Originally published at MLW Fusion ALPHA Report: Davey Richards vs. Bobby Fish, 12-man tag
MLW Fusion ALPHA #8
November 10th, 2021
2300 Arena – Philadelphia, PA
Commentary: Rich Bocchini & Joe Dombrowski
The Key to Unleash Your Dreams
The show starts with Emilio Sparks trying to get a word with Alex Hammerstone about how his ankle is feeling ahead of War Chamber, but EJ Nduka cuts him off as Hammerstone is saying he’s busy eating. Sparks then goes to Richard Holliday who is on the phone busy talking to ‘Max’ about Sting not being over since he was with The Police and ‘Max’ stating he wants to be part of the War Chamber match (insinuating he was talking to MJF). Cesar Duran and his henchman come in and Duran calls the team ‘The Hammer Dicks’, but Holliday corrects him that it’s the ‘The Hammerheads’. Duran says they were hard to find and, in a predicament, as they still need one more man for their team at War Chamber and have been ignoring him. Hammerstone says it’s because they don’t trust him, and they don’t do deals with the devil. Duran tells them to think rationally and wants to stop CONTRA Unit and tells them to take this opportunity to work together and take out CONTRA once and for all. Hammerstone asks who this mystery man is, and Duran says they will personally love this man and shows off a key on his necklace and says ‘they just need a key to unleash your dreams’. Holliday asks who uses keys anymore as he just unlocked his phone with his face, as Nduka and Hammerstone argue what’s better, cookies & cream, or peanut butter.
Los Parks (El Hijo de LA Park, LA Park Jr. & LA Park) vs. 5150 (Rivera, Slice Boogie & Homicide) (w/ Konnan & Dr. Julius Smokes)
Despite this being announced as a trios match; Homicide and LA Park don’t come out to start the match, as Jacob Fatu is shown backstage being held back by Atlas Security. Rivera, Boogie, Hijo, and Jr. start the match brawling in the ring as Rich Bocchini states that LA Park was involved in an altercation before heading down to the ring. Homicide eventually makes his way to the ring and attacks Los Parks. LA Park walks out with a chair and joins in the action which is just a straight-up brawl. 5150 ends up on the outside and gets a triple suicide dive from Los Parks. LA Park takes off his belt and starts whipping 5150 with it as a wooden board makes its way inside the ring. Hijo hits Boogie with a German suplex and a Code Red for a two count, but Boogie comes back and powerbombs Hijo through the wooden board. This prompts LA Park to come in and hit Boogie over the head with a steel chair as the referee throws this match out.
Winner: The match is a no-contest at 5:11
Julius Smokes comes in and knocks the referee out with a slapjack, as 5150 and Los Parks continue to brawl including Rivera hitting a corkscrew plancha to the outside on Jr. and Homicide diving onto Hijo. Boogie and LA Park then go at it in the ring until all six men continue to brawl on the outside.
Licking Windows & Stealing Masks
We go to a CONTRA Unit video with Josef Samael calling Philadelphia the city of sweating fat fucking pigs and scummy, inbred, window-licking garbage people. Samael says Philly is known for backing losers, so he isn’t surprised they are backing Hammerstone, Nduka, and Holliday. It doesn’t matter as when they step into his cage, there will be nowhere to run and nowhere to hide.
We go backstage where security is trying to keep 5150 and Los Parks apart as Jacob Fatu is seeing breaking through them as well. 5150 is able to snatch away El Hijo’s mask but the rest of Los Parks cover his face.
12 Man Survival Tag Team Match: The Beastman (w/ Kim Chee), Kevin Ku, Gino Medina, KC Navarro, Ikuro Kwon & King Mo vs. Zenshi, Warhorse, Savio Vega, The Blue Meanie, Richard Holliday & EJ Nduka
All twelve men start the match brawling as Savio uses a kendo stick to send all the heels to the outside. We start the match with Ku and Warhorse, with Warhorse missing a double stomp off the top and getting eliminated by Kwon after a powerbomb. Nduka and King Mo come in and Nduka immediately eliminates Mo after hitting just one move, being his Verdict spinebuster. Nduka then eliminates Kevin Ku after a powerbomb as they go to a commercial.
