Welcome to the season finale of MLW. It’s been a wild ride but all good things must come to an end. As MLW’s future looks brighter than ever, it looks to end its current spree of programming with a bang. In this episode, we’ll see Gringo Loco battle Laredo Kid, Richard Holliday granting the consumer niños a non-title spectacle against Ariel Dominguez, and Myron Reed vs Lio Rush II, the rematch for the ages for the MLW Middleweight Title. If that wasn’t enough, there’s also the teased emergence of El Jefe. Anything could happen as MLW, as we’ve known it these past few months, comes to an end. Let’s get into the action.

Laredo Kid defeated Gringo Loco via Top Rope Spanish Fly

.@GringoLocoOG catches @Laredokidpro1 and hits him with an inverted DDT!#MLWFusion |
▶️ https://t.co/x7rKaQUS19 pic.twitter.com/R6YtqpQxBx

— MLW on VICE | Saturdays (@MLW) May 5, 2021

Up first was a Lucha showcase as the Base God, Gringo Loco took on Laredo Kid. We know what both guys are capable of but who would come out on top when the match was over. This was also Laredo Kid’s way of sending a message to Rush as he still wanted his AAA Cruiserweight title back. They started with a technical exchange and Loco was sent to the outside where he quickly called for a timeout. The exchange continued and Laredo had to take a breather outside. The pair continued to up the ante as Loco’s power met Laredo’s speed, with momentum shifting like a pendulum. Laredo sent Loco to the outside again with a diving Hurricanrana and hit a second springboard Rana to the floor. He continued to dissect Loco with a multitude of strikes and stomps but Loco caught him out of the air into an inverted DDT. He tied Laredo in a knot and the pair exchanged chops. Laredo bailed again and Loco flattened him with a Tope Con Hilo. He tried to finish Laredo with the split-legged Moonsault but Laredo dodged and punished him with the bottom rope Moonsault. Loco caught him out of the air again and slammed him into the mat for another two-count. Both guys struggled to their feet and Laredo brought Loco crashing down from the top with another springboard Rana. Loco somehow kicked out and fought Laredo on the top rope but Laredo rocked him with a kick and ended Loco with the Top Rope Spanish Fly. This had been one hell of an opener. It was competitive, fast as hell, and delivered on all fronts. Laredo Kid is so damn good in the ring and Loco always brings out anybody’s best.

Richard Holliday defeated Ariel Dominguez via 2008 Market Crash

.@MostMarketable making quick work as he hits the 2008 to come out with the victory.#MLWFusion |
▶️ https://t.co/x7rKaQUS19 pic.twitter.com/Kytt0J0nMt

— MLW on VICE | Saturdays (@MLW) May 5, 2021

Up next, was a squash match for the consumer niños. Richard Holliday had proved himself against Gino Medina and kept his clutches on the Caribbean Title, now he was going to crush Ariel Dominguez for fun. Holliday caught Dominguez out of his opening flurry and carried him over to the turnbuckles. He sent Dominguez crashing down with a bitchslap and scrubbed his face with his boot. He gave Dominguez a kicking and tanked his comeback kick to throw him into the air. He scraped Dominguez off the mat and ended it with the 2008 Market Crash for the win. Holliday had had his fun, talked his trash, and left Dominguez a broken mess. The Caribbean champion remains unbeatable. Medina interrupted Holliday’s post-match interview and assaulted him from behind, KO’ing Holliday with a DDT onto the wooden stage. Something tells me their little feud ain’t over.

Between the matches:

The world of MLW never stops and starting NEXT WEEK the MLW Open Draft is coming so stay tuned. pic.twitter.com/UaBjiQi428

— MLW on VICE | Saturdays (@MLW) May 5, 2021

• We got a recap of Salina de la Renta’s disappearance after the El Hijo de LA Park defeat.
• Alexander Hammerstone reacted to Josef Samael denying his challenge at Jacob Fatu. He explained that he saw through Samael’s tricks and was still thinking straight. He thought that Samael was only protecting Fatu because he was scared Ya Boy Hammer was going to be the one to beat him. This gatekeeping was confirmed but the Battle Riot was ungovernable.
• MLW will be hosting an open draft to enlarge its roster. This draft opens next week and will continue to be updated throughout the off-season.
• The Von Erichs were regrouping after their meetings with Team Filthy. Marshall was happy with how his brother’s training with Keiji Mutoh had gone and promised he was going to kill Tom Lawlor in Philadelphia.
• PWI Top 10: Rocky Romero, Ross Von Erich, Calvin Tankman, Myron Reed, Mil Muertes, Richard Holliday, Mads Krügger, Lio Rush, Filthy Tom Lawlor, and at number one as always, Alexander Hammerstone.

