#mlw world heavyweight champion

[mpwma]

🔥🎙️ GET READY FOR A SPECTACLE LIKE NEVER BEFORE – TRUMP-STYLE WRESTLING IS HERE! 🎙️🔥

Folks, it's a tremendous night in the world of wrestling! MLW Kings of Colosseum is happening, and let me tell you, it's going to be YUGE! We've got Alex Kane, the reigning and defending MLW World Heavyweight Champion, facing off against Richard Holliday – and it's going to be a clash of titans, just like when I took on the political establishment!

Now, I've been hearing a lot about this match, and they say it's for the MLW World Heavyweight Championship. That's a big deal, folks – almost as big a deal as making America great again!

But here's the question of the century: Should we cover this incredible event on my YouTube and podcast channel? I need to hear from YOU, the smartest audience in the world. Leave your comments below and let's make wrestling discussion great again!

So, folks, let me know in the comments if we should cover MLW Kings of Colosseum. It's going to be the best decision you've ever made, I guarantee it!

[skelltan]

Indie Promotion Round Up - Edition 1 Part 1 - NWA Powerrr

Throughout the years, wrestling has had its peaks and inclines. While you may have Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock and D-Generation X tearing it up in WWE, you may also have your Kennel from Hell, Gerald Briscoe vs Pat Patterson evening gown match or Trish Stratus being force to bark like a dog.

2019 was no exception. I personally think it was a pretty great year to be a wrestling fan, from Kofimania in the WWE, NXT getting favourable reviews, and the inception of AEW. Sure, they weren’t without their hitches – Kofi’s title run ending in him getting squashed by Brock Lesnar or AEW’s growing pains, but I think it marked the start of something great with what would happen in the following years.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I’m not here to talk about WWE or AEW. I’m no even here to talk about NJPW or IMPACT. No, I’m talking about some of the lesser known promotions – namely MLW and NWA.

Both revitalised themselves in 2017, giving the American wrestling scene a few other shows to keep an eye on as they progressed. MLW was a previously short lived promotion that emerged in 2002 as a spiritual successor to ECW, down to having Joey Styles on commentary and featuring the likes of The Sandman, Raven, Sabu and other notable names, while the NWA is a long living promotion who’s history is a bit confusing, but basically, it once had the most prestigious title in all of wrestling, but has since fallen in prestige somewhat. Oh yeah, also, Billy Corgan from the Smashing Pumpkins bought it.

These two companies would have their ups and downs, from NWA featuring talent such as Thunder Rosa, Eddie Kingston and Ricky Starks before they moved onto AEW while MLW had names like Darby Allin, MJF and the Lucha Bros. But where are they now? I’ve heard rumblings about both companies, but never found the time to sit down to watch them and see just what they’re all about. Well, that’s abou to change. Join me as I explore just what is happening in MLW and NWA after the fallout of their (as of writing) most recent PPVs.

I guess I may as well start off with the elephant in the room and have a glimpse at the NWA. They’re coming fresh off their “Hard Times” PPV, where, most notably, they put the world title on Tyrus. Tyrus, for those of you who do not know, is a man who was known for his time in WWE as “The Funkasaurus” Brodus Clay. He was a man who danced and… was a dinosaur. I guess. It’s not as cool as it sounds, trust me. In that role, he was never really relevant, nor was he world champion material – let alone now, 8 years after his “prime”, if you even want to call it that.

He also is a raunch conservative, constantly showing up on Fox News and has a sexual assault allegation against him. So, y’know. Great champion material. Anyways, the NWA has 2 main shows, both streaming on youtube. NWA Powerrr, which is their main show, and NWA USA, which focuses on the junior heavyweights. I think for this series(?) I’ll look at an episode of Powerrr, an episode of MLW Fusion (MLW’s main, and only, show, also youtube exclusive) and an episode of NWA USA.

So, without further ado, let’s dive into NWA Powerrr, season 11, episode 1.

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We’re live from the Sigur Center in Chalmette, Lousiana. Kyle Davis – huh? Is this guy the fused form of Aussie Open? Anyways, he’s an official at NWA, and our host. He welcomes us and brings Tyrus down to the ring. Tyrus himself is from Lousiana so I guess they also wanted him to be a hometown hero.

As he makes his way to the ring, there are some jester masks and such – because it’s Lousiana! I don’t know if this is part of the arena or the NWA themselves designed this but it helps the arena stand out.

We hear from one of our commentators – the commentary team is Joe Galli, Velvet Sky and Tim Storm. Joe informs us this is the start of the “Idolmania Sports Management era”. Well, ok, there’s something I didn’t know. Wrestling legend Austin Idol leads a faction that Tyrus is apart of. I’m guessing they’re the top heel group? Strictly Business was last time I was watching, but Nick Aldis left the NWA, so I guess this is their replacement.

Joe also mentions the Revolution Rumble, which I’m guessing is just the name of this slew of episodes, but also Powerrr Trip? Haven’t heard of it. At this point I glanced at the likes and dislikes and realised they were even, 1.5k a piece. Anyhow, Velvet Sky lets us know Idolmania has all the gold, which made me look it up. As of this episode, two other members of Idolmania held gold – Cyon with the National Championship (which is one of the midcard belts) and Jordan Clearwater with the Television Championship (the other midcard belt). I don’t know why there are 2 midcard belts.

I guess I’ll start a rant. People rant about how AEW or WWE has too many titles, but they serve a purpose. Sure, I’m not a fan of AEW having multiple midcard belts, but at least the ROH are for ROH whenever that relaunches, and the All Atlantic title has a vaguely international theme to it. But the NWA has a world title, two midcard belts, two tag team belts, two cruiserweight belts, women’s belt and women’s tag belts. For a company with a roster as small as the NWA, that’s too many damn belts.

Anyway, rant over. One of these guys is wearing a Ric Flair esque robe, another is a luchador. They don’t look like they fit together. Realizing I’m going to have to listen to a Tyrus promo, I now regret my decision to start this series.

Austin Idol sounds old as fuck and curses out Kyle Davis. He also refers to the Ric Flair looking guy as “the golden boy with the golden toy”. There’s a free innuendo for you. Kyle won me over by saying “I’m glad you found the hard cam” as Austin spins around to face said hard cam as he yells.

The group does a bit of a promo, not a lot to say but Tyrus calls out possible challengers. Matt Cardona, EC3, Thom Latimer. Apparently Cyon and Jordan Clearwater can cash in for the world title at any time? Sounds a bit broken, but ok.

I won’t lie, I wasn’t as bad as I was expecting, but Powerrr only runs for about 40 minutes a week, so luckily they had time constraints as to not overstay their welcome.

--

We cut to the intro. NWA Powerrr used to have Into the Fire by Dokken as a theme – which actually got me to watch the Nightmare on Elm Street series and got me into horror movies. But now it’s a generic insrumental guitar song. Alright.

