MLW Fusion Recap (5/11): Hammerstone Faces Gringo Loco In Semifinals, Hughes Battles Fatu, Rey Fenix

Welcome to Wrestling Inc's recap of Major League Wrestling's weekly episodic, Fusion, which airs every Saturday night on beIN Sports, or every Monday on the MLW Youtube page. Enjoy!

A highlight package of Barrington Hughes is played at the top of the show. The feed cuts into a promo from Contra Unit. Josef Samael says that Hughes may be undefeated, but he's never faced anyone to the degree of Jacob Fatu. Fatu warns Hughes that he's going to drag his a** across the streets, and that his streak will end tonight.

Fusion intro song.

Rich Boccini and Jim Cornette welcome us to another edition of MLW Fusion. Air Wolf is making his way to the ring for the evening's opening contest. Commentary also hypes the main event...Barrington Hughes versus Contra Unit's Jacob Fatu. Also on the card...Gringo Loco takes on Alexander Hammerstone in a semifinal for the new National Openweight championship. As Air Wolf makes it to the ring...his opponent is revealed as...Rey Fenix.

Air Wolf versus Rey Fenix

Tie-up. Fenix with a quick takedown. He locks Wolf up in a stretch before letting him up. They grapple. Fenix shows off his mat wrestling with another takedown but Air Wolf gains the advantage and captures him in a modified deathlock. Fenix breaks free with ease. Wristlock from Wolf...he overpowers Fenix...Fenix uses the ropes to roll-through and escape. Stalemate. A "lucha-libre" chant starts. Wolf and Fenix lay into each other with chops. Wolf catches a Fenix kick, then brings him down with a springboard arm-drag. Fenix responds by walking the ropes and hitting an arm-drag of his own. Wolf fires right back with a frankensteiner that sends Fenix to ringside. Flying plancha from Wolf connects.

Back in the ring...Fenix unleashes a three-hit combo but Wolf bounces Fenix off the ropes with snap-German suplex. Fenix answers with a huge roundhouse...Wolf with another German with cover...only two. Double-underhook attempt from Wolf...Fenix with a thrust kick pushing Wolf away. Wolf baits Fenix in...step-through flatliner! Cover...another two. Fenix to the apron...Wolf goes for a suplex...Fenix blocks it. Huge chops from Fenix....he dives into the ring then quickly transitions into a dropkick. Both men are down.

Wolf gets trapped in the ropes...Fenix tightropes on the top and punts Wolf in the face! Pinfall attempt...Wolf sneaks out a shoulder. Another jumping roundhouse from Fenix. He places Wolf on the top rope...muscle-buster attempt...Wolf shifts his weight...double-underhook suplex lands this time but Fenix is out at two. He goes for a second...Fenix counters...he stuns Wolf with another kick to the head. Muscle buster attempt...Wolf cradles him! He got em!

Air Wolf wins by pinfall

As soon as the match is over Fenix congratulates Wolf on his performance, shaking his hand and showing him respect.

A promo ad...Austin Aries will be coming soon to MLW.

Recap of last week's episode of Fusion, executive produced by Promociones Dorado leader Salina de la Renta. After LA Park's victory in the main event, Mance Warner popped out of a giant present and attacked Park, brawling to end the show.

Cut-to Kaci Lennox, who is interviewing Salina. She calls Warner a hillbilly and Sami Callihan a loser. She challenges them to team up and face two of her guys in Promociones Dorado. Salina promises that they'll pay for their actions.

Barrington Hughes makes his way to the ring. (Guess this isn't the main event.) Contra Unit's music plays and Jacob Fatu is out second. Josef Samael and Simon Gotch are nowhere to be seen. (For now.)

Barrington Huges versus Jacob Fatu

Brawl to start. Hughes traps Fatu in the corner. Stinger splash. Fatu fires back with a superkick! Hughes is rocked. He climbs...whisper in the wind! Cover...he's out.

