Winfree’s MLW Fusion Alpha (Ep. 11) Review 12.01.21

Well everyone, it’s time to conclude the 2021 Opera Cup. Tonight in the finals Davey Richards looks to complete his comeback when he takes on TJP in the finals. We’ll also have Warhorse in action, as well as the Sea Stars, plus thoughts from the newly crowned MLW National Openweight champion Alex Kane. Alright, that’s enough preamble so let’s get to the action.

We get a bit of history about the Opera Cup to start and hype up our main event.

Match #1: KC Navarro vs. Warhorse

Navarro avoids Warhorse early, then hits a Heat Seeker dive onto the floor. Navarro up top for a drop kick but tries to slam Warhorse into the corner but that just inspires him headbutting the corner then headbutting Navarro. Warhorse catches a flying Navarro with a powerslam then starts stomping him down in the corner. Chops from Warhorse, he avoids a Sunset Flip and drills Navarro with another headbutt. Warhorse starts working the leg of Navarro with the Blackfoot Death Lock but Navarro gets to the ropes. Navarro starts fighting back with elbows then a drop kick before he hits a springboard tornado DDT for a 2 count. Navarro heads up top, but he misses the Frog Splash before landing a superkick, and Warhorse comes off the ropes with a lariat that gets a 2 count. Running knee strike from Warhorse, then he heads up top but misses a double stomp and Navarro hits a Code Red for a 2 count. Jesus Peace (a running Shiranui) connects and Navarro wins.

OFFICIAL RESULT: KC Navarro won in 5:30

Rating: 2.5 stars

Decent little cruiserweight match, Warhorse is a fun personality and he seemed to blend well with Navarro in terms of overall style.

Emilio catches up with Myron Reed earlier today, he asks if Reed sent Tankman after Kane last week to help out in the ladder match. Reed isn’t pleased with the question, but does not Kane losing would have helped him.

Cesar Duran has made official a Philly Street Fight for the MLW Tag Team titles next week, Los Parks will defend against 5150. We head to a video of Emilio, he’s caught Cesar Duran coming out of his office counting money. How scandalous.

Willow Nightingale joins commentary for the next match, this went poorly for her last time as she was jumped by Holidead.

Match #2 – Tag Team Match: Sea Stars (Ashley Vox and Delmi Exo) vs. Top Dogs (Davienne and Skylar)

Davienne and Skylar jump Vox and Exo at the bell, but they waste too much time playing with the crowd and the Stars hit stereo Backstabbers then a couple of suicide dives. Things settle down after that, Davienne takes out Exo with a back suplex after Skylar hit a clothesline on Vox on the outside. Skylar tags in and the Dogs are starting to isolate Exo. Exo starts fighting back but eats a kick, then Davienne tags in and hits a German suplex for a 2 count. Skylar back in, cheap shots Vox and hits a few elbows in the corner. Davienne back in and hits an avalanche, Exo is bleeding from the elbow though I’m not sure what caused that. Basement drop kick from Davienne and Vox has to break up the pin. Skylar back in, but Exo avoids them and tags Vox who comes in with a double drop kick and gets to play the house on fire. Vox lays into both of them with strikes then a fishhook clothesline for a near fall on Skylar. Skylar avoids a Fisherman’s suplex, Davienne comes in illegally and the Dogs hit an alley oop style powerbomb onto Vox and Exo has to break up the pin. Exo takes down Davienne with a Cutter, then she drills Skylar with an exploder suplex. The Tidal Wave from Vox follows and she pins to win.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Sea Stars won in 4:50

Rating: 2 stars

Not a bad audition style match for the Top Dogs, they were able to hang with Vox and Exo and were given a lot of time to show what they can do. Post match Holidead shows up and jumps Nightingale again. Both of them brawl around the ringside area then fight to the back.

In the back Cesar Duran observes a mask that his masked goon is holding, it looked a bit like Matanza’s mask.

Alex Kane is holding a press conference along with Mr. Thomas. Kane says this is the dawn of a new era, no more will promoters control the best fighters and he’s announcing the formation of the Bomaye Fight Club. He plans on finishing all opponents quickly, just like that asshat Calvin Tankman. He heads out after that. Not the worst promo ever, but he’s clearly still finding his voice in these spots.

Next week Alexander Hammerstone will be in action, but we have no opponent listed yet.

5150 have a message for everyone, Boogie says MLW messed up by giving them a title shot. Smokes promises they’re not afraid of ghosts. Konnan says everyone knew something was different when they showed up, and promises to tear apart Los Parks. Rivera closes by saying they sent Injustice packing and just wait until they take the titles from Los Parks. Still a bit too chaotic for my tastes, but this was much better than the last one of these they did.

In the back Cesar Duran and his goon approach a closed door, Duran uses the key around his neck to open a door and offers the mask to someone off screen as the masked goon chases off Emilio Sparks.