Anyways, time for the first match. Mims is here. He’s apparently the number 1 contender for the television title. He has an alright look, I hope he can back it up in the ring. Oh, he’s challenging for the Television Title right now. Alright. Well, it’s Jordan Clearwater, the Flair wannabe who stayed in the ring from the first segment, vs Mims. Maybe Mims can show us why he’s hot.

Joe Galli informs us there’s a 6:05 minute time limit for this match, as there is for all TV title matches? I have no idea if this is founded in history or they just picked a random time limit, but it’s a weird number anyways.

Clearwater is a chickenly heel and tries to run from Mims and stalls for time. Mims pushes him over, though. Clearwater gets back up, does some taunts, and threatens to leave, but Mims takes him by the hair and headbutts him.

Mims charges at Clearwater in the corner but gets a poke to the eye and hits him with… ok, I’m a wrestling fan, I’m not a commentator. I don’t know all the moves, but commentary doesn’t call it, so I’ll just say he slams him.

Clearwater takes control briefly, but Mims gets some hits on Clearwater – though that doesn’t last long as Clearwater takes control again and goes for a pin, but Mims kicks out at 1. Clearwater taunts the crowd to cheer for Mims.

He then whips Mims into the corner. Mims gets some more hits on Clearwater. Clearwater hits Mims with a suplex for a two count. He whips Mims again, but Mims goes for a sunset flip and hits it. Clothesline to Mims, however, for another two count.

Clearwater than gets a headlock on Mims, but Mims fights out. Mims hits a clothesline and back elbow combo and goes off the ropes but gets a big boot from Clearwater. Clearwater goes for the pin, but the time limit runs out.

This counts as a victory for Clearwater and is the 1st of 7 wins which will allow him to cash in the title to challenge for the world title. Ok, so Tyrus didn’t say the rules clearly. Anyways, I thought Mims might get a rematch – and hey, he might – but because of that 7 wins rule, I get the feeling they’re gonna want to move on.

It wasn’t a particularly great showing for either man, though I’ll chalk that up to the time limit. It made the match and having to structure it quite awkward, so we’re left with them trying to work a longer match in a short amount of time, so it doesn’t feel complete. I didn’t really get a feel for Mims as a wrestler and all I gleamed from Clearwater is he’s a coward. Hopefully they have better showings in the future.

--

There’s an ad for Austin Idol’s wrestling school. Then we’re back to the ring, a match with a 15 minute time limit. Alright, that’s more sensible. Anyways, here’s Ryan Davidson vs Odinson. Ryan looks a bit generic and is apparently from the Wildcat promotion, which they hype up, but I’ve never heard of it, so. His opponent, Odinson, I guess has a Norse mythology gimmick. He looks the part, at least. The chains look a bit out of place, but hey, it stands out.

Joe says he sprayed “the purpose” into his mouth – so I’m guessing he does some kind of green mist variation too? (Hi. This is editor skelltan. Coming back to this, I just realized this is never once relevant in this match.) Ryan here is apparently the longest reigning Wildcat champ, over 900 days. Let’s see how he does, then.

The two lock up. Odinson takes him to the corner, but Ryan fights out and pummels Odinson in the corner. He whips him to the other corner, and spins around – he looks a bit lost, as if he was expecting Odinson to run back and get hit with a back elbow? But continues running, getting hit with a big boot and clothesline. Odin hits an uppercut and sliding lariat on him for a cover and two count.

He lands a knee on Ryan, and two uppercuts in the corner before walking him around the ring for more uppercuts. He charges at Ryan in the corner twice, going for a spear but Ryan dodges. Ryan goes for the Manhattan drop and a scoop slam. He his the ropes and lands an elbow for a one count. Ryan gets Odinson in the corner and atacks him. He then gestures to the crowd, getting them to cheer and continues the attack on Odinson.

Odinson hits Ryan with a forearm and they jockey for position, hitting a DDT (at least according to Velvey Sky) that focuses on Odinson’s arm. Ryan continues working the left arm with a submission. The crowd gets behind Odinson to power out and hit a dropkick. Odinson then sells the arm a bit.

Odinson charges at Ryan in the corner, gets him to the other corner and charges again. He then goes for a torture rack but can’t hold it – Odinson then goes for a big boot and uppercut for a 2. Odinson goes back to the torture rack, but again can’t quite get it – Ryan hits him with a power slam for a 2 count. Ryan takes off an elbow pad and tries to go for something, but Odinson hits him with the pounce for the win.

Ryan looked a little awkward as I alluded to, but Odinson looked pretty good in my eyes. Obviously I’m not saying he’s anywhere near his level, but in terms of in ring style he reminded me a bit of Claudio Castignoli, what with the power moves and uppercuts. There was actually psychology in this match and the pace was much better than the opener and both men got some stuff in. Again, don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a match of the year by any definition, but better than the opener and not that bad.

--

We then go backstage, where May Valentine interviews a man who’ll be in the main event – Aron Stevens. Like Tyrus, Aron Stevens is a castoff from the 2010s WWE midcard. He was known as Damien Sandow and was a henchman for The Miz and had an impersonation gimmick. I only got into wrestling in 2019, so I never got a chance to see him, but people actually thought he was funny in his impersonator role and thought he had potential – he also held the tag titles once and the Money in the Bank, though he failed to cash it in against John Cena.

Anyways, here’s Aron Stevens. Apparently he’s retired and May Valentine is his girlfriend. I don’t know if this is a work or he’s seriously stepping down from in ring action. He’s a little hammy and mildly entertaining. He’s no Eddie Kingston, but I’ve seen far worse promos.

We get another ad this time for the NWA merch shop.

Aron makes his entrance, but cuts a promo, again stating he’s retired and is a manager now, but is still gonna do this match. Apparently he has to or he’ll lose his manager license? He didn’t get that over in the promos, but alright.

Kratos is announced as “the most swagged”? He looks like a poor man’s Luke Gallows, which isn’t a good look. He’s also got garishly bright Hulk Hogan-esque red and yellow gear. He looks terrible. Commentary alludes to a story – Aron Stevens is friends with a masked wrestler called The Question Mark who’s identity is well known. I think I read Aron played one of them but there was another not played by him and the two fought? I dunno.

Anyways, Kyle says “due to the controversy of the black glove” that Aron Stevens is wearing, he must take off his glove or he’ll be disqualified. Very odd phrasing, but anyways, he takes something out of the glove and into his pockets. Underneath, he has another glove – a rubber one. Aron calls for a time out, though, and claims to not have a professional wrestling license, so he can’t wrestle, and says because he’s a manager, Kratos will be fined, suspended and gone.

