as Homicide and Davey Richards were brawling, but Richards prevails and asks where Richard Holliday is. Back in the ring, Alex Kane calls Tankman a quitter and a crybaby and tells him to go home. Tankman makes his way back to the ring as they announce the match will continue. Tankman hits punches on Kane, but Kane dodges the last one and hits a German Suplex. Kane hits two more as Mr. Thomas holds up the signs showing the suplex count. Tankman gets up and hits a pop-up back elbow, but only gets a two-count. Tankman signals for the Tankman Driver, but Kane escapes and drives the shoulder into the injured knee of Tankman, rolls up him in a jackknife pin, and gets the win.
Winner: Alex Kane by pinfall at 8:08, to retain
Rich Bocchini tries to get a word with Alex Kane after and asks what he has to say for himself. Kane says he did what he said he was going to do, and this win is sponsored by the hottest shirt in the game, as they show the ‘Crybaby Calvin’ shirt. Kane says this is history and he is the most dangerous man and champion in MLW.
Tired of Family Legacies
We see a video from 5150 where Slice Boogie says he’s tired of second and third-generation wrestlers with their family legacies in wrestling, as Rivera says his dad wasn’t a wrestler, he was a dope dealer. Boogie says his father left him, his mom, his brother, and his sister in the projects to starve. They did this by themselves and are tired of all these families and Ricky Morton and his son, Kerry is next. They said the Von Erichs didn’t even show up in their own hometown and their mom left Rivera a voicemail saying to not beat up her sons. Rivera ends by saying the Rock N Roll Express stuff is in the past and they are about to add all these family legacies to the list of bodies that they are going to drop.
We get another video for Killer Kross with various dark imagery and ending with a TV being smashed again.
From a King to a God
We see a video of King Muertes and Karlee Perez where Karlee hands him a giant medallion that says this will turn him from a King to a God, as Muertes takes it and walks away laughing.
Before the next match, we see the Saito Brothers backstage attacking Davey Richards, but Richards fights them off.
KC Navarro vs. Ho Ho Lun
KC Navarro is back after his injuries from the attack by nZo. Ho Ho Lun comes out representing Dragon Gate Pro-Wrestling but is also remembered for his appearances in the WWE Cruiserweight Classic and a short stint in NXT. He also appeared on an episode of AEW Dark late last year, losing to Sammy Guevara as well as GCW Til Infinity losing to Jimmy Lloyd. They start the match shaking hands but go right into a face pace of leapfrogs and running the ropes before Navarro knocks Lun outside with a dropkick and quickly hits him with a suicide dive. We see quick footage from a backstage scuffle between Alex Kane and ACH. Back inside, Lun has the advantage on Navarro who shows his neck still being injured. Lun goes right after it, but Navarro fights back. Navarro fights back with a Lungblower and the Jesus Piece cutter for the pin.
Winner: KC Navarro by pinfall at 3:29
Rich Bocchini gets a word with KC Navarro after and asks how it feels to be back after being on the shelf for three months. Navarro says that nZo was a guy that he looked up to and he attacked him, because he got back on TV before nZo could. Navarro says nZo calls himself a real one, but he’s nothing but a real bitch and that’s why when nZo is ready to fight he wants him in a grudge match.
Next Week on Superfight
· MLW World Heavyweight Championship: Alex Hammerstone (c) vs. Davey Richards
· Grudge Match: nZo vs. KC Navarro
· MLW World Tag Team Championship: 5150 (Slice Boogie & Rivera) (c) vs. The Von Erichs (Marshall Von Erich & Ross Von Erich)
· MLW National Openweight Championship: Alex Kane (c) vs. Calvin Tankman vs. ACH
Drinking & Sweeping
We see a video of Gnarls Garvin and Budd Heavy drinking beer in a bar and Garvin mentions they can’t be losing to the Saito Brothers, and they need to fight harder, meaner, and drunker, as Heavy passes out.
Emilio Sparks tries to get a word with Alex Kane and asks how it feels to beat Calvin Tankman. Kane says he destroyed him, dominated him, and shattered his ego and starts mocking it by sweeping with a broom and says he has to get the nasty pieces of his ring. Calvin Tankman shows up and is seen pouncing Kane and Mr. Thomas before the camera cuts off.
The Bounty Continues
Davey Richards is seen looking for Richard Holliday still, holding a pool stick, but Homicide and the Saito Brothers are back and corner Richards. An elevator opens up, and King Muertes is behind him as all four of them start attacking Richards. Alex Hammerstone shows up and saves Richards. Richard Holliday and Alicia Atout are seen running away from the scene.
Before the next match, Cesar Duran comes out and says as proven by their basketball team, this city (Dallas) is full of losers, but they are going to love this next match. Duran introduces the mystery challenger as the most wanted, Bandido.
MLW World Middleweight Championship: Yoshihiro Tajiri (c) vs. Bandido vs. Matt Cross vs. Myron Reed
All four go at it, with Tajiri and Bandido being the last two standing trading takedowns and pin attempts. Reed and Cross come in and take them out before they go at it with Reed knocking Cross out of the ring with a dropkick. Bandido comes in and trades forearms with Reed. They run the ropes, with Bandido knocking Reed out before going at it with Cross. Cross hits him with a backbreaker before they go to commercial.
When we come back, Cross hits a handspring elbow and a springboard crossbody on Bandido for a two. Tajiri comes in and takes out Cross before taking out Bandido and Reed as well with kicks. Tajiri traps Reed in the Tarantula but walks into a kick from Bandido. Bandido and Reed go toe-to-toe as Reed takes off his chest protector before they start trading chops. Reed takes Bandido with a superkick and goes for a top rope cutter, but Bandido catches him. Reed picks Bandido up as Cross hits Bandido with a double stomp off the top rope followed by a suicide dive to Tajiri on the outside. Bandido hits a crucifix driver on Reed, but Cross breaks it up. Reed puts Bandido up in an Electric Chair as Cross hits him with a top rope fallaway slam as Bandido takes Reed down with him with a Poison Rana. Tajiri comes in and tries to get pins, until Reed dodges Tajiri who sprays Bandido with the green mist. Cross takes out Reed and Bandido with a double springboard cutter, goes to the top rope, and tries a shooting star press on Bandido, but Reed interferes and stops him with a cutter and gets the pin on Cross, to become a three-time Middleweight Champion.
Winner: Myron Reed by pinfall at 8:48, to become NEW MLW World Middleweight Champion
We end the show with a feature on next week’s Alex Hammerstone vs. Davey Richards with interviews previously seen before on Fusion.
