MLW Fusion Recap: Alexander Hammerstone Shines Against Strongheart T-Hawk, Low Ki vs. King Mo
Artwork by Bill Pritchard
To hear the complete recap of MLW Fusion, take a listen to “The Survey Says…” with WrestleZone’s Dominic DeAngelo and be sure to watch the full episode of this week’s MLW Fusion below:
It looks like the rumors of a “Team Filthy” super merger came to fruition last week as King Mo broke a bat across the back of Killer Kross. This led to an almost immediate suspension, but King Mo’s team of attorneys filed an appeal and because of this, we will be having his much-anticipated match with Low Ki to determine who is MLW’s King Of Knockouts. King Mo has Dan Lambert in his corner, while Low Ki will have Ross Von Erich.
Alicia Atout is backstage and makes note that she was scheduled to interview Brian Pillman Jr., but the 2019 PWI Rookie of the Year is nowhere to be seen. Brian has been late to the arena before, but totally no-showing is not Brian’s typical M.O. Atout promises to look into the matter.
Match 1
$1,000 Open Prize Fight Challenge
Dominic Garrini vs. Dr. Dax
Who has a shot to survive Garrini’s Jiu-Jitsu expertise for five minutes? The monster in Dr. Dax answers that call. The two lock up and soon find themselves in the corner. Reset. Garrini goes for the leg, but the power hammer blows of Dax puts that to a quick stop. Garrini quickly catches a charging Dax with a STO takedown and locks in a modified head submission for the quick bell. Dax lasted just over a minute in Garrini’s challenge.
WINNER: Dominic Garrini
MJF calls Mance Warner trailer park trash, but it isn’t his fault he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, nor is it his fault that Mancer is an outlaw mudshow indie prick. MJF said he’ll “f*ck him up” and accepts the Bucksnort’s Brawler’s “Loser Leaves MLW” Match! It’s happening next week!
Alicia has an update on Pillman: there’s no word from Brian and it looks like his scheduled match with Jordan Oliver tonight is off.
Match 2
MLW National Openweight Championship
T-Hawk vs. Alexander Hammerstone (c)
Hammerstone enters by himself to face T-Hawk to defend hi title an unprecedented eighth time. Bell rings and the two take a moment to size one another up. “T-Hawk” chants break out in Philly who gets Hammer in the corner, causing a reset. Collar and elbow which leads to Hammer doing the same to Hawk. Hammer grins his way back to the center of the ring. Side headlock by Hammer before popping him down with a shoulder tackle. Thrusts in the corner as Hammer embraces the brotherly love boos.
T-Hawk chops the chest of Hammer hard before going for a suplex. Hammer halts it but T-Hawk eventually gets him up. Hammer is hurt, but impressed. Side switch by Hammer, but Hawk shows his quickness with a sky high by T. Once more, Hammerstone is impressed. Despite that, he doesn’t let up on the offensive assault with vicious punches.
On the outside, Hammer catches a sliding Hawk who is still in the ring, spins his legs around to have his head dangle over the apron before knocking T into next Saturday with a bicycle kick. Hammer soaks in the Philly reaction before tossing T into the barricade.
Hammer gloats some more before getting T back onto the canvas. Goes for a pin, but only gets a two count. Hammer wrenches the neck of Hawk and catches him with an eventual back elbow to keep T grounded. Hammer isn’t hesitant with the trash talk and allows Hawk to chop him hard. This is when the pace picks up as it’s back and forth between the two stars. It looks to be capped off with one perfect dropkick by Hammer that had to make a late Hennig smile from above, but Hawk catches everyone off-guard with a harsh knee to the back of Hammer’s head.
“MLW” chants fill the 2300 in Philly. Crowd is totally behind T as he lifts up the big man, but Hammer has him with a bicycle kick into German suplex combo before powerbombing him for a two and rolling him over for an extended Boston crab. T breaks up the hold and crowd is all behind the Strongheart. The ref used his discretion at Hammer not letting loose of the hold and it’s a good thing because both competitors had plenty left in the tank. Hawk shows his innovation with a modified inverted falcon arrow to get a very near fall.
