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Real1 vs. Mance Warner vs. Microman vs. Matthew Justice – Dumpster Diving match


If we’re being honest, this fight feels more like a handicap match because everyone will be going after Real1. Ha! Why not? He’s been nothing but rude ever since I started watching MLW. Too negative…

This is the first Dumpster Diving match in the Underground. In order to win, you’ll have to dump three out of the four men competing in this fight in the dumpsters stationed on the main floor. Sounds simple enough.

Real1 vs. Mance Warner vs. Microman vs. Matthew Justice in a Dumpster Diving match at the MLW show taped on February 4, 2023, at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, and airing on April 11, 2023. Photo by George Tahinos, https://georgetahinos.smugmug.com

After an unnecessary standoff, Real1 obviously drop kicks Microman first before Justice and Warner jump him. Question, if and when Real1 gets dumped, who will follow him next? The alliances will have to break at some point.

Real1 sends Matthew into the barricades, momentarily taking him out. Now he sees that Microman still hasn’t risen from that previous hit, so he begins to stalk him. That allows Justice to come back into the fold and use the crutch as a weapon to Real1’s back.

As Warner and Justice attempt to shove Real1 into the dumpster, the Certified G grabs a garbage lid and whacks his enemies with it. Commentary wants to know who threw a smaller garbage can into a bigger garbage can. Ha! Meanwhile, Real1 has his sights set on Microman, but he quickly gets sent head first into the corner by the World’s Greatest Wonder.

Real1 vs. Mance Warner vs. Microman vs. Matthew Justice in a Dumpster Diving match at the MLW show taped on February 4, 2023, at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, and airing on April 11, 2023. Photo by George Tahinos, https://georgetahinos.smugmug.com

Whatever Justice, Warner and Microman were planning on doing, Real1 manages to avoid it by rolling on the outside. Mance and Matthew follow, then get ploughed.

Since Mance and Matthew were disposed of, Microman was seated helplessly on the top turnbuckle, Real1 approaches him and picks him up without the chain he thought he didn’t need. He felt like imitating The Lion King again, but Mance wouldn’t let him finish.

Warner wanted to spear Real1 into the wooden plank he had set up, yet he finds himself the victim of his own trap. Justice evens the odds by slamming a chair against Real1’s spine.

Real1 vs. Mance Warner vs. Microman vs. Matthew Justice in a Dumpster Diving match at the MLW show taped on February 4, 2023, at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, and airing on April 11, 2023. Photo by George Tahinos, https://georgetahinos.smugmug.com

Matthew dumps Real1’s body on the garbage’s lid, so he could prepare a latter in the middle of the ring and leap. Unfortunately, his plan didn’t work because Real1 dodged a bullet as Matthew crashes into the dumpster. As if things couldn’t go anymore sideways, The Calling is here.

Rickey Shane Page stomps in like a serial killer as he attacks Mance with a weapon I cannot see very well due to the flickering of the lights. While Page has Warner wailing for help, more of these gas mask men arrive, setting up a table.

Officials raced to the scene to try and stop the fighting that spills into the back with Hammerstone’s assistance. Real1 may have gotten one body in, but to win, you need to dump all three… so…

Winner: Literally no idea


As Battle Riot looms closer, Underground has already revealed six participants. Now we get to see more like The Second Gear Year, Akira, Willie Mack, Shigehiro Irie, Mr. Thomas, Jimmy Llyod, Sam Adonis, Jacob Fatu, The Mane Event, Tracy Williams, The FBI, Juicy Finau, Lio Rush, and Microman. Hell yeah! We’re in for an impeccable upcoming night.

And speaking of events dawning near, we have War Chamber next week, guys. Whoo! The Calling vs. Alex Hammerstone and the Second Gear Crew, I’m here for that.


Davey Boy Smith Jr. vs. Alex Kane – No Ropes Match


I’ve never seen a no ropes match before, so I’m glad I exist during this time to see that the ring looks naked without them. How nice. Ha! This is how wrestling normally looks like without the ropes surrounding the edges. The thing is, the floor isn’t this elevated.

For the purest, this is a dream.

Davey Boy Smith Jr. vs. Alex Kane in a No Ropes Match at the MLW show taped on February 4, 2023, at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, and airing on April 11, 2023. Photo by George Tahinos, https://georgetahinos.smugmug.com

Smith Jr. has Kane in multiple body holds as Alex does the same once he manages to escape. A lot of tussling. A submission vs. suplexes kind of match.

Davey slips off the ring for a moment, which almost prompts Mr. Thomas to lunge at him. Luckily, the official was watching. Kane uses that to psych Davey out.

