By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
MLW Fusion (Episode 202)
Taped March 14, 2026, in Atlanta, Georgia, at Center Stage
Streamed July 4, 2026, on the MLW YouTube Channel, beIN Sports, Veeps
The lighting is always good here. Joe Dombrowki and Tom Lawlor provided commentary. Last week’s show featured the first episode from this taping.
* A Contra video aired.
* Backstage, Rich Bocchini gave an update on Bishop Dyer’s contract dispute. He announced that negotiations “have hit a standstill.” He said Dyer’s demands were steep. Donovan Dijak will be allowed to continue as tag champion if he selects a new teammate before the end of the show. If he doesn’t, he must relinquish the belts.
1. Travis Lee vs. Andrew Everett vs. Ikuro Kwon vs. Beastman vs. “Divebomb” Diego Hill vs. Jesus Rodriguez vs. Paul Hauser vs. “Festus” vs. Josh Bishop vs. Matthew Justice in a 10-man Bunkhouse Stampede for the inaugural Southern Crown Title. This is one fall to a finish. Rodriguez is in this to eat the pin, right? Yes, Doc Gallows is “Festus” for the night, with his mouth hanging open and his tongue visible and a blank stare on his face. Festus went crazy at the bell and hit everyone.
Jesus rang the bell again, and Festus went into a catatonic state. Bishop and Beastman traded forearm strikes while everyone else was on the floor. Josh hit a bodyslam. (Dombrowski accidentally called Bishop “the newest Skyscraper. Whoops.) Bishop hit a Razor’s Edge, tossing Diego over the top rope onto several guys on the floor at 3:00! Everyone brawled on the floor. [C]
Just one brief ad for the MLW store; everyone was still brawling on the floor as we returned. Diego waved his hands in front of Festus’ face, who didn’t react. The crowd chanted, “Ring the bell!” In the ring, Everett tried some forearm strikes on Beastman. Ikuro Kwon was arguing with Don Gato, who was in the crowd, and Don Gato punched him. In the ring, Hauser tied Kwon in a Sharpshooter, but Beastman broke it up. Jesus hit Beastman with his own bone at 5:30! Tom Lawlor rang the bell! Festus went nuts and began punching everyone.
Justice got a chair and struck Bishop across the back. Those two brawled down the stairs and to the back! In the ring, Diego and Lee traded forearm strikes. Diego hit an enzuigiri. Lee hit his mid-ring Spanish Fly at 7:30. Diego hit a spin kick on Kwon, then a springboard fadeaway stunner! He hit a top-rope corkscrew splash on Kwon, but Everett made the save. Everett spiked Diego on the mat and hit his top-rope Shooting Star Press, but Hauser grabbed him and broke it up. Lee hit the Cave-In stomp to Everett’s collarbone and pinned Andrew!
Trevor Lee won the 10-man Bunkhouse Stampede at 9:24 to become the inaugural Southern Crown Champion.
* Rich Bocchini spoke to Teddy Long backstage. Teddy said he started here and even put up the ring here. Donovan Dijak walked up to him. Dijak told him he’s finding himself a new Skyscraper. (Yeah… Dombrowski already gave it away.) [C]
* Teddy Long came to ringside after the break. He told the crowd this is where he started, and he briefly mentioned Ron Simmons and Butch Reed. He introduced LaBron Kozone, who got a nice pop. (The audio sweetener might be helping, but that’s okay!) Dombrowski put Kozone over, talking about his background and how he’s in the ring every day.
2. LaBron Kozone vs. Alan Angels. Kozone has a significant height and weight advantage. Alan went for a headlock. Kozone hit a European Uppercut. Alan hit some chops that Kozone no-sold. Kozone hit a suplex into the corner at 2:00. Alan hit a huracanrana. He went for a top-rope crossbody block, but Kozone caught him and hit a backbreaker over his knee.
Alan hit a baseball slide dropkick to the floor, then a dive through the ropes. However, Kozone powerbombed Angels onto the ring apron at 3:30. In the ring, Kozone nailed the Ball Game clothesline and got the pin. I really liked that; A big win for Kozone, but it didn’t feel like Angels was squashed, either.
LaBron Kozone defeated Alan Angels at 4:13.
* A short video for Satoshi Kojima aired. [C[
3. Donovan Dijak vs. Karl Anderson. Dijak came out holding both tag title belts. They immediately brawled at the bell. Karl kicked at Dijak’s left knee. Dijak caught Karl coming off the apron, and he chokeslammed Anderson onto the apron at 1:30. In the ring, they traded chops. (Who exactly is the babyface here?) Dijak mounted Anderson and punched him. He hit a backbreaker over his knee, then a bottom-rope splash onto Karl for a nearfall at 3:30. Karl powered to his feet and hit some punches, then a second-rope leaping stunner for a nearfall. [C}
Back from the break, Anderson tried to put Dijak on his shoulders but Donovan fought free. Karl hit a running swinging neckbreaker for a nearfall at 5:00. Anderson went for an Athena-style flying stunner, but Donovan blocked it, put Karl on his shoulders, and hit a DVD for a nearfall! Dijak got in the face of the ref. Karl hit some more chops. Dijak nailed a sit-out chokeslam for a nearfall, but he missed a top-rope moonsault. They got up and traded forearm strikes. Karl hit a Spinebuster for a nearfall. Dijak hit the Discus Mafia Kick. He set up for Feast Your Eyes, but Anderson got an inside cradle for the flash pin!
Karl Anderson defeated Donovan Dijak at 8:16.
* Anderson started to celebrate the win on the floor, but Josh Bishop appeared and attacked Karl from behind. Bishop rolled Anderson into the ring. They stomped on him, and they hit a team chokeslam. “Don’t tell me this is the new Skyscraper!” Dombrowski shouted. (Um, Joe, you knew that 30 minutes ago!)
* Rich Bocchini tried to interview them, but Dijak pushed him away and took the mic. He officially named Bishop as his new teammate. To be clear, he referred to Bishop as the THIRD Skyscraper. (So, he’s leaving the door open storyline-wise for a Dyer return.)
Final Thoughts: A pretty embarrassing editing mistake, but that’s what happens when you air episodes 1) out of order and 2) three months after they occurred. Yes, MLW wanted to build suspense over who is the new Skyscraper… and then Dombrowski just blurted it out during the opening match. That just shouldn’t happen. Did anyone listen to the commentary track in the past four months? Because it should have been fairly easy to dub over Joe’s “big reveal.” (1999 Movie Spoiler Warning – My viewing experience of The Sixth Sense would have been ruined if the kid told Bruce Willis he was a ghost in the first act of the film! That’s essentially what happened here.)
Editing gripes aside, the matches were all pretty good. The 10-man match was non-stop action, and we got to see some of the impressive offense of Diego, Trevor Lee, and Andrew Everett. I’ve been praising Kozone for a few years — he’s always been on my short-list of guys who should have been signed to TV deals. TNA should have gotten him; kudos to MLW for swooping in and getting him first. The main event was really good action, too, so no complaints about the matches themselves.
I’ll just repeat myself from the past few weeks — MLW has really benefited by subtracting what was NOT working. No Salina de la Renta or Saint Laurent. No Cesar Duran this week. No sign of Brock Anderson, CW Anderson, or Paul London. The changes to the roster have really worked for me… even with the loss of Dyer. The episode clocked in at 52 minutes, starting at 5:05 CST and ending just before 6 p.m.
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