MLW Underground results: John Hennigan vs. Davey Richards

This week's MLW Underground action was taped in Philadelphia with Joe Dombrowski and Matt Striker on the call.

We opened with a trios brawl between the Bomaye Fight Club (Alex Kane, Mr. Thomas & Myron Reed) and Davey Boy Smith Jr. and the Billington Bulldogs. Kane was again talking trash and threatening the Hart Family’s Opera Cup heritage before the Bulldogs had heard enough and knocked Kane out.

Microman & MLW Middleweight Champion Lince Dorado defeated Delirious & Mini Abismo Negro

This was the usual comedy-laden match with Microman sprinkled in between the flying and high spots of the others.

Abismo was on the end of Microman’s spots this week as he rolled and flipped around the ring on the receiving end of a headscissors and low dropkicks. Delirious cut off Microman and began the beatdown of the mini superstar.

Dorado was again really good both in the ring and in the air, adding a sometimes much-needed injection of energy and speed between the comedy and heat spots on Microman.

Microman hit a pair of 619s before Dorado had to save his partner from a top rope Delirious splash. The champion shook it off and came down hard on Delirious with a plancha to the floor before Microman caught Abismo in a victory roll to pick up the win.

After the match, we had our first mystery attack in front of a live crowd as Dorado and Microman were kicked and stomped by three attackers in gas masks. They were wearing the same mask as Alex Hammerstone’s delivery man from last week who gave him a box with an octopus in it.

- Speaking of Hammerstone, he has his own theory of who the attackers are, pointing his finger at Jacob Fatu and the Samoan Swat Team.

- There was a medical update on Real1 after Mance Warner ran him over last week. Warner was released from prison by two people he is bringing to MLW: The 1 Called Manders and Matthew Justice.

Billie Starkz defeated Kayla Kassidy

This was short, but designed to give Starkz a victory on her way to an eventual matchup with Featherweight Champion Taya Valkyrie, which they teased at the end of the match.

Starkz took Kassidy out early with a dive to the floor but was on the receiving end of a few hard shots to the back of her head moments later. Kassidy slowed it down and nearly had Starkz put away with a Cradle Shock-style slam.

Starkz came back with three German suplexes and put away Kassidy with a great-looking Sugoi driver.

After the match, Sam Laterna interviewed Valkyrie on the stage and similar to last week, the interview got interrupted. This time, it was Starkz who interrupted Valkyrie but the Featherweight Champion ended up shooing Starkz away like she couldn’t be bothered.

- Alex Kane put a challenge out to the Billington Bulldogs. If they can beat Mr. Thomas and Myron Reed next week, Davey Boy Smith Jr. will get a shot at Kane.

- Juicy Finau then got some revenge for EJ Nduka attacking Lance Anoa’i a few weeks ago by jumping him as he entered the building. Finau and Anoa’i will be getting a shot at Nduka and Calvin Tankman’s MLW Tag Team titles in a few weeks.

John Hennigan (w/ Taya Valkyrie and Cesar Duran) defeated Davey Richards to win the MLW National Openweight title

This started at 100 mph from the opening bell and was a sprint to the finish. Hennigan tried to use underhanded tactics on the outside by leveraging Valkyrie and Duran to distract the champion as well as using the guardrail and even a pizza to try and get the upper hand. But, the champion always came back fighting. 

Richards locked in the Trailer Hitch, but Duran helped Hennigan escape by pushing the rope towards his newly signed talent. Hennigan then knocked Richards down with a big roundhouse kick.

The action then turned up a notch as Hennigan tried to piledrive Richards on the apron, but the champion slipped out and pulled back the mats on the outside to expose the concrete floor. Richards then tried to knock Hennigan off the apron onto the concrete with some running big boots, but then decided to suplex him into the ring. 

However, in doing so, Valkyrie grabbed Richards’ leg and made him drop Hennigan on top of him in another close two count for the challenger.

This was Hennigan’s chance and he capitalized with a running shining wizard to the head, but missed Starship Pain when Richards moved. Richards hit a penalty kick and a double stomp from the top rope, but Hennigan kicked out. A brainbuster followed as did another kickout.

In a sequence we have become accustomed to in MLW, Richards didn’t stop, flowing directly from the kickout into an ankle lock. Hennigan fought out, but Richards turned that into a Texas cloverleaf in what looked like a seamless neverending onslaught with nowhere for Hennigan to escape.

But Hennigan was not alone.

As Duran got on the apron to distract the referee, Valkyrie got involved again and hit Richards with her title belt which gave her man the opening to pin the knocked out champion and win the National Openweight title.

Next week on MLW Underground:

• MLW Champion Alex Hammerstone defends against Lance Anoa’i
• Lio Rush vs. Jacob Fatu
• Billington Bulldogs vs. Mr. Thomas & Myron Reed