MLW Fusion results: Shun Skywalker vs. Lince Dorado Middleweight title match

The commentators talked up the clash of styles with Dorado's lucha libre vs. Skywalker's Dragon Gate fast-paced and striking puroresu style, and it was Skywalker who had the advantage early on, using his height and strength advantage to power Dorado around the ring. But Dorado brought out his style with a top rope crossbody to the floor and another back inside the ring minutes later.

Skywalker hit a nice turning suplex cutter followed by his SSW tiger driver for close two counts as the pace started to pick up.

Dorado hit a baseball slide while Skywalker was in the tree of woe. A suplex and cross armbreaker followed but Skywalker again showed his strength advantage by powering out and slamming Dorado out of the submission.

After a fighting spirit-style strike exchange, Skywalker hit a standing moonsault with his knees for another two count, but this turned out to be the last offensive move for the champion.

Dorado slipped out of another SSW tiger driver, hit a handspring stunner, a flipping DDT, and finished the champion off with the top rope shooting star press for the win and title change.

After being the successful babyface who dethroned the heel champion Reed only a few weeks ago, Skywalker played the cocky heel here which gave us another nice storybook ending with the babyface in this scenario picking up the win and the title. 

After the match, Dorado was interviewed by Sam Leterna. Dorado said he died in the ring in 2007 but now he is standing as Middleweight champion. Duran then came out on the stage, offered Dorado some champagne, and said they have a lot to talk about before walking off together.

 - Ahead of tonight's main event, the Bomaye Fight Club (Alex Kane, Mr. Thomas & Myron Reed) cut a promo about all the countries that want them to wrestle but when Canada and the United Kingdom were mentioned, it turned Kane's excitement into exasperation.

Lots of Cesar Duran and his first Azteca Lucha signee

Duran, the man who is everywhere on the show, popped into picture shouting, "They don't even have a Queen anymore!" after the UK was mentioned. He then suggested Mexico in a reference to signing the Bomaye Fight Club to his Azteca Lucha brand. A few shouts of "Bomaye" followed before Kane and his crew said they would think about it. 

If we hadn't had enough of Duran, Hugo Savinovich has now arrived in MLW and his first job was to present Duran with an oversized pencil for being booker of the year. Duran said he wasn't booker of the year but the booker of the decade! He poked fun at Tony Khan and Vince McMahon, saying he didn't need "bots," a trust fund, or a daddy for him to get to where he is. 

He then announced his first official signing for Azteca Lucha: MLW Women's Featherweight Champion Taya Valkyrie. She mentioned their shared history from Lucha Underground and apparently turned heel by siding with Duran. This was the fourth segment in a row including Duran.

- After last week's Last Man Standing match was postponed due to challenger EJ Nduka holding up MLW for more money, we heard from MLW Champion Alex Hammerstone who said he expected to be on the top of the MLW mountain at the start of 2023. He said he wants to wrestle in Japan, England, Australia and Mexico.

Davey Boy Smith Jr. & Billington Bulldogs (Mark and Thomas Billington) defeated Bomaye Fight Club (Alex Kane, Myron Reed & Mr. Thomas)

This feud began when Kane stole the Opera Cup from 2022 winner Davey Richards. The Opera Cup was donated to MLW by the Hart Family (via Teddy Hart) so the recently re-signed DBS Jr. brought in his cousins to defend their family honor by taking out the Fight Club.

For the last few weeks, Kane has continued to defile the trophy and even claim it as his own property. But, he was put in his place early this week as Smith pinned Kane's hired muscle in Thomas with a middle rope powerslam.

The Billingtons (the nephews of Dynamite Kid) were making their MLW debut and settled into the match really well. Thomas is 21 with a smaller, more muscular physique while 19-year-old Mark is taller, leaner, and more high flying as we would soon find out.

The commentary team made a nice comparison between the Bulldogs making their US debut in MLW the same way their partner and "captain" of their team (DBS Jr.) did back in the original MLW in 2004.

Thomas Billington has comparisons to Dynamite Kid in not only his physique but his moveset and execution. A snap suplex, standing falling headbutt, and top rope missile dropkick had Reed staggered.

We saw him selling too when Mr. Thomas and Alex Kane suplexed the smaller Billington around the ring as DBS Jr. and Mark Billington got more and more frustrated on the apron.

Reed then hit his inside-out lungblower on Thomas followed by Kane hitting his release vertical suplex and then Mr. Thomas landing a Boss Man slam. Mark came in to save his brother and hit a nice enzuigiri to Mr. Thomas before leaping onto the rest of the Bomaye Fight Club with a top rope moonsault to the floor.

Mark recovered quickly which left DBS Jr. and the Billingtons in the ring with Mr Thomas. The Billingtons placed Mr. Thomas on DBS Jr.'s shoulders who then hit a powerslam from the middle rope to pick up the big win in the Billingtons' MLW debut. 

 Next week:

• MLW Women's Featherweight Champion Taya Valkyrie defends against Trish Adora
• Jacob Fatu vs. Ben-K
• Another Azteca Lucha signing revealed