The feud between Tommy Dreamer and Brian Pillman continues to evolve as both men involve mystery partners into their rivalry. And better yet: We're back in the 2300 Arena (the former ECW Arena).
MLW Thoughts
- We get a recap of last week's SuperFight show, including The Hart Foundation beating The Lucha Bros for the Tag Team Championships and "Filthy" Tom Lawlor defeating Low Ki for the MLW World Championship.
- Our first match is Myron Reed vs. DJZ. (I have to ask where Jericho, Mustafa Ali, and DJZ get their LiteBrite outfits from. LiteBrite Jackets 'R' Us?) The announcers put over the fact that DJZ almost died in the ring in Mexico from an accident. The younger Reed continues to avoid the attack of DJZ, but DJZ uses the apron to hit a Suicide Dive onto Reed. Moments later, it is Reed hitting a flying attack over the ropes onto DJZ on the floor. Reed throws DJZ into the ring and takes the attack to him on the mat with a headlock. DJZ, moments later, is able to fight out and start mounting some offense. Reed reverses a suplex into a Stunner and then hits a Flying Cutter from the middle ropes. 2 count only on the pinfall attempt. (Impressive moves by the 21 year old.) Reed goes for a Springboard attack, but it gets reversed into a powerbomb. 2 count. Reed uses a handful of tights to get the pin on DJZ.
(Reed was impressive in this one. DJZ was alright in his own right, but you can tell that Reed is someone to keep an eye on over the next few years.)
- Sunday, March 2- Intimidation Games live on beIN Sports.
- We get another H2 segment with Teddy Hart and Brian Pillman. You can watch the video for what they say. I can't repeat it here. Lol.
- Gringo Loco vs. Puma King- A few flips and reversals start off the match here between the two men. Puma King refuses to shake hands afterward and licks his own hands instead. (Meow.) Puma and Gringo are a little heavier than your traditional luchadores. Think Super Crazy but a little more weight. Loco gets dumped to the floor, and Puma hits a springboard dive to the floor onto Loco. Flying Crossbody back in the ring by Puma King on Gringo. Seconds later, Gringo hits a flying Senton Dive to Puma King on the floor.
Gringo Loco takes the advantage back in the ring. But soon, Puma hits a Codebreaker off the corner. Springboard Cutter by Loco on Puma. 2 count only. Code Red by Puma gets a 2 count. Puma spends too much time going for a moonsault and gets saddled on the corner. Gringo climbs up the corner, but King hits a Head Scissors to send him back down to the mat. On another corner now, SPANISH FLY BY GRINGO LOCO TO PUMA KING ENDS THE MATCH.
(Other than the finish, the match was just ok. The rhythm was just not there, save for the Senton Dive in the middle of the match. The problem with this is that no one really cared. And it's hard to get invested in a slow-moving match like this, even with the bells and whistles of the high-flying Lucha moves, without something to give the audience a reason to care for either man.)
- MJF cuts a promo backstage. He's sick of the redemption story of Teddy Hart. Where's MJF's story about doing everything that can be done at the age of 22? He wants a "Thank You" for being a positive role model. He also needs to be thanked for beating Teddy Hart to regain HIS MLW World Middleweight Championship that he NEVER lost.
- Tommy Dreamer is shown outside the building from "Earlier Today." Pillman should be thankful for all the buckets of blood that wrestlers spilled in the past for him. Tonight, Pillman will be lucky to make it out of the former ECW Arena alive.
_ A promo for Jimmy Havoc plays.
- The main event of the show is next. Brian Pillman Jr. is out first. Brian Pillman cuts a promo on the "smart marks" in the old ECW Arena. His partner will be Davey Boy Smith Jr. (Not a big shock. That is his Hart Foundation partner after all.) Tommy Dreamer is out next. His mystery partner? THE SANDMAN!!! WITH THE CLASSIC ENTER SANDMAN THEME! The crowd is singing while Sandman does his classic entrance, sharing beers with fans at ringside. (Is it 1995 again?!) The fan singing dies down towards the end, but this was a great moment.
Sandman gets on the apron and spits the beer in Davey Boy Smith Jr.'s face. And the match is on! The Hart Foundation get worked on around ringside by The ECW Legends. Pillman Jr. and Smith Jr. continue to take the abuse back into the ring. Sandman chops Pillman in the corner. Sandman tags in Dreamer to continue the punishment. But Smith Jr. helps Pillman stop that offense. Now, Pillman tags in Smith to continue the heel offense of this match. Smith gets a GREAT Delayed Vertical Suplex on the heavy Tommy Dreamer. Pillman gets tagged back in to continue the work on his rival. Smith and Pillman continue to beat up on Dreamer in their corner as Dreamer gets tagged in. DDT to Smith.
