MLW Summer of the Beasts Review - August 29, 2024

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

MLW National Openweight Champion Bad Dude Tito Escondido def. Alex Kane in an Opera Cup Quarterfinal Match (Non-Title)

I figured Kane would go deeper in the tournament considering he won last year's Opera Cup, but no such luck. It is nice to see Escondido get a push, though. They had a well-wrestled match and the outcome obviously surprised me. This was easily the biggest win Escondido has picked up yet. Hopefully he continues to be spotlighted coming out of the tourney.

MLW World Women's Featherweight Champion Janai Kai def. Hanako

I have no idea what Hanako did to earn an opportunity at the MLW World Women's Featherweight Championship as I can't recall a single appearance she's made in MLW. As I've said before, a brief video package or even a backstage interview would go a long way in getting fans familiar with these newer names. I guess it didn't end up mattering since this was essentially a squash for Kai.

TJP def. "Filthy" Tom Lawlor in an Opera Cup Quarterfinal Match

It was announced that TJP would be replacing Davey Boy Smith Jr., who is apparently injured again. It's been a while since TJP was last in MLW and he came back with a great performance. He and Lawlor worked really well together and produced a very enjoyable outing. Plus, he's headed to the semifinals despite not wrestling in the first round. Of all the matches on this show, I'm glad this one got some time.

Matt Riddle def. Matthew Justice

​Riddle is still owed a shot at the MLW World Heavyweight Championship and has been undefeated so far in MLW, so there wasn't much doubt who was winning here. They had a decent, competitive contest. I appreciate the effort to get Justice over as a singles star and he's had some solid showings in the last few months, but he needs a big win in order to be taken seriously.

Paul London def. Brett Ryan Gosselin

I couldn't even tell you the last time I saw a Paul London match. Probably in Lucha Underground several years ago? He can clearly still go, which is cool. This didn't last long, but what we got was good. Bobby Fish, who aligned with Gosselin at the last MLW event, helped Gosselin attack London afterward. Brock Anderson and C.W. Anderson emerged and it looked like they were there to aid London, but they turned on him instead.

Brock Anderson and C.W. Anderson def. Jay Lyon and Love, Doug

The Andersons stuck around for this match. They're an interesting combo. I know they share the same last name, but they aren't related, right? Brock is fresh off his run in AEW and I haven't seen C.W. since he was doing stuff with the NWA a few years back. They're a fine addition to MLW's tag team scene, if nothing else. They won this match with ease as they should have. I assume Lyon's Mane Event tag team partner is hurt and that's why Lyon didn't team with him here.

KENTA def. AKIRA in an Opera Cup Quarterfinal Match

I don't watch New Japan Pro-Wrestling regularly, so it's been awesome to see KENTA get a run in MLW as part of the Opera Cup. I don't know if he'll be sticking around once it's over, but I hope so. He's a perfect fit for the promotion. AKIRA has had so many hardcore matches over the last year that I'm glad he finally had a chance to show what he can do in a standard singles match. They had terrific chemistry and had a very entertaining encounter.

LSG vs. Little Guido vs. Jimmy Lloyd vs. Nola Kitano in a Four-Way Match Ended in a No Contest

With nothing at stake, I was curious what purpose this was supposed to serve. It then became clear once the "Doomsday" clock ran out that it only existed so Donovan Dijak could debut and lay everyone out. That was a smart call as it came off wonderfully. WWE dropped the ball by not re-signing Dijak earlier this year, so their loss should be MLW's gain. My only complaint is that he's paired with Mister Saint Laurent. Dijak definitely doesn't need him as a mouthpiece.

CONTRA Unit def. COZYMAX to Win the MLW World Tag Team Championship

It's about damn time Satoshi Kojima and Okumura lost the tag titles. Kojima has been MLW World Heavyweight Champion for the entire year and that's where most of his focus has been, rendering the tag titles a total afterthought. I don't care much for the current iteration of CONTRA Unit, but they're still an improvement over COZYMAX as champs at this point. The match itself was okay. Mads Krule Krugger posed with the world title belt afterward, so perhaps we'll get Krugger vs. Kojima for that title soon.

MLW World Middleweight Champion Mistico def. Atlantis Jr. in an Opera Cup Quarterfinal Match

Mistico's matches remain the best part of these MLW specials. He steals the show every time and this was no exception. Atlantis Jr. is impressive as well, so as expected, they had a very fun match and they had plenty of time to work with. Mistico advancing to the next round. The semifinals will see Mistico will take on Escondido (champion vs. champion) and TJP will battle KENTA. Both of those bouts should be excellent.

Overall Show

This may have been the most wrestling-focused event MLW has produced all year and, in my opinion, that was a big reason why it was one of MLW's strongest of 2024. The Dijak debut was well done, the tag titles changing hands was notable and the in-ring action was above average. Although the runtime was longer than usual, at least they filled the two-and-a-half hours effectively.

SEE MORE: MLW Reviews