Major League Wrestling #40

MAJOR LEAGUE WRESTLING is a sports-media holding company that focuses on professional wrestling sporting events & programming, digital contest and ancillary entertainment.  MLW prides itself on ‘Fusion Wrestling’, presenting a variety of wrestling styles from around the world to create a true hybrid of fighting styles from various disciplines across the globe.  MLW’s diverse roster do battle in the gritty battleground of the Temple incorporating the following styles: - British Strong Style - Catch Wrestling - Hardcore Wrestling - Lucha Libre - Mixed Martial Arts - Shoot Wrestling - Japanese Strong Style - Technical Wrestling

We are on the boardwalk in Atlantic City, New Jersey, the new home of MLW, and it’s standing room only inside the HARD ROCK HOTEL & CASINO …. The fans are RABID as Pyro erupts from the ringposts and above the entranceway …. We get camera pans over the capacity crowd as MAURO and PAT MCAFEE billboard tonight’s show, welcoming those at home and setting up what we are going to see tonight ….


No opening segment this week as we start out this weeks episode in the ring ….


<center><p style="border:3px;border-style:solid;border-color:#FF0000;padding:1em;">
DAKOTA KAI w/ Tegan Nox
VS.
XIA LI w/ Boa &amp; Mei Ying

Li controls early, sending Dakota into the turnbuckle followed by a suplex for two.  Li with more shoot kicks, but Dakota stuns her with a scorpion kick, then fires up and hits some kawada kicks …. This only serves to fire Li up and she hits a shotgun dropkick followed by a flipping leg drop for two …. The action spills to the floor and Dakota has Xia lined up for the Kai-o kick against the ring post but Xia avoids it and grabs the leg of Dakota and puts it between the steel steps and the post …. Xia stomps on the knee, and Dakota immediately screams in pain and it is obvious that she is hurt …. Tegan Nox is checking on her friend, but Dakota refuses to give up and rolls back in the ring barely beating the count …. Li steps on the knee of Dakota, and Dakota tells the ref that something is wrong and the ref immediately calls for the bell ….

WINNER: (via ref stoppage) Xia Li ….</p></center>

POST MATCH: Dakota has to be tended to by trainers as Tegan checks on her as well …. Xia stands over Dakota and Tegan, then looks at Tegan and tells her she’s next …

IN THE BACK:

Becky Lynch cuts a promo in the back and says that she made the ‘big, bad Big Mommy Cool’ tap out when she had her locked in the Disarm-HER on the announce table last week …. Becky is interrupted by Gonzalez, who is dragging the rest of Valifornia around as they look like they are trying to stop her …. Gonzalez isn’t listening though …. Becky says she brought her mouthpiece to speak for her …. Gonzalez says that she doesn’t need anyone to do the talking for her …. Becky says that Gonzalez has a long way to go to prove herself as a champion, so she challenges her to face the ‘measuring stick’ of the women’s division …. Gonzalez has no problem with this and accepts the challenge for next week ….




Back in the arena, we go to Mauro Renallo, who is standing at the entranceway and he brings out the MLW tag team champions Tomasso Ciampa &amp; Johnny Gargano …. He recaps the ending of the show last week, where it appeared the champs had finally found a way to get on the same page …. But then reports come out this past week claiming that Ciampa issued a private apology to Southern Fried Homicide for what happened ….

Johnny is HOT about this, calling Ciampa a liar and a piece of shit …. he should have never trusted him and he is a disgusting human being …. Ciampa tells Johnny that it is not what it looks like, and Storm is playing mind games and Johnny is falling for it …. Johnny isn’t hearing it …. Ciampa gets mad and says Johnny is weak and he is falling for Storm’s games …. That is why Johnny needs Ciampa in his life because he is weak and he always will be weak …. So who is he going to listen to, him or Candice?  Johnny lays out Ciampa with a superkick!!!!  




Johnny walks off, leaving Ciampa laying and the Glory title shot in doubt ….


