MLW The Burning Crush
February 17, 2024
by Doc Allen
From the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, available for free on Youtube. Our hosts are Joe Dombrowski and Christian Cole.
Alex Kane promo, reflecting on the Bomaye movement and recent MLW World title loss. He feels like he let the fans down and contemplates leaving MLW. Mr. Thomas comes out to remind Kane that he's no quitter. Kane decides to go for the title again, because Bomaye is forever! AJ Francis interrupts on the video wall, enjoying a cigar in front of house that I doubt he can afford. AJ argues that he already did everything Kane strives to do, but better, and he should be the face of MLW.
Nolo Kitano and Wasted Youth (Austin Luke and Marcus Mathers) vs. Griffin McCoy, TJ Crawford, and Tony Deppen
Wasted Youth get suckered into handshake cheap shots, but recover for triple tope suicidas. The dastardly heels take control anyway. Mathers slips away for a hot tag to Kitano. Tiger Driver by Kitano gets 2. Tag to Luke who rolls in for a DDT. Luke stacks Deppen and Crawford for a running big boot. Wasted Youth hit a double stomp/cutter combo, Deppen saves the match. The match breaks down, Mathers blocks some superplex attempts and nails a 450 splash. Deppen surprises Mathers with a Shining Wizard to win at 5:55. This was a fast-forward version of the modern indie tag formula, **.Winners: Tony Deppen, Griffin McCoy, and TJ Crawford
Video promo with Rickey Shane Page and Sami Callihan. They tear Raven down as a hardcore has-been.
Bobby the Fish returns at Intimidation Games.
Matt Riddle video promo. He issues an open challenge to any New Japan talent at Intimidation Games.
Salina de la Renta joins commentary to mess with the women's 4-way match.
Zayda (with Brett Ryan Gosselin) vs. Tiara James vs. Delmi Exo vs. Notorious Mimi
Lot of young talent display in this one, with Exo as the grizzled vet with her 8 years of in-ring experience. Everyone gangs up on Zayda, Brett rescues her but Tiara dropkicks them over. Exo starts a diving sequence with a tope suicida, Mimi follows with a high crossbody. Mimi leaps off of Exo's back to hit a big boot. Tiara flapjacks Mimi and clotheslines Exo, Zayda saves the match. Zayda hits Sliced Bread by kicking against Exo. Exo some steam, but gets caught on the receiving end of a Tower of Doom! Exo recovers but stops to shout at Salina. Zayda hits Mimi with an Unprettier to win at 4:56. This was fine, mainly served to get the rookies some reps, *½.Winner: Zayda
Salina attacks Exo, Zayda puts herself over. Salina thinks Zayda is too big for her britches. They exchange some mean girl insults and that's a wrap.
Mads Krugger video promo. He's been waiting for two long years to get his hands on Jacob Fatu.
MLW National Openweight Championship:
Rickey Shane Page © (with The Calling) vs. Jake Crist
The Calling bring out a table full of bloody weapons used on their previous victims. Crist enjoys a hot start with a diving DDT and Asai moonsault. Crist dives into RSP's arms and takes a power slam. RSP dictates the pace with deliberate offense. Crist comes back with a high crossbody for 2. Tornado DDT by Crist, but Cannonball's distraction forces Crist to stop for a pump kick. Sami Callihan runs in to blatantly assault Crist, and the ref calls the DQ at 3:57. Felt like a Raw 1998 match, *.Winner via DQ: Jake Crist
AKIRA runs in to join the brawl, but things don't go well. Cannonball hits Crist with a DDT and prepares a splash through a table. AKIRA makes the rescue and puts Cannonball through the table with a flying chair drop. The Calling back off, leaving AKIRA to enjoy the moral victory.
Earlier today, Cesar Duran told Court Bauer off for some recent mishaps. Bauer feels obligated to make things up to Duran and gives Mistico a title shot at Intimidation Games. St. Laurent bursts in for a favor as well, Court shakes his hand but needs some hand sanitizer afterwards.
MLW World Champion Satoshi Kojima and Shigeo Okumura are having a good time when St. Laurent and the World Titan Federation confront them to complain about their lack of opportunities.
