By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
Major League Wrestling “Slaughterhouse”
Long Beach, California, at Thunder Studios Arena
Streamed live October 4, 2025, on MLW YouTube
The lighting was good. Joe Dombrowski and Tom Lawlor provided commentary; Joe was dressed as a Ghostbuster, and Tom as Fred Flintstone.
* The cage was set up as the show began! (As I noted with GCW recently, best to have the cage set up and do that first.) There is barbed wire along the top, tables leaning in the corners, and chairs hanging on the cage walls. UGH, there is an electric chair in the corner, too. Even worse, you have to strap someone into the chair and pull the lever to win the match...
1. Mads “Krule” Krugger vs. Matthew Justice vs. CW Anderson vs. Brock Anderson vs. Mr. Thomas vs. Chris Adonis in a Chamber of Horrors (weapon-filled cage) match. Justice was just competing in Germany two weeks ago. The Andersons can work together in this ‘every man for himself’ bout. This is probably only my second time I’ve seen Adonis in 2025. Everyone attacked Krule to open. Krule overpowered each of them. Justice speared Krule through a door at 1:30. He hit an unprotected chairshot over Krule’s head; I hate that. Adonis and Thomas traded chops. We had a Tower of Doom superplex spot.
We had a triple clothesline spot in the center of the ring, and everyone was briefly down. Thomas set up a table in the corner. Justice hit a top-rope flying clothesline at 4:30. Krule hit a frogsplash on Brock. Krule put Brock in the chair, but CW hit Krule with a chair, and he freed Brock. However, Krule put CW in the chair and pulled the lever to end this match. We had some lighting and cheesy ‘electricity’ special effect sounds. Blah. That was a mess, but at least it was short.
Mads “Krule” Krugger defeated Matthew Justice, CW Anderson, Brock Anderson, Mr. Thomas, and Chris Adonis in a Chamber of Horrors match at 5:22.
* The trailer for the new Bruce Springsteen movie aired. Even as a kid of the 80s, I was never a big Bruce fan, but the movie looks good.
* Shotzi Blackheart hosted “The Graveyard Shift” and she welcomed “The Skyscrapers” Donovan Dijak and Bishop Dyer to join her. They showed off their tag title belts. Krule attacked them, and they brawled to the back. Don Gato came out; Ikuro Kwon came out and confronted him, but Gato hit him with brass knuckles. A busy segment.
* We saw a video of Priscilla Kelly backstage, and she’s livid that Shotzi got her own show and everyone bends over backwards to please her.
* Dombrowski narrated a video of the results from the first-round matches in the Opera Cup tournament. Star Jr. is taking the place of the injured Zandokan Jr. in the tournament.
* Jesus Rodriguez was in the ring and spoke entirely in Spanish. My Spanish is getting worse and worse. He welcomed Julio Cesar Rivera to the ring. He introduced Star Jr.
2. Star Jr. vs. Volador Jr. (w/Rugido, Magnus) in an Opera Cup second-round match. Star Jr. wore a mask to the ring, but he removed it once he got in the ring; he has the long, curly hair of Jack Perry. Standing switches and lucha reversals early on. Star Jr. hit a headscissors takedown, then a flip dive to the floor onto Volador Jr. and his myrmidons. The henchmen stomped on Star Jr. on the floor.
They shoved him into the ring, and Volador Jr. got a nearfall at 2:30. Star Jr. hit a swinging neckbreaker and a senton for a nearfall. Volador Jr. hit a Code Red for a nearfall at 4:30. Star Jr. hit a Frankensteiner for a nearfall. Volador Jr. hit a superkick under the chin, and they were both down. Volador Jr. hit a spike headscissors takedown for the pin. Good action while it lasted.
Volador Jr. defeated Star Jr. at 6:21 to advance to the semifinals.
3. Bishop Dyer vs. Satoshi Kojima (w/Okumura) in an Opera Cup second-round match. Standing switches and a feeling-out process to open. Kojima hit a hip-toss. Dyer (f/k/a Baron Corbin) backed Satoshi into a corner and hit some punches, then a clothesline into the corner at 3:00. They brawled to the floor, with Bishop in charge. Satoshi fired up and hit some forearm strikes. They got back into the ring with Bishop hitting a back suplex for a nearfall at 5:00, and he kept Kojima grounded.
