MLW Azteca #5
February 3rd, 2022
Auditorio de Tijuana – Tijuana, Mexico
Commentary: Rich Bocchini & Joe Dombrowski
Post Rays
We see Alex Hammerstone & Richard Holliday who are both tanning in the middle of the night, as Holliday is freezing but Hammerstone says they have to catch the ‘post rays’. Holliday says Hammerstone promised him the ‘Hogan tan’, but instead he lost color being out there. Hammerstone says if he wants the ‘Hogan tan’ he has to brace through the discomfort as his skin is going to turn into a hard leather, like a shell, an exoskeleton and it’ll make him indestructible, be he has to wait for the ‘post rays’. Holliday then brings up Valentine’s Day coming up and getting a pump before the gym, but Hammerstone questions what’s going on for Valentine’s Day. Holliday says ‘nothing’ he just wants to look pumped and gets a phone and leaves, as Hammerstone teases him if it’s Alicia Atout. Holliday says it’s not, and somebody else that’s important that he needs to talk to.
EJ Nduka vs. Adrian Quest
This is Adrian Quest’s first appearance in MLW, but he has appeared a bunch for NJPW Strong. Quest starts by attacking Nduka right away in the corner, but Nduka keeps pushing him off. Quest comes back with a springboard dropkick, but Nduka stops him with spears in the corner followed by release suplexes. Nduka catches Quest bouncing off the ropes and hits him with a spinebuster followed by a Snake Eyes and a shoulder tackle. Quest starts fighting out with kicks, but Nduka catches him jumping off the top rope for a running powerslam for the three.
Winner: EJ Nduka by pinfall at 3:11
Cut from the Same Cloth
We see a segment on Davey Richards where he says everywhere he goes he hears about how he influenced these people and he’s a legend, it’s flattering but he never got into this for fame, money, and recognition. He can have all the accolades and nicknames, but the only thing that matters to him is the world title. And until he holds the MLW World Championship over his shoulder, a name is just a name. He respects Alex Hammerstone and how he won the title, and they are both cut from the same cloth, but he won’t hold back when he competes against him.
Beverly Hills Have Eyes
We go to the streets of Beverly Hills where we see Richard Holliday on his phone telling someone he’s just doing a little shopping for someone special. Somebody stops him and asks him for a photo before asking him if Hammerstone is around, and Holliday tells him he’s just right up the block, as the fan goes that direction. Holliday gets a serious face and tells the person on the phone that he’ll call them right back.
We get another black and white vignette that shows an old school television with an hourglass on it, that suddenly explodes.
5150 Are Double Champions
We find out that the Von Erichs have been placed on the medical reserve list due to COVID-19 and won’t be medically cleared to challenge 5150 for the MLW World Tag Team Championship. 5150 have been keeping busy by winning the IWA Puerto Rico Tag Team Championship last week from The Owners of Time. We go to 5150 who are celebrating with a bottle of Hennessey and says Cesar Duran was smart to send them to Puerto Rico as they show off their new titles along with their MLW titles. They said it doesn’t matter who they are facing in Dallas and if they bring their own belts with them, they will take their gold.
Krugger’s Purpose
In between the introductions for the next match, a video of Mads Krugger interrupts the feed in which he says from the wreckage of a pointless existence, he rose from the ashes a creature of cruelty, scouring the Earth performing unimaginable horrors for his own pleasure and he was in darkness until CONTRA gave him purpose, a name and made him a monster. Then Jacob Fatu was given the kingdom, and everybody bowed before his feet, and he wore the crown of MLW upon his head and he betrayed them and calls him Judas and a deceiver before saying Fatu took his purpose and now Krugger’s purpose is Fatu.
Mecha Wolf vs. Extreme Tiger
Mecha Wolf has appeared on MLW once before but has most recently been seen on NWA where he is the reigning NWA World Tag Team Champion along with Bestia 666 as La Rebelion. Wolf outpowers Tiger here to start the match, by winning lock-ups and pushing Tiger down. Tiger goes for a couple of pin attempts that seem to catch Wolf off guard. Tiger sends Wolf to the outside, jumps off the apron, but Wolf catches him as they fight on the outside before Wolf tosses Tiger into the crowd. Wolf laps around the ring and takes out Tiger with a flying crossbody as they go to commercials.
When we come back, they are still fighting on the outside, before Tiger hits a Code Red on the inside for a two until a submission before Wolf puts his foot on the rope. Wolf comes back with a Tornado DDT for a two-count. Tiger rolls to the outside where Wolf hits him with a suicide dive but ends up crashing through the guardrail himself. They slowly both go back inside, where Wolf jumps off the top rope, as Tiger dodges and hits a dropkick for a two count. Tiger goes to the top rope, but Wolf takes him down and hits a powerbomb followed by a running knee and a chokeslam into a kick to the back for the pin.
Winner: Mecha Wolf by pinfall at 7:57
MLW Superfight Control Center
This event will have three title fights in Charlotte, North Carolina on Saturday, February 26th at the Grady Cole Center. They announce that Alex Hammerstone will defend his MLW World Heavyweight Championship against Davey Richards and Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat will be in attendance.
