Tag: MLW Battle Riot

New MLW World Champion crowned at Battle Riot VIII

Posted on by Ian Carey

Killer Kross is the new MLW World Champion.

Kross won the eighth edition of the 40-person Battle Riot match, which for the second straight year featured the promotion’s top title on the line. He eliminated Bishop Dyer, Donovan Dijak, Hammerstone, and Matt Riddle in the closing moments to pick up the win.

The match was taped January 29, 2026, in Kissimmee, Florida, and aired tonight on YouTube.

Mads Krule Krügger entered the match as the defending MLW World Champion. He was attacked, eliminated, and dragged away from ringside in a body bag by several members of Contra Unit, his former faction. Krügger had held the title since September, when he cashed in his Gravity Gamble contract at Fightland to take the title off Riddle.

Our own Tom Lawlor won the first-ever Battle Riot in 2018. He was followed by LA Park, Hammerstone, Jacob Fatu, Alex Kane, and then back-to-back wins by Riddle in 2024 and 2025.

The full Battle Riot VIII is available below:

MLW raises stakes of Battle Riot match

Posted on by Joseph Currier

MLW has raised the stakes of Battle Riot VIII by announcing that the World Heavyweight Championship will now be on the line.

It was confirmed today that Mads Krule Krugger will enter the January 29 Battle Riot match and put his MLW World title up for grabs. The annual 40-man battle royal usually determines a future challenger for the belt, but this will be the second straight year the title itself has been defended. Matt Riddle retained in Battle Riot VII in 2025 before later dropping the championship to Krugger.

The Battle Riot is also set to include Alex Hammerstone, Karl Anderson, Doc Gallows, Killer Kross, KUSHIDA, Templario, Bishop Dyer, Donovan Dijak, Adam Brooks, Ikuro Kwon, Okumura, Matthew Justice, Paul London, Mr. Thomas, Diego Hill, Jesus Rodriguez, Anthony Greene, Joe Coffey, Mark Coffey, and Austin Aries.

Since the Battle Riot was introduced in 2018, it’s been won by Tom Lawlor, LA Park, Hammerstone, Jacob Fatu, Alex Kane, and Riddle (twice).

This year’s event is taking place in Kissimmee, Florida and will air live on MLW’s YouTube channel.

MLW Battle Riot VIII (Thursday, January 29) —

  • 40-person Battle Riot match for MLW World Heavyweight Championship (no DQ battle royal, eliminations occur by pinfall, submission, or being thrown over the top rope)
  • MLW Middleweight Champion Templario defends against Kushida

Former WWE NXT faction members to make MLW debut in Battle Riot

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Two members of former WWE NXT faction Gallus are set to debut for MLW this month.

Scottish brothers Joe & Mark Coffey are the latest entrants confirmed for MLW Battle Riot VIII, a 40-man battle royal that’s being held in Kissimmee, Florida on January 29. It’s an anything goes Royal Rumble-style match where eliminations occur by pinfall, submission, or being thrown over the top rope. The winner earns a future shot at the MLW World Heavyweight Championship that is currently held by Mads Krule Krugger.

Both Coffey brothers (and their Gallus faction mate Wolfgang) were released by WWE in May 2025. They spent time in both NXT UK and NXT while with WWE, with Mark Coffey being a former NXT UK Tag Team Champion and Heritage Cup Champion. Joe & Mark are both free agents and are taking bookings internationally.

Among the other Battle Riot participants will be Alex Hammerstone, Karl Anderson, Doc Gallows, Killer Kross, KUSHIDA, Templario, Bishop Dyer, Donovan Dijak, Adam Brooks, Ikuro Kwon, Okumura, Matthew Justice, Paul London, Mr. Thomas, Diego Hill, Jesus Rodriguez, and Austin Aries.

MLW’s YouTube channel is broadcasting the Battle Riot event live. So far, only two matches have been announced for the card:

MLW Battle Riot VIII (Thursday, January 29) —

  • 40-person Battle Riot match for future MLW World Heavyweight Championship shot
  • MLW Middleweight Champion Templario defends against Kushida

Kushida to challenge for MLW Middleweight title

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Kushida has the chance to win his first-ever MLW gold later this month at Battle Riot VIII.

