I ain't reviewing this whole show because it's a lot of promos and video packages hyping up the main event. Let's get to the War. No more Games.
MLW's War Chamber is their version of War Games match but instead of two rings (which they did for the one in 2018 one), it's one ring and instead of a ceiling, the top of the cage in wrapped in bared wire. Not a bad look but doesn't feel anymore dangerous than a cage match and ten men in one ring will fill up quick! Let's see how they do
War Chamber: Hammerheads (Alexander Hammerstone, Richard Holliday, EJ Nduka, Savio Vega, and Matanza Duran/Jeff Cobb) vs. CONTRA Unit (Jacob Fatu, Mads Krugger, Ikuro Kwon, Sentai Death Squad)
CONTRA has won the coin toss and will have the man advantage (as is tradition with all these matches). Jacob Fatu and the mystery man of the Hammerheads start off and it's Cesar Duran's brother, Matanza Duran. He unmasks and commentary says "It's Jeff Cobb" so that gimmick is dead. Oh well, cool moment for Lucha Underground fans like myself.
These two go at it in a Hoss Fight. I would enjoy a singles match between these two. Sentai Death Squad Member #1 enters next. That name just rolls off the tongue. CONTRA double teams Matanza and works him over.
Savio Vega enters next for babyfaces. He runs wild with the kendo stick. Ikuro Kwon enters next and the heels take back over. Quickly this ring is filling up and becoming awkward to work in. Richard Holliday enters next and the momentum switches again. Senpai Death Squad Member #2 is next and he is significantly smaller and less in shape than Member #1.
EJ Nduka is next and dominates everyone. EJ looks like and works like Titus O'Neil but is actually good. EJ tosses the Sentai Death Squad through the door. That should help make things less cluttered. The final member for CONTRA enters, Mads Krugger. He leaves a new Sentai Death Squad member along with the other two outside for Alexander Hammerstone entering next. Krugger and EJ go at it before other members get involved.
Alexander Hammerstone enters and has powder for Sentai Death Squad Member #2 and then takes out the other two before entering. Hammerstone tosses everyone around before Krugger cuts him off but Hammerstone nails a Nightmare Pendulum. Hammerstone and Fatu go face to face. Fatu goes after Hammerstone's injured ankle with an Ankle Lock for a nice spot. Hammerstone is able to push Fatu into Krugger. Everyone brawls and fights as Hammerstone looks Kwon in the Torture Rack and he quits. Fatu is pissed after the match as the babyfaces pose and go up the ramp. Krugger and Fatu argue afterwards. Krugger shoves Fatu and Fatu charges him. Kwon attacks Fatu before getting laid out. Fatu attacks the Sentai Death Squad members at ringside. Krugger and Kwon jump him as officials finally come to break it up. Looks like CONTRA Unit is done and Fatu is a babyface now.
Okay, so I have a LOT of thoughts on this match. Let's start with the good. Having this be the end of the CONTRA unit is a nice idea and EJ got a chance to shine a lot in this match. Now the bad. Ten men in one ring is insane! Most of the time half the people in the match were just laying down while the others worked. It looked bad.
No need for this to be a 5 on 5 match when it was originally booked as a 4 on 4. Replace the nameless, faceless Senpai Death Squad geeks with either Simon Gotch, Shawn Daivari or even Josef Samael and get rid of Savio Vega because he's just not needed in 2021 in a big match like this.
Also, if you want to do the neat Matanza Duran debut playing off the Lucha Underground angle that MLW is doing; THEN DON'T HAVE HIM UNMASK AND WORK AS JEFF COBB! You killed this gimmick and the whole angle in seconds doing that. We all know it's Cobb, you don't need to show it. And if Cobb doesn't want to work under the mask (which he said in the past sucked doing) then don't book him to be Matanza!
A very weak and sudden finish that came out of nowhere and after no one else really tried to end the match. Also, a War Games match with no blood?! What is this WWE?! I didn't expect a lot going into this because MLW has constantly underdeliveried for me since I started watching in 2018 but come on! Do better! I have liked their other War Games matches but this one was lame. Felt like they needed a match to fit the gimmick, not a gimmick to fit the match **
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