MLW Fusion Alpha Results: Bobby Fish & Alex Shelley Make Their In-Ring Debuts
Welcome to Wrestling Inc's live coverage of MLW Fusion: Alpha, which airs every Wednesday on YouTube and Fite TV 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:
The show begins with Cesar Duran in his office admiring the vacant National Openweight Championship. He has decided that on the Thanksgiving episode of MLW Fusion, this title will have a new home "through the miracle of violence," as he says. Who will become the new titleholder? That is yet to be determined. Stay tuned!
The new Caribbean Champion, King Muertes, shows up in Duran's office. Since Muertes did what Duran asked, which was to win the title off of Richard Holliday, he wants him to fulfill his promise to him. Duran hands him a box and informs Muertes there must be a sacrifice. Muertes opens the box, and a bright light reflects off his mask.
Commentators Rich Bocchini and Joe Dombrowski welcome fans to a brand new episode of Fusion: Alpha! We kick things off with the first of two opening-round matches of this year's Opera Cup.
Bobby Fish vs. Lee Moriarty
**Before this match kicks off, we'd like to wish Bobby Fish a Happy Birthday. **
The fans are extremely happy to see Fish make his MLW debut. Thunderous 'Bobby' and 'Undisputed' chants ring out. Now, we're off to the races. They begin with a Greco-Roman tie-up that allows Fish to land the first kick strike on Lee Moriarty. Fish evades a roundhouse from Moriarty. Both men spend the early part of the match testing one another out with feint kicks.
Both men do a great job trading hold reversals. Fish keeps Moriarty grounded. Moriarty ducks underneath and traps Fish's arm, and Fish grasps the bottom rope to break free. Back to a vertical base, Fish holds Moriarty in the corner and plants a hellacious set of knee strikes to the gut and chin of Moriarty. Moriarty picks up steam with back-to-back arm drags. Both men swap heavy forearm strikes on the apron. Moriarty overpowers Fish, who falls to the outside. But using his educated feet, Fish whips up a ferocious toe hold that sends Moriarty face-first on the edge of the apron! Fish continues the onslaught by forcefully tossing Moriarty into the guard rail before the quick break.
We return with Fish firing off more strikes. Fish throws Moriarty back into the ring and picks up the first near fall attempt in the match. Fish comes crashing down on Moriarty with a slingshot somersault senton, hoping this will be enough to win this round. Not so fast! Fish continues to lay out punishment on Moriarty before he finds himself on the receiving end of a shining wizard. But it isn't enough for Moriarty to pick up the victory. Fish runs Moriarty into the buckles en route to a dragon screw and low clothesline for two.
Moriarty turns this contest around with a beautiful hammerlock DDT. He grabs another near fall. Fish breaks a sleeper hold seconds after the pin and hurls Moriarty into the ropes. They go for call and response shots. Fish wins that exchange with a Saito suplex. Cover. Moriarty leaps out at two. Moriarty looks for back-to-back pin attempts. Fish brings it home with a trapped heel hook. Fish will meet Davey Richards in the semifinals!
Winner: Bobby Fish
- Be sure to check out Bobby Fish's match with CM Punk on tonight's AEW Dynamite at 8 pm ET!
Breaking News: During the Fish-Moriarty match, Rich Bocchini announced that a Ladder Match will occur for the National Openweight Championship on the Thanksgiving episode of MLW Fusion. The participants for this match will be: Alex Shelley vs. Myron Reed vs. Alex Kane vs. Zenshi vs. TBA.
- We look back on Richard Holliday – King Muertes MLW Caribbean Title match from last week.
- Earlier, Emilio Sparks caught up with EJ Nduka, who will join the World Heavyweight Champion Alex Hammerstone and Holliday in an eight-man tag match at War Chamber next week. Nduka said once things simmer post-War Chamber, he'd like to receive a title shot against Hammerstone.
Next Week:
* Sea Stars Ashley Vox and Delmi Exo will be in action.
Up next, Calvin Tankman will be in action. Before his match, the Heavyweight Hustle declares he has no interest in joining King Mo and Alex Kane's training camp. Mo and Kane overhear this and whale on him, busting him open.