The promotion has announced an MLW Middleweight Championship match between Templario and Kushida for the January 29 Battle Riot event. The show is being held in Kissimmee, Florida and will be broadcast live on MLW’s YouTube channel.

A decorated junior heavyweight, Kushida has held titles in NJPW and WWE but has yet to win an MLW championship. The company has become his wrestling home in the United States. He is still under contract with NJPW and is a coach at their dojo in Los Angeles. He will be holding a seminar at the dojo on February 1.

Templario — a star for CMLL — has been MLW Middleweight Champion since September with three successful defenses.

The Battle Riot card will be headlined by a 40-man battle royal where the winner earns a future shot at MLW World Heavyweight Champion Mads Krule Krugger. In addition to their title bout, Kushida and Templario will both be competing in that match. Alex Hammerstone, Karl Anderson, Doc Gallows, Killer Kross, and Bishop Dyer (the former Baron Corbin) are among the other entrants.

MLW Battle Riot VIII (Thursday, January 29) —

  • 40-person Battle Riot match for future MLW World Heavyweight Championship shot
  • MLW Middleweight Champion Templario defends against Kushida

MLW reveals location for next Battle Riot event

Posted on by Joseph Currier

MLW’s next Battle Riot event will be held in the Orlando area in January 2026.

The promotion announced today that Battle Riot VIII will take place at the Osceola Heritage Park Events Center in Kissimmee, Florida on Thursday, January 29. The show is in partnership with Don Gato Tequila, an alcohol brand that’s owned by Hollywood star Danny McBride.

Considered MLW’s biggest event of the year, Battle Riot is headlined by MLW’s version of a Royal Rumble. The Battle Riot is a 40-person battle royal where eliminations can occur via pinfall, submission, or being thrown over the top rope. The MLW World Heavyweight Championship — currently held by Mads Krule Krugger — will be defended in the match.

Past Battle Riots have been won by Tom Lawlor, LA Park, Alex Hammerstone, Jacob Fatu, Alex Kane, and Matt Riddle (twice).

Tickets for Battle Riot VIII are going on sale on Wednesday, November 19 at 10 a.m. Eastern time. The show will be a homecoming for MLW, which held its initial events in Orlando after the promotion relaunched in 2017.

“Whenever we announce the location of a big event, we get so much feedback telling us to come back to Orlando,” MLW’s Court Bauer told the Orlando Sentinel. “We’ve been to Miami/Fort Lauderdale, we’ve been to Tampa, but still we hear ‘come back home’ to Orlando from fans who are loud and proud about it.”

MLW and Don Gato Tequila are also partnering together for a live special that will be held in Charleston, South Carolina next Thursday (November 20).

Rob Van Dam, Raj Dhesi among surprise debuts at MLW Battle Riot VII

Posted on by Ian Carey

Major League Wrestling’s Battle Riot VII on Saturday night marked the first time the MLW World Championship was defended in the match.

Entering at number 25, champion Matt Riddle successfully defended his title in the 40-person Rumble-style gauntlet. The story going into the match was that Riddle was dealing with broken ribs following an earlier attack by Dijak and the debuting Bishop Dyer (formerly known as Baron Corbin).

Rob Van Dam made his MLW debut, entering at number 40. He and Riddle briefly worked together to eliminate Dyer and Dijak, leaving them as the final two. After hitting a Rolling Thunder, RVD climbed to the top rope for the Five Star Frog Splash, but Riddle recovered and shoved him off the turnbuckle and to the floor.

Riddle is now the first two-time winner and the first to win in back-to-back years.

Also making their MLW debuts in the match were former WWE Champion Raj Dhesi (fka Jinder Mahal) and Chris Adonis.

Former MLW World Champion Alex Hammerstone returned to the promotion, entering at number one. His last MLW appearance was a loss to Jacob Fatu in December 2023.

Other notes from the show:

  • Mistico vacated the MLW Middleweight Championship. He was originally scheduled to wrestle on the show but was pulled from the card last week due to injury. Moments after he handed the title to Cesar Duran, Ikuro Kwon misted Duran and stole the belt.
  • TJPW’s Shoko Nakajima defeated Delmi Exo to become the new MLW Featherweight Champion.
  • Austin Aries returned to the company as part of the commentary team.