The Sandman gets the tag. White Russian Leg Sweep by Sandman. 2 count only as Smith interferes. Bulldog by Dreamer on Smith. Sandman gets a Singapore Cane and chases Pillman around the ring. Pillman is running around trying to find weapons around the ring. Pillman pulls someone from under the ring. IT'S THE BLUE MEANIE!!!! Big pop for Meanie. Pillman puts Meanie in between him and Sandman, but Meanie bops Pillman allowing Sandman to get the cane shot in. Dreamer goes for the Death Valley Driver, but Pillman is in to hit Dreamer with the cane. Double Powerbomb through a bed of chairs! 1-2-3. The Hart Foundation wins.
(A Valentine's gift, if there ever was one, from MLW to ECW. Sandman does a lot of guest appearances around his old ECW stomping grounds, as he did in October for ROH. This wasn't about the match quality itself, though it wasn't bad. This was about honoring a local promotion and getting the young talent over at the same time. Mission A-Freaking-CCOMPLISHED.)
After the match, Sandman checks on Dreamer. The crowd is standing up around ringside. Sandman rolls out. Sandman and Dreamer continue to get the applause from the crowd.
- It is announced that MJF will, indeed, face Teddy Hart for the Middleweight Championship.
- The Lucha Bros. and Konnan are shown "via satellite" (yet conveniently in front of a MLW Fusion sign. Awesome how that works out, huh?). Konnan asks the Lucha Bros. where they are working. Fenix announces that they are going to wrestle EVERYWHERE. Pentagon Jr. states that The Lucha Bros. will wrestle whereever they want, whenever they want. They will be in Chicago to continue to wrestle to MLW. Cero Miedo.
- Tom Lawlor is shown partying at a Gentlemen's Club with his baby: The MLW World Heavyweight Championship.
Overall, I thought this was a fine edition of MLW. The first two matches on the show weren't much to write home about, except for what Myron Reed could possibly develop into. As for the main event, it was what it was. And I frankly give that a thumbs up. You are in Philadelphia. You can work an ECW angle in and still get over the young talent of your roster. Dreamer will lay down and work with whomever you assign him to. That's what makes Tommy Dreamer one of the best (and criminally underrated) actual workers in wrestling history in my opinion. He can make garbage guys look amazing. No ego. No "losing smiles." Dreamer does the job, builds up his opponents, and does his best to keep the industry going. Pillman and Smith look better coming out of this than they did going in, and that is the name of the game in the end.
MLW is the wrestling show that you should be watching every week that you probably aren't. Do yourself a favor: Start.
Until next time, take care of yourselves. Spread some awesomeness.
MLW Thoughts
- We get a recap of last week's SuperFight show, including The Hart Foundation beating The Lucha Bros for the Tag Team Championships and "Filthy" Tom Lawlor defeating Low Ki for the MLW World Championship.
- Our first match is Myron Reed vs. DJZ. (I have to ask where Jericho, Mustafa Ali, and DJZ get their LiteBrite outfits from. LiteBrite Jackets 'R' Us?) The announcers put over the fact that DJZ almost died in the ring in Mexico from an accident. The younger Reed continues to avoid the attack of DJZ, but DJZ uses the apron to hit a Suicide Dive onto Reed. Moments later, it is Reed hitting a flying attack over the ropes onto DJZ on the floor. Reed throws DJZ into the ring and takes the attack to him on the mat with a headlock. DJZ, moments later, is able to fight out and start mounting some offense. Reed reverses a suplex into a Stunner and then hits a Flying Cutter from the middle ropes. 2 count only on the pinfall attempt. (Impressive moves by the 21 year old.) Reed goes for a Springboard attack, but it gets reversed into a powerbomb. 2 count. Reed uses a handful of tights to get the pin on DJZ.
(Reed was impressive in this one. DJZ was alright in his own right, but you can tell that Reed is someone to keep an eye on over the next few years.)
- Sunday, March 2- Intimidation Games live on beIN Sports.
- We get another H2 segment with Teddy Hart and Brian Pillman. You can watch the video for what they say. I can't repeat it here. Lol.
- Gringo Loco vs. Puma King- A few flips and reversals start off the match here between the two men. Puma King refuses to shake hands afterward and licks his own hands instead. (Meow.) Puma and Gringo are a little heavier than your traditional luchadores. Think Super Crazy but a little more weight. Loco gets dumped to the floor, and Puma hits a springboard dive to the floor onto Loco. Flying Crossbody back in the ring by Puma King on Gringo. Seconds later, Gringo hits a flying Senton Dive to Puma King on the floor.
Gringo Loco takes the advantage back in the ring. But soon, Puma hits a Codebreaker off the corner. Springboard Cutter by Loco on Puma. 2 count only. Code Red by Puma gets a 2 count. Puma spends too much time going for a moonsault and gets saddled on the corner. Gringo climbs up the corner, but King hits a Head Scissors to send him back down to the mat. On another corner now, SPANISH FLY BY GRINGO LOCO TO PUMA KING ENDS THE MATCH.