Aron then beats down Kratos and then says his wrestler’s license is still valid. Kratos hits Aron with a big knee, though. He rolls Aron out of the ring and atacks him, and continues the atack in the ring. He tries to rip off Aron’s shirt. Kratos hits a release suplex. Some masked guys hit Kratos, and that’s the match.

I wasn’t looking forward to seeing Kratos work, but I didn’t get a chance to, so for all I know he’s alright. But yeah, in terms of in ring action and as our main event, that wasn’t great. But it served for an angle, anyways, so let’s hope it’s a good angle.

The Question Mark 2 comes to the ring – this is the one that faced Aron who was the other Question Mark, I guess, but he gets beat up. Aron puts his glove back on and puts something in the glove – I’m guessing something metal, and punches Kratos. The crew then beat up Question Mark 2 and pose.

So, that’s our first episode of NWA Powerrr in the bag. It wasn’t terrible, but if not for this series/my morbid curiosity, I wouldn’t go out of my way to watch this. We still have to wait for a payoff for the main event angle, and Idolmania were whatever, but Odinson was alright, so I wouldn’t mind seeing more of him. Otherwise, I don’t have much positive to say, other than it wasn’t terrible.

Want to read more? Continue here!

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TNA Rebellion: Josh Alexander vs. Hammerstone Result [ Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ]

TNA Rebellion: Josh Alexander vs. Hammerstone Result [News Summary] Josh Alexander got revenge, and his property back. Alexander won a vicious and bloody battle against Hammerstone at TNA Rebellion. Hammerstone was already the face of one wrestling promotion and the former MLW World Heavyweight Champion looks to continue that trend in… Hammerstone is a member of the TNA Wrestling talent roster…

[wrestlingclubelite]

The Bloodline Connection: Jacob Fatu's Potential Move to WWE!

Jacob Fatu, the former MLW National Openweight Champion, has become a free agent, marking the end of his notable tenure with Major League Wrestling (MLW) and the CONTRA Unit faction. Recognized for his diverse in-ring skills, which blend power, agility, and high-flying maneuvers, Fatu has made a significant impact, even securing the MLW World Heavyweight Championship. His recent appearance in New…

[cavenewstimes]

Former MLW World Champion Alex Hammerstone Reportedly Requests To Be Released

Read More Wrestling Inc.  By /Oct. 29, 2023 10:18 am EST One of Major League Wrestling’s biggest stars has reportedly requested his release, but he may not be granted it anytime soon. Fightful Select broke the news on Saturday that former MLW World Heavyweight Champion Alex Hammerstone has requested his release from the company as his five-year relationship with MLW has become “frayed.”…

[laocommunity]

Title: Wrestling Fans Shocked as Jacob Fatu Sends Cryptic Message after The Bloodline's Collapse Due to Betrayal

Title: Wrestling Fans Shocked as Jacob Fatu Sends Cryptic Message after The Bloodline's Collapse Due to Betrayal Wrestling Fans Shocked as Jacob Fatu Sends Cryptic Message after The Bloodline's Collapse Due to Betrayal Overview of The Bloodline's Collapse Wrestling fans were stunned as The Bloodline, one of the most dominant factions in professional wrestling, came to a sudden and shocking end due to betrayal. The leader of The Bloodline, WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns, was betrayed by his cousin Jimmy Uso on a recent episode of SmackDown. The betrayal left Reigns seething and fans wondering what the future holds for The Bloodline. However, it was a cryptic message sent by another member of The Bloodline, Jacob Fatu, that has left fans completely perplexed. Who is Jacob Fatu? Jacob Fatu is a second-generation wrestler and member of the famed Anoa'i family, which includes WWE Hall of Famers The Rock, Roman Reigns, and Yokozuna. He is also a member of The Bloodline, serving as Reigns' cousin and enforcer. Jacob has made a name for himself in the wrestling world as a member of Major League Wrestling (MLW), where he is a two-time World Heavyweight Champion. His impressive athleticism, agility, and strength make him a formidable opponent in the ring. The Cryptic Message After The Bloodline's collapse due to betrayal, Jacob Fatu took to social media to send a message that has left fans scratching their heads. The message simply read, "Wait for it…." What Does it Mean? There are many theories about what Jacob Fatu's cryptic message could mean. Some fans speculate that he is hinting at a possible reunion of The Bloodline, while others believe that he is teasing an upcoming storyline that will involve him. Another theory is that Jacob is suggesting that there is more to the betrayal than meets the eye and that he knows something that others don't. Jacob Fatu's Future Regardless of what Jacob Fatu's message means, fans are eagerly anticipating his next move. The talented wrestler has a bright future ahead of him and has already proven himself to be a force to be reckoned with in the wrestling world. Whether he remains a solo performer or rejoins The Bloodline, it is clear that Jacob Fatu is a name to watch in the industry. FAQs 1. Who else is in The Bloodline? The Bloodline consists of Roman Reigns, Jey Uso, and Jimmy Uso, as well as Jacob Fatu. 2. Why did Jimmy Uso betray Roman Reigns? Jimmy Uso's motivations for betraying Roman Reigns are still unclear. He had previously been aligned with Reigns and his cousin Jey Uso as a member of The Bloodline. 3. What is Jacob Fatu's connection to The Bloodline? Jacob Fatu is Roman Reigns' cousin and a member of The Bloodline. He has served as Reigns' enforcer and has been a dominant force in the wrestling world for several years. 4. Will The Bloodline reunite? It is unclear if The Bloodline will reunite in the future. Jacob Fatu's cryptic message has left fans wondering if a reunion is in the works or if he has something else in store for viewers. 5. What's next for Jacob Fatu? While it is unclear what Jacob Fatu's next move will be, it is clear that he is a rising star in the wrestling world. His impressive athleticism and strength make him a formidable opponent, and fans are eagerly anticipating his next match and storyline. Conclusion The Bloodline's collapse due to betrayal has left wrestling fans stunned, with many wondering what the future holds for the faction and its members. Jacob Fatu's cryptic message has only added to the confusion and anticipation, leaving fans curious about what his next move will be. Regardless of what the future holds, it is clear that Jacob Fatu is a talented wrestler with a bright future in the industry. #ENTERTAINMENT Read the full article

[crispyturtlepainter]

MLW Fusion Results November 10, 2022

MLW Fusion Results November 10, 2022: Jacob Fatu and Real 1 star in the premiere of the new season of MLW Fusion Myron Reed defends the Middleweight World Championship. In addition, Scarlett Bordeaux debuts in MLW. MLW Fusion Preview November 10, 2022: Major League Wrestling (MLW) and Pro Wrestling TV presented the 154th episode of MLW Fusion last night, held from the Melrose Ballroom in New York. In the premiere of a new season, the show featured the heads-up between Jacob Fatu and Real 1, as well as the defense of the Middleweight World Championship and the debut of Scarlett Boirdeaux. Next, we leave you with the results of the show:

