MLW Fusion On Thanksgiving Recap: Ross Von Erich Challenges Jacob Fatu For The World Title
Photo Credit: MLW
You can’t find anything more classic on Thanksgiving than a little turkey, a little football and a little pro wrestling. There’s no better way to complete that traditional trifecta than with special Thanksgiving episode of MLW Fusion!
CONTRA has their fingerprints all over this episode as they let fans know what they think of America and Thanksgiving. Josef Samael believes that “Ol’ Glory” is based off of phony principles and CONTRA is ready to crush the hopes of the MLW faithful by putting an end to Ross Von Erich in thanks to Jacob Fatu.
Luckily fans can put that concern on the back of their plate as we are treated with a “Survivor Rules” match pitting Injustice against Gringo Loco & Zenshi
Injustice defeated Gringo Loco & Zenshi in a “Survivor Rules” match
The team of Jordan Oliver and Kotto Brazil are accompanied by newly christened MLW Middleweight Champion Myron Reed. All three take a moment to run down Thanksgiving and one of their opponents tonight, Gringo Loco.
Out comes the aforementioned Loco with his partner for tonight, the ever-innovative Zenshi. The ref sees that the odds are stacked against the duo and with the way Injustice has been playing their hand each and every week, he kicks Reed out of arena!
Zenshi and Loco make the most of the level playing field by setting their sights on Jordan Oliver after tossing Kotto out of the ring and the two deliver a double spinebuster, a wishbone double team and Loco caps it off with split legged moonsault for a two count.
Zenshi’s wild style has Injustice at great unease as Loco sends himself over the top rope onto the two laden in orange.
Injustice soon gets control with their own team chemistry as Kotto and Oliver work on the body of Loco, however that momentum changes right back when Zensihi hits a 450 clothesline on Kotto and a flipping reverse facebuster off the top rope on Oliver.
Zenshi then plants the two with a standing shooting star press and Loco lands a swanton bomb for a two count. Zenshi then leaps 18 feet across the ring to send his boots into the face Kotto, but only gets a two count. The toughness of Kotto does come through as he nails Zenshi down with his “Any Means Necessary” finisher for the first elimination.
ELIMINATED: Zenshi
Gringo quickly goes on the attack and luckily he does because he soon finds the window to plant Kotto with a tombstone piledriver for an elimination of his own!
ELIMINATED: Kotto Brazil
Loco keeps the momentum rolling by laying Oliver out with a Michinoku Driver, but Oliver feigns a knee injury to distract the official and sure enough, Myron Reed comes back out to strike Loco, allowing Oliver to come off the turnbuckle with a cutter for the 1-2-3.
We see King Mo backstage and he has a few words for his opponent, Ricky Martinez. He plans to impress this week in his MLW debut and wants to make sure the former “Pretty Ricky” comes out looking like his court jester.
Also backstage is Kaci Lennox who was told by Priscilla Kelly to meet her in a very odd part of the arena. Lennox doesn’t see her anywhere, but out of nowhere comes Kelly to attack Kaci and locks the mandible claw on the ringside correspondent before tossing the camera man aside.
Ricky Martinez saunters out to face the aforementioned Mo who comes out a major reaction from the Orlando crowd.
King Mo defeated Ricky Martinez
Ricky starts off strong by back elbow striking Mo and then hits a neckbreaker before climbing the top rope. Ricky leaps off the top but Mo catches him mid-air with a spear! He slams in down with a sit-out driver before locking in a heel-hook for a swift submission win. What a debut!
Mance Warner may have come out with win against Jimmy Havoc, but Havoc was quick to stab and prod Warner with a fork post match. Ol’ Mancer “don’t forgive nobody” and he “don’t forget nothing.” With Warner it’s always an eye for an eye and he makes that perfectly clear to Jimmy Havoc.
It’s been since Saturday Night Super-Fight since we’ve seen Salina de la Renta, but MLW has gotten word that “The Empresaria of Promociones Dorado” has something in store.
It’s “gift train” time as Alexander Hammerstone is ready to unveil to both Richard Holliday and MJF (via Face Time) the big surprise he has for his Dynasty brothers. The eyes are covered as Hammerstone brings out one monster of a man. Both Holliday and MJF are taken aback by his size and the giant introduces himself to the gang as Grogan.