Later on, Davey swings Kane’s body into a submission arm hold. Alex attempts to free himself, so he scratches Smith Jr’s eyes. He was blinded. Kane utilizes that to suplex Davey twice.

Smith Jr. picks up the pace by answering Alex with suplexes of his own. It became a suplex exchange battle at this point.

Oh, by the way, the fight that abruptly ended the Dumpster match of earlier is still raging backstage. These men aren’t done… Ha!

Davey Boy Smith Jr. vs. Alex Kane in a No Ropes Match at the MLW show taped on February 4, 2023, at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, and airing on April 11, 2023. Photo by George Tahinos, https://georgetahinos.smugmug.com

Anyway, back to the ring. Smith Jr. had Kane’s shoulders down for a second, but Alex came back up with a right hand and an over the head exploder suplex.

Kane puts an aggravating ankle lock on Davey, who spins it around in his favor with a lock too. Davey was trapped again, yet turns his pain into his potential salvation with a Sharpshooter to Kane. Since there were no ropes to help break that hold, Mr. Thomas pulls Kane’s hand instead out of harm’s way. The ref can’t really do anything about that, so Davey kicks Mr. Thomas.

The same so called Bomaye Juice from last week is present. Kane attempts to spray Davey with it, he dodges then places Alex into a severe sleeper hold by pushing his head forward. Kane is fading, his eyes rolled back. Ha! It was over.

Kane had no idea what was happening when the smelling salts woke him up. Ha! It was funny. Once he heard Davey’s theme music, his face knew he lost.

Winner: Davey Boy Smith Jr.


Last week, people are saying that Lio Rush hijacked Lince Dorado’s Championship belt away during the attack. Now, Rush is confused by the choice of words.

Apparently, this is about respect. Rush says that Lince disrespected him. “If chaos is what you want, then chaos is what you’ll get, my friend.” Dorado has been fielding calls from Lio’s team rendering a match with the champ nearly impossible. If Dorado wants his belt back, he’ll have to catch Rush first.


Calvin Tankman vs. Akira 


When EJ Nduka got attacked by Akira and Rickey Shane Page two weeks, he’s been taken out indefinitely. But remember, Tankman was one of the first victims of The Calling. He hasn’t forgotten.

Akira chooses a crowbar as his weapon given to him by none other than Raven in a gas mask.

Calvin Tankman vs. Akira at the MLW show taped on February 4, 2023, at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, and airing on April 11, 2023. Photo by George Tahinos, https://georgetahinos.smugmug.com

As Akira advances, Tankman dodges then delivers chops to his chest. Akira attempts to fight back with slaps to Calvin’s upper body, but you can see it has little effect to the big man as he counters with a shoulder tackle.

Akira’s chest was insanely red. To me, it looked like it was about to rip open on its own. Oof. Scary.

Tankman has his opponent in the corner of the barricades as he lunges at him expecting to succeed with a kick to his face, alas, Akira ducks out and kicks Calvin in his trapped leg.

Tankman had no idea of how painfully brutal Akira’s Matagachami submission hold would be. It held him tightly in the center of the ring. Luckily, Calvin does manage to throw Akira off him.

Tankman performs a brilliant spinning elbow to the back of Akira’s ear that I actually thought it was bleeding. His head was though. What was weird was that Akira twitched like a fish out of water after that hit… As if he wasn’t odd enough.

If you don’t pay attention to Raven, you’ll get hit like Tankman has with a wooden pip in the Achilles. Due to hidden assistance, Akira now has Calvin in a sleeper hold at the top of the ring.

Tankman collapses due to the lack of oxygen, but once he hits the mat, Akira goes right back on the attack by strengthening the pressure around his neck to win. Even though Calvin was out cold, Akira wouldn’t let go. He pushed the official too.

Calvin Tankman vs. Akira at the MLW show taped on February 4, 2023, at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, and airing on April 11, 2023. Photo by George Tahinos, https://georgetahinos.smugmug.com

The Calling crowd around Tankman’s unconscious body as calling cards are placed on his sweaty back. Raven makes sure to frisbee a card in our direction as well.

Suddenly, Matthew Justice and The 1 Called Manders are ambushing The Calling near the main stage. Warner and Hammerstone were nowhere to be found because they were fighting the other gas mask goons in the parking lot. Hammerstone threw a man against the back of a truck face first. Someone else landed in the garbage, or the pavement I think. Ha! Ha!

Back inside, Akira sacrifices his own body, so he could land on Justice while using a chair at the behest of Raven. Chaos and fire, love it. No, seriously, I saw one of The Calling’s followers light a fire in the parking lot… it almost burned Hammerstone.

Winner: Akira

TOP PHOTO: War Chamber fight poster. Courtesy of MLW