MLW Fusion Recap (5/18): Swann Faces Pillman Jr. In Tournament Semifinal, Daga Battles Tanaka

Show opens a rundown of the evening's card. Minoru Tanaka battles Daga, Brian Pillman Jr. faces Rich Swann in a semifinal for the new National Openweight championship, and Mance Warner teams with Sami Callihan to battle Promociones Doroado's Ricky Martinez and El Hijo de la Park.

Fusion intro.

Rich Boccini and Jim Cornette welcome us to another edition of Major League Wrestling's weekly episodic, Fusion. Promociones Dorado's music hits, and Ricky Martinez and El Hijo de la Park make their way to the ring. They're accompanied by Salina de la Renta. Cut to footage from earlier in the day where Mance Warner and Sami Callihan are hanging out drinking beer, talking about their dislike for Salina. They take a forklift to a liquor store. Warner and Callihan are out next.

Sami Callihan & Mance Warner versus El Hijo de la Park & Ricky Martinez

Match begins with a brawl involving all four men. Martinez and Callihan tangle while Warner goes after Park. Park gets his hand on the electrical cable and whips it off Warner's back. Callihan and Warner team up on Park but Martinez gets in between them and another scuffle begins. Park and Callihan lay into each other with stiff chops that echo throughout the arena. Warner pulls an umbrella from someone in the crowd and uses it to pound Martinez to the floor. Park removes his belt and uses it as a weapon. Double-superkick from Park and Martinez knocks Callihan and Warner down. Park takes out Callihan with a running crossbody from the entrance ramp.

Warner and Martinez are the first ones to end up in the ring. Martinez hits a basement dropkick. Park enters and Promociones Dorado works over Warner with tandem offense. Warner low-blows Park but still isn't able to make the tag to Callihan. More double-team offense from Park and Martinez. Warner gets rocked with a brainbuster from Martinez, then Park connects with a splash off the top rope. Warner responds with a pop-up headbutt onto Park and is finally able to make the hot tag.

Callihan comes in hot...superkick to Martinez. He sends Park to the outside, then goes for a piledriver...Martinez escapes....nice sequence of counters...Callihan catches him in the piledriver...that'll do it.

Sami Callihan & Mance Warner win by pinfall

As soon as the match ends all four men continue to brawl. Fight spills to the backstage catering area. LA Park comes out of nowhere and joins in on the beatdown. Promociones Dorado's numbers prove to be too much for Warner and Callihan, who get pounded to the ground. Selina trash talks both men, then takes her faction and leaves.

Preview ad for Austin Aries...coming soon to MLW.

Commentary tells us that the medical staff is evaluating Sami Callihan and Mance Warner after the attack the suffered at the hands of Promociones Dorado.

Daga is out next. His opponent...Minoru Tanaka...comes second.

Daga versus Minoru Tanaka

Tanaka with a leg kick. Test of strength...Daga pushes Tanaka off and lands a chop. They eventually tie-up...Daga grabs a wristlock...Tanaka reverses the pressure but Daga retakes control. Tanaka creates separation...dropkick connects. Both men go to lock up again...Tanaka fires off a spinning gut kick instead. Irish-whip...Daga reverses...Tanaka ends up on the middle-rope...missile dropkick! Cover...Daga kicks out but Tanaka immediately transitions into an armbar. Struggle on the mat...Daga shifts his body to get under Tanaka and applies the rear-naked choke. Tanaka rolls over to the ropes and Daga breaks the hold. Some trash-talking from Daga. Back on their feet...Daga nails a four hit combo ending with an enziguri. Powerbomb attempt...Tanaka lands on his feet...headscissor from Daga sends Tanaka to ringside. Daga off the ropes...suicide dive. Daga right back in the ring...corkscrew plancha and both men are down on the outside.

Back in the ring Daga climbs to the top but misses a double-stomp. Tanaka takes advantage and traps Daga in a kneebar. Daga screaming in pain. He just gets to the ropes. Tanaka now targets the leg with a low-dropkick. He tosses Daga to the outside...asai moonsault from the apron lands! Fight spills back inside...Tanaka charges Daga in the corner...Daga pops over...quick sequence of counters...Daga gains position...superkick! Cover...Tanaka JUST kicks out. He goes for Bloody Sunday but Tanaka blocks it...standing enziguri, roundhouse nearly KO's Daga. He manages to get a shoulder up on the pin. Back and forth striking...standing frankensteiner by Daga...he picks Tanaka up....German suplex with pin...Tanaka is out at two again. More striking...Daga catches another roundhouse...Tanaka rolls him up...got em!

Minoru Tanaka wins by pinfall

Boccini and Cornette play a highlight package showing off Marshall and Ross Von Erich, who recently signed with MLW. MJF cuts a promo. He says that the Von Erich's may be a dynasty...but there is only one Dynasty in Major League Wrestling. He doesn't want to hear the name Von Erich again, because this is Dynasty's time.

Preview for MLW Fury Road.

Recap of last week's Fusion, when Jacob Fatu ended the near two-year undefeated streak of Barrington Hughes. Promo from Contra Unit. They say that Hughes was just another sacrifice to Contra's cause...and that their destruction is still only just beginning.

Preview of next week's main event, where "Filthy" Tom Lawlor defends the MLW heavyweight championship against German sensation Robert "Avalanche" Dreissker. Lawlor cuts his typical "I'll face whoever I must" as champion promo. He says like a real avalanche, Dreissker's world will crumble around him when he steps into the ring with the champ.

Flashback to last week, when Air Wolf defeated Rey Fenix in what is being called the "Big Apple" miracle. Commentary tells us that a potential title bout between Davey Boy Smith Jr. and Tom Lawlor is being discussed by MLW higher-ups.

Main event time. Rich Swann is out first along with Myron Reed. They still wear the duct tape over their mouths with the words JUSTICE written across. Brian Pillman Jr. is out second. Here we go.

Rich Swann versus Brian Pillman Jr. National Openweight semifinal

Action begins fast. Pillman with a rebound powerslam. Early pinfall...Reed sticks his hands in the ring to put Swann's leg on the ropes. Pillman argues...Swann takes advantage with an eye-rake but Pillman retakes control with a back-body drop. He smashes Swann's head off the top turnbuckle. Both men run the ropes...Swann hits a superkick that drops Pillman. Big strikes back and forth...Pillman off the ropes again...he dives to the outside and dropkicks Reed! Crowd loves it! Back in the ring Pillman with a top rope crossbody...Swann gets a shoulder up. Pillman mounts Swann in the corner for the ten punch...Reed trips Pillman from the outside but the referee doesn't see it!

Swann wears Pillman down with kicks to the upper-back. He chokes Pillman in the corner with a boot to the throat. Modified camel-clutch applied by Swann. He switches to a dragon-sleeper. Pillman gets to his feet and takes Swann down with a snapmare. Pillman off the ropes...Swann connects with a roundhouse! DDT by Swann! Cover...Pillman kicks out. Swann argues with the ref and pushes him...the ref pushes back! Reed jumps up on the apron to argue as well. Pillman pushes Swann into Reed...they butt-heads...roll-up from Pillman...fast count and it's over!

Brian Pillman wins by pinfall and advances to the tournament finals

Swann can't believe it! Pillman leaves the ring and celebrates with the fans.

Cut to the other finalist...Alexander Hammerstone....who is being interviewed by Kaci Lennox. Hammerstone says that he's got the size advantage, the power advantage, and the genetic advantage to win the tournament. He says that Pillman Jr.'s father was a great wrestler, but that won't help him in the ring. Hammerstone claims he was born to win the National Openweight championship.

That's the show friends.