MLW Fusion 110 Recap: The Restart

MLW Fusion: The Restart has come. Ever since the pandemic, MLW had been running shows in Mexico and now they are back home. We are given a video package showcasing the history of Major League Wrestling and we go back to the days of MLW Underground during the WWE Reign of Terror. We see different styles of wrestling and fast-forwarding to things such as Battle Riot which was won by Tom Lawlor who then went on to defeat champion Low-Ki before focusing on the emergence of Contra Unit. We then see quick snippets of the Von Erich tag team consisting of Marshall and Ross Von Erich, Alexander Hammerstone becoming National Openweight Champion and claiming it’s now “Dynasty”, Davey Boy Smith Jr. winning the Opera Cup, and the attack on Contra Unit’s HQ.

Rich Bocchini and Jared St. Laurent are the commentators and they mention Hammerstone’s reign of dominance since winning the Openweight title. They mention the attack on Davey Boy Smith Jr by Contra Unit back in May during the MLW SuperSeries and run down the card which will be Davey vs Jacob Fatu for the MLW World Heavyweight belt, Brian Pillman Jr vs Myron Reed for the World Middleweight belt, and the bracket reveal for the 2020 Opera Cup.

1. Alexander Hammerstone vs Jason Dugan

This match was the quickest on the card for as soon as the bell rang, Hammerstone hit his opponent with a hard lariat and then hit the Nightmare Pendulum with a standing pinfall very reminiscent of Chris Jericho during his WCW run.

Winner: Alexander Hammerstone

Hammerstone then cut a post-match promo calling out Fatu saying it’s time to “stop running, and give the people what they want to see.”

We then cut to Middleweight champion Myron Reed referring to Pillman Jr as a roadblock and he mentions how he’s not “riding the coattails of his pappy’s generation” referring to Pillman. Cut to Pillman attacking Reed and Jordan Oliver with a chair before the commentary team runs down the key information.

2. Myron Reed (c) vs Brian Pillman Jr.

Pillman’s music hits and keeps playing while Bocchini and Laurent wonder what is going on whether or not it was mind games or another method of getting into Myron Reed’s head. Bocchini then receives word that Pillman does not want to come out and face Reed. They go to commercial before saying the title match with Reed will happen one way or another.

A “coming soon” video plays for former WWE star Lio Rush which got me excited seeing as how he did some good stuff in NXT. We then get some hype for the MLW Radio Network which includes Keeping It 100 with Konnan, The Raven Effect, Mind of the Meanie, University of Dutch, and Marty & Sarah Love Wrestling.

Pillman comes out to his music so it looks like we are going to have the originally scheduled match as promoted. The moment the match starts Pillman Jr hits Reed with a running shoulder tackle and proceeds to pepper him with punches. On the outside the two fight and Pillman Jr makes a poor decision to chop a man who has a chest protector on, The look on Reed’s face after is priceless. Reed then hits Pillman with a tope suicida and goes for another one but is ambushed by Pillman who connects with a running knee to the side of Reed’s head. A lot of near falls occur, with Pillman applying an abdominal stretch on Reed who then tries to roll up Pillman which is then countered into a surfboard stretch.

The takeaway of this match is both the targeting of Reed’s back by Pillman and the selling. A Myron Reed ax kick on Pillman leads to a diving uppercut. The two trade a series of forearms and Pillman finally hits successful chops after Reed takes off the chest protector. After they hit and collide with a crossbody, Reed gets a burst of energy as he does a beautiful drop down and enziguri combo. After hitting a dive back cutter off the ropes followed by a reverse suplex, Myron Reed almost wins the match and retains his title. After Pillman hits his knee against a conveniently placed chest protector, Reed hits his finishing maneuver Captain Crunch for the pinfall in eleven minutes and seventeen seconds.

Winner and still champion: Myron Reed

Post Match Promo: Reed says he wants to face Lio Rush and prove himself as the Young GOAT.

We then cut to Monterrey Mexico where Los Parks mention that they want to finish off Contra Unit and compete for MLW gold whether it is singles or tag team gold.

Contra Unit hijacks the feed and Josef Samael and Jacob Fatu focus on Davey Boy Smith Jr and how Fatu will be raising their flag and be victorious in his title defense. We then learn that Salina De La Renta was paid off by Contra Unit as their “insider” to get them control of MLW production equipment.

A video package showcasing the lineage of the Opera Cup and namedrop George Hackenschmidt, Stu Hart and others. Following the 2019 Opera Cup, the brackets for the 2020 edition was shown and it includes Rocky Romero, TJP, ACH, and more.

Alternates for the Opera Cup include Gino Medina, Jordan Oliver, Hijo de LA Park, Dominic Garrini, Daga, and King MO.

Davey Boy Smith Jr mentions that the road to recovery was rough and tough. He trained with Josh Barnett, Kazushi Sakuraba, and Tiger Mask. He takes a trip down memory lane to 2004 when he and TJ Wilson (Tyson Kidd), made a huge impact. He says the title is his destiny and tells Jacob Fatu when he gets in the ring with Smith, he gets in the ring with Mr. Destiny.

We then go to the Von Erichs with their father the legendary Kevin Von Erich who says Court Bauer was a student of Gary Hart who was another legend of the wrestling business.

We then see a montage of MLW champions before going to the tale of the tape.

3. Jacob Fatu (c) vs Davey Boy Smith Jr.

After multiple lockups, Smith Jr gets Fatu in a headlock and works him down to the mat followed by shoulder tackles by both that don’t take either one down, which is then followed by a well-executed power slam by Smith Jr. There is then a headbutt from Fatu to Smith Jr that the latter completely no-sells. Davey then proceeds to wear down Fatu with the headbutts. Following a delayed vertical suplex, Smith Jr gets his back assaulted by Fatu. This is continued with Fatu picking up Smith and dropping him on his back with a scoop slam.

The commentators address Fatu’s routinely quick matches and his stamina. The Samoan Werewolf gets Davey Boy Jr in a torture rack but it doesn’t last long. After Jacob Fatu misses a splash, Davey gets his second wind and hits a leg drop brother, brother. Another near fall for Bull Dog after a Saito suplex. Bull Dog goes for a running power slam but is unable to execute it due to the damage he has taken to his back. Fatu hits a kick to Davey’s lower back, hits a Samoan Drop, and follows through with a moonsault off the top rope. 1-2-3 and the match is over at ten minutes and twenty-two seconds.

Winner and still champion: Jacob Fatu

Post-match promo: Fatu calls out Hammerstone who then comes out only to BE taken out by the mask-wearing “black hand” of Contra.

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You can watch MLW: The Restart here, read my last recap of MLW here.