Welcome back to MLW Fusion. It’s going to be a very CONTRA heavy episode this week as all three matches on today’s show include a member of the domination craving violence dealers. We’d see their newest soldier Daivari take on Zenshi, Simon Gotch become the target of Jordan Oliver’s vengeance after CONTRA’s repeated attacks on Injustice and ACH try to overcome an assault to dethrone Jacob Fatu to become MLW World Heavyweight Champion. There’ll be all this and more as we get into the action!
Daivari defeated Zenshi via Hammerlock Short-arm Lariat
Daivari with a decapitating blow to Zenshi in an impressive debut.#MLWFusion
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— Major League Wrestling (@MLW) January 21, 2021
Up first was the debut of CONTRA’s newest soldier. It would be the well-renowned warrior Daivari taking on the Chilean Luchador Zenshi. The last time people saw Daivari, he was beating the hell out of Myron Reed, now he was aiming to do the same to Zenshi. He started by locking on the world’s hardest headlock and tried to keep Zenshi locked up. Zenshi fought free with a jawbreaker and tried the same thing before knocking Daivari down and running the ropes. Daivari caught him out of an arm drag and threw him into the corner, then downed Zenshi with a duo of corner-assisted clotheslines. He continued to beat down Zenshi in the corner with clubbing blows and launched him overhead with a huge back-body drop. Zenshi kicked out at one so Daivari shouldered him to the mat and barred his arm. Zenshi broke free again but unfortunately tried for another arm-drag that Daivari caught again. With an arm captured Daivari threw Zenshi into the turnbuckle shoulder first and continued to try and break Zenshi’s left arm. He calmly hit a hammerlock slam and locked up the arm again. He was even able to dodge Zenshi’s counterattack on the outside and performed another hammerlock slam onto the apron. He climbed back into the ring to take a count-out and got caught by a buckle bashing train into a springboard neckbreaker. Daivari kicked out so Zenshi hit a flipping senton into a flipping takedown for another two-count. He went for a bottom rope 450 but Daivari got the knees up and grabbed the injured arm one final time for a Hammerlock short-arm lariat and the win. Daivari had taken his first scalp in MLW but it hadn’t been quite the one-sided performance he’d probably hoped for. Zenshi gave it his all but that finishing blow was a real weapon of mass destruction. It’s going to be interesting to see him come for Myron Reed.
Simon Gotch defeated Jordan Oliver via Sleeper Hold
Gotch just making it looks so easy.#MLWFusion
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— Major League Wrestling (@MLW) January 21, 2021
Next up was Jordan Oliver trying to get a measure of revenge against CONTRA and the man who’d attacked him originally, Simon Gotch. Oliver had been joking about breaking Gotch’s jaw during the Pulp Fusion era and now, he’d get the chance to do it for real. The opening wasn’t pretty as the pair collided and started throwing forearms. Oliver temporarily dazed Gotch with a combo of strikes but a knockdown attempt failed and the pair went back to trading forearms. Gotch found the equaliser in a Saito Suplex but Oliver was waiting and nearly scored the win with a bridging rebound German. The disrespectful strikes continued to be thrown and Oliver scraped at Gotch’s face through the ropes. The fight fell to the outside where Gotch dodged a baseball slide and trapped Oliver against the apron for a back kick. He dropped an elbow off the apron onto a downed Oliver and rolled him back into the ring for a one-count. This didn’t bother Gotch, who continued to methodically beat down Oliver around the ring. Oliver fell to the outside but Gotch just calmly stalked him and hit an apron PK. He let Oliver strike back with some chops, then quickly snuffed out that flame with a Gameguri. Oliver kicked out again so Gotch quickly went to a Cross-Armbreaker but couldn’t do much damage as Oliver was in the ropes. He gave Oliver a kick in the mouth and tried to launch into a second submission but again, Oliver quickly found the ropes. The kicks and submission attempts continued as he gave up on the arms and locked Oliver in a heel hook. Oliver broke the hold by going for a pin and took a knee to the head for his trouble. The strike exchange began anew and Oliver kicked free of Gotch for a running knee/leg lariat. He booted Gotch in the face but Gotch reversed the Clout Cutter into a Sleeper Hold and put Oliver to sleep. He hit the Gotch-Style Piledriver on the lifeless Oliver and dropped a knee across his face for good measure before slithering away. This match was awesome. Gotch looked like a monster whilst Oliver tried to mount a comeback against the sadistic technical expert. As much as I was rooting for Oliver, I will always have a natural bias as Gotch is not only an exceptional wrestler but a man of taste too, wearing Junji Ito artwork on his tights.
