MLW confirms 2025 Opera Cup Bracket

[Chris]

NEW YORK — Major League Wrestling (“MLW”) today revealed the official brackets for the 2025 Opera Cup, featuring 16 of the top fighters from MLW, New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), and Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL).

The tournament will unfold across four major U.S. cities — New York City, Dallas, Los Angeles, and Chicago — with opening round matches beginning August 9 at MLW: Blood & Thunder, airing nationwide on beIN SPORTS and streaming worldwide on MLW’s YouTube Channel.

2025 Opera Cup Brackets​

The tournament is divided into two sides: Bracket A and Bracket B.

Bracket A

• Místico vs Ikuro Kwon
• Último Guerrero vs Esfinge
• Austin Aries vs KUSHIDA
• Paul London vs Okumura

Bracket B

• Volador Jr. vs Titán
• Zandokan Jr. vs Blue Panther Jr.
• Satoshi Kojima vs Bobby Fish
• Bishop Dyer vs Anthony Greene

As MLW’s international alliances strengthen, the 2025 Opera Cup promises a world class field blending legacy, global talent, and rising stars in a battle for wrestling’s most enduring prize.

A Tournament Like No Other​

Dating back to the 1880s, the Opera Cup is recognized as the oldest tournament in the sport of professional wrestling. As organized American sports emerged, the world’s finest grapplers converged on the grand opera houses of the era to compete in what quickly became the most prestigious tournament of its time.

Wrestling legends such as William Muldoon, Leo Pardello, George Hackenschmidt, and Stu Hart all won the Opera Cup, forever linking their names to its unmatched legacy. The tournament became a crucible where greatness was forged and immortality was claimed.

In 2019 the Opera Cup was revived by Major League Wrestling to once again showcase the pinnacle of the sport. Today, a new generation of fighters journeys to MLW to dance with destiny and battle for the historic trophy.

From lucha libre icons to Japanese strong-style legends and MLW’s fiercest competitors, the 2025 Opera Cup brings together the past, present, and future of the sport in one defining tournament.

Today, the Opera Cup lives on through Major League Wrestling, where a new generation of grapplers steps onto the grand stage to dance with destiny. From lucha libre icons to Japanese strong-style masters, and MLW’s fiercest warriors, each seeks to claim the “classic” and secure their legacy in the annals of the sport.

MLW President Cesar Duran, the mastermind behind the 2025 tournament, shared:
“The Opera Cup is where history meets now. It’s a proving ground — not just for glory, but for legend.”

The road to the Opera Cup finals begins August 9. Who will rise? Who will fall? One will carve their name into history.

The 2025 Opera Cup kicks off August 9 at MLW: Blood & Thunder on beIN SPORTS and MLW’s YouTube Channel. Additional rounds will take place in Dallas, Los Angeles, and Chicago, with match announcements and ticket information to be revealed at MLW.com.