Written By: Bob Colling
Major League Wrestling Genesis
Date: 6/16/2002
From: ECW Arena, Philadelphia, PA
Video of Shane Douglas returning to the ECW Arena. He looks around and says “It’s time for the Franchise to make history again.” Along with an evil laugh.
MLW video package of I am assuming action from this event. Which they spoil the result. I will allow you to read further and not spoil the result for you.
Joey Styles is announcing and hypes up MLW as being the best wrestling promotion.
MLW World Heavyweight Title Tournament Quarterfinal Match #1: Jerry Lynn defeated La Parka: Both of these men get pretty good reception from the crowd. Parka with the early advantage with snap suplex and controls Lynn in the corner. Parka with a scoop slam and a springboard senton splash from the apron to the ring for a near fall. Lynn with a tilt a whirl head scissors, and a body scissors into a bulldog. Parka comes back with a savant kick. Parka misses a shoulder ram in the corner and goes shoulder first into the post to the floor. Lynn dives off the top onto Parka. Parka misses a dropkick in the corner, but manages to send Lynn throat first into the turnbuckle. Parka with a spinning heel kick from the middle rope. Parka goes off the ropes and connects with a corkscrew splash over the top to the floor onto Lynn. Parka misses a twisting moonsault from the top. Lynn with a tornado DDT from off the ropes and picks up the win. Solid Match. **1/2
Joey hypes up the rest of the matches scheduled for the show.
We go to Steve Corino who is in a bathroom. Corino is looking in the mirror who talks about being ready to retire from the business six months ago. Corino mentions the titles he has one, and the old school legends he has wrestled. Corino says that there is one man standing in his way from retiring, that man is Shane Douglas. Steve Corino brings up the time when Douglas dishonored the NWA Title in 1994. Corino is here for revenge for that. Corino is jealous of Douglas being able to stay home and collect paychecks from Ted Turner, while Corino was getting scars.
MLW World Heavyweight Title Tournament Quarterfinal Match #2: Vampiro defeated Christopher Daniels: Vampiro has drastically changed his appearance. No longer has dreads, is shaven. No longer has paint on his face. He is in rather good shape however. Mat wrestling early on, Vampiro gains the upper hand dropping down and locking Daniels leg into a submission, Daniels manages to reach the ropes fairly quickly. Daniels enters the ring and goes to work on Vampiro in the corner with several right hands and elbows. Vampiro comes back with a roundhouse kick to the chest of Daniels. Vampiro goes up top and connects with a spinning heel kick. Daniels rolls to the floor. On the floor, Vampiro sends Daniels back first into the guard railing. Daniels is rammed head first into the time keepers table. Vampiro with a chair shot to the back of Daniels. Vampiro continues to work on the leg of Daniels back in the ring. Vampiro grabs the time keepers ringer and whacks Daniels directly on the groin for a near fall. Daniels comes back with a neck breaker out of the corner. Daniels connects with a split legged moonsault to the floor. Daniels counters the Thez Press and connects with a power bomb for a near fall. BME by Daniels for a near fall. Vampiro with a belly to belly superplex off the top but only gets a two count. They trade a few chops, Vampiro misses a kick, Daniels misses a clothesline. Vampiro with his version of the Rock Bottom to pick up the win. **
Joey Styles continues to hype up the fact that Vampiro has competed in two tournaments in 48 hours. Joey rips on Bam-Bam Bigelow for not being able to hang with the MLW promotion. Thus, his replacement The Wall will be in action. But first, The Wall cuts a promo.
The Wall is backstage cutting a promo pretty much directly towards Bigelow and deciding to not show up. The Wall doesn’t even know who he is facing tonight.
We go to Taiyo Kea who says that he is in The Wall’s backyard, and is going to kick his ass. Funny, because the Wall was never in ECW, ever.
