On the return of MLW Fusion, Major League Wrestling announced the upcoming 2020 Opera Cup. The tournament is MLW’s recent and biggest annual tournament and usually falls in December.
Depending on how the episodes are produced, the tournament can end up running into the January episodes. Here are the fixtures for the 2020 Opera Cup!
Major League Wrestling 2020 Opera Cup Opening Round
Tom Lawlor vs. Rocky Romero
Laredo Kid vs. ACH
Low Ki vs. Davey Boy Smith Jr
Richard Holliday vs. TJP
Since you never know what will happen with the wrestlers during this time, several alternates were announced as well. These include King Mo, Dominic Garrini, El Hijo de L.A Park, Jordan Oliver, Gino Medina, and Daga of AAA.
Strongest Seeds in the Tournament
Tom Lawlor: Mixing a strike offense with a strong submission game, “Filthy” Tom Lawlor can mix it up with heavyweights and middleweights in MLW. While he’s been indulging in shenanigans and antics against DBS Jr, the Von Erichs, and so on since he turned heel, the guy will still rumble when the bell sounds.
There was a period after losing the MLW World Championship where Lawlor’s direction and future with the company were up in the air. After resigning and reviving Team Filthy, he’s been focused when it comes to in-ring action.
Fortunately, he’ll keep that focus since the Von Erichs aren’t in the tournament.
Low Ki: Very similar to Tom Lawlor only with some heightened aggression and experience. This guy isn’t even a sleeper seed. If he can get past Davey Boy Smith Jr in the opening round, his semi-final round opponent is already in danger.
The tournament could end up being a total strike war in the semi-finals and finals and Low Ki has that ground well covered. Of course, he can dip into his bag and break out some high-flying if it’s that kind of party.
Davey Boy Smith Jr: Speaking of being in danger, DBS Jr faces Low Ki and has shaped up to be a strong hybrid wrestler in the truest MLW sense. The 2019 Opera Cup winner is coming in seeking a repeat but the field looks a little hairy going forward.
We’ll have to see if he can get past Low Ki. His march towards and failure to capture the MLW World Heavyweight title has to have left him rattled a bit but he’ll have to rally himself to regain his momentum.
Richard Holliday: While a strong seed, Holliday is something of a sleeper if you don’t include ACH—someone we haven’t seen in MLW action. Holliday is crafty and has the skills. Plus, he’s able to hang with an opponent regardless of the weight class.
Opening Round Outlook
The fixtures are alright. Honestly, I would’ve preferred some of the alternates in the tournament such as Jordan Oliver—who has bulked up some since his time out of the MLW ring—and Gino Medina.
Actually, they should’ve been seeds off the bat. Of course, King Mo could’ve made for a really interesting, really dangerous entry. My predictions for opening round action:
Tom Lawlor def. Rocky Romero via pinfall
ACH def. Laredo Kid via pinfall
Low Ki vs. Davey Boy Smith Jr – Too Close to Call
Richard Holliday def. TJP via pinfall
The Richard Holliday vs. TJP opening round will be on MLW Fusion #111 but the matches to watch in the opening round are Lawlor vs. Romero and Low Ki vs. DBS Jr. Let us know what your outlook is for the 2020 Opera Cup.
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