Ever since securing a TV deal with BeIN Sports, MLW has been putting on a great product week in and week out, that being MLW: Fusion. Fusion usually hosts 3 matches a week, along with a lot of story-lines being advanced on the show. Once and awhile there will be a weaker show, but it’s a super easy hour of TV to sit through. That said, Fusion has been on TV for ten weeks now, so it’s time to take a look back at the top ten matches to this point.
Note: I was not on PWPonderings at the time of the first three episodes. Matches from those shows will be featured in this article, however there is not a review of the entire show that you could look back at.
#10: $20,000 Bounty: Shane Strickland vs. Brody King (Episode #10)
This match was on the most recent episode of Fusion, and was continuing the ongoing “Bounty” angle, which is placed on Shane Strickland. Brody King made the most out of this match, looked good, and seems to have potential in the future. Strickland is the resilient, never say die babyface, who was not going to let this newcomer come into his promotion and collect the bounty. There was also a nice little angle post match, setting up Low-Ki as the latest challenger.
Match Rating: **3/4
#9: Kotto Brazil vs. Trey Miguel (Episode 5)
Kotto Brazil is a talent that MLW has given a lot of high profile matches, and letting him grow as a talent. Trey Miguel is someone who is tearing it up in the Midwest, for promotions such as AAW. This was a great little match between the two, and really showcased what they both have to offer. Obviously, it’s nothing you need to go out of your way to see, but it’s an appreciated match that helps both in the long run.
Match Rating: ***
#8: Teddy Hart vs. Trey Miguel (Episode 10)
Would you look at this, Trey Miguel in back to back matches? Teddy Hart is back in MLW, and you know he’s only here to put on a show. This was a great debut for him, as he literally pulled out some of the most insane moves possible, only to get the attention back on Teddy Hart. Trey Miguel didn’t go down without a fight, and in the end looked great as well. This was all about Teddy Hart though, and re-introducing him to the audience.
Match Rating: ***
#7: MLW World Heavyweight Championship: Shane Strickland (c) vs. Pentagon Jr. (Episode 6)
Overall I found this match to be relatively disappointing, but still not bad in anyway. Strickland and Pentagon are two of the top talents on the indy scene today, but this match just didn’t prove that. Strickland always looks good as champion, and they had a good build of making Pentagon look like a big threat coming in. Once it was time to shine, something wasn’t right, and this just didn’t live up to the hype. Like I said, you definitely can’t call this a bad match, but you expect a little more, knowing the talent involved.
Match Rating: ***
#6: Shane Strickland vs. Jimmy Havoc (Episode 2)
This was a non-title match, but the first time MLW World Heavyweight Champion, Shane Strickland was in action on Fusion. Jimmy Havoc is a guy who could take the loss here, because they still continue to do interesting things with him. Whether it was the wild feud with Joey Janela, or his current feud with Tom Lawlor, Havoc is an asset to the company, and this match proved it. The match started off hot, and while there was a useless ref bump near the end, it didn’t take away from the match a ton. Shane Strickland got to play the resilient babyface that he’s grown to being so well, and in the end picked up the win. Not a great match, but they did a lot for the time given.
Match Rating: ***
#5: ACH vs. Austin Aries (Episode 1)
The very first match ever on Fusion was one to remember. We haven’t seen Aries back in MLW, but this was such a great match, and a phenomenal showing from both men. ACH can pretty much work any style, and always delivers when doing so. Aries will be insanely over wherever he goes, so locking him in for future dates would be awesome. These two killed it, in a match that went just over 15 minutes, without a single commercial! A true rarity for TV wrestling these days, unless your name is Lucha Underground. Anyways, you definitely won’t be disappointed by watching this one.
Match Rating: ***1/2
#4: ACH vs. Rey Fenix (Episode 8)
ACH made two of the top ten matches, both being in the top five. He’s such a great talent, coming off a Best of the Super Juniors run, and holding the AAW World Heavyweight Championship. Fenix is such a perfect opponent for him, because you knew from the start that this one would deliver. Both men put on a great match to close the show, and Fenix got a much needed win on Fusion.
Match Rating: ***1/2
#3: Pentagon Jr. vs. Rey Fenix (Episode 5)
Would it amaze you that Pentagon and Fenix are featured in the remaining matches on this countdown? MLW sees huge things in both men, always putting them in big time matches, and letting them just go out there and put on a show. As I re-watched their match from Episode 1, I feel like this match was just barely under that one. Pentagon again got the win, and they even had the Double Jeopardy stipulation to work with in this match, but it barely fell under the magic that main evented the first Fusion.
Match Rating: ***1/2
#2: Pentagon Jr. vs. Rey Fenix (Episode 1)
The first five minutes, and last five minutes of this match were absolutely gorgeous. So well done, and beautiful exchanges from both, but could you expect any less? I mentioned in my review of Episode 5 that they’re match then was just better than the encounter from the first episode, but as I went back to re-watch this match, and actually rate it for once, I believe that this one topped their encounter from four weeks later. You’ll see plenty of good high flying moves, good strikes, and nonstop action from both.
Match Rating: ***3/4
#1: MLW World Tag Team Championship: Dirty Blondes vs. Lucha Bros vs. Team TBD (Episode 9)
The Dirty Blondes were eliminated rather quickly from this one, but that’s just fine. The outcome was never in doubt (because MLW likes to announce and spoil things through social media), but that didn’t take away from this in the slightest. Yuta and Cade did so well together, and their miscommunications costed them in the end. These two really haven’t had a chance to shine before, but when put in the ring with Fenix and Pentagon, they looked absolutely amazing. The last ten minutes or so of this match were all great, and had some of the best sequences we’ve seen on Fusion. You won’t regret checking this one out, even if it’s just after the Dirty Blondes got eliminated.
Match Rating: ***3/4
Overall, I feel like MLW has provided us with some great action, and I decided to show that off here. There isn’t anything EPIC, but you can’t expect that from a weekly show. As time goes on, the matches can only get better and better. At the end of the day, these were only the first ten episodes. If you’d like to check out any of these matches, go check out MLW’s YouTube channel, because each Saturday at 7:05PM ET they upload Fusion for FREE!