Opera Cup (2019)

Last updated
Opera Cup (2019)
Harry Smith at Stampede cropped.jpg
2019 winner Davey Boy Smith Jr.
Promotion Major League Wrestling
DateDecember 5, 2019
City Queens, New York City, New York
VenueMelrose Ballroom
Event chronology
← Previous
Blood and Thunder 		Next →
Zero Hour
Opera Cup chronology
← Previous
First		Next →
2020

Opera Cup (2019) was a professional wrestling supercard event produced by Major League Wrestling (MLW), which took place on December 5, 2019 at the Melrose Ballroom in Queens, New York City, New York. The event was a set of television tapings for Fusion featuring the inaugural namesake Opera Cup single-elimination tournament. [1]

Contents

The main event was the final round of the Opera Cup tournament between Davey Boy Smith Jr. and Brian Pillman Jr., which Smith won. In other prominent matches on the undercard, Myron Reed successfully defended the World Middleweight Championship against El Lindaman, Jimmy Havoc defeated Mance Warner in a Prince of Darkness match, Gino Medina defeated Savio Vega in a New York City Street Fight and Contra Unit defeated Strong Hearts. [2] [3]

Production

Background

Opera House Cup was annually held as a professional wrestling tournament for nearly fifty years in various cities in the United States until 1948, when Stu Hart won the tournament and it was discontinued. Hart kept the possession of the Opera Cup trophy since then. On July 21, 2019, Major League Wrestling announced that it would be holding an event on December 5 at the Melrose Ballroom in Queens, New York City, New York which would be a set of television tapings of MLW's television program Fusion . [4] On July 24, it was reported that Stu Hart's grandson and MLW wrestler Teddy Hart would be donating an inherited "family heirloom" to MLW. [5] On July 30, MLW.com announced that the family heirloom was Stu Hart's Opera Cup trophy and MLW would be bringing back the Opera Cup tournament on the December 5 supercard, naming it Opera Cup. [6]

Storylines

The card consisted of matches that resulted from scripted storylines, where wrestlers portrayed villains, heroes, or less distinguishable characters in scripted events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches, with results predetermined by MLW's writers. Storylines were played out on MLW's television program Fusion . [7]

On November 13, MLW.com announced that the first match in the opening round of the Opera Cup would feature Brian Pillman Jr. against TJP, who would be making his return to MLW since 2004. [8] The following day, it was announced that as per the decision of the Hart family, The Dynasty members MJF and Alexander Hammerstone would be competing against each other in the opening round of the Opera Cup. [9] On November 18, it was announced that the Hart family member Davey Boy Smith Jr. would be taking on Pro Wrestling Zero1 wrestler Shinjiro Otani in the third match of the Opera Cup tournament. [10] However, Otani withdrew from the tournament and was replaced by Low Ki on December 4. On November 21, the final match in the opening round of the Opera Cup was announced pitting Timothy Thatcher against Dynasty member Richard Holliday. [11]

On November 18, MLW.com reported that Contra Unit was involved in an altercation with Japanese wrestlers during MLW's visit to Japan. [12] The following day, Strong Hearts (Cima, El Lindaman and Shigehiro Irie) issued a challenge to Contra Unit for a match, which was made official for Opera Cup, thus marking the MLW debut of Strong Hearts. [13]

At Saturday Night SuperFight, Mance Warner defeated Jimmy Havoc and Bestia 666 in a Stairway to Hell match but Havoc attacked Warner after the match. The feud between Warner and Havoc continued as the two competed in a Falls Count Anywhere match on the November 23 episode of Fusion, which Warner won but Havoc stabbed a fork in Warner's head after the match. [14] On November 25, MLW.com announced that Havoc and Warner would compete against each other in a Prince of Darkness match at Opera Cup. [15]

On November 26, it was announced that the recently debuted mixed martial artist King Mo would compete in a match at Opera Cup. [16]

On the special Thanksgiving episode of Fusion on November 28, Tom Lawlor turned on Ross Von Erich during his MLW World Heavyweight Championship match against Jacob Fatu by hitting Von Erich with the chair, allowing Fatu to win to retain the title. [17] On December 2, MLW.com reported that Lawlor had demanded a match against a member of Von Erich family, which was denied by Ross and Marshall Von Erich, speculating that a new member of the Von Erich family would be competing against Lawlor at the Opera Cup. [18]

