MLW Fusion recap and reactions Oct. 14, 2019: Touchdown in Tijuana

MLW Fusion this week hails from Tijuana and boasts three solid contests featuring a healthy dose of lucha libre.

Crash Landing

MLW Fusion starts off hot this week with a Crash showcase match featuring Oraculo versus Black Danger versus Ricky Marvin.

Marvin and Danger form a temporary alliance to gang up on Oraculo to start off the match. Oraculo attempted to fight them simultaneously but was overwhelmed. Marvin went in for a nasty kick but Oraculo moved and the kick struck Danger. Oraculo used this communications breakdown to mount some offense with an Ace Crusher, a flying headscissors, and a moonsault.

Marvin then seemed to target Oraculo’s and Danger’s knees while also planting Oraculo with a Cutter. Danger finally was able to string together some devastating maneuvers and hit Oraculo with a double underhook piledriver, which wasn’t as effective as he intended, and Oraculo rallied and hit a nasty Canadian destroyer. Oraculo then finished the contest with a poisonrana and a 450 splash combo on Danger.

A fun and wild showcase match for Crash. Oraculo winning was a bit of a shock as he had taken an insane amount of offense throughout the contest but he seemed to be the MVP of the match and the crowd got behind him winning.

Some Low Ki Advice

Brian Pillman Jr. is shown being interviewed backstage by MLW interviewer Kaci Lennox.

Pillman was set to discuss his loss to Austin Aries last week on Fusion, but former MLW Champion Low Ki interrupted him. Low Ki tells Pillman that he let his emotions get out of hand and thats why Aries was able to defeat him. Low Ki ends his advice by telling Pillman that what he has gotten himself into is “checkers not chess.”

Pillman states that Low Ki doesn’t know anything about him before storming off.

This segment was very interesting and raised a boatload of questions. Why does Low Ki feel the need to try and give Pillman advice? What does Low Ki gain from this interaction? Is Low Ki being genuine here or he is trying to manipulate Pillman? Did Low Ki get under Pillman’s skin here?

Low Ki is a face now but this promo gives the viewer a hint of his old heel persona. Is Ki on his way back to his old self or is genuinely trying to help Pillman get control of his emotions? Only time will tell.

Two Little Words

Salina de La Renta is shown backstage where she is cutting a promo on her client, LA Park, and his opponent at the first MLW pay-per-view, Jacob Fatu.

Salina brings up Fatu’s hyped-up undefeated streak while reminding the viewer and Fatu that Park is also undefeated in MLW. She then states that Park will defeat Fatu at Saturday Night Superfight on November 2.

Enter Josef Samael.

Samael, the mouthpiece of the heel stable Contra Unit, praises Salina’s intelligence and beauty while also claiming that he knows what she craves the most, power. Samael offer Salina a spot in Contra Unit and all she has to do is say two little words “Hail Contra.” Salina rejects his offer and claims that she doesn’t want a spot in Contra Unit and she wants violence instead.

Enter Jimmy Havoc.

Havoc says he just tends to show up when he hears the word “violence.” Havoc reminds the two mouthpieces that that he is the Executive Producer for next week’s episode of Fusion and he has his first match booked. It will be one member of Salina’s stable Promociones Dorado and one member of Contra Unit facing off in a Tijuana Street Fight. Samael states he will represent Contra Unit in the match and Salina says she knows just the right person in her unit to face him.

A solid dueling promo segment that gets over Samael’s respect and fear of Salina while also getting over Salina’s determination and bloodlust.

Hammer vs. Dragon

The big title vs title match for this week’s Fusion features the Crash Heavyweight Champion Rey Horus taking on MLW National Openweight Champion Alexander Hammerstone.

Hammerstone started out the match in usual Hammerstone fashion, running over his opponent and throwing people over his head. Hammerstone hit his patented pump-handle fallaway slam to attempt to keep the Crash champion down. Hammerstone worked over Horus on the outside but Horus was able to escape in to the ring and hit a nasty suicide dive onto the MLW Openweight Champion. Horus looked to be in control until Hammerstone hit a meteoric clothesline that almost took Horus’ head off.

Horus continued to fight from under the big man as he blocked a suplex attempt and knocked Hammerstone to the floor. He then hit a huge diving plancha over the corner ring post onto Hammerstone. Horus strung together two more big aerial maneuvers to attempt to keep his barbarian of an opponent down.

Horus went for another move off the top rope but was countered into a slam. Hammerstone then went to work with a trio of moves including a bicycle kick, a suplex and a powerbomb. Hammerstone then went for a spear but missed and ate a kick from Horus. Hammerstone went to charge into Horus but accidentally ran into the ref instead. Hammerstone got the visible three count after hitting a Burning Hammer but the ref was down and couldn’t make the count. Hammerstone realized this fact and grabbed a chair which he used to crack Horus on the head. Hammerstone then looked to have the victory but Horus kicked out at two.

Hammerstone went for a kill shot but was countered into a Code Red by Horus. Horus then lured into Hammerstone near the steel chair and drop toe hold’d him into it. Horus looked to have the match won with a 450 splash but Hammerstone’s Dynasty stablemates MJF and Richard Holliday ran to the ring and pulled Horus out, causing the disqualification. The Dynasty then stomped out Horus as the broadcast shifted to the next segment.

A great match that made both champions look great and highlighted their individual strengths. The DQ finish felt cheap but a heel DQ win should feel that way.

Dynasty vs. Los Parks

The main event of this week’s Fusion pit MJF and Richard Holliday of The Dynasty defending their MLW Tag Team Championship against the team of Hijo de LA Park and LA Park Jr.

MJF started out the contest hot as he berated the Tijuana audience and claimed that he supports Donald Trump’s proposed border wall. Hijo came back at him with a scathing promo in Spanish which popped the crowd. The Parks targeted Holliday off the bat until The Dynasty were able to take control. The Dynasty isolated Hijo and hit some tandem double-team offensive maneuvers. MJF and Holliday taunted Saline de la Renta and it cost them their momentum as Park Jr. came in and attacked the Dynasty members.

Holliday looked to be out of it and was being pinned until MJF broke up the pin on his stablemate. The Parks hit a nasty Samoa Drop and neckbreaker combo maneuver as well as two simultaneous suicide dives.

The Dynasty started to panic and went into cheating mode as MJF took out Park Jr. and Holliday low-blowed Hijo. Holliday hit his finisher, The Market Crash, and pinned Hijo with help of MJF for the Dynasty victory.

A wild and enjoyable match that ended sort of abruptly. Both teams looked good and The Dynasty continued their reign as the dominant, but cowardly, tag team champions.

This week was yet another super solid episode of MLW Fusion that showed off some great Crash talent as well as helped elevate some MLW champions.