Tonight on MLW Fusion presented by www.newlawoffice.com, Savio Vega looks to settle a score that’s been a year in the making as he faces Richard Holliday to determine the rightful owner of the IWA Puerto Rico Caribbean Championship. As much as Holliday claims he secured the title by all rightful means, the tape tells something different. Now they’ll be literally no escape as the two men will be connected to combat in a Caribbean Strap Match!
Speaking of scores to settle, CONTRA has a major one with Jordan Oliver and Myron Reed of Injustice as both men surprised Jacob Fatu and Daivari last week with an ambush at the entryway. This angered Josef Samael so much that he cut the feed nearly as Fusion began to air to make clear that they have soldiers lurking everywhere in the shadows and this isn’t the Daivari of old, but a man reborn. That in turn, means a fatal mistake for Myron and Jordan. We happen to fire Fusion off with contest for the AAA Cruiserweight Championship!
MATCH 1
AAA Cruiserweight Championship
Zenshi vs. Laredo Kid (c)
Bell rings and the two exchange a quick handshake before locking up. Both men take their turns in backing one another in the corner before they exchange headlocks and front chanceries. Very much a feeling out process between the two and Zenshi shows a lot of movement to elude the champion, but does get a slam in.
Laredo avoids some lock-up attempts by Zenshi but can’t escape a tilt-a-whirl slam. This sends LK to the outside. Zenshi knocks him hard off the apron before vaulting himself off with standing shooting star press!
Zenshi sends LK back into the ring to hit a slingshot senton for two. Key lock manuever by Zenshi, but LK hoists him into a fireman’s carry. Zenshi shakes free and hits him hard with an elbow. LK however finds solace with a shotgun dropkick from up top!
Zenshi tries to sweep the legs on the apron but Laredo avoids. He leaps off top to the outside with a moonsault, misses, rolls through and hits Zenshi hard with a Michinoku Driver!
He then punctuates it with a 450 splash off the apron! The 20 count gets to 15 as Laredo Kid sends Zenshi back in for the cover: 1-2-nope.
LK loosens Zenshi up with some kicks before nailing another Michinoku Driver. That sets Zenshi up to get a moonsault from the second rope. That connects but a second one allows Zenshi to get his knees up! He fights Laredo off in the corner and hits a somersault senton from up. He plants Laredo Kid for a spinning cross body and and another shooting star press for two!
The two trade hard elbows but Zenshi fires back with some kicks and that includes a Pele. Laredo is a little dazed, but Laredo runs right through with a Code Red DDT. He almost gets the victory, but Zenshi gets a foot on the ropes.
Laredo ascends, but a kick and super snapmare off the top gets a near fall for Zenshi. Zenshi also tries to ascend, but the two duke and grapple it out. The bttle for position continues and Laredo Kid leaps off with a full body Spanish Fly and it’s good enough for the 1-2-3!
WINNER and STILL AAA Cruiserweight Champion: Laredo Kid
LK calls himself the best cruiserweight in the world. He wants to be a double champion in MLW and calls out Lio Rush and his Middleweight Title. Nothing will stop him.
We see The Young GOAT, Myron Reed. He doesn’t forget. All that pain and humiliation made him feel stronger and turned him into a whole new beast. CONTRA started the evolution of Myron Reed and rest assured, he will get his Justice.
Pro Wrestling Illustrated‘s Top 10:
(10) ACH (9) Daivari (8) Myron Reed (7) Mil Muertes (6) Richard Holliday (5) Mads Krugger (4) Lio Rush (3) Low Ki (2) Tom Lawlor (1) Alexander Hammerstone (Note: LA Park has been removed as he’s officially entered the tag team division)
After Salina de la Renta stacked the deck against The Von Erichs, Los Parks has firm control of the World Tag Team Titles after what was basic thievery, installing “Filthy” Tom as the official for the bout.
We see the legendary Kevin Von Erich. He talks to his two boys Ross and Marshall about channeling their anger and frustration into something hard work and no better way to do that than a little landscaping in Hawaii. He’s been exactly where they were and knows that it’s all about perseverence. Ross notes that Tom Lawlor has set up camp nearby for Filthy Island. They have a lot of unfinished business with Lawlor. Once they do that, it’s back on the beam to battle Los Parks to get the belts they unrightfully lost.
We do see the new Tag Team Champions in LA Park and El Hijo de LA Park. The Destroyer thanks the new owner of Promociones Dorado (whoever that may be) for the opportunity to win the titles. They run down Violence Is Forever as a bunch of idiots, but wish them the best of luck against TJP and Bu Ku Dao as the two fight for the rights to the number one contendership next week.
Moments ago, Gino is outside the arena to watch tonight’s main event and see Richard Holliday get cracked by that whip.
The sure to be bruising Baklei Brawl between Hammerstone and Mads Krugger is just a week away. CONTRA released another propaganda video to the League in which the “The Black Hand” makes clear that he is living in preparation to have the type of fight that will live in Hammerstone’s nightmares for eternity.
Tom Lawlor makes clear that he didn’t have anything to do with ACH getting injured. He probably just realized that he just wasn’t championship material. Perhaps the League should’ve put the 2020 Opera Cup Champion in the mix, but he digresses. Everybody is gonna learn a lesson soon enough, much like The Von Erichs did when they lost the Tag Team Titles.
Rich Bocchini does note that word has broken about Lawlor’s Filthy Island having financial issues after the scandal dealing with ACH’s presumed attack. That included Reebok, Stephen P. New and others.
