MLW Fusion Episode 18 Review: Low Ki’s First Defense

Credit: MLW.com

Last week, John Hennigan became the number one contender by defeating Teddy Hart in a fantastic match. Tonight, he faces Low Ki in the champion’s first defense since defeating Shane Strickland for the MLW World Heavyweight Title… and collecting Salina de La Renta’s $60,000 bounty in the process.

MLW World Heavyweight Title: Low Ki vs John Hennigan

Before the match, Vanessa Craft catches up with Low Ki and Salina de La Renta before they make their way to the ring. For whatever reason, Craft is playing a stumbling, terrified interviewer here. Ki lays out his intentions to punish “the Mayor of Slamtown” before finally putting him down.

Hennigan is recovering from a series of backstage attacks – not only did we see him and the rest of Strickland’s War Games team get jumped, but there was an additional attack in a dark corridor not picked up by the cameras. Hennigan is out with some tape haphazardly wrapped around his rips as he gingerly moves about the ring during his entrance. Thankfully the tape doesn’t get in the way of the abs that can literally grate cheese.

Hennigan holds his own against Ki for the most part here but can’t quite overcome the damage done by The Death Machines backstage. Low Ki showcases a bit more personality here than his normal stoic behavior and is in some updated gear. I guess $60,000 is enough to buy your way out of a Hitman cosplay getup and into some shorts and boots. Ki has a strong showing in his first defense and puts Hennigan away with a double-stomp from the top rope followed by the Switchblade to the back of the neck. Ki looks to carry this momentum all the way through to War Games where he’ll be defending the MLW World Heavyweight Title against Rey Fenix.

I don’t completely understand the need for Salina de La Renta with Low Ki. I didn’t understand her with The Lucha Bros either. Part of a manager’s job, of course, is to sell the performers and their upcoming matches with slick mic work and charisma. I don’t see that with de La Renta.

Her mic work has shown itself to be spotty at best which hinders, rather than helps, wrestlers like Low Ki who can cut a promo on his own and wrestlers like Fenix and Pentagon who really don’t need a mouthpiece. At ringside, de La Renta is virtually non-existent and may win the award for Quietest Manager of 2018. For my money, a manager at ringside should be shouting direction at their charge and verbally sparring with their opponent or the more boisterous sections of the crowd. Unfortunately, we just don’t get that with the head of Promociones Dorado.