MLW Fusion Episode 18 Review: Low Ki’s First Defense
Credit: MLW.com
Tom Lawlor laid out a challenge to Colonel Robert Parker: get on Google, find out where Team Filthy trains and show up to the gym for a fight. Parker and his Stud Stable accepted the challenge and look to turn out the lights on Lawlor’s MLW future.
Matt Striker recaps the rules for War Games before heading backstage to an interview with Shane Strickland, Kotto Brazil, Barrington Hughes and the fourth member of their team – John Hennigan. Shane and crew are informed that Sami Callihan has named Abyss as the final member of their team at War Games but before anyone can react to the news, Callihan, The Death Machines and Jimmy Havoc jump the quartet. Tommy Dreamer appears out of thin air with a kendo stick to make the save as Callihan and friends scamper away. At this point, I guess you kind of have to assume Dreamer just travels with a kendo stick wherever he goes. With the save from Dreamer, Strickland’s team is now final with Hennigan and “The Innovator of Violence” rounding out the crew.
The Lucha Bros with Konnan cement their partnership in a backstage segment with Konnan telling Salina de La Renta that Fenix and Pentagon are now free from their “exploitative contracts” and aligned with the lucha libre legend. There isn’t much more of note here other than following up on the MLW World Tag Team Champions ripping up their contracts on last week’s show.
Team Filthy vs The Stud Stable: Dojo Fight
The camera crew is on the street outside of Team Filthy’s gym, The Jungle, as Colonel Robert Parker and The Stud Stable prepare to enter. The assumption here is that Jake Hager will take Tom Lawlor on in an octagon in the gym, but Hager steps aside and lets the big man Mike Parrow take his place. Parrow uses his power to try to neutralize Lawlor but can’t keep the fighter down all the while I’m having some serious Lion’s Den flashbacks.
Lawlor is able to tap Parrow out with a Kimura but that doesn’t end things. Lawlor challenges Hager to step into the cage next while in the background The Dirty Blondes assault Lawlor’s trainer Seth Petruzelli. Petruzelli is left in a pool of blood as Lawlor rushes to his side.
This was all short and sweet as I think it had to be. Lawlor continues to rack up victories as he still has a shot at the MLW World Heavyweight Title in his back pocket after winning Battle Riot several weeks back. Hager, of course, was the last man eliminated by Lawlor in that match and is still looking for revenge. The tease of getting Hager versus Lawlor here worked well and will help build to the eventual one-on-one rematch between these two to completely settle the score.