MLW shows a summary of what happened last week during the special, Battle Riot IV, where Jacob Fatu was proclaimed the winner and got a future opportunity for the Heavyweight world championship wherever and whenever he wants. After these highlights, we see the Samoan SWAT Team arrive at the arena. However, the entrance is blocked by one of César Durán's masked men. Fatu and his crew laugh at the situation and make fun of the "security" who, out of nowhere, is hit in the groin by Microman. The Mexican releases the entrance and celebrates with the SST. Rich Bocchini and Joe Dombrowski: Rich Bocchini and Joe Dombrowski welcome us to the premiere of a new season of MLW Fusion. They both wonder what the next step will be after what happened at Batle Riot last week. With no time for more, the first match of the night arrives. 1. Fatal 4-Way for the MLW World Middleweight Championship: Myron Reed (c) (with Mr. Thomas) vs. Arez vs. Golden Lynx vs. The star

Lince Dorado And Reed in MLW Fusion Results November 10, 2022: MLW Fusion Results November 10, 2022: Reed quickly gets rid of Lince Dorado and together with Arez they start a tough joint offensive against La Estrella. However, the Japanese recovers and offers a sample of what he is capable of with a Cannonball Stop Suicide. Lince Dorado returns to the ring and exchanges blows with La Estrella. Arez enters and now it is the Mexican who dominates over Lince Dorado. He sit-out Powebomb and tells that he cuts Myron Reed in two. Reed and Arez face each other and the champion looks for the account after a tremendous Superkick on Lince Dorado that the Mexican cuts. The tensions between Reed and Arez are greater, something that Lince Dorado and La Estrella try to take advantage of, without success.

After a succession of failed dives by all four fighters, Lince Dorado has Reed on an Arm Breaker in the center of the ring. The Star joins in but Arez undoes both submission maneuvers with hard kicks. Exchange of blows and aerial moves to the purest wrestling between Arez and Lince Dorado, which end with Arez putting Lince Dorado in an Inverted Texas Cloverleaf. The Star tries to intervene but is received with a DDT without Arez releasing the key on Lince Dorado. Diving Leg Drop by Myron Reed to cut Arez. Account of two of the champion on Arez. What Reed Tried in MLW Fusion Results November 10, 2022: Reed tries to show that he is the champion and almost manages to finish Lince Dorado and Arez, although the joint work between the two can with Reed's determination. The action continues with moments of dominance by Lince Dorado. With two Sucide Dive hits Arez and Myron Reed while he avoids La Estrella's offense. Golden Lynx Diving Crossbody that The Star reverses and counts in two. Hurricanrana de La Estrella and a new account in two. Myron Reed surprises both fighters, connects the Flame Top and looks for the count of three on The Star.

Winner and still champion: Myron Reed: After the fight, the Bomaye Fight Club meets and Sam Leterna interviews the champion. Myron Reed takes the mic and claims that he is the best of all time. He says send him any wrestler from MLW, AAA or DRAGONGATE that he will follow with the title in his possession. MLW shows the attack that MLW World Heavyweight Champion Alex Hammerstone suffered at the hands of Richard Holliay last week. We will know more about both throughout the night. Willie Mack's arrival at Major League Wrestling is announced. We see César Durán on the roof of a New York hotel talking on the phone. It seems that 'El Jefe' could have a great offer for Court Bauer from Mexico. Richard Holliday and Alcia Atout interrupt. Durán is visibly pissed off and Alicia rebukes him that he should show a little more gratitude to which 'The Boss' wonders why. Holliday replies that he saved him last week from being slaughtered by Hammerstone and assures him that he needs a title shot. Durán likes the idea and makes it official that in two weeks Richard Holliday and Alex Hammerstone will meet in a Falls Count Anywhere with the title at stake. To finish, Durán orders one of his minions to go and finish off Microman and Micromania once and for all. 2. KC Navarro vs. Mini Black Abyss: Fast and frenetic action by KC Navarro, who does not stop landing blows and moves on Mini Abismo Negro. Navarro's Great Suicide Butt that quickly reintroduces his rival to the ring. KC goes to the corner but takes too long to launch and MIni Black Abyss knocks him off balance. Super Hurricanranna from above and count in two for Mini Black Abyss. The emmascarado maintains control of the fight but KC Navarro surprises him with a Swinging DDT for a subsequent count that only remains in two. Exchange of blows in the center of the ring. Falcon Arrow from Mini Abismo Negro and climbs on the corner. The Screw fails and Navarro takes the opportunity to connect the Milky Way. Winner: KC Navarro: MLW releases Alex Hammerstone's medical status following last week's attack. The champion suffers a rupture of the cartilage of one of his ribs which causes him limited movement and his participation in the fight against Holliday in two weeks is doubtful. After this we have Mance Warner with Sam Leterna backstage. 'Oi Mancer' explains that he has been to many places: in Canada fighting a bear, in Mexico... Warner very politely asks Leterna for the shot and sends a heated message to Mads Krügger. Mance apologizes to Sam Leterna for the language, "because they taught me that in front of a lady you shouldn't lose your form" and tells him if he has any more questions to ask. Mance tries to calm down and assures that he is going to destroy Mads Krügger. Video of Real 1 prior to his fight tonight against Jacob Fatu. nZo makes fun of Jacob Fatu's entire family tree by naming The Rock, the Usos, Umaga, Afa and Sika, Roman Reigns... 'The Certified G' launches 'The Certified G' throws out numerous expletives and insults and is seen to be very pissed off after what happened at the end of the Battle Riot. After this we see Lince Dorado and Savio Vega walk around the backstage. Jacob Fatu: Jacob Fatu is with Microman backstage. They both share some nuggets while Fatu thanks him for the help he had earlier. The Samoan retires to prepare his subsequent combat at the same time that the henchman that César Durán had sent for Microman enters. Fatu returns to tell Microman something and catches Durán's man red-handed, who scared flees the place. 3. Scarlett Bordeaux vs. Clara Carreras: Scarlett's low blow before she rings the bell, which she takes advantage of to take her rival to her corner and hit her several times. Carreras rhas and takes Scarlett to the canvas. Dropkick and count in two for 'The Girl'. Carreras tries to control the fight flush with the canvas but Scarlett manages to get out of it and take her back to the corner. Hip Toss and 'The Smoke' Show has the fight where he wants it. DDT combination followed by the Scarlett Letter (Back-To-Belly Piledriver) and count of three. Winner. Scarlett Bordeaux: Taya Valkyrie comes out on stage for an interview with Sam Leterna. The inaugural champion of the MLW Featherweight division talks about how she feels about making history in the company and comments that someone like Scarlett Bordaeux is needed for the MLW women's division to continue to grow. "La Wera Loca" does not close the door to any fighter who wants to face her for the title. Suddenly, Brittany Blake attacks Taya from behind and both have to be separated by several MLW referees. Bomaye Fight Club: Bomaye Fight Club is backstage. Alex Kane talks about Davey Richards and how the fall of one of his biggest idols caused him to lose respect for "The American Wolf". Kane says that even though he came back a few years ago, Richards gave up and stopped being who he was. That is why, next week, Alex Kane will make Davey Richards perform again when they face each other in a heads-up match for the National Openweight title. Killer Kross will face Matt Cross. After the announcement, we see a video of Jacob Fatu. The Samoan returns the insults to Real 1 and assures that he will kick his ass tonight. 4. Jacob Fatu vs. royal 1: As Fatu makes his entrance, nZo attacks him from behind with an iron bar. Real 1 takes the microphone and provokes Fatu into the ring. nZo goes straight to Fatu's leg and takes advantage of his speed to connect hard blows to the Samoan. Fatu tries to get away but nZo's punishment is too fast. He hit the leg with the ropes and another hit against the post left the Samoan lying on the canvas. nZo goes up to the corner and launches but Fatu intercepts him with a Dropkick. Fatu gets up and goes to por nZo who receives him with a kick to the groin causing him to be disqualified. Winner: Jacob Fatu by disqualification: Without time for anything, both fighters continue to hit each other in the center of the ring. The officers are forced to act and take nZo out leaving Jacob Fatu in the ring. The Samoan, trying to find Real 1, launches himself against the melee of MLW officials and referees with a tremendous Splash. However, 'The Certified G' manages to run away before Fatu fell. Don't forget to visit Solowrestling, the website with all the INDIES news. Follow us on social networks, Facebook, Youtube, Twitter and Instagram. For More Information Visit These Articles: - WWE, AEW, it’s time to stop signing - WWE removes the 24/7 Championship from its list of active titles - Previous WWE Friday Night SmackDown November 11, 2022 - Braun Strowman’s generated discomfort in the WWE locker room - WWE announces a match to determine Ronda Rousey’s next opponent - Batista offers himself for the cast of Gears of War - Taryn Terrell announces her retirement from professional wrestling - Another match announced for AEW Full Gear at the Rampage tapings - Previous Impact Wrestling November 10, 2022 Read the full article

