MLW Fusion Alpha Results (9/29): Alex Hammerstone Vs. Tom Lawlor, Aramis Takes On Arez

Welcome to Wrestling Inc's live coverage of MLW Fusion: Alpha, which airs every Wednesday on YouTube at 7 PM EST, as well as on beIN SPORTS on Saturdays at 10 pm EST! Be sure to chime in on your thoughts about tonight's show in the comments section below. Additionally, share our live coverage through social media. Make sure to click the REFRESH button to continue to get the most current up-to-date coverage. Above and below is what's on tonight's agenda for MLW:

Commentators Rich Bocchiniand Saint Laurent welcome fans to the second episode of MLW Fusion: Alpha! We head straight to the ring for the first contested matchup!

But before we get to it, "The Black Hand of CONTRA," Mads Krügger has a message for Alex Hammerstone. Krügger says his mission is to end the National Openweight Champion before he faces Jacob Fatu next week. We'll see what trick he has up his sleeve later on tonight at Hammerstone's title fight.

Aramis vs. Arez

Arez rejects Aramis' handshake just as the match gets underway. Both luchadors counter one another's lockups. Arez rolls Aramis up with a crucifix pin. Aramis kicks out at one. Arez spins around with a tilt-a-whirl that he turns into a single leg takedown. Aramis reverses Arez's wheelbarrow into a sunset flip for two. Aramis snaps Arez right over with a head scissors takeover. Aramis looks for another near-fall cover. Arez plants two arm drags before a standoff. The crowd applauds and begins a Lucha chant.  On the apron, Aramis hits a punt kick. Arez returns the favor with an enziguri. Aramis springboards from the ropes and bounces through onto Arez. Arez evades a baseball slide on the outside to connect a diving moonsault! Both men are wiped out on the floor. This leads to a quick advertisement break.

After the brief break, both men are starting to recover. Arez throws a chop before sending Aramis back into the ring. With a cocky smirk, Arez thinks the moonsault was enough to win this whole thing. Not today, as Aramis, kicks out at two. Aramis lands a kick on Arez, but Arez blocks the second attempt. Aramis fires back with a kick to the gut. Arez counters with a spinning heel kick. Aramis responds with a Pele kick. Both luchadors exchange haymakers and kicks before Arez flings Aramis into the corner with a buckle bomb that sends him to the outside! Arez drags Aramis back into the ring for a pin attempt. Aramis pops out.

Aramis fires all cylinders with a somersault, followed by a tilt-a-whirl takedown, bicycle kick and suplex combination! Aramis shoots through the ropes with a laser-focused dive. The fans go wild after Aramis catches Arez with a somersault plancha! Aramis scales the top rope and flips down with a 450 Splash! Can Aramis capitalize? 1-2, Arez wiggles out. Arez hoists Aramis up and hits a Michinoku Driver. Cover. Aramis stays alive at two! Arez contemplates his next move. Aramis breaks his concentration with a flurry of kicks and a diving crossbody at one. Aramis, again, is on top of Arez with a sit-out powerbomb and another near-fall!

Arez grabs Aramis after receiving a few kicks and turns it into a powerbomb. That won't be enough to take the win just yet. Arez tests out a spinning backbreaker for the same results. Arez is ready to finish this as he makes it up on the top rope. Arez misses a shooting star press as Aramis rolls out of the way in time. Aramis entangles a torture rack airplane spin. He saves enough energy to hit a powerbomb to score the pinfall victory!

Winner: Aramis

Post-Match: Fans throw money into the ring to show their appreciation for this spectacular Lucha match. Both men embrace each other as they celebrate their hard-fought opening bout.

Still, to come, Alex Kane will make his singles debut!

- We see a vignette highlighting Jacob Fatu's well-decorated reign with the MLW World Heavyweight Championship. Fatu and Hammerstone will put both their titles on the line next week on Vice TV at 10 PM ET! But that all could change if Tom Lawlor wins his scheduled National Openweight title challenge tonight.

- "The Japanese Buzzsaw" Tajiri will make his MLW debut next Thursday.

- Cesar Duran is on the phone when Matt Cross interrupts. Cross wants an answer to his request last week, which is a world heavyweight title shot. Duran is going to give it to him. It will be Jacob Fatu versus Cross for the MLW World Heavyweight Championship next week on Fusion: Alpha!

- Also, set for next week, the Women's Featherweight Division commences. Willow Nightingale will square off against Ashley Vox!

Next, Saint Laurent announces the upcoming fight schedule for MLW:

* This Saturday, MLW will hold their Fightland tapings in Philadelphia.

* Then, on Thursday, October 7, Vice TV will air Jacob Fatu and Alex Hammerstone's Title versus Title bout from Fightland at 10 PM ET! More matches for this one-hour special will be announced later in tonight's broadcast.

* Lastly, MLW will host their Intimidation Games tapings back in Philly again on Saturday, November 6.

We head back to the ring for tonight's second scheduled match.

Alex Kane (w/King Mo) vs. Budd Heavy

Seconds after the bell rings, Alex Kane rushes toward Budd Heavy, who is in the corner interacting with the fans. Kane almost knocks Budd's head off his shoulders with a powerful clothesline. Kane plants three heavy chops on Budd's chest. Kane whips Budd out of the corner. Then, hammer throws him back into the same corner. Kane hoists Budd up and goes for a side suplex. Kane covers Budd with a lateral press. As the ref counts to two, Kane pulls Budd's head up before the three count. He is far from done with Budd.