Dyer hit a clothesline at 7:00 and soaked in the boos. Kojima hit his rapid-fired chops in the corner, then a running forearm to the jaw and a second-rope elbow drop for a nearfall. Bishop hit a Death Valley Driver. Satoshi clotheslined Dyer to the floor. In the ring, he hit a Koji Cutter for a nearfall at 9:30. Bishop hit his Deep Six spinning back suplex for a believable nearfall, then a vertical suplex for a nearfall. Kojima hit a decapitating clothesline but only got a one-count! Kojima hit another clothesline for the clean pin. That topped my expectations.
Satoshi Kojima defeated Bishop Dyer at 11:06 to advance to the semifinals.
* Backstage, Krule and Dijak were brawling again! An ad aired for the Oct. 25 “Symphony of Horrors” show (presumably with matches filmed here.)
* Paul Walter Hauser came out in a sports jacket and baseball cap. He joined Dombrowski and Lawlor at the booth.
4. Austin Aries vs. Paul London in an Opera Cup second-round match. Again, this is a first-time-ever match, which is somewhat mind-blowing, but for ROH historians like myself, London left ROH about the same time Aries arrived in 2003-04. Aries came out first and got on the mic and berated the ‘insider’ fans. Sadly, we had some “What?” chants to his remarks. A feeling-out process, and the crowd chanted profanities at Aries. Austin did some quick reversals, then rested on the ropes in the corner, drawing boos. Aries hit a deep armdrag at 2:30.
London hit a one-footed dropkick that sent Aries to the floor. London leapt off the apron and hit a clothesline to the floor. London hit some chops as they looped the ring. Aries accidentally hit the ring post. In the ring, London hit a superkick for a nearfall. Aries took control, hitting a diving elbow to the spine for a nearfall at 5:00. Dombrowski put over Aries’ conditioning, diet and training. London flipped Aries over the top rope to the floor, then Paul hit a baseball slide dropkick.
In the ring, Paul hit a belly-to-belly suplex and some punches in the corner, then a spinning leg lariat for a nearfall at 7:00. London went to the top rope, but Aries shoved him off, and Paul crashed to the floor. Aries dove through the ropes and barreled onto London. Aries walked over to Hauser and jawed with him. Aries shoved London into Hauser, then he threw Paul into the ring, where he hit a neckbreaker in the ropes. Aries hit his dropkick into the corner, then a brainbuster for the pin. Good action, but I had hoped for a cleaner finish (and a longer match!)
Austin Aries defeated Paul London at 9:07 to advance to the semifinals.
* London ‘ipie-faced’ Hauser and walked to the back. Hauser got on the mic and said he wanted to apologize. Hauser took show jabs about London wrestling on Velocity. Hauser said he wants “to settle this.”
* Another Don Gato vignette aired. This was gross and not funny.
* A vignette aired for Killer Kross coming to the Nov. 20 show!
5. Matt Riddle vs. Alex Hammerstone. Alex easily shoved him to the mat. Riddle jumped on Hammerstone’s back, but Alex easily shrugged him off. Riddle hit some chops and some jumping knees. They fought to the floor, and Hammerstone powerbombed him onto the ring apron at 3:00. In the ring, Hammerstone hit a backbreaker over his knee and was in charge. Hammerstone hit a head-capture Exploder Suplex for a nearfall at 5:00, and he applied a belly-to-belly bearhug, then a belly-to-belly suplex.
Riddle hit a jumping knee, and they were both down at 6:30. They got up and traded punches. Matt hit another jumping knee and a flying forearm in the corner. Matt hit a top-rope corkscrew cannonball, barreling onto a standing Hammerstone. Matt missed a moonsault. Hammerstone hit a powerslam for a nearfall at 9:00. Riddle caught him in a Triangle Choke in the ropes, and he got it re-applied in the center of the ring, but Hammerstone hit a powerbomb to escape.
