Reload 2002-09-26 from Manhattan Center in New York, NY
Champion: “The Franchise” Shane Douglas
Joey Styles tells us that the title is vacant and a lottery was held with four wrestlers. Satoshi Kojima and Jerry Lynn won the lottery and will fight for the title while Taiyo Kea will battle Sabu for the number 1 contendership. We quickly go to the ring and all four of the men are there and they start brawling until security pulls them apart.
“The Fallen Angel” Christopher Daniels is preparing for a 6 man tag team match. He says that MLW is trying to stack the deck against him but he got Dick Togo and Ikuto Hidaka to come help him.
Super Crazy vs. Fuego Guerrero ref John Finnegan
Joey tells us this is the debut of Guerrero and that he previously wrestled as Red. Early on Crazy goes for a side slam and Guerrero flips out of hit and hits an arm drag. Crazy goes to the floor. Back in Guerrero with a tilt a whirl head scissor in which he goes all the way around the body of Crazy. Crazy rolls through and sunset flip and hits a seated drop kick. He does it again and Fuego covers his face so Crazy goes around and drop kicks the back of his head this time. Two head scissors and two drop kicks send Crazy to the outside. Fuego with a springboard somersault plancha to the floor. Back in the ring Fuego charges Crazy in the corner but gets kicked in the face. Crazy with a firemens carry slam and springboard moonsault. Crazy throws Fuego into the air off an irish whip and as he comes down grabs his head and lands an X-Factor. Crazy with a big powerbomb and ten corner punches. Crazy goes for another powerbomb but Guerrero flips into a DDT for 2. They mess up some move and Fuego stays in control. Crazy hits three corner clotheslines followed by a brainbuster for 2. Guerrero back drops Crazy onto the apron and hits a nasty spin kick that knocks him to the floor. Guerrero comes off the top with a corkscrew cross body to floor! Standing shooting star press for 2 back in the ring. Guerrero goes for a somersault senton off the top but misses. He gets back up and goes for a rana but Crazy counters it with a tiger bombed for the pin in 10.23. Off to a good start as this match was better then anything from the first show.
La Parka vs. Shocker ref Jim Molineaux
Parka slaps Shocker to start the match. Shocker with a front kick to send Parka to the floor. Shocker slides out and Parka slides in. Shocker comes back in and Parka stomps him on the way. Parka misses a drop kick in the corner but then launches Shocker as he charges and Shocker goes face first into the buckle. Shocker with a drop toe hold that sends Parka’s face into the buckle. Parka charges and hits a shoulder block that turns Shocker inside out. Parka charges but gets backdropped. Parka chops Shocker down to the ground but then gets monkey flipped over the top to the floor. Shocker follows with a springboard plancha. Shocker with a suplex back into the ring for 2. Shocker goes for a front kick but Parka grabs it and throws Shocker down. Spin kick sends Shocker to the floor and Parka follows him out with a corkscrew plancha. A slam by Parka back in the ring. He goes up top and lands a somersault senton for 2. Parka grabs his chair but swings and misses. Shocker drop kicks it into Parka and then clotheslines him out of the ring. Shocker with a dive through the ropes but he gets nailed with the chair. Shocker gets back in at the count of 9. Russian leg sweep for 2. Parka goes up top again and goes for the dreaded axe handle to the person laying down but Shocker gets his foot up. Firemens carry slam and 3 standing sentons get a 2 count for Shocker. Shocker comes off the top but gets drop kicked. Parka off the top with a drop kick for 2. Parka again goes up but he gets caught Shocker with a top rope superplex. Shocker with a corner clothesline and bulldog for 2. Shocker with a la majistral for 2. Shocker with a spear in the corner and then a bronco buster. He goes for it again but Parka boots him down low. La Parka goes up top and hits a cork screw body block for the win in 13.47.