Tom Lawlor (with St. Laurent) vs. Matthew Justice
Justice ambushes Lawlor before the bell and rips off his jacket to chop the chest. Lawlor finds high ground and dropkicks Justice from the apron. St. Laurent rants about how great the World Titan Federation is on commentary while Lawlor dismantles Justice and does the Jarrett strut. Justice capitalizes with a desperate flying clothesline. Lawlor strips down to his tights, but Justice holds on for a tornado DDT for 2. St. Laurent grabs Justice's boots, but he still manages to spear Lawlor. St. Laurent distracts the ref with a kiss, costing Justice the win. 1 Called Manders marches in to confront St. Laurent, who takes his cowboy hat. Manders blasts St. Laurent, meanwhile Lawlor just happens to win the match at 7:03. Another late 90's Raw match, **.Winner: Tom Lawlor
Lawlor spends too much time talking sh!t afterwards and Justice makes him pay with a tope suicida.
Big Bad Tito answers Matt Riddle's challenge via highlight video package!
Quick, call the WTF Hotline! For only 99.99 per minute, you can get the latest news from the WTF Superstars.
Cesar Duran comes to the stage to announce the latest acquisitions for Azteca Lucha. He calls Salina a b*tch, so she, Rocky Romero, and Jesus Rodriguez confront him. Salina claims to have footage of Cesar wetting himself and threatens to show it to the world. Cesar isn't shook, he knows that Salina is broke and will eventually come to him for money. Salina knocks Cesar over and has to be restrained from further violence. Cesar doesn't mind, he got into Salina's head and that's all he wanted.
Lumberjack Match:
Love, Doug vs. Brett Ryan Gosselin (with Zayda)
Brett runs his mouth on the mic so Doug clotheslines him from the apron. The lumberjacks throw Brett back, but he tosses Doug into a field of heels for a beatdown. Short arm clothesline by Brett gets 2. Doug summons the power of love and makes a comeback. Bulldog by Doug gets 2. A brawl breaks out among the lumberjacks and Doug capitalizes with a crossbody onto everyone! Brett kicks the ropes into Doug's balls and hits the Unprettier to win at 4:10. Entertaining fluff, *½.Winner: Brett Ryan Gosselin
Bunch of chaotic video promos. The Blue Meanie is aligned with Raven now. Sure, why not?
World Titan Federation (Richard Holliday and Davey Boy Smith Jr., with St. Laurent) vs. CozyMAX (MLW World Champion Satoshi Kojima and Shigeo Okuruma)
St. Laurent complains about the city of Philadelphia and Kojima on the mic. Okuruma takes Holliday to school in the early going. Holliday messes with Okumura's mask but the vet quickly recovers for a tag. Kojima demands a piece of Smith, and they lock up. Okuruma returns for a brawl and takes Smith down for a dropkick. Smith answers with a vertical suplex for 2. Okuruma has his way with Holliday again and tags Kojima in for machine gun chops. Smith interferes, but Kojima knocks him into Holliday and nails a DDT. CozyMax hit the Cozy Cutter on Holliday, Smith saves the match. Okuruma hits Smith with a somersault senton, leaving Kojima to hit Holliday with the Koji Cutter for only 2. Holliday blocks a lariat but Kojima tries again and wins at 6:57. Slight match to give the champ a win, **.Winners: CozyMAX
Matt Riddle highlight package. No mention of the word "bro" and no birds flying out of his feet. Are MLW even trying to get him over? Sheesh.
Baklei Brawl Match:
Mads Krugger (with CONTRA) vs. Jacob Fatu
Krugger wastes no time propping a table against the barricade. Jacob blocks a suplex, but Krugger takes away his chair for some damage. Jacob counters with chair shots to the head. Krugger answers by slamming Fatu's head through a standing chair. Krugger misses a head of steam and goes through a table. Fatu throws a chair, but Krugger answers with a flipping chokeslam! Krugger opens a chest of weapons and finds a kendo stick. Fatu cuts him off with a well timed Samoan drop and then a back handspring splash. Tope suicida by Fatu, then a spear for only 2! Swanton bomb by Fatu, but Krugger kicks out! Fatu delivers a spear through another table and stops to high five some fans. Fatu's injured knee slows him down but he hits a moonsault anyway. Krugger absorbs a hip attack but then throws fire into Jacob's face. Krugger hits Scorched Earth to win at 10:00! Good brawl, helped by the great backstory, ***.Winner: Mads Krugger
The Sentai Death Squad arrive with a body bag. They pack Fatu up and carry him away, wrapped in a CONTRA flag.
Final Thoughts: This was less of a free-per-view and more of a 2 hour go-home TV show for Intimidation Games. As I mentioned numerous times, this was also total Crash TV and a fun homage to the late 90's WWF. This episode was better than the sum of its parts and provided lots of campy entertainment, it's worth checking out if you're in the mood for something dumb.
Sound Off!
Comment about this article on Da' Wrestling Boards!