[wweallresultspage]

Before he was one of the top stars in AEW, MJF was a featured talent in Major League Wrestling, winning the MLW Middleweight Championship and being part of The Dynasty alongside Alex Hammerstone and Richard Holiday.

MJF left MLW in January 2020 to commit to AEW full-time, but he still looks back fondly on his time in MLW and all he learned from those he worked with.

Bruce Prichard, I spoke to multiple times in MLW. We met in MLW, we have stayed in contact ever since. Bruce is a great guy. Bruce, I loooove you. Great guy, Brother Love. It's a business, at the end of the day, but you make friends along the way. Jim Cornette was there in MLW. I learned a lot from him in that short stint when I got to talk to him. Konnan was over there, I learned a lot. Not enough people talk about MLW. I feel, it's honestly, a great breeding ground for young up-and-coming talent. At the time, when I was there, there were so many people coming in and out. Yes, they were coming in and out fairly quickly, but if you're a student of the game like I was, you chewed their ear off and you made sure you learn something," said MJF while speaking to Ariel Helwani on the MMA Hour.

Prichard is the current Executive Director of WWE Raw and SmackDown, and has been reference on AEW television by MJF as he teases jumping to WWE in January 2024 when his AEW contract expires.

Alex Hammerstone is the reigning MLW World Heavyweight Champion while Richard Holliday is still prominently featured on the show.

Sources

MMA Hour

Fightfulselect

Wrestle Zone

[uselessshit13]

January 13

50 Danny McShane Texas heavyweight champion

51 Ron Etchison Missouri champion

60 Buddy Roger's Montreal world champion

63 Jack and Jim Dalton Arizona world tag team champs

65 Raul Reyes Mexico national Light heavyweight champion

65 Dick Dunn gulfcoast champion

69 Minnesota wrecking crew mid Atlantic southern tag champs

70 Missouri mauler Florida southern champion

70 Mr ito nwa junior heavyweight champion

70 buddy Colt Homer o dell Macon tag champs

71 bob Kelly gulf coast champion

72 scuffing hillbillies tri states tag champs

74 Raul Mata Los Angeles Pacific coast champion

75 Jacques Rougeau Quebec world champion

77 Sgt Slaughter Central states champion

78 Chavo and Hector Guerrero Los Angeles American tag champs

83 Roger Kirby Central states TV champ

85 Bob Roop Georgia national TV champ

89 Chris Benoit Stampede British commonwealth mid heavyweight champion

90 Manny Fernandez wwc Puerto Rico champion

96 pg 13 uswa tag champs

96 tommy rich uswa champion

96 Juan Martin Coggi wba super lightweight champion

98 Doug Gilbert iwa Japan champion

00 Hiroyo Mutoh Jd junior title

01 Steven Bradley PPW heavyweight champion

02 Maru Jd junior title

03 Teruko kagawa jd junior title

05 El veneno iwrg intercontinental middleweight champion

06 Brian Olsen WEC MMA heavyweight champion

07 Havok NWA cyberspace Shockwave heavyweight champion

07 human tornado pwg heavyweight champion

07 papadon nwa cyberspace Shockwave internet champion

07 ulf Herrmann 1pw heavyweight champion

07 Frankie Parker west Virginia msw champion

07 karolina koszewska wibf junior middleweight champion

08 Carlos Amano OZ openweight champion

11 Seth Rollins fcw jack Brisco 15 champion

12 Richie Steamboat fcw jack Brisco 15 champion

12 jasper Davis lone star champion

12 Brandon haze nwa zero 1 heartland states champion

17 lufisto shine champion

17 Thiago Silva academy mma light heavyweight champion

19 Daisuke Sekimoto Yuji Okabayashi all Japan tag champs

19 Caleb Planet ibf super middleweight champion

21 Los parks MLW tag champs

[fernsjjf]

I was so happy to hear that, our boy Alex Hammerstone won both titles, at MLW Fightland.

[wrestlingmgc]

MLW World Heavyweight Champion Shane Strickland

[mpwma]

🎙️🌟 Attention, wrestling warriors and fans of the winningest podcast on the internet – it's the one and only Tigerhite, your undisputed champion of commentary, bringing you the inside scoop on tonight's colossal clash at MLW One Shot 2023!

In one corner, we've got the reigning and totally terrific MLW World Heavyweight Champion, Alex Kane. This guy is a powerhouse, folks, more unstoppable than my late-night cravings for a chocolate cake – and believe me, nothing stands in the way of that!

And in the other corner, we've got the challenger, the Long Island Iced Z himself, Matt Cardona. A man with more charisma than a Trump rally and more moves than a political chessboard. Can he take down the champ and make MLW great again?

