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MLW ROAD TO THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP REPORT
Major League Wrestling, founded by Court Bauer, is in a midst of a revival. Empowered by their podcast network, the early 2000s promotion has been reborn, running monthly events in Orlando, Florida. MLW's live events are branded with a nice and title with ongoing storylines. The shows, after completion, are quickly post-produced and presented for video on demand purchases at MLW's website.
Having moved forward with regular events again, MLW has launched a tournament to crown their "World" champion and this week, their 2/8 event at the Gilt Nightclub was released, in full, for free on YouTube. You can watch the show for free, below:
Road to the World Championship opened with a video feature on the tournament with several the competitors giving their comments on why they were going to win and their feelings going into the tourney. If you had never seen the promotion or the competitors before, it was a nice brief primer to know who the major players were going to be.
The show featured an overhead shot of Orlando before sliding into our announcers, Tony Schiavone and Rich Bocchini (former WWE announcer Rich Brennan), reviewing the first round of the tournament, showcasing the brackets for the first round before sending it to the ring.
Santana Garrett vs. Lacey Lane
A very competitive bout with the two exchanging some fiery back and forth exchanges. They noted Lane was trained by the Dudley Boyz. Garrett caught her with the Muta Lock, but Lane made her way out of the submission. Lane came back with a big knee strike in the corner followed by a running kick to the jaw. Garrett came back with a superkick. She rebounded off the ropes with a handspring elbow into a standing moonsault, which they called the Shining Star Press and she scored the pin.
Your winner, Santana Garrett!
Short but fun match. Garett plays a good babyface. Lane showed some nice fire in the ring.
One of the best things in the company's arsenal already is Tony Schiavone who is approaching his announcing like the Crockett era Tony, giving an overview of what is happening in the ring in a logical, strong way as opposed to the Nitro-era Tony who was "THIS IS THE GREATEST NIGHT IN OUR SPORTS EVER EVER EVER" every week. The former lends a lot of credibility and for older fans, brings forth that nostalgic feeling of not only hearing his call, but hearing the old style of call that lends credibility and credence to everything we are watching in the ring.
Lucha Libre: Crash Junior Heavyweight champion Destino Negro vs. Mega Danger
This is a rivalry imported from the CRASH promotion in Mexico. They locked up Danger broke clean in the corner, despite being a rudo. They went back and forth with a sequence of moves before going for dropkicks at the same time, mirroring the other. Negro caught Danger with a handspring stunner for a two count. Danger came back with a double underhook face-first slam. Negro slid to the outside challenging Danger to follow. When he did, Negro nailed a kick and went for a dive but was nailed with a chair as he hit the ropes. The secondary story of the match was that Salina de Lorenta, a gorgeous Latina who they described as an enormously important power broker, was scouting them and they were trying to impress her.
Danger brought the chair into the ring and flung it into Negro's head, then covered him for a two count. Danger wedged the chair in the turnbuckle and sent Negro into the corner head-first. Negro made a comeback and hit a big dive into the crowd, scoring a two count. They began whipping out big moves on the other until being so wiped out they were almost counted out on the mat. They ended up outside on the apron firing back and forth before crashing down to the floor again. Danger went to use a chair but was nailed with a chair. Negro placed Danger in the first row and hit a tope suicida to the outside. Danger nailed an evil looking double underhook piledriver for a two count.
Negro finally scored the win with the Avalanche Driver.
Your winner, Destino Negro!
A solid match. They were obviously trying to leave it all out there to impressive the American fans and the lucha highspots were fun.
They used aerial drone shots of the city of Orlando as transitional shots between matches, a smart way to hide any editing that kept the show flowing along.
Jimmy Yuda & Jason Cade vs. Team Filthy, Seth Petruzzeli & Simon Gotch
Schiavone talked of how Yuma and Cade reminded him of a Jay Youngblood and Ricky Steamboat. You aren’t going to get a nicer compliment than that one. Petruzelli is the former UFC fighter. Gotch is the former WWE Vaudevillain. They came out with a pair of seconds wearing UFC sweatshirts.
Cade started with Petruzzeli and they went back and forth until Cade caught him with a big rana. Cade danced in celebration and tagged out with Yuda, who was quickly caught in their opponents’ corner. Gotch tagged in and cleaned house with a series of European uppercuts. Gotch missed a clothesline and was caught with an armdrag takedown. What is this? A babyface in 2018 using an armdrag takedown into an armbar to work over his opponent? Ring psychology?
Gotch overpowered Yuda and tagged out to Petruzelli, holding Yuda to set up a kick to the back. Petruzzeli worked over Yuda and scored several two counts. He brought some UFC-inspired knee strikes to continue the onslaught and scored additional near falls. Yuda remained trapped behind enemy lines and was worked over in the corner as Gotch tagged back into the match.
They noted during the match that there would be MLW Tag Team championships coming, so this was a preview of the promotion’s tag team scene. Petruzelli continued to control Yuda while Cade tried to rally the crowd to get behind his partner. Yuda almost made the tag but was overpowered and driven down to the mat. Yuda finally battled his way out and tagged in Cade.
As Cade began nailing some offense and came off the top, out walked, and I kid you not, Col. Robert Parker (Robert Fuller). I popped huge. I love me my old Southern wrestling performers. Parker was accompanied by one of the Dirty Blondes tag team members. The announcers feigned shock.
