MLW Roundup: Swann reported to commission, Warner turned down sponsor, Lawlor title defense on Fusion

Let’s catch up on this week’s news in MLW and preview Saturday night’s episode of Fusion. Rich Swann and Myron Reed were reported to state commissions for referee abuse, Mance Warner hit the pay window but declined to collect on a particular sponsorship offer, the Fury Road card has new bouts, and Tom Lawlor will take on an “Avalanche” to defend his heavyweight title on Fusion.

Rich Swann and Myron Reed reported to state commissions

Hell hath no fury like a referee scorned.

MLW referee Doug Markham has had his hands full with Rich Swann and Myron Reed lately. The duo is claiming officiating bias, while Markham is pointing the finger at them for making harassing phone calls. Things boiled over in the National Openweight semi-finals last week. Swann grabbed Markham’s shirt, so Markham responded by shoving Swann to the mat.

This drama has taken another turn in response. A press release states:

Controversial referee Doug Markham has formally reported Rich Swann and Myron Reed to several state commissions for “endangering the welfare of a state sanctioned referee during competition.”

In addition, there was another story with unnamed sources saying Markham is on the take and grandstanding. I don’t know if those accusations are true or false, but Markham seems to be the only referee that I am aware of who sells his own merchandise.

Could this all be a grand scheme by Markham to build name recognition on his way to becoming a t-shirt baron and eventually opening up his own wrestling promotion? Sort of like Tom Atencio and Affliction.

The MLW newsletter says Markham had his tires slashed, so maybe revenue from his shirts can buy him some new wheels.

Salina de la Renta humorously put in her two cents.

That’s cold. Ice cold.

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Ol’ Mancer don’t drink no craft beer

Speaking of ice cold, Mance Warner is probably drinking an ice cold light beer as we speak. How does Warner pay for those light beers? By hitting the pay window, of course.

Shout out to the person behind the pay window. That hand model perfectly placed the cash with crispness.

Ol’ Mancer’s appeal hasn’t been lost on sponsors. He was recently approached with an offer.

Mance Warner was reportedly offered a craft beer sponsorship but passed on the endorsement deal which would have had Warner front and center at trendy gourmet supermarkets and hipster hangouts in major markets.

Nope, instead the Bucksnort, Tennessee tough guy will stick to lariats and light beers. Preferring a steady diet of Payday Natty Light when taking a swig for the working man, Ol Mancer is content to keep things status quo as he continues to kick ass and take names in Major League Wrestling.

That turned out exactly as I was hoping when I saw the headline.

If you happen to catch Warner at Starrcast when he’s not busy destroying MJF, you might be able to pick up a ‘Lariats and Light Beers’ beer sleeve.

Mancer knows his market.

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In other newsletter blurbs:

• Teddy Hart will be breaking ground for a training facility called Project: Dungeon. That name is a reference to Stu Hart’s fabled Dungeon. “No word on if this version will be located in a basement under a Hart mansion but pain and punishment are guaranteed.”
• “A legendary luchador is in talks with the league.” That would be sweet to see lucha legends in an MLW ring. What if they got La Parka to add another chapter to the feud with LA Park? I’m not much of a La Parka fan, so I’d be pulling for LA Park to steamroll him.

There are plenty more tidbits, so sign up to the MLW newsletter if you desire.

And if you have been interested in MLW merch, this is a good time to purchase. Pro Wrestling Tees is having a 20% off sale (until May 27) with the code SPRING.

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Fury Road

Let’s update the Fury Road card for June 1 in Milwaukee.

• Tornado Tag Team Match: Tom Lawlor & the Von Erichs vs Contra Unit
• Middleweight Championship: Teddy Hart vs Jimmy Havoc
• National Openweight Championship Finals: Alexander Hammerstone vs Brian Pillman Jr.
• Falls Count Anywhere: Sami Callihan vs Mance Warner
• Davey Boy Smith Jr. vs MJF
• Austin Aries vs Adam Brooks
• Air Wolf vs Ace Austin
• Daga vs Kotto Brazil
• Gringo Loco vs Myron Reed and/or Rey Horus vs Myron Reed

I’m confused about who Myron Reed will be wrestling. Gringo Loco vs Myron Reed was mentioned on the last Fusion from the Fury Road control center, and Rey Horus vs Myron Reed was announced on the MLW website. I don’t recall MLW advertising double duty for the past few tapings, even though many wrestlers do go twice or thrice in one evening. That makes me wonder if Gringo Loco or Rey Horus had to drop out.

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Fusion will be bonkers

Saturday night’s episode of MLW Fusion is the final one made up of matches taped in New York during Wrestlemania week.

The main event will be Tom Lawlor defending his heavyweight championship against “Avalanche” Robert Dreissker of Germany. The 290-pound Dreissker debuted in MLW at Battle Riot II. He got his title shot by basically being the right man at the right time. Lawlor is looking for world challengers, and Dreissker happened to be in town. So, why not take advantage of the situation to create an interesting matchup for the champ.

One thing I’m curious about will be how Lawlor handles the super heavyweight division. Since I’ve been watching MLW, I think all of Lawlor’s opponents have been the same size or smaller (Sami Callihan, Simon Gotch, Low Ki, Jimmy Havoc). Will Lawlor go toe to toe with the big man or will he utilize a more ground-based approach with his MMA skills? An upset by Dreissker seems unlikely, but the match should still be interesting to see how Lawlor gets the job done.

There have also been teases of LA Park cashing in his golden ticket from winning Battle Riot II for a championship shot. That would be wild if Park entered Fury Road as heavyweight champ.

Contra Unit will be in tag action as Jacob Fatu and Josef Samael rumble with Ace Romero and Barrington Hughes. The preview doesn’t paint a pretty picture for the futures of Acey Baby and the Caramel Colossus.

Contra Unit has promised that MLW will never be the same after this week’s Fusion. Who is on their hit list? Who will resist? Will the mighty fall? The global leaders have threatened to devastate Major League Wrestling and its athletes.

Even if Romero and Hughes win the battle, it sure sounds like they will be losing the war.

Two more tag teams will be in action as well. Ricky Martinez & Low Ki and Fenix & Pentagon. I don’t believe they will be facing each other though. Keep an eye out to see if friction heats up between Low Ki’s contract issues and Promociones Dorado. As for the Lucha Bros, they will be looking to kickstart some momentum after singles losses to Air Wolf and LA Park.

It sounds like a good episode, but don’t take my word for it. MLW producer Alex Greenfield said it will be bonkers.

What are the odds that Robert Dreissker scores the upset over Tom Lawlor? How about the odds that LA Park leaves the night as heavyweight champ? How destructive will the Contra Unit be? Do body bags big enough exist for men the size of Ace Romero and Barrington Hughes?

MLW Fusion airs on beIN SPORTS Saturday nights at 9 pm ET / 6 pm PT. New episodes are posted on YouTube Mondays at 7 pm ET. Fusion is also broadcast in the UK, Ireland, and Israel.