Can this event live up to the hype put on it by MLW over the last month plus? Let's find out!
MLW Thoughts (Recorded as Watched on 2/5/19)
- We get a review of the dominance of Low Ki and the journey Tom Lawlor has had to get to this point in challenging for the MLW World Championship.
- We start off with the MLW World Tag Team Championships on the line as The Lucha Bros. (Rey Fenix and Pentagon Jr.) defend against The Hart Foundation (Teddy Hart and Davey Boy Smith Jr.) (w/ Brian Pillman Jr.). Fenix and Smith start off the match, and it is literally speed vs. strength to start this off. The Lucha Bros set up some dominance in the match by doubling up on both Smith and Hart. The Lucha Bros smack around Smith for a few moments, and Smith fires back for a moment in a fun moment. Smith hits a double suplex on the Lucha Bros. and tags in Teddy Hart. Teddy hits a Double DDT on them as we go to commercial break.
We return to see the action spilling to the floor. The Harts have established dominance at this point. Teddy climbs up the top rope and hits a BIG MOONSAULT TO THE LUCHA BROS ON THE FLOOR! Back in the ring, The Harts crush Fenix with a combination of moves. Pentagon breaks a pin attempt up. Hart and Pentagon go at it for a few moments. Canadian Destroyer off the corner by Hart on Pentagon. 2 count only. Hart was holding the knee coming off of the move. The Lucha Dragons unload moves on Hart, including a "MEXICAN DESTROYER" by Pentagon. Fenix goes after Hart on the floor. Pillman gets a kick by Fenix for his trouble. MEXICAN DESTROYER ON THE RING FRAME BY PENTAGON TO TEDDY HART!
Package Piledriver by Pentagon. It only gets a 2 count as Pillman pulls the referee out. Pentagon goes to help Fenix suplex Hart off the ropes. SMITH PULLS OFF PENTAGON'S MASK! Pentagon covers up his face. (This is a big disgrace in Mexican wrestling culture as the mask is part of their heritage and sacred. So, Pentagon had to cover his face up.) Meanwhile, The Hart Foundation hits DOOMSDAY DESTROYER (A Doomsday Device {LOD} but with a Canadian Destroyer from Hart). 1-2-3. WE HAVE NEW TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS! Teddy Hart throws a shirt to Pentagon to cover his face up, and he holds up both his newly won Tag Team Championship and the Middleweight Championship.
(Very good opening match here. Pentagon and Fenix are going to AEW possibly in May. So this is not exactly a shocking decision. Still, this was a great display for all four men. Davey Boy Smith Jr. doesn't get enough credit for being a good performer in my opinion. He always gets overshadowed by his partners, but he's cut quite a path for himself in professional wrestling. And Teddy Hart.... just damn. What a great athlete.)
- Low Ki cuts a promo about the legacy of the 2300 Arena. He talks about conquering everything placed before him. Low Ki promises to be more violent than he's ever been before.
- Next is the match for revenge as Kotto Brazil tries to avenge the nightclub attack from a couple months ago as he takes on Ricky Martinez (presented by Salina de la Renta). Salina argues with the ref, but Kotto dives over both of them to get to Ricky. (The problem is that it looked like he only barely got to him. Not much impact coming down on Martinez. The floor? Another story.) Brazil continues to attack Martinez and throws him into almost every metal object you can imagine around the ring.
The bell rings. Missile dropkick off the top rope by Brazil. A moment later, Salina holds on to the leg of Brazil, allowing Martinez to hit a running knee to send Brazil off the apron and into the guard rail. Martinez catches Brazil jumping out of the ring moments later and throws him into the guard rail. 1 count back in the ring. Martinez continues to beat up Brazil in the ring and poses while doing so. Brazil catches him posing on the corner and throws him back down onto the mat below.
Brazil starts getting some offense back in. Kip Up into a Dropkick by Brazil. Backbreaker off the middle rope by Brazil to Martinez. 2 count. A big Frog Splash off the corner by Brazil gets a 2 count. Martinez gets an Electric Chair Drop followed by a Wheelbarrow Suplex for a 2 count. Brazil goes for the submission, but Martinez gets to the ropes. Martinez decides to go home, but Brazil stops him. Martinez rips the eye patch off and hits a pop-up punt kick. 2 count only.
Code Red by Brazil gets a 2. An Anaconda Vice like move is locked in by Brazil, but Salina distracts him and the ref. Salina sprays PEPPER SPRAY IN KOTTO'S EYES! Ricky rolls up Kotto for the 3 count.
(An ok match. The match had its moments, but it never seemed to get into a higher gear. Salina was the best thing about this match, and I can't say that was a bad thing at all.)
- Backstage, The Hart Foundation are partying with champagne in their towels. (Umm... Why is Brian Pillman in a towel randomly? He wasn't in the match.) MJF comes up and demands a rematch. Teddy Hart cuts a promo about MJF not staying with MLW. "Go join The Elite. We run this promotion." They spray champagne at his direction to chase him off.
- The main event is now. Tom Lawlor challenges Low Ki for the MLW World Heavyweight Championship. Low Ki's 15-Year MLW Undefeated Streak is at serious risk.
The bell rings. Both men go at it immediately. Lawlor sends Low-Ki to the mat early. Ref does a standing 8 count on Low Ki. A dropkick by Low Ki is met with an overhead suplex by Lawlor seconds later. Big uppercut by Lawlor puts Low Ki down. Low Ki goes after the arm of Lawlor. A DOOR IS THROWN IN THE RING BY LOW KI! He puts Lawlor up against it in the corner, but Low Ki puts himself through it a moment later when Lawlor escapes the attack. 2 count. They are moving at a fast pace here. Both men are on the corner. TREE OF WOE DOUBLE STOMP! 1-2-KICKOUT BY LAWLOR! Dragon Sleeper by Low Ki. But Lawlor reverses into a Rear Naked Choke on the mat! Low Ki is out. The referee calls for the bell. Lawlor wins the MLW World Championship in quick fashion.
(Good match, but it was extremely rushed. You can feel the panic in these guys' action as they were trying to work in their stuff as quickly as they could. The laughable claim of Low Ki being undefeated for 15 years in MLW is over. But this won't be a match anyone remembers a couple weeks from now.)
Overall, this was a good MLW show. The best match was the opening tag team match with The Hart Foundation and Lucha Bros. The pace of the show was good in that each match was given importance in the layout. The last two matches suffered from different problems and didn't live up to the hype that had been placed on them (especially Lawlor and Low Ki which had a lot of build).
It'll be interesting to see how MLW evolves past this event given what happened on this show and the talent that are (likely) on their way out.
Until next time, take care of yourselves. Spread some awesomeness.
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