MLW Fusion ALPHA Report: Philly Street Fight, Arez vs. Aramis

John Siino's review of MLW Fusion ALPHA featuring a Philly Street Fight, Arez vs. Aramis for a briefcase full of cash, nZo in action & more.

Photo Courtesy: MLW

MLW Fusion ALPHA #12

December 9th, 2021

2300 Arena – Philadelphia, PA

By: John Siino

Commentary: Rich Bocchini & Joe Dombrowski

Super Lucha

Cesar Duran starts the show in the middle of the ring and asks the crowd if they are ready for a ‘Super Lucha’ as his henchman is carrying a briefcase that is full of cash as it’s assumed the following match will be for it.

Arez (w/ Holidead & Dr. Dax) vs. Aramis

This is a rematch from their previous encounter on the second episode of Fusion ALPHA, but this time Arez has some company ringside with him in the form of Holidead and Dr. Dax as Rich Bocchini mentions both of them want a title shot against Yoshihiro Tajiri and his MLW Middleweight Championship. They start the match slowly, each man trying to outsmart the other and springboarding off the ropes while holding on with a wrist lock. They fight some more through the ropes and the apron until Aramis is able to apply some form of a Gory Special into a pin attempt that Arez transitions into a Pendulum hold, but Aramis reverses into one of his own. They trade off leapfrogs and more take-down attempts before fighting back on the apron. Arez stops Aramis with a kick, takes him outside, and delivers a Razor’s Edge all the way up the apron. Back inside, Arez goes to the top rope and hits a double stomp for a two count. Aramis heads to the top rope himself and tornados off the rope knocks Arez to the outside, and hits a suicide dive as they go to commercial.

When we come back, they head back inside with Aramis missing off the top rope, they trade holds back and forth once again which each is not able to hit their move until Aramis kicks Arez down, hits an uppercut and a spinning kick as both men get knocked down. They get back up and knock each other right back down with headbutts. Aramis hits Three Seconds Around the World, but Arez kicks out at the last possible moment. Aramis goes back to the top, Arez escapes to the outside and gets hit with a running kick and a tightrope moonsault to the outside. As they are heading back inside, Holidead holds Aramis’ legs as he’s trying to run the ropes. Arez takes advantage, hitting a backbreaker into a bridged suplex for a two. Aramis puts on a kneebar, but Dr. Dax gets on the apron distracting the referee. This causes Holidead to get on the apron and distract Aramis, as Arez gets behind him and hits a trapped leg driver-like move for the pin as commentary mentions Arez has just won ‘thousands of dollars’

Winner: Arez by pinfall at 12:26

Willow’s Dark Side

Alicia Atout is backstage with Willow Nightingale and Willow says she doesn’t know what she’s doing she’s just trying to elevate the women’s division, but Holidead keeps picking on her. If Holidead wants to fight, she’ll give her a fight and will show her Willow’s dark side.

Rock Bottom Reed

Emilio Sparks is backstage and catches up with Myron Reed and says he’s been getting a ton of tweets asking where Reed’s head is at as his career is in a downturn. Myron Reed asks Sparks what his name is and gets upset that Sparks is going to ask like Reed is nothing and asks him to say his name again. The lights go out and Reed is transported to a different room with Karlee Perez. Perez says that Reed has lost his group, his title and from what she sees in her cards, he’s had a long way to fall and will hit rock bottom and when he does, her hand will be there to pick him up.

Hammerstone & Matanza Brawl

Alex Hammerstone is seen walking backstage about to be asked a question by Emilio Sparks about Hammerstone’s foot and ankle after War Chamber, but he gets attacked by Matanza Duran as the feed gets cut. When it comes back from commercial, they are still fighting in the backstage area as the feed cuts once again with commentary cutting to another video package.

The Calm Before the Storm

We go to 5150 where Konnan says he’s easy like Sunday morning as he knows what’s about to happen, he is the calm before the storm, and here is the storm as Dr. Julius Smokes starts yelling about 5150. Slice Boogie says this is no different than someone about to rob a bank as they are ready to die and they aren’t going to jail or home a loser, just going home a champion. Rivera says those titles stand for everything they never had come up and they were told they couldn’t do it. They are jumping the line because real motherfuckers walk right past the line, and tonight they are taking those belts and sending Los Parks’ bitch asses back to Mexico to dance on the corner like the hoes they are.

Where in the World is CONTRA?

We go to an update from Alicia Atout about CONTRA Unit where she goes through the history of CONTRA and Jacob Fatu winning the MLW World Heavyweight Championship, before losing it to Alex Hammerstone and the War Chamber match. They reshow the ending of War Chamber with Fatu and Mads Krugger brawling and says Cesar Duran could be responsible as he destroyed CONTRA with whispers and words as they were the greatest threat to his power and now nothing stands in his way. Atout asks where the whereabouts of the CONTRA Unit are now. She mentions Mads Krugger being spotted in the fighting pits of South Africa and has sworn vengeance against Jacob Fatu. Ikuro Kwon renounced CONTRA and has been seen in Japan where he is training with MLW Middleweight Champion Yoshihiro Tajiri. Jacob Fatu is AWOL, and no one has seen or heard from him since leaving the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia. Josef Samael vanished before the War Chamber and hasn’t been seen since and some speculate that the timing of his disappearance may have been intentional.

