MLW Fusion Recap (9/14): Team Strickland Vs. Team Callihan War Games Match
The show opens with footage of previous WarGames matchups, with Matt Striker providing voice-over exclaiming how dangerous of an environment it is. Montage of the events leading up to tonight's bout, including Sami Callihan pondering Tommy Dreamer's involvement, Abyss calling himself a monster, and Shane Strickland declaring that the war is coming.
Promo featuring team Callihan, which consists of himself, Jimmy Havoc, Abyss, and The Death Machines. Abyss screams, "I love war and I love games! Tonight...let's play!" Havoc says he expects three things tonight: A fight, blood, and beer. Callihan proclaims that this is not about professional wrestling anymore. "Shane Strickland...we are going to hurt you. We are going to end your career."
Cut to Casey Lennox who is with team Strickland consisting of Shane Strickland, Tommy Dreamer, John Hennigan, Barrington Hughes, and Kotto Brazil. Shane says his team is feeling good about tonight's matchup before calling his opponents MLW's version of the Legion of Doom. Hennigan calls team Callihan douchebags, and says that it'll be hard for them to trust each other. Barrington Hughes promises that debts will be paid and Kotto agrees with him. Tommy Dreamer throws a shout out to the American Dream, and says that the trait he loves about this group is that they are united, that they will fight together until the very end.
MLW Fusion Intro
Tony Schiavone and Rick Bocchini welcome us to the show. They say that the rivalry between Shane Stickland and Sami Callihan all comes to a head this evening. The ring is still being set up with cages for the nights main event, so Schiavone shoots us over to an earlier interview with MLW heavyweight champion Low Ki and his manager Salina de la Renta. Low Ki tells reporters that he's not done with Fenix by a long shot while Salina screams in Spanish at a question she does not like. As they enter the arena Tommy Dreamer bumps into them. They say hello, but Dreamer has his eyes all over the gold, and Low Ki notices.
Flashback to two weeks ago when the new Hart foundation attacked Kevin Sullivan. Cut to present day where Casey Lennox is backstage with Teddy Hart and Brian Pillman Jr. Hart says that no one is being suspended for the attack on Sullivan, and that the Hart family has been vilified for long enough. "You touch me...we'll touch you back. Three generations of wrestling run through this blood." Brian Jr. grabs the mic and says they're the big dogs now, and that the new Hart foundation will take over Major League Wrestling.
Quick ad for MLW's Fury Road taking place on October 4th in New York City. Matches announced so far are PCO versus L.A. Park and the Hart Foundation versus ACH, Rich Swann, and a debuting Marko Stunt. Rick Bocchini then announces that whoever wins the MLW heavyweight title match between Low Ki and Fenix in two weeks will go on to defend the title at Fury Road.
Back to Schiavone who hypes up the WarGames main event before sending us to our first commercial.
Bocchini previews next week's show where PCO will face Brody King. Cut to PCO backstage who tells King that he will feel the energy and learn why it's the "PCO way or the highway."
Ring announcer explains the rules of the match: "Victory is achieved by surrender or submission." Schiavone reminds us that it was 31 years since the first WarGames has taken place.
Kotto Brazil comes out first, which means Strickland's team has won the coin toss and will have the early advantage. Folton comes out next.
Team Strickland versus Team Callihan in WarGames matchup
Kotto explodes out of the cage right onto Folton sending both men through a table. Back in the ring Kotto uses his speed to attack the much larger man, but eventually gets caught and slammed into the cage. Folton tosses Kotto from one ring to another, and then KILLS him with a missile dropkick from the top rope. Folton manhandles Kotto for the duration of the first period.
John Hennigan is the next man to enter WarGames
Now wrestlers will come in two minute durations. Hennigan unloads on Folton right away. He lands a superkick on the big guy which takes him down thanks to Kotto being right behind him. Hennigan and Kotto double-team Folton with tandem offense but these new rounds are short.
