MLW Fusion Results, Highlights, and Grades: Battle of the Aces

Mr. Reliable, Tom Lawlor

In his final words before the showdown with Swerve, Tom Lawlor provides his feelings on the main event. Lawlor posits that everybody already knows what they’re going to get with him – a guy who can choke out anybody who steps into the ring with him and a guy who can outlast 39 other men to win Battle Riot. But, what can we expect out of Shane Strickland?

Lawlor commends Strickland for winning the initial MLW World Heavyweight Title tournament but then blasts him for not even being able to make it into the War Games match in Fort Lauderdale. I’m still a little bent out of shape about that one myself. Lawlor wonders if Strickland is swerving the fans or himself and reminds us that he is the best of the best that MLW has to offer.

Grade: Very good. Another solid promo from Lawlor who does the best thing you can do in a promo – tells the truth with conviction.

A few stumbles here and there from Lawlor, but overall a good promo. He still feels a little shaky at times when it seems like he’s talking too quickly or, perhaps, trying to remember everything he wants to say. Still, he always comes off as believable and backs up his claims with facts.

ICE ICE Baby Maybe Don’t Do An ICE Storyline Again

Konnan is backstage with comments leading up to the Fightland main event where Lucha Bros will defend the MLW World Tag Team Titles against Los Parks. Konnan reiterates that he was able to use his connections to spring Pentagon Jr and Rey Fenix last week after debunking Salina de La Renta’s bogus charges against them.

Konnan ponders a simple question – if de La Renta is so sure that Los Parks can walk away with the MLW World Tag Team Titles in Chicago, then why would she have put together such an elaborate ruse in the first place? He suggests she enjoys the temporary feeling of victory now because it will all come crashing down at Fightland.

Grade: Good. Konnan, as always, knows how to sell and how to spin bad or hokey storylines into positives.

Some people were turned off by the ICE interlude last week. To me, it felt like more of the same in a long lineage of professional wrestling appealing to the lowest common denominator which, to this point, it seems like MLW has been above. Also, Konnan wore regular eyeglasses here instead of sunglasses and I think it’s the first time I’ve seen his eyes or eyebrows in 15 years. If we want to talk about something giving people weird feelings, let’s focus on that.

Smash N’ Dash Connection vs Samoan Island Tribe

Lance Anoa’i and father Samu make their tag team debut here against another debuting team in MLW regulars Kotto Brazil and Barrington Hughes as The Smash N’ Dash Connection. Hughes is taken out of commission early on as the Samoans jump their opponents before the bell, dumping the larger of the two to the outside so they can focus on Brazil.

Brazil plays a good face in peril as he tries to work his way back to his partner to escape the double-team onslaught. Anoa’i riles Hughes on the apron by spitting on him twice and when Hughes attempts to enter the ring to retaliate, he’s caught with a trio of superkicks leaving him straddling the ropes.

The Samoans had some nice call backs to Samu’s Headshrinker days with a double face-first Russian leg sweep leading into an attempted big splash from the top rope which Brazil was able to avoid. After finally making the tag to Hughes, Smash N’ Dash were able to overcome the Samoans by way of a Sliced Bread Number Two from Brazil and a Hughes splash on Anoa’i for the pin.

Grade: Missable. I don’t think anybody came out looking better than when they came in.

Putting Kotto Brazil in a steady tag team with Barrington Hughes is, to me, a big mistake. Brazil has oodles of talent both on the mic and in the ring which he showcased in the run-up to War Games. I’d love to see him make a run in the Middleweight division more than as a tag team wrestler unless he was paired with an equally dynamic and exciting partner.

Hughes casts an imposing shadow but not much else; as far as big men go in wrestling, he’s not doing anything that challenges any names thrown around as being the best big men in the game. He spent most of the match on the apron and was fine for what little he did in the match, but I just don’t know how much upside he has.