MLW Fusion Results, Highlights, and Grades: Hart Retains Middleweight Title
MJF is out for revenge and retribution as he attempts to reclaim the MLW World Middleweight Title he never officially lost. Can Friedman reclaim the title from new champion Teddy Hart?
After The Hart Foundation won the World Tag Team Titles from The Lucha Bros, MJF confronted the trio amidst their celebration. MJF and Teddy Hart traded barbs before Hart let him know that anytime he wanted him, he knew where to find him.
MJF officially laid out the challenge to Hart which was accepted, leading us to our main event of the evening. We’ll also see the debut of Alexander Hammerstone plus up-and-comer Ace Austin battles Rich Swann in Middleweight Division action!
The Hart Foundation Is… Charming?
Before we got into a match, another snippet of H2tv kicked the night off. Davey Boy Smith Jr was the focus of the clip which centered around his love of all these Japanese. DBS’ Twitter presence may be a bit cringey at times as he very heavy-handedly professes his love for Asian culture, but he was downright adorable in this clip.
DBS talked about the custom-made shirt he was wearing, which he had made in Japan, and discussed the low crime rate the country boasts. He spoke a little Japanese to close out the clip.
How Was It? Davey Boy was remarkably likable and relatable in this. In fact, this was the only time I’ve ever felt connected to this iteration of The Hart Foundation yet. He comes off as having the excitement of a child about the things he loves and that energy is pretty infectious. If the H2tv clips aired on Fusion were more of this type of thing, I could probably find myself more a fan of the trio than I currently find myself.
Champion Becomes Challenger
Salina de la Renta provided comments surrounding the World Heavyweight Title picture. She reviewed her contracts and revealed that, to the surprise of nobody who has watched professional wrestling in the last 30 years, Low Ki has a contractually obligated rematch for the World Heavyweight Title.
This served as the official challenge to new champion Tom Lawlor for Intimidation Games in Chicago on March 2. Before parting, Salina promised that she would see to it that what happened to Kotto Brazil would happen to Tom Lawlor. She then used the brim of her floppy hat to cover her eyes, mocking the eyepatch worn by Brazil.
How Was It? As usual, Salina is best in these situations than in-ring. She tends to come off way more conversational and like a real human being, and the bit with her hat covering her eyes at the end was pretty funny. Another recent clip between Salina and Ricky Martinez was similarly enjoyable because she seemed more comfortable and off the cuff. More of this!