MLW Fusion Episode #127 Never Say Never 2021 3/31/2021

MLW Fusion Episode #127 Never Say Never 2021 3/31/2021

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2021/03/mlw-fusion-episode-126-3242021.html 

We get a package for Jacob Fatu vs Calvin Tankman. Fatu says he will be just another body for the body count. Tankman says not to play with him and he plays games with him, he will lose.

Ray Flores is on commentary instead of Rich Bocchini. Ray is supposedly a well known boxing commentator. He sounds very different than Rich.

Jordan Oliver vs Simon Gotch

They go to the mat early and counter each other. Oliver does a backwards jump and runs into Gotch's forearm. Gotch uses a bandana to choke Oliver. They go to the floor and Oliver gets dropped with a forearm there. Oliver then gets suplexed on floor. Oliver continues to get beat down back inside and finally gets a DDT in after a while. They each hit each other with some forearms and Oliver comes off the 2nd rope with a cutter to win. This just wasn't anything too special. Gotch really is better as someone's tag partner than in singles.

Josef Samuel of Contra does a promo. He said you say never say never when you are low on luck and just about out of time, and Injustice is. He said while Tankman is taking photos with kids and being celebrated Fatu has been beating up people. He said Injustice's infidels will be ripped to pieces.

They announce a Dragon Gate partnership coming up soon which is pretty cool.

Daivari vs Myron Reed

They waste no time to go at it as they trade punches. They say Daivari might get a middleweight title shot if he wins this. Reed topes Daivari and Reed gets thrown into the sound area, then punted in the body. Daivari stomps on him and tries to piledriver him on the floor but is back body dropped onto the stage instead. Reed then jumps off of a speaker onto Daivari.

Daivari works the leg and figure four's Reed leg but Reed grabs the ropes. Daivari goes for a suplex but Reed turns it into a stunner/cutter as Reed continues to hold his leg. Reed bounces Daivari off the middle rope and drops him on his butt then Reed does a slingshot legdrop.

Daivari takes off Reed's chest protector and puts wears it. Daivari goes for a frog splash but Reed moves. Reed takes off the chest protector off of Daivari and and cutters him off the 2nd rope. Reed puts the chest protector back on and springboard 450's Daivari for the win.

I always hate matches where the leg is worked on a flyer, since they really need the leg to do most of their moves. Aside from that, the rest of this was okay as they brought a little hatred and they didn't go too far with the fruitless leg work.

Hammerstone does a promo on Muertes. He said Mil planned this poorly and said he will send him back to whatever grave he came from. They announce another rerun next week which I don't like. Why not just let the matches run long here and do a 2 part episode instead if they are hurting for content?

Alicia Atout hosts an interview with Richard Holliday and Gino Medina. Richard tells her to refer to him as the Caribbean champion and she says she isn't doing this and we are running low on time. Gino has to break it up which is funny. Richard yells at him for trying to tell him to stop talking and calls him "the most undynastic person" he has ever met. Medina calls Atout a "thrift-store Barbie" and they continue to argue. Atout announces Medina will challenge for Holliday's Carribean title and Richard isn't pleased. This segment sucked. There was too much petty arguing here about nothing and it was a waste of time.

We get a tale of the tape for Tankman vs Fatu. This is Fatu's 10th defense.

MLW World Heavyweight Championship - Jacob Fatu (c) vs Calvin Tankman

They said Tankman is coming in "with issues". They said he was rumored to have food poisioning and said this isn't the first time that has happened with Contra.

They shoulderblock battle early and Fatu goes flying out. Tankman comes off the 2nd rope with a twisting armdrag then dropkick's Fatu. Fatu goes into the buckles but flips out of them then springboard clotheslines Tankman and kips up after. Fatu then superkicks him in the face.

Tankman runs into a samoan drop from Fatu. Fatu beats up Tankman for a bit and splashes him in the corner. He then does a butt drop in the corner on Tankman but probably takes the worst of it. Fatu hits a vicious back elbow. they trade some shots in the ring and Tankman pounces Fatu out of the ring. Tankman then topes Fatu on the outside.

Tankman does a running SSP for 2. He tries a cutter but Fatu  handstands out of it. Fatu handsprings out of the ropes and comes back with a moonsault for 2. Tankman pops him up for a spinning back elbow and Fatu flips for a lariat for 2. Daivari enters the ring and gets nailed but Fatu nails Tankman in the head with a flag. Fatu then double jump moonsaults him for the win.

I wasn't too big of a fan of this. I wanted heavyweight style wrestling and we got heavyweights doing more flips than the lighter weight guys did. I knew Tankman wasn't winning this but with the dirty finish, at least they gave him an excuse for another shot someday. I wanted to see more lariats, strike exchanges and power moves and less flips.

Overall thoughts: This was just average to okay. They gave a good effort in the main and it got enough time, but it was not the heavyweight war I was hoping for. The rest of the show wasn't too special with the Holliday/Medina/Atout three way argument conference being outright bad. Rich Bocchini was also missed on commentary here.