‘MLW: Fusion’ Wrestling Review (June 29th 2019)
Welcome to this week’s Major League Wrestling: Fusion review, right here on Nerdly. I’m Nathan Favel and MLW forgot/neglected to do a recap of their own, so you’ll just be hearing from me again. Hell with it. We’ll do just fine. By the way, Austin Aries makes his big return to MLW and he does it, right now…
Match #1: Austin Aries beat Adam Brooks
My Opinion: 3.5 out of 5 – They actually gave this time to flourish. This was an excellent introduction for both men, but it was all about Aries here. Aries dominated the wrestling and dictated the pace and purpose of every-thing you saw. Looking fitter and more agile than ever, he took his controversial drawing powers and poured them into the forge of Major League Wrestling and helped craft a bout that will serve as a weapon against any-one that doubts his abilities or the potential of MLW to promote quality matches in a limited amount of time. Brooks worked hard to enjoy the benefits of debuting in the same ring as the returning Aries by keeping his wrestling from feeling stagnant or cumbersome. This was a match rife with the kind of creative spark that ignites every match surrounding it on the card and I think you’ll feel that watching it.
Did that look like I knew what I was saying? This is what happens when the league doesn’t write their own recap. I have to chuck enough words on the page to make it look like I can actually write. As far as this match goes, you can bet that this was a success for both athletes, like Inside Out was for Pixar, but not mustaches. See, I’m still stupid. You can’t be disappointed in a idiot like me if I stick my hand in a paper bag and call it el presidente. Maybe I should have stopped when I sounded smart? Anyway, Austin Aries may be a bit of an acquired taste when it comes to his personality, but he is one of the best in wrestling, while Adam Brooks may just have a chance to be up there with the best too, if he keeps performing like he did here.
Match #2: Jacob Fatu beat Ariel Dominguez & Sam Black – Handicap Match
My Opinion: 1 out of 5 – This was one of those lousy squash matches that wastes two guys to mildly benefit one. Just run in the other direction and you’ll be fine, but the same could be said about my reviews.
Match #3: (Main Event) Josef Samael beat Tom Lawlor (disqualification)
My Opinion: 3 out of 5 – This was too short for a match featuring the World Champion, but it worked for what it was meant to do and made for a nice continuation of the Lawlor/Contra Unit feud. This was good for the action you got, but it sure would have been nice to have had a more ambitious match than just one that was booked to build toward a brawl at the end of the show. Make no mistake about what I mean here. This was some fine wrestling, but it was just stifled by predicament of not being allowed to be more than a commercial for some-thing else.
News Of The Night:
- Austin Aries challenged Teddy Hart to an MLW Middle-Weight Title Match after making subtle insults against World Wrestling Entertainment and All Elite Wrestling for “not having the magic” (likely because both companies present a variety show vibe, albeit one greatly more than the other). Aries is presenting himself as the great magician of wrestling, which might work, considering he has made lame gimmicks work before.
- Alexander Hammerstone is being teased as turning on MJF and Richard Holliday for being rich and arrogant during their promo where they still flaunted the MLW Middle-Weight Title belt.
- Savio Vega is on his way to MLW.
- Mance Warner is feuding with Promociones Dorado and wants to destroy Promociones Dorado.
- Contra Unit brawled with The Von Erichs and Tom Lawlor to end the show.
- “The Jim Cornette Experience” happen next week with Salina de la Renta as its guest, unless I’m missing some-thing here.
- Myron Reed fights Rey Horus, next week.
- Tom Lawlor fights Jacob Fatu for the MLW World Heavyweight Championship, next week.
Final Verdict: 3/5
If you don’t like Austin Aries, then you’ll likely hate this show, since he dominated the first half of it. The wrestling was good when given the chance to do so and the build toward the next set of matches was enough to get you to come back, but it was a bit lazy as well.