<center><p style="border:3px;border-style:solid;border-color:#FF0000;padding:1em;">
Openweight title match:
(Champion) SAMOA JOE (2-0-1 title defenses)
VS.
BRIAN PILLMAN JR.

It is explained that Joe’s time limit draw against Will Ospreay at RING OF VICTORY reset his title defenses back at 0 (7 consecutive defenses earns the champion a shot at the MLW title) …. Joe controls with strikes to start, but Pillman Jr. battles back and sends Joe to the floor …. Pillman with a slingshot plancha has Joe on the ropes, and he tosses him back in and hits Air Pillman for a cloooooose 2 count!  Pillman goes for the Dying Promise but Joe counters and hits the snap powerslam …. Pillman charges in the corner but gets planted with the S-T-JOE.  Joe goes for the senton but Pillman gets the knees up into the back!  Pillman up top, but Joe stops him with an enziguri followed by a HUGE palm strike that leaves Pillman Jr. laying limp on the top rope …. Joe hooks him and drills him with the Muscle Buster to get the 3 count ….

WINNER (and still champion): Samoa Joe (3-0-1) ….</p></center>


IN THE BACK:

Tomasso Ciampa is in the locker room …. He is still rubbing his jaw from the superkick Johnny Gargano gave him in the previous segment ….

Charly comes in and asks him how they can co-exist now heading into Glory …. Ciampa claims it is a misunderstanding, but what Johnny said is true …. he IS the terrible person that Johnny thinks he is, but Storm is lying …. He didn’t apologize.  Storm is trying to get inside Johnny’s head and Johnny is letting him …. He looks at the camera and pleads with Johnny not to do this.  The only way they can become UWF world tag team champions is together ….

Kyle O’Reilly &amp; Bobby Fish enter the locker room and confront Ciampa …. Kyle says they haven’t beaten ‘every’ team because they haven’t beaten THEM.  Redragon has been in MLW for a couple of months now, so that must mean Johnny and Ciampa are running from them.  Fish calls them a disgrace to tag team wrestling, so they might as well hand over the belts to Redragon because they are the blueprint for tag team wrestling ….

Ciampa tells them to try and take the belts.  Kyle says ‘how about tonight’ and Ciampa accepts …. Fish laughs and asks how he is going to fight them?  His partner hates him.  Is he gonna fight them by himself?  Ciampa assures them that Johnny will be there ….


<center><p style="border:3px;border-style:solid;border-color:#FF0000;padding:1em;">
MIRO
VS.
DANTE MARTIN

Total domination here by Miro as he pounds Martin down in the corner and then tosses him all the way across the ring with a belly to belly suplex …. Miro punishes Martin now with a shoot kick to the spine, and the fans surprisingly chant ‘ONE MORE TIME’.  Miro stops to listen to the fans, trolling them by urging them to cheer louder and then he blows them off …. This allows Martin to hit a jawbreaker, then a springboard dropkick …. Miro stops all that with a corner avalanche that crushes Martin followed by a spinning Urinage slam …. Miro with a stomp to the spine, which is a setup the ‘7th Seal’ (new name for the accolade) …. It’s ‘game over’ for Martin as he taps to end this 3 minute squash ….

WINNER: Miro ….</p></center>

POST MATCH:  Just like last week, Miro is not done …. He drills Martin with the Machka kick as he gets up, then stomps on the spine again …. 7th Seal locked in again!!!!  Once again, Matt Riddle runs out to make the save and Miro bails not looking too happy that Riddle got involved once again ….


IN THE BACK:

We see Paul Heyman watching the action on a monitor in the back with a big smile on his face …. He is approached by Charly Caruso, and she asks him if he can elaborate on why he is here in MLW …. is he there to scout MLW talent?  Or possibly bring someone new into MLW …. What is the nature of his status in MLW?

