This week’s MLW Fusion was taped in Philadelphia as part of the SuperFight and Battle Riot tapings earlier this year.
After Christian Cole called the Super Series the last two weeks, Matt Striker returned to join the ever-present Joe Dombrowski at the announcers' table.
The Azteca Lucha faction (John Hennigan, Sam Adonis and Taya Valkyrie) cut a backstage promo. Adonis called out Mance Warner after he eliminated him from the Battle Riot match while Valkyrie laughed at the thought of Delmi Exo coming for her and her Featherweight title. They will face off next week.
Delmi Exo defeated B3CCA
Ahead of the title match next week, B3CCA must have read the writing on the wall as she came out of the blocks early with a combination of dropkicks, strikes and extravagant taunting. She even went as far as to cartwheel handspring into a simple slap which only seemed to fire Exo up.
She kicked B3CCA in the head and dropped her headfirst with a sit-out fisherman's buster. B3CCA hit a springboard stunner for a close two count and got her in the Muta Lock and a single crab.
However, the number one contender used her smarts to roll and cause B3CCA to miss a top rope moonsault. This gave Exo the opening she needed for her Delmi Driver package piledriver to pick up the win before her big title shot next week.
This was a good short match and another nice showcase for the women’s division.
- The Mane Event (Jay Lyon & Midas Black) cut a heartfelt, feel-good interview where they spoke out of character about their inspirations (House of Glory and Amazing Red) while we saw true backstage moments from their MLW debut. This felt different and was a very nice package to give the impression they will be in for a strong push soon.
- Sam Leterna interviewed Willie Mack who wasn’t willing to give up any secrets ahead of his Openweight title shot against John Hennigan.
1 Called Manders defeated Yoscifer El
El is an interesting character. Billed from “three to five thousand years ago,” he is a berzerker crossed with a White Walker crossed with Bruiser Brody crossed with a Genghis Khan character. Manders’ character is a bit more straightforward: a country-tough man of the Midwest.
This was a great big hoss fight filled with hard shots and slams with both men using their bodies to ram into each other. As good as it was, it was short-lived as Manders hit El with a big lariat to get the win.
- Ahead of his MLW title match with Alex Hammerstone at Never Say Never on July 8th, Alex Kane was eager to explain of all the injustices he has suffered: being number one in the Battle Riot, his National Openweight championship loss, and being left out of the Opera Cup tournament. He turned it on Court Bauer and told him the Bomaye Fight Club is for the people and he will bring a revolution to wrestling.
At the end of the show, the cameras caught up with Hammerstone who said Kane is talking like he is looking for an excuse and an easy escape for their title match. He thinks Kane is looking for either a cheap cash in or an injury to grant him the win because there is no way he will be a man and step up to a fair one-on-one contest.
- Taya Valkyrie again laughed off Delmi Exo’s chances of beating her next week, making fun of her name and saying she has beaten people all over USA and Mexico and it will be the same next week.
- Timothy Thatcher vs. Tracy Williams was announced for Never Say Never.
MLW National Openweight Champion John Hennigan (w/ Taya Valkyrie) defeated Willie Mack to retain the title
Mack got his shot after he disclosed that he may know the whereabouts of Cesar Duran, blackmailing his way into the match.
Mack put a stop to Hennigan’s early efforts with a massive pounce. Hennigan had to get dirty to get the real advantage where he could then use his array of kicks and strikes to slow Mack down.
After a slap to the face and trying to use Valkyrie as a human shield, Hennigan was on the end of a rampaging Mack who chopped his way into an advantage. But the resourceful Hennigan hit a desperation jawbreaker and a springboard kick to get right back into the match.
Hennigan hit his swinging neckbreaker Moonlight Drive for a close two count as Sam Adonis (at the announcers' table) speculated that Duran will return in no time and make everything great again in MLW.
Hennigan went to the top rope, but took too long which allowed Mack to crotch him. Mack then joined Hennigan, but the crafty Hennigan was again able to trip him and make him crash to the mat.
The confidence was growing in Hennigan but that came crashing down as well when Mack dodged Starship Pain. Mack then exploded into a comeback with strikes and a red-hot pendulum slam. He then hoisted Hennigan up with ease for a Samoan drop, a kip-up and a standing moonsault for a crowd erupting close two count.
Hennigan slipped behind and struck him with a forearm to the back of the head, but Mack came back with a big pop-up forearm of his own.
Mack had a visual three count after his running step-up kick, but Valkyrie distracted the referee. Hennigan then accidentally kicked Valkyrie off the apron, distracting the referee again. It looked like Adonis was going to interfere and knock Mack out with the belt, but the challenger thwarted the heels' antics and stunnered Adonis out of the ring.
Mack then hit a pop-up sit-out power bomb for a close two count that got a “this is awesome” chant from the crowd.
The heels still had one trick left up their sleeve. Hennigan kept his title belt in the ring and after a sunset flip, he made the referee get rid of it. As the referee’s back was turned, Valkyrie hit Mack in the back of his head with her title belt to give her man the tainted win and successful title defense.
Next week:
- MLW Featherweight Champion Taya Valkyrie defends against Delmi Exo
- MLW Middleweight Champion Lince Dorado defends against AKIRA and Lio Rush in a three-way
- An update on Jacob Fatu’s injury status and news on his return
More must-reads: