MLW Fusion #156 – ‘Fusion on Thanksgiving’
November 24th, 2022
Melrose Ballroom in Queens, NY
Commentary: Rich Bocchini & Joe Dombrowski
MLW Women’s World Featherweight Championship: Taya Valkyrie (c) vs. Brittany Blake
Brittany Blake went and attacked Taya Valkyrie during the introductions, and continued as the bell rang by choking Taya out in the corner with her boot and knees. Blake continues with body scissors and attacks Taya in the corner. As Blake mounts Taya she is able to back her into the corner and hit her with a running hip attack, but misses the running knee as Blake rolls her up for a two count. Blake continues with an Enziguri, goes to the top rope but misses as Taya hits a spear and they go to commercial.
When we come back, Taya hits a Blue Thunder bomb for a two-count into a half crab. Blake comes back with a Lungblower for two. Taya blocks a Tornado DDT into a snap suplex for a two. Taya places Blake on the top rope, but Blake escapes and knocks Taya down into the Bad Omen submission, but Taya grabs the bottom rope. Taya comes back with an STO, right into a Curb Stomp and the Loca Lock as Blake taps out.
Winner: Taya Valkyrie by submission at 6:11, to retain
Upcoming Fights
· Next Week: MLW Super Series
· January 7th: MLW Blood & Thunder
· February 4th: MLW Superfight
We got an update that it looks like there’ll be no Opera Cup for 2022 since it is still missing.
League officials have confirmed with Atlas Security since Budd Heavy and Calvin Tankman were found beaten with cards left on their bodies and were both left with severe trauma and security is tight tonight.
I Am The Judge
We get a produced video on EJ Nduka talking about his journey and his family coming here from Nigeria with nothing. We hear comments from his former teammate D.A. Allen talking about Nduka’s training regimen. Nduka talks about his time in football and bodybuilding as his friend Will Henry talks about Nduka always feeling confident in his abilities and gifts. Nduka thanks Scott 2 Hotty for finding him on Instagram and opening the door for him to go to WWE and spend two years with them, but getting released due to COVID. Nduka says he got calls from everywhere and MLW was the last call and what drew him to them was not asking what happened but what’s going to happen going forward.
We go to Sam Leterna backstage with Nduka and ask for his thoughts on tonight’s main event. Nduka asks why he is not getting a match but then jokes around saying he’ll be watching the match and his time is coming.
We see Alex Hammerstone getting ready backstage before we realize there is an unknown person behind him holding one of the cards that were seen with the recent attacks.
The Gate From Japan Has Been Opened
We get a video that says ‘For ages dragons have battled. Now they battle in a new kingdom. The gate from Japan has been opened to the Americas.’ They announce that Dragon Gate will send fighters to Super Series in Atlanta and Shun Skywalker will be the first participant to enter. We see a video of Shun Skywalker arriving soon with some words from Skywalker to Myron Reed and saying his Middleweight Championship will be his.
1-900-OL-MANCER
We see Mance Warner in the parking lot talking about his beautiful truck and says he has a scoop but won’t give it for free and tells everyone to call 1-900-OL-MANCER. He does give a little taste and says that Mads Krugger and Doc Gallows are the same people as they are both tanned, bald, tall, tattooed, and owe him money.
Next Week
· Luchadores Eliminator: Lady Shani vs. Lady Flammer vs. La Hiedra vs. Reina Dorada (the winner of this match gets a title shot against Taya Valkyrie and her MLW Women’s World Featherweight Championship)
· MLW World Heavyweight Championship: Alex Hammerstone (c) vs. Bandido
MLW World Heavyweight Championship Falls Count Anywhere Match: Alex Hammerstone (c) vs. Richard Holliday
EJ Nduka is seen sitting ringside for this main event. Alicia Atout sends Richard Holliday to the ring before heading to the back. Alex Hammerstone comes out with his ribs all taped up. As soon as the bell rings, Holliday backs away into the corner and tells the referee to hold Hammerstone back. Holliday takes a cheap shot at Hammerstone and starts kicking him in the corner, digging his boots into his injured ribs. Hammerstone comes back with a back body drop and fails to hit a press slam, as Holliday knees the ribs knocking Hammerstone to the outside where he drives him into the apron with shoulder blocks. Hammerstone comes back whipping Holliday into the guard rail and a suplex to the floor for a two count. They take it backstage and start fighting up the stairwells. They head to the roof where Hammerstone continues the attack with some pin attempts. Holliday teases tossing Hammerstone over the roof, but he fights him off. Hammerstone drives Holliday into a plant nearby before they take it back to the stairs and head down as we go to commercial.
When we come back, they start heading back to the ring as Hammerstone Gorilla press slams Holliday back inside. Holliday comes right back with a rope-assisted DDT for a two-count. Holliday continues the attack on Hammerstone targeting his ribs, and hitting a splash for a two. Holliday starts ripping off the tape and starts whipping and choking Hammerstone with it. Holliday starts whipping Hammerstone hard into the corners while doing Hammerstone poses until Hammerstone stops him with a single-leg dropkick. Hammerstone continues the offense hitting a dropkick that stuns Holliday in the corner where he runs into a boot from Holliday before hitting a power slam for a two-count. Holliday escapes to the outside, as Hammerstone follows him and they start fighting on the stage. They head backstage again, where Holliday starts choking Hammerstone with the cable rope for a two count before heading back to the stage where Holliday chokes Hammerstone between the steel guardrail. Holliday teases the 2008 on the stage but eventually hits a piledriver for a two-count. Back inside, Hammerstone hits a German Suplex and a sit-out powerbomb for a two. Hammerstone places Holliday on the top rope but Holliday stops him and hits the 2008 off the top rope for a two-count. Holliday starts yelling into the camera while punching at Hammerstone. This gets Hammerstone angry as they start trading shots until Hammerstone hits a big chokeslam and puts on the Torture Rack as Holliday submits.
Winner: Alex Hammerstone by submission at 21:55, to retain
Don’t Judge Me
Sam Leterna gets a word with Hammerstone and asks him what’s next. Hammerstone said he hasn’t been able to sit down and think about it, but EJ Nduka steps into the scene and tells the crowd to give Hammerstone a round of applause. Nduka says Holliday doesn’t deserve another opportunity, but he does and suggests champion vs. champion as Hammerstone isn’t one to turn down a fight and it’s a good idea for him. Leterna starts asking if The Dynasty ever reunites or plays nice again, as Nduka comes back and hits Hammerstone over the head with his tag team title belt. Nduka drags Hammerstone to the ring and keeps attacking him. Nduka grabs a table from under the ring and hits a spinebuster to Hammerstone to the table, but it doesn’t break. Officials try to take Hammerstone to the back, but Nduka grabs him, and this time puts Hammerstone through the table with another spinebuster.
Siino’s Note: The main event on this show was a bit longer than the match live, as they were able to insert the backstage segments that must have been recorded separately, making this match seem a bit fresher than the live experience.
