MLW Roundup: Stronghearts on Fusion, title shot for Brian Pillman Jr., more!

Let’s catch up on this week’s news in MLW and preview Saturday night’s episode of Fusion.

Stronghearts vs Contra on Fusion

After a week off for the Best of 2019 episode, the Opera Cup tournament returns on Fusion. The semifinals get down with the return of a rivalry. Davey Boy Smith Jr. and Alexander Hammerstone will see whose muscles are more functional when they do battle once again. I’m giving the slight edge to Hammerstone due to his peak Summer tan in the middle of Winter. The Hogan ‘91 shade should give Hammer a confidence boost to overcome the Bulldog.

While Smith vs Hammerstone will bring the beef, the matchup I’m most excited about is the Stronghearts coming to MLW to take on the Contra Unit. This bout was set up when Contra disrespected them at a press conference. CIMA, El Lindaman, and Shigehiro Irie will represent the Stronghearts. Jacob Fatu, Simon Gotch, and Josef Samael will represent the Contra Unit. This is a perfect example of how MLW thinks outside the box to bring in talent for unique clashes. There’s really no need to bring in the Stronghearts other than to have a kickass match. That’s one reason why MLW rocks.

The show preview also teases Tom Lawlor competing against a long-lost Von Erich, managerial pursuit of Gino Medina, and a promo from Mance Warner.

Programming note for YouTube viewers. Fusion will now debut earlier on Saturdays at 6:05 pm ET.

MLW Fusion airs on beIN SPORTS and PlayStation Vue Saturday nights at 9 pm ET / 6 pm PT. New episodes are posted on YouTube Saturdays at 6:05 pm ET. Fusion is also broadcast in the UK, Ireland, Israel, and Africa.

Is Jacob Fatu going to break Brian Pillman Jr. in half?

Brian Pillman Jr. may have bitten off more than he can chew. Pillman somehow wrangled his way into a World Heavyweight Championship opportunity against Jacob Fatu at Zero Hour in Dallas on January 11. Pillman has been wanting both revenge against the Contra Unit for fireballing Teddy Hart and also a chance to win a singles title in MLW. Lucky (or unlucky) for Pillman, he’ll have a chance to kill two birds with one stone when he wrestles Fatu. As much as I like Pillman, I’m going to say chances are high that he gets broken in half.

In other Zero Hour news, three additional matches were also added this week. The full card so far is:

• World Heavyweight Championship: Jacob Fatu vs Brian Pillman Jr.
• Barbed Wire Match: Mance Warner vs Jimmy Havoc
• Grudge Match: Ross Von Erich vs Tom Lawlor
• Marshall Von Erich vs MJF (If MJF wins, the Dynasty gets a tag title shot. If not, then no title shot ever again.)
• National Openweight Championship: Alexander Hammerstone vs Aerostar
• No Holds Barred: Davey Boy Smith Jr. vs Simon Gotch
• Richard Holliday vs Savio Vega
• Drago & Puma King vs Hijo de LA Park & Taurus vs Kotto Brazil & Jordan Oliver
• Gino Medina vs Septimo Dragon
• Dominic Garrini vs Zenshi

Lucha, lucha, lucha! The three-way tag bout has two teams of luchadores. Hijo de LA Park is no stranger to MLW, but Drago, Puma King, and Taurus get to strut their stuff in their long-awaited return as part of the new relationship with AAA. In the managerial pursuit story for Gino Medina, Konnan will corner Septimo Dragon. Either negotiations did not go well or Konnan wants to prove why Medina needs his counsel by giving him a loss. Dominic Garrini versus Zenshi could be a show-stealing collision of styles. Hefty ground work against slick high-flying.

Quick hits

Myron Reed signed a new long-term contract with MLW. Reed is only 22 years old and already holds gold with the World Middleweight Championship. His future is bright. I’ll be curious to see if Reed puts on a little bulk over time. There aren’t too many skinny dudes at the top of the card for the major promotions.

MLW locked in Mark Adam Haggerty with a new deal to be their ring announcer. Haggerty made his MLW debut at the Opera Cup in December.

Salina de la Renta and Gino Medina seem to be in the midst of a love thing. MLW reported, “The couple were spotted over the weekend sunbathing on the beaches of St Barths in the Caribbean. Two days later the couple seemed rather cozy over a candlelight dinner in South Beach.” Steamy.

Dallas News has a nifty article profiling the Von Erich brothers. Read it here. The in-depth story discusses their relationship with their father, life in Hawaii, and getting into the wrestling business.

We’ll close with a new shirt for Brian Pillman Jr.

Do you like how MLW brings in hired guns to mix up the matches? Or, do you prefer MLW stick to their battle-tested core?