We’ve finally reached MLW Fusion #100! You’re caught up on all the happenings in Major League Wrestling for February and now we’re in March. It can be hard to keep up with MLW since there’s so much wrestling available now and MLW Fusion can fly under the radar. 
The intro is interrupted by CONTRA Unit’s ace, the MLW World Champion, Jacob Fatu—the best Fatu since Umaga. Yeah, I said it. He’s defending the title against CIMA and said that he is going murderize him! This is what I call a power promo: short but punchy.
Let’s take a look at the card for MLW Fusion #100.
MLW Fusion #100 Card
Davey Boy Smith Jr vs. Erick Stevens
Jimmy Havoc vs. Brian Pillman Jr
MLW World Heavyweight Title: Jacob Fatu [c] vs. CIMA
Davey Boy Smith Jr vs. Erick Stevens
Erick Stevens comes out with a new member of Team Filthy, Kit Osbourne. “Filthy” Tom Lawlor joins Rich Bocchini and AJ Kirsch on commentary. During Davey Boy Smith Jr’s entrance, we get a short interview where he says that he will defeat Erick Stevens and that he has something for the other members of Team Filthy.
This was a very good match. Erick Stevens is 2-0 for strong matches while Davey Boy Smith Jr is just good. He didn’t impress me in WWE at all but in New Japan and Major League Wrestling, Smith has really shone. It’s amazing he was in WWE’s system for five years. A two-time Tag Team champion and I barely remember his time with the company.
At any rate, there was a lot of good stuff in this bout. Even offense, Stevens mixing cheap tactics with straight-up wrestling, and Davey Boy showcasing his power and mat ability. His stalling vertical suplex was basic but very nice. Things were stiff at times as well. This is what a big MLW match should be—but it was near the beginning of MLW Fightland.
The match ends after he scores the Calgary Stampede powerslam and delivers a very textbook but clean Diving Headbutt.
Davey Boy Smith Jr def. Erick Stevens via Diving Headbutt
After the match, Dominic Garrini runs up into Smith’s face and the two jaw at each other. Could Garrini be his next challenge from Team Filthy? Is Davey Boy going to go through Team Filthy and eventually face Lawlor? The possibilities!
Promo Central on MLW Fusion!
It’s time for several promos back to back on MLW Fusion! I don’t know, episode 99 spaced them out better but whatever. Atlas Security isn’t allowing Injustice into the 2300 Arena. That’s a thing in MLW: people being barred from entering. Jimmy Havoc tells us that he loves pain and is addicted to it. That’s his thing. He says Pillman will feel pain tonight and that it’s his fault.
Low Ki was showing up at the venue and kept it short and sweet. He says that MMA fighter King Mo is going to have his hands full with him.
Low Ki is triple tough now but imagine having to deal with tough but ridiculously nimble 20-something Low Ki. King Mo is still green but the Lone Wolf of Brooklyn can’t sleep on the former amateur wrestling champion. Both have won championships around the world in their respective sports and Low Ki has a severe experience advantage. The one thing King Mo has on Low Ki is that he was never Kaval.
L.A Park is the “Mercenary of Wrestling”! He gives a brief promo about how he’s too big of a wrestler to deal with, that he’s a free agent, and this gem:
Glorious. I want this on a shirt. These are those #LifeGoals.
Brian Pillman Jr vs. Jimmy Havoc
Pillman vs. Havoc was a solid bout. Havoc used a lot of cheap moves including a few blows to the back of the head. We need more of that from our heels today. He did some wrestling with Pillman but mainly brought a brawling offense. Brian Pillman Jr was all high energy but also met him with some technical wrestling.
It was your classic babyface flyer/technician against a brawling heel. Jimmy Havoc’s valet—Priscilla Kelly—got involved several times but her offense was all as Pillman dropped Havoc with a neckbreaker variation—look at me being all WWE announcer, here.
