By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
MLW “SuperFight”
Cicero, Illinois, at Cicero Stadium
Streamed live November 7, 2026, on VEEPs.com pay-per-view
I previously attended a TNA pay-per-view in this building, which is located in a heavily Latino neighborhood, which is why so many lucha shows draw so well here. It’s packed, and the venue is a legit sellout of 1,300 to 1,500. If you haven’t seen MLW this year, the production quality is truly top-notch; certainly better than NWA and perhaps better than TNA. Joe Dombrowski and Tom Lawlor provided commentary.
* Three champions — Killer Kross, Yota Tsuji and Mistico — walked in together, with their respective belts draped over their shoulders. A cool visual.
1. “The Good Brothers” Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows vs. “Glasgow Boys On Top” Joe Coffey and Mark Coffey (w/Wolfgang) in a Chicago Street Fight for the MLW Tag Team Titles. The champs entered second, charged at the Glasgow Boys, and all four immediately brawled. The Coffeys declared this was a “Glasgow Street Fight.” All four brawled to the floor and into the crowd. Doc has dark, deep makeup below his eyes, making me think of Headbanger Thrasher. They went across the bleachers; Dombrowski noted there was nowhere to move! Gallows hit a double-noggin-knocker at 3:30.
Joe Coffey executed a Castagnoli-style Giant Swing! We saw Wolfgang had a hammer! (Is this essentially a handicap match?) They finally got in the ring, and Mark hit a bodyslam on Karl for a nearfall at 5:00. Mark struck Karl across the back with a garbage can. Wolfgang hopped in the ring to wedge a chair in the corner. Anderson hit a stunner, and he found a stapler. Lawlor incorrectly said we hadn’t seen a pin attempt yet. Karl used the stapler on Wolfgang. Joe wrapped a chain around his arm and hit a discus forearm strike for a nearfall at 7:30.
Gallows got back in, and he was bleeding from his forehead. The Good Brothers went for a Magic Killer, but that was quickly broken up. Mark got a fire extinguisher but couldn’t figure out how to use it. Gallows got a different one and sprayed it on Mark at 9:30. Karl got a garbage can lid and repeatedly struck Wolfgang. Gallows hit Wolfgang with a garbage can lid, too. The champs ‘hog-tied’ Wolfgang upside-down in the corner! Gallows whipped Joe face-first into the chair wedged in the corner. The Good Brothers put a trash can over Mark’s head and struck it. They hit a Magic Killer on Mark, dropping him on the trash can, and got the pin! Good brawl.
“The Good Brothers” Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows defeated “Glasgow Boys On Top” Joe Coffey and Mark Coffey in a Chicago Street Fight to retain the MLW Tag Team Titles at 11:10.
2. Masha (w/Josef Samael) vs. Zamaya. An intense lockup; Zamaya might be an inch taller. Masha tried some clotheslines but Zamaya no-sold them. Zamaya hit some shoulder thrusts to the ribs in the corner, and she hip-tossed Masha across the ring twice. Masha hit a snap suplex for a nearfall at 2:30, and she slowed Zamaya down on the mat. She hit a stiff kick to the back. Zamaya got up and hit a clothesline. Masha hit some knee lifts on a bent-over Zamaya. Loud boos at Masha. They traded forearm strikes. Masha hit a pump kick for a nearfall at 5:00.
Masha tied up Zamaya as she sat on Zamaya’s lower back. Zamaya hit a Samoan Drop, and they were both down. Zamaya hit a swinging neckbreaker and a splash into the corner at 7:00, then a running buttbump to the face and a fisherman’s suplex. She hit a spear. Josef threw a railroad spike into the ring, but Zamaya picked it up. She was conflicted about what to do with it! She threw it to the floor. Masha immediately hit a superkick and a piledriver for a two-count, but Masha’s music started to play. A bit confusing, but the ref made it clear Zamaya had kicked out. So, Masha hit a second piledriver for the pin. Good match despite the awkward finish.
Masha defeated Zamaya at 8:33.
* Some monks in robes led Mistico to the ring. However, it turned out the monks were Brick Savage, Masha, Big Damo, and Okumura! They stomped on Mistico. They threw Mistico into the ring and beat him up. The crowd LOUDLY booed this; they wanted to see Mistico have a match!
* Backstage, former teammates Donovan Dijak and Josh Bishop were brawling! Bishop threw him out an exit door and slammed it shut.