Hammerstone & Matanza Continues

Hammerstone and Matanza are still brawling backstage, as officials and security try to break it up. It should be noted that Matanza Duran is in his mask, and not shown to be Jeff Cobb.

nZo vs. Matt Cross

nZo comes out to a pretty negative reaction as they cut to the one of the signs in the crowd that says ‘All these free agents and we get nZo?’. As he gets in the ring, the crowd gets a bit behind him chanting ‘How you doing?’ as they lock up. nZo takes down Cross and puts him in a headlock before they tussle into the ropes. nZo runs the ropes but quickly gets down with a dropkick. nZo starts stomping Cross in the corner as they go to commercial.

When we come back, nZo is still holding Cross down in a side headlock, until Cross fights his way out. Cross goes on the ropes but gets taken down as nZo starts working on the leg of Cross followed by a suplex for a two count. nZo starts chopping Cross in the corner and whips him into the other one before going for another pin attempt. Cross attempts a comeback, hitting a kick from the apron, goes to the top and hits a double stomp to the back of nZo for a two count. Cross goes back to the top, but nZo stops him and hits a Razor’s Edge, places Cross back on the top rope, and hits a Codebreaker for a two count. nZo heads to the top rope but gets stopped with a kick on the way down for a two count. Cross heads to the top rope, gets stopped as nZo joins him up there. Cross pushes him off but misses the Shooting Star Press. nZo is now busted open on his head, as Cross hits a cutter for a two count. As Cross tries to pull nZo, he hangs onto the ring apron, causing the referee to go fix it. As he’s distracted, nZo kicks Cross right in the groin, hits his JawdonZo finishing move (inverted stomp face breaker) and gets the pin and the win.

Winner: nZo by pinfall at 10:58

KC Navarro starts heading to the ring for the next segment but gets attacked by nZo who throws him against the barricade before hitting the Razor’s Edge into the ring post.

MLW x AJPW

They announce that next week; they will show footage from Japan as Yoshihiro Tajiri will defend his MLW World Middleweight Championship against Atsuki Aoyagi as it will be the first time in 18 years that an MLW championship will be defended in All Japan Pro Wrestling.

Have A Dynastic Christmas

Alicia Atout and Richard Holliday are backstage discussing the holidays, and Holliday mentions how he knows Atout doesn’t celebrate Christmas in Canada, but he still got her a gift which is revealed to be a Dynastic coffee mug. Alex Hammerstone and Matanza Duran start brawling, so Hammerstone grabs the mug and smashes the mug over Matanza’s head, before grabbing a chain, wrapping it around his hand, and taking out Matanza. Holliday is a bit upset that he destroyed the gift and yells at Hammerstone.

We go to Emilio Sparks who is backstage with Holidead, Arez, and Dr. Dax, and ask what is up with their relationship as they are counting the money from the briefcase. 5150 comes in the picture with a shopping cart full of weapons and complements Sparks’ $700 sneakers. Rivera asks him what his shoe size is before acting like he’s going to take them, but Konnan stops him and says they have to worry about getting the titles first and then the kicks.

MLW World Tag Team Championship / Philly Street Fight: Los Parks (LA Park Jr. & El Hijo de LA Park) (c) 5150 (Rivera & Slice Boogie) (w/ Konnan & Dr. Julius Smokes)

Konnan gets on the mic and cuts a promo hyping up the crowd, before passing the mic amongst 5150. Los Parks come out but without LA Park as all four men start brawling in and out of the ring with Los Parks both hitting suicide dives on the outside. Hijo tosses Rivera against the barricade and starts using the chair, as Jr. does the same to Boogie. They start using rakes and hockey sticks before Hijo uses the shopping cart on Rivera. Hijo and Rivera start brawling inside until Rivera dives onto Jr. on the outside as they go to the commercial.

When we come back Boogie and Hijo are in the ring and get the crowd into it before Boogie knocks Hijo outside with a fall-away slam as Jr. comes in and they start brawling. Boogie hits a German suplex knocking Jr. out as Hijo comes back in and they exchange strikes. Hijo hits a sunset bomb, but Rivera breaks up the pin attempt. Jr. goes under the ring and swaps out with LA Park. Park comes in and spears Rivera before Jr. comes back in but collides with Boogie. Homicide runs down to the ring and goes under the ring to drag out LA Park as they brawl all the way to the back. Los Parks start double-teaming Boogie hitting him with a chair and a powerbomb/backstabber combo. Rivera comes in and takes out Jr. with a kick and a chair but gets taken down with a sunset bomb by Hijo for a two count. Hijo brings in a wooden door and places it against the corner placing Rivera on it, but Rivera moves and Boogie spears Hijo into the wooden door. Boogie picks up LA Park Jr., putting him over his shoulders as Rivera hits a double stomp off the top rope to the back of Jr. and they both cover him for the pin and the win to win the titles.

Winners: 5150 (Rivera & Slice Boogie) by pinfall at 9:38, to become NEW MLW World Tag Team Champions

Alex Kane and Mr. Thomas are shown driving into the arena, but Calvin Tankman tries to attack them before they drive away to end the show.

About John Siino 409 Articles
New York native and reporter at POST Wrestling. He is also Associate Producer at POISONRANA, co-host of 'Collision Course' and the host of the 'Shot in the Dark' podcast.