Kelly attempted to space Pillman on this…somewhat lazy pin but he moves allowing Havoc to get squashed. He heads onto the apron and pulls down the rope as Kelly rushed in then caught Havoc with the Air Pillman for the win.
Brian Pillman Jr def. Jimmy Havoc via Air Pillman
After the match, he gives the most babyface of babyface promos about how he was now competiting in the middleweight division and would be taking the MLW World Middleweight title from Myron Reed—that is if Reed retains against Laredo Kid next week.
The heel groups in MLW have so many enemies. Usually, a heel faction will target one person or a face alliance but not here.
Here, Have A Scoop of Promos
We get another episode of Lifestyles of the Rich and Dynastic! Richard Holliday is talking to MJF and telling him about their trip to the Caribbean. There is a bit of a jab where Hammerstone asks how MJF was and Holliday says “I guess he’s doing OK.” They’re discussing how much prestige Holliday brought to IWA Puerto Rico’s Caribbean title.
In the next episode, Dynasty member Gino Medina has a match against Mance Warner—excuse me, OL’ MANCER. Dynasty is talking about how filthy my boy is. Slanderous. This flows into an interview with Ol’ Mancer about how he’s going to put the boots to Medina.
Yeah, this war between Dynasty and Team Mance isn’t over by a long shot. Finally, we get Josef Samael, the leader of CONTRA Unit. He’s talking about how his group is ready for war and will bring terror to MLW. Same stuff, different Saturday, still solid.
Samael is really good as a mouthpiece and he was solid as a wrestler. Really excelled as a brawler when he was The Almighty Sheik. His team with Jacob Fatu would’ve been big in MLW’s tag ranks but this version of the duo as the Samoan Werewolf and violence merchant works extremely well.
MLW World Heavyweight Title: Jacob Fatu [c] vs. CIMA
CIMA entered the MLW ring in an attempt to take the belt off of Jacob Fatu. Pity, Fatu ran through Major League Wrestling so viciously that the company had to bring in an outsider to try to take the belt. You hate to see it.
No one dominated the match but it was oddly paced. Fatu was all power, CIMA took a crafty mat approach. He first tried to throw Jacob Fatu off and gas him by running around the ring and the outside. When he had the chance, he’d attack and slap on a submission or hit him with a quick strike. The one thing that really stood out from this match was how ugly that Samoan Drop was towards the end.
It wasn’t even impactful ugly, just botched adjacent. Fatu follows this up with another moonsault for the victory.
Jacob Fatu def. CIMA via Moonsault ~ 5th Defense
The main event was fine. You expect length from the main event title match and this was a nice length bout. It was lacking in some areas but it wasn’t bad. I can’t exactly put my finger on it. Jacob Fatu is a favorite and I was a big CIMA fan during his Toryumon run as the leader of Crazy Max.
It couldn’t simply be old age since CIMA wrestled this match as he always has since the mid-2000s and Fatu’s straight forward style is hard to clash with. That moonsault is the only piece of razzle-dazzle he has. Something was just off here.
After the match, CONTRA Unit comes out with a body bag and stretcher. The MLW World Heavyweight champion puts CIMA in the body bag and CONTRA carries him off.
Must-Watch from MLW Fusion #100: Davey Boy Smith Jr vs. Erick Stevens
This match was as close to aces as I’ve seen from MLW Fusion in several episodes. You could just watch this match and the promos and be satisfied. I’m vaguely familiar with Stevens from his time with Ring of Honor but I’m really enjoying what I’m seeing of him in Major League Wrestling.
Smith has been on a roll after winning the Opera Cup this year so the company definitely has big plans for him this year. Watch out Jacob Fatu!
Here’s the card for MLW Fusion #101. These matches with AAA talent haven’t been billed as “interpromotional fights.”
MLW Fusion #101 Card
Interpromotional Fight: Killer Kross vs. Tom Lawlor
MLW World Middleweight Title: Myron Reed [c] vs. Laredo Kid
Mance Warner vs. Gino Medina
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