MLW Fusion Results, Highlights, and Grades: Hart Retains Middleweight Title

World Middleweight Title: Teddy Hart (c) vs MJF

Not to be confined to a tiny box in the corner of the screen, MJF delivered his pre-match promo in the ring and on the mic. He ran down the crowd and the history of the building, claiming that anyone who liked ECW was white trash. I felt attacked.

MJF segued into his opponent with “Speaking of white trash…” and railed against Teddy Hart for not having beaten him for the World Middleweight Title. He said that he was the real World Middleweight Champion and challenged Hart to fight this one without any backup, leaving the rest of The Hart Foundation in the locker room.

Hart looked for a handshake before the match which MJF predictably refused. He instead pie-faced Hart to the displeasure of the crowd. Hart and MJF took turns posing on the ropes with MJF appalled that the crowd would boo him and cheer Hart. As Hart played to the crowd some more, the challenger jumped him from behind to begin the match.

MJF was able to do what most haven’t been able to do for the majority of the match and ground Hart. By focusing on the head and neck of the champion with a headlock, MJF prevented Hart from flying from every conceivable rope, turnbuckle, and ledge in the building.

Hart did find a way to hit his slew of trademark moves after avoiding contact with MJF in the corner. The champion made contact with a Code Red, powerbomb lungblower, and springboard moonsault in quick succession but MJF was able to kick out.

After fighting back with a rope-assisted piledriver, MJF nearly earned a tapout victory with a deep Fujiwara armbar. To add insult to injury, MJF crammed the fingers of Hart into his mouth and gnawed on the digits of the champion away from the watchful eyes of the referee.

With Hart seated on the top rope, MJF looked to bring Hart down to the mat the hard way to try to seal victory. Hart, ever crafty, paused MJF’s momentum by giving him a wedgie (yes, you read that correctly) before delivering a super Canadian Destroyer. Unfortunately for Hart, the momentum of the move sent MJF into the referee.

Hart dropped MJF with a hammerlock DDT, but with an unconscious referee he was unable to finish the match. As Hart tended to the ref, MJF exited the ring and brought a chair inside. Hart blocked the attempt by the challenger to use the chair, then used it himself, before delivering an electric chair lungblower and corckscrew senton for the three.

How Was It? It was a fine match, but I continue to find Teddy Hart exhausting. For me, he spends far too much time stalling and talking to the crowd in between moves. It simply makes it feel like things are dragging on far too long. I also wasn’t a huge fan of the multiple wedgies throughout the match which just made MJF look foolish.

I would have been much more excited for a second title run with MJF, though with his association with AEW I’m not sure how long we’ll continue to see him in MLW. Hopefully, like the Lucha Bros, he’ll continue to appear for the promotion.

During the commentary for the match, Rich very briefly mentioned that Aria Blake had “extorted” MJF which was, perhaps, a way to write off their relationship? If so, it’s a bit of a lame way to end a fun pairing and if not then I’m not really sure what they were trying to get at.

After the match, Kaci Lennox attempted to interview Hart backstage but he was jumped by Richard Holliday. MJF soon joined him and the well-to-do pair put the boots to Hart all over the backstage area. The show went off the air with the duo walking away with their heads held high and Hart rolling around on the floor in agony.