MLW World Heavyweight Title Tournament Quarterfinal Match #3: Taiyo Kea defeated The Wall: “We Want Bam-Bam” chant begins directed towards The Wall. Kea gets nothing of a response, at first, until his is officially announced and gets about three streamers. Jesus, Wall lifts Kea up in the air and Kea lands dangerously onto his shoulder it appeared. On the floor, Wall sends Kea into the ring post. Kea comes back in the ring with a dragon screw, working on the knee of Wall. Wall with a superplex off the top rope, Wall with a near fall after driving Kea down to the mat on a variation of a slam. Middle rope leg drop by Wall and get a two count. Kea comes back with a Northern Lights Suplex and picks up the three count. *1/2
MLW World Heavyweight Title Tournament Quarterfinal Match #4: Shane Douglas defeated Steve Corino: Before the match, Douglas grabs the microphone and says “Cut the Fucking Music!” which he gets a “Welcome Back!” chant. Shane Douglas gets the microphone after the introductions by cutting a promo on Ric Flair, and the NWA Title. Douglas says that he carried ECW on his shoulders. Steve Corino cuts a promo about wanting to be like Shane Douglas. Corino rips Paul Heyman for ruining ECW. A “Fuck Paul Heyman” chant starts. Corino says that Douglas can lay down, and Corino will hook the leg out of respect. Douglas fakes Corino out and delivers a right hand. Douglas with a few microphone shots. Corino tries to shake Douglas hand, but Douglas delivers a boot in the corner. Swinging neck breaker by Douglas for a near fall. Corino comes back with a super kick. Both men trade a series of snap suplex’s, with Douglas getting the better of the two connecting with a delayed vertical suplex. Action is taken to the floor where Corino has control on Douglas, until Douglas drives Corino knee first into the ring post. Corino is dropped groin first onto the railing and delivers a chair shot. Corino with a few face washes and connects with a running kick in the corner. Corino goes to work on the right elbow of Douglas. Double clothesline and both men are down. Douglas with a Northern Lights Suplex for a two count. Douglas reverses the Old School Explosion into the belly to belly suplex and picks up the three count. **
Backstage, Christopher Daniels bumps into Jerry Lynn. Daniels says that he knows Lynn has been stabbed in the back. Daniels offers Lynn salvation, but Lynn declines and heads to the ring.
MLW World Heavyweight Title Tournament Semifinal Match #1: Shane Douglas defeated Jerry Lynn: Lynn with a bulldog early on and gets a two count. Lynn connects with a leg drop while Douglas was hung up on the middle rope on the apron. Lynn rams Douglas head first into the apron several times. Lynn avoids the ring post and sends Douglas head first into the post. Douglas is sent several more times into the ring post, and Douglas is busted open. Both men trade a series of pin attempts, all of which are near falls. Double the clothesline and the fans are clapping out of respect for both men. Lynn connects with the TKO and gets a near fall. Lynn connects with the tornado DDT but again only a two count.
Douglas connects with the belly to belly suplex for another near fall. Douglas manages to reverse out of the cradle pile driver, and moments later connects with the Pittsburgh Plunge to win the contest. **
Joey continues to hype up Shane Douglas. Joey proceeds to hype up the Kea/Vampiro contest
MLW World Heavyweight Title Tournament Semifinal Match #2: Vampiro wrestled Taiyo Kea to a draw: Early on, neither man can get a clear cut advantage. Kea connects with a side kick knocking Vampiro down. Vampiro comes back with a spin kick to the gut of Kea. Kea with a hurricanrana for a near fall. Kea with a splash from the middle rope for another near fall. They brawl to the floor and trade a few chops. Back in the ring, Kea with a series of kicks to the chest for a near fall. Kea with power bomb and goes for the pin but again only gets two. Joey continues to say that Vampiro is wrestling with a concussion with the constant holding of the back of his head. Kea with another power bomb, but Kea seems to be more affected than Vampiro. Kea reverses a hip toss into a tornado DDT. Vampiro comes back with a top rope hurricanrana for a near fall. Hawaiian Crush by Kea for only a two count. The bell rings, and this is a time limit draw. Vampiro quickly puts his hands up for five more minutes, Shane Douglas’s music hits. This leads to a triple threat match. **
MLW World Heavyweight Title Tournament Final Match: Shane Douglas defeated Vampiro and Taiyo Kea in a 3-way match to become the first champion: Douglas charges down to the ring and is double teamed by Kea and Vampiro. Douglas ducks a spin kick by Vampiro who hits Kea. Douglas with a belly to belly suplex on Vampiro to win the strap. That was awfully quick. *
Douglas grabs the microphone. Douglas quickly rips on Vince, Ric Flair, Scott Hall, Shawn Michaels and Paul Heyman. Douglas says he has made history. Douglas puts him over as a legend. Douglas drops the World Title, and says that some upstart company doesn’t give him titles. Douglas says that he doesn’t want the piece of shit title. Douglas spits on the title. John Finnegan grabs the microphone. Finnegan says that if he doesn’t defend the title, Douglas will be suspended. I’ve never seen someone not want to have a title.
My Opinion: Lynn/Parka was the best match of the night. Main Event being very short , typically the main event is longest match on the card. Bam-Bam no showing, the crowd really wanted to see him. Plus, i wonder how much MLW spent promoting him. If you are a Shane Douglas fan, this is just a love fest for him, pretty much.
Overall Grade: C