The full show is available via YouTube:

MLW Battle Riot VII results:

  • Atlantis, Atlantis Jr. & Star Jr. defeated Barbaro Cavernario, Magnus & Ultimo Guerrero
  • Janai Kai defeated HIMAWARI
  • Templario defeated Hechicero, Esfinge in a three-way match
  • Shoko Nakajima defeated Delmi Exo to win the MLW World Featherweight Championship
  • Matt Riddle won the 40-person Battle Riot to retain the MLW World Championship

Mistico injury forces change to MLW Battle Riot VII card

Posted on by Joseph Currier

An injury to Mistico has forced MLW to change up its plans for Saturday’s Battle Riot event.

Mistico was scheduled to defend his MLW Middleweight Championship against Templario at the Battle Riot show. That match is now off the card, but Templario will be in action in a three-way bout against fellow CMLL stars Hechicero and Esfinge.

Though he is unable to wrestle, Mistico is still making the trip to Long Beach, California for an appearance at Battle Riot.

“Despite being unable to compete due to injury, Mistico will still be in Long Beach for Battle RIOT VII and the MLW Fan Expo to meet and greet fans. He will also make a special appearance during Battle RIOT VII for an in-ring interview, ensuring that supporters can still see one of lucha libre’s biggest stars,” MLW wrote.

“And although Mistico cannot compete this Saturday, he will be watching from ringside with keen interest, preparing for his in-ring return and scouting the winner of this must-see clash.”

Mistico is dealing with a partial triceps tear, an ankle ligament injury, and lower back pain. As of the most recent update, it was believed that he would not need surgery and will be out of action for 2-3 weeks. He remains MLW Middleweight Champion, having held the title for more than a year now.

Battle Riot will air live on MLW’s YouTube channel for free on Saturday night. It has a start time of 10 p.m. Eastern.

Here is the updated card:

MLW Battle Riot VII (Saturday, April 5) —

  • MLW World Heavyweight Champion Matt Riddle defends his title in 40-person Battle Riot match
  • MLW Women’s Featherweight Champion Delmi Exo defends against Shoko Nakajima
  • Templario vs. Hechicero vs. Esfinge
  • Atlantis, Atlantis Jr. & Star Jr. vs. Ultimo Guerrero, Barbaro Cavernario & Magnus
  • HIMAWARI vs. Janai Kai
  • MLW Middleweight Champion Mistico will appear for an in-ring interview

MLW moves Battle Riot VII to larger venue

Posted on by Joseph Currier

MLW is moving this year’s Battle Riot event to a larger venue.

Citing “overwhelming demand for tickets,” MLW announced today that Battle Riot VII will now be held at Thunder Studios Arena in Long Beach, California. The show was originally supposed to take place from The Commerce Casino & Hotel in Los Angeles before tickets sold out. All tickets that were already sold will be honored at the new venue, and MLW is putting more tickets on sale next Wednesday (March 26) at 10 p.m. Pacific time.

The show is set for Saturday, April 5 and will stream live on MLW’s YouTube channel for free. It’s being headlined by Matt Riddle defending his MLW World Heavyweight Championship in the 40-person Battle Riot, which is MLW’s version of a Royal Rumble. The match is anything goes, and eliminations can happen via pinfall, submission, or being thrown over the top rope.

Here is the current lineup for the show:

  • MLW World Heavyweight Champion Matt Riddle defends his title in 40-person Battle Riot match
  • MLW Middleweight Champion Mistico defends against Templario
  • MLW Women’s Featherweight Champion Delmi Exo defends against Shoko Nakajima
  • Atlantis, Atlantis Jr. & Star Jr. vs. Ultimo Guerrero, Barbaro Cavernario & Magnus
  • HIMAWARI vs. Janai Kai

MLW says that the show has set a new all-time box office record for the promotion.

TJPW star challenging for Women’s title in MLW debut

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Tokyo Joshi Pro star Shoko Nakajima is getting a title shot in her MLW debut.

