August 31st, 2018
Matt Striker welcomes us to the show, and hypes the main event of Tom Lawlor vs. Jake Hager. Also tonight is the Simon Gotch Prizefight Challenge, and Yuta/Cade. WarGames is less than a week away, and we’re sent off to the ring for some action.
Vandal Ortagun vs. Teddy Hart
This one was all about Teddy running through Ortagun, and looking good while doing so. He continues to hate MLW, and say they’re screwing him over, however it doesn’t come off that way with the fans, as they cheer him like crazy, probably the opposite reaction of what they wanted. Commentary tries to despise Teddy and act like he’s a terrible dude, and it would be great if the crowd treated him as so. Either way, Teddy looked great, did his signature stuff, and Ortagun took another loss.
Winner: Teddy Hart
Match Rating: NR
Due to matches in the past, Simon Gotch has raised the steaks of his Prizefight challenge… Now offering FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS!
Simon Gotch’s Prizefight Challenge: Simon Gotch w/Team Filthy vs. Angel Pierce
I’m pretty sure this was the shortest Prizefight Challenge to date, as it literally consisted of no sold punches, followed by a piledriver to finish the job. These are good squashes for Gotch, but no one even gets close to defeating him. I’m just waiting for something a little more interesting with these challenges, but they get the job done of continuing to give Gotch momentum.
Winner: Simon Gotch
Match Rating: NR
Abyss cuts a promo about WarGames, and he’s going to teach Team Strickland the meaning of pain and suffering.
A video package recapping the Salina De La Renta vs. Konan feud is shown, ultimately hyping up Low-Ki vs. Fenix, and LA Park vs. Pentagon at the upcoming WarGames show. Low-Ki was the narrator/voice over guy here, and it was very well done.
For the third or fourth week in a row, we run down the rules for WarGames… This is followed by more matches being hyped, including PCO vs. Brody King and Taya and Joey Ryan vs. MJF and Aria Blake.
Jimmy Yuta vs. Jason Cade
It has literally taken us MONTHS to get a singles match between these two, and overall it was a solid match. They’ve been really on and off in promoting this feud. One week they’re brawling in the back, and then three weeks later we’ll get a 10 second interview with one of the competitors. I’m glad we finally got the match, but judging by how it ended, this feud isn’t over just yet. Yuta was all set to win, but while Cade had the attention of the referee, Rhett Giddins came out and helped Cade pick up the victory. Little to no reaction for Giddins, as I’m sure most of the fans had no clue who he was. We’ll see where this goes.
Winner: Jason Cade
Match Rating: ***
The Hart Foundation are in the back, as Kevin Sullivan walks up to talk to Brian Pillman Jr. Teddy Hart isn’t a fan, as the two argue and begin to get into it. Pillman tries to make peace between the two, but Hart says enough is enough, and Pillman needs to pick a side. All three attack Sullivan, who is left in a bloody mess. Pillman says he may respect Sullivan, but he doesn’t like him.
A tale of the tape is shown for the upcoming Jake Hager vs. Tom Lawlor match. I appreciate them trying so hard to make this math seem like a big deal, but I’m not looking forward to this one.
Jake Hager w/Col. Robert Parker vs. Tom Lawlor w/Team Filthy
This was yet another disappointing Fusion main event, add it to the list with all the others. It wasn’t like I came in with huge expectations, I came in with lilttle to no expectations, but Jake Hager continues to do absolutely nothing interesting in the ring. Why is MLW still booking him? For months, Tom Lawlor has been one of the most interesting and top guys in MLW, but instead of capitalizing on that, why not throw him into a pointless feud with Jake Hager for over a month? The last minute was good, but otherwise this was totally average. Let’s move on from this feud, please.
Winner: Tom Lawlor
Match Rating: **1/2
Final Thoughts:
This was a weaker episode of Fusion, one that didn’t stand out at all. We had back to back squashes to kick off the show, a fine match between Cade and Yuta, which will more than likely continue their feud. It also introduced Rhett Giddins into the mix, which will be interesting to see what they do with him and Cade together. Otherwise, WarGames was hyped a lot, which always helps. The main event was average, as expected. A much needed win for Lawlor, and it’s time for both men to move on, and Jake Hager can move on from the company, because he hasn’t been involved in anything above “good” so far. Next week’s episode should be GREAT, we can only hope.
Final Rating: 5.5/10