By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
MLW Fusion (Episode 214 – Fightland)
Taped September 12, 2026, in Charleston, South Carolina, at Festival Hall
Streamed September 24, 2026, on Tubi (Saturdays on MLW’s YouTube Channel and Veeps)
Tubi lists this episode as “Season 8, Episode 20.”
* This event was recorded on September 12 even though they have older footage than this that hasn’t aired! Joe Dombrowksi and Tom Lawlor provided commentary. Production was really good. The crowd was maybe 400.
1. Templario vs. Black Tiger. I presume Rocky Romero is under the mask. Templario wore mostly white with just a splash of baby blue, and he carried a sword to the ring. They traded lucha reversals early on. Boy, that doesn’t look like Romero — the upper body size is too much, and he has heavily tattooed arms. Black Tiger started to untie the mask and was booed. He hit a guillotine leg drop and untied the mask some more. Templario hit a dive through the ropes at 4:00, then another!
Okay, cagematch.net says this Black Tiger also wrestles as “Magnus” or “Astro Boy.” He hit a backbreaker over his knee for a nearfall at 6:00. Templario hit a Code Red for a nearfall. He hit a leaping sidekick, and they were both down. Black Tiger hit two rolling suplexes, but Templario blocked a third one. Templario hit a flying headbutt for a nearfall at 8:00, then a release powerbomb and a Lionsault. He tied Black Tiger’s arms behind his back until Black Tiger submitted. Good match.
Templario defeated Black Tiger at 9:02.
* Rich Bocchini was on the stage, and he welcomed back “The Good Brothers” Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson. Doc’s son, CJ Gallows, was with them. Karl said CJ was with them to “help set up chairs” at the shows. (A little dig at Avery Styles.) Anderson boasted about all the countries they’ve been to in recent months. They were interrupted by “Glasgow Boys On Top” Wolfgang and Mark Coffey. Coffey jawed at them. The Glasgow Boys left with no punches thrown.
* Footage aired of last week’s Opera Cup first-round matches.
* Lady Frost has an open challenge! She got in the ring first. Out of the back came Clara Carter, whom I’ve seen a few times recently in the North Carolina circuit, and she also just had an NWA match. HOWEVER, as Clara walked to the ring, she was attacked from behind by Masha Slamovich! Masha choked Clara on the apron. She was joined by Josef Samael! She’s joined the Contra Unit!
2. Lady Frost vs. Masha. Dombrowski only called her “Masha” with no last name. She got in the ring, we got the bell, and they immediately brawled, trading forearm strikes! In the second tier, we saw the women of the “H.A.T.E.” faction from Japan. Masha put Lady Frost in a camel clutch at 1:30 and pulled back on Frost’s nose! Masha hit a spin kick, then she slammed Frost’s face into the middle turnbuckle. Masha hit a snap suplex for a nearfall.
Masha hit a dropkick for a nearfall at 3:30. The crowd chanted for Frost. Frost hit a flying clothesline at 5:30, then a rolling cannonball for a nearfall. Frost hit a top-rope crossbody block for a nearfall. Masha hit a back suplex for a nearfall at 7:00. Frost got up and hit a series of chops. Masha hit a rewind kick to the skull, then her “Russian Death Device” (piledriver) for the pin. Really good match. Thoughts on Masha below.
Masha defeated Lady Frost at 8:10.
* Killer Kross and Josh Bishop spoke backstage. They are teaming tonight!
3. Austin Aries and Mistico vs. Josh Bishop and Killer Kross in a Taboo Tangle. Mistico went to open, but Aries immediately made a blind tag and was booed. Aries and Bishop traded basic offense. Kross and Mistico entered at 2:30 and shook hands before trading standing switches, and they twisted each other’s left arm. Mistico hit a headscissors takedown, then a springboard armdrag. Bishop got a chair, but Kross convinced him not to use it. Bishop hit a bodyslam on Mistico and got a nearfall at 5:00. Kross hit a gutwrench suplex on Mistico. [C]
Mistico reached for a tag at 7:00, but Aries just stood on the apron and didn’t reach a hand in! Kross continued to work over Mistico. Mistico hit a Frankensteiner! They were both down. Mistico hit a handspring-back-double elbow. He marched over to Aries and hit a hard slap to the back to tag Austin in! Kross hit some clotheslines and a Diamond Cutter on Aries at 9:00!
Kross pushed Aries across the ring, but Austin struck Bishop, which made Josh angry! Bishop hit a chokeslam on Kross! Aries dove onto Bishop on the floor. Aries picked up Mistico’s belts. Mistico superkicked Aries! Kross applied a Kross Jacket (sleeper), and Aries passed out! Mistico was in the ring, but he cheered on Kross and made no effort to save Aries — he gave Austin the double middle finger!
Josh Bishop and Killer Kross defeated Austin Aries and Mistico at 10:27 in a Taboo Tangle.
Final Thoughts: Why did they opt to air the episodes out of order? I can’t think of a single TV show where that’s paid off. (The sci-fi show Firefly famously aired out of order and was canceled after just one season.) Why couldn’t this episode wait until after the Opera Cup tournament concluded?
Perhaps they aired this episode now because they knew the news of Masha’s debut had circulated online. A wrestling site I don’t follow posted on Twitter/X that Masha had debuted in MLW, so I was aware she was coming. (I blocked that account. I should be able to look at Twitter without seeing spoilers in headlines.) I saw some social media users who were quite angry that MLW was using Masha.
There have been stories out there about Masha being accused of domestic abuse, and I don’t claim to have followed this or know what happened. I pointed out that Masha has never been charged or convicted of a crime, which immediately got me blocked by a few Twitter users, just for stating a fact (even though I took no formal opinion on whether she should be used or not – and I still don’t have a strong opinion on the matter). So, we’ll see if there is any blowback on MLW for using Masha. I really don’t know, because again, I don’t know what all happened.
The matches were all fine, and the main event played out as I expected it would… but it feels strange to abandon the tournament halfway through the first round to air these newer matches.