Jacob Fatu wins by pinfall

The feed cuts to the Hart Foundation network. (H2 channel.) Teddy Hart thanks the Lucha Brothers for giving them the MLW tag team titles, and issues a rematch challenge, saying that they'll rip both their masks off this time around. Hart goes on to talk about the level of competition in MLW, specifically mentioning Brian Pillman Jr's next opponent...Rich Swann. Pillman tells Swann that the Hart Foundation respects Swann, but that won't stop him from giving everything he's got to advance in the National Openweight tournament.

Alexander Hammerstone cuts a promo on Gringo Loco. He says that he's looking past Gringo Loco, because all he can think about his celebrating with Dynasty when he becomes the new National Openweight championship. "Loco I got bad news...you aint putting the breaks on our celebration."

MLW control center previews the next several MLW events. Boccini also announces the recent signing of Marshall and Ross Von Erich of the legendary Von Erich family.

Promo from MLW heavyweight champion Tom Lawlor. He says that he's been drowning his opponents in blood, sweat, and hard-work, and that's why he's at the top of the card. He claims that he'll do the same thing to Avalanche when they square off in two weeks.

Bryan Idol makes his way to the ring for our next matchup. He'll be facing...Ariel Dominguez.

Ariel Dominguez versus Bryan Idol

Dominguez goes for a takedown but Idol lays into him with clubbing forearms. Quick-roll ups from Dominguez but Idol slows him down with a running knee. Single-leg dropkick from Idol. He unloads knee-strikes into Dominguez's gut, then butterfly suplexes him onto the turnbuckles. Dominguez lands a few strikes...Idol catches him with a huge slam. Shoulder-breaker from Idol nearly wins it. He climbs to the top...moonsault misses! Dominguez takes advantage...huge flurry of strikes...standing dropkick. Snap-suplex from Dominguez...he pops up and hits a superkick! Cover...Idol escapes. Idol retakes control with a haymaker. Dominguez with a satellite DDT! He rolls Idol up in a cradle...got em!

Ariel Dominguez wins by pinfall

Sami Callihan and Mance Warner are backstage. Callihan insults each member of Promociones Dorado, and blames them for ruining a good fight between Warner and Callihan from a few weeks ago. Warner cuts in..."We coming for fingers...legs...blood." Callihan ends the segment by saying that they're going to set the world on fire. Challenge accepted.

Footage of Salina de la Renta arguing with Low Ki is shown. Low Ki says that his contract with Promociones Dorado is getting ready to expire and he wants to know where they stand. Salina responds by claiming that everything she's done is for the good of their brand. They don't reach an agreement, and go their separate ways once they notice the camera.

Main event time. Gringo Loco is out first, followed by Alexander Hammerstone. MJF and Richard Holliday accompany Hammerstone to the ring but he tells Dynasty that he can handle this one on his own.

Alexander Hammerstone versus Gringo Loco National Openweight semifinal

Tie-up. Loco with a wristlock. Hammerstone powers out of it. Loco snatches on a headlock but Hammerstone lifts him with ease and tosses him across the ring. Loco shows off his speed and athleticism to evade Hammerstone's attacks. Loco with a superkick to Hammerstone's legs taking him down. He follows up with a standing moonsault to Hammerstone's back. Running frankensteiner sends Hammerstone to ringside. Loco goes for a suicide dive but instead poses for the crowd. He goes for it...Hammerstone meets him at the ropes with an eniguri. Both men on the outside...gorilla press from Hammerstone dropping Loco off the apron.

Back in the ring...Loco climbs...moonsault crossbody with cover! Hammerstone powers out of the pin Rights and lefts from Loco. Back body drop. Loco to the top again...Hammerstone crotch drops him. Hammerstone with a running boot to Loco who is still on the top. Superplex. He picks Loco up...Nightmare pendulum. That'll do it.

Alexander Hammerstone wins by pinfall and advances to the National Openweight finals

Hammerstone will face the winner of next week's semifinal between Brian Pillman Jr. and Rich Swann. Also next week...Sami Callihan and Mance Warner versus El Hijo de la Park and Ricky Martinez in tag action.

Hammerstone gets on the microphone and says that he's only one victory away from being champion. It's his destiny.

That's the show friends.