“The Fallen Angel” Christopher Daniels, Dick Togo & Ikuto Hidaka vs. Quiet Storm & The SATs
Hidaka starts with Joel Maximo of the SATs. They trade off hammerlocks, arm drags and both go for drop kicks at the same time. Storm and Daniels get tagged in. Storm with a tilt a whirl head scissor but Daniels cuts him off with a thumb to the eyes and tags Togo. Jose Maximo tags in. Togo with a shoulder block and a sweet float over DDT. Joel with a rana and then they both go for drop kicks. Now everyone comes in and brawls. They all go to the floor. Daniels ends up back in the ring with Joel and he hits a drop kick. Joel goes up and over on a corner whip and then hits a hip toss and tags Storm. Storm with a clothesline and bodyslam. I decide at this point that I hate Storm. He is like 3 feet tall and it annoys me. Tag made to Joel and he gets a few near falls and then tags Jose. They hit a double bulldog for 2 and tag back Storm. Storm locks in an STF/Rings of Saturn combo. Hidaka breaks it up and Togo gets tagged. Joel comes in and hits a suplex for 2. SAT stack Daniels on top of Togo and lock in a boston crab and camel clutch. Storm comes in and outs a crossarm breaker on Hidaka. Joel with a drop kick on Togo’s face while he is still in the clutch. Togo comes back with a tornado DDT on Joel. Daniels comes in and causes a distraction allowing his partners to beat on Joel outside the ring. Daniels with a clothesline for 2 and he tags Hidaka. Dropkick and then Hidaka works over the leg. Togo tagged in and he hits a somersault senton and a hard running seated drop kick for 2. Joel breaks out of a chin lock but gets clotheslined and Daniels tags back in. Slam and an Arabian moonsault. Joel ducks a clothesline but then gets caught and has his face slammed into the mat and hit with an enziguri. Hidaka tags in and he and Togo both hit slingshot sentons from the apron. Togo comes back in and hits a brain buster for 2. Togo with another DDT for 2 and then he brings in Daniels. Daniels with a front Russian leg sweep. Hidaka and Daniels and Togo all take turns holding Joel and standing on his back and posing. Joel tries to come back and goes for a body scissors on Togo but Hidaka grabs him and bulldogs him instead. Joel hits a drop kick on Togo and Hidaka and a DDT on Daniels. Tag to Jose but Daniels takes him down with a clothesline. Storm comes off the top with a drop kick. Daniels goes to the floor and Storm dives on him. Togo slides face first under the bottom rope grabs Storm and tornado DDTs him on the floor. It looks super cool. Daniels hits the Arabian press to the floor onto Storm and the SATs. Hidaka hits a top rope dive to the floor onto everyone. Storm and Hidaka in the ring and Hidaka goes for a tornado DDT. Storm blocks it and puts Hidaka on the apron but Hidaka hangs on and has Storm in a choke hold. Hidaka hits a german suplex then goes into a leg lock. Storm gets to the ropes. Storm with a swinging neckbreaker and rolls through and picks him up in a Gory Special neckbreaker. Hidaka gets whipped into the ropes and Storm hits a northern lights with a bridge. Storm goes for a german but Hidaka lands on his feet and hits a spin kick. Daniels and Jose go at it and Daniels hits a spinning blue thunder bomb for 2. STO and BME for 2. Joel makes the save. Joel goes for a tornado DDT but Daniels counters and throws Joel to the turnbuckle. Joel hops to the second rope and comes off with a DDT. Top rope frog splash broken up by Togo. Togo hits a powerslam for 2. Togo with a seated stunner. Jose with a german on Togo for 2. Tiger bomb but Daniels makes the save. Togo and Daniels hit a 3D styles move but instead of a cutter Togo does an Xfactor. Daniels with a slam. Joel comes in with a drop kick. Daniels hits the ropes and falls out of the ring. Togo was on the top rope and falls when Daniels hits it. SAT with the Spanish fly on Togo but the pin is broken up. Togo may have snapped his ankle on that last move. Hidaka with a slingshot rana to the floor on one of the Maximos. Storm and Daniels in the ring. Storm with a rana for 2. Daniels quickly with the last rites for the win in 22.48. WOW! My hands are tired from typing all that action.
Satoshi Kojima cuts a promo backstage in Japanese.