HEYMAN – “That is the million dollar question isn’t it?  Far be it from me to owe anyone an explanation, but allow me to indulge you for a moment Ms. Caruso.  People such as yourself have assumed that simply because I am here, that I now work for MLW.  You have assumed incorrectly.  I am not an employee of MLW, I am an advocate.  And the reason I am here in MLW is simply because I have a business arrangement with Mr. Trump that is mutually beneficial.  You see, there is a term in this industry known as ‘The Paul Heyman Guy’.  And that is why I am here.  But the bigger question is: ‘Who is the next Paul Heyman Guy’?  Or is it the next ‘Paul Heyman Girl’?  What makes you so sure that I am bringing someone IN to MLW?  Maybe, just maybe, I am referring to someone, or multiple someones’ that are already here ….”

With that comment, Heyman turns and walks off ….



Out come the Undisputed Era to the ring.  Cole has a bone to pick with Donald Trump …. Why is Roderick Strong in the HIGH STAKES match next week?  Who the hell does Donald Trump think he is?  It seems that someone who is supposed to be such a good businessman would not jeopardize the hottest thing in MLW or any other company …. Undisputed Era is his meal ticket to big ratings and he lets Roddy be in a match where he could end up with a pink slip?  No wonder Trump lost the 2020 election ….

Roddy interrupts and says that there is a chance he pulls down the briefcase with the MLW title shot in it …. Roddy pauses and he and Cole fake there being tension but they just laugh at the idea …. Cole says that the ‘Undisputed Prophecy’ has already started, and it will continue tonight when Redragon win the MLW tag titles …. Roderick Strong says that Samoa Joe wants to get on the UE’s radar, and he will take the Openweight title from him because the only way to make that title have the most prestige is for it to be held by a member of the UE …. Cole says that it is inevitable, and it is undisputed ….  

Here comes Rex Steiner to interrupt and confront Cole and the UE … Cole asks why he won’t just go away? …. Steiner is just a rookie and he’s just living off his family name …. Steiner takes the mic and tells Adam Cole ‘Thank You’.  Because he just made the decision easy …. Steiner takes out the contract and signs it, then drops it at Adam Cole’s feet!  Cole says that Steiner just made the biggest mistake of his career …. The UE attack Steiner and beat him down!  They hold Steiner as Adam Cole readies for a superkick, but …. THE LIGHTS GO OUT!!!!  


When they come back on in the ring is …. KILLER KROSS!!!!  Cole freaks out and bails, leaving Strong to take the Doomsday Clock!  Redragon bail as security is out instead to break things up …. Instead, Kross turns his rage on the security and annihilates all of them with suplexes and then stands tall to stare down Cole …. More security come out and escort Kross out of the ring ….


IN THE BACK:

We get a promo from Ridge Holland …. He says this is a man’s sport and there is no place for ‘boys’ here …. Holland says he didn’t have the same chance that Rex Steiner did, instead he had to fight and take what he wanted in order to just make it out of Yorkshire, England …. He has no problem fighting 5 guys next week, that is just a regular Saturday night for him.  Just like he doesn’t mind destroying Jungle Boy tonight.  He wants an MLW title shot, and he is going to take it one way or the other ….


<center><p style="border:3px;border-style:solid;border-color:#FF0000;padding:1em;">
JUNGLE BOY
VS.
RIDGE HOLLAND

Holland dominates Jungle Boy with power moves, and the crowd gets behind the underdog …. Jungle Boy shows signs of life, only to be smacked down by Holland again …. Holland toys with Jungle Boy and goes to finish him off with the Northern Grit but Jungle Boy scores with a small package out of nowhere for the flash 3 count!!!!

WINNER: Jungle Boy ….</p></center>

POST MATCH:  Jungle Boy escapes an irate Holland by sliding out of the ring and jumping into the front row to celebrate with the fans ….


IN THE BACK:

An irate Miro cuts a promo on what happened earlier tonight with Matt Riddle ….