MLW Middleweight Title: Lio Rush defeated Myron Reed via No Cap Splash

RUSH HOUR!#MLWFusion | @TheLionelGreen
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— MLW on VICE | Saturdays (@MLW) May 5, 2021

Last but not least, it was time for the big main event. Myron Reed and Lio Rush were about to collide for the second time over the MLW Middleweight Title. Their first bout had been exceptional and now, Reed had become an even better fighter, meaning this one was about to be even better. These two had pulled no punches when it came to spitting fire, now it was time to throw hands. The pair stared each other down and Rush showed off some early speed by flipping out of a wrist-lock. Reed remained unfazed and returned the favour, using his own speedy escape to snap Rush into the mat. The pair continued this heated back-and-forth going counter for counter until Reed dropkicked Rush away. Rush tried to pick up the pace but Reed caught him out of a handspring into a rope-bounce slam. He baited Rush into a guillotine leg drop and snapped his neck with a slingshot leg drop. Rush bailed, took a breather, and came back to nail a kip-up Enzuigiri. He choked out Reed against the ropes and pummelled him around the ring. He dragged Reed to the mat with a Russian Leg Sweep and hit a standing Frog Splash to his back. He continued kicking out at Reed and targeted the back with shoulders and a backdrop. He kept Reed grounded and began manipulating the hand and joints. Reed escaped with a jawbreaker and dodged an Asai Moonsault to nail Rush with a massive dive over the ropes. The counterplay returned until Reed stunned Rush again with a springboard codebreaker. Rush escaped Captain Crunch and lit up Reed with a combo, then booted Reed out of the corner and landed a springboard Poisonrana. He hit Rush Hour but Reed kicked out and tanked Rush’s strikes to blast him with a headbutt.

Rush fired back with a flying forearm and Reed ran straight back at him with another dropkick. He was thrown outside and Rush broke him in half with a suicide dive. He took him out again with a springboard corkscrew crossbody and got caught out of the Come Up into an inverted Suplex. He nailed Captain Crunch but Rush picked his time for a shock kick-out and left Reed stunned. Rush nailed him with a roundhouse and tried to grab Reed over the ropes but Reed cracked him with a forearm and Matrix Escaped a clothesline into an Enzuigiri. He tried to hit the cutter to the floor but Rush caught him and propelled him into the ring post, then spiked him with another Poisonrana on the floor. He hit the Final Hour but took too long to pin and only got two. He fought off frustration and debated a second attempt before removing his wrist tape and looked to end Reed with Captain Crunch, his own finisher. Reed fought through, drove Rush into the mat with Captain Crunch, and won the match with the No Cap Splash. Myron Reed has made history as the first 2x Middleweight Champion. Rush had given him hell but all that extra training and focus had led him to victory in one of the most epic matches in MLW today. He celebrated with Injustice and ended the in-ring action on a high note.  Congratulations Myron Reed.

Azteca Underground's "El Jefe has arrived!@AZTECALucha #MLWFusion |
▶️ https://t.co/x7rKaQUS19 pic.twitter.com/JfXniC2SpV

— MLW on VICE | Saturdays (@MLW) May 6, 2021

But that wasn’t it… We’re forgetting something. All season long we’ve been teased by the emergence of a new force in MLW, Azteca Underground. El Jefe bought out Promociones Dorado and has been sending his forces to take all the gold in MLW. Now, he was revealing himself. El Jefe gave us a taste of his wrath by offering Salina de la Renta up as a sacrifice to the new temple before revealing that he and Azteca Underground were going to be there come July 10th in Philadelphia. But just who is El Jefe? Well, it’s none other than Dario Cueto. To those who are in the know, this hints at the chaotic violence to come in MLW’s future. To those who aren’t, brace yourself, MLW is going to get a real taste of the Underground. This next season is going to be a wild ride and I cannot wait for July to get here. For now, we’ll keep our eyes out for past wonders through MLW Underground and future opportunities in the Open Draft. A new era is dawning for MLW and I’m going to be along for it.

All images courtesy of MLW Twitter, Video courtesy of MLW YouTube