PWInsider - WWE News, Wrestling News, WWE

MLW FUSION REPORT: OPERA CUP STARTS, TANKMAN DEBUTS, LAWLOR VERSUS ROMERO, AND MORE

We start off with a look at the Opera Cup first round match ups for this week.

We are in Orlando, Florida and your announcers are Rich Bocchini and Jared St. Laurent.

We take a look back at the end of last week’s show when Alexander Hammerstone was attacked after Jacob Fatu’s victory. We will have an update on Hammerstone’s condition.

We go to footage from earlier today when Richard Holliday was asked about Alexander Hammerstone. Holliday says Hammerstone will be okay. He is asked about who the masked man is in Contra. Holliday says he doesn’t know but he is focused on Hammerstone getting better.

Richard Holliday sees Gino Medina and Holliday stops to talk to Medina. Medina says he was talking to some mamacitas. Holliday says the mamacitas were with him because he has a small amount of Dynastic qualities. Medina says he quit the Dynasty but Holliday tells Medina he fired him to get the Latin demographic. They continue to argue about how Medina left the Dynasty.

Medina says it would be a shame if you got hurt and someone unDynastic took your place. Holliday asks if that was a threat.

Match Number One: Richard Holliday versus TJP (with Bu Ku Dao) in a First Round Match in the 2020 Opera Cup

They lock up and go to a stalemate. They lock up again and Holliday sends TJP to the mat. They lock up and TJP with a side head lock. TJP uses the turnbuckles for a head lock take down. Holliday with a head scissors and TJP with a headstand to escape and he follows with a drop kick. Holliday wants a test of strength but he kicks TJP and applies a side head lock. TJP with an octopus but Holliday gets to the ropes.

TJP with a wrist lock and Holliday with a reversal into a hammer lock and rollup for a near fall. They lock up and TJP with a hammer lock. Holliday tries to escape but TJP holds on. Holliday with a single leg take down into a knee bar. TJP with a head scissors take down and shoulder tackle but Holliday stays on his feet. TJP with a shoulder tackle and Holliday bounces off the ropes and hits a shoulder tackle of his own.

TJP with a front face lock but Holliday gets TJP on his shoulders and TJP with a satellite arm drag. TJP lands on his feet on a suplex attempt. TJP escapes another suplex attempt and he drop kicks Holliday to the floor. TJP with a springboard drop kick. TJP goes up top and he is crotched when Holliday hits the ropes. Holliday stomps on the ankle and hand.

Holliday with a shoulder and he continues to work on the arm and shoulder. Holliday with a Northern Lights suplex for a near fall. TJP goes to the apron and he slides back and goes for a Sharpshooter and locks it in. TJP turns it into a Mutoh Lock. Holliday powers out of the hold and he applies a chin lock. TJP with a stump puller to the arm. Holliday with a knee to the midsection and Irish whip but TJP with a headstand in the turnbuckles. Holliday sends TJP to the apron and Holliday with a clothesline. TJP with a kick and he works on the arm. TJP with a head butt and he goes to the turnbuckles and hits a head scissors take down. TJP with a cross body but Holliday catches him and Holliday with an Air Raid Crash for a near fall.

Holliday gets a near fall. Holliday with a reverse chin lock. TJP with punches but Holliday with forearms and he gets TJP up but TJP escapes and gives Holliday an arm drag. TJP with a tornado DDT. TJP with a front chancery suplex and he holds on for a second one. TJP holds on for a third one and hits it. TJP goes up top and misses a swanton and Holliday with a spinebuster and Market Crash for the three count.

Winner: Richard Holliday (Advances to face winner of Low Ki versus Davey Boy Smith Jr)

We go to the Von Erichs in Hawaii. Kevin says there is so much to be thankful for. That they live in America and they have the World Tag Titles. They wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving.

We go to commercial.

We are back with a look at last week’s Middleweight Title Match and Myron Reed calling out Lio Rush.

Lio Rush is asked about Myron Reed’s challenge. Lio says that MLW is busting out the big checks for the Man of the Hour. Why not have a big debut with a big title fight?

Rush will debut on December 23rd.

We take a look back at the situation between Low Ki and King Mo.

We see King Mo’s comments about Low Ki and the need for a mental health check.

Dan Lambert says he is in a fit of rage after hearing the Opera Cup brackets. Low Ki is in the tournament and King Mo is not included. Low Ki finagled his way off the suspended list, but the appropriate appeals have been filed and he should be back on the list by the time the tournament starts. King Mo will deal with his exclusion at the appropriate time.

Salina de la Renta shows up and wants to know who it was who tried to terminate her contract and fire her. MLW is full of hypocrites. If MLW cancels the episodes that is scheduled to air on January 6th, she will make sure that people suffer.

We go to commercial.

Match Number Two: Calvin Tankman versus Robert Martyr

Martyr with a drop kick and Tankman does not move. Tankman with a drop kick. Martyr with punches that have no impact. Tankman with a forearm. Tankman with a chop and Martyr with punches. Tankman with a back breaker and short arm clothesline. Tankman with the Tankman Driver for the three count.

Winner: Calvin Tankman

After the match, Calvin Tankman says he is honored to make his debut in MLW and he dedicates his victory to his family and everyone who has supported him. He is going to beat everyone in his path until he gets to the champ.

