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MLW is back with the second round of Merger: ALPHA. A title fight, a lucha libre exhibit and a suplex assassin are on the program for matchmaker Cesar Duran (aka Dario Cueto).
The announced range includes:
- MLW National Openweight Championship: Alexander Hammerstone vs. Tom Lawlor
- Aramis vs. Arez
- Alex Kane vs. Budd Heavy
Duran is all about super luchas, and he backs that up by reserving Alexander Hammerstone to defend the openweight title against Tom Lawlor. The intrigue of the story will be to see if Hammerstone can maintain his momentum as Muscle Mountain before they face off title against title against Jacob Fatu at Fightland. (The Fightland Special airs October 7 at 10 p.m. ET exclusively on Vice TV.)
The traditional wrestling reservation would often dictate Hammer dropping the belt on Filthy Tom. On the other hand, the delay in the schedule actually benefits MLW. Assuming Hammerman wins, that would provide a showcase to give him a quality win ahead of next week’s Super Deluxe Champions Fight.
Aramis and Arez are two highly skilled luchadores. It is advisable to associate them to have a chance to shine with new audiences. This match received very positive reviews so it should be a treat to finally watch. Alex Kane makes his MLW singles debut as a suplex assassin. Let’s go with an over / under of 10 suplex at Budd Heavy. Do you take the top or the bottom?
Episode # 2 of Merger: ALPHA launches at 7 p.m. ET Wednesday night on YouTube (here).
To find out why Duran booked this title fight between Hammerstone and Lawlor, read on for the recap of the Merger: ALPHA start.
Duran opened with a message to his believers. It’s a new era of super luchas and violence in MLW. Duran ran into the lineup and then shouted, “Come on lucha!”
The ring announcer shouted: “This fight is the Bunkhouse Braaaaawwwwlll !!!” Denim god Tom Lawlor took the microphone to piss off the Philly crowd. They don’t deserve to see Team Filthy in action.
Bunkhouse Brawl: Von Erichs beat Kevin Ku and Kit Osbourne. Marshall Von Erich was in control with the claw, so Team Filthy used a shovel to break his leg. The thugs went to work on Marshall’s member. Ku crushed Ross Von Erich with a painful fisherman’s puzzle on an open chair.
When the Von Erichs proved to have too much heart to stop, Lawlor brought in a massive 2×4 piece of wood. This tactic backfired when he hit Ku. Ross ripped the gun off to hit Team Filthy. The Von Erichs have placed a plank of wood on two chairs. Ku was below and Osbourne was above. Marshall threw a moonsault to crash into the heap. A double pin earned the victory.
A hyped video released of Alexander Hammerstone winning Battle Riot III to win a title for a title against Jacob Fatu at Fightland. Epic Clash Of The Titans airs October 7 on Vice TV.
TJP has talked about globetrotting in his wrestling career, while Davey Richards has been knocked out. TJP struggles like beautiful music unlike Richards’ struggle equivalent to the sound of pots falling to the ground. TJP was convinced he would take out Richards, because the American Wolf is a coward.
MLW brings the women’s featherweight division with Ashley Vox, Delmi Exo, Brittany Blake, Holidead, Zoey Skye, Willow Nightingale and Nicole Savoy.
Duran was admiring a photo of him when Matt Cross (aka Son of Havoc) interrupted him. New name for Duran but same old game. Cross angle for a title drawn in MLW. Duran would think about it a bit.
Alicia Trump updated the behind-the-scenes brawl between Team Filthy and the Von Erichs. Security intervened to escort Lawlor to Duran’s office.
Konnan made a 5150 roll call for Dr Julius Smokes, Slice Boogie and Rivera (aka Danny Limelight). Ratta-tat-tat.
Gino Medina beat KC Navarro. Medina used flashy kicks to crush the speedster. Navarro rallied with a swirling DDT, but Medina regained control with more kicks. Medina executed a rotating torture rack facebuster to close it.
Josef Samael had a message for Hammerstone. The Contra frontman laughed at the idea that Hammer believed he could do what no man has done since Fatu won the MLW World Heavyweight Championship. Distinctive American arrogance in its purest form. It won’t be a title fight. It will be a war zone. Hammerstone goes home in a body bag. Hi, Contra!
Davey Richards explained his goal to be the best professional wrestler in the world. MLW is the place to be with all talent. Richards predicted a submission victory over TJP.
Duran was on the phone and relied on the other person to prove his success. Lawlor got into anger when declaring his case for a world title shot. Duran appreciated Lawlor’s understanding of violence, spectacle, and victory. Duran booked Lawlor in a title match … against Hammerstone for the MLW National Openweight Championship. Duran rushed Lawlor out to resume his phone call. A mysterious figure entered from the side with a growl. It sounded like a tease for Matanza.
Davey Richards beat the TJP. Mat work to start. TJP made a twisting head scissor pullback then dabbed to return the middle finger to the crowd. The boos rained. The action built towards a Richards superplex. The pace picked up from there with submission counters and cumulative reversals. Richards finally flipped the switch to a higher gear. He nailed TJP with an exploding brainbuster on the apron, a flying double stomp, and a regular brainbuster. TJP didn’t want to stay on the ground, so Richards forced him to hit an ankle lock.
The beginnings of Merger: ALPHA shook hard. It’s great to see Dario Cueto again. I am still amazed that MLW came up with the idea of changing his obvious identity under a new pseudonym to Cesar Duran. My personal reaction to Duran is similar to the excitement felt by CM Punk fans coming to AEW. It makes me smile every time I see Duran. They peppered her presence throughout the show, and it was awesome every time. We were able to observe his slimy nature as a promoter when handing over Tom Lawlor with joy. I’m not sure if MLW can bring Jeff Cobb back as Matanza, but it certainly seemed like a possibility with the offscreen growl. A family reunion would definitely be cool.
It had been a long time since there had been any new weekly MLW actions, but the instantaneous intensity of the Von Erichs made it seem like the MLW had never taken a break. Marshall and Ross brought me back to the fold to quickly remember the details of the feud for their fight with Team Filthy. The Bunkhouse Brawl was a thug with all arms. These matches are usually free to play, but Team Filthy actually mixed up a bit of strategy when attacking Marshall’s knee. The end of the Moon Sandwich was a fantastic visual and a fitting way to get rid of Lawlor’s henchmen.
The main event was well organized with the addition of pre-game specials. This allowed consumers to choose sides without being able to build on the previous story. Since TJP was clearly the heel when speaking, it was easy to cheer Richards on. The main event was solid. Early groundwork gave way to more flashy moves as the match progressed. Richards’ closing blitz was impressive. If Richards can replicate that effort, I don’t see anyone standing in the way of winning the next Opera Cup tournament.
Share your reaction to Merger: ALPHA. Who were the stars in your eyes?
