MLW Fusion Review - July 20, 2023

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Billie Starkz def. B3CCA

Much like The Calling, MLW is very much trying to make B3CCA a thing, and while I personally don't think her singing shtick will catch on the way they want it to, I'm willing to give it more time. As I've said before, she's decent in the ring, so this was a well-worked match. Starkz is obviously very good, but because I believe this was taped months ago, she may not be around in MLW for much longer if she'll be exclusive to AEW/Ring of Honor going forward if she has indeed signed there.

Davey Boy Smith Jr. def. Calvin Tankman in an Opera Cup Stage 1 Match

"Stage 1" is another way of calling this a semifinal match. Smith last won the Opera Cup in 2019, so it made sense for him to advance to the next round. Tankman's talented and was able to look credible in defeat here. The crowd didn't seem to care much for the match (maybe it came at the end of a long set of tapings?), but it got better as it progressed and it was solid on the whole. Next week's other "Stage 1" match will see Tracy Willams battle Tony Deppen.

Overall Show

This edition of Fusion consisted mostly of video packages, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. The 2023 Opera Cup got underway, the women were showcased again, and there was hype for Alex Kane vs. Willie Mack for the MLW World Heavyweight Championship coming up at Fury Road in September. All in all, an adequate episode. I just wish they would run out of whatever matches they taped back in the spring and move onto the fresher stuff because the content is clearly outdated.

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