3. Tessa Blanchard vs. Keyra. Standing switches to open. They appear to be roughly the same height, but the masked luchador Keyra appears thicker. She hit a spin kick to Tessa’s thigh. Tessa hit a hard slap to the face! Tessa hit a dive through the ropes at 1:30, then another one! However, Keyra shoved her face-first into a ring post. In the ring, Keyra hit a low-blow punt kick to the groin! No DQ for that? Tessa went for a huracanrana, but Keyra rolled through it and got a nearfall at 3:00.
Tessa hit a top-rope crossbody block and a stunner for a nearfall. Keyra got a rollup out of the ropes, and she applied an STF at 4:30 and cranked back on Tessa’s head. Tessa hit a Lungblower to the chest for a nearfall. Keyra tied her along her back and dropped her snake-eyes, then hit a double stomp to the ribs for a nearfall at 7:00. Tessa hit a sit-out powerbomb for a nearfall. She got to her feet but was limping. Keyra slammed her face-first into the middle turnbuckle and hit a stiff dropkick to her face! Ouch! Keyra got a nearfall at 8:30. This has been sharp.
They fought on the top rope. Tessa trapped Keyra’s head in the ropes and kicked her in the face. She hit a second-rope flying Lungblower to the chest for a believable nearfall at 10:00; I thought that was it! Tessa hit some punches. Keyra got a rollup for a nearfall. Tessa hit a superkick and a DDT for the pin. That topped my expectations, although the winner was never once in doubt.
Tessa Blanchard defeated Keyra at 10:31.
* Rich Bocchini interviewed her on the entrance stage. She snatched the mic from him. She spoke in both English and Spanish, but she got booed. She wants a challenge! She asked MLW to find her a challenger.
4. Austin Aries vs. Matt Riddle for the MLW National Openweight Title. Matt’s shaggy hair is starting to grow out again; he no longer looks like a banker! He is still wrestling barefoot. An intense lockup to open. They fought to the floor while still in a collar-and-elbow tie-up, and they rolled to the floor while still locked up! They went all the way to the entrance stage, still tied up! They finally made their way back into the ring at 4:00, and they finally separated! Matt hit a gutwrench suplex, then another.
Riddle tied him in a cross-armbreaker in the ropes at 6:00 but let go before the ref’s five-count. He hit a fisherman’s suplex for a nearfall. Aries tied him in the Tree of Woe and stomped on his groin, then hit a top-rope flying back elbow for a nearfall at 8:00. Aries hit a knee drop on Riddle’s left knee, and he hit some spin kicks on the damaged leg. Aries hit some knee drops on the back and got another nearfall. Aries hit a dropkick on the knee at 10:30. Riddle hit some roundhouse kicks in the corner, but Aries again kicked out the damaged knee.
Aries hit a second-rope flying elbow to the back at 12:30, and he confronted the ref and jawed at him. Riddle got a rollup for a nearfall. Austin took off his wrist tape, and he choked Matt with it, but the ref couldn’t see it! Dombrowski was irate! Riddle dropped him with a spin kick to the head, and they were both down. Aries slammed him to the mat. He set up for the Pendulum Elbow, but Matt applied a cross-armbreaker! The 15:00 call was spot-on. Aries hit a hard clothesline, and they were both down. Aries hit a slingshot senton onto the damaged knee and applied a Figure Four.
Riddle reversed the hold; Aries reached the ropes at 16:30. Riddle hit a brainbuster, and they were both down. He hit an Exploder Suplex. He went for the senton, but Aries got his knees up at 18:00. Riddle hit a top-rope corkscrew splash onto a standing Aries for a nearfall. Riddle hit a Go To Sleep and a German Suplex with a high bridge for a nearfall! This has been amazing. Aries hit a Tombstone Piledriver for a nearfall, and he locked in the Last Chancery submission hold. Again, the 20:00 call was spot-on.
They fought on the ring apron and traded overhand chops, and Riddle hit some spin kicks. Aries hit a DVD onto the apron, and Riddle collapsed to the floor! Aries hit a dropkick into the corner and a brainbuster for a believable nearfall at 22:00, and he again confronted the ref! Aries pushed Riddle into the ref in the corner! Aries grabbed his title belt, swung and missed. Riddle hit an enzuigiri and got a nearfall, but Aries grabbed the ropes! Aries rolled to the floor, but Riddle threw him back into the ring at 24:00. (Can Aries run out a 30-minute clock?) Riddle again threw Aries into the ring, but Ausin immediately rolled to the floor.
