MLW Fusion ALPHA: King Muertes vs. Tom Lawlor in a Casket Match

John Siino reviews this week's episode of ALPHA featuring a Casket Match between King Muertes and "Filthy" Tom Lawlor.

Photo Courtesy: MLW

MLW Fusion ALPHA #7

November 3rd, 2021

2300 Arena – Philadelphia, PA

By: John Siino

Commentary: Rich Bocchini & Joe Dombrowski

Glue Causes Sticky Nonsense

Cesar Duran starts the show heading to the ring with a microphone. Duran says when he was putting together the card for today, he felt he was missing something and that was someone being sacrificed. So, he’s going to ask the renegades (the fans) who he wants to be sacrificed today. This prompts 5150 to come to the ring. Konnan says Duran’s been ignoring his calls all week, so he had to come here to Philadelphia to talk to him and that’s disrespectful and introduces himself before Julius Smokes hypes up the crowd. Rivera and Slice Boogie both get on the mic and do the same. Duran asked if they are high on glue, as this is some sticky nonsense, says he’s busy and asks Konnan ‘what the fuck do you want?’ Konnan says he’s not high on glue, he’s high on weed all day, every day but he’s about to get serious like a late period if Duran doesn’t quit fucking with him. And if Duran wants a big-time match, then he should bring out Los Parks. This prompts all three of Los Parks to come out, but River and Boogie meet them outside with dives before both teams start brawling on the outside before being separated by officials.

‘Filthy’ Tom Lawlor then comes out with Kevin Ku to meet Duran in the ring. Lawlor says ever since he won the 2020 Opera Cup, he’s been treated like trash here, and he got screwed in this year’s Opera Cup, and against Alex Hammerstone and it’s about time he gets treated like a big-time prizefighter. Lawlor says he wants a title fight, so Duran says Lawlor will face King Muertes tonight in a casket match and tells Lawlor to be careful what he wishes for as his desires are going to be true.

Willow Nightingale & Zoey Skye vs. Sea Stars (Ashley Vox & Delmi Exo)

As Nightingale and Skye are in the ring waiting for their opponents, we get a CONTRA Unit interruption video with Mads Krugger calling himself the leader of CONTRA and saying he will march his soldiers into the War Chamber and destroy Hammerstone. Skye is making her debut in MLW but is best known for her time in SHIMMER, as the Sea Stars are making their tag team debut in MLW. Ashley Vox and Skye start the match fast with leapfrogs and pin attempts before Delmi Exo comes in and hits a suplex on Skye. Vox quickly comes in, but so does Willow as she and Skye keep Vox in the corner with splashes. Willow hits a senton before body-slamming Skye on Vox for a two count. Willow and Skye continue to work on Vox, but Skye misses a flying crossbody as Vox tags out to Exo where she hits a Northern Lights Suplex to Willow for a two. Vox gets stopped on the top rope and picked up by Willow, but Willow gets tossed to the outside. Holidead appears from under the ring and attacks Willow and drags her under the ring. The Sea Stars double team Skye as they hit the Tidal Wave on Skye with Vox getting the pin.

Winners: Sea Stars (Ashley Vox & Delmi Exo) by pinfall at 4:45

After the match, Skye and the Sea Stars rescue Willow from under the ring and help her to the back.

The Mission is Submission

We go to Alex Kane where he says he heard a rumor that Calvin Tankman is out of the Opera Cup, and he will confirm that because he and King Mo beat him down. And now this means Kane himself will replace Tankman in the Opera Cup and the only mission is submission and the Opera Cup is about to get all of this work.

We see a quick video that says, “Big Beef” Gnarls Garvin is coming soon.

Coming Up

They announce that at the MLW Fusion on Thanksgiving show, we will have a five-man ladder match for the vacant MLW National Openweight Championship between Myron Reed, Alex Kane, Zenshi, Alex Shelley, and a wild card entry and it could be someone from MLW or an outsider and question if this person will shock the world.

·       Nov. 6th – MLW Live in Philly (2300 Arena)

·       Nov. 10th – Opera Cup Semi-Finals: Davey Richards vs. Bobby Fish

·       Nov. 25th – MLW Fusion on Thanksgiving

Calvin Tankman Remains in the Opera Cup

Alicia Atout with some breaking news where she says she just spoke to Calvin Tankman who is at home recovering and training for his Opera Cup semi-final showdown with TJP and will not be withdrawing.