MIRO – “Matt, this is 2 weeks in a row now.  Why do you keep getting in my business?  Don’t you understand that if you come for me, then I come for you?  Did you not see what I did to Rick Boogs tonight?  I broke him in half!  He’s just another number, another addition to the body count … Because I am a killer!  But you don’t understand that mentality do you?  You are all ‘chill’, and ‘brooooo’, right?  So, since you want to be the hero so badly I have decided that the next body added to the body count is going to be YOURS .… NEXT WEEK! …. You know, I look at you and I keep telling myself you’re one of the best so you must have that killer inside you.  But I don’t see it.  But I will tell you this: you better find that killer quick, before the killer finds YOU …”




<center><p style="border:3px;border-style:solid;border-color:#FF0000;padding:1em;">
Handicap Match:
BOBBY LASHLEY
VS.
SHANE TAYLOR &amp; MVP

Lashley attacks from behind as Taylor and MVP make their entrance.  Taylor is tossed off the stage and crashes through a table below, and he is taken out of the match leaving just Lashley vs. MVP!  MVP tries to escape but Lashley catches him and toys with him for a little bit …. Lashley locks on the Full Nelson, but here is Taylor to break it up with a chairshot across the back!  Taylor and MVP double-team Lashley for a long period, and Taylor hits the Package Piledriver to finish him off.  However, MVP insists on being the one that gets the pin so he backs Taylor off …. This gives Lashley a chance to recover and he kicks out!  MVP has Taylor hold Lashley for the driveby, but Lashley moves and MVP takes out Taylor instead!  Lashley spears MVP!  Lashley is in control here, as he waits for Taylor to get to his feet …. SPEAR!!!!  1 … 2 … MVP breaks it up!  Lashley no sells it, THEN HITS THE DOMINATOR ON MVP ONTO TAYLOR!!!!  Lashley locks on the Hurt Lock on MVP, and MVP taps out!

WINNER: Bobby Lashley ….</p></center>

POST MATCH: Taylor and MVP argue, but Taylor is pissed and shoves MVP on his ass!  Taylor and Lashley get nose to nose, and Taylor offers a handshake as a sign of respect to Lashley, who takes it …. MVP is stunned by this and is yelling at Taylor, which gets him laid out with the Package Piledriver by Taylor!  Taylor walks off leaving MVP laid out while Lashley is seen laughing ….


IN THE BACK:

Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae are leaving the building …. As Johnny puts their luggage into the car, Candice is trying to talk to him and make sure he is doing the right thing …. Johnny isn’t listening though, and he says that this thing between he and Ciampa has gone on long enough and he wants it to be over …. Candice says she supports him, but she thinks Ciampa is telling the truth …. Doesn’t Johnny want to make sure?

Johnny shuts the trunk and sighs deeply, obviously conflicted over what to do .…”



<center><p style="border:3px;border-style:solid;border-color:#FF0000;padding:1em;">
MLW Tag Team Title Match:
(Champions) JOHNNY GARGANO &amp; TOMASSO CIAMPA
VS.
REDRAGON (Kyle O’Reilly &amp; Bobby Fish)

Ciampa comes out for the match, but Johnny doesn’t show …. Reality slowly starts to set in that Ciampa is on his own …. Ciampa runs wild early on, taking out both O’Reilly and Fish, but the numbers game eventually catches up to him …. O’Reilly and Fish make quick tags in and out, really working over Ciampa …. Ciampa rallies, and we get a double clothesline spot where everyone is down …. OUT OF THE BACK COMES JOHNNY GARGANO!!!!  Johnny comes out and gets in the corner and calls for the tag!  Ciampa crawls, but just as he is about to tag Johnny he is pulled off the apron by ….

JAMES STORM!!!!   Storm and Grimes have come out of the crowd!  Johnny tries to fight off SFH, but in doing so he leaves Ciampa on his own in the ring …. Redragon hit No Mans Land!!!!  1 … 2 … 3!  New Champs!!!!

WINNERS (and new MLW Tag Team Champions): Redragon (Kyle O’Reilly &amp; Bobby Fish)….</p></center>


POST MATCH: Ciampa tries to come to the aid of Johnny as he brawls with Southern Fried Homicide, but Storm &amp; Grimes get the advantage …. Ciampa takes the Cave In from Grimes on the floor!  Johnny is left alone against both members of SFH, and Gargano takes the Last Call from Storm …. Storm takes the mic and laughs, telling Gargano and Ciampa to ‘look at themselves’.  They hate each other so bad that all it took was a little push from Storm to tear them apart …. Of course the ‘apology’ from Ciampa never happened!  Grimes picks Johnny up, AND STORM SMASHES A BEER BOTTLE OVER GARGANO’S HEAD!!!!




