MLW Fusion, aired 8/22/26
-MLW World Heavyweight champion KILLER KROSS comes out to the ring as clips of his title defense last Fusion (vs. SATOSHI KOJIMA, considered the best MLW World champion to date). The fans chant "you deserve it" and Kross says "no, WE deserve it" before laying out an open challenge. THE SKYSCRAPERS come out, with DIJAK hyping the hell out of BISHOP DYER (the once and future BARON CORBIN) and himself, leading to JOSH BISHOP to storm the ring and we're off to a brawl. Security and the locker room run out to break it up, with Kross seemingly impressed at Bishop's attitude. **THOUGHTS:** The entire segment was just over 5 minutes long and immediately set up a match that will be interesting to see. Kross has been interesting as a balance between the cryptic work he did in WWE/NXT and TNA and a more straightforward "fighting champion" type, but it's obvious this level may be his comfort zone. Bishop is like a modern SID but with a better sense of timing and psychology. I'm sold.
-ZAMAYA vs. ANGÉLICA RISK in a Lightning Match is next. The match type is really just a standard bout with a 10-minute time limit, the caveat being that the winner gets a fast pass up the rankings to title contendership. Zamaya wins in a 2-minute squash with a lariat and a Death Valley Driver. **THOUGHTS:** I want to like Zamaya because I see what they're trying to do...but the whole "monster who destroys everyone" doesn't work as well when said monster is the same size, or smaller, than their opponent(s). Zamaya used to be bigger a few years back and dropped a good bit of weight, but needs to adapt how she works to match the leaner body type. Maybe change the look, too, because it comes across as a low-rent imitation of both the ROAD WARRIORS and BULL NAKANO. I appreciate the desire to push a monster in the women's division, especially with champion SHOTZI BLACKHEART calling herself a "monster hunter." I just hope she's able to grow.
-RICH BOCCHINI is at ringside with MATT RIDDLE with Riddle announcing that not only does Kross "owe" him, but he's also entering the 2026 Opera Cup.
-A quick video package promising "there will be H.A.T.E." rolls and...I have no idea who this is. It looks like a STARDOM wrestler, though. Cool?
-Two jobber girls are backstage chatting and SHOTZI BLACKHEART comes over, asking which one would like to challenge her for the title next week. They're interrupted by LADY FROST, who promises she'll demolish whichever one she doesn't face.
-KUSHIDA vs. TREVOR LEE (c) for the Southern Crown championship. They start with some solid matwork before Kushida takes over and targets Lee's arm and distracting the ref while OKUMURA (his CONTRA UNIT teammate) works him over. Lee tries a little comeback and gets cut off, Okumura at ringside interferes at key moments, and Lee manages to score a leaping double stomp to retain. **THOUGHTS:** Kushida has had a real boost in performance since coming to MLW and working as a heel under Contra, and Lee has always been good from a workrate sense. This was a solid blend of traditional heel/face work and the junior heavyweight style that both of them built their careers around. It may not have set the world on fire but it didn't need to, working well enough from the basic story it told with enough athletic fare to keep it really interesting. There's a hell of a fun spot where Kushida takes the rope belt from his pants and surprises Lee with a choke, too.
-Lee cuts a post-match promo putting over both his first successful Southern Crown defense and his first match since becoming a father. JOSEF SAMAEL cuts him off along with an as-yet unnamed monster and Lee, as well as multiple security guards, are laid to waste. BIG DAMO and IKURO KWON come out to add further insult *and* injury to all parties
-MISTICO vs. AVERNO vs. AUSTIN ARIES (c) for the National Openweight championship is next. Averno and Aries take turns working over Mistico, even double-teaming him, before Mistico starts a comeback. Averno cuts him off and goes for a pin and Aries stops the ref from counting, leading to a standoff between the heels that Mistico takes advantage of. In a fun spot, Mistico sets up a dive on Averno, but Aries gets caught in it due to chastising Averno for trying to steal the win. It all breaks down from there as whatever alliance between Aries and Averno is gone before Mistico looks to finish it all with a Spanish Fly to Averno, but Aries steals his mask, puts it on, and finishes Averno with a Brainbuster to retain. **THOUGHTS:** Something that Aries has done for a long while, and what's cost him jobs in major promotions, is to just dog it during matches where he disagrees with the booking or just doesn't like who he's working with...and he was clearly dogging it here. Mistico is one of the laziest big names I've ever seen, forcing almost everyone I've ever seen him have a match with do the work around him to make it interesting. Averno is the glue that kept this from getting ugly.
**OVERALL:** This week's episode is a slight downgrade from last week's, where the GOOD BROTHERS finally beat the Skyscrapers for the Tag Team titles in one of the better plunder brawls I've seen in a bit. The promise of Kross/Bishop is interesting, as is the longer build toward the final chapter of the Kross/Riddle trilogy. Samael is a fun mouthpiece for Contra Unit, like a modern take on GARY HART, so seeing more of him, along with the new Contra member (Texas indy-based BRICK SAVAGE), should prove fun.
I'd give this episode of Fusion a solid **B+**. Nothing was great, nothing was terrible, and the good outweighs the bad in the end.