MLW Fusion Episode 49: Hart Foundation vs. MJF & Richard Holliday

Last week on MLW Fusion: DJZ and Ace Austin impressed after having a match with real cool movez. Hammerstone might be joining MJF and Richard Holliday in the Dynasty. Which will be good for The Dynasty because Hammerstone picked up an easy win over Isiah Velasquez. Ace Romero was destroyed by Simon Gotch and his CONTRA faction. My toddler walked out of nap right as Ace was bleeding like a stuck pig. Big ups to childhood wrestling memories.

Cold Open

CONTRA video package of the havoc they have caused the last two weeks. No matter the main event, they show up and dominate everyone in the ring. Jacob Fatu has some crazy eyes. I think they showed a small clip of Josef Samael throwing fire, hopefully that happens soon.

MANCER is on commentary!! Mancer and Cornette together is going to be magic. Swear to God, Mancer is the best thing to happen to wrestling in the last two years. I have yet to hear anyone talk ill of him, inside the ring or out, in character or out.

El Hijo De L.A. Park w/ Salina De La Renta vs. Puma King

• As Hijo De L.A. Park comes out to weird ass music, we see a video of last week where Park and Mancer got into a scuffle after De La Renta got splattered in light beer. I bet Mancer was angrier at the fact that he spilled beer, than the fact that he upset De La Renta and her crew. Next week is a deathmatch with Mancer and L.A. Park.
• While Puma King enters, Cornette and Mancer talk about Mancer’s Winnebago.
• As Puma does his “AAHHHH PUNTO” chant, Mancer and Cornette have a fun back and forth about their knowledge of Lucha. Cornette knows about lucha from 30 years ago, on why they roll and how their style developed. Mancer says “I don’t know nothing about lucha.”
• Puma King and El Hijo are counter wrestling and rolling. Once they went out of the ring, the striking picked up.
• Cornette and Mancer on commentary feels like I’m listening to a tremendous podcast while watching some wrestling.
• Park and King start using chairs while the ref warns disqualification. This combination of wrestling and commentary is the most entertained I’ve been watching MLW. I am legit sitting here smiling while watching.
• Park takes a chair to the testicles of Puma King. Mancer is watching it and says he can’t wait for his deathmatch. Park is whipping Puma King with a cable and Cornette points out how inept the ref is.
• Mancer says he isn’t allowed to carry guns anymore.
• Puma King is in control of the match while Corny and Mancer are yes anding. Cornette says that Mancer’s grandma used to run a speakeasy and Ol’ Mancer went right along like that shit is forever canon.
• Back in the ring another nut shot with a chair, this time Puma hit Park’s testicles. Cornette “a near circumcision.” “What’s good for the goose is bad for the wiener.”
• The match has hit it’s third act where the nearfalls are a plenty. Puma King is very dominate, until he went for a top rope move. Park hits Puma King with a chair and turns the tide of the match for just a second.
• God , this match is little on story but I am so entertained.
• Park hits a top rope Spanish fly and King kicks out of it. The crowd is reacting well and the whole vibe of this match is so fucking good.
• Salina distracted Puma King after tripping him. Hijo gets in control then went out of the ring and spit on Mancer. Mancer stood up and spit on Park too. Then Mancer hit Park with a tennis racket.
• The ref is letting all of this go! Park gets tossed in the ring right into the jaws of Puma King who ends up winning the match.

And I’m Like… I am getting used to the “rules” of MLW. They never really established that disqualifications never happen and just kind of went with it. Now that I am aware that the MLW universe is like ECW. This match was all sorts of fun. You could watch it on mute and be entertained. You could shut the screen off and listen to just the commentary and be just as entertained. The crowd noise added the the frenetic energy as well. Great shit.

MJF and Richard Holliday cut a promo about how dangerous Teddy Hart is. But he really was just riffing on how Teddy cuts promo’s. Like how Teddy puts himself over and makes no sense when he talks. Holliday acts like he has no charisma like Davey Smith Jr. Then a video of The Hart Foundation interrupts. They are just like talking about punching in a swimming pool and stuff. Weird shit. The members of the Hart Foundation are so fucking weird. It’s great.

Turns out that stupid Norman Sweagler segment from last week, wasn’t the real doctor, but it was a prank call. A prank call that MLW “aired”. Like last week that segment was one of the worst segments on television this year. Now they are saying that MLW allowed the call to go through, not knowing it was someone else. That story should be dropped.

Tom Lawlor cuts a promo coming out of the doctor. He is upset he was stabbed with a stiletto and splashed from the top of a cage.

Contra Unit (Jacob Fatu and Josef Samael) vs. ??????

