With the wrestling world currently in limbo and many companies struggling to produce content due to lockdown and distancing measures, MLW has decided not to stop and to look back to the past. They were around a long time before Fusion was revived and have seen some of indie wrestling’s and Japanese wrestling’s best come through their doors. MLW Anthology is a collection of older tapes starting with this LA Park themed collection from MLW’s yesteryears. This double-bill contains matches against Shocker and the ECW alum Sabu. Plus, the company teased an update on the companies position since CONTRA invaded.
LA Park defeated Shocker via Twisting Moonsault Senton
Shocker sends L.A.Park flying to the outside and follows up connecting with a springboard dive!#MLWAnthology on @beINSPORTSUSA pic.twitter.com/WM2AvUSrLx
— Major League Wrestling (@MLW) May 17, 2020
Our first match of the broadcast featured LA Park taking on one of Mexico’s biggest draws of the time, Shocker. The maskless Shocker was one of the top rudos in the world at the time. LA Park was notorious for his own brand of disrespect, so you just knew things were going to get violent. After a slap to the face from Park, the pair went for a fast series of technical and agile exchanges. The pair shoved each other then Shocker kicked Park to the outside and faked a dive into a pose. Park baited Shocker to the outside, then kicked him on the way back in. He followed that with a chop so hard it shook the room. The pair continued to trade impacts as both men were driven into the turnbuckle and both men were knocked down with strikes. LA Park gave Shocker a double dose of the Strut but found himself launched into the turnbuckles again. Shocker flipped Park into the ropes but received another devastating chop as a receipt. Park tried to follow up but was flipped to the outside. Shocker followed him out with a Springboard Splash. Shocker started to chop down Park and suplexed him back into the ring. Shocker kicked Park in the face but had his second kick caught and was taken over by Park. He followed up with a Spinning Heel Kick and followed Shocker to the outside with a Corkscrew Plancha. Park dumped Shocker back in the ring, slammed him into the mat, and went top rope for a Diving Senton. Park went to smash Shocker in the head with his chair but Shocker dodged and kicked it into Park’s face. Park was knocked to the outside again and Shocker tried to dive onto Park, but received a chair to the face for his troubles. LA Park waited in the ring for a count-out but Shocker broke the count. Back in-ring, Park dropped Shocker with a Russian Leg Sweep but was kicked in the head off a dive. Shocker capitalised with a Michinoku Driver and a series of Sentons but couldn’t keep Park down. He tried for a Missile Dropkick but Park counted and kicked Shocker in the teeth. Park hit a Missile Dropkick of his own and when that got two, tried for a second, only to be crotched on the turnbuckle. Shocker brought him down with a Superplex and started chopping him in the corner. He tossed Park into a corner and brought him down on the rebound with a Bulldog. Shocker continued to attack, launching a Bronco Buster into the corner. He tried for a second but Park gave him a nutcracker kick. He threw Shocker with a Biel and finished the young rudo with a Twisting Moonsault Senton. This was a great look into LA Park’s younger days as he tackled a young and cocky heel, intent on showing him up.
Sabu defeated LA Park via Triple Jump Moonsault
Sabu puts L.A.Park through a table with a HUGE Leg drop!#MLWAnthology on @beINSPORTSUSA pic.twitter.com/mVV54Eb0rq
— Major League Wrestling (@MLW) May 17, 2020
What happens when you put an extreme Luchador against a man who has absolutely no care for his own body in Sabu? You get a match like this. Sabu had attacked Park in the past with spikes and other tools in the past, now the pair would go one on one in one of MLW’s most violent brawls before Mance Warner (next week’s episode) joined the company. Considering Park started the match by throwing his chair at Sabu, well, it was only going to go descent into further madness from here. Sabu tried to give Park a receipt but it was dodged. The pair felt each other out as Sabu’s ringside man, Bill Alfonso tried to distract Park with a whistle. The duo locked up with Sabu picking a leg and Park barring an arm. The pair wrestled on the mat and Sabu locked in a camel clutch. Park locked in one of his own but Sabu took him down and hit a duo of slingshot moves on Park before locking in the Camel Clutch again. Park escaped and took Sabu down with a dropkick. Sabu was clotheslined into the ring a took Park down with a Tornado DDT. Park caught Sabu with a Spinning heel kick causing Sabu to bail. Park gave chase and threw Sabu into the second row. Park followed and battered Sabu in the head with a chair then threw him into the guard rail. Park climbed over and dived onto Sabu from the ring apron. He drove Sabu’s head into the ring steps and set up a table. They fought on the ring apron and Park knocked Sabu back to the floor with another chair shot. He tried to follow up with a dive but Sabu low bridged him and Park put himself through the table. Sabu retrieved a pair of scissors and started stabbing at the head of Park. Sabu had destroyed both the mask and the face of Park then dumped him into the crowd. He set a chair up in the ring and hit the step-up dive over the guardrail onto Park.
Sabu taking scissors to the head of @laparktapia in this brutal throwback match!
Catch #MLWAnthology debut episode anytime for FREE on MLW's YouTube channel!#MLWAnthology | #LAParkvsSabu
WATCH FREE ▶ https://t.co/Nr8ic0pYgn
SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE ▶ https://t.co/bzvJyMpzAl pic.twitter.com/BvSXOh9PUy
— Major League Wrestling (@MLW) May 18, 2020
Despite the damage, Park made it back to the ring and was subjected to a series of punches and another round with the scissors. Sabu missed a rope step and crotched himself, giving Park the chance to kick him in the head. He continued by putting Sabu in the tree of woe and gave him a chair assisted hesitation dropkick to the face. The pair went kick and punch crazy with Park delving into headbutts and chops. He tried to charge Sabu in the corner but missed and nearly threw himself out of the ring again. Sabu followed his prey by hitting a Cannonball Plancha and called for another table. He set Park up on the table and put him through it with a step-up leg drop. By this point, Park was a volcano of blood and had to stagger back into the ring. Sabu locked in the Camel Clutch again then went up top but Park countered it and kicked him in the face. Park tried to go up top but was too disorientated and was crotched by Sabu. He dropped Park with a top rope Frankensteiner and hit the Arabian Facebuster. He then set up the chair one last time and hit the triple jump Moonsault for the win. He had been taken to the limit by Park and managed to retain his title as the King of Extreme. This was amazing. It was like watching Sabu at his peak against an opponent more than willing to get extreme. Sabu even gave a rare sign of respect at the end of it. We also got the bonus clip Park killing Bill Alfonso after the match with a set of trashcans.
.@laparktapia attacking Bill Alfonso!
Check out the premiere episode of #MLWAnthology for FREE anytime on MLW's YouTube channel!#MLWAnthology | #LAPark
WATCH FREE ▶ https://t.co/Nr8ic08noP
SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE ▶ https://t.co/bzvJyM7YIN pic.twitter.com/NL53AikUDr
— Major League Wrestling (@MLW) May 17, 2020
After all that, we got a collection of promos and video packages from MLW stars updating everyone on their situations after the CONTRA attack and the forced pandemic break. We got Richard Holliday’s quarantine moustache, Myron Reed addressing CONTRA’s attack on Kotto Brazil, Filthy Tom Lawlor moving the Filthy dojo, Mance reminding people he’s building the Triple Tower of Doom, Savio Vega announcing he’s coming for Richard Holliday and some Los Parks antics. Everyone is ready to strike back and as Myron Reed said, stay focused, “the revolution will be televised.” This was a great little escape from reality by MLW and I look forward to seeing Mance’s anthology next week.
All images courtesy of MLW Twitter, Video courtesy MLW YouTube