MLW Fusion Results, Highlights, and Grades: Marko Stunt Debuts
Credit: MLW Instagram
The Innovator of Violence
Tommy Dreamer is backstage with some pointed words for Brody King before their match tonight. He reminds King of his extreme history, asking King if he’s ever had to scoop the blood out of his eyes to see or smelled the burning of his own flesh as he laid in a ring.
Dreamer reminds King that he’s been wrestling for 26 more years than him and asks if he really wants to know what it means to take violence to the extreme.
Grade: Good. Quick and to the point for Dreamer with a clear focus.
I was hoping we wouldn’t get another fever dream moment from Dreamer like we got heading into War Games and my hopes were realized. If you threw some film grain on this promo, you could pass it off as an old-school ECW promo with Dreamer standing in front of a backdrop.
The Middleweights Speak Out
Heading into next week’s World Middleweight Championship triple threat match, we hear from Jason Cade, Jimmy Yuta and champion MJF with Aria Blake in separate segments.
Cade complains that he doesn’t understand how Yuta has wormed his way into the match. Cade has defeated Yuta and also has a win over Myron Reed in recent weeks, yet MLW management sees the pair as being on the same level. Cade calls this out as BS and says he’ll stick it to management in the best way possible – by becoming the new MLW World Middleweight Champion.
Yuta is over the moon at the opportunity to not only get his hands on Cade once again but to tangle with “that slimy filth ball” MJF. Yuta makes the claim that MJF is dishonoring the World Middleweight Championship, but a Jimmy Yuta title reign would bring pride and prestige to the title.
Finally, MJF and Aria Blake lament the fact that, despite being “the greatest champion” to ever compete in MLW, he’s still being crammed into a lopsided triple threat match with Cade and Yuta. MJF reveals his overall strategy for the match – to sit back and relax while the former tag team partners tear each other apart before picking up the scraps to pin both men.
Grade: Very Good. I love these short bursts of promos as a little can go a very long way.
What other promotions may seek to accomplish in a 10-minute in-ring interview segment between the three participants in next week’s match, MLW accomplishes in about 90 seconds with each wrestler saying their piece concisely and with conviction. One of the strongest parts of MLW is the opportunity to let the wrestlers cut these types of promos to build toward meaningful conflict rather than polluting the show with forced, scripted lines.
Also, MJF and Aria are disgustingly obnoxious together.