Major League Wrestling presented its latest episode of MLW Fusion on October 8, airing on Tubi with the Opera Cup taking center stage and an uneasy alliance closing the show. Two first-round tournament matches took place during the episode, as Ikuro Kwon defeated Andrew Everett and Big Damo defeated Wolfgang to advance.
The night also featured the latest chapter in the developing issue between Killer Kross and Matt Riddle. After earlier footage showed Riddle reminding Kross that he is still owed a favor, the two were forced to coexist in a tag team main event against The Skyscrapers, Donovan Dijak and Joshua Bishop. The pairing was unable to find a way past Dijak and Bishop, who earned the victory over Kross and Riddle.
Opera Cup Tournament Action Drives Fusion
The historic Opera Cup was the major competitive focus of the episode, with both matches carrying immediate tournament stakes. Ikuro Kwon, accompanied by Josef Samael, faced Andrew Everett in one of the first-round contests. Kwon emerged with the win, moving on in the bracket and providing Samael’s side with a notable early result in the tournament.
Everett entered the bout looking to make a statement in a field filled with established names and varied styles, but Kwon’s victory ensured that he will be the competitor advancing from their opening-round meeting. With the Opera Cup format placing a premium on winning from the outset, Kwon now has an opportunity to build momentum through the rest of the event.
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Later, Big Damo defeated Wolfgang in another first-round Opera Cup match. The result is especially notable given the presence of Gallus throughout the episode. Wolfgang’s loss removes him from the tournament, while Big Damo advances and remains in contention for one of MLW’s most prestigious tournament honors.
The Opera Cup has traditionally represented a different kind of challenge from a standard singles program. Every wrestler involved has to deal with the urgency of tournament competition, and the October 8 episode made clear that there is no room for a slow start. Kwon and Big Damo each secured the result they needed, while Everett and Wolfgang will have to turn their attention away from the tournament field.
Austin Aries Eyes Mistico and the Cup
Austin Aries also made his intentions clear during the show. Aries stated that he is better than Mistico and said he will win the Opera Cup. His comments placed both a potential rivalry and the tournament itself in focus.
Aries has not been shy about presenting himself as one of the standout names in any field he enters, and his message on this episode was consistent with that approach. By singling out Mistico while also declaring his tournament ambitions, Aries positioned himself as a wrestler expecting to be at the center of MLW’s upcoming Opera Cup developments.
Whether Aries gets the opportunity to back up his words against Mistico remains to be seen, but the statement adds another layer to the tournament picture. The field is not only about bracket advancement; it is also becoming a stage for wrestlers to establish where they believe they belong in MLW’s hierarchy.
Gallus Remains a Presence Despite Wolfgang’s Loss
Gallus was featured in a “Gallus Boys On Top” vignette, reinforcing the group’s presence on the program even as Wolfgang suffered his Opera Cup defeat. The group’s role did not end with the tournament match, either, as LaBron Kozone addressed Gallus during the episode.
Kozone said Teddy Long will be okay, then stated that he intends to take out Gallus while keeping his own focus on the Opera Cup. His comments connected the ongoing Gallus situation with his individual tournament aspirations. That creates a potentially difficult balance for Kozone: he has made it clear that Gallus is on his radar, but he also cannot afford to lose sight of the tournament opportunity in front of him.
The episode did not establish a next match between Kozone and Gallus, but his message was direct. Gallus remains a target, and Kozone is not presenting the conflict as something that will distract him from his goal of succeeding in the Opera Cup.
Wolfgang’s tournament exit may also change the way Gallus approaches the weeks ahead. The vignette showed that the faction remains confident and visible, yet the loss to Big Damo means the group has already absorbed a setback in a competition that has become a key focus of Fusion.
Jumbo Defeats Rich Moya
Elsewhere on the card, Jumbo defeated Rich Moya. The match added another result to a packed episode built around the Opera Cup and the main-event tag team collision.
For Jumbo, the victory provides a straightforward positive result on a night in which many of MLW’s active stories were moving simultaneously. While the episode gave greater attention to the tournament, Gallus, Aries’ comments, and the friction between Kross and Riddle, victories such as Jumbo’s can matter as the roster continues to compete for position.
Riddle and Kross Cannot Get on the Same Page
The most significant non-tournament development came through Matt Riddle and Killer Kross. Footage shown during the episode featured Riddle reminding Kross that he is owed one. The reminder established that there is unresolved business between the two before they ever stepped into the ring together.
That unresolved issue was then compounded backstage, where Austin Aries and Riddle argued. The disagreement placed Riddle in another tense interaction before the main event, as Aries was simultaneously making bold claims about his place in the Opera Cup field and his superiority over Mistico.
Riddle eventually teamed with Kross against The Skyscrapers. Donovan Dijak and Joshua Bishop entered the bout as a formidable duo, and they defeated Kross and Riddle. The loss leaves the Kross-Riddle partnership without a successful result and gives The Skyscrapers an important win over two major singles names.
For Dijak and Bishop, defeating Kross and Riddle is a significant team accomplishment. The Skyscrapers were able to overcome a pairing that brought substantial individual credentials into the match. Their victory should strengthen their standing as a tandem, particularly because Kross and Riddle are not wrestlers who are easily overlooked regardless of their lack of established chemistry.
For Kross and Riddle, the more pressing question is whether their association can continue under the weight of Riddle’s outstanding claim that Kross owes him something. The October 8 episode did not resolve that issue. Instead, it showed the two on the losing side of a high-profile tag match, leaving the tension between them intact.
The earlier argument between Aries and Riddle also adds another point of uncertainty. Aries has publicly put himself in the Opera Cup conversation while taking aim at Mistico, and his confrontation with Riddle suggests there may be more than one issue surrounding Riddle as MLW’s tournament season develops.
MLW Fusion Results – October 8
- Opera Cup First Round: Ikuro Kwon, with Josef Samael, defeated Andrew Everett.
- Opera Cup First Round: Big Damo defeated Wolfgang.
- Jumbo defeated Rich Moya.
- The Skyscrapers, Donovan Dijak and Joshua Bishop, defeated Killer Kross and Matt Riddle.
With Kwon and Big Damo advancing, the Opera Cup bracket continues to take shape. At the same time, Aries has raised the stakes with his comments about Mistico and his declaration that he will win the tournament. Gallus remains active despite Wolfgang’s loss, Kozone has stated his intention to confront the group, and the Kross-Riddle arrangement has suffered an immediate defeat at the hands of The Skyscrapers.
The October 8 edition of MLW Fusion therefore delivered clear tournament movement while leaving several personal issues unresolved. The path toward the Opera Cup is narrowing for those already eliminated, while the wrestlers still in contention have additional rivalries and tensions developing around them.
Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.