Tag: opera cup

Big Takeaways —

• Alexander Hammerstone and Davey Boy Smith Jr. advanced in the Opera Cup by defeating MJF and Low Ki respectively.
• Jimmy Havoc and Priscilla Kelly teamed up to take out Mance Warner first in a blindfold match, then later backstage.

The full episode is available to watch below:

Full Recap —

We opened with The Dynasty outside the arena earlier today. The cameraman asked MJF and Hammerstone who they thought would win when they face each other in the opening round of the Opera Cup. Richard Holliday said his lawyer/his father would be making sure the match wouldn’t be taking place — and that The Dynasty always win.

Jimmy Havoc defeated Mance Warner in a Prince of Darkness Match (3:40)

This was a blindfold match that had been alluded to in the prior weeks when both competitors mentioned “an eye for an eye” in their promos. The match ended up finishing with the formation of a new alliance between Havoc and Priscilla Kelly.

Havoc chugged a beer while he contemplated going through with the match, but he eventually got in the ring and he and Warner both dawned their hoods.

They circled. Warner swung a wild right and Havoc ducked. Warner got the crowd involved and reacted to their cheers and boos when he pointed around the ring. Warner got his hands on the referee and tried to wrestle him to the ground, and Havoc got excited and ran across the ring and slammed himself into the corner. 

Havoc lifted his hood and took a peek, which allowed him to knock Warner down and stomp him in the corner. He then re-hooded, climbed the ropes, and went for a flying elbow drop, but missed by a mile. The referee got involved again when Havoc threw him into Warner, who then tried to DDT him, but Havoc clocked Warner with a clothesline. 

Havoc lost his hood again during the referee melee, and Priscilla Kelly ran down to the ring and gave Warner a low blow behind the ref’s back. Havoc then hit the Acid Rainmaker to pick up the win. Havoc and Kelly left together.

– The cameras then caught up with Tom Lawlor entering the building. He said the Team Filthy Dojo is back up and running, but just as he got to the front door he was met by Ross Von Erich, who greeted him with a right hand to the face. They brawled outside for a moment before Lawlor scampered off into the New York night. 

 – Alicia Atout was backstage with Alexander Hammerstone and asked if everything was okay within The Dynasty, as she saw MJF and Holliday talking earlier on about Hammerstone and MJF’s match. Hammerstone started explaining but was interrupted by Holliday and MJF. They were carrying a large bottle of orange juice and debating the benefits of vitamin C.

MJF told Atout not to worry about The Dynasty and gave Hammerstone the OJ, to which Hammerstone replied: “Thanks, you know I love being on the juice.” They then mocked Atout’s Canadian accent and told her to say “sorry” in it.

– Warner was backstage and was just starting to cut a promo on Havoc and Kelly when he was jumped by them both and strangled with a steel chain. Havoc then brought out a pair of scissors and cut Warner across the forehead and warned him about their upcoming barbed wire match.

– Gino Medina was backstage and the cameraman wanted answers about The Dynasty and Konnan. He said no comment to them all, but this ended with Salina de la Renta dragging him into a locker room and shutting the door behind them.

– A camera then caught Hammerstone backstage. MJF came out to meet him and tried talking him out of being in the Opera Cup because he already has his National Openweight title and doesn’t need the Opera Cup.

They were quickly interrupted by Holliday, his AirPods, and his conversation with his lawyer/father. Holliday was threatening to fire his father if he can’t get this match called off.

– OWE’s Strong Hearts (CIMA, El Lindaman & Shigehiro Irie) cut a promo on CONTRA Unit in Japanese, but they were quickly jumped by Jacob Fatu and the rest of CONTRA before the camera feed cut. 

Alexander Hammerstone defeated MJF (w/ Richard Holliday) in the opening round of the Opera Cup (8:15)

A very entertaining matchup between stablemates. MJF warmed up and posed for the crowd before they both went for the Fingerpoke of Doom at the same time, playing up the storyline of them trying to throw the match for each other.

MJF then acted out the spot because Hammerstone has “big muscles but a tiny brain.” He tried it again, but Hammerstone didn’t move. Hammerstone then retaliated with his own finger to the chest, but MJF didn’t move either. In fact, he got enraged and screamed at the crowd that he was the leader of The Dynasty and turned around to eat a dropkick to the face. 

