MLW Fury Road Promotes US Events, Attacks Saudi Ties

Cesar Duran, the onscreen authority figure for Major League Wrestling, used the opening segment of Fury Road on Saturday to criticize another promotion's ties to Saudi Arabia, saying his company would keep events in the United States. Speaking at the sold-out show in North Richland Hills, Texas, Duran did not name the rival but said, "while some other company packed up their big show and shipped it to Saudi Arabia to take that blood money, we come here with the real deal right here in Texas," a line that was echoed by manager Salina de la Renta, who told the crowd, "Remember, that at Major League Wrestling, we don't play soft. We don't play safe. We choose violence."

The on-air exchange framed a card that featured several first-round matches in the promotion's Opera Cup tournament and a series of bouts that advanced several storylines. In Opera Cup action, Austin Aries defeated Kushida in his first MLW match in six years to move on, Paul London submitted Okumura to advance, and Volador Jr. beat Titan after removing Titan's mask and scoring a roll-up pin. Those victories set up a second-round pairing between Aries and London after the two brawled backstage later in the broadcast.