Results

No.ResultsStipulations
1DDr. Dax defeated Maverick Chris Callaway Singles match
2FT Brian Pillman Jr. defeated TJP Opera Cup tournament quarter-final
(Fusion– December 14) [19]
3FT Davey Boy Smith Jr. defeated Low Ki Opera Cup tournament quarter-final
(Fusion– December 21) [20]
4FT Timothy Thatcher defeated Richard Holliday via submissionOpera Cup tournament quarter-final
(Fusion– December 14) [19]
5FT Alexander Hammerstone defeated MJF Opera Cup tournament quarter-final
(Fusion– December 21) [20]
6FT Tom Lawlor defeated Rip Von Erich via submissionSingles match
(Fusion– January 4) [21]
7FT Myron Reed (c) defeated El Lindaman Singles match for the MLW World Middleweight Championship
8FT A. C. H. and King Mo defeated Jordan Oliver and Kotto Brazil Tag team match
(Fusion– December 14) [19]
9FTBrian Pillman Jr. defeated Timothy ThatcherOpera Cup tournament semi-final
10FTDavey Boy Smith Jr. defeated Alexander Hammerstone (with Richard Holliday)Opera Cup tournament semi-final
(Fusion– January 4) [21]
11FT The Von Erichs (Ross and Marshall) defeated The Spirit Squad (Kenn Doane and Mike Mondo)Tag team match
12FT Jimmy Havoc defeated Mance Warner Prince of Darkness match
(Fusion– December 21) [20]
13FTGino Medina defeated Savio Vega New York City Street Fight
14FT Contra Unit (Jacob Fatu, Ikuro Kwon and Simon Gotch) defeated Strong Hearts (Cima, El Lindaman and Shigehiro Irie) Six-man tag team match
(Fusion– January 4) [21]
15FTDavey Boy Smith Jr. defeated Brian Pillman Jr. via submissionOpera Cup tournament final
(c) – the champion(s) heading into the match
D – this was a dark match
FT – the match was taped for a future broadcast of Fusion
Opera Cup (2019)
VenueMelrose Ballroom
Location Queens, New York, New York
Start dateDecember 5, 2019 (2019-12-05)
Competitors
Champion
Davey Boy Smith Jr.
← First
2020  →

Tournament brackets

Quarterfinals Semifinals Final
         
Davey Boy Smith Jr.
Low Ki
Davey Boy Smith Jr.
Alexander Hammerstone
Alexander Hammerstone
MJF
Davey Boy Smith Jr.
Brian Pillman Jr.
Timothy Thatcher
Richard Holliday
Timothy Thatcher
Brian Pillman Jr.
Brian Pillman Jr.
TJP

Related Research Articles

MLW Fusion is a professional wrestling television program produced by Major League Wrestling (MLW) that originally premiered on April 20, 2018 on beIN Sports USA.

New Era Hart Foundation was a professional wrestling stable in Major League Wrestling, consisting of Teddy Hart, Davey Boy Smith Jr. and Brian Pillman Jr. The group was the latest incarnation of the Hart Foundation which was formed by MLW in 2018. The trio enjoyed success as they are former one-time World Tag Team Champions within the promotion, defending the title under the Freebird rule. In addition, Teddy Hart is a one-time World Middleweight Champion as part of the group. Hart was released by MLW on December 6, 2019 and Smith left the promotion on December 2, 2020, thus ending the group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle Riot II</span>

Battle Riot II was a professional wrestling event produced by Major League Wrestling (MLW). It took place on April 5, 2019 at the Melrose Ballroom in New York, New York. The event aired live as a two-hour special episode of Fusion on beIN Sports. It was the second event under the Battle Riot chronology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexander Hammerstone</span> American professional wrestler

Alex Rohde, better known by his ring names Alexander Hammerstone or simply Hammerstone is an American professional wrestler and musician, currently performing on the independent circuit. He is best known for his time with Major League Wrestling (MLW), where he was a former MLW World Heavyweight Champion, the inaugural and longest reigning National Openweight Champion, and the winner of the Battle Riot in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MLW Saturday Night SuperFight</span> 2019 Major League Wrestling pay-per-view event

Saturday Night SuperFight was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the Major League Wrestling (MLW) promotion, which took place at the Cicero Stadium in Cicero, Illinois on November 2, 2019. This was MLW's first pay-per-view event and the second event under the Superfight chronology. The event aired live on traditional PPV outlets and FITE TV.