Hammerstone accidentally splashed the ref in the corner! He hit a Mafia Kick on Riddle. Krule came to the ring and struck Hammerstone in the back. Dijak jumped in the ring and hit Krule with a chairshot to the back. Dyer returned, too, and hit some punches. Riddle hit a low blow uppercut on Hammerstone for the pin! “What the hell was that????” Dombrowski shouted. “What in the world did we see??” A decent match until all the run-ins and distractions.
Matt Riddle defeated Alex Hammerstone at 12:03.
* Dombrowski confronted Riddle in the ring. Matt grabbed the mic and called Joe “a beta with a microphone,” and he ordered Dombrowski to leave the ring. Lots of boos for Matt. He used to think wrestling fans were awesome, but he now says, “You’re a bunch of morons, bro.” He said he could beat anyone in the crowd or anyone in the locker room. He said this is now “the era of the rude dude.”
* An ad aired for the Nov. 20 show.
6. Shoko Nakajima vs. Himawari for the MLW Featherweight Title. I don’t think I’ve seen Himawari before; she wore orange and brown, and Dombrowski said her name means “sunflower.” Standing switches; both appear to be about 5’0″. Right on cue, Joe said Himawari is 5’1″ and has the size advantage. Shoko hit a dropkick at 1:30 and an elbow drop for a nearfall. Himawari hit her with her braids, like Bianca Belair does. Himawari applied a single-leg crab at 3:30, but Shoko reached the ropes. Shoko hit a clothesline in the corner and a springboard huracanrana for a nearfall.
Shoko missed a 619. They went to the floor, with Himawari hitting her some more with her hair, then a spinning slam onto the thin mat at ringside. Shoko hit a 619 in the ring, then she dove through the ropes onto Himawari at 7:00, and she got a nearfall back in the ring. Himawari hit a powerbomb out of the corner, and they were both down. They got up and traded forearm strikes, and Himawari whipped her more with her braids. She hit a clothesline. Nakajima hit a slingshot senton at 10:00, a dropkick, and another 619. Shoko got an O’Connor Roll for a nearfall. Himawari slammed her to the mat. Shoko hit a hard back elbow and a DDT, then a top-rope senton splash for the pin. Fun match.
Shoko Nakajima defeated Himawari to retain the MLW Featherweight Title at 12:22.
* Backstage, Salina de la Renta, Cesar Duran, and Don Gato hung out. Salina and Cesar talked about the upcoming shows. Don Gato still hasn’t said a word. Salina noted that brass knuckles were missing! Who took them?
7. Ultimo Guerrero vs. Mistico in an Opera Cup second-round match. Dombrowski reminded us that Mistico won last year’s tournament, and he added that others have won it in consecutive years. The winner faces Aries in the semifinals. UG hit him on the back, and we’re underway! They immediately brawled to the floor. In the ring, Mistico hit some huracanranas. He went for a running somersault off the apron, but UG caught him and powerbombed him onto the thin mat at ringside at 2:00. They got back into the ring with Guerrero in charge.
Mistico nailed a dive through the ropes onto Guerrero at 5:00, and they brawled at ringside. In the ring, UG hit a second-rope face-first suplex for a nearfall. UG hit a second-rope powerbomb for a nearfall at 8:00. Mistico hit a top-rope twisting huracanrana for a nearfall. Mistico hit a mid-ring huracanrana for a nearfall. He hit a springboard crossbody block into Mistica and the Fujiwara Armbar, and Ultimo Guerrero immediately tapped out. Decent match.
Mistico defeated Ultimo Guerrero at 10:11 to advance to the semifinals.
* Aries jumped in the ring and attacked Mistico, and he hit a brainbuster, and the crowd showered him in boos.
Final Thoughts: A solid show. There isn’t one match I’d point to as “clearly the best” either. Shoko-Himawari was fun and something new, so I’ll narrowly go with that for the best match. Riddle-Hammerstone takes second with Aries-London for third. As I noted, Dyer-Kojima topped my expectations, too. No, that opening cage didn’t work for me. Too many bodies in one ring. Not sure why CW and Brock are still on this roster. We could do without Hauser, too. The tournament has been pretty good.
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