Tonight’s MLW Fusion Alpha included the final first round matches of the Opera Cup Tournament. Bobby Fish took on Lee Moriarty, while TJP clashed with Alex Shelley. Additionally, Mads Kruger took on Dr. Dax as well as Budd Heavy in an impromptu match. MLW Fusion Alpha episode 6 can be viewed below:
Strong Points of the Show
- Cesar Duran and King Muertes’s backstage encounter was intriguing. I feel like I may be missing some backstory since I never watched Lucha Underground. Even without that background knowledge, I appreciated the mystery surrounding the segment.
- Seeing Bobby Fish on television again was great. Fish looked to be in great shape for his match against Moriarty.
- I appreciated how Holidead attacked Dr. Dax after Dax’s match with Mads Kruger. That interaction helped further the dynamic between Holidead and Dr. Dax’s relationship, and how Holidead treats Dax cruelly.
- The segment between Richard Holliday, Alex Hammerstone and Alicia Atout was lighthearted and fun. I don’t think Holliday needed to be so heavily bandaged based on last week’s match. But the interaction between those three was enjoyable.
Weak Points of the Show
- Not sure why the referee stopped Lee Moriarty from delivering a punt kick to Bobby Fish. The decision by the referee came across as random and slightly illogical.
- I do not understand what the point was in having Budd Heavy come out after the match between Dax and Mads Kruger. There seemed to be no incentive as to why Heavy would have come out to confront Kruger. The segment seemed like a forced way to get Heavy on this week’s program.
- nZo’s upcoming MLW debut does not make me feel excited. I was never super impressed with nZo’s in-ring work in the past. However, I hope I am proven wrong, and I hope nZo does really well in MLW.
Other Highlights
- Cesar Duran promised that the National Openweight Championship would receive a “new home” on the Thanksgiving edition of Fusion. Rich Bocchini later announced that a new National Openweight Champion would be crowned on Thanksgiving in a ladder match.
- EJ Nduka speculated that he may be in line for a future MLW Heavyweight Championship match since he is helping out The Dyansty for the War Chamber match.
- The Sea Stars (Ashley Vox and Delmi Exo) were announced for next week’s broadcast.
- Calvin Tankman was scheduled to face Gino Medina tonight. However, Tankman was attacked by King Mo and Alex Kane backstage before heading to the ring, and the match was cancelled.
- Cesar Duran encouraged Mads Kruger to continue pursuing Alex Hammerstone. Duran also let Kruger know that he could still carry out CONTRA’s mission while accomplishing his own personal goals.
- Warhorse’s MLW debut was teased tonight. The announcement stated that Warhorse would be coming soon.
- During a backstage interview with Emilio Sparks, Willow Nightingale called Cesar Duran to ask for a match with Holidead. Nightingale was granted her wish by Duran.
- 5150 demanded a tag team championship match against Los Parks.
- A Sentai Death Squad member was added to the War Chamber match. The updated lineup for the War Chamber match is Josef Samael, Ikuro Kwon, Mads Kruger, a Sentai Death Squad member and Jacob Fatu vs. Alex Hammerstone, Richard Holliday, EJ Nduka and two unnamed participants.
Match Results
- First Round Opera Cup Tournament Match: Bobby Fish defeated Lee Moriarty via submission to advance in the Opera Cup tournament.
- Mads Kruger (with CONTRA) defeated Dr. Dax (with Holidead) via pinfall.
- Mads Kruger (with CONTRA) defeated Budd Heavy via pinfall.
- First Round Opera Cup Tournament Match: TJP defeated Alex Shelley via pinfall to advance in the Opera Cup tournament.
Let us know your thoughts on this week’s episode in the comments!