MLW Roundup: Underground series debut with Vampiro, roster changes, more!

Let’s catch up on this week’s news in MLW and preview Saturday night’s debut episode of MLW Underground with Vampiro, Jerry Lynn, Christopher Daniels, LA Park, and Joey Styles.

Pulp Fusion

MLW’s storylines continue to progress with Pulp Fusion. This week features tales from the Dynasty’s 4th of July party, Hammerman being creamy and beefy, and ladies getting sassy.

The format of Pulp Fusion is a quick cut montage of promos intermixed with each other. Let’s break it down.

• Richard Holliday was hungover after his 4th of July party. He barely remembers what happened. There was caviar, lobsters, and some dancing with the ladies. Mance Warner showed up even though his invitation specifically stated that he was not invited. Mancer brought Ted the Bear with him to flip tables and wreck the party.
• Tom Lawlor chatted with Dominic Garrini about Lawlor’s vacation to Hawaii. Kit Osbourne is coming along.
• Alexander Hammerstone cut a promo about climbing to the peaks of muscle mountain in the inaugural Hammerstone Bodybuilding Invitational. Hammer is the creamiest of them all. He is the beefiest force in MLW.
• King Mo was on the phone tired of that fake-ass James Earl Jones-sounding midget. He was referring to Low Ki. Mo proposed setting up a GoFundMe for money to get Low Ki an MRI and brain scan.
• Marshall Von Erich informed father Kevin and brother Ross about Lawlor’s upcoming visit to Hawaii. Marshall wanted to invite Lawlor to the ranch for some training. They were upset about Kit pretending he was a Von Erich. The real Von Erichs officially invited Lawlor and Kit to do some wrestling.
• Jordan Oliver put on 30 pounds of muscle. That means he is bigger, faster, and stronger than our favorite wrestlers.
• Savio Vega finished a meeting with Court Bauer and the Governor of Puerto Rico. Vega wants Holliday to put the Caribbean Championship on the line.
• Gino Medina was asked about rumors of Salina de la Renta selling Promociones Dorado. Medina flipped the question to hint that he could be the one buying it.
• Alicia Atout interviewed Salina de la Renta. Atout asked for a response to Konnan’s allegations. Salina was not pleased and called Atout a naughty Spanish swear word. She hung up and cut the interview short. Atout replied in disbelief to name-call Salina an unprofessional bitch.

It is tough to pick who stole the show this week. Hammerstone’s promo sounded like it could double as marketing copy for an adult film. Holliday’s story of Warner and his bear is easy to imagine in real life. I think I’m leaning toward Atout and her potty mouth. She seems so wholesome and innocent that her use of an expletive caught me extremely off guard for a big laugh.

Good for Oliver for putting on weight. He has been looking thicker in Pulp Fusion. I’m curious how the extra pounds will affect his ring style. There’s no reason why he can’t do all the same moves, but gaining 30 pounds so quickly may throw off his timing at first.

MLW covered a couple of stories relating to Pulp Fusion on their website. Salina’s attempts to sell Promociones Dorado appear to be more fact than rumor. A major player is lining up for the deal. No names were mentioned. I’m predicting Armando Estrada. I have no reason for it. Just that he seems like a good fit as a loudmouth manager for luchadores that don’t speak English.

Despite Holliday’s desires to be recognized by MLW as the official Caribbean Champ, even though he stole the belt, MLW and the Sports Ministry of Puerto Rico consider Vega to be the true owner of that gold. MLW is open to the idea of a title match between the two. Vega prefers home court in Puerto Rico, while Holliday offered to compete on a private island. I’m torn on which site to support. A match in Puerto Rico with fans threatening harm on Holliday would be quite the sight to see, but fighting on a private island gives vibes of Enter the Dragon and Mortal Kombat. Maybe MLW can also book Warner versus Hammerstone for the National Openweight Championship and call the island event, “Enter the Dynasty.” Can’t wait for that post-show party footage.

Which MLW star stole Pulp Fusion for you? Who would you like to see purchase Promociones Dorado?

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MLW Underground

MLW fans have been eagerly awaiting the release of the promotion’s original run back in 2003. The night is now here for tonight’s debut of MLW Underground. MLW was trying to position itself to fill the wrestling hole left by ECW. It looks extreme.

It is also important to note how MLW looked to blend wrestling styles even back then. That is one aspect of the newer Fusion program that has made it a success.

The advertised matches are:

• Vampiro vs Christopher Daniels
• LA Park vs Jerry Lynn
• All Japan Pro Wrestling’s Taiyo Kea vs Malice

Remember that this is archived footage from 2003. It is not Vampiro vs Daniels in their 2020 conditions.

I’m excited to see these stars in their younger days. I don’t know most of the storylines or match results, so this will be like a fresh new show to enjoy. My coverage of MLW Anthology fell off, but there will be recaps and reaction for MLW Underground. Check back to Cageside Seats on Sundays as we get this party started.

What are you looking forward to most about MLW Underground?

MLW’s weekly program (Fusion, Anthology, and Underground) airs on beIN SPORTS Saturday nights at 10 pm ET / 7 pm ET. New episodes are posted on YouTube Saturdays at 6:05 pm ET. You can also check out MLW streaming on DAZN. In addition, MLW is broadcast in over 20 countries.

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Quick hits

It seems that Injustice’s newest member, Saieve Al Sabah, has already parted ways with MLW.

In another apparent roster departure, it looks like Brian Pillman Jr. is also gone from MLW. He recently made his AEW singles debut on their Dark program. Pillman chatted with Louis Dangoor of WrestleTalk earlier this week. Pillman mentioned that he wanted to stay with MLW, but there have been no signs that there will be any MLW events soon as they take a cautious approach during the coronavirus pandemic. It was hard for him to sit around and wait with uncertainty about MLW’s return.

Correction: Brian Pillman Jr. is still a member of MLW. His contract allows him to work for other promotions as long as it doesn’t interfere with MLW events.

Here’s some good news if you have been missing Tom Lawlor in the ring. He will wrestle Rocky Romero with New Japan Pro Wrestling on the program Lion’s Break Collision. It will air with NJPW Friday at 10 pm ET.

We’ll close with some new threads in the MLW shop. Zenshi has a superhero design.

The Contra Unit is featuring their evil mugs for you to sport.

The epic battle of man versus beast is being immortalized with a t-shirt for Mance Warner and Ted the Bear.

Good news for all those that enjoyed the first fight. Ole Mancer is in negotiations for a rematch, if the price is right. It sounds like Warner and Ted are haggling with each other. My guess is a squabble over if the winning purse should be light beer or salmon. Who’s up for The Great Bucksnort Bash 2?

Author’s note: The original version of the MLW Roundup contained reference to a story about Saieve Al Sabah leaving MLW, which has been removed from the MLW Roundup.

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