Originally published at MLW Underground Wrestling: Alex Hammerstone retains against EJ Nduka
MLW Underground Wrestling
February 7th, 2023
2300 Arena in Philadelphia, PA
Commentary: Joe Dombrowski & Matt Striker
Poor Man’s Rikishi
The show starts with Matt Striker in the ring introducing the 2022 Battle Riot winner Jacob Fatu. Striker tells Fatu that he has something special and asks what he’s going to do with his championship opportunity. Fatu starts by saying it feels great to be back in Philadelphia and he gets right to it, and challenges Alex Hammerstone at SuperFight here in Philadelphia and says he will get his belt back. Real1 interrupts him by coming out and saying that everybody knows that the real winner of the Battle Riot is Real1. Real1 continues with the insults saying they don’t sit at the same table and calls Fatu a ‘female dog’, naming a bunch of Samoan wrestlers (including made-up names) before calling him a poor man’s Rikishi. Fatu says if Real1 says one more word he’ll beat the fuck out of him before security runs out to stop them.
Security takes Fatu to the back as Real1 is still in the ring and asks for a fight as Mance Warner makes his way to the ring. Real1 escaped to the outside and started talking to wrestling superfan Ashley Ann in the audience who said she didn’t like Warner when Real1 asked her. Real1 kept trash-talking Warner while walking around the ring as the fans told him to get in the ring, and he eventually did.
Real1 vs. Mance Warner
Real1 started the match by circling Mance Warner in a boxing stance throwing punches, but when he eventually got close, Warner knocked him out with one punch as the referee called off the match.
Winner: Mance Warner by knockout at 31 seconds
When we come back from break, Real1 is tossing stuff around ringside in anger after being knocked out.
Cheesesteak Challenge
Alex Kane and the Bomaye Fight Club make their way to the ring with the Opera Cup. Kane takes a Philly cheesesteak from Tony Luke’s, calling it garbage and trash, and says he will shove it down the throat of his victim tonight and asks who wants it. Kane goes to a fan ringside who says Kane sucks and tosses the cheesesteak in his face and tells him to never talk to a king like that. The crowd chants that the cheesesteak is still good, so Kane goes back and beats up the fan with it some more. Kane takes an envelope of money out and challenges anybody out before doubling the amount. Someone comes out that’s keyed as ‘The Marvelous Jafar’ on screen. The commentary calls him Marvelous, a four-year pro from The World Famous Monster Factory.
Alex Kane vs. Marvelous
Alex Kane attacks him from behind with a splash before the bell rings followed by a belly-to-belly suplex. Kane follows with a gut wrench and a pair of butterfly suplexes. Kane hits one more exploder suplex to the corner, as the referee calls off the match.
Winner: Alex Kane by referee stoppage at 1:26
Kane keeps attacking Marvelous with more suplexes after the match before getting on the mic and says he’s just getting warmed up and asks who else from the back wants it. Davey Boy Smith Jr. comes out and takes out the rest of the Bomaye Fight Club on the outside, before getting jumped from behind by Mr. Thomas & Myron Reed. Kane joins in before The Billington Bulldogs run out to even the odds.
Lio Rush Returns Soon
We get a video that Lio Rush is returning soon to MLW.
They say that Real1 has demanded a rematch and next week we will get a Street Fight between Real 1 and Mance Warner.
The Top Line
We get a backstage promo from EJ Nduka who questions Jacob Fatu for running his mouth and that he’s about to find out what happens when the gavel meets the hammer and how he’s going to destroy him. Nduka says Fatu calls himself part of the ‘Bloodline’, but he’s top line as he’s built for this and he’s as advertised. When they step in the ring, it’ll be game over and now he’s going to hammer Hammerstone.
Mysterious Calling Card Attack
We see a video from those recent mysterious attacks that have been leaving cards that look like to have the initials ‘AO’ on them before cutting to Mads Krugger who is laid out with a card on him.
For the Boys in the Back
Alex Hammerstone with a promo saying tonight a lot of the boys will be watching the monitor very closely and wonder if the pecking order still matters around here or if they get to just call their shot and cut in line. Hammerstone says EJ Nduka has the biggest ego in this locker room but the least amount of time in the business. Tonight he is doing this for the boys in the back and he will shut Nduka up.
MLW World Heavyweight Championship Last Man Standing Match: Alex Hammerstone (c) vs. EJ Nduka
As soon as the bell rings, EJ Nduka takes the belt from the referee and knocks Alex Hammerstone out with it, and tells the ref to start counting him out, but Hammerstone gets up at 6 and corners Nduka with shoulder blocks and elbows before hitting him with two back to back fall away slams. Hammerstone waits for Nduka to get up before clotheslining him to the outside as they go to break.
When we come back, we see that Nduka was attacking Hammerstone with a kendo stick during the break as he’s now using a chair on Hammerstone’s back. Nduka ducks Hammerstone trying to hit him with a championship belt and back body drops him on the apron. They continue to exchange strikes on the outside before Nduka rams Hammerstone back first into the ring post. Back inside, Hammerstone takes Nduka out with a missile dropkick before chasing him outside and up the ramp with a kendo stick. At the top of the ramp, Nduka escapes out of a suplex attempt and body slams Hammerstone on the stage but Hammerstone gets up at three as they go to commercial.
When we come back, the ring is filled with chairs and wooden boards that Nduka props up together, plus a board against the corner. Hammerstone stops short from being whipped in the corner, but Nduka grabs him and puts him through the other board on the chairs with a spine buster, but Hammerstone gets up at 9. Nduka continues by tying Hammerstone up with a steel chain to both the ring post and a support beam from under the ring. Hammerstone is able to power out and break the chains and get up and starts hulking up, taking Nduka down with a clothesline. Hammerstone starts using a chair on Nduka and spears him through the wooden board against the corner. Nduka is able to get up at nine, but Hammerstone is there to meet him with a jumping pump kick followed by the Nightmare Pendulum. Hammerstone stacks boards and chairs on top of Nduka, as the referee counts him down.
Winner: Alex Hammerstone at 11:26, to retain
Jacob Fatu comes out after and goes face-to-face with Hammerstone.
MLW on REELZ’ Debut Thoughts:
Besides the cool intro and new theme song, the format of the show is very similar to their other show MLW Fusion, which should be expected as these matches were from the same set of tapings back in October 2022 so who knows if it was even intended to be part of this new show. I hope that for the future tapings, they can differentiate between the two shows to make them seem a bit different from each other. For someone who’s seeing the product for the first time being on a new network in REELZ, the familiar names and faces are definitely a good hook to be introduced to, with only one real match here in the main event and the other two to set up future matches is definitely a fun formula.
Next Week
- Street Fight: Real1 vs. Mance Warner
- Calvin Tankman vs. Willie Mack