MLW Fusion Recap: Davey Boy Smith Takes On ‘Filthy’ Tom Lawlor
Photo Credit: Bill Pritchard
The Von Erichs and “Filthy” Tom Lawlor are shown backstage. Tom states that there may only be a few short weeks that he’s here but he’s got big business to handle as he squares up against Davey Boy Smith in singles action. Marshall has business of his own going down as he makes it clear he needs “his brothers” with him when he stands across the ring from CONTRA’s Ikuro Kwon. Ross is more than ready to oblige as both brawlers ready themselves for action on this week’s episode of MLW Fusion.
Sure enough, we are introduced to the “Assassin With No Honor” as Kwon enters the arena with Josef Samael in stride. The lid pops off Orlando as Marshall Von Erich comes down with his brother Ross, but Kwon thwarts his progress with a dive over the top rope for the unexpected advantage.
Marshall Von Erich defeated Ikuro Kwon via DQ
Marshall’s bare feet soon find their footing but Samael trips him up as he runs at the rope to stop his momentum. Samael shouts instructions for Kwon to go to the next level and it prompts the soldier to unleash a quick flurry of strikes before striking Von Erich down with a spinning roundhouse kick to the head. Marshall crumbles to the mat, but shows that “Fritz fortitude” with a kick out at two.
Kwon soon charges at Marshall in the corner but Von Erich gets his foot up to impede progress. He leaps off the second rope to catch the leg of Kwon, but Kwon’s quickness allows him to shake free and still execute the kick to Marshall’s mush. It puts MVE down on one knee, but sends Ikuro down with a spinning forearm shiver. Strikes are in full force in this opening bout but Marshall really changes the tone with one massive elevated spinebuster.
Marshall signals for “The Claw” which charges up chants from the Orlando crowd and locks it in on Kwon. Almost immediately, Samael slithers in for the attack and the bell rings in favor of Marshall.
Ross rolls in for assistance as both Samael and Kwon get booted out to the barricades by the brothers. Marshall is fired up as his grudge with Kwon is longer from finished.
We catch up with The Dynasty on “Lifestyles Of The Rich & Dynastic” as Richard Holliday checks on MJF. Not only does the Tag Team Titles loss got the duo down, but MJF apparently just got Botox surgery botched. Holliday, ever the good friend, wants Max to reveal his face and Burberry’s favorite poster boy does so. Holliday drops his Face Time in sheer fright as Hammerstone steps into the picture.
Hammer chugs on in with a gift train. He can’t tell them what it is, but it just might be the biggest gift train yet. Things are “looking up” according to Hammer.
It’s not long before we are reacquainted with Richard as both he and Hammer make their way to the ring. Holliday holds the mic to state once more that rarefied air is being breathed by the crowd, but as circumstance would have it, Holliday receives a call from his lawyer/father.
Holliday puts his father on hold as he and Hammer ready for their fight and a fight they are in store for as they face Dominic Garrini & Douglas James.
Dominic Garrini & Douglas James defeated The Dynasty
Garrini & James are all business as they step onto the canvas of the MLW ring as Dominic begins the bout off against Holliday. Holliday pie-faces Garrini who goes to cinch in an arm-breaker. After losing an Air Pod, Holliday tags in Hammer who locks up Garrini in a test of strength. Hammer powers Garrini down but Dominic locks him in to an armbreaker as well. Hammer hoists Garrini up but Garrini’s grip guides Hammer into the corner so he can tag James in.
James uses his legs to level out Hammer and goes to leap off the top with a cross body. Hammer catches him and drops his neck right off the top rope.
In comes Holliday whose nails a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker on James. Holliday tags in Hammer and goes for more powerhouse moves, but James quickness comes into play with a dropkick to the face. Both men tag in their partners and Garrini hits a series of strikes before flourishing with a German suplex and eventually hooking Holliday with another armbreaker. Hammer however, breaks that up. Garrini gets reversed with a 2008, but kicks out of Holliday’s signature.
Hammer gets tagged in and goes for a Nightmare Pendulum on “The Bone Collector,” but Garrini tags in James and Douglas downs Hammer with a double knee off the top rope. Two count. Holliday grabs the hair of Douglas. James strikes Hammer down and the brawl goes to the outside for all combatants. James barely answers the bell at 18, but the same cannot be said for Hammer. He suffers the count-out loss on behalf of The Dynasty. Hammer is heated as both James and Garrini relish in the win.
An update on Teddy Hart: The former Middleweight Champion is out indefinitely after suffering a fireball at the hands of Josef Samael that eventually led to Myron Reed winning the Middleweight strap from Teddy last week. Hart has reportedly suffered third degree burns to the face.
Myron doesn’t let such a situation hold him back however as he gets a moment to speak on his victory. “Hot Fire” is more than willing to ring in a new era for he and his Injustice brothers as well as others he pays tribute to, including the late Matt Travis.
