MLW Never Say Never: Jacob Fatu retains, "The Gate is Unlocked"

MLW Never Say Never 2021

March 31st, 2021

GILT Nightclub – Orlando, FL

Commentary: Ray Flores & Jared Saint Laurent

Heavyweight Hype

Opening promo from Jacob Fatu where he says “Tankman, you thought you were just going to sign a deal and come into MLW and make a name for yourself? Hell Nah! That’s why CONTRA Unit put that shit to a stop! You are going to be just like the rest of them over here, just another body to add to the body count. Hail CONTRA!”. Calvin Tankman comes back with “Tonight’s the night that I’ve been waiting for since I signed my contract. Tonight, I get to go toe to toe with the World Heavyweight Champion, Jacob Fatu. And I know you’ve been running roughshod over the roster, but I’m different. You better not play with me, play games with the people you could play with because I’m dangerous. You play games with me, you’re going to be waking up off the mat with me with that World Heavyweight Title held high, by any means.”

Simon Gotch vs. Jordan Oliver

Ray Flores has replaced Rich Bocchini for play-by-play commentary for tonight, as he comes from over a decade of experience for boxing and mixed martial arts promotions. They show the history of this feud stemming back from last year when CONTRA Unit took out Kotto Brazil. Just as the bell rings, Oliver goes to try and take down Gotch, and on the mat, they trade back leg submissions until Gotch is able to put on a chinlock. Gotch is able to take Oliver down trying to trap all his limbs, but as Oliver gets out he is able to land a headbutt. Oliver is able to duck Gotch on the ropes and knock him to the outside but misses the dive. Back inside, Gotch catches a back elbow but lands a forearm on a springboarding Oliver who jumped from the second rope and gets a 1 count. Gotch takes Oliver’s bandana and wraps it around his right hand to start striking down on Oliver. The referee steps in as Gotch starts choking Oliver out with the bandana. Gotch hits a spinning back kick, and transitions right into an armbar while attempting pins until Oliver goes under the ropes. On the outside, they start trading strikes, but Gotch stops Oliver in his tracks with a suplex to the floor. Gotch throws Oliver in, but only gets a two as he starts landing knees to the back. Oliver is able to reverse a body slam into a DDT, as both men are laid out in the middle of the ring. As they get up, they start trading running forearms, Oliver attempts a springboard cutter that Gotch is able to catch, Oliver turns it into a pin, but Gotch kicks him off as Oliver springboards off the ropes once again this time hitting the cutter and getting the pin.

Winner: Jordan Oliver by pinfall at 9:14

This Is A War

We get a cut in video from Josef Samael, saying “Never Say Never, it’s an idyllic Western expression that’s full of hope for when you’re low on luck and just about out of time. You, INJUSTICE infidels, typical unapologetic arrogant Americans. Running your mouths on your thousand-dollar iPhones, trying to convince the problem but really trying to convince yourself that your revolution has a chance, but this isn’t a revolution, this is a war. A war that I’ve trained my warriors for, day in and day out right here in the killing fields of Cambodia. And while Calvin Tankman’s been taking photos with the children and the media has been celebrating his arrival. My World Champion, he’s been butchering 20 men a day in the most lethal hand-to-hand combat, being put to the test. While I’ve been charting your destruction. Tonight, the Black Flag of CONTRA will be draped over body bags as your revolution lays in ruins. Now that’s justice.”

The Gate Has Been Unlocked

We get a promo that says “For ages dragons have battled. Now they battle in a new kingdom. The Gate from Japan has been opened to the Americas.” As we see footage from Dragon Gate Japan Pro-Wrestling, with its logo and MLW’s, with the words ‘Coming Soon’ underneath. Ray Flores announces that the Gate has been unlocked, MLW and Dragon Gate of Japan have united in an alliance after the pandemic caused plans to be delayed. Both organizations are excited to reveal that the partnership is now on track with some big projects in the works. Stay tuned in the MLW programming in the weeks and months ahead for more on that.

Daivari vs. Myron Reed

They brawl right at the start of the bell, with Daivari throwing Reed against all the ropes until Reed stops him at the third attempt and ends up throwing Daivari to the outside and hits a suicide dive as he says “We are taking out CONTRA. Period.” Reed tells the cameraman to get out the way, but Daivari reverses the whip and throws Reed against the soundboard. Back inside, Daivari goes to work whipping Reed against the turnbuckles, but only gets a 2 count. Daivari ends up throwing Reed to the outside, before bringing him to the entrance steps. As Daivari tries to piledrive Reed, Reed reverses, hits a back body drop, and flies off the stage equipment with a crossbody. Back in the ring, Reed misses a cross body and Daivari capitalizes and goes after Reed’s left leg ending with a Figure Four, but Reed reaches and gets the bottom rope. Daivari tries a suplex, but Reed is able to reverse it into a stunner. Reed hits a guillotine leg drop, followed by a slingshot leg drop for a 2 count. Daivari takes off his shirt, takes off Reed’s chest protector, and puts it on himself as he goes to the top and misses a frog splash. Reed takes off the chest protector and hits a springboard cutter before putting his chest protector back on hitting the No Cap 450 Splash and getting the pin.