Rise of the Renegades (2019) was a professional wrestling supercard event produced by Major League Wrestling (MLW), which took place on April 4, 2019, at the Melrose Ballroom in Queens, New York City, New York. The event was a television taping for MLW Fusion, with Battle Riot II airing as a live Fusion special the following day. It was the second event under the Rise of the Renegades chronology and the first to be held since 2003.

The 2019 Fury Road was a supercard event produced by Major League Wrestling (MLW), which took place on June 1, 2019 at the Waukesha County Expo Center in Waukesha, Wisconsin. The event aired as a live special episode of MLW's television program, Fusion, on beIN Sports. It was the second event under the Fury Road chronology.

War Chamber was a professional wrestling supercard event produced by Major League Wrestling (MLW), which took place on September 7, 2019. It aired as a special episode of MLW's television program, Fusion, on September 14, 2019 on beIN Sports. It was the first event under the War Chamber chronology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Contra Unit</span> Professional wrestling stable

Contra Unit is a villainous professional wrestling stable, currently performing for Major League Wrestling (MLW) and Southern Honor Wrestling (SHW). It consists of Mads Krügger and the Sentai Death Squad. In SHW, the group also consists of Brooklyn Creed, Joe Black and Romeo Quevedok.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Dynasty (professional wrestling)</span> Professional wrestling stable

The Dynasty was a professional wrestling faction in Major League Wrestling (MLW), which consisted of Alexander Hammerstone, Grogan, Gino Medina, Maxwell Jacob Friedman and Richard Holliday. It was originally formed as an alliance between MJF, Hammerstone and Holliday and slowly expanded to include MJF's valet Aria Blake, Gino Medina and Grogan. The group enjoyed championship success as Hammerstone held the World Heavyweight Championship and was the inaugural National Openweight Champion. Holliday was a former IWA Caribbean Heavyweight Champion while MJF and Holliday also won the World Tag Team Championship.

Injustice was a professional wrestling stable in Major League Wrestling (MLW) between 2019 and 2021.

Blood and Thunder (2019) was a professional wrestling supercard event produced by the Major League Wrestling (MLW) promotion, which took place at the GILT Nightclub in Orlando, Florida on November 9, 2019. It was the first event under the MLW Blood and Thunder chronology. The event was a television taping for the subsequent episodes of MLW Fusion that followed the Saturday Night SuperFight pay-per-view.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Opera Cup (2020)</span> 2020 Major League Wrestling tournament

Opera Cup (2020) was a professional wrestling tournament produced by Major League Wrestling (MLW), which took place at the GILT Nightclub in Orlando, Florida. It was the second edition of the MLW Opera Cup. The event was featured in episodes of Fusion that aired between November 25 and December 23, 2020 on Fubo Sports Network and MLW's YouTube channel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Holliday</span> American professional wrestler

Joe Zimbardi is an American professional wrestler currently signed to Major League Wrestling, where he performs under the ring name Richard Holliday and is a former one-time MLW World Tag Team Champion. Holliday also makes appearances on the independent circuit. He is a former one-time IWA World Heavyweight Champion and one-time IWA Caribbean Heavyweight Champion.

Kings of Colosseum (2019) was a professional wrestling supercard event produced by Major League Wrestling, which took place on July 6, 2019 at the Cicero Stadium in Cicero, Illinois. It was the first event under the Kings of Colosseum chronology. The event aired live as a two-hour special episode of MLW's weekly television series, Fusion, on beIN Sports.

Kings of Colosseum (2021) was a professional wrestling supercard event produced by Major League Wrestling (MLW), which aired on January 6, 2021 as a special episode of Fusion on fubo Sports Network and YouTube. It was the second event under the Kings of Colosseum chronology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Team Filthy</span> Professional wrestling stable

Team Filthy is a professional wrestling stable, performing in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and previously Major League Wrestling (MLW). The group was formed on October 5, 2017, during One Shot by "Filthy" Tom Lawlor.

Never Say Never (2019) was a professional wrestling event produced by Major League Wrestling (MLW), which took place on July 25, 2019, at the Melrose Ballroom in New York, New York. The event was a television taping for future episodes of Fusion on beIN Sports. It was the third event in the Never Say Never chronology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jordan Oliver (professional wrestler)</span> American professional wrestler (born 1999)

Jordan Oliver Jr. is an American professional wrestler currently performing on the independent circuit and for Game Changer Wrestling (GCW), where he is a former JCW World Champion. He is best known for his work with Major League Wrestling (MLW) and Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW), where he was a one-time CZW Wired Champion.

