Tony Schiavone opened the show, introducing his new broadcast partner, Matt Striker. They ran down the rules of the Battle Riot, which is a 40-man battle royal with no disqualifications. People are eliminated by pinfall, submission, or being thrown over the top rope. The match will start with two wrestlers and a new wrestler will enter every 60 seconds.
Kotto Brazil defeated Myron Reed
The match opened with a series of incredible counters and dodges that ended with both men unable to get an advantage. Brazil hit a dropkick, but Reed was countering soon thereafter and got two near falls. Brazil caught Reed with a lariat in the corner, then hit a triangle dropkick. Brazil locked on a chinlock while wrapping Reed’s arm around his leg, but Reed made the ropes.
Both men collided in mid-air after crossbody attempts. Reed ended up spilling to the outside, and Brazil hit two huge topes that saw Reed crash into the guardrail twice. Reed cut off the third tope attempt. He hit a flying senton over the top rope, absolutely crushing Brazil. Reed ended up driven into the middle turnbuckle, and Brazil hit a German suplex.
Brazil went for an attack off the top rope, but Reed got his foot up. However, this didn’t work out for Reed, as Brazil locked on an inverted Sharpshooter. Reed made it to the ropes. Both men exchanged strikes, and Reed dodged a springboard attack by kicking up and then hitting a cutter on Brazil as he landed back on his feet. Brazil got his knees up after a 450 splash attempt, but Reed kicked out. Brazil hit a Destino and got the pinfall over Reed.
Maxwell Jacob Friedman cut a promo against Joey Ryan saying that he was going to win the MLW Middleweight Championship
Konnan cut a promo about how he was coming out of retirement, and how there was no better place to do it than MLW.
A video aired hyping the arrival of LA Park (the former La Parka in WCW), and how he’d be coming soon.
Joey Ryan was interviewed and discussed making weight for the middleweight division and how he was going to be the first MLW Middleweight Champion.
MJF defeated Joey Ryan to win the MLW Middleweight Championship
MJF used some chain wrestling early on and had a slight advantage over Ryan. Ryan tried to get MJF to grab his crotch, and MJF said he would if Ryan shook his hand. MJF went for a punch, but Ryan dropkicked him. MJF didn’t stay down for long, and he started to work over Ryan’s arm. Ryan would get brief bursts of offense, but MJF kept going back to the arm, keeping Ryan from getting any momentum.
Both men clashed heads and MJF fell head-first into Ryan’s crotch, which hurt MJF, of course. MJF hit an inverted atomic drop, but it only hurt his own knee. Ryan pulled a lollipop out of his trunks and put it in MJF’s mouth. MJF was disgusted, but he pulled the referee in the way of Ryan’s attack. While the ref was distracted, MJF poked Ryan in the eyes and hit a package shoulder breaker for the pinfall.
Swoggle made his Battle Riot placement draw, and there was a joke made about an ex-WWE writer giving the interviewer a line about leprechauns.
New MLW World Heavyweight Champion Low Ki cut a promo. He claimed he was going to bring the fight to everyone, regardless of where they come from. He claimed that Black Friday Management were running things now.
“Filthy” Tom Lawlor won the 40-man Battle Riot, winning a shot at the MLW World Heavyweight Championship
Pentagon Jr. entered the Battle Riot first. Pentagon’s brother, Fenix, drew number two, and it looked like the Lucha Brothers will have to fight each other in the early portions of this match. There was some quick back and forth, and both men exchanged superkicks, lariats, and a head kick that saw both go down.
Brody King entered at number three and went after both Lucha Brothers. Fenix and Pentagon hit a series of superkicks and some quick-paced tag team offense before Kenny Doane entered fourth. The Lucha Brothers hit a double superkick on Doane. King focused on Fenix, and Doane focused on Pentagon. Tom Lawlor entered the Battle Riot at five and immediately locked on a rear naked choke on King, who passed out.
Lance Anoa’i entered at six and tried to top Fenix, but Fenix was on top of it. Rey Horus entered and dropped Doane with a dropkick and a leg drop before Pentagon dropped Horus with an enzuigiri. Kevin Sullivan entered at number eight, to a massive reaction. Sullivan nailed some people with his spike, but Lawlor snuck up behind him and he got a rear naked choke on Sullivan, who tapped out.
Fallah Bahh entered at nine, hitting a big crossbody. Swoggle came in at 10 and bit Bahh, then hit a German suplex on Doane, Fenix, and Pentagon. Horus tried to cheer him on, but he suplexed Horus too. Anoa’i nailed Swoggle with a kick, and Headshrinker Samu entered at 11. Samu ran wild before his own son eliminated him. ACH entered at 12. He and Swoggle fought for a bit.
