MLW were south of the border once more, this time for the opening night of the MLW vs AAA series.
This will feature inter-promotional matches over the next few weeks.
We were welcomed by a Mexican national anthem ceremony to signal the opening of the series as we went straight into our opening contest.
Tijuana Barrio Street Fight: Pagano and Mortiz defeated Mance Warner and Savio Vega via pinfall
Alexander Hammerstone joined AJ Kirsch and Rich Bocchini on commentary for this one and it played into the match as he ended up interfering in the run-up to the finish. Alicia Atout caught up with Warner and Vega backstage before they made their way to the ring. Alicia and Warner high-fived at MJF leaving MLW after last week’s match, and Warner said that Hammerstone and Holliday went to go to a Mexican “donkey show” last night and spent all their money. Vega said they were ready for Pagano and Mortiz and were ready to hit the pay window.
The plunder and weapons were set up all around ringside as the competitors made their entrances and it wouldn’t take a genius to put 2 and 2 together to predict how this one was going to play out. This had everything you could imagine from a Mance Warner hardcore match from Mexico: skewers driven into foreheads, so many chair shots that they eventually disintegrated and fell apart, wooden boards, flaming tables and anything else they could get their hands on.
The match immediately broke down as they brawled on the outside. Choking with camera cables, chairs being thrown, even a car hood was used as Pagano was whipped headfirst into it. In the ring, Vega skewered Pagano in the forehead with what had to be 25-30 skewers, but moments later Pagano took flight and squashed Warner and Vega with a somersault plancha between the ropes. Mortiz then took everyone out on the floor with a suicide dive through a wooden board.
Back inside, Vega powerbombed Mortiz onto the car hood and Warner broke a chair over Pagano’s head. Mortiz and Warner then set up a table and climbed the turnbuckle for a flaming table spot. Mortiz ended up going through the table via a chokeslam and was still on fire as he rolled around the ring so Warner and then Vega tried to put him out by “hitting” him with rights and lefts. The table kept burning too so the ref missed a pinfall as he tried to keep the mat from catching light.
Pagano and Warner then set up doors in two corners of the ring. Warner was speared through the first one, then Warner pounced Pagano through the other. On commentary, Hammerstone told Kirsch and Bocchini that his prescription at the Mexican pharmacy was ready and he had to go pick it up, but this was his cue to hit the ring and take out Warner with a bicycle kick. Mortiz then splashed Warner through a table. Vega came off the top rope but Pagano crotched him with a chair and got the pinfall over with a blockbuster neckbreaker. AAA take a 1-0 lead in the series.
We heard that King Mo has been suspended for his attack on Killer Kross a few weeks ago. I guess Mo didn’t make the trip to Mexico so this will write him off of the next few episodes.
“Filthy” Tom Lawlor then cut a recorded promo complaining about King Mo’s suspension and said he and Dominic Garrini are entering the tag team division and are coming for the Von Erichs tag team titles. He said Team Filthy want all the belts, and where better to start than taking the tag titles from his “family”.
Lifestyles of the Rich and Dynastic was next where we were welcomed by the sight of Alexander Hammerstone and Richard Holliday waking up in their hotel room after a debauchery laden late night out at the Mexican donkey show. Hammer was stumbling around in his underwear and an American flag, he woke Holliday up who slept on top of his sheets fully clothed in his suit, dress shoes and Airpods. They questioned the donkey show they went to, and promised to only go to “two… or three more at most”. They snapped out their hangovers when they realised they needed to wrestle later, Holliday wants to pull out, Hammer says his father told him to never pull out… Holliday didn’t know who he was wrestling but Hammer’ has Lardeo Kid later for the national openweight title.
We saw video footage of the Injustice attack on Brian Pillman Jr. from two weeks ago, then the cameras caught up with Injustice from an undisclosed area. They warned Court Bauer that they are not paying their fine and have no remorse for their attack on Pillman. They warned him that they might be in Mexico, but they might not, either way, they will get their justice.
The cameras caught up with Davey Boy Smith Jr. on his way to a meeting with Court Bauer. He was asked about Brian Pillman after his attack last week from Injustice. Smith said Pillman’s jaw is wired shut but he will be back soon enough. He was then asked about the rumours he is challenging Jacob Fatu for an MLW world heavyweight title fight, and Smith said for the camera to focus on his golden shoes, and said it isn’t about where his heels are at, but where his toes are pointing, and his are pointing towards talking about some business.
Alicia Atout then caught up with Konnan who was quickly interrupted by Kotto Brazil, Myron Reed and Jordan Oliver of Injustice. They bad-mouthed Konnan again and talked down to him, but the Mexican legend came back and said “my johnson is like my name, its always in your mouth”, and ended up making a match for the AAA trios tag team titles with Injustice challenging Los Jinetes del Aire (El Hijo del Vikingo, Myzteziz Jr. and Octagon Jr.).
Psycho Clown had a response for LA Park, he accepts his challenge and is taking his mask.
Alicia Atout caught up with Hammerstone before the match and brought up the Dynasty’s losing streak. Hammerstone said all he does is win, and the “best luchador on the planet poses as much threat as the best termite on the planet”. He said to put some respect in his name the next time she interviews him.
MLW National Openweight Title: Alexander Hammerstone defeated Laredo Kid via pinfall, retaining his title.
They hyped up the power vs speed aspect and that played out throughout the match. Kid hit a head-scissor takeover and a middle rope springboard crossbody to the floor, but back inside Hammerstone caught him coming off the top and gorilla pressed him into a ura nage for a two count. A big double underhook slam he calls the spinal countdown followed but he broke up his count before the ref could count three.
On the outside, Hammer whipped him over the barrier into the front row. Back inside Kid hit a step-up kick in the corner and a missile dropkick. He followed up with a tope suicida that left Hammerstone dangling over the barrier. Inside Kid hit a pair of moonsaults but Hammer powered out of a two count.
Hammerstone fought back and hit a burning hammer at the second time of asking. Kid slipped out the back of a nightmare pendulum with a schoolboy but Hammer turned him inside out with a big clothesline seconds later. Kid came really close to winning with a 450 splash off the top rope but it was Hammer who had to quick out at the last minute this time.
Hammer knocked the ref down and behind the ref’s back Kid hit a Spanish fly off the top rope and got the visual 3 count. Kid lifted the ref back in but Hammer caught him and finished him off with a trifecta of impact moves: German suplex, powerbomb and his nightmare pendulum.
After the first night of action, we are all even at 1-1 in the MLW vs AAA series.