Blood & Thunder (2022) was a professional wrestling supercard event produced by Major League Wrestling (MLW), which took place on January 21, 2022, at Gilley's Dallas in Dallas, Texas. The event was a television taping for MLW Fusion, and it was the second event under the MLW Blood and Thunder chronology.

References

  1. ↑ Ian Carey (July 30, 2019). "MLW To Host 2019 Opera Cup Tournament". SE Scoops.
  2. ↑ Daniel Yanofsky (December 5, 2019). "MLW Opera Cup 2019 Results". Wrestling Inc. Retrieved 6 December 2019.
  3. ↑ Jeremy Thomas (6 December 2019). "Spoilers For MLW Opera Cup, Will Air on MLW: Fusion". 411Mania. Retrieved 6 December 2019.
  4. ↑ "MLW SETS RETURN TO NYC LATER THIS YEAR". Major League Wrestling. July 21, 2019.
  5. ↑ "TEDDY HART DONATES FAMILY HEIRLOOM TO MLW". Major League Wrestling. July 24, 2019.
  6. ↑ "NYC TO HOST FIRST OPERA CUP IN OVER 70 YEARS". Major League Wrestling. July 30, 2019.
  7. ↑ Grabianowski, Ed (13 January 2006). "How Pro Wrestling Works". HowStuffWorks. Discovery Communications. Archived from the original on November 29, 2013. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
  8. ↑ "TJP RETURNS TO MLW FOR OPERA CUP; FIGHTS BRIAN PILLMAN JR. IN OPENING ROUND". Major League Wrestling. November 13, 2019.
  9. ↑ "MJF VS. HAMMERSTONE MEET IN OPERA CUP OPENING ROUND IN NYC". Major League Wrestling. November 14, 2019.
  10. ↑ "OPERA CUP: SHINJIRO OTANI VS. DAVEY BOY SMITH FOR DEC. 5 IN NYC". Major League Wrestling. November 18, 2019.
  11. ↑ "TIMOTHY THATCHER ENTERS MLW OPERA CUP; FIGHTS RICHARD HOLLIDAY DEC. 5 IN NYC". Major League Wrestling. November 21, 2019.
  12. ↑ "CONTRA UNIT INVOLVED IN ALTERCATION OVERSEAS". Major League Wrestling. November 18, 2019.
  13. ↑ "CIMA AND STRONGHEARTS BATTLE CONTRA UNIT DEC. 5 IN NYC AT OPERA CUP". Major League Wrestling. November 19, 2019.
  14. ↑ "FUSION RECAP: MARSHALL VON ERICH ATTACKED, HAVOC/WARNER BRAWL ALL OVER ORLANDO AND WOMEN'S DIVISION KICKS OFF". Major League Wrestling. November 23, 2019.
  15. ↑ "PRINCE OF DARKNESS MATCH! HAVOC VS. WARNER INKED FOR MLW'S DEC. 5 NYC OPERA CUP CARD". Major League Wrestling. November 25, 2019.
  16. ↑ "KING MO WILL RUMBLE IN NYC NEXT THURSDAY AT MLW FUSION TV TAPING". Major League Wrestling. November 26, 2019.
  17. ↑ "FUSION RECAP: ROSS VON ERICH CHALLENGES JACOB FATU FOR THE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP ON THANKSGIVING". Major League Wrestling. November 28, 2019. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
  18. ↑ "TOM LAWLOR VS. VON ERICH FAMILY MEMBER THIS THURSDAY IN NYC". Major League Wrestling. December 2, 2019. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
  19. 1 2 3 "FUSION RECAP: OPENING ROUNDS COMMENCE OF THE OPERA CUP". Major League Wrestling. December 14, 2019. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
  20. 1 2 3 "FUSION RECAP: OPERA CUP CONTINUES AS DYNASTY BROTHERS BATTLE & DAVEY BOY SMITH JR. VS. LOW KI". Major League Wrestling. December 21, 2019. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
  21. 1 2 3 "FUSION RECAP: THE OPERA CUP SEMI-FINALS START & CONTRA COLLIDES WITH #STRONGHEARTS". Major League Wrestling. January 4, 2020. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.