When we come back Navarro and Holliday are in the ring, but quickly head to the outside where Navarro dives onto Holliday then hits a frog splash for a two. Navarro and Zenshi go at it for a bit, until Kwon gets involved. Beastman comes in and destroys Zenshi and eliminates him after a corner cannonball. Savio and Beastman go at it while holding a kendo stick and a bone, but the referee takes away Savio’s kendo stick which causes Beastman to take control and hit a clothesline and big splash to eliminate Vega. Blue Meanie struts his way in and challenges Beastman to a sumo-style match-up. Kim Chee holds Meanie’s leg in the corner as Beastman hits a splash in the corner and running splash for the pin to eliminate Meanie. Nduka and Beastman go at it as Chee tries to get involved only to get tossed away by Nduka. Beastman accidentally splashes Chee and gets hit with The Verdict and eliminated by Nduka. Nduka then hits Kim Chee with The Verdict and pins him, despite not being in the match. Former Dynasty teammates Medina and Holliday go at it until they end up on the outside where Holliday gets counted out. It’s now down to 3 on 1 with Kwon, Medina, and Navarro jumping Nduka, but Nduka fights them off and hits Medina with the Verdict eliminating him. Nduka catches a flying Navarro and hits the Verdict to eliminate him. It’s down to Kwon and Nduka as the last two men. Nduka picks Kwon up in a fireman’s carry position into the Verdict for the final elimination.
Winner: EJ Nduka by pinfall at 13:15, being the lone survivor.
Birds of a Feather, Flock Together
They tease that Cesar Duran will have a big surprise for next week’s War Chamber special on top of the mysterious fifth man being revealed. We go to Duran’s office where he is speaking to Willow Nightingale about her possibly becoming the first-ever MLW Women’s Featherweight Champion. Duran says she’s friends with some of her competitors, but Willow interrupts him and says she came to MLW to become part of some wild matches and not to be friends and plans to take and make that title. Duran says he believes this is the beginning of a very proactive relationship. Duran’s henchman walks in and tells Duran about Jacob Fatu, so Duran tells him to bring Fatu to his office.
nZo is Coming Soon
We get a coming soon video for nZo including a preview of his theme song which sounds like it has nZo rapping on it.
Trouble Within CONTRA
Jacob Fatu makes his way into Duran’s office and starts throwing stuff around demanding a title fight with Hammerstone. Duran says his hands are tied and can’t make a title fight. Duran mentions the double-edged sword and Fatu says he’s aware of it and it cuts you both ways. Duran mentions that when Fatu was the champion, Josef Samael forced a concession on Court Bauer that gave him the right over all of his fights by controlling the championship contract and says that agreement is still in effect and Samael hasn’t approved Fatu’s rematch and there’s nothing Duran can do about it. Duran then says to Fatu that a man must sometimes take the reign of his own destiny. Fatu thinks about it for a second then pushes Duran off and says nobody will come in between himself and Josef Samael and walks away.
2021 Opera Cup Semi-Finals: Davey Richards vs. Bobby Fish
These two have previously only had one singles encounter in 2013 at ROH Reclamation in which Fish was victorious. They start the match slowly, circling each other and showing a sign of respect before locking up. They start trading kicks before Fish ends up on the outside. Back inside, they trade off waist locks, until Fish gets tossed to the outside again, but trips up Richards off the apron. Fish starts hitting body shots while Richards is against the barricade but throws him back inside where he quickly goes on the attack. They end up back outside and brawl a bit more. Inside, Fish stays in control before being taken down with a knee as they go to commercials.
When we are back, Richards stays in control and works on the wrist of Fish. Richards then starts working on the legs of Fish and holds him down with a body scissors. Fish challenges Richards to give him his best as they trade strikes and kicks. Fish hits a low clothesline and gets a two-count, but Richards stops Fish by putting his knees up but Fish catches Richards in a heel hook, that Richards flips into a sharpshooter. They go back to kicking each other, but Richards reverses one into an ankle lock, hits a brainbuster, and goes right back into an ankle lock until Fish submits.
Winner: Davey Richards by submission at 12:09, to advance
As Richards is celebrating, they announce in two weeks it will be TJP vs. Calvin Tankman in the other semi-finals. Richards helps Fish up and they embrace with a hug.
Is Matanza Returning?
Alicia Atout is backstage with Alex Hammerstone, EJ Nduka, and Richard Holliday where they announced Savio Vega will be part of their team, but Cesar Duran will still add one more person to their team and questions who it might be. Nduka mentions the key and what Duran used to use it for being his brother in Lucha Underground but doesn’t mention Matanza (Jeff Cobb) by name. Hammerstone says nobody has seen his brother in years and doesn’t think that’s even on the table and Holliday isn’t happy that Savio is on their team, and he doesn’t get along with him. Holliday says Savio isn’t a babyface like them and Hammerstone and Atout both say Holliday isn’t a babyface. Hammerstone says Holliday is a tweener at best before Duran’s henchman comes in and whispers in Alicia’s ear. Atout says Duran just gave Holliday a world title shot, and they both start making fun of the situation and what would happen if Holliday turned on Hammerstone. Hammerstone says the mind games won’t work and he wants matches with Nduka and Holliday because he wants to face the best and they will win at War Chamber no matter what games he’ll throw at them.