MLW Fusion results: AKIRA vs. Jimmy Lloyd Street Fight

This week’s matches were taped in Philadelphia at the famous 2300 Arena earlier this month. Joe Dombrowski and Matt Striker announced the matches.

We had a new opening video package highlighting the latest MLW collaboration between not only New Japan Pro Wrestling but also CMLL.

Tiara James defeated Zayda Steel

This was Steel’s debut in MLW and she is playing a rich and spoiled character, being billed from “a place you couldn’t possibly afford”. James joined MLW as part of the 2023 Open Draft and lost her opening match in the promotion to B3CCA, but got the win here after a double underhook DDT.

This was quick, simple, and effective in giving James a solid win in the Featherweight division.

- We saw The Calling officially indoctrinate Cannonball into their fold, and in the same recorded promo they also put a warning out to 1 Called Manders.

- Salina de la Renta returned to MLW recently and has been sending out warnings to various members of the locker room: Microman, Jacob Fatu, and Cesar Duran in particular. Last week, we saw Sam Adonis, a supporter of Duran, be kidnapped in a very similar way we saw ‘El Jefe’ Duran a few months ago.

- This week de la Renta announced her first luchador for her new version of the Promociones Dorado stable, Rocky Romero. Romero vs. AKIRA was then announced for MLW Slaughterhouse on October 14th.

TJ Crawford defeated Alec Price and Kevin Blackwood in a Triple Threat Match.

A second MLW debut this week as Blackwood had his first match for the promotion here. It was another opening match defeat as Crawford got the win over Blackwood in a very exciting triple-threat match.

We saw a recap from Crawford’s last match where he was approached by a hooded figure who whispered something in his ear. It seems this may be a developing story for Crawford. 

Speaking of Crawford, the last time we saw the third competitor, Alec Price, he defeated TJ Crawford in singles action, so this match had a little history to it. Price is a great high flyer and was the first to take to the sky with a springboard crossbody and DDT.

Blackwood and Crawford are more grounded with strikes and suplexes so they were a good base for Price to fly around and land on. Blackwood brought out some German suplexes and throws before dropping Crawford with a Death Valley Driver for a two-count.

Crawford hit a nice combo ending in a Falcon Arrow but Blackwood quickly grabbed an arm bar after he kicked out. Price then sprung back into the action and hit a top rope springboard neckbreaker while Crawford powered out of the armbar with Blackwood on his shoulders.

As Price then flew to the floor onto Blackwood, we saw the supposed same hooded figure from last week return to take Price out at ringside. Inside the ring Crawford caught Blackwood coming off the ropes with a standing spinning kick to the jaw called the Silver Bullet to pick up the win.

After the match, the hooded figure returned again and attacked Blackwood with Crawford helping in a two-on-one attack. The figure Pillmanized Blackwood’s ankle and then revealed himself to be Tony Deppen.

- We also heard from Ichiban for the first time since he started his impressive unbeaten run in MLW. He said, through his interpreter, he is here to be the best in the world. His goal is to dominate the Middleweight division and be number one.

- We saw a report speculating if Mister Saint Laurent is creating a rival faction within MLW and mentioned the 2000 AJPW exodus that created NOAH, plus ROH’s All In helping create AEW as examples.

- Matt Cardona was live streaming on MLW’s YouTube channel and we saw run-ins by Maki Itoh and Mance Warner as he was hosting. Itoh distracted Cardona long enough for Warner to jump him and give him a few right hands.

- New matches were announced for MLW Slaughterhouse on October 14th on Fite+. Ricky Shane Page will defend the Openweight title against 1 Called Manders in a Spin the Wheel Make the Deal match, Mance Warner will team with Matthew Justice to take on The Calling’s Anvil and Cannonball in a Chamber of Horrors match, and B3CCA will get her shot against Delmi Exo for the Featherweight title.

- Minoru Suzuki vs. Jacob Fatu and Alex Kane vs. Davey Boy Smith Jr. have previously been announced for the show.

AKIRA defeated Jimmy Lloyd to retain the MLW Middleweight title in a Street Fight

In the latest chapter of the Second Gear Crew vs. Calling feud we had AKIRA pick up the win in what was described as a street fight but more resembled a hardcore or weapons match.

Lloyd dove onto AKIRA to start things off. AKIRA’s back was badly scarred, showing he is one of the top deathmatch fighters in the world at the moment. Lloyd added insult to injury by driving a screwdriver into his scarred back.

Lloyd started a “Terry” chant in homage to Terry Funk in the old ECW arena as he spun around with a ladder on his head to take out AKIRA. The champion responded by throwing Lloyd into the ladder in the corner, crushing it in the process.

AKIRA hit a tiger feint kick and then attempted to cut Lloyd’s finger off with a knife he had at ringside. He later drove the knife into Lloyd’s forehead busting him open, then sucked the bloody knife clean which, of course, received another lovely chant from the Philadelphia crowd. The knife was then used in Lloyd’s cheek and mouth as AKIRA held it there for a Side Russian Legsweep.

Multiple chairs were brought into the ring, which helped Lloyd during his comeback. Lloyd hit a falcon arrow onto a chair but was then suplexed into some thumbtacks.

AKIRA hit a poison rana to get out of crashing into a set of seated chairs and locked on an armbar. Lloyd powered out of the armbar and side-walk slammed AKIRA into the tacks.

Ricky Shane Page and Matthew Justice came out to ringside and distracted AKIRA to let Lloyd hit a package piledriver onto the tacks for a two count.

AKIRA fought back and ended up DDT’ing Lloyd through multiple seated chairs to pick up the win and retain his title.

- Ahead of the world title match at Slaughterhouse on October 14 between champion Alex Kane and challenger Davey Boy Smith Jr, we heard from Saint Laurent who guaranteed Smith will pin Kane because he has submitted him and knocked him out previously. He also said that next week on Fusion the World Titan Federation (WTF) has a mystery opponent for Kane, “and it is a big one”.

Next week:

• Alex Kane vs. a mystery opponent picked by Saint Laurent.