- To keep us distracted, the MLW World Tag Team Champions LA Park & Hijo de LA Park, along with LA Park Jr., give us some trick-or-treating tips ahead of Halloween!
- Mads Krügger accepts Cesar Duran's invitation to come and see him from last week. Duran wants to help Krügger find his roots again.
With that said, Mads Krügger will be in action next!
- In a quick graphic, they announce Warhorse will make his MLW debut soon!
- Last week, Holidead laid out Nicole Savoy after their match and Willow Nightingale, who was on commentary. Earlier, Emilio Sparks caught up with Nightingale to see how she's healing. She is at the merchandise table. She briefly pauses her autograph session to ask Duran for a match against Holidead soon.
Mads Krügger (w/the Sentai Death Squad) vs. Dr. Dax (w/Holidead)
Just before their match, a pop-up screen appears, and it shows that Calvin Tankman is going to the hospital after getting jumped by King Mo and Alex Kane earlier.
Mads Krügger lays straight into Dr. Dax with a big boot and forearm combo strike. The Black Hand of CONTRA sustains his position with a Full Nelson Slam. That'll do it for this hoss fight.
Winner: Mads Krügger
Post-Match: Mads Krügger hopes Alex Hammerstone was watching. MLW's folk hero Budd Heavy runs out with a steel chair. Krügger kicks it out of his hands and ragdolls the crowd favorite.
- Two weeks ago, 5150 assaulted Injustice. With them in their rear-view window, 5150 are hungry, and they want the tag team titles.
- A quick plug is made for next Saturday's War Chamber TV tapings. Just in, Josef Samael has added a soldier from the Sentai Death to join Team CONTRA. This will now become a five-on-five match. Which two athletes will Alex Hammerstone choose to recruit for The Hammerheads (himself, Richard Holliday & EJ Nduka)?
Backstage: Speaking of Hammerstone, the World Heavyweight Champion is standing by with Alicia Atout. Hammerstone said he's been waiting a long time to put the final nail in the coffin of this CONTRA Unit rivalry. He hopes he can fulfill that objective next Saturday. With his face completely wrapped, Richard Holliday joins his fellow Dynasty ally. Holliday muffles out something that offends Atout, and she slaps him across the face before exiting the interview.
- We take a look at nZo's (fka Enzo Amore) interview with TMZ Sports. He will make his MLW debut next Saturday against Matt Cross.
And now, the main event! Which fighter will become the last entrant headed to the semifinals?
Opera Cup Opening Round: TJP vs. Alex Shelley
They kick things off with a Greco-Roman lockup. TJP sends Alex Shelley to the mat. Shelley heads back up to a vertical base and arm drags TJP to the canvas. Shelley pins TJP's shoulders down for a two-count just before resetting. Shelley holds over control with an abdominal stretch. Shelley goes flying with a double axe handle, changing the pace of this slow and steady bout. He keeps the groundwork on TJP for quite some time. TJP hits the floor with a well-scouted Pescado just before the quick break.
TJP is up on the apron as we return. He sends Shelley back into the ring and stuns him with a knee to the face. TJP digs deep with a head scissors takedown. Shelley reverses with a cover. TJP bridges out and effortlessly ensnare Shelley back into another head scissors. Shelley rolls through with an overhand chop. Following a sunset flip, TJP floats over and fastens in a Muta Lock. TJP lands a near-fall attempt. Shelley escapes a tornado DDT and propels him face-first into the turnbuckles.
Shelley spikes TJP with the same DDT. He waits for the fans to fire him up as he perches to the top. Shelley comes crashing down with a frog splash. Unfortunately, it still isn't enough for him to etch his name in this tournament. TJP takes out Shelley's left knee, creating some brief distance to plot his next set of moves. Shelley slows TJP down with a forearm. TJP ducks Slice Bread #2. Shelley evades a splash and ties him up with a cross-arm breaker. TJP steps over but can't lock in either a Figure Four or an STF. As Shelley has TJP locked up, TJP traps his shoulders on the mat and holds on to the rope for leverage. The referee doesn't catch it and awards the win to TJP.
Winner: TJP
- TJP will meet Calvin Tankman, should Tankman be cleared to compete.
Alex Shelley looks flustered. And with that, that concludes this week's episode of Fusion: Alpha. Thanks for watching!