MLW Fusion Review - May 30, 2026

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Shotzi Blackheart def. Priscilla Kelly

It's been so long since MLW ran shows regularly that I don't remember most of the storylines, but I do remember these two starting a feud and me liking it because of their history as partners in WWE NXT. It was smart to start the show with two familiar faces. This was a nice opener. Post-match, Blackheart called out MLW Women's World Featherweight Champion Shoko Nakajima, who she'd challenge later on in the show.

Scarlett Bordeaux def. Aleah James

It's easy to forget that Bordeaux is more than a manager and actually wrestles. Granted, she won't ever be in the conversation for best women's wrestlers in the world, but she's always played her role remarkably well, specifically when she was in TNA. There wasn't much to this match, but it was a simple showcase for Bordeaux. Ultimately, Bordeaux will do better as a heel than she will as a babyface.

Austin Aries def. Trevor Lee

I assumed this would be enjoyable, but I didn't expect it to be as much of a barn burner as it was. Aries and Lee went all out here and had a hell of a match. I feel like I haven't seen Lee get to showcase his skills much since he was released by WWE two years ago, at least in a major promotion. Post-match, Aries made it clear that his sights are set on Blue Panther's MLW National Openweight Championship.

The Good Brothers def. Mark and Joe Coffey

The Coffeys (along with Wolfgang) are a great fit for MLW. Sure, they didn't win here, but at least it was a competitive contest and they were made to look credible in defeat. The match itself was well worked. Post-match, Good Brothers brawled with The Skyscrapers to hype their Tables bout for the MLW World Tag Team Championship on next week's episode.

Diego Hill def. Adam Brooks

Brooks recently competed on TNA iMPACT!, where he unsuccessfully challenged Mustafa Ali for the TNA International Championship. Hill has also been impressive whenever I've seen him wrestle in MLW. This was a good bout between the two of them. This felt like a reintroduction of sorts for Hill and it was effective. He'll be one to watch, provided he can find some direction eventually.

Zamaya def. Carolina Cruz

Zamaya was hyped up in vignette form throughout the episode. She's definitely different than anyone else MLW's women's division has to offer at the moment and I thought this was a strong debut for her. Hopefully they take their time with her by building her up with more dominant wins instead of rushing her into championship contention anytime soon.

Alex Hammerstone def. MLW World Tag Team Champion Bishop Dyer

Hammerstone was frustrated that the open contract for an MLW World Heavyweight Championship opportunity was taken by Matt Riddle. If he's going to challenge for the title again at some point, he had to win here, and it was fine that it came off a distraction from Good Brothers at ringside when they were attacking Donovan Dijak. The match itself was a solid hoss fight, but it didn't get enough time to be more than what it was.

Overall Show

This was billed as a two-hour season premiere for Fusion, but it felt like two episodes that aired back-to-back since some stuff was advertised for "next week" when it actually just aired later on in the show. That aside, this was a successful return for Fusion, which hasn't been around in a few years. MLW in general hasn't had a presence in months, so this was a welcome reminder of how talented the roster is and the quality action it can produce.

SEE MORE: MLW Reviews