By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
Major League Wrestling Fusion (Episode 184)
Taped July 8, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at 2300 Arena
Streamed September 28, 2023 on the MLW YouTube Page and FITE.TV
The broadcast team of Joe Dombrowski and Matt Striker checked in while standing in front of MLW logo. They were quickly interrupted by Salina de la Renta, who took Dombrowski’s mic. She looked into the camera and introduced herself. She told viewers that she would stay tuned if she were them because she has a big announcement to make… The Fusion opening aired… Entrances for the opening match took place…
1. Tiara James vs. Zayda Steel. The broadcast team spoke about James’s background and noted that she had two degrees. Striker referred to her as classy on multiple occasions. They said Steel was annoyed by teachers and dropped out of high school and opted to go to wrestling school. Late in the match, James executed a couple of shoulder blocks and a spinebuster. James slapped Steel and then kicked her before performing a a double underhook DDT for the win…
Tiara James beat Zayda Steel.
Powell’s POV: This was similar to watching a match between a pair of green developmental wrestlers on NXT television. It was passable, yet far from polished. That said, James has a good look and should have a bright future if she puts the work in.
A Calling video package aired with Rickey Shane Page doing the talking… A video aired for MLW Slaughterhouse, which streams October 14 on FITE+…
Backstage, Jimmy Lloyd was gagging over a trashcan. Lloyd explained to Mance Warner that he was cutting weight to qualify for the middleweight division…
Salina de la Renta stood in front of the MLW backdrop and announced that Rocky Romero will challenge Akira for the MLW Middleweight Championship at MLW Slaughterhouse…
2. Kevin Blackwood vs. TJ Crawford vs. Alec Price in a Triple Threat. Blackwood and Price doubled up on Crawford to start the match and quickly cleared him from the ring. They cut to a mid match break. [C] Blackwood and Price performed a double team move on Crawford and then went back to fighting one another.
Blackwood picked up a near fall after hitting Price with a Death Valley Driver. Crawford came back with a series of moves and then put Blackwood in a triangle. Blackwood powered him up and held him while Price returned and executed a Blockbuster form the ropes on Crawford.
Price ended up at ringside and played to the camera. A hooded man dressed in black ran out and attacked Price. In the ring, Blackwood leaped from the top rope and into a kick from Crawford, who scored the pin.
TJ Crawford defeated Kevin Blackwood and Alec Price in a Triple Threat.
After the match, Sam Laterna tried to interview Crawford. Blackwood interrupted and said he “didn’t know what that was” and then said he kind of respects Crawford. The man in black attacked Blackwood from behind. Price and the masked man double teamed Blackwood. The masked man removed his mask to reveal himself as Tony Deppen. Blackwood was helped to the back following the attack…
Powell’s POV: A well worked match with a strange angle. First off, these three haven’t spent much time on MLW television, so it probably would have been easier on viewers to go with a singles match. I like all three wrestlers and was legitimately surprised by the outcome. Deppen just hasn’t done enough in MLW for this to feel like a shocking moment, but at least it wasn’t another Calling related angle.
Sam Laterna interviewed Ichiban, who had his translator with him. The translator answered Laterna’s questions without actually translating anything. He basically said Ichiban wants to be the best…
A video aired on the World Titan Federation. Joe Dombrowski narrated the video and played up the possibility of Mister Saint Laurent getting a promoter’s license meant that he is building a rival promotion within MLW…
Matt Cardona stood backstage and played up the idea that he was streaming live on social media. He took a fan question and was interrupted by Maki Itoh, who barked at him in Japanese. Mance Warner showed up and attacked Cardona…
The MLW Slaughterhouse control center segment aired. Rickey Shane Page will face 1 Called Manders in a Spin the Wheel, Make the Deal match for the MLW National Openweight Title, Mance Warner and Matthew Justice will face gas mask wearing members of The Calling in a Chamber of Horrors match, and Delmi Exo defends the MLW Featherweight Title against B3cca. The double main event is Jacob Fatu vs. Minoru Suzuki, and Alex Kane vs. Davey Boy Smith Jr. for the MLW Heavyweight Championship…
Dombrowski announced that MSL would make an announcement later in the show related to the Bomaye Fight Club… Entrances for the main event took place…
3. MLW Middleweight Champion Akira vs. Jimmy Lloyd in a street fight. Lloyd did the Terry Funk spinning ladder tribute spot. Akira came back by suplexing Lloyd onto the ladder once it was leaning in the corner. A short time later, Akira used a knife on Lloyd’s forehead, then jabbed the inside of his mouth with it. Akira picked up a near fall heading into a break. [C]
Akira set up four chairs in the ring. Lloyd got Akira on his shoulders, but Akira slipped away and put him in an armbar. Lloyd powered him up and slammed him on some backs that had been poured in the ring. Rickey Shane Page came out to help Akira, but Matthew Justice came out and fought with Page to the back. Lloyd performed a package piledriver for a near fall. Both wrestlers stood on the chairs that were still set up in the ring. Akira performed a DDT off the chairs and scored the pin…
MLW Middleweight Champion Akira defeated Jimmy Lloyd in a street fight.
Powell’s POV: A gross garbage match that lacked any sense of a build. Lloyd recently arrived in MLW and the promotion has taken the approach that their viewers should know him from GCW or other promotions. If you didn’t follow his previous work, then you know that he’s friends with Mance Warner and that’s about it. They haven’t even bothered to explain why he has issues with The Calling or why things with him and Akira got so violent. Some viewers will be be content seeing a bloody brawl. Good for them. I need an actual reason for the violence or I just don’t care, and that was the case here despite the efforts of both wrestlers.
Mister Saint Laurent sat at his desk with a briefcase, a stack of cash, books, and a laptop in front of him. MSL said they would soften up Alex Kane on the road to Slaughterhouse by having him face a mystery opponent. MSL said it was a big one and said he hopes Kane is ready…
Powell’s POV: A quick hook for next week’s show. I’m not feeling the World Titan Federation gimmick. It’s just not as cute or clever as MLW officials seem to think it is. I get that MLW has an ongoing lawsuit against WWE. I also get that ECW took shots at WWE and WCW back in the day. But the big difference is that ECW started firing those shots at a time when their competition was producing mostly lousy television, so the fans were nodding along with the jabs. I don’t think that’s the case today with most fans, so I’m not really sure who this WTF stuff is actually catering to.
As for the overall show, MLW is trying to offer something for everyone in terms of the variety of match styles they have on the show. They lean too far into the hardcore style for my taste, and it feels like that’s become the identity of this promotion more so than the fusion of styles. I will have more to say in my weekly Fusion audio review for Dot Net Members (including our Patreon patrons).
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