By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
Major League Wrestling Fusion: Alpha (Episode 5)
Taped in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at 2300 Arena
Streamed October 20, 2021 on the MLW’s YouTube Page
Rich Bocchini and Saint Laurent welcomed viewers to the show. Richard Holliday’s entrance music started for his Caribbean Championship match with King Muertes. Holliday’s music stopped and started again, but he never came out. Cameras cut backstage where Contra members Mads Krugger and Ikuro Kwon were standing over the fallen Holliday. Alexander Hammerstone showed up and ran off the Contra members…
The broadcast team pivoted to hyping the Opera Cup match. Willow Nightingale joined them for the featherweight division match…
1. Nicole Savoy vs. Holidead (w/Dr. Dax). Savoy sent Holidead to ringside and then performed a suicide dive heading into a break. [C] Both women exchanged headbutts and ended up on the mat. They got up and traded strikes. Savoy got the better of it and performed a pair of suplexes. Savoy threw a running elbow and covered Holidead for a two count.
A short time later, Savoy caught Holidead in a submission hold. Holidead powerbombed her way out of it, but Savoy immediately applied a submission hold and got the win. Savoy immediately spoke to the referee and held her chest/abdomen. A trainer entered the ring and checked on her.
Nicole Savoy defeated Holidead.
Willow left the broadcast table and started to head up the ramp when Holidead attacked her. Holidead wrapped a chain around her first and worked over Willow with it, then dragged Dr. Dax to the back with her…
Powell’s POV: Our own Colin McGuire attended the taping of this show and reported that Savoy was taken to the hospital. It turned out that she suffered a bruised sternum. It’s a painful injury, but I assume she will bounce back quickly. On a side note, Nightingale has a very likable personality and came off well on commentary.
Backstage, Alicia Atout interviewed Richard Holliday, who said he was cleared to fight. He said that when you breathe rarified air, you defend your championship… Bocchini said the MLW doctor advised Holliday against wrestling despite clearing him to do so…
The upcoming fight schedule listed TJP vs. Alex Shelley and Bobby Fish vs. Lee Moriarty in Opera Cup tournament matches for next week, as well as the November 6 return to 2300 Arena, and the Thanksgiving edition of Fusion…
King Mo joined Bocchini and Laurent on commentary…
2. Matt Cross vs. Calvin Tankman in an Opera Cup tournament first-round match. Cross put Tankman down with a cutter and went for the pin, but Tankman kicked out. Cross acted stunned that he didn’t put him away. Tankman came back with a popup elbow. Cross threw a forearm to the face and a kick. Tankman turned him inside out with a clothesline. Tankman blasted a kneeling Cross with a back elbow to the back of the head and pinned him.
Calvin Tankman defeated Matt Cross to advance in the Opera Cup tournament.
King Mo said Tankman’s win was impressive. Tankman looked into the camera and said the Opera Cup was his for the taking. Tankman went to the stage and spoke into the camera while telling his daughter that he was going to bring the Opera Cup home for her…
Alicia Atout interviewed Matt Cross, who accused Tankman of poking him in the eye. He said his vision was blurry and it was BS…
Powell’s POV: Another good outing for Tankman, who continues to impress. The post match whining from Cross was encouraging. He’s been rather vanilla as a babyface in MLW, but I think he’ll be a fun heel.
Bocchini spoke about Tajiri winning the MLW Middleweight Championship and being greeted by the press when he returned home to Japan…
Atout interviewed Budd Heavy in front of the MLW backdrop. Heavy had a can of beer with him. He said the reaction he received from the Philly crowd was almost as good as when he had his first beer. Cesar Duran’s masked man showed up and indicated that he wanted Atout to come with him…
Powell’s POV: Budd Heavy is a wrestling god!
Bocchini said Jordan Oliver was hospitalized after he and Myron Reed were attacked by 5150…
Footage aired of Jacob Fatu venting to Josef Samael about losing the MLW World Championship to Alexander Hammerstone. Samael told him that he had a plan. He told Fatu to get his head back in the game because it was time for War Chamber. Fatu spotted the cameraman and charged him…
Cesar Duran was on the phone in his office when Atout arrived. She corrected him on the pronunciation of her last name. Duran said he was very impressed by her work. She brought up an interview request that she made. Duran acted like he missed it. Duran implied that she’s with Richard Holliday and told her that she would have a front row seat for his match against King Muertes… [C]
Powell’s POV: It may have been a throwaway line for some viewers, but I like that Atout mentioned the presence of the camera at one point during the segment. In other words, we’re not just magically able to see the conversation while the parties involved don’t notice the camera(s).
Duran sat in his office and spoke into the camera. He spoke about having a conversation with Mads Krugger and said they had much to discuss…
A tale of the tape was shown for the main event… Cesar Duran and Alicia Atout were shown seated in the front row together drinking champagne while entrances for the main event took place…
3. Richard Holliday vs. King Muertes for the Caribbean Championship. A “Muertes is going to kill you” chant broke out. Holliday held up his title belt and told the fans that he’s the champion, which scored him some heat. Two members of Contra’s Sentai Death Squad stood on the entrance ramp. Duran and Atout were shown repeatedly, typically with him smirking while she shot him dirty looks. Footage aired of EJ Nduka and Mads Krugger fighting in the backstage area while the match continued inside the ring. [C]
The match spilled to ringside where Duran poured champagne over Holliday’s head. The fans cheered. Footage was shown of Contra members working over Nduka in the backstage area. Muertes dominated the majority of the match until Holliday put him down with a spinebuster. Muertes came back with a power slam for a near fall.
A clip aired of Alex Hammerstone helping EJ Nduka fight the Contra members in the backstage area. In the ring, Holliday put Muertes in a Torture Rack and then gave him a neckbreaker for a near fall. One of the Sentai Death Squad members moved closer to the ring. Holliday ended up at ringside. Ikuro Kwon showed up and threw a kick to Holliday’s head. Muertes performed a Flatliner on the floor. Muertes rolled Holliday back inside the ring and pinned him.
King Muertes defeated Richard Holliday to win the Caribbean Championship.
Duran stood and raised a glass to Atout, who knocked it out of his hand. Josef Samael and other Contra members stood on the stage. Bocchini assumed there was an alliance between Duran and Contra, and said it was all part of Duran’s master plan…
Powell’s POV: Holliday is essentially a babyface by association with Alex Hammerstone at this point, even though the live crowd rooted against him. I don’t think it will be tough to turn the crowd in his favor if MLW wants to go in that direction. While Atout’s expose on Duran was tough to follow last week, I like the way she’s positioned as a journalist thorn in the side of Duran. Atout is a good interviewer, but not every backstage interviewer could pull off the acting that this role requires. So far so good. Overall, this was a strong episode with a quality mix of in-ring action and storytelling. My weekly audio review of MLW Fusion Alpha will be available for Dot Net Members later tonight.
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