What better way to get Thursday Night started than your double dose of Balaz Reviews? Now, I’ll be doing MLW for this one for a few reasons. One, we have basically a new season and era that will come to play on Fightland tonight with the Fatal Four Way and the Champion vs Champion match at the 2300 Arena. Second, I was there so I might… slightly… entirely have a bias tonight and three.

If you enjoy this, I’m perfectly fine with doing Alpha Fusion for the foreseeable future. So with that, sit back. Relax and welcome to FIGHTLAND!!!

Results –

• Tajiri vs Aramis vs Arez vs Myron Reed for the Middleweight Championship (c) – Tajiri wins via Buzzsaw Kick – *** – TITLE CHANGE!!
• Champion vs Champion: Alexander Hammerstone (National Champion) vs Jacob Fatu (w/ Josef Samial) (World Champion) – Alexander Hammerstone wins via TKO – ****  – NEW DOUBLE CHAMPION!!!

Review:

Tajiri vs Aramis vs Arez vs Myron Reed-

Arez starts the action quickly and everyone goes for pins on each other to get a feeling out until Aramis and Arez are the only ones in the ring and show off their Luchador Prowess with headscissors and flurries of offense until Myron comes to the ring apron and takes it to the two, Leg Drops all around, including a Slingshot version but Tajiri comes back in and knocks them all down after Reed goes for more speed offense, standing tall.

Aramis steps up and takes it to the ECW Original so he stands tall and we are getting some frequent flier miles with flurries of Dives and Hilos until Aramis dives onto all. Aramis tries to go for another flip from the apron but Myron comes back and lands a cutter onto everyone. Everyone after goes and scrambles for an advantage. Even after held onto for kicks and everything, including a Tarantula, Arez and Aramis are the ones remaining, showcasing their talent. Myron comes back and Cutter to get the most of it and it’s looking like he will retain. Cutters for all. After all that, Tajiri returns to fight and the Extreme Original stares down the Middleweight Champion.

Tajiri tries to go for a maneuver from the Fireman’s Carry but Reed reverses into a Stunner, holding onto the neck and attempts another Cutter but, gets thrown into the direction of the ref and the ref cowers in the corner as Tajiri readies the Poison Mist and spits it in Reed’s eye, hits him with a Buzzsaw Kick and the Japanese Buzzsaw wins in the 2300 Arena once again and is the new MLW World Middleweight Champion.

Alicia Atout with other journalists and media along with some guy name Dave too in there that they have a “Halftime Show” called MLW Embedded where they ask possible free agent stuff and WWE selling. They then talk about Osperay debuting in MLW for Fall (Hmmm… Maybe see it with my own eyes). It felt weird hearing AEW, WWE and NJPW in a conversation with none of them involved but, I’m just tapping into that cynic in me by going full Balaz.

Alexander Hammerstone vs Jacob Fatu-

Fatu charges Hammer but Alexander grabs him and takes him to the corners, shoulder tackling Jacob until Fatu gets back on it and chips Hammerstone down in the corners next. Fatu goes to whip Hammer into the ropes but gets caught in two Belly to Belly Suplexes. Fatu gets back up shortly after, in anger, and attacks Hammer harder, bringing Hammerstone to a knee and hitting a swinging Uranage to take Hammer to the outside. Fatu moves with him to the outside and lands a moonsault from the railing to the floor, taking Hammer down and going to the apron and the two have a small exchange before Hammerstone is driven with a Piledriver.

Fatu brings Hammer back into the ring and looks in firm control as the tries to toss Hammerstone into the ropes again but Hammer falls but Fatu isn’t going to quit and throws Hammer into the corner with a chair as Jacob Fatu hits a VanTerminator and gets a nearfall. Hammerstone gets an opening and hits Claymore kicks, Bicycle Kicks and gets some Suplexes off until landing a Sit Out Powerbomb for a nearfall of his own.

Fatu gets the advantage again and drops Hammerstone with an Alley-Uce and Moonsault but Alex rolls out of the ring to avoid a loss. As Fatu tosses Hammerstone back into the ring, Alexander comes back and takes Jacob down, hitting a piscato to knock the big boy down, tossing him in the ring and hitting the Missile Dropkicks Fatu and they are back to even.

The two begin to trade blows, punches, paint brushes, elbows, headbutts that Hammerstone forgot that you never headbutt a Samoan and with Josef coming in to trip up Hammer, Fatu knocking him to the outside and Samael hits the Spike into Hammer’s chest. Fatu gets a table and sets it up to the ring, laying the Contra Flag on Hammerstone and hits a BME to Hammer to get another nearfall. Hammerstone then begins to Hulk up and take it to Fatu. Even though Fatu gets up from the flurry, kipping up, Hammerstone grabs him for a heavy slam and then flexes to hit a TKO and Alexander Hammerstone stand up, on one ankle, to become the Undisputed Champion of MLW.

AND NEEEWWW!!!@alexhammerstone #MLW 👊 @VICETV pic.twitter.com/HUfi76SyVk

— FIGHTLAND on VICE TV (@MLW) October 8, 2021

Final Thoughts:

Seeing this both from a live perspective and watching it on TV and a lot of things looked different. A lot of the moments in the Middleweight match looked very slow and idle at times but, the nostalgia was amazing for Tajiri but that match looked sloppy at times. If I watched it just on TV it would have been two and three-quarters but it was most likely the bias. Hammerstone and Fatu, I feel deserves the four I gave, not because I’m a Hammer Fan but it looked great. It was a lot like old school wrestling with some newer flair with the ECW Homage that happened in the match. Now, half way through the match, we are unclear of when or how but, Hammerstone did hurt his ankle so who knows the extent of the injury. All we know is this is a new era of MLW and I am all for it… might go from NWA to MLW… who knows.