(Other than the finish, the match was just ok. The rhythm was just not there, save for the Senton Dive in the middle of the match. The problem with this is that no one really cared. And it's hard to get invested in a slow-moving match like this, even with the bells and whistles of the high-flying Lucha moves, without something to give the audience a reason to care for either man.)
- MJF cuts a promo backstage. He's sick of the redemption story of Teddy Hart. Where's MJF's story about doing everything that can be done at the age of 22? He wants a "Thank You" for being a positive role model. He also needs to be thanked for beating Teddy Hart to regain HIS MLW World Middleweight Championship that he NEVER lost.
- Tommy Dreamer is shown outside the building from "Earlier Today." Pillman should be thankful for all the buckets of blood that wrestlers spilled in the past for him. Tonight, Pillman will be lucky to make it out of the former ECW Arena alive.
_ A promo for Jimmy Havoc plays.
- The main event of the show is next. Brian Pillman Jr. is out first. Brian Pillman cuts a promo on the "smart marks" in the old ECW Arena. His partner will be Davey Boy Smith Jr. (Not a big shock. That is his Hart Foundation partner after all.) Tommy Dreamer is out next. His mystery partner? THE SANDMAN!!! WITH THE CLASSIC ENTER SANDMAN THEME! The crowd is singing while Sandman does his classic entrance, sharing beers with fans at ringside. (Is it 1995 again?!) The fan singing dies down towards the end, but this was a great moment.
Sandman gets on the apron and spits the beer in Davey Boy Smith Jr.'s face. And the match is on! The Hart Foundation get worked on around ringside by The ECW Legends. Pillman Jr. and Smith Jr. continue to take the abuse back into the ring. Sandman chops Pillman in the corner. Sandman tags in Dreamer to continue the punishment. But Smith Jr. helps Pillman stop that offense. Now, Pillman tags in Smith to continue the heel offense of this match. Smith gets a GREAT Delayed Vertical Suplex on the heavy Tommy Dreamer. Pillman gets tagged back in to continue the work on his rival. Smith and Pillman continue to beat up on Dreamer in their corner as Dreamer gets tagged in. DDT to Smith.
The Sandman gets the tag. White Russian Leg Sweep by Sandman. 2 count only as Smith interferes. Bulldog by Dreamer on Smith. Sandman gets a Singapore Cane and chases Pillman around the ring. Pillman is running around trying to find weapons around the ring. Pillman pulls someone from under the ring. IT'S THE BLUE MEANIE!!!! Big pop for Meanie. Pillman puts Meanie in between him and Sandman, but Meanie bops Pillman allowing Sandman to get the cane shot in. Dreamer goes for the Death Valley Driver, but Pillman is in to hit Dreamer with the cane. Double Powerbomb through a bed of chairs! 1-2-3. The Hart Foundation wins.
(A Valentine's gift, if there ever was one, from MLW to ECW. Sandman does a lot of guest appearances around his old ECW stomping grounds, as he did in October for ROH. This wasn't about the match quality itself, though it wasn't bad. This was about honoring a local promotion and getting the young talent over at the same time. Mission A-Freaking-CCOMPLISHED.)
After the match, Sandman checks on Dreamer. The crowd is standing up around ringside. Sandman rolls out. Sandman and Dreamer continue to get the applause from the crowd.
- It is announced that MJF will, indeed, face Teddy Hart for the Middleweight Championship.
- The Lucha Bros. and Konnan are shown "via satellite" (yet conveniently in front of a MLW Fusion sign. Awesome how that works out, huh?). Konnan asks the Lucha Bros. where they are working. Fenix announces that they are going to wrestle EVERYWHERE. Pentagon Jr. states that The Lucha Bros. will wrestle whereever they want, whenever they want. They will be in Chicago to continue to wrestle to MLW. Cero Miedo.
- Tom Lawlor is shown partying at a Gentlemen's Club with his baby: The MLW World Heavyweight Championship.
Overall, I thought this was a fine edition of MLW. The first two matches on the show weren't much to write home about, except for what Myron Reed could possibly develop into. As for the main event, it was what it was. And I frankly give that a thumbs up. You are in Philadelphia. You can work an ECW angle in and still get over the young talent of your roster. Dreamer will lay down and work with whomever you assign him to. That's what makes Tommy Dreamer one of the best (and criminally underrated) actual workers in wrestling history in my opinion. He can make garbage guys look amazing. No ego. No "losing smiles." Dreamer does the job, builds up his opponents, and does his best to keep the industry going. Pillman and Smith look better coming out of this than they did going in, and that is the name of the game in the end.
MLW is the wrestling show that you should be watching every week that you probably aren't. Do yourself a favor: Start.
Until next time, take care of yourselves. Spread some awesomeness.
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