MJF stumbled to the outside and Hammerstone hit a rope-assisted Fosbury flop to the floor! He threw MJF back in and hit a humongous missile dropkick too.

Holliday then distracted Hammerstone by shouting “he is your friend” — and this let MJF take control. He got Hammerstone to the mat and locked him in a leg vice and then later used the old school abdominal stretch and grabbed the ropes for assistance behind the referee’s back.

The ref finally caught him and MJF shouted “what are you going to do about it tubby!?” The ref kicked his hand off the ropes, and MJF ate a hip toss for his trouble.

Hammerstone fired up and hit a big butterfly suplex slam and called for the Nightmare Pendulum. MJF dragged himself up to his feet but then spat a disgusting glob of spit right in Hammerstone’s face and neck. He then thumbed Hammerstone’s eyes but ate two big boots and a big clothesline that nearly took his head off. 

Holliday was having a terrible time at ringside, pacing up and down, not knowing what to do or what side to pick. He got up on the apron and pleaded with the referee to stop the match, and as he inadvertently distracted him, MJF hit a low blow behind the ref’s back and tried a small package, but Hammerstone kicked out at two. 

MJF then teased the Cross Rhodes, but Hammerstone fought out and hit a sit-out powerbomb for the win. Hammerstone advances in the Opera Cup and will face the winner of Davey Boy Smith Jr. vs. Low Ki. 

After the bell, MJF and Hammerstone eventually shook hands. MJF face planted, exhausted after taking a beating.

– Injustice (Myron Reed, Jordan Oliver & Kotto Brazil) had a recorded message for us all. Reed told us that — after months of winning and months of hard work — Injustice were left out of the Opera Cup. Oliver said that if “that man” was alive today and in the locker room he wouldn’t shake his hand, he would piss in his suitcase.

Injustice then said someone is not making it to the Opera Cup. They teased a New Day-style “Who, Who, Who” but then said “we don’t do that.” Kotto Claus is coming to town and he is bringing presents of ‘Justice. 

– The cameras caught up with Ross Von Erich and Lawlor as they were fighting on Queens Boulevard. They brawled around a gas station and Lawlor poked Ross in the eye and ran off again. 

– Alicia Atout was then backstage with Davey Boy Smith Jr. He said the pride of Stu Hart that runs through his blood and veins will make him victorious against Low Ki. Smith said he has already won the MLW Tag Team titles. The next step is winning the Opera Cup — and the last step is winning the MLW World Heavyweight Championship.

Davey Boy Smith Jr. defeated Low Ki in the opening round of the Opera Cup (12:12)

A handshake opened and closed this excellent contest. They slowly sized each other up early. Smith gave a clean break, but soon enough they hit the mat and Smith used his size and strength to keep Ki down. 

Ki snapped on an armbar in the ropes and had Smith rocked, but a stiff forearm quickly turned the tide back in Smith’s favor. Smith slammed Ki and kept in firm control until Ki got the few seconds he needed to hit a double foot stomp while Smith was caught in the middle rope. Ki went for a slam of his own, but Smith was just too big and elbowed Ki directly in the kneecap. 

Smith missed a few strikes and Ki retaliated with a kick to the face. Ki followed up with a dropkick through the ropes and chops around ringside. Smith used his strength to gorilla press Ki back into the ring, but Ki landed on his feet and hit Smith with a rolling kick while he was on the apron.

Ki then rolled through on a double stomp off the top rope but was caught with a powerslam. Smith hit a powerbomb that knocked Ki’s mouthguard out. He went for a second, but Ki blocked it and reversed into a scoop slam of his own. 

Ki went to the top rope, but Smith met him there and drilled him with a pair of headbutts. Smith then turned him into a running powerslam position, but Ki kneed him in the head and slid down his back into a choke position and locked in the same modified triangle choke that took out Brian Pillman Jr. at Saturday Night SuperFight.

Smith’s eyes were rolling in the back of his head as he fell to a knee, but — at the last moment before collapsing — he tucked his chin, grabbed the back of Ki’s head, rolled through, and ended up on top of Ki and pinned his shoulders to the mat for the three count, giving Smith the victory as he advances in the Opera Cup. 

– Before Fusion went off the air, the cameras caught up with Ross Von Erich and Lawlor again. Lawlor was sprinting up the steps at the 11th Street subway station in New York. He got onto a train that just pulled away before Ross could get his hands on him.