Andrew’s MLW Fusion Ratings & Review: 7/13/2018

Well it’s Friday, so that means it’s MLW Fusion! Now yes, I know I haven’t exactly been the biggest cheerleader of the TV product last couple reviews…but they can’t all be classics. I’m pretty sure this is only the 12th episode of Fusion, and they’ve done a better job at making their storylines engaging than say, ROH.

So regardless of if I like an episode or not, I’m not gonna write off a brand because a couple shows were bad. It’s wrestling, sometimes stuff happens and when you only have an hour, some shows aren’t that great. It even happens to NXT people, come on.

With all that, let’s see how this one shapes up.

Open of the show recaps that Shane Strickland was attacked earlier in the day, and was rushed to a hospital.

Parrow & The Dirty Blondes vs Rhett Giddins & Team TBD

Jimmy Yuta starts off the match against one of the dirty blondes, and after getting a small advantage, Parrow gets tagged in and we see another level of dissension between Cade and Yuta.  Yuta tags in Giddins, and we see the two bigger men trade strikes, but Parrow gets the better of the exchanges, and we see Yuta tag himself in and go running with a head of steam. Which, is ill advised as Parrow and The Dirty Blondes control Yuta in their corner for a long portion of this match. So much so, Cade gets frustrated, distracting the ref, causing the heels to get in some free offense.

Yuta finally mounts a small flurry of offense, takes out the Parrow and the other member of the Dirty Blondes, and finally tags in Jason Cade.  After that, we see all 6 men in the ring, Cade tries to direct Yuta to go for some tandem moves, but the first attempt doesn’t go well and the second one gets broken up by Parrow. So miscommunication continues between Cade and Yuta.

Winner:  Parrow & Dirty Blondes
Rating: **

Off of the commercial we get another promo for Battle Riot, declaring Sawyer Fulton, Fred Yehi and Homicide into the Battle Royale.

Barrington Hughes vs Jaye Skye

Barrington runs at Skye splashing him into the corner, and then a small delay on a back body drop, and the squash is over.

Winner: Hughes via Back Body Drop
Rating: N/A (Squash)

Joey Janela w/ Aria Blake vs MJF

MJF jumps on Janela immediately, but a Thesz Press turns things around quickly. Uppercuts and stomps in the corner have Janela with the advantage, MJF powders, but Janela hits him with a Suicide Dive.  After a little time outside the ring, MJF ducks Janela back in, and Janela goes head first into the wall of the announcer’s set up. -commercial break-

Coming in off the break, Janela has the advantage again, MJF is on the outside, and Janela hits a Crossbody into the empty chairs in the audience. Then rolls MJF back in the ring, Swanton Bomb, for only 2. Janela goes back to the top rope, and MJF stumbles to his feet and crotches him. MJF then hits a Superplex for a near fall. Janela rolls to the apron, as they start exchanging strikes before MJF lands the South Hampton Plunge.

MJF uses a chair in Aria slid it in, after pointing out she did it, to distract the ref. But, it backfires on MJF after Janela hits a Superkick into the chair, into his face. Aria keeps looking back after the match implying that maybe she tried to help MJF. I guess the feud will continue.

Winner: Janela via Superkick
Rating: ** 1/2

Kaci Lennox interview MJF after the match, he cries about being cheated. Talks about Aria being with a Jersey dirtbag and needs a ‘real man’. Which prompts Janela to come back out and cause a pull apart.

Updates on Strickland, saying he’s fine and will still face Low Ki next week.

Jimmy Havoc promo about setting a place for Lawlor’s last supper, getting ready for their match next week.

‘Filthy’ Tom Lawlor vs Jake Hager w/ Col. Parker

Hager pushes Lawlor into the corner and breaks clean, while both men continue to feel each other out. Hager’s power causes Lawlor to go to his corner for a second, as we then see Lawlor attempt a Flying Armbar, but Hager catches him. Rolls it into a Triangle Choke, but Hager powers out with a power bomb.

After a little bit of trading, Lawlor tries to rain fists down in the corner, but Hager grabs him and slams him down for a near fall. We see a lot of technical mat wrestling where both men go for submissions and counters. Lawlor gets the advantage there and comes out of the break with a Snapmare and sliding lariat for a near fall.
Hager goes shoulder first into the post, and sells it like he’s only got one good arm. Lawlor jumps on the opportunity as Hager tries to fight off. Lawlor goes for a high knee strike, but Hager moves out of the way and catches his foot into an Ankle Lock.

Lawlor sinks in a Rear Naked Choke shortly after the break, but then the rest of the Stud Stable come out and cause a DQ finish and big brawl between both stables.

Winner: Lawlor via DQ
Rating: ***

Kaci Lennox catches up with Lawlor after the match. Lawlor makes the “put them out to stud” joke again and then says he’ll win Battle Riot if the executives won’t give him his title shot.

Thoughts:

Funnily enough, this was probably the best episode of MLW in a few weeks, and I can’t find any fun gifs or stills from this episode. A lot of decent to good ring work, many storylines got advanced in the ring as well as a few wrinkles. When will Team TBD implode? Is Aria crushing on MJF? Who is better than Tom Lawlor right now? That last one’s rhetorical cause the answer is no one.

So ya, even if I may have seemed to be in a general malaise with the last few episodes, especially the awful Boiler Room Brawl, this was a nice set up episode. Looking forward to next week with Low Ki vs Shane Strickland.