• Before any introductions can be made, Contra Unit shows up and attacks the other wrestlers. Commentary doesn’t even know their names.
• Jacob Fatu was a pit fighter in India and an enforcer in Shanghai. He was the black sheep of the Anoa’i family and never trained with them. Jim Cornette laying out facts right now.
• Samael brings out the spike again and starts attacking.

And I’m Like… LOL. This match ended in DQ!!! I just was like “oh, yeah, no rules in MLW and shit.” Next match. DQ. The bell is ringing non-stop because Contra Unit attack the two people viciously and SAMAEL JUST SHOT A FIREBALL!!! The crowd is shocked and making like gasps and boo’s. Even though I don’t understand the rules of MLW, I just saw a damn fireball!! Contra Unit is out of control. Rich doesn’t understand why they aren’t suspended yet. The crowd noise is nonstop and Contra Unit will not leave the ring. MLW needs to do more updates, on their rules, on why some people get suspended and others don’t. Consistency with the rules would be nice. One of the dudes was being stretchered out and Fatu hits a moonsault on the dude on the stretcher. Crowd goes wild. THIS IS CRAZY. People are throwing trash into the ring. People are losing their shit. Contra is throwing shit back into the crowd. Security is ducking and the cameras cut out. We get a feed back and commentary is saying a riot could happen. A fan jumped the rail as the camera cut away.

And I’m Like… I have to react to my reaction. This was something that hasn’t been seen in decades. Everyone played their part perfectly. Jacob Fatu is so fucking special. Samaer is right up there with him. This was a MOMENT! MLW has tried to force a lot of moments on us, but this was organic as hell. Bravo!

Salina and L.A. Park cut a promo about how Park is going to win Battle Riot.

World Tag Team Championship

The Dynasty (MJF and Richard Holliday) vs. The Hart Foundation (c) (Davey Boy Smith Jr and Teddy Hart)

• This venue has a better sound system and it makes MJF’s music sound better. I still don’t feel like it fits him. It’s growing on me though.
• MJF comes out here trying to get the normal heat he gets. He isn’t getting the smoke that Contra Unit got. MJF is doing a great job though, he makes fun of the crowd for not speaking English. He talks to Stu Hart who MJF says is in hell. MJF says that Stu’s legacy is jack squat because of what Teddy is doing to the family legacy.
• I feel like a lot of these entrance songs are beats Wale didn’t want to rap over.
• Teddy is all bandaged up and limping, but he is wrestling and not Pillman Jr.
• Hart Foundation are weirdos but the crowd loves them.
• Teddy and MJF almost come to blows before Teddy can take off his Middleweight championship.
• Bell finally rings and MJF powders to the outside to buy some time and strategist. Teddy is losing his patience.
• Teddy finally is able to throw some punches, but at Holliday and not MJF because MJF convinced Richard to tag in. Hart Foundation are quickly picking apart Holliday.
• DBS gets Holliday up in a delayed vertical suplex. Held it for twenty seconds. Really impressive.
• Teddy is hurt so he needed Pillman to support his weight so Hart could get to the top rope. Then Hart hits a moonsault and lands on his own broken ribs. Cornette goes “He is insane, he just has to get his stuff in.” Which made me laugh, like Teddy doesn’t change his style, even if it severely injures him.
• Holliday and MJF are doing lots of heel shit to distract the ref and work on Teddy’s ribs. Teddy doing a masterful job at selling his ribs. I almost believe that the injury is real.
• Richard even gets a sharpshooter on Hart but it is poorly applied. MJF hits a heakseeking piledriver. Teddy Hart is throwing up because of all the damage done to his ribs. Weird sell, but okay.
• What really hurts the match is The Dynasty trying to “cheat” without the ref seeing, but the past two matches have featured weapons. One resulting in DQ, one not. So I think holding hands during an abdominal stretch isn’t that big of a deal. Doesn’t add any drama.
• Teddy hit a tornado Canadian destroyer to earn the hot tag. Instead of going for the hot tag, he pukes again. Who does he think he is Priscilla Kelly?
• Davey gets tagged in after Teddy vomits and kind of has to finish the match himself. MLW is wild.
• MJF trusted Davey so much that he took a bridging tiger suplex for two. That move makes me cringe all the time.
• Hart Foundation is setting up for their finisher but Hammerstone comes in and causes the DQ.

And I’m Like… No clean finishes all night kind of sucks. Hammerstone has joined The Dynasty which is good for them. Having Contra Unit and now The Dynasty doing kind of the same thing is lame. I don’t know if the crowd is pissed at The Dynasty or pissed at the booking.

This was a great episode of Fusion, except probably the last couple minutes. I feel like MLW is starting to run on all cylinders and is beginning to develop it’s own identity instead of changing who they are every few months.

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