Cade nailed a knee strike and went to the top but was nailed from behind by the other Blondes as Parker and the first Blonde distracted the referee. On the apron, Petruzelli was puzzled by the interference. Team Filthy still took advantage, double-teaming Cade with a jumping piledriver and scoring the pin.
Your winners, Team Filthy!
Parker and the Dirty Blondes disappeared into the night.
Fine tag team bout. Everyone played their roles perfectly. I liked that when there was interference and Team Filthy took advantage, laying out Cade, that led to the pin, as opposed to Cade kicking up, hitting a ton of offense and making a comeback before finally losing it. From a logical standpoint, that moment should have ended the match, so it was a nice breath of fresh air that it did.
The announcers went over footage caught “earlier in the day” of heel manager Stokely Hathaway seen talking with Team Filthy as the announcers pondered whether they had all thrown in together. Hathaway leads a crew titled Black Friday Management, sort of a modern day spin on the Gary Hart stables of yesterday.
Backstage, Matt Riddle and Jeff Cobb, The Chosen Bros were interviewed. They were asked about a potential rift between the two. Cobb went to answer, but Riddle jumped right in to say there was no rift. Riddle dominated the promo, saying that they had no rift although they had wrestled before, with Riddle beating him way more than Cobb has ever beaten him. Cobb cut him off and said it was sort of even. He said they had wrestled all over the world and they would face off tonight. Let the Best Bro win. They had a good chemistry. Cobb doesn’t get a lot of attention for his speaking ability, but you could see there’s something he can tap into there, especially with his reactions to Riddle’s verbose claims early on.
Col. Rob Parker and the Dirty Blondes were caught backstage. Parker said that this was his new Stud Stable and brought up names he managed in WCW. He said that filled their pockets full of money and that was what he was going to do with the Blondes.
Kotta Brazil vs. Low Ki
Ki attacked Brazil in the aisle as he came out. This won’t end well for Brazil. Ki destroyed the masked man with chops and kicks, dragging him around the ringside area. They rolled into the ring and they rang the bell. Brazil tried to fight back but it wasn’t going well. Ki ripped on a fan from the ring. He ripped the bottom of his shows across Brazil’s face. His lucha mask wasn’t going to protect him from that.
Ki clinched on an abdominal stretch. Brazil got out of it and rebounded off the ropes, but Ki hit a springboard kick to the head. He followed up with a vicious dropkick. Ki began ripping at the mask and pulled it off, which Bocchini said was the ultimate sign of disrespect. Ki trapped him in the Dragon Clutch. Brazil blacked out. The referee called for the bell.
Your winner, Low Ki!
Very much a modern-day version of the old WWF TV squashes, right down to Brazil getting a quick hope spot in, just as S.D. Jones or Frankie Williams would back in the day.
Stokely Hathaway cut a promo knocking MLW management for removing Low Ki from the title tournament. The storyline was that Ki lost his berth after striking an official at a previous MLW show. Hathaway asked if they knew what Black Friday Management was capable up. He said that tonight, they were going to find out and asked the groggy Brazil if that was right. Ki drilled him with a kick to the back to the head, KOing him yet again. Hathaway’s promo was good.
Ki challenged a fan as he left the ring and ripped on him verbally before leaving.
Brazil had to be walked out by a referee. Thanks for coming kid.
Priscilla Kelly with Darby Allin & Jimmy Havoc vs. Chelsea Green
Kelly played a dark goth-esque heel. Green aka Laurel Van Ness in Impact Wrestling, came out playing over the top, energetic ‘80s babyface in her entrance, trying to bring the crowd into the moment.
The story here was that Green had been attacked in the past by Kelly.
They locked up with Green getting the early advantage with some forearms. She played to the crowd but was caught with a headbutt. Green nailed a bulldog for a two count. Green went for a suplex but it was blocked. She instead transitioned into a neckbreaker of sorts. Green ascended to the top rope but Green made it to her feet. She charged Green, who leapt over her and landed on her feet in the ring, but immediately reacted as if she had tweaked her leg.
Kelly attacked her and took Green down to the mat and went for her eyes, with a close-up camera shot showing that she was gouging Green’s eyes. The referee immediately called for the bell. Santana Garett came down to the ring and backed Kelly up. Kelly laughed and pulled herself from the ring.
The announcers noted this was some sick game by Kelly.
Not really a match as much as it was an angle to get over that Kelly was evil and vicious. Green showed a different side than fans who have seen her on Impact had gotten to see. Garett coming out makes sense as they are playing her up as the “Modern Day Wonder Woman” so as a babyface, she should be the Hulk Hogan type coming to the aid of the injured.
Backstage, Shane Strickland was interviewed about the MLW title tournament and his match against Brody King. King said he was here to dominate and destroy. MVP has said King was one of the most dominant forces in MLW. Strickland was saying how he had his work out for him, talking up King’s ferocious nature when BOOM, King attacked him. They began brawling with all sorts of backstage types trying to pull them apart.
The announcers said it was a chaotic situation. Schiavone said that Brody King just took all the advantage that he could leading into the tournament.
For more on MLW, visit www.MLW.com.
Additional coverage forthcoming.
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