Storm tells Johnny ‘Never mess with a mans alchohol boy!’ …. They may not be on the same page, but that isn’t going to save them from this ass whoopin that Southern Fried Homicide is going to give them at GLORY …. And all he can say about that is “SORRY … ABOUT YOUR DAMN LUCK!”

FROM UWF Glory 2021


Eighth Match
Alexa Bliss
vs
Deonna Purrazzo

This issue began at the July 4th Great American Bash All-Star show, and has built to this moment …. Purazzo comes out wearing a hood to cover her face, which is protected by a mask due to her injuries suffered at the hands of Alexa Bliss …. This isn’t ‘The Virtuosa’, the best technical women’s wrestler, this is something broken and darker ….

Both women get nose to nose before the bell, but Purazzo fires off a shoot headbutt using the protective mask before the bell can even ring! Bliss is KO’d! Bliss is woozy as the ref checks on her, and Purazzo removes her hood and robe …. Bliss gets to one knee and spits some blood on the mat out of her mouth, and then flips off Purazzo! The bell rings! Both women start throwing crazy fists at each other in the middle of the ring, but Purazzo with a pump kick off the ropes sends Bliss to the floor …. Bliss reverses a whip and sends Purazzo into the steps, then tries to tear her protective mask off but Purazzo fights her off and sends her into the ring post …. Back in the ring, Purazzo stomps a mudhole in Bliss, and it is clear that this is not the same Virtuosa we are used to seeing …. Bliss cuts her off with a hard forearm shot and then a straight right hand, but she hurts her hand on the protective mask allowing Purazzo to regain the advantage with a Regal Cutter …. Purazzo targets the hand now, trying to break it and she does some Pete Dunne-style joint manipulation on the fingers …. Bliss battles back with a superkick, then hits the ‘Insult to Injury’ …. Bliss goes up top, but Purazzo stops her and hits a big super-plex and both women are down …. The battle continues, and Bliss goes for the ‘Bliss-memberment’ (Sister Abigail DDT), but Purazzo counters into a fujiwara armbar and then starts pulling on the fingers of the injured hand! Bliss manages to get to the ropes for the break, but Purazzo doesn’t let go and they both tumble under the bottom rope and to the floor …. Bliss breaks the hold finally by shoving Purazzo back into the ring post, smacking the back of her head against the steel! They battle on the ring apron, and Purazzo goes for the Cosa Nostra (cradle piledriver) on the ring frame but Bliss gets out and spikes her with a DDT on the apron! Bliss rolls her back in … 1 … 2 … Nooooo! Bliss to the top, but the Twisted Bliss meets the knees of Purazzo!!!! Cosa Nostra!!!! 1 … 2 … BLISS KICKS OUT!!!! Purazzo becomes unhinged at this point and rips and attacks the face of Bliss …. She mounts Bliss in the corner and starts raining down right hands on Bliss, but just as Bliss seems like she stops responding to the ref, she manages to counter out of nowhere with a hotshot that sends Purazzo crashing face-first into the buckles! Purazzo is clutching her face, and Bliss follows up by ripping and tearing at Deonna’s protective mask!!!! BLISS RIPS THE MASK OFF!!!! Bliss manages to trap Purazzo’s arm with her legs, leaving her face totally unprotected as she viciously rains down elbows and right hands that are more reminiscent of a UFC fight that a women’s match! With her protection gone, Deonna’s injured face is brutalized and she can’t escape! SHE TAPS OUT!!!! Bliss wins!

Fourteenth Match
for the
UWF Tag Team Championship
Southern Fried Homicide (C)
with Mickie James
vs
Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa

This feud has been heating up in the last few weeks, with Johnny Gargano attacking Storm and Grimes at a liquor store and then Storm trying to divide the already-odd couple team by claiming a friendship with Ciampa …. It all culminated last week, with Southern Fried Homicide costing Gargano & Ciampa the MLW tag team titles that they held for almost a year ….

