Last week on MLW: Teddy Hart beat Jason Cade in a match that had a lot of moves. Ace Romero debuted in a victory over Marko Stunt in a very fun match. Rush also made a debut in a win over Sammy Guevara.
Cold Open
Fred Yehi and Tom Lawlor got jumped by Salina De La Renta, L.A. Park, Low Ki and Ricky Martinez.
Middleweight Championship Ladder Match
Kotto Brazil vs. Gringo Lock vs. El Hijo De L.A. Park vs. Dezmond Xavier vs. Teddy Hart
- Teddy Hart started the match by flipping onto Dezmond. This match is right away just dudes standing around waiting for spots and using weapons.
- Kotto gets his leg caught in a ladder and Park whales on the ladder with a chair.
- This match will be hard to write about, there will obviously be a lack of story and just spots all over. This is not just because Teddy Hart is in the match.
- The match is extra dangerous with no pads on the floor. I am really torn on the issue because it looks a lot cooler, but the wrestlers get hurt a lot more doing moves out there.
- I mean there is a reverse of an Alabama slam by Hijo de L.A. Park onto Teddy Hart after Teddy was superkicked by Gringo and Xavier. Fun spots, lost going on and very convoluted.
- I’m watching this with my cousin who has never watched MLW and he is highly entertained.
- Teddy is strictly dominating the match. He is the only star at the moment.
- Gringo Loco has some spots though, getting tipped over on a ladder and jumping into a springboard cutter seamlessly.
- The ladder is really hanging low and you only have to go halfway up the ladder. Which really hurt the match because Xavier was holding the belt but “didn’t know how to unbuckle the belt” because he had to wait for a spot to happen.
- Head shots with the chair too. These guys are trying but I am used to WWE ladder matches which are over produced and shot accordingly, the flow is better and the ladders and belt height are more believable.
- Very few characters in this match too. Teddy Hart won in a really lackluster finish.
And I’m Like… Teddy Hart is a World Champion. A Middleweight champion but still a world champion. This match left a lot to be desired, but that is understandable since half of the competitors are replacements. The story going into the match was MJF and Kotto Brazil. Teddy wasn’t even in the match. So they made the best of what they had. I just wish I felt it more.
Rush and L.A. Park are gonna face each other on April 4th.
DJZ vs. Dragon Lee
- DJZ has a better Mustafa Ali entrance than Mustafa. What’s crazy is they both are from Chicago. I wonder if they went to the same LED guy?
- Dragon Lee is best known as an amazing wrestler out of Mexico who wrestled in New Japan or the guy who broke Takahashi’s neck.
- The good thing about this show is I just realized they are live for the first time. There hasn’t been a big difference between recorded or live MLW Fusion, which shows how well this show is produced.
- Dragon Lee does the Tranquillo ose and the crowd applauds. I didn’t really pay attntion to the venue but it looks like the smallest Madison Square Garden in the world with the entrance stage taking up more space than the fans. The aesthetics are nice if you don’t pay attention to crowd size. This company has barely been running for a year though, so I feel like they are doing a great job.
- I’m not talking about the match much. The crowd is really into it and the wrestlers are doing a great job making their moves count. The high spots are few and far between so far and the story seems to be a battle for advantage. Both men are landing moves and strikes but not enough to really impact the other wrestler. It reminds me of when I played the WWE 2k games and I’d put everyone’s resiliency way high and attack power way low so the matches would last longer.
- Tony and Rich are doing a great job of calling the action but not taking all the attention. When Dragon Lee and DJZ are fighting on top of that turnbuckle and Tony points out how both men could fall on the concrete and are risking a lot, it added more to the match instead of distracting me.
- Dragon Lee legit reverses a suplex into a Dragon Driver which is essentially a sit out power bomb and it was so fluid and beautiful.
- Both of these guys are tremendous and really good at their jobs. It took two Dragon Drivers to put DJZ away.
And I’m Like… That match was fun and a welcomed surprise. I don’t think either man has wrestled for MLW so they don’t have much in the way of character development but they are both really good at their jobs.
Salina and company are cutting a promo by their limo about how they want to go party but Tom Lawlor show up so Salina gets in the hummer limo as it takes off into the night. This is a weird feud of dudes just fighting backstage because they are mad that they fought backstage. The only reason I think it is weird is because MLW is more sport based and I am a big fan of pagentry. So having most feuds take place because of backstage attacks or match tomfoolery isn’t something I am used to.
The Hart Foundation cuts a weird promo without Davey Boy Smith Jr. , who I really miss.
Simon Gotch talks about his No Holds Barred No Rope match against Tom Lawlor. Simon looks extra dapper and super hipster. It’s weird how he kept the same look from a 1920’s strongman and still fits into today’s modern look.
Rich Swann vs. Rush
- Rich Swann is on a small list of wrestlers I don’t enjoy. I don’t know why I don’t enjoy them but I just don’t. It makes it harder to be positive about wrestling which I usually am. I really wish I would like him too. It’s like Trap Music or Metal. I can tell the people are talented and make great art. I just don’t dig that type of art. Rich Swann makes me feel the way Low Ki or Austin Aries makes me feel. I see there is something special there but I don’t enjoy it. Like broccoli. I know if I just get over the hump it would be really good for me, but I can’t bring myself to enjoy it.
- I enjoy wrestlers and wrestling more when there are characters and motivations. It’s hard to just watch a match and truly feel emotions. I can appreciate the athletics and everything else involved. But I watch wrestling to FEEL. With Rush, I don’t know much about who he is or what he is about. MLW will have people cut promo’s in different languages but with no subtitles it’s hard for me to invest in what they are saying.
- What I’m trying to say is that this combination of wrestlers will make for a good match, but I already have negative connotations going into the match.
- Rush uses a trash can and throws it at Swann. I don’t think it’s NO DQ but I think MLW has lax rules. They have a 20 count instead of a 10 count which is appreciated to those that like to brawl outside of the ring.
- Neither man is really the heel. Even if Rush wrestles like a heel, every time he plays to the crowd he gets cheered. When people cheer the beat down it’ hard for me to give sympathy to the dude being beaten.
- This is a match that seems like it would be more fun live than on TV. Rush even threatens to hit the referee and the crowd loves it.
- Swann got his comeback with a springboard into and back handspring into a cutter. A lethal injection. The crowd isn’t hot for it because the like both Swann and Rush. I will never understand how a lethal injection actually works. Fans have seen the move enough to know that wrestlers know the move and if a dude is doing a handspring into the ropes and jumping backwards, maybe don’t stand in the way? It’s a spot that has been around long enough that we expect it to land so it would be more interesting to block it a lot more.
- Rush’s hair is amazing though. Soul Glo like a mutha fucker.
- Rush gets the win to the applause from the crowd even though he tries really hard to be a heel in the ring and then plays to the adulation of the crowd.
And I’m Like… This match is weird. It was well wrestled and told the story of Rich fighting from underneath trying to stop Rush’s dominance. The crowd just loves Rush though so the sound and the visual were juxtaposed. The commentary didn’t help by playing it down the middle. I feel like having a person the crowd doesn’t like face Rush would have worked a lot better. L.A. Park and Low Ki show up to antagonize Rush. That really helped until Low Ki called out Filthy Tom as Rush just disappeared. MLW makes me not know how to feel. I like what I’m seeing but I don’t know who to root for. There doesn’t seem to be a clear cut babyface and heel outside of Low Ki and Tom Lawlor. Maybe it’s the crowd? I know to boo anyone associated with Salina, but they are kinda cool and the crowd doesn’t hate on them much so it doesn’t reinforce my feelings.
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