MLW Fusion #115 – “2020 Opera Cup Finals”
December 23rd, 2020
GILT Nightclub – Orlando, FL
Commentary: Rich Bocchini & Saint Laurent
The Dirty Blondes (Michael Patrick & Leo Brien) w/ Aria Blake vs. Ariel Dominguez & Daniel Starling
The Dirty Blondes & Aria Blake are representing Colonel Parker’s Stud Stable. Brien & Starling start the match with Brien stomping Starling in the corner with boots until tagging Brien in. Commentary mentions that Blake has extended an olive branch to Ross & Marshall Von Erich. Patrick spits at Dominguez on the outside until he comes in to run into a boot. Brien comes in and they hit a double elbow with a parade of elbows showered down on Starling. Patrick comes in, and places Starling on top of Brien who’s on the top rope, and hits a flying power slam for the three-count.
Winners: The Dirty Blondes by pinfall at 1:37
Siino Vision: It’s my first time seeing the Dirty Blondes, but I’m aware they, along with Aria Blake, have spent some time in MLW and elsewhere and have been a tag team since 2014. It’s easy to spot that the Dirty Blondes are representing a southern old school style, with the bull rope and all so should be a brawl for sure if they end up fighting the Von Erichs.
Chasing the Glare
We see Alexander Hammerstone training in a gym where he says he doesn’t think CONTRA Unit and Mads Krugger realize that putting him on the shelf for a month might have been the stupidest thing they could do. All that means he has been able to train nonstop for a month just for one match. He states MLW won’t get freedom from CONTRA but threw CONTRA. Just when he got one step closer to Jacob Fatu and the World Title, they sick the monster Krugger on him. He’s not the monster that he is, he’s worse. At Kings of Colosseum, this presents a rare opportunity. An opportunity to cut loose. Since Krugger can take any blow he got, he’s going to give it to him, but he can’t take a Nightmare Pendulum. He’s going to put him down with that very move. He’s not going to lose the diamond by chasing the glare, because Krugger is just an obstacle in his way between Jacob Fatu and the MLW World Title, he will put his title on the line because he’s looking past him.
They show a recap of Salina de la Renta’s summoning of Mil Muertes from last week and say she will be presenting a ‘Bombshell’, January 6th at Kings of Colosseum.
The World Warrior
Alicia Atout is backstage getting a word with Low Ki who is training for his match tonight. Low Ki says here we go, round 3, Opera Cup 2020. This is important to him because he has always conquered everything in his career, he sets his sights on big things and works his ass off to get there. With two centuries’ worth of lineage, he looks forward to claiming the Opera Cup 2020. This final round is against Tom Lawlor, and he has spent more time with him than anybody else in MLW, so he knows his weakness and strengths by watching him from day one. He’s dealing with the one they call the World Warrior, doesn’t matter what he’s bringing to the table because he’s not coming alone, he always has helped. He says you better believe he is ready.
They announce they have been in talks with Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Boston about hosting the 2021 Opera Cup. MLW.com will have more about this in the weeks ahead.
Kings of Colosseum Control Center
They announce the lineup for the upcoming show including some new matches:
· Grudge Match: Simon Gotch vs. Jordan Oliver
· MLW World Tag Team Championship Texas Tornado Match: The Von Erichs (c) vs. The Dirty Blondes w/ Aria Blake
· Salina de la Renta’s Bombshell
· MLW World Middleweight Championship: Myron Reed (c) vs. Lio Rush
· MLW National Openweight Championship: Alexander Hammerstone (c) vs. Mads Krugger
We also got insert promos from Myron Reed and Mads Krugger hyping up the matches.
Pro Wrestling Illustrated Top 10
MLW World Heavyweight Champion: Jacob Fatu
1. Alexander Hammerstone
2. Filthy Tom Lawlor
3. Low Ki
4. LA Park
5. Myron Reed
6. Richard Holliday
7. Mads Krugger
8. ACH
9. Laredo Kid
10. Calvin Tankman
The Parks Hate Pigs
We see LA Park working out at the gym when his sons approach him and ask; “Dad, why are you so hot? It’s Christmas”. He responds with; “Son, it can’t be possible that MLW gives opportunities to other people, like those fat pigs. What are they called?”. His sons’ chip in; “The Dirty Blondes with Colonel Parker and that lady streetwalker, that’s what they’re called.” “Word, it’s bullshit that those obese pigs are given opportunities and not us.” LA Park comes back with; ‘MLW, remember I’ve been here since 2002, the day this company started. It’s 2020 we need our opportunities. We need a title shot. If not, plain truth, then I will retire. We’ll leave. Bye, bye. Those pigs just returned, and you gave them a shot before me and my masculine and successful sons? We have a right for an opportunity, or it is over!”