Ciampa & Gargano don’t let the emotion of the moment get to them, and they approach the early going calmly .... Gargano and Grimes start, and we get a hard lockup with Gargano taking control with some lightning arm drags .... Gargano with a quick tag and the challengers take control by out-wrestling Storm and Grimes …. Ciampa & Gargano with some double teams but Grimes and Storm turn the tide and now they start out-wrestling the challengers! …. This ends in a stalemate with all 4 men in a standoff in the middle of the ring, and this is where it turns into an all-out HOCKEY FIGHT!!!! Ciampa and Gargano clear the ring, then they hit stereo dives to the floor to take out SFH …. The champs get the numbers game and take over on Ciampa and they cut off the ring with quick tags in and out …. There is a tease of a hot tag several times as Ciampa makes it to the corner, but Grimes pulls Gargano off the apron just as Ciampa is about to tag him in …. Ciampa battles back and gets the hot tag to Gargano, but the ref is distracted by Storm so he doesn’t see it …. Ciampa and Storm take each other out with the double clothesline spot, and we get another tease of Ciampa getting the tag as tensions build …. FINALLY JOHNNY GETS THE HOT TAG! Johnny runs wild, hitting the school boy roll up kick to Grimes and then lawn darts him into the corner! Johnny with the slingshot spear to Grimes but Storm gets a blind tag and cuts Johnny off with a DDT for a clooooose nearfall! The champions attempt more double teams, but Gargano survives and gets the tag in to Ciampa, and now it is his turn to run wild! Ciampa tosses Grimes and slaps the shit out of Storm followed by a bicycle knee! Ciampa gets the bridging fujiwara armbar on Storm!!!! Storm raises his hand to tap out, but Grimes slides in and grabs his hand, preventing it from hitting the mat and actually completing the 'tap out'!!!! Grimes breaks it up and the crowd is going nuts at this point! It's back to a hockey fight between Ciampa and Grimes in the center of the ring, but Ciampa gets the better of the exchange and has Grimes rocked …. He rips off his elbow pad and throws it in Grimes’ face, then comes off the ropes for a discus forearm but Storm cuts him off with the Last Call Superkick! 1 … 2 … CIAMPA KICKS OUT! Storm scoops Ciampa up for the 8 Second Ride, but Gargano breaks it up with a superkick to Storm! Johnny hits One Final Beat on Storm! Ciampa & Gargano get in opposite corners, and the crowd is on their feet! MEET IN THE MIDDLE!!!! 1 … 2 … 3!!!! JUST AS THE REF COUNTS 3, MICKIE JAMES REACHES IN AND PUTS STORMS’ FOOT ON THE BOTTOM ROPE!!!! The crowd reacts like Gargano & Ciampa have won the belts, but the ref looks up and sees Mickie pointing to Storm's foot on the bottom rope! He waves off the pin, not realizing that Mickie put the foot on the ropes AFTER the pin …. There is a moment of confusion as Ciampa & Gargano believe they are the new champs, and in the confusion Grimes comes from behind and DESTROYS Gargano’s knee with a chop block! Johnny is hurt and rolls to the floor clutching his knee, and to further sell the injury ringside doctors come over to check on Johnny on the floor .... Ciampa is left 2 on 1 against the champs and he runs wild! PROJECT CIAMPA TO GRIMES!!!! Ciampa hooks Grimes for the Fairytale Ending, but Storm cuts him off with the Last Call! Mickie is on the apron, but Storm grabs one of the World tag title belts .... Ciampa pulls himself up to one knee, THEN SPITS IN STORM'S FACE!!!! Storm smashes Ciampa in the face with the world tag title belt!!!! Storm tosses the evidence to the floor, and falls on top of Ciampa! Johnny pushes his way past the doctors and tries to make the save for his partner, but the knee buckles and he falls back to the floor .... the ref counts 1 … 2 … 3! The champs retain!