MLW Fusion Results, Highlights, and Grades: Filthy’s Revenge
Konnan’s Home-Field Advantage
In a pre-taped segment, Konnan spoke from the streets of Miami to explain to Low Ki why having the home-field advantage will be a boon to Konnan’s attempt to capture the MLW World Heavyweight TItle next week. With 17 World Titles to his credit across various promotions, Konnan wants to add one more by ending Low Ki’s unprecedented 14-year undefeated streak in the promotion.
Konnan explained that while Miami is his hometown, he hasn’t wrestled there often and has never competed for a World Title in the city. For the legend, winning the MLW World Heavyweight Title in Miami would mean the world – and doing it at the expense of Low Ki and Salina de la Renta would be the icing on the cake.
Grade: Good Good Stuff. Konnan is always fun berating someone on the mic, but this helped show a more human side of him.
Konnan and Salina de la Renta trade barbs on the mic every week as they run one another down, but this short piece helps humanize Konnan more than cracking jokes at the expense of his adversaries. We find out the real-life motivations for Konnan to compete in MLW and especially for competing in Miami for the MLW World Heavyweight Title. This was a great way to showcase Konnan as the absolute babyface of babyfaces against the domineering Promociones Dorado.
Andrew Everett vs Dezmond Xavier
Everett had been slated for the World Middleweight Title Ladder Match last week but was pulled from the contest without an explanation on Fusion for his removal. This week, he finally made his debut against a man who did compete in the ladder match, Dezmond Xavier.
As with many Middleweight division matches, these two went move for move early on in the contest. After catching Everett charging in the corner, Xavier clocked him with a superkick into the turnbuckles before connecting with a variation of the 619 wrapping around the ring post to nail Everett with a pair of boots to the face.
The latter half of the match fell apart pretty quickly as it seemed like a series of miscommunications led to some awkward collisions and moments. In the end, Xavier connected with a backflip kick to the header of Everett as he ascended to the top rope. Everett went flying into the ring and Xavier followed with a corkscrew senton for the victory.
Grade: Unfortunately Awkward. Something didn’t seem to gel between these two and it hurt the match.
After the 619 around the ring post, it felt like the wheels came off of this one. With a couple of clumsy spots in the corner and what felt like general miscommunications between the two, the second half of the match really hurt what was a fine first half. Xavier picking up the win is fine as he’s already been a featured part of MLW, but I don’t think either man came out looking particularly great here.