Opera Cup (2020)

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.[1]

Opera Cup (2020)
The 2020 winner Tom Lawlor
VenueGILT Nightclub
LocationOrlando, Florida
Start dateNovember 25, 2020 (2020-11-25)
End dateDecember 23, 2020 (2020-12-23)
Competitors
Champion
Tom Lawlor

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.[2] 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.[3] 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.[4]

On December 19, 2019, it was announced on MLW's website that the tournament would be resumed in 2020.[5] On November 19, 2020, it was announced that the 2020 edition of Opera Cup tournament would begin on the November 25 episode of Fusion and all the eight participants of the tournament were announced,[6] with Gino Medina, Dominic Garrini, Jordan Oliver, El Hijo de L.A. Park, King Mo Lawal, and Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide wrestler Daga named as the alternate participants in the Opera Cup.[7]

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.[8]

Quarter-finals

On November 19, the brackets of the Opera Cup tournament were revealed by MLW and the participants from the MLW roster were A. C. H., Low Ki, Richard Holliday, TJP, Tom Lawlor and previous year's tournament winner Davey Boy Smith Jr. Guest entrants included Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide representative Laredo Kid and New Japan Pro-Wrestling representative Rocky Romero.[6][9] The first two matches of the opening round were scheduled to take on the November 25 episode of Fusion pitting Lawlor against Romero and TJP against Holliday.[10] The second two matches of the opening round were set to take place on the December 2 episode of Fusion, with the first match pitting Kid against ACH and the second match pitting Ki against Smith, a rematch from the previous year's Opera Cup.[11][12]

Semi-final

ACH, Low Ki, Richard Holliday and Tom Lawlor won their respective tournament matches and advanced to the semi-final round. The first semi-final match was set up between Ki and Holliday to take place on the December 9 episode of Fusion[13] and the second semi-final between Lawlor and ACH was set to take place on the December 16 episode of Fusion.[14]

Final

Low Ki and Tom Lawlor won their respective matches in the semi-final round, thus setting up the tournament final of the Opera Cup between Ki and Lawlor on the December 23 episode of Fusion, won by Lawlor.[15]

Results
Quarter-final (November 25)[16][17]
No.ResultsStipulationsTimes
1Richard Holliday defeated TJP (with Bu Ku Dao)Singles match10:25
2Tom Lawlor (with Dominic Garrini) defeated Rocky RomeroSingles match17:43
Quarter-final (December 2)[18][19]
No.ResultsStipulationsTimes
1A. C. H. defeated Laredo KidSingles match14:08
2Low Ki defeated Davey Boy Smith Jr.Singles match20:13
Semi-final (December 9)[20][21]
No.ResultsStipulationsTimes
1Low Ki defeated Richard HollidaySingles match9:24
Semi-final (December 16)
No.ResultsStipulationsTimes
1Tom Lawlor (with Dominic Garrini and Kevin Ku) defeated A. C. H.Singles match12:29
Final (December 23)
No.ResultsStipulationsTimes
1Tom Lawlor (with Dominic Garrini and Kevin Ku) defeated Low Ki (with Marshall and Ross Von Erich)Singles match24:41

Tournament brackets

The brackets of the Opera Cup were revealed by MLW on November 19, 2020.[6]

Quarterfinals Semifinals Final
         
Fusion Tom Lawlor Pin
11/25 Rocky Romero 17:43
Fusion Tom Lawlor Pin
12/16 ACH 12:29
Fusion Laredo Kid Pin
12/2 A. C. H. 14:08
Fusion Tom Lawlor Pin
12/23 Low Ki 24:41
Fusion Low Ki Pin
12/2 Davey Boy Smith Jr. 20:13
Fusion Low Ki Pin
12/9 Richard Holliday 9:19
Fusion Richard Holliday Pin
11/25 TJP 10:25

References
  1. "MLW Opera Cup 2020". Cagematch. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  2. "MLW SETS RETURN TO NYC LATER THIS YEAR". Major League Wrestling. July 21, 2019.
  3. "TEDDY HART DONATES FAMILY HEIRLOOM TO MLW". Major League Wrestling. July 24, 2019.
  4. "NYC TO HOST FIRST OPERA CUP IN OVER 70 YEARS". Major League Wrestling. July 30, 2019.
  5. "Opera Cup to return in 2020". Major League Wrestling. December 19, 2019. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
  6. "MLW reveals 2020 Opera Cup tournament brackets". Major League Wrestling. November 19, 2020. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  7. "Fusion Preview: Lawlor/Romero, TJP/Holliday, Hammerstone update". Major League Wrestling. November 25, 2020. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  8. Grabianowski, Ed. "How Pro Wrestling Works". HowStuffWorks. Discovery Communications. Archived from the original on November 29, 2013. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
  9. Justin Barrasso (December 2, 2020). "Laredo Kid Bringing Lucha Libre Flavor to MLW". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
  10. Jason Powell (November 25, 2020). "MLW's official preview for tonight's MLW Fusion". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
  11. "AAA's Laredo Kid vs. ACH set for Wednesday". Major League Wrestling. November 28, 2020. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  12. "Low Ki vs. DBS to main event this Wednesday's FUSION". Major League Wrestling. November 30, 2020. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  13. "Low Ki vs Richard Holliday Semi-Final showdown this Wednesday". Major League Wrestling. December 3, 2020. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
  14. "Lawlor vs ACH Opera Cup Semi-Finals this Wednesday". Major League Wrestling. December 11, 2020. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
  15. "Low Ki vs. Tom Lawlor battle in Opera Cup finals this Wednesday". Major League Wrestling. December 17, 2020. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  16. "Fusion Recap: The 2020 Opera Cup Commences". Major League Wrestling. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  17. Jason Powell (November 25, 2020). "11/25 MLW Fusion Results: Powell's review of Tom Lawlor vs. Rocky Romero and TJP vs. Richard Holliday in Opera Cup tournament opening round matches, Calvin Tankman debuts, Alexander Hammerstone update". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  18. "Fusion Recap: 2020 Opera Cup Opening Round Continues: DBS/Ki, Laredo/ACH". Major League Wrestling. December 3, 2020. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
  19. Jason Powell (December 2, 2020). "12/2 MLW Fusion Results: Powell's review of Davey Boy Smith Jr. vs. Low Ki, and Laredo Kid vs. ACH in Opera Cup tournament opening round matches, Contra's mystery man vs. Ariel Dominguez". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
  20. "Fusion Recap: Opera Cup Semi-Finals Has Holliday Facing Low Ki, Von Erichs Defend Tag Titles Against CONTRA". Major League Wrestling. December 10, 2020. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  21. Jason Powell (December 9, 2020). "12/9 MLW Fusion Results: Powell's review of Ross and Marshall Von Erich vs. Jacob Fatu and Simon Gotch for the MLW Tag Titles, Low Ki vs. Richard Holliday in the semifinals of the Opera Cup tournament, Calvin Tankman vs. Zenshi". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
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