Hammerstone is elated to announce that he’s entered Grogan into the battle royal next week so everyone can see what a surprise he’ll be to all of MLW.
Before Ross Von Erich rolls out to have his World Title shot against Jacob Fatu, Tom Lawlor approaches him to ask if he’s ready for tonight? Ross sure is, but Lawlor wants to make it known that the Von Erichs have had his back since he brought the brothers into MLW and he’ll be sure to have Ross’ tonight. All he’s gotta focus on is that World Heavyweight gold.
The time has come and Ross indeed looks ready for his moment in the spotlight. Ross and Lawlor share an embrace as they wait for the World Champion, Fatu. Out comes the champ cloaked under the CONTRA flag with Josef Samael at his side and the action is underway.
Jacob Fatu defeated Ross Von Erich to retain The World Heavyweight Championship
The two feel one another out before a collar and elbow tie up. Fatu pushes him back in the corner and the two reset. They lock up once more and Fatu flings Ross away in one impressive feat of strength.
Ross shows that hybrid style of attack and delivers one beauty of a dropkick but it doesn’t take long for the Samoan Werewolf to regain control. He goes for a rolling cannonball in the corner, but Russ does some rolling of his own (out of the line of fire) and quickly returns the favor to Fatu.
Fatu sidekicks Ross while he’s on the apron and the World Champion once more finds his rhythm. Samael gets a strike in while the ref’s back is turned and later as Ross lays on the floor on the outside, Samael steps on the challenger’s neck.
Fatu utilizes the nerve hold on multiple occasions to keep Ross grounded. Ross soon finds a window and goes for a crossbody but Fatu catches him and hits him for a sit-out gutwrench powerbomb. One more window opens up for Ross when both collide mid-air doing simultaneous crossbodies and Von Erich stays on the attack with dropkicks and two slingblades. He ascends the turnbuckle and hits a missile dropkick from the top rope, putting Fatu down on the canvas.
Fatu finds himself on the outside and Lawlor looms over him before Ross comes launching out with a tope.
Ross gets him back in the ring and is ready for the Iron Claw. Fatu pops him up for a pop-up powerbomb but the wiley Ross locks in The Claw at just the perfect moment. Fatu frees himself by tumbling both he and Von Erich over the top rope.
Fatu is the first to his feet and makes Ross pay for it as he beats Ross on top of the chairs of the Orlando fans. Ross gets a moment to recuperate when Fatu accidentally knife edge chops the ring post.
Action gets back into the squared circle and eyebrows become raised when Fatu hip checks Ross into the referee. Fatu suplexes Ross in the corner and Ross’ knee may have buckled.
Call it rage, call it tactic or call it both, Fatu begins attacking the downed official. Fatu even splashes the ref’s head in the corner as as Ross watches on. The official is out of commission. Fatu sends Ross to the ropes to hit his patented elevated Samoan Drop and does so.
He centers Ross in the middle of the ring before hitting a running moonsault. He covers Ross, but stops when he still realizes the referee is down.
Ross gets to his feet and finds himself in the corner as Fatu sizes him up. He charges at Ross, but Ross moves and Fatu smacks his head off the top of the ring post. Ross climbs that very same turnbuckle to deliver a flying cross body that downs the champ. Samael slides in with a chair and goes to hit Ross but Ross makes him pay with a dropkick crashing the cold hard steel into Josef’s mush.
Tom Lawlor slides in to make sure the score is even and readies to lay Fatu out with a chair shot of his own, but in an extreme display of treachery suddenly turns and smacks Ross with the chair!
Ross is laid out as Lawlor exits the ring, shouting “F*ck the Von Erichs” and Fatu hits his signature springboard top rope moonsault for the filthy victory.
Orlando is in absolute shock after what Lawlor has done, but no one can more astounded than the Von Erichs, who Tom Lawlor brought in to MLW and even fought side by side the brothers. Blood is thicker than water, but it sure isn’t as filthy.
These results were written by @DominicDeAngelo but are courtesy of MLW.com. Watch the full episode of this week’s MLW Fusion below: