MLW Fusion Results, Highlights, and Grades: Death of The Death Machine

Death Comes For Tom Lawlor

Behind some random bars backstage in Cicero Stadium, Callihan made it clear that everybody online calls him out for being nothing more than a henchman for Promociones Dorado… and he’s fine with that. The money is good, Callihan explained, and he gets to hurt people at the same time.

Callihan suggested that MVP is still rotting away in a boiler room in Florida which I love as a hilarious idea that he was beaten and left there, then nobody came by to check on him or take him to get medical attention. I hope in another 20 episodes, someone stumbles into the boiler room at Gilt Nightclub and MVP is lying motionless in the corner.

Callihan explained that he has taken out both Shane Strickland and Jimmy Havoc, the latter of whom he referred to as the “King of Goths” to which I say – you haven’t seen photos of me from 11th grade, so let’s just hold off on crowning anyone just yet.

The main event of Fightland will be no different from anything that has already gone down in MLW, Callihan promised. He let Lawlor know that he isn’t scared of an MMA fighter but is scared of what he will do to the leader of Team Filthy when anything goes in Chicago.

Grade: Meh. I don’t know.

I just think I’m over this promo from Callihan at this point. He starts off by, again, telling the camera person how to operate a camera and do their job, which is simply becoming old hat for me. The same beats are there with Callihan running through his list of conquests, but something just doesn’t stick with me this time around. Callihan’s MLW promos certainly have a template and I think it’s time to step out into some new territory.

Konnan Accepts The Challenge

Backstage, Konnan was surrounded by reporters asking for his thoughts on accepting the challenge laid out by Low Ki earlier in the evening. Konnan let them know in the easiest of terms – he doesn’t like the way Low Ki has been talking about him or what Salina de la Renta has been attempting to do to him, and it’s time to teach the MLW World Heavyweight Champion a lesson.

Konnan offered up a query for Ki – while the champion is undoubtedly younger, stronger and faster than Konnan, what will happen when they are in Konnan’s hometown of Miami and the underdog bites back at Promociones Dorado?

Grade: Good. Short and sweet with a big step forward in the Salina/Konnan saga.

This was short enough that if you blinked you would miss it, but Konnan lays out his reasons for fighting as well as the obstacles in his way. He makes no bones about the fact that Low Ki is now superior to him in every way, even straight-up saying that there’s no way that he should be able to beat Ki in Miami. But, what happens when an underdog fights with a full heart against a diabolical menace?

I love that Konnan doesn’t do what (probably) almost every other legend would do in this scenario. He doesn’t talk up how tough he is or how badly he’s going to beat his younger opponent. Obviously, Konnan wants to beat Low Ki but doesn’t make himself the odds-on favorite. He paints himself a realistic picture of their future fight and is looking only to put his best foot forward as he fights to protect his name and his honor.

Swerving Kaci Lennox

Directly before the main event, Kaci Lennox attempted to catch up with Shane Strickland to get some thoughts from the challenger to Low Ki’s World Heavyweight Championship. Strickland simply popped in his ear buds and walked away from Lennox without uttering a word.

This segment was so short that it doesn’t warrant a grade of any sort, but is important to document the ongoing spiral of Shane Strickland. Strickland has not been himself at all since losing the World Heavyweight Title to Low Ki, and Swerve became even more shattered after Sami Callihan took him out of the picture at War Games. Strickland will either continue his descent next week or use the pent-up frustration to claim the top spot in MLW once more.

If the rumors of Strickland’s potential departure from the independents to the yellow and black brand are true, MLW is laying the groundwork for Strickland to play himself out as the disenfranchised and embittered ex-champion looking for a place to belong.