Between the matches:
.@AliciaAtout attempted to find out more regarding Promociones Dorado being acquired. But @salinadelarenta had something else to address. #MLWFusion
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— Major League Wrestling (@MLW) January 21, 2021
- Myron Reed promised that CONTRA was going to get their justice for attacking him and Oliver.
- Savio Vega addressed Richard Holliday and the Caribbean Championship from Puerto Rico. He said they were going to solve things the IWA Puerto Rico way by having a Caribbean strap match. If Holliday accepts, that’ll happen next week. Holliday would later address Vega from Martha’s Vineyard where he accepted the challenge.
- Team Filthy addressed the allegations that they had been the ones to attack ACH. Filthy Tom Lawlor didn’t care about ACH or the attack and used the time to promote Filthy Island.
- Salina de la Renta was asked some questions about Azteca Underground Inc. acquiring Promociones Dorado by Alicia Atout but a seething Salina wasn’t answering that. She talked of wanting title shots for Mil Muertes, then blew Alicia off, refusing to answer any other questions.
- We got another Mads Krügger propaganda video challenging Alex Hammerstone. In two weeks’, time, they’d fight again and in two weeks’ time, it would be Hammerstone’s end. They were going to battle in a Baklei Brawl, a bare-knuckle fight with no rules.
MLW World Heavyweight Title: Jacob Fatu (w/Daivari) defeated ACH via Step-Up Moonsault
Last but not least, the main event. ACH was getting his shot at the MLW World Heavyweight Title. Despite the complaints from Tom Lawlor, the hybrid megastar was going to have a chance at dethroning Fatu. Unfortunately, he wasn’t going in at 100% as someone had attacked him earlier in the week. An attacker he’d identified as Team Filthy’s Dominic Garrini. When the bell rang, Fatu instantly charged and beatdown ACH in the corner. He instantly went to the injured ribs of ACH and ate a backflip kick when he threw ACH out of the corner. Fatu bailed to the outside so ACH went for a Pescato but Fatu caught him and rammed him against a ring post. The beatdown continued with shots to the head and a pair of crushing jumping body attacks. ACH escaped another slam attempt and kicked out Fatu’s knee, then showed off some of his striking capability. He bounced off the ropes but got caught into a Samoan Drop and went through another round of beatings. Fatu signalled for a corner hip attack so ACH dodged and watched as Fatu met the turnbuckles. ACH tried to slam Fatu but couldn’t muster the strength because of his injured ribs and Fatu inadvertently turned this into a splash. Fatu locked on a nerve hold and smashed ACH against the turnbuckle once again. He went for a second splash but ACH dodged and got crotched on the turnbuckles. He collapsed down as ACH took the time to get his breath back. ACH lit up Fatu with strikes, chops, and kicks but couldn’t whip the big man and got whipped by Fatu. He used this to his advantage by kicking out Fatu’s knee and dropkicking him in the head. Fatu bailed and ate an apron PK, then got rolled back into the ring for a slingshot cutter that hit like a headlock driver, planting him on the top of his head. He continued to dodge Fatu and caught him with a snap Rana and enzuigiri. He tried to muscle up Fatu again but couldn’t and ate a massive kick to the ribs. Fatu hit a pop-up Samoan Drop and quickly ended things with the step-up Moonsault before ACH could do anything else. ACH had fought through injury to bring the fight to Fatu but just like everyone else before him, no one could stop CONTRA’s ultimate weapon.
While CONTRA Unit was celebrating another body added to their body count. Justice was being served!#MLWFusion
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— Major League Wrestling (@MLW) January 21, 2021
With that, the show would have been over but Injustice got a small matter of revenge by dressing up as Sentai Death Squad members and attacked Daivari and Fatu as they made a closing speech. They ran off giving CONTRA the middle finger to close the show. Injustice are going to keep on provoking CONTRA until they get their justice. Alongside that, we now know we’re in for a hellacious match next week as Richard Holliday and Savio Vega will finally put this Caribbean Championship feud to a boil with a Caribbean Strap match. Things are going to get ugly and I’m all for it.
All images courtesy of MLW Twitter, Video courtesy of MLW YouTube