Now, people are saying, "Tigerhite, should you cover this show?" Well, let me tell you, it's going to be the best coverage, tremendous coverage, believe me! But I want to hear from you. Comment below and let me know – do you want the podcast to delve into the controversies, the hard-hitting analysis, and the unbelievable drama that only professional wrestling can provide?

We're not just talking about any old match; we're talking about the MLW World Heavyweight Championship on the line, folks! It's like a presidential debate, but with more body slams and fewer interruptions (hopefully).

So, wrestling aficionados, let your voices be heard! Comment, share your thoughts, and let's make wrestling discussions great again! And, of course, don't forget to use the hashtags: #MLWOneShot #KaneVsCardona #ChampionshipClash #WrestlingWar

Stay tuned for the best podcast in the universe – and remember, only winners listen to winners! 💪🏆🤼‍♂️ #MLW

[skelltan]

Indie Promotion Round Up - Edition 1 Part 2 - MLW Fusion

This is a continuation from my last post. Check it out here!

Let’s change the channel. Over on MLW, we’re picking up from the fallout of Battle Riot IV. The Battle Riot is a battle royale with 40 men that operates by elimination via pinfall, submission or over the top rope rules. Whoever wins gets a future title shot at the MLW World Heavyweight Championship. Jacob Fatu won this, so he gets a shot at Alexander Hammerstone some time. From what I understand these two are the faces of the company, the two main guys they build the company around and are in long conracts for MLW. Fatu was the champion prior to Hammerstone from 2019 and held it til 2021. So, without further ado, let’s get to MLW Fusion episode 154.

We start with a recap of Battle Riot. After that, he SATs arrive. These guys were a tag team in early TNA and ROH, I haven’t really seen them before. They try to enter a building, but a guy with a luchador mask is guarding it. He gets hit in the balls by a mini luchador, so the SATs enter.

MLW’s theme song is better than NWA’s. It’s a sort of hip hop instrumental, but it sounds slightly less generic, hence why I think its better. Still generic, just a bit less than NWA’s theme. We’re introduced to the show by the commentary team, Joe Dombrowski and Rich Bocchini.

Ring announcer Tim Barr prepares us for a 4 way title match for the World Middleweight Championship. Lince Dorado makes his way to the ring. He had a stint in Chikara, but was more well known for his stint in Lucha House Party in WWE. He didn’t really win anything major, and I always got him mixed up with his stable mates, so let’s hope he stands out here. Under his name graphic, it says his style is Lucha Libre – so I’m guessing every competitor has their style in their name graphic?

Next up is La Estrella. He’s from Dragon Gate, which I haven’t seen a lot of, but I’ve heard of Estrella. I hope he impresses. Next is Arez. Arez I’ve efinitely heard of, and may have seen, but not enough to remember him. He’s from AAA. Apparently he’s also in a faction with Gangrel. Finally, the champ, Myron Reed. He’s managed by Mr Thomas, who apparently was known as Blaster McMassive in Chikara. Myron himself has been all over the place, but mostly made his name here in MLW as a three time middleweight champ. So I haven’t seen a lot of these guys, so I hope they all impress.

It’s a four way cruiserweight match, so forgive me if my coverage isn’t great. Lince charges Myron, but is dumped outside. Arez and Myron focus on Estrella, landing some nice chops. Estrella jumps off the ropes onto them, though, and hits a nice tope con hiro on the two.

Lince is back in the ring and takes it to Estrella. They have an athletic back and forth that Lince gets the upper hand on. Arez then charges in, bringing the attack to Lince. He lands a powerbomb for a 2 count.

Myron comes back, breaking it up, though. Reed goes for a cover on Lince, but only gets a one count. Arez and Myron stand off, but Lince gets back up to dropkick them both and hits a handspring stunner to Myron. Estrella comes back for a dive, but misses. Arez with a senton and misses. Lince with a splash and misses. Myron with a 360 splash and misses. Lince locks on an armbar while Estrella gets an ankle lock, but Arez is back to break it up.

Arez and Lince square off, ending in Arez going for a submission. Estrella goes to break it up, but gets hit. Myron breaks it up with a slingshot legdrop. Arez and Lince try to figh Myron, but Myron has the upper hand – at least momentarily, bu they hit him with a buckle bomb. Lince and Estrella fight some, Lince hitting a suicide dive to Arez and Myron on the outside respectively. Lince splashes but gets rolled up by Estrella for a 2. Myron with a double cutter for the win.

Jesus. Christ. I’ll give NWA more of a shot, but this just blew that one episode of Powerrr out of the fucking water. I had more fun with this than I did most other matches I’ve seen on weekly tv wrestling lately. All 4 of these men were amazing and I’d love to see more of. Also worth noting is it felt as if commentary felt a lot more engaged and better at calling action than the NWA team, and while the arena is smaller than one WWE or AEW might run, it’s bigger than the one the NWA ran and looks better – not that the NWA one looked terrible. But one match in and I can actually see me watching this show weekly if it keeps this up, unlike the NWA.

Myron has an interview. He claims to be the greatest of all time and calls on all challengers. He also says fuck, which is a plus of being on youtube, I suppose.

--

We get a recap on the one other match from Battle Riot a week prior, where Hammerstone beats up two luchadores but gets beat down.

We then get a segment with Cesar Duran. Alright. Cesar Duran was known as Dario Cueto in Lucha Underground and was the authority figure who loved violence. He recently showed up in MLW, but because he was only in Lucha Underground as Dario, he didn’t own the rights to the name, so he’s now Cesar. For all intents and purposes, he is the same character, though, and is an authority figure here too. MLW also has Azteca Underground which is their take on a continuation on Lucha Underground. I think it’s a separate show from Fusion, but I’m not sure.

Anyways, Cesar is mid phone call, but hangs up. The luchador from earlier holds a platter with drinks on it but jumscares Cesar, who tells him that he’s creeping him out and to stop that. Richard Holliday and a woman associate of his ask for an apology. Holliday is also one of the main MLW guys from what I can tell. Cesar tells them he’s trying to chill and to fuck off, but they say he owes them gratitude for saving him from Hammerstone. He demands the world title, so Cesar gives him a falls count anywhere match in 2 weeks. Cesar than sings New York, New York. He then tells Holliday that he better not fail. Cesar then instructs the luchador to take out Microman, giving him a chain to do it with.

Ok, let’s unpack this. The camera quality is good, but something about it still feels amateur – the framing or something, I guess? But still, not bad. Cesar flubs his lines a few times, so it gives off the impression they filmed one take, which is not as good. He’s still entertaining, though, so it’s not the end of the world. Holliday looks like a fuckboy and a better Ethan Page, so I hope he lives up to it in the ring.

We get a video package on EJ Nduka. He’s apparently undefeated (not counting Battle Riot) and is one of the tag champs and wants a world title match. That information is relayed to us in mere seconds, which was a bit messy and ideally they give us more time to parse new information like this in the future.