Konnan was in at 13, and he got, by far, the biggest pop. Horus wanted a piece of Konnan, and Konnan put him in the Paradise Lock. Konnan then locked the Tequila Sunrise on Lawlor, but Barrington Hughes entered at 14 and it was broken up somehow. Lawlor choked out Swoggle. Number 15 was Jimmy Yuta. A lot happened here as Hughes eliminated Doane, Anoa’i, and Konnan. The Lucha Brothers eliminated Bahh, but also themselves in the process.
Number 16 was Kotto Brazil, and 17 was Richard Holiday. Everyone stayed away from Hughes, who dominated many people in the Battle Riot. Fred Yehi came in at 17, going right after Brazil. Lawlor and Yehi eliminated Brazil. Number 19 was Jason Cade, who started fighting with Yuta. Everyone was eliminated dumping Barrington Hughes over the top rope, except for Lawlor. Number 20 was Teddy Hart, and he eliminated himself with a springboard moonsault.
Number 21 was Vandal Ortagun. He went right after Lawlor, but Lawlor took him over with a judo throw and tapped him out with an armbar.
Mikey Mondo made his entrance at 22, and Lawlor choked him out as he blew on a whistle in a hilarious spot. PCO entered at 23, and Lawlor tried to submit him but was unable to. Number 24 was LA Smooth, but PCO eliminated him. Simon Gotch came it at 25, going right after PCO. Gotch and Lawlor are a part of Team Filthy, so this didn’t bode well for PCO.
Team Filthy hit a huge backdrop on PCO. Number 26 was Homicide, and this was quite interesting. If Homicide wins, he goes on to face Low Ki for the MLW World Heavyweight Championship. Homicide trained Low Ki. Davey Boy Smith Jr. (of Suzuki-gun) was in at 27, with him taking it to Lawlor and Gotch.
The Blue Meanie made a surprise appearance as entrant number 28. He came out to a massive reaction as the crowd chanted BWO. Meanie wanted Homicide to dance, and the crowd chanted “Dance.” Homicide pretended to dance and eliminated the Meanie. PCO was then eliminated by Team Filthy. Michael Patrick entered at 29. Davey Boy Smith and Patrick brawled in one corner while Lawlor and Gotch tried to eliminate Homicide.
Sami Callihan entered at 30 and immediately eliminated Homicide. Patrick and Callihan tried to eliminate Gotch, but Gotch fought them both off. Sawyer Fulton entered at 31 and immediately started teaming with fellow Death Machine member Callihan on Davey Boy Smith Jr. Shane Strickland entered at 32 and went for Callihan, but Callihan hit a low blow on Strickland. Number 33 was Leon Scott, the third member of Death Machine.
Davey Boy Smith Jr was eliminated by the Death Machines, but Gotch went after Callihan. It didn’t work well for him, as the Death Machines beat him down. Drago entered at 34. Number 35 was Leo Bryan, who teamed up with Patrick, trying to eliminate Gotch. Joey Ryan then made his second appearance of the night by coming in at 36. He almost eliminated Callihan, but Callihan managed to save himself.
MJF was 37, and the crowd booed the crap out of him as Ryan and MJF picked right up where they left off. Gotch and Lawlor separated them and eliminated them both! Number 38 was Jake Hager, who eliminated Scott. John Hennigan was 39, and he targeted Callihan. Hennigan immediately eliminated Leo Bryan. Hennigan offered to team with Strickland. The final entrant was Jimmy Havoc at 40. Drago was eliminated by Havoc, and Patrick was eliminated by Strickland.
Death Machine tried to throw Hennigan out, but Hennigan rolled up Fulton and got the pinfall. Callihan almost dumped Strickland over the top rope, but both men ended up on the apron. Callihan hit a low blow and a piledriver on the apron. Strickland was eliminated. Lawlor choked Callihan out from inside of the ring, and Callihan fell to the floor unconscious. Hager eliminated Hennigan, sending him crashing to the floor. It was down to Lawlor and Hager.
Lawlor locked on an over the top rope triangle choke on Hager, but Hager powerbombed him to get back out of it. Hager tried to dump Lawlor over the top rope, but Lawlor escaped and hit a German suplex. Both men were down. Lawlor and Hager exchanged blows as the crowd began to rally behind Lawlor.
Lawlor started to hit some hard kicks to Hager’s chest and hit a huge boot to the face, but Hager kicked out. Lawlor locked on a rear-naked choke, but Hager stood up, trying to fight out. Hager managed to roll through and lock on the ankle lock! Lawlor rolled through, but Hager hung on. Lawlor climbed the ropes, but Hager pulled him off.
Lawlor managed to grab the ropes again, bit his own hand to stop himself from tapping, and tried to get away. Hager tried to dump Lawlor over the top rope with the ankle lock, but Lawlor managed to roll through, over the top rope and under the bottom, sending Hager crashing to the floor! The winner of the Battle Riot was “Filthy” Tom Lawlor.
Lawlor was interviewed by Striker, and he said he was going to get a title shot whenever he wanted it and that the L in MLW stands for Lawlor.
