Austin Aries proved that he is still the magician of professional wrestling. Aries returned to the MLW ring for an impressive win over stiff competition in the opening round of the Opera Cup at Fury Road (Sept. 27, 2025).
Aries faced off against Kushida in a first-round matchup in the Opera Cup tournament. The king of controversy didn’t come back because he needs wrestling. It is wrestling that needs him. The sport has been watered down with imposters and cosplayers. Most fans don’t know what real
pro wrestling looks like anymore. Aries is here to show them art and magic. There is no better place to start than by winning the Opera Cup against the best of the best.
Aries talked the talk, and he walked the walk in a very good match with Kushida. It was a chess match of strategy throughout. In the end, Kushia was setting up for a Hoverboard Lock on the turnbuckles. Aries escaped by gouging the eyes. The magician took advantage to win via brainbuster. Fans of Aries’ work inside the ring will enjoy this match.
In a battle of CMLL luchadores, Volador Jr. used sneaky tricks to get past Titan in the Opera Cup. Volador had been loosening Titan’s mask throughout the match. Titan surged down the stretch for a flurry of strikes and a flying double stomp. Titan lifted Volador into a spinning maneuver. Volador escaped and shoved Titan into the referee. Volador took advantage to pull Titan’s mask off and secure a roll-up to win.
Paul London defeated Okumura in the Opera Cup. Okumura had momentum after a Michinoku driver. He rolled London into a crucifix pin. London gouged the eyes to escape, then he took the win on a cloverleaf submission. London had been a babyface to this point, but frustration is mounting with recent results. London explained that this might be his last run, and he will make it count. London didn’t come to play nice. He came to win.
A funny side note, Satoshi Kojima was eating bread on commentary.
A refresher of the other first round matches in the Opera Cup tournament. At Blood & Thunder (full show), Bishop Dyer defeated Anthony Greene via flatliner, Satoshi Kojima defeated Bobby Fish via lariato, and Mistico defeated Ikuro Kwon via Spanish Fly. At Fightland (full show), Ultimo Guerrero defeated Esfinge via inverted superplex, and Zandokan Jr. defeated Blue Panther Jr. via double thrust chop.
Here is the updated Opera Cup bracket for the quarterfinals.
There might be a substitution in the works after Zandokan Jr. suffered an injury in CMLL.
In the main event, it was supposed to be MLW world heavyweight champion Mads Krugger versus Bishop Dyer (aka Baron Corbin) in a non-title bout, however, they chose violence instead of a match. Krugger pounded Mister Saint Laurent in the red light district earlier in the show.
Dyer and Donovan Dijak were furious about Contra beating up their manager, so they were going to dish out payback. Krugger arrived for the match, and chaos erupted. Krugger fought back to clear the ring of the Skyscrapers. The fight continued backstage as Alexander Hammerstone attacked Krugger.
Also of note, Hammerstone made it clear that he is coming for the heavyweight title. Hammerman is going to remind the world that he is the alpha in MLW.
On the undercard, Shotzi Blackheart handled business against Alejandra Quintanilla. The underdog had momentum until Shotzi shucked her off the turnbuckles. The Ballsy Badass capitalized for a flying senton to win.
Satoshi Kojima hammered Mr. Thomas in a Lightning Match. Thomas removed the turnbuckle pad, but that tactic backfired. Kojima dodged a corner splash, and Thomas collided into the exposed steel. A Koji cutter wasn’t enough to finish the job, so Kojima ran the ropes for a powerful lariato. The win occurred with 5:29 remaining on the clock for the 10-minute sprint.
The opener showcased CMLL trios action as Atlantis, Blue Panther, & Diego Hill defeated Zandokan Jr., Difunto, & Barboza. Atlantis kick-started the rally with backbreakers all around. Hill landed a dive outside to clear the way for Atlantis to roll-up Barboza for the win.
Last but not least, Cesar Duran and Salina de la Renta were partying with Don Gato. Ikuro Kwon entered to talk trash and spit funky mist in the face of Jesus (Ricardo) Rodriguez, but Don Gato didn’t back down.
The full broadcast is available for free on MLW’s YouTube channel (video). If your time is short, I’d recommend Austin Aries versus Kushida and Volador Jr. versus Titan as the best of the bunch.
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