We then cut to the ring, where KC Navarro is mid entrance, which is also a bit awkward. He’s a more recent export from CZW and in 2021 had 8 matches on AEW Dark. Mini Abismo Negro is here, and I thought he would be a mini from that name, but he’s just as big as KC. Apparently the original Abismo Negro was a notable Rudo (heel) in AAA and CMLL.

The match starts with KC taking the action to Abismo, ending with a tope before rolling him back into the ring. He goes to the top rope, but Abismo knocks him and hits a huricanrana for a two count. Abismo has the lead and hits a suplex for a two count. KC then hits a tiltawhirl DDT for another two count. They then exchange strikes. KC gets the lead and wins with a move he calls the Jesus Piece. That felt really sudden. I don’t mind matches ending suddenly, but I feel it works better when theres more impact or it’s a bit longer. It was an alright match, both men got to show off their stuff. Not as impressive as the opener, but more entertaining than any of the NWA matches. It could’ve stood to go a little longer, but like NWA, we have time limit constrictions.

Speaking of said constrictions, the second the match ends, we quickly go to an injury update on Hammerstone after he got attacked at Battle Riot. Apparently he suffered a rib fracture and will impede his movement and power for 2 months, giving us some stakes going into his match with Holliday. I’m sure it has happened before, but I don’t recall the last time I saw kayfabe injuries be used to stack the odds against someone, especially the champ, like this – I like it!

Again, with breakneck speed, we move on to an interview with Mance Warner, who returned recently. Mance made his name in MLW, but also GCW as a part of the Second Gear Crew, and had a match on Rampage against then AEW Champion Jon Moxley. I liked his brawler style, so I look forward to seeing more of him.

Apparently Mance had been gone from MLW for 2 years. He rambles a bit about where he’s been and calls out Mads Krugger. He’s another MLW mainstay and is a huge masked monster in the vein of Kane, no rhyme intended. I’m bad at describing how he’s specifically different from other southern characters, but Mance is a down to Earth southern babyface. I thought his promo package in AEW was good, but he further showed off how entertaining he is here – better than Aron Stevens!

--

We then again cut to footage from Battle Riot with no warning. Real 1 (I’ll get to him later) attemps to eliminate Kross, but fails. Alright. Elephant in the room. Unlike the NWA, or any promotion, really, MLW tapes their shows MONTHS in advance. This, and all upcoming shows, were all taped back in June. So, here we see Killer Kross. At the time, he had been released from the WWE. Now he’s back there, despite us seeing him from 6 months in the past here. Funny, that.

Anyways, Fatu eliminates Kross and then Real 1 to win. Well, the refs are busy, so they can’t see it, so then Real 1 comes back and try to get the ref to think he won, but before he can get the ref’s attention, Real 1 is eliminated.

We then see a promo from Real 1. Alright, so Real 1 was known as Enzo Amore in WWE and was super over, part of a tag team with a guy now known as W Morrissey who recently had an IMPACT stint, but is now in AEW. They were even more over and people saw more potential in them than the aforementioned Damien Sandow. However, Enzo was released due to attitude problems and made a bit of an ass of himself, but since has been clean as far as I can tell and here in MLW.

This promo was filmed on a phone, which is a bit awkward, but eh, MLW is basically an indie and the camera quality is fine, so I’ll take it. He rapid fires a promo on Jacob Fatu – some of it is entertaining, some of it is cringeworthy – he just keeps rambling, and sometimes he stumbles upon something good, but then he keeps going and trips a bit. He needs to learn a bit of self control, but other than his pitfalls, he was engaging enough. If this is something to judge him off of, I don’t think he’s as amazing as others thought he may have been, but he’s better than most.

Backstage, Lince Dorado is walking wih Savio Vega. They encounter someone (Bud Heavy?) who was found collapsed in a closet with a card with odd symbols on it on top. We have a mystery.

Jacob Fatu talks to Microman, who’s eating some mcnuggets. The luchador from earlier attempts to attack Microman as Jacob walks off, but Jacob comes back and spots him, causing him to run.

--

Now another match. Here’s Clara Carreras, who is apparently making her debut. She has a sort of Carnivalle thing going on. Now Scarlett Bordeaux, who went back to WWE with Kross. She looks very different than what I’m used to in WWE. Scarlett attacks Clara before the bell rings. Clara gets the upper hand, attacking her back. She looks quite athletic. She gets a headlock, but Scarlett breaks out, whipping her to the corner and hitting her with a splash. She then taunts with her ass and uses ass based offense on Clara.

Scarlett hits “the Scarlett Letter” (it’s like Hangman Adam Page’s Deadeye) for the win. She then licks Clara after the match. C’mon, are these two really a ripoff of Mil Muertes? Anyways, the Featherweight (Women’s) Champ comes down for an interview. Taya says Scarlett is the kind of woman they need in the women’s division. Oops. Brittany Blake attacks Taya, however. She’s got a cool scene look going on. She’s also a former CZW alumni, but has mostly worked Shimmer in recent years, as well as a couple of AEW Dark matches.

The refs break them up. From the way it was shot it felt as if it was right after the last match, but they talk about Scarlett as if she wasn’t there and Scarlet doesn’t do anything so I assume it was filmed at some other point?

Anyways, more Battle Riot recap. Davey Richards got attacked by the Bomaye Fight Squad (Myron Reed’s group). Bomaye Fight Squad then cu a promo on Davey. Alex Kane calls him out for a submission match. Alex is the Openweight champ. Also next week, Killer Kross faces Matt Cross.

We see another promo, this time Jacob firing back on Real 1. Now time for the main event, those two go at it. Jacob makes his entrance, but Real 1 ambushes Fatu from behind with a steel pipe. Real 1 gets a mic and says if Fatu doesn’t face him, he’s soft. So here comes Fatu.

Real 1 charges him in the corner and despite a bit of fight back, Real 1 keeps control, working Fatu’s previously injured leg. Real 1 goes for a dropkick, but Fatu counters with a dropkick of his own. Real 1 hits a low blow for the DQ.

That was a bit of a wet fart, but much like the Powerrr main event, it serves to further a story, and this one feels like the build is a bit better. That’s the end of the show.

--

Alright, I’ve got mixed feelings. That opening match was genuinely great and I’d love to see more of that, but much like NWA, due to the limited time, MLW doesn’t have a lot of time to show off its full roster. I don’t know how to alleviate this – adding more time is probably costly, and I’m not sure how big their roster is/who they want to focus on.

The only reasonable suggestion I have is to cut back on the backstage segments. I understand they want to balance it with the matches and I enjoyed the little running story with Microman vs the luchador, but other than being vaguely entertaining and letting us know this is a feud that is happening, it didn’t add a lot. Same for the constant replays of footage from Battle Riot. I’d stick to just mentioning relevant info from previous shows on commentary during a match. I’d probably create recap packages for relevant moments and have all those extra interviews and upload them separate to episodes of Fusion. That would then allow you time for 3 decent sized matches per show.

