MLW Fusion Review - June 20, 2026

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Soberano Jr. def. Neon

MLW has featured a ton of luchador matches in recent years as part of their working relationship with CMLL, so this wasn't anything out of the ordinary. That said, I do wish it was established why this match happened, but maybe that will become clear in due time (perhaps the win will earn Soberano a title shot?). Regardless, this was a good, well-worked opener from these two.

Okumura def. Victor Iniestra

Okumura, the newest member of Contra Unit (ugh), had Kushida in his corner. This existed to serve as a showcase for Okumura, who I don't see having any upside at this stage of his career. The only positive thing I can say about this is that it was relatively quick and painless. I hope this doesn't mean we'll be getting more Okumura in the ring going forward, because that definitely would not be necessary.

Scarlett Bordeaux def. Blair Onyx

Bordeaux has made it clear in interviews that she wasn't happy with the lack of in-ring time she was getting in WWE, so it's hardly surprising that she's racking up wins now that she's in MLW. The problem is that she isn't above average as a wrestler whatsoever, so her matches are fairly limited. This was another straightforward squash for her as she seemingly builds her case for a shot at the MLW Women's World Champion.

Alex Hammerstone def. Ultimo Guerrero

In recent years, I've seen Guerrero in action in MLW as well as in Ring of Honor, and from what I can tell, he can still hold his own. This was a quality contest that gave Hammerstone a momentum-building victory. Post-match, Hammerstone brawled with Matt Riddle to further that feud. Hammerstone has been portrayed as a whiny character since returning to MLW, but I assume he'll be the babyface in that program.

Austin Aries def. Blue Panther to Win the MLW National Openweight Championship

There really wasn't a need for Panther to be the MLW National Openweight Champion in the first place, so I'm glad Aries took the title from him. I know Aries isn't everyone's cup of tea in 2026, but that banger he had with Trevor Lee a few weeks ago served as a reminder of what he's still capable of, so I have no issue with him holding some gold if he can continue delivering at that level. The match was solid. Diego Hill made the save for Panther afterward.

Zamaya def. Lilli Ruiz

Technically, this show was two separate episodes spliced into one, but I still wouldn't have done enhancement matches with both Bordeaux and Zamaya on the same show. It's not a big deal, but I would've saved one for next week for the sake of variety. If nothing else, this did an effective job of establishing Zamaya as a dominant force the rest of the division should be worried about.

Mistico def. Templario

If you enjoyed the opener, then you probably dug this match even more. Mistico never ceases to rip it up whenever he's in there and Templario was a terrific opponent for him. They were given plenty of time and the crowd was behind Mistico throughout as always. I don't what this means for Mistico in the long run, but I hope it leads to something significant because he should be prominently featured.

Mads Krule Krugger def. MLW World Tag Team Champion Bishop Dyer

This wasn't exactly a riveting main event for the near-two-hour episode, so I appreciate that they kept it on the shorter side. Dyer is still reportedly on his way out of MLW despite being one-half of the tag champs, so it was logical to have him put over Krugger on his way out. The angle afterward was more interesting with The Skyscrapers nearly attacking Shotzi Blackheart before The Good Brothers made the save.

Overall Show

This was billed as the big 200th episode of Fusion, though it was similar to the recent return of Fusion in that it was basically two episodes that aired as one. It wasn't as eventful as you'd expect for a milestone show, but Aries winning the MLW National Openweight Championship was notable and Mistico vs. Templario was great. The wrestling wasn't stellar on the whole, but it was an adequate episode.

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