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UnWrest (MLW, 12/25/18)- Christmas Day Special


Apparently, over Christmas Day, MLW had a special on Christmas Day. While I was tempted to skip this episode, the completist in me wants to check this out and write a review. So, without further ado...


MLW Thoughts (Christmas Day Special)
- The first match sees a No DQ match between Brody King and PCO. The ironic thing about all this is that both King and PCO have left MLW and are now working for ROH. So this was obviously taped prior to these big contract signings. Things pick up quickly as PCO dives through the ropes into King on the floor. King and PCO continue to brawl around the ring. King introduces a steel chair into the match, cracking it over the back of PCO. Cannonball into a seated PCO on a chair!!! PCO responds moments later with a DDT on the concrete floor. A couple moments later, PCO puts King on a table and climbs the stairs in the audience up to a balcony! SENTON SPLASH MISSES KING BUT PUTS PCO THROUGH A TABLE!
King now throws a piece of guard rail into the ring! PCO and King now start brawling in the ring. PCO gets backdropped into the guardrail set up in the corner! PCO is put on the top of the corner. King climbs up but is sent off. King grabs the referee while he is down. PCO MOONSAULTS THE REFEREE, THANKS TO KING! Piledriver to PCO by King. No one is there to count. A new ref comes in and counts to 2 only. King goes under the ring and introduces a bunch of steel chairs into the ring. King sets up a bed of chairs, but PCO CHOKESLAMS HIM ON IT! 1-2-3! PCO wins. An ugly ugly hardcore match, but it was entertaining. I'll give them that. So, I can't hate the match.

- MJF is interviewed about his Flag Match against Puma King. He's sick of luchadores stealing jobs in MLW. He's better than Puma King, and Puma King knows it.

- Ace Austin takes on Myron Reed in a Middleweight Division match. Good display by both men at the start of the match. Austin impressed me early on with some of his kicking offense, especially his kicks and a Fosbury Flop over the top rope to the floor. Myron Reed, not to be outdone, dived over the top of the ringpost out to the floor onto Austin seconds later. These two 21 year olds put on a really fun high-flying, energetic Middleweight/Cruiserweight level match on this show. Myron catches Austin trying to roll him up and sits down on it for a 3 count. Very good match here for two very young athletes. I'm looking forward to seeing more matches from these two in the future.

- The main event sees MJF take on Puma King in a Flag Match. Konnan is in Puma King's corner and gets involved in punching MJF at one point. (No DQs in a Flag Match.) Fosbury Flop again on this show, this time by MJF. Puma King follows up with a dive (non-Fosbury) of his own. (I'm starting to wonder if the Fosbury Flop spots were a "top this" joke backstage or not.) Puma nails a senton off a guard rail onto MJF into the audience. MJF's manager gets herself involved allowing MJF to beat down on Puma King for a moment. Puma turns a Tree of Woe into a hurricanrana off the corner on MJF. Seconds later, Puma King nails a powerbomb off the corner. MJF's manager tries to block King from getting the Mexican flag, but King kisses her sending her down. He grabs the flag to win.   Of the three matches on this show, this was probably my least favorite. It wasn't terrible, but it was hardly memorable either.

For a Christmas Day special, this was a good 38 minute show. I wasn't blown away by anything in the first or last match, but the Middleweight match in the middle was the diamond in the center of this show. It wasn't an all-time great or anything like that, but it shows promise for 2 very young wrestlers. I look forward to seeing what those two do in the future in their (hopefully) long careers.

Until next time, take care of yourselves. Spread some awesomeness.

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