MLW Fusion Results, Highlights, and Grades: Spin The Wheel

PCO vs LA Park

We always know the score, somewhat, when a PCO match is lined up. It’s not going to be a catch-as-catch-can classic, but it’s going to be insane and a Hell of a good time. When you couple that with a wrestler like LA Park, all of the preconceived notions of what is going to happen kind of go out the window. PCO’s comeback tour has been filled with matches against some of the best young stars on the indies but here he’s going head to head with another established legend.

The two start off colliding like a pair of locomotives with shoulder blocks in the center of the ring. Neither man gives way and LA Park quickly launches into talking trash while removing his gloves.

With some chops and strikes out of the way, Park is taken down with a chokeslam before PCO scales the top rope to hit his terrifying moonsault, which Striker refers as a moonsault headbutt. I’m not sure if it’s meant to be a headbutt, but the rotation and landing are never quite precise so it’s a good call from Striker.

Park is knocked to the floor with a sidekick to the stomach with PCO following up with a big suicide dive sending both men into the railing. Park appears to tweak his left knee here as he favors it while getting back to his feet, but it doesn’t seem to impede him all that much.

PCO’s advantage is short-lived with Park fighting his way back to hit his own incredible suicide dive on the outside. A lot of wrestlers use that move these days, but Park hits it with a level of aggression that isn’t matched by many. It’s as much a thing of beauty as it is a shock of horror.

After avoiding a dropkick in the corner, PCO turns up the terror even more as he lays Park out along the apron. PCO ascends to the top rope and flies with a somersault senton, but Park is able to move, sending PCO crashing spine-first along the edge of the ring.

Not to be outdone, Park makes his way to the top for a completely ridiculous crossbody block from the top rope to the floor. For a guy his age and size, LA Park shouldn’t be able to fly the way he does.

Back in the ring, the two separate to opposite corners and charge to the center of the ring once more with Park opting for a spear rather than a shoulder block. It’s enough to put PCO away for the three with PCO convulsing under the luchador’s weight.

Grade: Great. These two beat the tar out of each other and brought the crowd to their feet over and over again.

LA Park’s last match with Pentagon was good, but I feel like this was more of a coming out party for him on his MLW revival tour. Both he and PCO throw caution to the wind like few other wrestlers do, especially wrestlers with their histories and at their ages, and when those forces are combined you know it’s going to become some kind of pure, distilled madness.

Post-match, Park delivers a promo which Salina translates. After thanking the crowd for their appreciation, he turns his attention to Konnan and the Lucha Bros. Park and de La Renta promise Pentagon Jr and Rey Fenix that Los Parks will finish what the Lucha Bros have started when MLW Fightland comes to Chicago in November.

Callihan Prepares

Kaci Lennox is with Sami Callihan to get his thoughts before he heads out for the main event against Jimmy Havoc. Callihan shoos Lennox away with a “go on, giiiiiit!” before decrying MLW management for allowing his fate to be decided by, first, a coin toss and then Jimmy Havoc’s spin of the wheel.

He vows to bring everything he can find to the ring, be it a chair, barbed wire, or the Yeti. Callihan lets Havoc know that he now has to live with the decision he made and tonight, it’s going to be “Die, Jimmy, Die.”

Grade: Good. A much better promo here than last week’s attempt at building to the match.

Last week’s promo to build to this match was a miss for me on Callihan’s side of the fence as it felt like more of the same without adding any more substance to the feud, whereas Havoc was able to throw some new wrinkles in there. Here, Callihan has something new to spark his fire and delivers something much more passionate as we’re now moments away from the violence ahead of us.