Kane stays on top of Budd with forearm strikes in the corner. Kane rolls Budd up with snapmare and cracks Budd's spine with two heavy kicks. Budd gets some shots in, but Kane stops him with an exploder suplex. King Mo keeps count of the suplexes with number cards on the outside. Kane slams Budd on the mat with a ripcord Olympic-style suplex. Kane puts his boot on top of Budd's chest while striking a pose. "The Suplex Assassin" earns his very first victory under the MLW banner.

Winner: Alex Kane

Post-Match: The fans, along with Rich Bocchini and Saint Laurent, are worried Budd Heavy may have signed his death warrant when he gave Alex Kane two middle finger salutes after the match. Kane knocks Budd into next week with another round of exploder, German and ripcord Olympic-style suplexes.

Backstage: Alicia Atout is standing by with EJ "The Judge" Nduka. She takes us back to Battle Riot III, where Nduka broke the record for most eliminations made. The Judge says he is built for this and plans to show up and show out for MLW.

- We hear from 5150 who call out Injustice (Middleweight Champion Myron Reed & Jordan Oliver).

At the Fightland Control Center, Rich Bocchini announces the matches set from Fightland next Thursday:

* "The Most Highly-Anticipated Match in MLW History/Title Versus Title: Jacob Fatu (MLW World Heavyweight Championship) vs. Alex Hammerstone (National Openweight Championship)

* Four-Way Match for the MLW Middleweight Championship: Myron Reed (c) vs. Aramis vs. Arez vs. Tajiri

**As a reminder, this event will air next Thursday at 10 PM ET on Vice TV. **

Still, to come, Alex Hammerstone will put his National Openweight Championship on the line against "Filthy" Tom Lawlor.

Breaking News: Cesar Duran is giving Alex Kane the first replacement spot in this year's Opera Cup. Should any of the eight men have to pull out of the tournament for any reason, Kane will be the first to take their spot. The full bracket for this year's Opera Cup Tournament is available to view here.

And now, the main event! Could Tom Lawlor sour the plans set for next Thursday?

MLW National Openweight Championship: Alex Hammerstone (c) vs. "Filthy" Tom Lawlor

Tom Lawlor loses focus when he hears a roar of Hammerstone chants come from the crowd. Refocused, Lawlor sends Alex Hammerstone down on the mat with a single leg takedown. Hammerstone rolls over to the rope to break out of it. Both men lock up again. Lawlor ducks under and applies a wrist lock that drives Hammerstone back on the mat. Hammerstone reverses the hold with one of his own. Lawlor grabs the top rope.

Lawlor tests the waters with a couple of knee strikes. Hammerstone backs Lawlor into the corner. Lawlor pulls out with a side headlock. Hammerstone finds the ropes and hits a big shoulder tackle. Lawlor looks stunned. It happens again. This time, Lawlor steps out of the ring to restrategize. Hammerstone grabs Lawlor by his ears and pulls him up on the apron. Lawlor creates some space by yanking down on Hammerstone's arm. Hammerstone sends Lawlor back to the outside. On the outside now, both men trade some ferocious shots. After taking two chops, Hammerstone pops Lawlor face-first onto the apron. They make their way back into the ring.

Lawlor rakes Hammerstone with an eye bar (Lawlor's words, not ours) and sends the champion face-first on the mat with a running bulldog. Lawlor then traps Hammerstone in the corner. The champ forces himself back up, and Lawlor topples to the outside. Lawlor slams Hammerstone's arm up against the ring post to create some space. Both men trade more heavy forearms. Lawlor rolls Hammerstone over and locks in an armbar. Hammerstone drags himself to the bottom rope. More forearm smashes follow. Hammerstone breaks it up with a bicycle kick.

Lawlor counters Hammerstone's fallaway slam with a guillotine. Hammerstone breaks it up with a rope break. Lawlor holds on to the champ's arm and drags him down on the mat with a crossface. Hammerstone seizes a massive swinging Uranage in on Lawlor. Hammerstone picks up steam with a flying clothesline from off the ropes. His momentum continues with an overhead belly-to-belly suplex, but it's not nearly enough to pin Lawlor down just yet.

Hammerstone struggles to get the Nightmare Pendulum on Lawlor after taking several blows to his left arm and shoulder earlier. Lawlor gestures for someone to come out. No one does. Lawlor toys with Hammerstone by pleading with him before laying a shot to the knee. Hammerstone recovers and hits a German Suplex on the distracted Lawlor, then a powerbomb. Hammerstone hooks the legs for a two-count. Hammerstone nails the Nightmare Pendulum to retain his National Openweight Championship!

Winner: Alex Hammerstone

Injustice versus 5150 has been added to next week's show. Below is the updated card for next Wednesday's Fusion: Alpha:

* MLW World Heavyweight Championship: Jacob Fatu (c) vs. Matt Cross

* Willow Nightingale and Ashley Vox will kick things off in the Women's Featherweight Division.

* Injustice (MLW Middleweight Champion Myron Reed & Jordan Oliver) vs. 5150

Backstage: Alicia Atout is waiting right behind the curtain to get a word from Alex Hammerstone after his successful title defense. Richard Holliday shouts at Atout to get out of the way before CONTRA Unit crashes the party with a gang beatdown on Hammerstone and Holliday.

That concludes this week's episode. Thanks for watching!