Austin Aries Defends MLW Openweight Title in 3-Way Match as He Embraces Cheating

Q: Will Austin Aries' controversial strategy of exploiting a bitter lucha libre rivalry guarantee his title retention on MLW Fusion?

No. Austin Aries’ plan may improve his odds, but it does not guarantee he leaves MLW Fusion with the National Openweight title. The strategy is grounded in real match logic. Aries is entering a three-way bout against Místico and Averno, and he correctly sees value in their long-running lucha libre rivalry. If those two focus on each other, Aries could conserve energy, steal key moments, and potentially retain without beating both men decisively. In a multi-man format, a veteran champion with Aries’ résumé and willingness to bend the rules is dangerous. But the evidence cuts both ways. MLW itself has stressed that Aries can lose the title without being pinned in this format, which increases his vulnerability. The same rivalry he wants to exploit could just as easily create chaos he cannot control. Místico is a major star with deep CMLL pedigree, and MLW promotion has noted that Aries has never beaten him. Averno also arrives with a strong incentive to make an immediate statement in MLW. Aries’ confidence is backed by recent results. He beat Blue Panther for the title, has already defended it successfully, earned praise for his in-ring level, and remains active in CMLL. Still, confidence and shortcuts are not certainty, especially against two elite luchadors with shared history and motivation. The most reasonable expectation is that Aries has a credible path to retention, particularly if he manipulates the rivalry effectively, but the match setup makes any guarantee impossible.

Q: Can Austin Aries back up his bold claims of elite performance after a three-year hiatus by outsmarting Místico and Averno?

Yes — and the available results indicate he did. Aries’ claim that he could still perform at an elite level after nearly three years away looked plausible even before the match. He had already beaten Blue Panther for the MLW National Openweight title, defended it against Diego Hill, continued working in CMLL, and was publicly framed by MLW as healthy enough to return full time. His résumé also supports the argument: he is a former multi-time world champion in TNA and ROH and has long been known for ring IQ as much as athleticism. The real test was whether that experience could overcome the danger of a three-way against Místico and Averno, especially because Aries did not need to be pinned to lose the belt. That format cut both ways. Místico’s history with Averno gave Aries exactly the opening he said he wanted — a chance to let their rivalry create chaos and then capitalize. MLW had also emphasized a major warning sign for Aries: he had never beaten Místico. Still, the latest reported MLW Fusion result says Aries retained the championship by defeating both Averno and Místico in the three-way title match. If that result stands as aired, it is the clearest answer to the question. He not only backed up the talk, but did so in the kind of match that rewarded timing, manipulation, and veteran instincts. That does not prove Aries is unbeatable, and his reliance on shortcuts remains part of the story. But on this night, he backed up the boast.

1 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 22

Saturday's MLW "Fusion" will feature Austin Aries defending the Openweight Championship against Místico and Averno in a three-way match after Místico turned a planned singles bout into a title showdown.
Aries said his title strategy is simple: do whatever it takes to win, arguing that "cheaters win" and that shortcuts, misdirection and even a thumb to the eye can keep him on top.
The champion said the three-man format complicates tactics, but he hopes to exploit the bad blood between Místico and Averno and possibly steer Averno into working with him.
Aries enters after regaining the belt from Blue Panther at Lucha Apocalypto and already logging one successful defense against Diego Hill, while also making multiple CMLL appearances.