Recap
With the Opera Cup now finished, it’s back to regular scheduled business, this weeks episode comes to us from Dallas Texas, our main event is a barb wire match between the “Southern Psycho” Mance Warner vs “England most dangerous man” Jimmy Havok.
AJ Kirsch kicks off the show, getting the crowd hyped up, as he begins to tell viewers and crowd about tonight's card, he is interrupted by Contra Unit. Jacob Fatu, Josef Samael and Simon Gotch head to the ring as AJ runs for higher ground back to the announcers desk. A video package plays showing Davey Boy Smith at a hockey game, where he is attacked by the members of Contra. Samael starts to deliver a typical heel promo running down the local town he goes into how dominate Contra is and references when they took out Teddy Hart with a fire ball. Just as he is about to talk about taking out the rest of Hart Foundation, when out comes Davey Boy and as he heads to the ring, it looks as if a fan has entered the ring and started attacking Contra, this turns out to be Brian Pillman Jr, he is then joined in the ring by Davey Boy and they clear the ring of the Contra.
Next up on the way to the ring are the members of Injustice, MLW Middleweight Champion Myron Reed, Kotto Brazil and Jordan Oliver, whilst a video package plays on which Konnan is talking with Alicia Atout about AAA working with MLW, but here come Injustice as they start running down the Lucha Legend and his promotion. After running their mouths about if AAA had any talent good enough to face off against the middleweight champion, Konnan says as a matter of fact he does and that is Drago.
The first official match of the episode is a three way tag match with Injustice members Kotto Brazil and Jordan Oliver taking on a partnership of Drago and Puma King as well as the team of Taurus and Low rider. This match will be contested under Lucha Tag Rules, its fast paced and frantic, each person giving just enough time to show of their best and most athletic moves. There were plenty of flips and dives, Jordan Oliver at one point dives through the ropes, hitting a suicide stunner which was truly incredible. With the up coming match between Drago and Myron Reed, Drago’s team manages to pick up the win, with an incredible lucha roll up from Drago on Low Rider to get the pin fall.
A video package looking back at the rivalry between Jimmy Havok and Mance Warner hyping up tonight's barb wire match main event. Another Video Package plays show casing the up coming live event taping for Fightland and Intimidation games. Third Video package plays looking back at the Opera Cup event followed by an emotional interview with Opera Cup winner Davey Boy Smith. We then head back stage to Josef Samael of Contra as he lays out a challenge to Davey Boy, a no rope, no rules catch wrestling match against Simon Gotch the only way to win is to either submit or knocking out your opponent.
Up next is Local hero competitor Chandler Hopkins Vs Low Ki, but this was no local competitor squash match or even your typical Low Ki squash match, this was actually quite a competitive match up. Chandler was given more than enough time to show what he could do, with time on top and even a couple 2 count pin attempts. Even though Chandler gave it as much as he could, he was never going to be able to over come the former heavyweight champion Low Ki, as he was able to lock on an interesting variation of sleeper, putting Chandler Hopkins to sleep and picking up the victory. After the match is finished Low Ki shows his respect to Chandler shaking his hand before leaving the ring heading to back to the locker room.
We get Davey Boy’s answer to a challenge made by Josef Samael earlier in the night, quite a simple answer for Davey Boy, its a yes. Next up is Promo from Tom Lawler and Dominic Garrini, as we are told that Dominic is the first member for team Lawler following the fake out with the spirit squad, Alicia then insults Dominic thinking he is new to the company, however he reminds her that he has been here a while and if everybody would stop liking the Luchas and the flips then she’d know who he is. A Final video package is for the fightland control centre as they a go through each match already announced for the February 1st event in Philadelphia. Another amazing promo with MJF follows, with his giant bouncer standing behind him, he hypes up his match with Marshal Von Erich scheduled for next week.
Now its time for our main event of the episode. A barbed wire match between Mance Warner and Jimmy Havok accompanied to the ring by Priscilla Kelly, as the Southern Psycho and England’s most Dangerous man go to war in the squared circle with ring ropes replaced with barb wire. The match starts off very cautious with each other trying to throw their opponent into the barb wire, its Mance who manages to strike first, causing Jimmy to start bleeding. Eventually Jimmy manages to get Mance into barb wire and take control, we get chairs, tables and even a staple gun. Mance’s face is just bloody mess, but despite this he able to overcome Jimmy delivering a pile driver on top of a chair to get pin fall.
Review
This was a good episode, I was not looking forward to watching this week knowing that the main event had Jimmy Havok in a barbed wire match, but honestly this was good episode. Contra starting the nig
ht was great, they have to be most hated faction in wrestling right now, Davey Boy and Pillman making the save clearing the ring of Contra keeps their feud going, looking forward to seeing Davey Boy vs Simon Gotch next week.
With all the animal masks in the opening match I wasn’t sure I was watching wrestling, thought I had accidentally switched to the animal channel. I am not big fan of Lucha Tag Matches often looks like what I call car crash wrestling with so much going on and lots of flips and dives with little story. But I have to say this was actually quite fun, despite how much Injustice annoy me, both Kotta and Jordan Oliver are fantastic athletes and the suicide stunner from Jordan was a thing of beauty never seen anything like it, great innovation. Low Rider pulled of some excellent moves I may not like Taurus’s mask, looking like the Mantaur from back in day with WWE, but wow he hits hard and looked an absolute brute, with great double team moves with his partner Low Rider. Drago and Puma King also looked impressive with great combination moves, Drago pulled off and incredible diving roll up on Low Rider, keeping his story with Injustice moving forward.
3 and Half Stars
The second match of evening was excellent, Low Ki helped to elevate Chandler Hopkins despite him loosing, Chandler really pushed Low Ki to the limit, Low Ki looked great as always and Chandler looks to be great signing I look forward to seeing more of him in the future.
4 Stars
The Main Event, I really don’t like death match wrestling and I am not a fan of Jimmy Havok but I am a fan of Mance Warner, he's great in the ring and delivers and excellent promo, but it feels like these two have been feuding forever. This match however is the best of all the matches they’ve had so far, and despite being a barb wire match it was actually a decent match overall, they did not go to crazy and manage to create a story in the ring. However, I do hope this is the end of the rivalry now.
3 and Half Stars.
Overall this was great episode, I have to give credit to the production and editing team who are able to put together great video packages. It’s always a great idea to put MJF on TV even if he is not wrestling. He delivered another amazing promo proving once again he’s better than us and we know it. MLW have managed to keep the rivalry between Contra and Hart Foundation despite Teddy Hart no longer being with the company, trying to make it out that Contra took Teddy out with the fire ball to the face when he lost his title to Myron Reed a few weeks ago, I look forward to seeing this story line continue.
4 stars overall.
Andrew More
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