Hawk climbs the turnbuckle, but Hammer superplexes Hawk right off of it. Nightmare Pendulum and it’s all academic from there. Hammerstone retains.
WINNER and STILL MLW National Openweight Champion: Alexander Hammerstone
What a historic match to cap off a historic eighth title defense from Brian Pillman.
Another update regarding Brian Pillman: MLW reached out to Davey Boy Smith Jr. while DB is doing a media tour in the UK and Pillman’s Hart Dynasty brother hasn’t heard from Brian.
Alicia Atout is backstage with Konnan to talk the AAA and MLW relationship. Interpromotional matches are great and everyone will be privvy to such in two weeks as the MLW AAA Super Series commences from Tijuana.
Mance Warner is not pleased and he ain’t no loser and he’s ain’t planning on leaving town. Everything that MJF did, Warner is gonna make sure he answers for.
We witness the brutal recap of Killer Kross taking a bat to the back by King Mo and we get word that an update on Kross’ condition will be given on next week’s Fusion.
Backstage once more, Alicia Atout is providing us another Pillman update, but as she’s about to, in enters Injustice with their phone full of footage. The trio implores Alicia to take it to the trailer for airing.
Main Event
King Mo (with Dan Lambert) vs. Low Ki (with Ross Von Erich)
Mo makes his way to the ring in hopes of getting those bragging rights of “Knockout King.” Low Ki has just the opposite in mind. Crowd is fully behind Ki. He shares fist bumps with fans
The official reminds the two of his pre-match iinstructions and demands the two heated rivals get back to their corners before starting the match
Bell rings and Low Ki goes for a leg takedown, but no dice. More sizing up from both competitors.
In 2019, 50% of Low Ki’s opponents have been knocked out while King Mo in his MMA career have knocked out 62%.
Mo lifts Ki up and dumps him hard onto the outside. Ross Von Erich checks on Ki and so does the official, but Ki insists he’s fine as he struggles to get back in the ring. King Mo is smiling and dumps Ki out once more. More gloating by Mo.
Ki answers the call once more and Mo continues to maintain the attack. King Mo pretzels Low Ki up with an elevated STO stretch and continues to work the ground game after with a hammerlock. Ki forearms his way out of it, but Mo takes out the bandaged knee of Ki.
One has to believe Mo made note of that. Ki is having severely hard time getting back into the ring, but does just that.
Mo seems to sense blood in the water as he continues to dissect “The Professional.” Mo looks to be toying a bit with his hurt opponent, but a rolling knee by Ki puts it back in “The Lone Wolf’s” favor. Ki cinches in a standing scissor hold that grounds Mo, but the resilient MMA champ isn’t submitting nor is he passing out.
As this is going down, out comes Garrini and Erick Stevens whic prompts Ross to confront them. Out comes Marshall for back-up as all the officials try to restore order. As all this is going on, in enters Tom Lawlor who hits Low Ki across the back with Mo’s umbrella.
He then makes certain that the towel left behind by Ross is laying center of the ring. The referee sees Von Erichs’ towel and signals for the bell. A despicable win by “Team Filthy.”
WINNER: King Mo
Back at the entryway, King Mo demands Philly to bend a knee and Lawlor is insulted by the disrespect. He insults Philly in return as “Team Filthy” relish in their tainted victory.
We finally see the footage provided by Injustice and it’s a very uneasy watch. With Kotto Brazil playing cameraman, Myron Reed and Jordan Oliver jump Pillman in the parking lot before stomping his head through a cinder block. Much of MLW has to be concerned for Brian’s well-being after this.
(These results were written by @DOMINICDEANGELO but are COURTESY OF MLW.COM)
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