MATCH 2
Violence Is Forever (Kevin Ku & Dominic Garrini) vs. Bu Ku Dao & TJP
Bu Ku Dao is under the tutledge of TJP and they look like a worthy tag team against Violence Is Forever. Garrini and Dao start the bout off. Garrini flings Dao like a rag doll and The Bone Collector drops down to canvas to lure Dao in.
It works as Garrini begins the mat game before flinging Dao once again. Dao, ever resilient, is determined to stay in. Garrini crawls over to tag Ku all while having Dao in a triangle. Dao does find a window of offense against Ku with a hurricanrana and controls the pace with a front chancery. Snap suplex and a tag to TJP. TJP uses Dao to hit a rolling senton, but it’s only good for a one count.
Garrini talks trash as TJP feels it out with Ku. An octopus pin attempt only gets a two, but TJP body slams him before tagging back in Dao. He uses Dao a weapon to splash on top of Ku, but Ku again kicks out at one. Dao tries to keep Ku grounded, but Garrini gets the tag and VIF hit a European uppercut into a German combo.
Back in control. Garrini headlock takedowns Dao and wears the smaller fighter down. He tags back in Ku and he fires away with some sharp elbow to the neck. Garrini gets the tag again and fiercely chops Dao down.
Garrini taunts TJP with the hand of Dao and it gets the better of TJP’s temper. This distracts the focus of the ref and allows Ku to choke Dao in the corner. Dom snapmares Dao down before the two hit a backbreaker lariat combo.
Ku comes in for the cover, but just a two count occurs. Dao finds the opportunity with a crucifix and sure enough tags in TJP. Tornado DDT to Ku and lariats to Garrini before he gets dropped with a dropkick. An armdrag with headscissors takes out both men and TJP delivers several front chancery throw to Kevin Ku.
TJP goes up top, but Garrini shoves him off hard. He has to tag in Dao. Dao comes in and locks in a crossface. TJP locks in a standing octopus, but Dom pulls himself over on top of Dao and Ku to break it all up. All men are down. Ku gets to his feet and Dao gets a dropkick. Ku kicks away at Dao. Dom hits a high knee on TJP. VIF go for a double team, but TJP shoves Dom into Ku after the brainbuster attempt. Dao comes off the ropes to flatline Ku and TJP comes off the top with a frog splash. Dao covers and it’s good enough for the W!
WINNERS and #1 Contenders For The Tag Team Titles: Bu Ku Dao & TJP
TJP gets on the mic. He says it’s a new year and a new him. He tells Bu Ku to follow his lead because next week they’re taking a stroll in Los Parks.
We see King Mo. He notes that he is the man that beat down Low Ki. He’s worried about Ki. He’s seen head trauma in boxing and in MMA. He pleads for the doctors to not allow Low Ki to compete. He wants MLW to ban this man “ASAP.” “The King has spoken.”
Richard Holliday has done some research on that Caribbean Strap Match. He went back to watch that classic bout between Savio and Steve Austin 30 years ago. Tonight isn’t going to be a classic. It’s going to be a true Caribbean crime. Each and every time he connects that 30-year-old strap to Savio’s back, he wants him to remember that he’s at fault. Tonight he’s going to find out why he will never get over him.
MAIN EVENT
Caribbean Strap Match
Caribbean Heavyweight Championship
Richard Holliday vs. Savio Vega (c)
Savio makes clear he is ready for battle and the Caribbean Title is coming back to Puerto Rico. Bell rings and Richard immediately runs to touch the corners. He makes it to three, but Savio forces him to the middle of the ring and makes him feel the wrath of the strap around his neck (“rareified air” indeed). Savio, a veteran at this game paces himself at getting to the four corners and almost does so, but Holliday shows his tenacity.
He whips away at Savio before he hits three corners, but instead of the fourth he meets Savio’s elbow. Savio stomps away at Rich in the corner. He wears him down enough and gets to two corners tapped. Holliday thwarts any sort of progression with a thumb to the eye. Savio has that Puerto Rican resilience and gives Rich a back body drop.
He sends Holliday to the outside and finds the strap wrapped around his ankle. Holliday brews up the idea to hang Savio on the top rope and it allows Rich to leap off the top with a rolling lariat. He gets to his feet, taps one corner, taps two, three, but Savio pulls and prevents Holliday from reaching. He flips him inside out. Savio taps one, two, three and goes for the final one. Holliday touches a corner of his own. He then taps another. It’s a tug of war and Savio clotheslines Rich down. He ties Rich around the neck once more. Savio whips away at Holliday and then hogties him. Savio walks him around to tap three corners, but Rich uses his legs to monkey flip Savio away from victory.
Holliday backs Vega into the corner and pulls him in for a lariat. Holliday instinctively goes for a pin attempt and it is assuredly precious time wasted. Nonetheless he gets two corners and does get three, but it’s all halted when both men lariat one another. The referee begins counting for a double knockout. Savio taps a corner, Rich taps the same who continues to shadow Savio around the ring. Both men make it to three and as Savio goes to hit the final corner, the official stands in his way. He won’t move and Vega has to physically remove the ref from his path. As he does that Holliday slithers in and taps the final corner. The impeding official calls for the bell!
WINNER and OFFICIAL Caribbean Heavyweight Champion: Richard Holliday
Post-match, the referee bails out with Holliday as Savio is perplexed at the deceitful outcome. Alicia Atout makes sure to catch Rich with the crooked referee backstage. She asks him about the controversy. He sees no controversy. Especially with “Tim” calling it all down the middle. Savio runs in to break up the interview before the two make a run for it!