MLW announced today that Nakajima will challenge Women’s Featherweight Champion Delmi Exo at Battle Riot VII in Los Angeles on Saturday, April 5. The show is taking place at The Commerce Casino & Hotel and will air live on MLW’s YouTube channel for free.

“This championship fight has been brokered between MLW and TJPW, underscoring the continued collaboration between the two organizations,” MLW hyped. “It also comes at a time when MLW’s women’s division is heating up, and Nakajima looks to make an immediate impact by capturing gold in her debut.”

Nakajima is a two-time Princess of Princess Champion for TJPW, most recently holding the title in 2022. She worked a pair of AEW matches in 2019-2020 and has made recent appearances in the United States for indie promotion Deadlock Pro, along with wrestling at Defy and GCW events in collaboration with TJPW.

Exo is on her second reign as MLW Women’s Featherweight Champion. She regained the belt last month from Janai Kai. Only Taya Valkyrie, Exo, and Kai have held the title since it was introduced in 2022 as MLW’s first-ever Women’s Championship.

There have now been two matches confirmed for the Battle Riot VII card:

  • Matt Riddle defends the MLW World Heavyweight Championship in 40-wrestler Battle Riot match
  • MLW Women’s Featherweight Champion Delmi Exo defends against Shoko Nakajima

MLW to make Los Angeles debut in April 2025

Posted on by Joseph Currier

For the first time ever, Major League Wrestling is heading to the Los Angeles area.

MLW announced today that the promotion will make its LA debut with Battle Riot VII taking place from Commerce, California on Saturday, April 5, 2025. Battle Riot is MLW’s version of a Royal Rumble where 40 participants compete in a no-holds-barred battle royal with a future World title shot on the line.

The Commerce Casino & Hotel will host the Battle Riot event. Tickets are going on sale next Monday (December 9) at 10 a.m. Pacific time.

Tom Lawlor, LA Park, Alex Hammerstone, Jacob Fatu, Alex Kane, and Matt Riddle have been MLW’s Battle Riot winners since the match debuted in 2018.

With his Battle Riot title shot, Riddle is challenging Satoshi Kojima for the MLW World Heavyweight Championship at Kings of Colosseum on January 11.

Riddle, Kojima, Lawlor, Alex Kane, KENTA, Minoru Suzuki, Donovan Dijak, Mads Krule Krugger, AKIRA, Cesar Duran, and Janai Kai are among the talent advertised for the Battle Riot VII event. MLW also lists that the show will feature luchadores from CMLL.

World Heavyweight title match added to MLW Battle Riot VI

Posted on by Joseph Currier

“Filthy” Tom Lawlor is getting a chance to dethrone Satoshi Kojima for the MLW World Heavyweight Championship.

MLW has announced that Kojima will defend his World title against Lawlor at Battle Riot VI on Saturday, June 1. The show is being held at Center Stage in Atlanta and will air live on YouTube for free.

Kojima is a double champion in MLW, currently holding the World Heavyweight Championship and Tag Team titles. There was a storyline last month where Lawlor & Davey Boy Smith Jr. vacated the MLW Tag Team titles after Lawlor was taken out in an attack by Contra Unit. Kojima & Okumura then won the vacant belts.

There have been two singles matches between Kojima and Lawlor before. Kojima defeated Lawlor at an MLW event in December 2023. In 2021, Lawlor beat Kojima at a show for NJPW.

Kojima has been MLW World Heavyweight Champion since February. Lawlor previously held the title for five months in 2019.

The Battle Riot event is being headlined by MLW’s Battle Riot match, which is a 40-man battle royal where the winner receives a future World title shot. Matt Riddle, Sami Callihan, Mistico, Timothy Thatcher, Ernest “The Cat” Miller, Davey Boy Smith Jr., Bobby Fish, and actor Paul Walter Hauser are among the entrants that have been confirmed.

MLW Battle Riot VI (Saturday, June 1) —

  • 40-man Battle Riot match
  • MLW World Heavyweight Champion Satoshi Kojima defends against Tom Lawlor
  • Ritual Combat match: Alex Kane vs. AJ Francis

Actor Paul Walter Hauser to make MLW debut in Battle Riot VI

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Battle Riot VI will include the MLW debut of an Emmy award-winning actor.