Winner: Myron Reed by pinfall at 8:05

5 Step Plan

We see a tweet from Azteca Underground with a picture of the MLW National Openweight Championship with the caption “This now resides in MY temple! Alexander Hammerstone, there is a new El Jefe in town!” We go to Hammerstone who says “There is excitement in the air because Mil Muertes vs. Hammerstone is finally happening and it’s right around the corner. And Mil, I’ve been trying to explain to you from the very beginning you planned this whole thing out very poorly because I’m pretty sure your 5 Step plan went something like; Step 1) Steal my championship Step 2) Post as many selfies with it as possible but it just so happens that Step 3, 4 and 5 are all me whipping your ass and you back into whatever grave you crawled out from. Salina, don’t bother waking him up this time.”

Upcoming Fights

3/7 – MLW Underground
3/14 – MLW National Openweight Championship: Alexander Hammerstone (c) vs. Mil Muertes

1-on-1 With Alicia Atout

We go to Alicia Atout who is set up in a Zoom interview with Richard Holliday and Gino Medina all in separate locations. Holliday starts by saying ‘This has gone far too long, and now I’m starting to get pissed and insulted. You will refer to me as the Caribbean Champion as it’s legitimate now.” Alicia cuts him off and says we are live and we’re not doing this, let’s move on. Holliday says the amount of time we have wasted, she could’ve said the correct introduction, and tells her to go ahead and say it. Medina asks if they are done flirting with each other and stop being so thirsty, as they have an interview to do. Holliday tells him never to interrupt him and he will be receiving something from his lawyer/father and Medina is the most un-Dynastic person he has ever seen in his life. Medina says he wouldn’t know what Dynastic was if it kicked him in the head and that’s close to what he’ll be doing soon. Holliday says he knows what Dynastic is, and says Medina has to wear sunglasses inside like a tool, but Alicia says Holliday wears so much cologne that everybody has to wear an N95 mask around him just to breathe. Holliday says he knows she’s not referring to him as he wears Dolce & Gabbana and all the “Mamacitas and Consumer Ninos” they love the way that he smells. Medina cuts them off and says he’s here to talk business and calls them Barbie & Ken, but Holliday says he would outsell Ken and says he fired Medina because he’s never paid for dinner when they went out. They continue to trade insults, but Alicia Atout says the reason they are here is that she has some exclusive news, as on April 14th, MLW and IWA have brokered a Caribbean Championship Title fight as Gino Medina will challenge Richard Holliday. They continue talking trash, as Alicia tells them to stop and this segment does.

They announce we will get a Bu Ku Dao medical update in two weeks.

MLW World Heavyweight Championship: Jacob Fatu (c) (w/ Daivari) vs. Calvin Tankman

Both men stand at 6’2″, but Tankman has the weight advantage at 355 lbs, to Fatu’s 300 lbs. Commentary talks about rumors that Tankman had food poisoning earlier this week and how it could affect him. Right away they try to lock up each one trying to take the other down, but Fatu fails to fall to Tankman’s shoulder block, Tankman hits a second one knocking Fatu to the outside where he regroups with Daivari who tells him Fatu to show him who’s the champ. Fatu runs back in, but Tankman greets him with punches until Fatu reverses and hits chops in the corner which don’t seem to phase Tankman. Tankman hits a flying arm drag, a flying kick, and chops of his own in the corner. Tankman whips Fatu around the corner, but he springboards a flying clothesline and kips up into a scream followed by a superkick saying “This is it!”. Fatu hits a bunch of headbutts into a Samoan Drop for a 2 count. Fatu takes off his wrist tape and starts choking out Tankman. Fatu corners Tankman a bit and sprinkles in a couple of headbutts and strikes, followed by a big splash in the corner and a cannonball. Fatu applies a nerve hold, but Tankman chops his way out. As Fatu starts striking down, Tankman gets up and tells him to give more. They start trading big strikes until Tankman hits a big pounce to take Fatu to the outside where Tankman hits a suicide dive. Back inside, Tankman hits a standing shooting star press and gets a 2 count. Tankman attempts a cutter, but Fatu rolls out, hits a superkick followed by a springboard moonsault for a close 2 count. As Fatu calls for the finish, Tankman throws him up and hits a spinning back elbow followed by a backbreaker into a big clothesline for a 2 count. Daivari throws in the flag and goes to distract the referee, but Tankman headbutts him and knocks him out. As the referee is checking on him, Fatu hits Tankman in the head with the flagpole, followed by his top rope moonsault for the pin.

Winner: Jacob Fatu by pinfall at 10:44, to retain

MLW Never Say Never: Jacob Fatu retains, “The Gate is Unlocked”

MLW's Never Say Never special featured Jacob Fatu vs. Calvin Tankman for the World Heavyweight Title and news regarding MLW & Dragon Gate.