The Von Erichs and Lawlor are backstage reflecting on the DQ win as the trio gets a package delivered. It’s a smartphone that has a video on hold. It’s Josef Samael who tells the brothers that he told the two he had an offer for them that they couldn’t refuse and it’s this: On Thanksgiving night, one of them will face the MLW World Heavyweight Champion Jacob Fatu. A proponent of violence, Josef believes that inflicting such is a solution for everything and that mayhem is just as cruel as nature. He tells the brothers to choose wisely. Lawlor asks the boys, which one is “gonna get my belt back” and the brothers are left to contemplate as Ross pulls out the contract. Marshall is willing to offer it to his older brother, but Ross says Marshall deserves the opportunity more than anybody as he offers his back so he can sign on the dotted line. Marshall mentions how “it’s a big day for all of us” as Lawlor offers a pat of encouragement before walking off.
This month, MLW is gearing to kick of it’s highly-anticipated women’s division as Kaci Lennox takes a moment to speak with Zeda Xang. She wants to show the world “Why Zeda Zhang brings that bang.” She’ll be facing off against the Spider Lady next week and even though Zeda doesn’t know much about her mysterious opponent, she’s ready to squash her like a bug.
Jimmy Havoc responds to Mance Warner’s challenge of a Falls Count Anywhere match next week. Havoc accepts, but warns Mance that he knows Orlando like the back of his hand. He knows the swamps, the bars and knows exactly where to take him. He’s all ready to drink Ol’ Mancer’s blood.
King Mo is making waves in wrestling as it was announced last week that MLW signed him to a deal. Mo is making his presence known as he is shown sitting ringside at Orlando for the main event.
First to enter Orlando is Davey Boy Smith Jr. who walks out by his lonesome as we’re about to see a match that has had months of anticipation building behind it.
Tom Lawlor’s tune hits and out comes “The Filthy One” who is all amped up for the fight. Lawlor is representing the University of Central Florida Knights in which he competed collegiately with. Lawlor slaps hands with the fans before exchanging a handshake with Davey Boy and we’re underway.
Tom Lawlor defeated Davey Boy Smith Jr.
Both well-rounded with mat-based wrestling, the two start off with a grappling stalemate and the two lock up. Lawlor goes for a drop-toe hold but DB rolls it into arm lock before going for a headlock. Davey Boy finds himself on the ground and goes for a rear naked choke, but Tom doesn’t allow him to lock it in. The exchanging of mat-based battle tactics continues. “UCF” chants break out as King Mo watches on. The multiple MMA champion is extremely focused in on the match-up.
Davey Boy shows some explosive strength as he rolls on top of Tom, but the ref breaks it up. The two get into shoving match before, DB feins a strike before sweeping the leg of Lawlor. Lawlor, ever the escapist, gets Davey Boy down for an armbar. Davey takes to stomping Tom before the battle goes to the outside. Huge strikes exchanged. Lawlor hangs Davey’s right arm over the bottom apron and begins to focus on it as a potential weakness. Davey counters and soon goes for a rear naked choke once more. Lawlor makes it to the bottom rope.
European uppercut by Davey that leaves Lawlor floored before rolling Lawlor through with “Three Amigos.” He floats over into a cover – two count.
Lawlor lifts Davey Boy with a belly to back suplex. and almost gets a fall, but Davey kicks out despite clutching his head.
Lawlor begins to lay some kicks in, but DB goes unaffected and hits a belly-to-back of his own.
Davey goes to lift Lawlor up for a bomb, but Lawlor wraps him in a rear naked choke. Davey displays great resilency by shaking of Tom’s torrent of strikes. He lays Lawlor out and hits a leg drop for a two count. AJ Kirsch puts it perfectly saying Tom “looked like a puppet with its stings cut” after Davey crashed him down to the canvas with an open-palm strike.
Lawlor feels the effects as his knee buckles when delivering a T-bone suplex on the much bulkier Bulldog. Russian leg sweep by Lawlor but Davey Boy rolls through to lock in a Sharpshooter. Lawlor bites his own hand to distract from the pain and Davey transitions into a crossface.
The two have appeared to exhausted all avenues of execution as they stand off against one another. They exchange strikes and two just go at it. That’s back and forth before Lawlor appears to thumb the eye of Davey which cause the referee to intervene. Davey tries to go for a running powerslam, but Lawlor slides free and nails a reverse DDT backbreaker for the 1-2-3 win.
Both men feel the effects of their efforts as Davey clutches his right eye. You can see his eye start to swell up as Lawlor makes his way to the entryway to speak with Kaci Lennox
“For the first time ever in my life, I hold my destiny in my hands,” says Lawlor. Within a matter of mere weeks his contract is done with MLW so what is he gonna do? Maybe he’ll continue to reign supreme in Orlando, perhaps he’ll step back into the MMA octagon or maybe he’ll get a little “raw” or lay a little “smack” elsewhere. One thing is certain in Lawlor’s mind: he’s the hottest damn thing in professional wrestling.
What will the wrestling road ahead entail for “Filthy” Tom Lawlor? That question remains at the forefront of minds for fans!
These results were written by @DominicDeAngelo but are courtesy of MLW.com. Watch the full episode of MLW Fusion below:
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