During TJPs entrance we little promo from earlier, he brings up the 4 knee surgeries Davey Richards has had, then when asked for a prediction says he doesn’t lose two in a row ever. That last line is odd, I know Davey beat TJP when Davey debuted on Fusion Alpha episode 1, but he’s won a bunch of matches since then so it just comes across as a weird line.

Davey Richards gets that same style promo, he says he likes the violence that comes from being pushed beyond what he usually does. He feels he was born 400 years too late, and should have been swinging an ax in battle. Steel sharpens steel and tonight we’ll find out who has the sharper blade. Not a great promo, it felt like Davey was trying out a few different catchphrases rather than trying to get the match over.

Match #3 – 2021 Opera Cup Finals: TJP vs. Davey Richards

They stare at each other to start, then tie up but TJP escapes. Davey goes after the arm and starts working a hammerlock on the mat, then transitions to a pinning situation for a 1 count. TJP counters with a single leg and works a front headlock into a side headlock. Davey keeps working to escape the headlock, he does so and fishes for a kimura but TJP fights up to his feet and they trade arm wringers and escapes then we get a stare off. TJP starts on a top wristlock, gets Davey back to the mat but Davey fights up and goes back to the arm wringer but JP escapes and tries a headscissors but Davey cartwheels through then hits a headsicssors of his own on the mat. TJP tries a headstand escape but Davey drives his head into the mat piledriver style to stop him. They repeat that spot, then TJP escapes with a reversal into a modified Haas of Pain. Davey keeps trying to break TJP’s posture, he finally does so but TJP transitions into a Muta Lock and Davey has to use the ropes to break the hold. They hit the ropes and TJP lands a kitchen sink knee. TJP starts landing strikes in the corner but Davey grabs the leg and reverses the position then lays in some facewashes in the corner but TJP intercepts him on a charge with a drop kick to the knee. Davey heads out of the ring to try and recover, but TJP follows him and drops him across the apron.

Davey lays in a kick but immediately sells the leg, and that allows TJP to hit a chop block and Davey scrambles back into the ring. TJP starts targeting the leg of Davey with some mat work. A chinlock from TJP, Davey fights back up, can’t hit a drop toe hold though and TJP locks up a Figure 4 leg lock. Davey tries to roll over, he’s able to do so and now it’s TJP grabbing the ropes to break the hold. Despite that TJP is up first and grabs a Tequila Sunrise for a yank on the leg. TJP to the apron, hits a hilo but Davey gets to the ropes when he tried the pin. TJP ties up Davey on the mat but Davey is able to fight back with strikes and they start trading elbows. A few kicks go back and forth then Davey takes out a charging TJP with a clothesline. We get another stare off, both men remove their wrist and fist tape then start trading flurries of punches again. Davey gets the better of that, then hits a Dragon Screw over the second rope and climbs up top for a double stomp but TJP avoids him. Davey locks up a Trailer Hitch and TJP scrambles to the ropes to break the hold. TJP counters a Brainbuster, both men counter a few moves then TJP hits the Detonation Kick for a near fall. Both men move to the apron as a “This is awesome” chant breaks out. Davey lays in kicks, he tries an exploder suplex but TJP blocks it and hits an ugly Fisherman’s Buster on the apron. Back in the ring TJP climbs the ropes, hits the Mamba Splash but only a 2 count in a great near fall. TJP sets for his face washes in the corner and hits them, but he tries a second one and gets caught with an Alarm Clock from Davey. TJP rolls to the apron, Davey climbs the ropes though and howls then hits a double stomp on the apron. Davey back up and hits another double stomp into the ring, but that also only gets 2. Davey is pissed, hits a Brainbuster then turns the kick out into the Ankle Lock. TJP kicks him free, but Davey counters a leg entanglement into the Ankle Lock again and this time TJP has no choice but to tap out.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Davey Richards won in 18:49

Rating: 3.5 stars

Very good match here, not surprising given the participants and the time they were given to work. A couple of slightly off spots and inconsistent selling keep this from reaching Great territory, but they told a good story of counter wrestling, had a couple of believable near falls, and TJP’s arrogance ultimately cost him the bout.

Post match Cesar Duran heads down to the ring with the Opera Cup. Duran presents the Cup to Davey, then Davey gets a mic as Duran heads out. Davey says he feels like he and Philly have known each other forever, and sees the fans as the only family he’s ever know. The fans were there when he was young starting out, was here when his family died, was here when he became a world champion, and we’re still here as he’s won the Opera Cup. In the back he was told to dedicate this to someone special to him, but he doesn’t follow scripts and instead dedicates this to Philadelphia for being there through thick and thin. This hunt never dies. Much better promo from Davey to more or less close the show.

7.0

The final score: review Good

The 411

Kind of a one match show, but it was a good match. The other matches were solid, we got some decent set up going forward with respect to Cesar Duran being nefarious, and we know a few matches for next week. Nothing really spectacular here, but MLW continues to be a very solid overall product.