Welcome to another edition of the MLW Fusion Review for Episode 64 on the Pro Wrestling Post! The focus this week is episode 64, headlined by Tom Lawlor taking on CONTRA Unit’s Josef Samael. To open the show, we have a promo from the tag team also known as War Beast. Josef Samael is a sinister presence like James Mitchell meets Gary Hart in the form of a wrestler. It’s easy to forget how sadistic he can be, as Fatu tends to get the attention by being the heavy hitter.
Following the opening credits, we go to Jim Cornette and Rich Bocchini. They introduce the newest superstars to join MLW, Ross and Marshall Von Erich. It’s reiterated that the Von Erichs are all about honor and integrity, and doing exactly what they say they’re going to do. They also reaffirm that they will have Tom Lawlor’s back tonight if the rest of the CONTRA Unit decides to get involved in the main event. From there, we go to the ring for our first match of the evening. It will be an MLW debut here with Adam Brooks taking on the self-proclaimed Greatest Man That Ever Lived, Austin Aries. While Brooks receives a warm welcome, it’s clear that the hometown crowd is thoroughly behind Austin Aries. He emerges from the back to a hero’s welcome. Aries competed on the first ever episode of MLW Fusion and now he’s back for another round.
The much more experienced Aries controls the match from the outset. With picture-perfect chain wrestling, he sends Brooksy scurrying for the ropes for a break. When Brooks offers his hand in a show of respect, Aries’ goodwill is gone. He attacks Brooks with vim and vigor. Brooks proves to be resilient, withstanding a Death Valley Driver on the apron and the Horns of Aries. However, just like on the very first episode of MLW Fusion, Aries’ brainbuster is the difference maker.
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Following the victory, Aries basks in the cheers and adoration of the hometown crowd. He then invites Kaci Lennox into the ring to have the honor of interviewing him. As gallantly as he welcomed her in though, he sends her back out. Aries cuts a promo talking about how he is the last real magician in wrestling because he can make you believe. And due to MLW’s abiding by the traditions of weight limits and classifications, he will be part of the middleweight division. He has set his sights on another wrestler with a difficult reputation, MLW World Middleweight Champion Teddy Hart.
MLW Fusion rolls on and we recap what happened last week between The Dynasty and Teddy Hart. Pulling the numbers advantage, they attacked Teddy and then stole one-half of the MLW World Tag Team Championship belts. A video is shown of the Dynasty basking in their glory, quite literally. Hammerstone is using his National Openweight Championship as a tanning aid. They are also gathered around the Tag Team Championship. Moving on from that title situation and onto the World Heavyweight Championship, we see another promo from Josef Samael. He promises he’s out for blood this week, and next week Jacob Fatu will take Tom Lawlor’s title.
Following a recap of last week’s all-out brawl between CONTRA, Tom Lawlor, and the Von Erichs, we go onto our next match. Jacob Fatu will be taking on not one, but two opponents in Ariel Dominguez and Sam Black. Sadly for those two, it was just more raw meat to the Samoan Werewolf. He devoured both of them in quick fashion, employing even more impressive moves than we’ve seen thus far. Of course, after Fatu picks up the easy victory, the rest of CONTRA Unit descends.
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Following a brief interview with Salina de la Renta, we move onto the Kings of Colosseum Control Center. Just announced as part of the festivities is the first ever Star-Spangled Hammer Challenged, sponsored by The Dynasty. Alex Hammerstone will put his National Openweight Championship on the line against whoever will step up to face him. Also set for Kings of Colosseum is a special live edition of the Jim Cornette Experience. Jim will interview the empresaria herself, Salina de la Renta. The main event is what we’ve been talking about all night, “Filthy” Tom Lawlor will defend against Jacob Fatu.
Before we roll onto the main event of MLW Fusion, we see another video from our friend, Ol’ Mancer himself. Even though the 4th of July is on the way, Ol’ Mancer isn’t getting ready for fun. He’s getting ready to fight; he reiterates that he’s on a head-hunting mission now to take down Promociones Dorado. After all of that fightin’ is done, then Ol’ Mancer will get down to have some fun.
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Tom Lawlor wastes no time in going after Josef Samael. The former MMA fighter gets the upper hand and gives Samael a taste of his own medicine. Samael’s craftiness would give him an opening to weaken Lawlor in advance of Kings of Colosseum. While Josef attempts to suplex Lawlor to the outside, we get word from the back that there’s a fight going on back there. After Lawlor reverses the tide and drops Samael to the mat, we see Ross and Marshall Von Erich living up to their word. They’re fighting with Fatu and Simon Gotch to keep them from interfering in this contest.
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Samael attempts to go for his signature spike, but Lawlor ducks out of the way. Lawlor’s need for revenge gets the better of him, as he attempts to use the spike on Samael and throws referee Frank Gastineau out of the way. This causes the disqualification and Josef Samael is technically your winner. The two continue to brawl around the ring, referees struggling to keep them apart. In the back, Jacob Fatu and Simon Gotch continue to tangle with the Von Erichs. MLW Fusion goes off the air in chaos once again, on the road to Kings of Colosseum.
Stay tuned to the Pro Wrestling Post for a review of that event, as well as more MLW Fusion in the future!