We are advised that Alexander Hammerstone has a rib contusion, hyperflexion of the neck, and transverse myelitis.

We go to Alexander Hammerstone and he is asked how is he feeling. He wonders if the doctor is on Contra’s payroll since these injuries wouldn’t keep him out of the gym. At 80% he is better than most people at 100%. If his neck is suffering whiplash from a few chair shots, that man will be suffering whiplash from the Nightmare Pendulum.

Josef Samael appears and he says that Alexander Hammerstone put the target on his back for months when he called himself the Contra Hunter. Did he think Contra would crumble? I sent in the Black Hand of Contra and he handed Hammerstone the death card.

We go to commercial.

Match Number Three: Tom Lawlor (with Dominic Garrini) versus Rocky Romero in a First Round Match in the 2020 Opera Cup

Lawlor goes for the legs and Romero blocks it and Romero with a waist lock. Lawlor with a wrist lock and take down. Romero with a head scissors. Lawlor tries to escape with a headstand and Romero drives the head into the mat. Lawlor escapes and Romero gets a near fall. Romero with kicks to the leg and Lawlor with a waist lock. Romero with a front face lock into a cravate.

Lawlor with a cravate of his own but Romero with a take down into a cross arm breaker but Lawlor gets a near fall. Lawlor with a double leg take down and Romero goes for the leg. Lawlor with a front face lock and rollup for a near fall. Romero with a front face lock and cravate into a side head lock. Romero holds on to the side head lock when Lawlor tries to send Romero off the ropes. Romero returns to the side head lock.

Romero lands on his feet on a belly-to-back suplex attempt and Romero returns to the side head lock. Lawlor with punches to the midsection. Romero with a shoulder tackle and Lawlor does not go down. Lawlor tells Romero to try again and he does not succeed. Romero with a third one and even more but Lawlor stays on his feet. Romero with kicks to the leg and Lawlor with shoulder tackles and after four attempts, he finally gets Romero to the mat. Romero with a kick and forearms. Romero with a drop kick and Lawlor goes to the floor. Romero with a knee off the apron.

Romero kicks Lawlor when Tom returns to the ring. Romero with forearms and knees followed by a snap mare and reverse chin lock. Lawlor with elbows and Romero with a kick and octopus. Lawlor escaps and sends Romero to the mat. Romero goes to the turnbuckles for a head scissors. Lawlor with a drop toe hold and Lawlor drops back with the legs in a figure four. Lawlor with a bow and arrow and Romero gets to the ropes.

Lawlor with a forearm and knees to the head. Lawlor with a snap mare and leap frog neck snap and a clothesline for a near fall. Lawlor with a chop and an arm bar. Lawlor gets a near fall. Lawlor with a Fujiwara arm bar and then he stretches Romero with his knee in Romero’s back. Romero rolls through and escapes and Romero stretches Lawlor with a crossface and Lawlor gets to the ropes to force a break.

Romero with a chop and Lawlor chops back. Romero with a chop followed by a forearm and chop from Lawlor. Lawlor with a KneeDT into a heel hook. Romero misses an enzuigiri but hits the return kick and both men are down. Romero with chops and punches. Romero goes for a tornado DDT but Lawlor blocks it and Romero turns it into a guillotine. Lawlor with an exploder to escape the hold. Romero is sent into the ropes and Lawlor with a choke. Romero works on the arm and kicks Lawlor. Romero with a tornado DDT and both men are down.

Romero sends Lawlor to the apron and Romero kicks Lawlor in the ropes. Romero ties Lawlor in the ropes and Romero goes to the turnbuckles for a missile drop kick. Romero gets a near fall. Romero with a wrist lock and he goes to the turnbuckles. Romero with a knee drop to the arm. Romero with knees to the midsection but Lawlor blocks a kick. Romero with a take down into an attempted cross arm breaker but Lawlor blocks it. Lawlor sets for the rear naked choke but Romero flips out.

Lawlor avoids Sliced Bread #2 and Romero hits a running Shiranui for a near fall. Romero with infinity clotheslines and Lawlor misses a clothesline. Romero with more clotheslines. Lawlor misses another clothesline and Romero with a clothesline. Lawlor with a uranage and both men are down. Lawlor with a kick to the back of the leg. Romero with kicks to the leg. Lawlor with more kicks and then they go with punches and palm strikes. Romero blocks a kick and hits a drop kick. Romero with a kick to the chest. Romero goes for Sliced Bread #2 but Lawlor with a back slide for a near fall.

Romero with a rollup for a near fall. Lawlor tries for the rear naked choke but Romero blocks it. Lawlor with a rollup for the three count.

Winner: Tom Lawlor (advances to face the winner of ACH versus Laredo Kid)

After the match, Lawlor says there is no Joe Rogan and Alicia doesn’t want to come out and do her job so he will do it himself. Dominic takes the mic from Tom to do the interview. He asks Tom what is next for him as the mic goes out. Tom says they don’t want him to speak his mind. Last year, Tom Lawlor was conveniently left out of the Opera Cup and was kept from making history. Rocky Romero got a taste of what is going to come to the other competitors. Names like Hackenschmidt and Stu Hart will be next to the most important of them all, Tom Lawlor as an Opera Cup champion.

We go to credits.

 

If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here!

• Tweet