The first round of the Opera Cup tournament continued on tonight’s Fusion Alpha as Matt Cross faced Calvin Tankman. Richard Holliday also defended his Caribbean Championship against King Muertes. Additionally, Nicole Savoy and Holidead went one-on-one. MLW Fusion Alpha #5 can be viewed below:
Strong Points of the Show
- Willow Nightingale has a very infectious personality. I’m glad that Willow got the chance to showcase her personality during the opening contest.
- Holidead and Nicole Savoy wrestled well tonight. These two competitors meshed together and put on a solid match.
- Matt Cross is a really fun performer to watch. Cross moves around the ring so well that he makes it look effortless.
- I am a huge fan of Budd Heavy, and I am happy that he got some airtime this week. I can easily see him being an underdog fan favorite going forward.
- Alicia Atout and Cesar Duran’s interactions throughout the show were enjoyable. I think Alicia has more to give as a performer than just interviews, and seeing her in a different capacity this evening was really cool.
Weak Points of the Show
- The transition from Willow leaving the commentary table to Holidead’s assault on Willow looked awkward. I feel like the angle would have come across smoother had Holidead attacked Nightingale backstage.
- Alicia Atout’s hair was two separate colors throughout the show. Her hair color did not take away from any of the segments she was involved in. However, it was a detail that was noticeable enough.
- Similar to Atout, Ikuro Kwon had two different hairstyles and looks throughout the show. I understand that MLW only films limited shows, which poses challenges to the stories they wish to tell. However, it looked silly that Kwon was attacked by Alex Hammerstone during the main event and then somehow recovered in order to attack Richard Holliday at ringside.
Other Highlights
- Richard Holliday was supposed to defend the Caribbean Championship against King Muertes at the start of the show. However, Holliday was jumped backstage by CONTRA, and the match was rescheduled for the main event. Prior to the main event, Richard swore that he was fine to compete.
- The final first round matches for the Opera Cup Tournament (TJP vs. Alex Shelley and Bobby Fish vs Lee Moriarty) were announced for next week’s Fusion Alpha.
- King Mo was on commentary during Tankman and Cross’s match. Mo critiqued Tankman’s abilities throughout the match. King Mo also cited several reasons why Calvin should join American Top Team.
- After his loss, Matt Cross accused Calvin Tankman of intentionally hitting him in the eye during their match and cheating.
- Cesar Duran extended an invitation to Mads Krugger for the two to meet at a later time. Duran stated that Krugger had a lot of untapped potential.
- EJ Nduka and Alex Hammerstone were shown brawling with CONTRA during the main event.
Match Results
- Nicole Savoy defeated Holidead (with Dr. Dax) via submission.
- First Round Opera Cup Tournament Match: Calvin Tankman defeated Matt Cross via pinfall.
- Caribbean Championship Match: King Muertes defeated Richard Holliday via pinfall to win the Caribbean Championship.
Did you enjoy tonight’s episode of MLW Fusion Alpha? Who do you think is going to win the Opera Cup Tournament?