Riddle hit a running penalty kick on the ring apron. As Matt entered the ring, Aries kicked the ropes to crotch him, then hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip! Aries hit a dive through the ropes. Matt got in, but Aries threw him back to the floor as we have now reached 27:00! Aries raked the eyes, so Matt got some water. Aries threw some punches as Riddle re-entered. We got the two-minute-remaining warning! Riddle hit a suplex, and they were both down. They got up and traded punches and forearm strikes! One minute left! They kept trading blows! Aries hit a discus forearm, but Riddle hit an RKO. Matt got an arm on Aries’ chest, but the bell rang at the two-count! We have a draw!
Austin Aries vs. Matt Riddle went to a time-limit draw at 30:00; Aries retains the MLW National Openweight Title.
* Aries got on the mic and boasted that even with 30 minutes, Riddle couldn’t beat him. He teased giving the fans “five more minutes,” and he knows MLW management wants five more minutes, but Aries then added, “Absolutely not!” Riddle struck Aries, knocking him down.
* Zamaya was walking backstage and holding her sore neck. She came across Tessa Blanchard. If something was said, we didn’t hear it.
5. Ultimo Guerrero vs. Titan vs. Templario in a three-way. This was a three-way; last week, they advertised it as a tag match. (Black Tiger was supposed to be Guerrero’s partner.) Guerrero kicked Titan to the floor. Templario hit a slingshot crossbody block on UG for a nearfall. Titan hit a leaping side kick to Guerrero’s chest, then a DVD for a nearfall at 2:00. They traded quick rollups. Titan hit a superkick on Templario, and they were all down. Templario hit a wheelbarrow German Suplex on Titan at 4:00, and Titan rolled to the floor.
Guerrero backed Templario into a corner and hit repeated chops. Templario hit a powerslam on UG. Templario caught Titan coming off the ropes, and he hit an enzugiri. He dove through the ropes onto Guerrero. Titan dove through the ropes onto Templario, then hit a dive on the other side of the ring onto UG. In the ring, Titan hit some forearm strikes in the corner on UG, but Guerrero hit a second-rope powerbomb for a nearfall at 7:00. Templario stomped on both of them. Templario hit a series of chops on Guerrero in the corner as the crowd counted along in Spanish.
Titan was on the bottom of a Tower of Doom, and he got a nearfall on Guerrero. Titan tied Templario in a Muta Lock at 8:30. Those two got up and traded forearm strikes. Titan hit a superkick on Templario, then a top-rope double stomp to the ribs for a nearfall at 10:00. Templario hit a Go To Sleep and a Cedric-style Lumbar Check on Titan! UG made the save. UG threw Templario onto Titan. He hit a low-blow mule kick on Templario, rolled him up, and got the tainted flash pin! I didn’t expect that!
Ultimo Guerrero defeated Titan and Templario in a three-way at 11:10.
* MLW founder Court Bauer addressed the crowd, thanking them for the sellout. He introduced the chairman of NJPW, Mr. Sugabayashi. Court said they are working on a “special project” with New Japan that will be coming in 2027. He then introduced Yota Tsuji.
7. Yota Tsuji vs. Trevor Lee. A feeling-out process, and they shoved each other. Lee hit a huracanrana and a sliding dropkick. Lee went to the top rope at 2:00, but Yota tripped him, and Lee hurt his arm upon landing. Yota hit a backbreaker over his knee for a nearfall. He backed Lee into a corner and repeatedly chopped him, and he was in control early on. Lee kicked him from the apron and against the guardrail. He got a rollup for a nearfall in the ring at 6:30.
Lee hit some roundhouse kicks to the chest, then a jumping knee to the jaw for a nearfall. Yota hit a Stomp to the head. He hit a running knee into the corner for a nearfall, then a sit-out powerbomb for a nearfall at 9:00. Lee avoided the Gene Blaster (spear), and he hit a German Suplex onto the turnbuckles, then a normal German Suplex for a nearfall. Lee went for the Cave-In stomp, but Yota blocked it. Yota hit another backbreaker over his knee, and he applied a Boston Crab. Lee reached the ropes at 11:00.