Jimmy Havoc is the next man to enter WarGames
Havoc goes right after Hennigan, pulls out a sheet of paper, and gives him a paper cut right in between the fingers. Another under the arm. Folton picks up Kotto and tosses him into Havoc who nails him with a STOP sign.
Shane Strickland is the next man to enter WarGames
Sami Callihan attacks from behind! He throws Shane off the stage through a table, then picks him up and powerbombs him. Callihan then tells the ref that he's getting into the match right now. The refs don't seem intent on stopping him.
Sami Callihan is the next man to enter WarGames
With Strickland hurt on the outside, Callihan's team now has the extra-man advantage in the ring. They lay Hennigan on a table. Elbow drop through the table by Havoc. Team Callihan is reigning supreme until the clock runs out.
Tommy Dreamer is the next man to enter WarGames
Tommy brings out a trash can with weapons inside. He throws them all inside. LOUD ECW chants. Dreamer nails everybody with a kendo stick to give his team time to recover. He dropkicks the STOP sign into Callihan's head. Bocchini informs us that Shane Strickland has been taken back to the locker rooms and is being looked at by medical officials. They are unsure if he'll return.
Leon Scott is the next man to enter WarGames
Scott has a baseball bat with him. He goes right after Tommy Dreamer and hands the bat off to Sami Callihan. Sami uses the Bat on Tommy's ribs. He follows up with a kendo stick to the groin. Team Callihan puts the trash can over Hennigan. They beat it with chair shots. Jimmy Havoc tries to drop Kotto through a table, but Kotto counters and hits a German suplex.
Barrington Hughes is the next man to enter WarGames
Hughes grabs the kendo stick and breaks it off of Leon Scott's head. Both men trade stiff forearms until Hughes takes advantage with a clothesline. Havoc hits Hughes over the head with a wet-floor sign but it has no effect. Clothesline. Folton distracts Hughes for long enough that Callihan can nail him with the STOP sign. Commentary team officially announces that Shane Strickland will NOT be returning.
Abyss is the final man to enter WarGames
The match beyond has officially begun! Abyss nails Kotto with a clothesline as he enters. Hennigan lands some shots on the monster but Abyss chokeslams him. Tommy is next but he gets the better of Abyss with some classic Dusty Rhodes elbows to the head. He pulls off his shirt to reveal the poka-dot black and yellow! Abyss then sidewalk slams Tommy as he was coming off the ropes.
Barrington Hughes crosses the ring and he and Abyss go at it. All the men converge to one ring except for Kotto, who climbs to the top of the cage and takes the pile down with a corkscrew plancha. Camera shows that Havoc and Folton are both bleeding badly. Kotto lands a code red on Havoc then transitions right into a submission. Fun spot sees both teams attempting to break up two submissions and ends with Hughes and Tommy Dreamer joining hands across the rings.
Abyss and Hughes trade fists again with everybody down. Hughes hits a splash but then Abyss retaliates with a clothesline that knocks the big guy down. Leon Scott attempts to spear John Hennigan through a table, but Hennigan moves at the last second and Scott goes straight through. Havoc and Callihan scream for Abyss to get the tacs...he obliges. Abyss tries to chokeslam Kotto through, but Kotto evades and hits sliced bread on Abyss who lands on the tacs!
Tommy Dreamer avoids a clothesline and hits Havoc with a cutter. He and Kotto wrap barbed wire around their teammate Barrington Hughes to use as a weapon. Hughes splashes Folton in the corner. He then applies a crossface with the barbed wire onto Folton. Kotto assists to add pressure. Folton taps.
Team Strickland has won WarGames
Another match announced for Fusion next week. MLW middleweight champion Maxwell J. Friedman and his girlfriend Aria Blake take on Joey Ryan and Taya Valkyrie in mixed-tag action.
After the babyfaces celebrate, Sami Callihan and Jimmy Havoc start blaming each other for the loss. They trade slaps. Sami gives the thumbs down signal, and the Death Machines attack Havoc and beat him down. Sami assists.
That's the show.