Another issue that came from time management was how much they tried to squeeze into it. Like I said, most, if not every time we finished one segment, the next one just instantly started, giving us little time to process what we just saw or what we’re about to see.

Otherwise, I really enjoyed the first match and the promos had me engaged and interested to see how the stories unfolded, so even if I wasn’t doing this series, I’d definitely want to watch more MLW.

Want to read more? Continue here!

[thesportswarriors]

War Chamber Match to main event Nov 6 Philly card

War Chamber Match to main event Nov 6 Philly card

Tickets Available NOW at MLWLive.com. Major League Wrestling (MLW®) today announced CONTRA Unit vs. Alex Hammerstone, EJ Nduka, Richard Holliday and ??? in a War Chamber match for Saturday November 6 at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, featuring an MLW Fusion TV taping. The final battle has arrived. Josef Samael challenged the new World Heavyweight Champion Alex Hammerstone to a War Chamber match…

[wrestlingisfake]

Battle Riot III preview

This show is happening today, July 10, but it's actually a TV taping, so the only way to see it live is to be there in the building. That seems really weird, because I'd spent about a month getting psyched to check it out, and then a few days ago I realized MLW had never actually provided any broadcast or streaming information. They waited until the day before the show to finally explain that it will air on July 24 on beIN Sports, and "later this month" on Youtube. So that's weird.

Anyway, maybe I'll reblog this in a couple of weeks, to remind myself to watch it.

Battle Riot - This is a 40-man gauntlet battle royale with timed entries. Two men start the match, and every 60 seconds an randomly selected participant enters. The match can't end until everyone has entered, but they can be eliminated from the match at any time. Eliminations occur when a participant submits, gets pinned, or exits the ring over the top rope to the floor. After 39 eliminations, the last man in the match is declared the winner. The winner earns the right to challenge the MLW world heavyweight champion whenever they want.

So far twenty-eight entrants have been announced:

Alex Hammerstone (MLW national openweight champion)

Alex Kane (the "Suplex Assassin")

Aramis

Arez

Bu Ku Dao

Calvin Tankman (a big mean guy)

Daivari (Muhammad Hassan and Great Khali's buddy)

Davey Richards (former ROH world champion)

EJ Nduka (recently released from WWE developmental)

Gino Medina

Gringo Loco

Ikuro Kwon

Josef Samael (former NWA world champion)

Kevin Ku

King Mo (former Bellator MMA fighter)

King Muertes (fka Mil Muertes in Lucha Underground)

Kit Osbourne

Lee Moriarty (former IWTV champion)

Mads Krügger (a scary monster heel guy)

Marshall Von Erich (son of the legendary Kevin Von Erich)

Myron Reed (MLW world middleweight champion)

Richard Holliday (IWA Caribbean champion)

Ross Von Erich (also son of the legendary Kevin Von Erich)

Savio Vega (the 90s WWE guy)

Simon Gotch (from WWE's Vaudevillains)

TJP (former WWE cruiserweight champion)

Tom Lawlor (current NJPW Strong champion)

Zenshi (fka Shynron in Chikara)

That leaves twelve slots open for last-minute announcements and surprise entrants. Some of those spots could be used to debut stars that WWE recently released, or other big-name free agents. But I'd manage my expectations if I were you. They could just as easily bring in some old-timers, or minor-league journeymen, or no-name recruits.

I'm not up on MLW storylines heading into this match. All I've heard is that MLW's world champion, Jacob Fatu, has refused to defend the title against Alex Hammerstone. So Hammerstone needs to win this, moreso than anyone else in the match. Whether he does win remains to be seen; they could swerve the audience and find another way to get to Fatu-Hammerstone. It feels like the other strong choices to go over would be Lawlor, Richards, and Muertes, but I don't have a good sense of who MLW wants to push as they come out of lockdown.

The cool thing is that MLW doesn't have anyone so big that it would disrupt the pecking order to just suddenly push a total nobody out of nowhere. Like, in a Royal Rumble there are usually 6-8 world-class superstars and one of them has to win, and a dozen or so geeks who can't possibly win. But in MLW the gap between the top guys and the geeks isn't as vast, so it's easier to do a huge upset.

Richard Holliday vs. King Muertes - This is for Holliday's IWA Caribbean heavyweight championship. From what I gather Savio Vega brought the belt with him from Puerto Rico, and Holliday stole it after beating Vega in a non-title match. I get the impression that MLW initially didn't recognize his claim to the title, but now they seem to have stopped giving a shit. The match is billed as being contested under "Caribbean rules," which just means anything goes.

Muertes is a really big, mean Puerto Rican, so I'm reasonably sure he's the favorite in this match. He's part of a storyline where Dario Cueto from Lucha Underground has come to MLW to start over with "Azteca Underground." So I'm kinda thinking Muertes isn't going to lose anytime soon.

Ross Von Erich & Marshall Von Erich vs. Tom Lawlor & Kevin Ku - This is billed as a "bunkhouse brawl," which just means there are no disqualifications and the wrestlers are encouraged to use whatever they want as weapons. Lawlor turned on the Von Erichs in late 2019 and relaunched his faction Team Filthy, which Ku joined back in September. (Lawlor actually has versions of Team Filthy in both MLW and NJPW Strong, which seem to exist in parallel universes.)

I'm actually not even sure this match is really going to happen. It was announced last week but I can't find it on the MLW website, so it may have been quietly pulled from the card. I'm also not sure who I would pick to win--it would mainly depend on how soon they want to end the feud, which got delayed so badly by the pandemic.

Davey Richards vs. TJP - Richards recently returned to the ring after a lengthy absence. He was a big deal in ROH, PWG, and the indy scene until about 2013. Then he joined TNA/Impact right when the company fell off a cliff, and left in 2017 to become a doctor. I'm not sure he formally retired, but I wasn't expecting to ever see him again until MLW announced that they signed him. He's a fairly big "get" for MLW, which probably gives you an idea of the kind of star power they're likely to attract.

As for TJP, he's worked some MLW shows but he's not exactly a regular. He's more an Impact and NJPW Strong guy. So it makes sense to feed him to Richards here, and put Davey on course to chase a champonship.

[cavenewstimes]

MLW champion Alexander Hammerstone confirms injury

Cageside Seats – All Posts   Alexander Hammerstone is injured. The MLW world heavyweight champion confirmed the news after rumors were floating in the ether. Hammerstone last competed in the War Chamber match, which was filmed on April 6. He was awkwardly removed during the hardcore fight and helped to the back by officials. Hammerstone revealed that he suffered a torn abductor muscle. He was…