Yota hit a headbutt. Lee hit his mid-ring Spanish Fly for a nearfall at 12:30. They got to their knees and traded forearm strikes. They got up and traded forearm strikes. Lee hit a jump-up huracanrana. Lee clotheslined him over the top rope to the floor at 14:30. Lee leapt off the top rope, but Yota caught him with a flying Gene Blaster for a nearfall! Yota immediately hit the Fire Blaster (spinning spear) for the pin! “What a fight!” Dombrowski shouted. That was every bit as good as anticipated.
Yota Tsuji defeated Trevor Lee at 15:13.
8. Killer Kross vs. Josh Bishop in a last man standing match for the MLW World Title. We got the bell, and they immediately traded forearm strikes! Kross hit a Diamond Cutter just 30 seconds in! He hit a Saito Suplex. He went for the Kross-Jacket sleeper, but Bishop escaped. Bishop essentially hit a chokeslam suplex; that was unique. Bishop hit a Razor’s Edge at 2:00! The ref started counting down Kross. They fought to the floor, and Bishop hit some chops as they looped ringside. Kross picked up his belt and struck Bishop in the head with it.
Kross found a Big Boss Man nightstick, and he struck Bishop with it. Josh choked Kross with the weapon! They left ringside and brawled through the crowd and through the bleachers. They made their way back to ringside. Kross pulled a table out from under the ring at 9:00. Kross got a baseball bat, and he hit Bishop across the ribs, then across the top of his head! “We have a new Big Hurt in Chicago!” Lawlor said. Bishop was suddenly bleeding from his forehead, and his blond hair was turning red. “It’s like a lake of blood!” Lawlor said.
Kross hit an Exploder Suplex at 11:00. Kross swung a chair at a chair where Bishop’s head was resting. The blood loss was really gross. Kross pushed the leg of a table into Bishop’s forehead. We had chairs set up in the ring and tables placed in two corners. Kross hit a piledriver across four open chairs at 14:00! He speared Bishop through one of the tables in a corner. The ref started counting down Bishop. Josh got to his feet at the eight-count! Kross opened up the other table in the ring.
Bishop hit a Saito Suplex. He hit a release Razor’s Edge powerbomb through the open table, and Kross crashed through it at 16:30. Kross was pulling himself up to his feet by a chair and was just getting up at the eight-count. However, Bishop kicked the chair away, and Kross collapsed to the mat. The ref made the nine- and 10-count, and declared Bishop the winner! New champion! I didn’t expect that at all!
Joshua Bishop defeated Killer Kross in a Last Man Standing match to win the MLW World Title at 17:11.
Final Thoughts: Aries is 48. Riddle is 40. Those two turned back the hands of time and had a barnburner of a match. You can immediately sense that some matches will go twenty-plus minutes because they start in first gear and stay there for a while to preserve energy. Not here. They went all out for the first 20-ish minutes. Sure, Aries stalled a bit (and of course that was the plan; it had nothing to do with conditioning) in the final 10 minutes. Point being, I loved that. That might be the single-best match Riddle has ever had. Just a couple of weeks ago, Riddle had a four-minute match on MLW TV — it’s not unusual for him to have sub-10 minute matches. So it was impressive to see him keep up with Aries and match his speed and intensity.
I really liked Yota-Trevor Lee, and that takes second. Sure, the winner was never in doubt, but Lee gave him a good fight. The main event was far too bloody and gross for my taste, but both guys ‘met the moment’ and had a strong back-and-forth battle, with a surprise winner. That takes third.
The negatives? Start with bringing in Mistico and not having him wrestle. If nothing else, throw him into that three-way and make it a four-way. The other complaint is I would have found a spot for some “MLW originals,” specifically Diego Hill and LaBron Kozone. Brick Savage was there, too, of course, but didn’t have a match. But that’s about it. The matches they booked all came off well, and I think the lucha three-way was better than a tag, because it meant Titan and Templario got to exchange some nice offense.
A strong show. MLW should be proud of how it turned out. As I noted, I had free access to this show. I tried streaming it late Saturday, but it wouldn’t let me join in. I had to wait until noon CST on Sunday to view it. I know that will anger some people, but the website they used streamed it flawlessly with no pixelation or interruptions. I’ll reiterate that if MLW and TNA were both in my town on the same night, right now, based on their rosters, I’d go see MLW. No, I’m not saying MLW is “better,” but I do really like their roster. And of course, check out their weekly shows on Tubi.com or YouTube.
The show clocked in at 2 hours and 37 minutes.
