2018 Ongoing MOTY List: Lawlor vs. Hager

66. Tom Lawlor vs. Jake Hager MLW 7/12 (Aired 8/31/18)

ER: A good match, a tough match, with neither guy backing up easily or going down easily, so you end up with something that came off really grueling and heavy. Both guys controlled with nice chokes and wouldn't budge much on takedowns or takedown attempts, and it makes the pro wrestling moments come off bigger when they do come. Hager has size on him and I liked how that was used, Lawlor would come in working strikes and Hager would try to brush him away. I especially liked a moment where Lawlor leapt up to the middle rope to punch Hager in the corner, and Hager dumped him violently to the floor, Lawlor taking a big tumbling bump down. Lawlor is good at running into Hager's offense and I liked how Hager's pro wrestling spots were fit in, like Lawlor running hard into double boots in the corner leading to Hager immediately hitting the Hager Bomb. It's not typically a spot he fires off so quickly, and it's way more effective that way, but tough to set up as a quick move. Lawlor's comebacks had great fire, loved him coming off the ropes with a lariat that didn't much budge Hager, so without missing a beat he fires off the ropes with a rolling clothesline that bursts right through him. Both guys hit some hard suplexes, neither going up far for the other, so it really looks like Lawlor has to work hard to muscle him up for a back suplex and we get a nice slow German suplex from him late. There was good drama around rope breaks, and I liked Lawlor's work Hager's left arm, getting a triangle over the ropes and dropping his arm over his knees, and I kept getting nervous that things would get wrecked by interference. But, none came and the guys were left to having and honest, hard-working match filled with plenty of good struggle. This is one of my favorite matches in the revamped MLW.

PAS: This was quality big boy heavyweight wrestling. I really enjoyed the early amateur scrambles, and it made me really want to see what they could do against each other in more of a straight shootstyle environment.  I also really loved Lawlor working below against Hager's ground and pound, which looked way better then his standing punches. Still this was good in a straight wrestling way too, big deadlift suplexes, including an awesome German by Lawlor, stiff kicks, big throws, nice limb work, just a good heavyweight bomb throwing match. Loved the stuff with Lawlor working over the arm, and the Hager reversal into the ankle lock was really slick. Finish is cool to with Filthy Tom poking Hager in the eye and getting a cool roll up into an even cooler roll up for the pin.


2018 MOTY MASTER LIST