Want more wrestling news, rumors, and results? Be sure to visit PWInsider.com and PWInsiderXtra.com.
They plugged the next show, MLW Spring Break on 3/8. Are they putting the ring in a pool like Nitro used to do?
Mike Parrow & Barrington Hughes vs. Saieve Al Sabah & Vandal Ortagun
Parrow came out alone and was double teamed by Ortagon and Al Sabah. Hughes was then introduced, and the announcers marveled at the new “Super Heavyweight” team. They regained control. Hughes nailed a massive big splash and scored the pin on Ortagun.
Your winners, Parrow and Hughes!
This was a complete wipeout.
Brody King was interviewed backstage. He said his attack on Shane Strickland was a warning shot. He promised everyone was going to be destroyed and the brackets “just became obituaries.” Strickland attacked King and they brawled before we returned to the announce tea.
MLW CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT: Maxwell Jacob Friedman vs. Jimmy Havoc (with Darby Allin and Priscilla Kelly)
MJF is a Curt Hawkins trainee from the Northeast who has a great, arrogant gift for gab and plays a chickensh** but cocky heel very well. Havoc is the British star who worked the CZW Tournament of Death and Wrestlemania AXXESS in the same year, which if that doesn’t describe an eclectic career path, I don’t know what else could.
Sort of an odd choice for the first match of the tournament as their characters both lend themselves to be heels, but we will see how this one unfolds. MJF tried is to pay off Havoc but was given a papercut. He sold it like he was shot with a gun. Very Chris Candido-esque.
Havoc unloaded with offense but went to the floor. He wanted Friedman to follow but Friedman said that he knows what Havoc does (violence) and demanded he returned to the ring. Havoc did, and Friedman dumped him to the floor. Havoc pulled a chair out from under the ring and Friedman wasn’t happy. The announcers hypothesized that Friedman was trying to goad Havc to get an easy win by getting him disqualified.
Friedman gained control and used a hammerlock into a bodyslam for a two count. He stomped Havoc’s head. Havoc fired back with a strike but MJF attacked the arm. He cinched in an armbreaker, trying to force a submission. MJF worked him over for some time, focusing on the arm. Havoc made a comeback and nailed a double stomp off the ropes to the sternum for a near fall.
The crowd was solidly behind Havoc as he drilled a big forearm. MFJ’s facial expressions as he sells are great. MJF ducked a clothesline and nailed a Dragon Suplex but Havoc rolled back to his feet. MJF attacked the arm and nailed a pump-handle driver for another two count.
MJF tried to work over Havoc with punches but Havoc absorbed them and returned to his feet. Havoc nailed him with a lariat for a two count but was caught in another armbreaker. MJF went for a package piledriver and nailed it for a two count. MJF went to the floor and took a chair from and fan and tossed it to Havoc, daring him to hit him, calling him a “Death Match Loser.”
He kept trying to goad Havoc to nail him and Havoc considered, but instead handed it off to the referee. When the referee turned to remove the chair, Havoc low-blowed MJF and small packaged him for a two count.
MJF caught him and went for a tombstone, but it was reversed. Havoc spiked him, then hit the Acid Rainmaker, his finisher, and scored the pin.
Your winner, Jimmy Havoc!
MLW WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT: Shane Strickland vs. Brody King
Given the earlier brawls, this should be a fight right out of the gate. They began hitting big strikes and moves at the onset. Strickland came off the ropes with a DDT, but only garnered a one count, putting over how tough King is. Strickland nailed a leaping knee strike and an uppercut but was caught and driven hard in the turnbuckles with a powerbomb.
Strickland was down on the mat holding his neck as officials swarmed to check on him. King pulled Strickland away from them and began beating him down. King nailed a big toss across the ring, followed by a cannonball in the corner. Strickland barely kicked out.
Strickland tried to fire back with knee strikes but was overwhelmed and drilled across the back with a forearm. Strickland was knocked to the floor. It’s been all King, the burlier competitor, beating down Strickland thus far. Strickland did an excellent job of selling how badly hurt he was with his facial expressions.
Back in the ring, Strickland tried to fire back but was knocked to the mat and hit with a big back senton splash off the ropes for another near fall. King locked on a neck vice, twisting Strickland’s neck. King transitioned it onto a front facelock. Strickland made it to the ropes and slipped to the apron, where he nailed a kick that stunned King. Strickland grabbed him and executed a German suplex, but King just popped back up.
It may be in Strickland’s best interest to run at this point.
King nailed him with a big clothesline. He followed up with a piledriver but Strickland kicked out at the last second. King continued the mauling as the battle went to the apron outside. He tied Strickland to the tree of woe and charged but Strickland pulled himself up and nailed stunner, which was a cool move.
Strickland began chopping, literally, away at the big tree. He nailed a leaping Ryder Kick for a two count. King fired back with punches and a suplex for a two count. They have established Strickland at this point as someone who can really take punishment and fight back. King went to the ropes but Strickland met him and nailed elbows to the back to the neck. Strickland went for a superplex and nailed it. Both men were hurt, so Strickland was slow to capitalize.
Strickland went to the top, finally, and nailed a double stomp for the pin, overcoming the odds.
Your winner, Shane Strickland!
While Strickland advanced, the way this was laid out made him earn it and helped to continue to establish King as a burly, methodical monster. A good story told here bell to bell.
It will be Shane Strickland vs. Jimmy Havoc in the semi-finals on 3/8.
Coverage concludes on Page 4!
If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here!
Bang On Casino