Terry Funk vs. Chris Candido (w/ Sunny) ref Jim Molineaux
Candido wears his Terry Funk tights tonight. Funk I think is 87 here. He hits an arm drag then takes forever to get up. Candido tries to whip Funk across the ring into the corner but Funk holds onto the ropes. Candido with an irish whip but Funk again holds on to the ropes. This angers Candido. They countered each others moves for a bit. Candido getting more frustrated. They go to the floor. Funk gets slammed into the time keepers table and ring post. Funk bleeding now and he gets sent into the guardrail. Candido attacks Funk in the crowd. Candido slams Funk’s face into the apron and Funk is very bloody. Sunny chokes Funk with a towel. Funk suplexs Candido from the apron out of the ring. Funk now sends Candido into the crowd and piledrives him on the floor. Back in the ring Funk with a DDT and Candido goes back to the floor. Funk with a suplex on the entrance ramp and Candido lands head first. Funk wonders around until Candido attacks him. Candido leaves to the locker room and comes back with a ladder. Funk is flopping all over the place. Candido sets Funk on the turn buckle and follows him up but Funk headbutts him off and he lands on the ladder. Funk uses the ladder on Candido. Spinning toe hold but Candido kicks Funk off. Suplex by Candido he goes up top and lands a headbutt for 2. Candido heads to the top of the ladder but misses a head butt. Funk throws him to the floor and Sunny comes in the ring from behind with a low blow. Funk gets up DDTs her and then bites her ass. He sets up a piledriver but Candido comes from behind and hits him with a chair. Candido sets up a bunch of chairs in the ring but Funk hits him with a hangmans neck breaker. Funk locks in the spinning toe hold but Candido breaks out. Funk gets it on again but Candido rolls him in a small package. Funk reverses it and gets the win in 17.08. Candido hits a piledriver afterwards.
Joey Styles runs down what we just saw and leads us into our next match.
Steve Corino vs. Vampiro ref John Finnegan
Corino on the mic wants to know how many people want to see an old fashion street fight. Vampiro, however, isn’t known for street fights, he’s known for cashing Ted Turner pay checks. Vampiro gets the mic and says that ECW would never hire him cause they were afraid of him. The bell rings but before they lock up Sandman’s music hits. Sandman drinks some beer but turns around into a superkick from each man. This match is now a triple threat. Vamprio hits the nail in the coffin. Vampiro and Corino fight on the floor and Sandman joins them. Sandman gets suplexed onto the entrance ramp. Corino goes to powerbomb Vampiro onto the ramp but gets backdropped. Vampiro get Sandman’s cane and uses it on Sandman in the ring. Corino gets a chair but Vampiro kicks it into his face. Sandman fights back gets his can and swings it at Corino. Corino ducks and hits a super kick. Corino gets knocked to the floor and Vamprio hits a baseball slide on him. Spin kick onto Sandman for 2. He hits Sandman in the back with a chair. Corino back in but he gets sent into the corner and hits a chair. Corino is busted open now. Sandman in control off both men. He hits a DDT on Vampiro and leg drop on Corino. Vampiro comes back with a spin kick off the top rope onto Corino for 2. Sandman throws in a piece of guardrail and some chairs. Sandman suplexes Corino on the guardrail. Vampiro with a urinagi onto Sandman for 2. Corino throws Sandman to the floor and bridges the guardrail on four chairs in the middle of the ring. Corino goes up top but Sandman cuts him off and superplexes him onto the rail. Both men are down and Vampiro covers and pins Sandman in 11.45. Vampiro now works over Corino. Belly to back but Vampiro doesn’t hook the leg and only gets 2. Corino fights back, Vampiro goes for a rana but gets powerbombed. Corino catches a kick but Vampiro hits a enziguri for 2. Old school expulsion for 2. Front kick by Vampiro for 2. Vampiro with another urinagi for 2. Vampiro puts Corino up top. They fight on the second rope and Corino hits a super cutter off the second rope for the win. Time of the match was 16.44.
We go back to Joey and he hypes the #1 Contenders Match between Taiyo Kea and Sabu.
