MLW Fusion Recap Episode 48: Tom Lawlor update, DJZ vs. Ace Austin, Gotch vs. Romero

Last week on MLW: Jim Cornette made his commentary debut. What shocked me is how much he embraced the lucha style. On Jim’s podcast he seemed to be much more open to wrestling in 2019. He said that he really has only seen GIF’s of what fans have sent over the past few years. So it’s a nice change of pace for Jim’s perception. The Lucha Bros picked up a win over Taurus and Loredo Kid in an all out balls to the wall lucha match. Tom Lawlor defeated Low Ki in a cage match. I hope this is the end of their feud because everyone of their matches has had some really garbage stuff. Standing eight counts and a weird spot where they were fighting on the outside of the cage with neither men jumping to the ground to win.

Cold Open-

A recap of the cage match between Low Ki and Lawlor. They thankfully didn’t show the “battle” on the cage. They showed Gotch and his new heel faction “Contra Unit” destroying Tom Lawlor. Jacob Fatu dove off the top of the cage. Fatu is the next biggest star in the company and I pray wrestling. Jacob has gotten over in every promotion he has been in, in less than five minutes.

Qualifying Match For Battle Riot II

Ace Austin vs. DJZ

• Ace has some lame generic rock music. Cuts a promo before the match about how Ace Austin will win. I really hope Jim helps the roster with their promo’s because that’s what hurts MLW the most.
• Ace Austin really is making a splash this year. Debuting on Impact this week and already known in MLW. I think Austin has a bright future ahead of him.
• When DJZ makes his entrance, Jim Cornette says he enjoys EDM! I’m so pleasantly surprised by Cornette on commentary.
• So this is a qualifying match for the April 5th, Battle Riot show. What I wonder is, how many people qualify and how many people are just inserted into the match. I like that these random matches now have “stakes”.
• The middleweight division matches are wrestled at such a fast pace that it’s hard for commentary to catch everything, let alone me, a lowly recapper.
• I mean they aren’t diving out of the ring, they are diving over the guardrail! DJZ does his own DJ horn noise since MLW does not provide the sound bite for him.
• This match doesn’t tell much of a story, it’s more lucha style where selling is secondary. Ace is hitting tons of innovative maneuvers like an angled headscissors over the top rope into the ring.
• Ace Austin caught DJZ midflip to hit a reverse neckbreaker style move for the win.

And I’m Like… The typical middleweight/indie match. Lots of action, fast paced, little in the way of storytelling. If you’re into MOVEZ matches you’ll really enjoy this. Ace Austin is very impressive.

Salina De La Renta is in the middle of an interview when Mancer spills a light beer on her. He drinks some before he apologizes. Salina leaves very upset. So it looks like Good Ol’ Mancer is getting himself into a feud.

Another Jimmy Havoc vignette. We still don’t know when he is returning to MLW.

Dr. Nelson Swegler calls in and will not update us on Tom Lawlor. Really weird segment. Swegler says Lawlor may never compete again. 

Gotch cuts a mustache-less promo. He looks like a 50’s greaser.

Alexander Hammerstone vs. Isaiah Velasquez

• Hammerstone was on the phone talking about something called “Dynasty”. Which is fun because when MLW first started up again they were kind of faction centric and seemed to have gotten away from that. Like, what happened to Fred Yehi and Team Filthy? What happened to Col. Robert Parker’s Studd Stable? What happened to Su Yung who attacked people for weeks? Death Machine? So much has come and gone in MLW in the past year.
• This match has little crowd noise because it’s an obvious enhancement match and not much is known about Hammerstone. Cornette says there was a bidding war for Hammerstone that MLW won out. I find that hard to believe because when people talk about “Contract Signings”, like dirt sheets and websites, MLW is usually not even listed as a promotion with signed talent. Kind of like how WOW has signed talent but they aren’t on anyone’s radar. WWE, AEW, NJPW, ROH, Impact and Lucha Underground are the most talked about with MLW coming in after that. I guess the only believable company in a bidding war for Hammerstone would be Impact?
• Rich says that Konnan is very high on Velasquez. Konnan is a producer and agent in MLW I believe.
• Hammersone has too much strength for Velasquez, so Isaiah attempts to use some high flying. Hammerstone just catches Velasquez in the air and slams Isaiah on the apron.
• Jim says Hammerstone does his cardio while reading the Financial Times. Basically Hammerstone is the greatest man; Attractive, intelligent, athletic, smart, and confident.
• Alexander does have a lot of talent in the ring as well. His timing is really good and he has very impressive moves. The dude is the total package and I’m not just saying that because he reminds me of NWA Lex Luger but better.
• Hammestone hits the Nightmare Pendulum for the win. Pretty sure he grabbed a lot of Velazquez’s dick in the suplex lift.

And I’m Like… Hammerstone feels like the perfect opponent to defeat Tom Lawlor in a year. That is a feud I would be very interested in. A big clash of styles and personality. Very excited for Hammerstone’s future.

MJF and Richard Holliday are backstage cutting a promo about The Dynasty. They call themselves The Dynasty. Which means Hammerstone was talking to them earlier. I LOVE THIS! The factions are coming back. MJF and Holliday attack lowlife workers for pronouncing beluga caviar wrong.

Bunch more Hart Foundation shenanigans. Pillman Jr. drinking random drinks he finds. Hart Foundation call out The Dynasty. Davey Boy Smith Jr. says tag or singles is fine. They are the most eccentric team.

Ace Romero vs. Simon Gotch

• We are shown when Ace Romero beat Gotch in a match for $20,000. Fun fact, I just got sued this week for that same amount. So I am more invested in Gotch’s financial pain than I should be.
• So Gotch is in Contra, The Dynasty is looking at being a thing, The Hart Foundation, Salina’s group and I think that’s it. I like how MLW is shaping up.
• Ace comes out and Jim Cornette runs down a litany of fat jokes/. 🙁
• Gotch without his mustache is a bad call. That’s one of the only things that had him stand out and look different. Now the dude has a constant look of sadness and anger. Like when a child gets angry because they are in trouble. Gotch has Resting Troubled Child Face.
• Ace Romero hit a Tope Suicida on Gotch and the crowd was lit up for it. I wonder how bad that is for Acey’s body. Dude’s career doesn’t seem like it will last that long. Even though Abdullah The Butcher is probably STILL wrestling, so what do I know.
• “Where’s your mustache” chant at Gotch. SEE! That’s the only thing that helped him stand out. The crowd can’t even think of anything to chant because there is nothing else Gotch has.
• Simon rolls out of the ring and tells commentary. “No flips, just kicks and fists.” Which um… I think is some other teams gimmick. A couple of Top Guys seem to say that. Maybe Gotch thinks the phrase is dead and is trying to create a Revival for it. #FTR
• Acey has control of the match when CONTRA shows up to stomp Romero down. CONTRA is on some NWO shit right now.
• Now Contra has a rail road spike in the ring. Contra takes Jimmy Jacobs/Kevin Sullivan’s favorite weapon and destroy’s Acey with it to end the show.

And I’m Like… The timing of that couldn’t be worse. I was watching this while my toddler was napping and she woke up and snuck behind me while Romero was being brutalized. So that’s her first time seeing that type of violence in wrestling. She couldn’t look away so I had to pause it and send her out of the room for the last few minutes. That means CONTRA is doing what they are supposed to do. Too violent for family entertainment, attacking everyone after the match. Real heel shit.

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