2020 Opera Cup Finals: Filthy Tom Lawlor (w/ Violence is Forever) vs. Low Ki (w/ The Von Erichs)
Insert promo from Lawlor, where he says he can’t wait to win the Opera Cup and get away from this place, and maybe they’ll go to Filthy Island, while Low Ki says this is the rubber match and now it’s on. The two former MLW World Champions start off fast with each one trying to take the other down until Lawlor finally does try to apply an armbar. Lawlor begins to stretch back on Low Ki’s arms and legs before attempting a pinfall. They continue to take each other down as the four men on the outside cheer them on. They trade a couple of arm breakers before Low Ki attempts a pinfall. Lawlor is able to mount Low Ki who blocks the strikes and transitions into an armbar until they continue to trade submissions back and forth until Lawlor rolls him up for another pin attempt. Lawlor hits a gut wrench and a couple of pin attempts before he starts striking him with elbows. Lawlor is able to apply a kneebar but Low Ki reverses and hits a double stomp. Ki hits a series of uppercuts followed by elbows in the corner before taking Lawlor down with a figure four headlock. Lawlor is able to get out and apply an Indian Death Lock. Low Ki escapes and leaves the ring for a breather. He comes in and is able to Lawlor out of the ring where he is comforted by Dominic Garrini & Kevin Ku. As they both get at it in the ring, Low Ki makes Lawlor collapse by some shots in the corner, before reversing with a backbreaker. Lawlor puts on a front face lock into an armbar that he snaps back on. They go back and forth before Lawlor hits a suplex for a two count. After a sequence, Low Ki ends up on Lawlor’s back with a Dragon Clutch, but Lawlor is able to get a rope break by biting it with his mouth, very innovative.
Lawlor is able to connect a kneebar that reverses into a Sharpshooter before Low Ki reaches for the ropes himself. They show a bit of fatigue before Lawlor snaps Low Ki’s injured knee before applying a figure four that almost gets Low Ki pinned before Low Ki takes the Von Erichs advice and reverses it. They reverse it back and forth before breaking up by the ropes. Lawlor hits chops, uppercuts, and kicks before Low Ki comes back with a couple of forearms and a springboard kick for a two. Low Ki starts hitting Lawlor with kicks as he is showing more injury to his knee. Low Ki tried to avalanche Lawlor in the corner who catches him throwing him down viciously for a two count. Lawlor then attempts a sleeper that Low Ki reverses into a Ki Krusher but he is too close to the ropes to get a pin. He follows by a running dropkick, but as he sets up for another one, the referee checks in on Lawlor. Lawlor pulls the ref in and seems to take a rolling Koppu Kick from Low Ki but is able to fall down on him, accordion-style for the three-count.
Winner: Filthy Tom Lawlor by pinfall at 24:41, to win the 2020 Opera Cup.
Siino Vision: After the match, Garrini & Ku bring the Opera Cup in the ring and hoist Lawlor with his trophy on their shoulders. A bit of an odd but interesting finish, where both men seemed so out of it that just one miscue by Low Ki would cause him to lose as the force of Lawlor’s body just crumpled on top of him to the point where he could not kick out. I’m glad both outside parties didn’t get involved and we got a proper 20+ minute match to end this tournament. The spot with Lawlor biting the ropes to escape the submission was innovative and not something you see often. They didn’t specify if Lawlor would receive a title shot or not, but it has to be said that Jacob Fatu still does not have a match for Kings of Colosseum, so it’s possible we could get an MLW World Title Match.
Overall, this was basically a one-match show with the focus on the Opera Cup, and reintroduction of sorts for the Dirty Blondes and the Parks rebuttal for them earning a title shot just like that, which I have to agree it is a bit unfair they come in and just get it from a quick squash mash when the Parks have been there the entire time. Other than the Hammerstone segment and other inserts for Kings of Colosseum, we really didn’t get much meat to this show besides the Opera Cup. A Salina de la Renta segment was sorely missed, as those were the most intriguing and entertaining segments each week, not sure what her ‘bombshell’ is, especially after the fact that the commentary team made it pretty clear that Mil Muertes was coming in, so I am hoping for his former valet Catrina to be the bombshell and bring her in as well as I feel like she was an important piece for the Mil Muertes character.
7 pig hating Parks out of 10