#1 Contenders Match: Sabu (w/ Bill Alfonso) vs. Taiyo Kea ref John Finnegan
Joey tells that “The Franchise” Shane Douglas was stripped of the title for refusing to defend. Sabu starts off with his normal dives at the legs but misses. He gets in a leg lock but Kea gets to the ropes to have it broken. Kea with a headlock take over but Sabu pushes out into a head scissors. Sabu corner whips Kea and then misses a clothesline. Kea with chops and stomps in the corner. Kea with a corner whip Sabu blocks a punch and hits a clothesline. Slingshot somersault leg drop from the apron gets 2. Sabu sends Kea to the floor. Sabu misses a baseball slide and gets sent into the guardrail. Kea with a slingshot planha. Kea gets a two count on a back elbow. Slam by Kea and he locks on a sharpshooter. Alfonso helps Sabu get to the ropes. Sabu goes to the floor and Kea goes from another plancha. Sabu moves and Kea lands on his feet but grabs at his knee. Sabu sends him into the crowd. Sabu with a triple jump dive out of the ring into the crowd. Sabu tries to set up a table but Kea comes back and goes up top. Sabu knocks him down and hits a DDT. Sabu throws a chair at Kea and it hits him hard. Air Sabu and Kea lands throat first on the chair and then gets drop kicked off. Sabu goes for a triple jump moonsault but Kea grabs his leg and Sabu falls into the chair. Kea throws a chair at Sabu but he catches it so Kea superkicks it into Sabus face. Blue thunder bomb for 2. Snap suplex for another 2. Kea goes up top but gets knocked down again. Super rana by Sabu springboard seated drop kick for 2. Kea rolls out to the floor, Sabu with a baseball slide. Sabu sets the table up on the rail and ring apron. Sabu comes off the top with a leg drop through the table. Back in the ring Sabu hits the triple jump moonsault but only gets 2. Sabu hits the ropes but Kea gets a rana. Kea stops Sabu from getting a chair by stomping him and then hits a few quick kicks. Kea only gets 2. Kea picks Sabu up for a DVD but Alfonso distracts him. Sabu again throws a chair into Kea’s head. Kea seated on the mat in a corner and Alfonso holds a chair in front of his face and Sabu drop kicks it for a 2 count. Camel clutch but Sabu release it. Sabu hits the ropes but Kea hits the Hawaiian Crush out of nowhere. Kea picks up Sabu and hits it again but again doesn’t go for the cover. Kea picks up Sabu again and hits the Hawaii 5-0 and gets the pin in 15.38. He will face the winner of the next match at the King of Kings MLW show.
To Joey for some main event hype.
“New F’N Show” Jerry Lynn vs. Satoshi Kojima ref John Finnegan
This one is for the vacant MLW Championship. “Kojima” chant from the fans to start. Followed by a “Jerry” chant. They trade hammerlocks and some submissions. Lynn gets shoulder tackled down. Kojima hits the ropes but gets hip tosses. Lynn misses a leg drop, Kojima misses a somersault senton, Lynn misses an elbow drop and they face off. Kojima with a drop toe hold and locks in an STF. Lynn makes it to the ropes. Kojima stomps Lynn. Lynn crawls to a corner and Kojima chops away. Lynn reverses a corner whip and pays Kojima back some hard chops of his own. Kojima with a side slam for 2. Kojima gets Lynn in the corner again and just pounds away on him. Vertical suplex gets a 2 count. Lynn comes back and hits three clotheslines but Kojima won’t go down. Kojima goes for a suplex but Lynn slides out and hits a reverse DDT for 2. Lynn gets whipped into a corner and clotheslined. A second whip is followed with a flying elbow. Kojima comes off the top with an elbow for 2. Kojima takes off this elbow pad and goes for a lariat but Lynn ducks and hits a release German suplex. Lynn drags Kojima to the middle and covers him for 2. Lynn goes off the second rope and grabs Kojima in a tornado DDT. Lynn goes for a suplex but Kojima reverses it. Lynn flips out of it and hits the ropes. Kojima hits a sit out spinebuster for 2. Kojima goes to whip in Lynn but Lynn hangs on and pulls in Kojima for a TKO that gets 2. Lynn sets up the piledriver but Kojima with a back drop to reverse it. Kojima hits a michinoku driver for 2. Kojima hits a big lariat and gets the win and the title in 13.06. Taiyo Kea comes to the entrance way and signals the belt belongs to him. Kojima gets on the mic and thanks the fans for coming and cheering for him.
My thoughts on the show…
This show was SO much better than the first. Two matches that I could have done without were Funk/Candido and the three way hardcore match. The first two lucha matches were fun to watch. The six man was loaded with action and the final two matches were solid. Two matches filmed were not on the home video but will show up in the future on the TV show so I won’t spoil them here. Thumbs up on this show, hopefully this leads to more good things from MLW.
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