MLW Fusion Results, Highlights, and Grades: Rush Debuts
Konnan Has Martinez On Lock
After a commercial break, Konnan was found backstage beckoning the cameras into a back room in Cicero Stadium telling them that he had “an exclusive” for them.
Sauntering across the room, Konnan revealed a laid-out Ricky Martinez coughing up blood before dangling a black sock in front of his face. With a jiggle of the wrist, a padlock fell from the sock and onto the floor before Konnan walked away to leave Martinez reeling.
Grade: Good… though maybe I’m giving too much credit for some potentially accidental foreshadowing?
Before this segment, we saw Salina and Konnan arguing backstage. The two stood in front of a door with a loose padlock dangling between them. Now, Konnan reveals that he used a similar padlock to pummel Ricky Martinez in the bowels of Cicero Stadium.
Was the lock hanging between the two of them in the previous segment planned foreshadowing, or just a happy coincidence? I’m letting myself believe it was the former because I’m a romantic at heart, and there’s nothing more romantic than artfully foreshadowing the beating of a guy with a padlock inside of a dress sock.
Marko Stunt vs Ace Romero
This will likely be the last appearance of Marko Stunt on MLW Fusion for quite some time, certainly as an in-ring competitor, due to the horrific leg break he recently suffered while Ace Romero is making his debut in Major League Wrestling. Romero will go on to tangle with fellow super heavyweight Barrington Hughes in Miami, so this is a great primer for MLW fans to get their first glimpse of Acey Baby leading into Zero Hour on December 14.
Marko started off here trying to German suplex Ace to absolutely no avail with Romero whipping him around the ring for his troubles. As Stunt tried to use his speed to avoid contact with Ace, the big man used his own speed and agility to dropkick Stunt halfway across the ring.
Missing an attempted leg drop from the second rope to Stunt on the apron, Ace was opened up to a series of quick kicks and dives from Mr. Fun Size as he looked to build some momentum. It wouldn’t last long, though, as Ace pounced Stunt into the barricade surrounding the ring.
Frustrated after not getting the three count back in the ring, Ace began to shove Stunt around leading to the high-flyer coming back with a flurry of offense giving hope to the Chicago crowd that Stunt could actually pull this one off.
Despite rocking Romero a satellite Codebreaker and an insane avalanche Code Red, Stunt couldn’t put the big man down to stay. Romero caught Marko flying one more time from the top rope with a Black Hole Slam to give Romero the much-needed win in his first match in MLW.
Grade: Very good. Ace is a big man who can go, and Stunt will make you a believer.
If you were looking for surprises in this match, you’d have to keep looking. This match was your paint-by-numbers Big Guy vs Little Guy match, but with a Big Guy and a Little Guy who are unique to their categorizations. On paper, nobody would believe that Stunt would have a shot at defeating someone the size of Romero but both men did an excellent job of making you think that you could see an upset.
Romero moves around very well for a guy his size and not just to deliver his own moves. I don’t know the last time I’ve seen someone so large take an avalanche Code Red or some of Stunt’s other more dynamic moves as gracefully. He’s a bit of a contrast to the kind of big man Barrington Hughes is, and it will be a sight to behold when these two clash in Miami.