MLW Intimidation Games
February 29, 2024
by Doc Allen
Live from the Melrose Ballroom in Queens, New York. They are touting a sellout crowd in a small room. Joe Dombrowski and Christian Cole are on commentary.
MLW Middleweight Championship:
Rocky Romero © (with Salina de la Renta and Jesus Rodriguez) vs. Mistico (with Cesar Duran)
Fans chant "This is Awesome" before anything happens. No pressure, gentlemen. They exchange wristlocks. Mistico serves a Romero Special, but Rocky reverses into a brief ankle lock. They lock knuckles and trade monkey flips without letting go. Romero hits a nasty chop to the upper chest. Back handspring elbow by Mistico, then a twisting springboard armdrag. Romero blocks a tope and nails one of his own. Romero dropkicks Mistico against the steel corner. Romero nearly succeeds in ripping off Mistico's mask, drawing big heat from the fans. Rocky goes to work on the spine. Mistico comes back with a Tiger Fade Kick, missile dropkick, and tope suicida into the rails. Romero answers with a vertical suplex on the ring frame. Super rana by Mistico only gets 2. Rocky responds with running clotheslines, waves at the fans, and gets blasted by Mistico's big boot. Springboard crossbody by Mistico gets 2. Rocky counters into a Sunset Driver and acts shocked when Mistico kicks out. Mistico surprises Rocky with a Spanish Fly for a good nearfall. Romero blocks a moonsault, but Mistico answers with a power slam before collapsing. Fans chant "this is awesome!" Romero hits an avalanche inverted DDT for a great nearfall! Canadian Destroyer by Mistico but Rocky kicks out! Mistico spins Rocky around and applies a tight armbar to win at 17:59! Hot opener, they almost got carried away with the false finishes, but the fans were playing along so it worked out, ***¾.Winner and new MLW Middleweight Champion: Mistico
Duran feels confident enough to propose an instant rematch. Rocky is interested, but Jesus talks him out of it. Duran sure looks smug.
New York City Streetfight:
The Calling (Sami Callihan and MLW National Openweight Champion Rickey Shane Page) vs. AKIRA and Jake Crist
No time for introductions as AKIRA and Crist charge in to clean house and deliver stereo dives. AKIRA and Crist launch each other over the ropes to take out The Calling's henchmen. RSP recovers with well aimed chair shots. Sami gives AKIRA papercuts between his fingers. The brawl returns to the ring. Sami gives Crist an exploder through a chair. Crist no-sells and makes a comeback. He flies into Sami's closed fist. Meanwhile, RSP slams AKIRA onto the ring frame. The Calling find some spare boards. AKIRA blocks a double suplex but runs into a hip toss through the board! Crist goes on a jabbing spree, but Sami backdrops him into RSP's penalty kick. The Calling slam AKIRA through the other board, he takes a terrible landing on his head, but still kicks out at 2. The Calling smash board shards over AKIRA. Crist makes another comeback, hits Sami with a cutter for 2. AKIRA traps RSP in a triangle choke, holds him still for Crist's Frog Splash! Sami saves the match. The Calling look for more weapons, but find the Blue Meanie instead! RSP removes AKIRA with a roaring elbow, Sami kicks Crist in the nuts for the easy pinfall at 11:07. Decent-ish hardcore brawl, but a bit on the brainless side, **½.Winners:The Calling
The Calling aren't satisfied and prepare more destruction, but Jimmy Lloyd runs in to give them double chinbreakers! He helps AKIRA and Crist escape any more harm and slip away. Sami demands they come back to fight, but Raven appears on the big screen and orders his men to stand down.
Mister St. Laurent is moving gingerly in a neckbrace but pumps up Tom Lawlor while Davey Boy Smith Jr. takes a pi$$ in the background. He walks over to pat their shoulders without washing his hands first. That's more disgusting than anything that happened in the New York Street Fight.
Bobby the Fish vs. Alex Kane (with Mr. Thomas)
Fish is making his big return to MLW, Kane is starting his Hero's Journey back to the MLW title. Kane strikes first with a waistlock takedown. Fish delivers a snapmare, but misses a slingshot senton. Kane grabs a sleeper, but Fish escapes with a sucker kick. The Fish goes to work on the knee. Kane goes a reverse waistlock, but Fish grabs the referee and sucker kicks the groin. Kane digs deep for a flipping powerbomb, Fish gets a rope break. Kane gets tripped on the apron and awkwardly hangs in the bottom rope until Fish kicks him down. Kane makes a desperate comeback, nailing an exploder suplex. Kane dishes out an overhead throw and German suplex, but stops to sell his knee injury. Fish capitalizes with body shots, but Kane tackles him over. Fish runs into a spear but kicks out at 2. Kane locks on his patented sleeper and wins at 10:15. Decent, physical match, serving its purpose of kickstarting Kane's rebuild, **½.Winner: Alex Kane
AJ Francis interrupts Kane's victory promo to claim that the fans don't actually care about him or know what "Bomaye" means. AJ hints that someone in the Bomaye Fight Club isn't really loyal to Kane, leaving him with something to think about.