Big Pair of Pig Balls
We go to Los Parks in Mexico who says to 5150 “Congratulations on winning the IWA belts and becoming double champs, respect. You’re champs, but ones with big vulgar mouths. Remember one thing, Los Parks are the best tag team in the game and the realest family and tag team in the world. Yes, indeed. So, if you have a big pair of pig balls, you will give us our rematch. Remember this: we have devastated the tag team division and are the kings of this place. You are not the best tag team in the world, my little friends. The best tag team in the world is the real familia and you owe us a rematch.”
Jacob Fatu All Access Part 2
We go to another segment with Jacob Fatu who picks back up from last time talking about getting picked up and brought to the wrestling school where he was wearing jeans and a shirt. He got called into the office by his uncle Reno Anoa’i and Gangrel who sat him down and asked him if he really wanted to do this and if they put this time into him would he grow all the way through. Fatu said at the end of the day they had four family members before him and he was the last one to come out of the group and out of nowhere. Reno asked him if he thought he was better than them out here, so Jacob says yes, he’s better than all of them, but Reno says he’s not as Jacob didn’t have his own job and own car and brought him down a bit. Jacob didn’t know how to respect the business until he actually started doing it and his first two weeks of training was one of the hardest things. He came home and couldn’t walk, back was hurting, legs were shot and while he was in the shower he just broke down and realized this is what his family made so many sacrifices for like paying mortgages for the family, taking care of graduations, birthdays, and funerals. He’s thankful to be here as there have been about three situations where there shouldn’t have been no Jacob Fatu as he had brushes with the law. And there is a thing about this industry, you can’t really have one foot in the industry and have another foot inside the block, and that was his problem before he signed with MLW. When you see him perform out there it’s really everything he’s been through, the struggle with his family, his kids, his wife, and his life period.
Upcoming Schedule
· MLW Fusion returns on February 10th
· MLW Superfight in Charlotte, NC on February 26th
· MLW Azteca in Dallas, TX on April 1st
Alex Kane, Villano III Jr. & Rey Horus (w/ Mr. Thomas) vs. El Hijo del Vikingo, Octagon Jr. & Laredo Kid
The story here is Alex Kane is not pleased to be put into this match and is showing that he doesn’t want to be here as Villano, and Octagon starts the match. They circle each other and lock up to start the match before Octagon tosses Villano into the corner as commentary does a good job speaking on the heritage to the luchadores in the ring. They trade off numerous pin attempts here as Octagon tries to get the crowd behind him. They start trading chops before Octagon runs up and hits a corkscrew followed by a hurricanrana. Octagon ends up laying on the ropes, but Villano drops him to the outside with a dropkick. Vikingo comes in and takes out Villano with a spinning kick and runs across the ropes for a crossbody, before taking Villano outside with a head scissors. Rey Horus comes in and starts attacking Vikingo as they duck and dodge a bit until Horus hits a kick, off the apron followed by a slingshot splash before tossing Vikingo the outside. Laredo quickly comes in and squares off with Horus. They exchange a bit of offense as Kane tells Horus to slow down and tags himself. Kane pushes Laredo down and tests him, but Vikingo and Octagon quickly get in as they triple team on Kane, but Kane takes them all out including a suplex on Laredo. Villano and Horus come in to try and give Kane a high five, but he brushes them off. Villano and Horus start double-teaming Laredo and tease a triple-team move with Kane, but Kane just ends up power bombing Laredo by himself. Horus and Villano get into Kane’s face and start arguing with him, but Vikingo interrupts them just to be jumped by them. Kane plays along as they all hit triple-team moves on Vikingo, but Kane stops that by sending Vikingo to the outside. Octagon now comes in and gets triple-teamed next. This continues for a bit until Villano, and Horus come up short from almost hitting Kane, but Kane gets upsets and heads to the outside. Laredo and Vikingo come in and take Horus and Villano to the outside. All six men start fighting on the outside until Laredo sends Kane back inside where he hits a running forearm before getting sent to the outside. All luchadores start hitting offense inside ending with Kane taking Vikingo out with a clothesline, before getting rolled up for a pin attempt. Kane falls to the outside, where Vikingo takes him out with a tope suicida before Octagon and Laredo take out Mr. Thomas with a dive as well. Thomas picks up Kane as they both head to the back not before flipping off the Tijuana crowd. The five men left keep brawling including a senton by Horus, an Asai Moonsault by Laredo Kid, and a crazy twisting dive by Vikingo on everybody on the outside. Villano and Vikingo go at it inside, including a lung blower by Villano for a two. Vikingo knocks Villano off the top rope and hits a poison rana off the top rope for a two. Vikingo hits another dive for a two, followed by a running Meteora and a 630 senton for the pin.
Winners: El Hijo del Vikingo, Octagon Jr. & Laredo Kid by pinfall at 19:21
Drive-By Match Lineup
We end the show where Emilio Sparks is questioning Alicia Atout where her ‘boyfriend’ is, before we see Richard Holliday being tossed out of a van with a note that says ‘Hammerstone vs. Pagano, Holliday vs. Muertes’ for next week.