Alex Kane (w/ King Mo) vs. Warhorse

This is presented as a Prize Fight Open, where Kane challenges anybody from any company and if they tap out, knockout, or pin Kane they will win a cash reward. Warhorse comes out as the mystery opponent, making his MLW debut, to a big reaction from the crowd. Warhorse starts the match headbutting King Mo out of the ring which causes Kane to attack Warhorse in the corner. Warhorse comes back with a series of punches, but King Mo jumps on the apron that causes Warhorse to go outside to confront him. Kane follows him and they start tossing each other against the barricades. Back inside, Kane starts slamming Warhorse headfirst against the turnbuckle, but it doesn’t phase him. Warhorse hits a missile dropkick, but it doesn’t knock Kane down. As Warhorse tries to run, Mo grabs his foot which causes Kane to catch him and hit an Exploder Suplex into the corner. Kane continues the attack by whipping Warhorse against the turnbuckles and hitting another suplex for a two-count. Warhorse tries to fight him off, but Kane hits the third suplex as King Mo starts to throw up the suplex cards. Kane hits suplexes four and five and gets the pin and the win.

Winner: Alex Kane by pinfall at 5:41

Alicia Atout stops Kane and Mo for an interview and says it looks like they are trying to bump off guys to take their spots. Mo makes a joke calling Cesar Duran ‘CD’ and he can ‘CD’s nuts in his mouth’. Kane says he is taking the Opera Cup whether they want him to or not and everybody is going to get all of this work.

Team Filthy No More?

We go to Tom Lawlor and Kevin Ku backstage with a white erase board going over strategy for tonight’s Casket Match. Ku questions all the cartoon-looking designs and does not understand the plan. Lawlor just tells him to make sure Lawlor stays away from the casket and after they win the match, they are getting the hell out of here. Ku says he’s been thinking, and their sponsorship money has been going down and doesn’t think this makes sense anymore and it’s time for him to go.

A Deal with the Devil

We go to Josef Samael who says America is full of lies and propaganda and try to twist the conversation into headlines of conflict. Samael says he’s the real leader of CONTRA and has five soldiers who are ready to defeat MLW at War Chamber and Hammerstone has nothing and only three men, while Samael has an army that will destroy MLW.

We cut to Hammerstone in the parking lot where he’s questioned if he’s going to be meeting with Cesar Duran about his War Chamber team. Hammerstone blows it off and asks if you would trust that guy.

War Chamber, Japanese Candy & Ambitious Violence

They go over the MLW War Chamber card including the War Chamber Match with Alex Hammerstone, Richard Holliday, EJ Nduka, and two mystery partners against CONTRA and the debut of nZo.

Alicia Atout is backstage with Richard Holliday who is still all wrapped up, and he says he just scored a huge marketing campaign in Japan about new Japanese candy and offers Alicia a sample. Holliday opens a door and sees Tajiri who’s eating all his candy and Holliday yells at him, before Tajiri starts throwing the candy with him.

They have an update about the attack earlier from Holidead on Willow Nightingale, and state Willow has been treated by their league physician and Duran has given Holidead a bonus for ‘ambitious violence’.

IWA Caribbean Heavyweight Championship Casket Match: King Muertes (c) (w/ Karlee Perez) vs. Tom Lawlor

Lawlor comes to the ring by himself for this match as he nervously stares at the casket. We get a cloaked figure come to the ring to reveal herself to be Karlee Perez, the former Catrina who was associated with Muertes in Lucha Underground. Lawlor starts on the offense but quickly gets speared down by Muertes. They take turns taking each other down, as Lawlor kicks his way out and escapes to the outside. Lawlor gets cornered by the casket, as Muertes sets up the casket against the ring and starts tossing Lawlor against it, including a DDT. Muertes tosses Lawlor back inside and hits a TKO. Muertes rolls Lawlor inside the casket, but Lawlor is able to kick his way out. Lawlor takes control and slowly drags Muertes into the closet, but Muertes fights out. They fight on the apron before Muertes plops Lawlor on the barricade where he chops him, but Lawlor fights back. Lawlor walks into Perez, who is holding a skull that throws Lawlor off a bit. Lawlor grabs a chair and starts attacking Muertes before missing against the casket. Muertes comes back with a powerbomb to Lawlor on top of the casket. They brawl a bit inside the ring, with Lawlor tying in a rear-naked choke. Lawlor tosses Muertes in the casket, but Muertes stops Lawlor from closing the lid. Muertes comes back with a power slam and calls for power from Perez’s skull. Lawlor traps Muertes in a Guillotine choke when he was trying to spear him, but Muertes powers out into Straight to Hell. Muertes rolls Lawlor into the casket and seals it for the win.

Winner: King Muertes at 11:51, to retain

The commentary calls this the ‘death of Tom Lawlor’, as this looks like the last we see of him, with his time in MLW coming to an end.

About John Siino 415 Articles
New York native and reporter at POST Wrestling. He is also Associate Producer at POISONRANA, co-host of 'Collision Course' and the host of the 'Shot in the Dark' podcast.