MLW Fusion live results: Jacob Fatu wins National Openweight title

This week's MLW Fusion was taped during April's War Chamber event from New York City's Melrose Ballroom with Joe Dombrowski & Matt Striker on commentary.

The show featured two title matches and one title change as former MLW Champion Jacob Fatu defeated John Hennigan to take home his first Openweight Championship. 

MLW Tag Team Champions Samoan SWAT Team defeated The Mane Event and The FBI in a three-way to retain the titles

The Main Event (the masked Jay Lyon & Midas Black) are Northeast indie regulars and are very good with an entertaining act and some good combo work. One of those moves includes Black holding a hoop up through the second rope for Lyon to do a tope through.

That move was part of a sequence where all six men ended up on the outside of the ring via a variety of dives punctuated by SST's Lance Anoa'i doing his own tope. The FBI's Little Guido and Ray Jaz tried their best overcome the size of SST's Juicy Finau to little effect.

The SST picked up the win and title defense with a Anoa'i frog splash (Samoan plunge) on Lyon for the win. This was an entertaining quick match.

– A well-done vignette for new MLW Middleweight Champion AKIRA and his Calling factionmates ran. They are calling out the Samons and said, among other things, that the Usos aren't coming to help them.

– MSL confronted someone backstage about how royalties for Microman should go directly to him and not Microman. Davey Boy Smith Jr. then walked by and MSL chased after him.

– Footage aired of an irate Taya Valkyrie backstage after last week's Featherweight title loss to Delmi Exo. Since this match was taped, she has competed for the AEW TBS title twice and had six total AEW matches.

– John Hennigan and Sam Adonis were each fined $2500 after their attack on Mance Warner last week. Warner then did a promo saying he wants Adonis in a leather strap match where he will bring Adonis to death's door. That is set for next week.

Microman (w/ MSL) defeated Beastman (w/ Kim Chee)

This was a comedy match due to the sheer size difference. I have some long-standing questions about who owns the Kim Chee IP that I may need to do research on. I also didn't realize Beastman was that active on the indie scene in the Mid-Atlantic/Ohio area. The things you learn on the Internet.

Beastman got distracted by accidentally knocking Kim Chee off the ropes and Microman then hit him low with Kim Chee's stick which led to a very slow running spinning DDT that got him the win. This was awful.

– Davey Boy Smith Jr. was announced as the first entrant for the 2023 Opera Cup tourney but Alex Kane was banned due to him stealing the Cup earlier this year. Later, Kane couldn't believe he was banned from the Oprah Cup (!), saying it was a conspiracy. He's going to get revenge with next week's Big Apple Grapple II: The Search for More Hoes (seriously!) and hopes his Never Say Never opponent — MLW Champion Alex Hammerstone will be there to watch. Kane is a pretty good talker.

– New for the Never Say Never event on July 8th: MLW Featherweight Champion Delmi Exo will defend her title in against wXw Women's Champion Ava Everett in a title vs. title match; MLW Tag Team Champions Samoan SWAT Team face The Calling's AKIRA & Rickey Shane Page in a fans bring the weapons match; Timothy Thatcher vs. Tracy Williams and a live musical performance by B3CCA.

Jacob Fatu defeated John Hennigan (w/ Taya Valkyrie) to win the MLW National Openweight title

Adonis was on with commentary and did a really good job. He is also a very good talker and has a career doing it after his in-ring days are done.

This one went nearly 18 minutes and was slow going in the early stages. Valkyrie got involved several times, including in the ring early in front of the referee as a distraction, which gave her man the advantage. I do agree with Bryan Alvarez that companies should get away from doing that unless it's going to be a DQ.

Hennigan (fka John Morrison) was doing his best to avoid Fatu's power which didn't go so well at the midway point in an extended beatdown around the outside of the ring. Hennigan eventually regained the advantage using his kicks and rest holds on the former MLW Champion.

Fatu was relentless, hitting a big tope to the outside, a big splash from the top, and his signature running handspring moonsault for a nearfall. 

Then, things got wild.

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Hennigan rallied and missed Starship Pain which brought Adonis to ringside. He distracted Fatu and Hennigan brought in a chair. As the ref took care of that, Valkyrie nailed Fatu with the title belt followed by a roll-up for a close nearfall.

That brought out Delmi Exo to offset Valkyrie while Warner attacked Adonis at the broadcast booth. The Calling were then shown brawling with Lance Anoa'i backstage and meanwhile, Fatu hit his moonsault for a nearfall thanks to Valkyrie pulling out the referee. Again, something that should be a DQ.

Juicy Finau then showed up to ringside to aid Exo who couldn't handle Valkyrie on her own (but she just won the title so…). Back inside the ring, Hennigan nailed Fatu with a big kick to reset things. CHAOTIC, I SAY.

Hennigan unloaded his arsenal and hit Starship Pain for another nearfall which stunned him. 

Fatu rallied yet again and hit his Alley Use Samoan Drop followed by his finishing (and impressive) double spring moonsault to win the title. This turned out to be pretty entertaining when it was all said and done. He becomes the first MLW wrestler to hold both the main and Openweight titles.

Fatu then took the mic and said on behalf of the bloodline, he wanted to thank the fans. They are REALLY leaning into the WWE stuff.

Next Week:

Alex Kane's Big Apple Grapple IIMance Warner vs. Sam Adonis leather strap match