MLW Tag Team Championship:
Second Gear Crew © (Matthew Justice and 1 Called Manders) vs. World Titan Federation (Tom Lawlor and Davey Boy Smith Jr., with Mr. St. Laurent)
The SGC rush in to clean house. Fans chant "wash your hands" at Smith. WTF withstand the onslaught and come back with underhanded attacks. The wild brawl settles into a normal tag match and you know how I feel about that. I sure hope Smith has washed his hands, because he touches Manders all over while dishing out a beatdown. Manders hits a desperate spinebuster on Lawlor. Justice gets the hot tag and flies in with a double shoulder block. Justice runs wild, but Smith cuts him off by whipping Lawlor into Manders and hitting a power slam. A tag must have been made at some point. WTF try a Hart Attack, but Justice breaks it up. The SGC hit double spears on Smith, but Lawlor pulls the referee way from the 3 count. Manders hits a sliding tope on Lawlor and helps Justice get a table. The SGC give Lawlor a Doomsday DDT through the table! The late cover only gets 2. Smith uses St. Laurent's safety helmet as a weapon, clocking Manders in the skull so Lawlor can roll him up to win at 11:18! Despite some nitpicking, this was an overwhelmingly entertaining match with a good screwjob finish, ***.Winners and new MLW Tag Team Champions: The World Titan Federation
CONTRA propaganda video. Mads Krugger is bringing some new blood to MLW. Hail CONTRA!
NJPW Television Championship:
Matt Riddle © vs. Big Bad Tito
Riddle starts with a big boot and suplex, but Tito pops up to hit his own suplex. They slug it out, Riddle hits some martial arts kicks, but Tito hits a power slam for 2. Riddle hits a dead lift Fisherman Buster for a nearfall, followed by a twisting senton. Tito answers with a chokeslam and frog splash, but Riddle kicks out! They slug it out until Riddle takes control with running attacks and an overhead suplex. Tito blocks a back senton, but Riddle recovers with a flying twisting senton. They exchange more KO blows, Riddle nails a German, but Tito pops up for a roaring elbow and Blue Thunder Bomb. Tombstone Piledriver by Riddle finishes it at 5:04! They held nothing back and went balls to the wall for five minutes, ***.Winner and still NJPW Television Champion: Matt Riddle
$5,000 Challenge:
MLW Featherweight Champion Janai Kai (with Salina de la Renta and Jesus Rodriguez) vs. ???
Anyone who can last five minutes with Kai gets 5K. Someone named Zoey Cannon answers the call. She's from Boston, which is cool with me. Kai hits a KO kick to win via ref stoppage at 0:21. Kai keeps her 5k and might get to pay her rent for a couple of months.Winner: Janai Kai
Cesar Duran offers Salina some sarcastic applause and enjoys an adult beverage.
MLW World Championship:
Satoshi Kojima © vs. Minoru Suzuki
Fans chant "this is awesome" before anything happens. They lock up and trade holds. Suzuki hits a sucker punch. They lock up again, Kojima hits a sucker chop. They engage in a chopfest until Kojima hits a shoulder tackle. Suzuki answers with a draping cross armbreaker in the ropes. Kojima controls the brawl at ringside, but Suzuki takes him down on the apron for a grapevine leg lock. Suzuki smells blood and goes to work on the knee. Kojima takes a nasty beating but returns fire with machine gun chops. They engage in a long strikefest until Suzuki hits a running boot and kicks the face for 2. Suzuki disrespectfully wipes his boot on Kojima's face, prompting another slugfest. Kojima gets knocked down and teases a KO finish before retaliating with more strikes. Kojima hits a Koji Cutter out of nowhere! Suzuki ducks a lariat and delivers a mean series of kicks. Suzuki tries to twist Kojima's ankle off and grabs a chinlock. Kojima blocks the Gotch piledriver and nails a standing lariat. Vertical suplex by Kojima gets 2. Suzuki runs into another lariat but kicks out at 2 again. Kojima hits a third LARIATO and wins at 16:28! Routinely good strong style match between two vets, ***½.Winner and still MLW World Champion: Satoshi Kojima
Final Thoughts: This was an easy, breezy supercard that totally flew by and made for a fun Thursday night. Nothing earth-shattering, just a good time, worthy of a recommendation.
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