Paul Walter Hauser, a wrestling fan and occasional in-ring competitor, will debut for MLW as an entrant in the Battle Riot match on Saturday, June 1. It’s a 40-man battle royal where the winner receives a future shot at the MLW World Heavyweight Championship. The title is currently held by Satoshi Kojima.

For his role in the 2022 Apple TV+ mini-series “Black Bird,” Hauser won awards at the Emmys, Golden Globes, and Critics Choice Awards. His Emmys victory speech included multiple wrestling references, including mentioning Matt Cardona and Kota Ibushi.

Hauser made his in-ring debut last November and has wrestled in four indie matches. He’s competed for Wrestling Revolver, at the 2024 WrestleCon Supershow, and for Southern Honor Wrestling. Hauser has also made appearances for AEW and ROH.

Battle Riot VI is taking place from Center Stage in Atlanta on June 1. MLW has announced that the event will stream live for free on YouTube

“The ‘content is king’ era is over. The creator economy is here and it’s powered by YouTube,” MLW’s Court Bauer said in a press release. “Direct to consumer is the future for sports leagues. We are going right to the fans that watch us and giving them MLW’s biggest signature event of the year for free.”

Matt Riddle, Mistico, Bobby Fish, Sami Callihan, Ernest “The Cat” Miller, Matthew Justice, Timothy Thatcher, Davey Boy Smith Jr., Mads Krugger, Alex Kane, and AJ Francis will be among the other entrants in Battle Riot VI.

The Battle Riot match made its debut in 2018. Tom Lawlor, LA Park, Alex Hammerstone, Jacob Fatu, and Alex Kane are past winners of the match.

MLW collaborating with wXw for Battle Riot title match

Posted on by Joseph Currier

A championship from German promotion wXw will be on the line at MLW Battle Riot V.

MLW has announced that Shigehiro Irie will defend his wXw Unified World Wrestling Championship against Calvin Tankman at Battle Riot V. The Battle Riot tapings are taking place at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia on Saturday, April 8.

Prior to the title match being announced, MLW hyped that an announcement about an inter-promotional collaboration between them and wXw was imminent.

MLW.com has learned that officials from Major League Wrestling and Germany’s preeminent promotion wXw (Westside Xtreme Wrestling) have been in discussions on an inter-promotional collaboration.

A formal announcement is ‘imminent,’ with league officials confirming a deal has been formally set. More details are expected shortly at MLW.com.

Irie became wXw Unified World Wrestling Champion by winning the then-vacant title in this year’s 16 Carat Gold tournament. He defeated Axel Tischer (former WWE wrestler Alexander Wolfe) in the finals.

Irie is also set to face Alex Kane at MLW’s War Chamber tapings in New York City on Thursday, April 6. Irie is returning to MLW for the first time since 2019.

Both Irie and Tankman will be entrants in the 40-man Battle Riot match at the Philadelphia tapings. The winner of the Battle Riot receives a future shot at the MLW World Heavyweight Championship.

The updated lineup for Battle Riot V is listed below:

  • 40-man Battle Riot match
  • MLW World Heavyweight Champion Alex Hammerstone defends against Real1
  • wXw Unified World Wrestling Champion Shigehiro Irie defends against Calvin Tankman

MLW Battle Riot V announced for Philadelphia

Posted on by Ian Carey

Philadelphia will host Battle Riot V. 

MLW announced on Wednesday that the annual event will run Saturday, April 8, 2023, from the 2300 Arena. 

The promotion is also running War Chamber two nights prior on April 6 from New York’s Melrose Ballroom. 

From MLW.com:

WHAT IS THE BATTLE RIOT?
A mash-up of a battle royal, royal rumble and anything goes street fight, this super-sized main event will feature 40 wrestlers with new participants entering the ring every 60 seconds.

There will be surprises! There will be legends! There will be WTF entries… and there will be no disqualifications!

Elimination is by pinfall, submission or by throwing an individual over the top rope.

Anything is possible in a Battle Riot!

The winner of the match earns a shot at the MLW World Heavyweight Championship anytime they choose. 

MLW has been running most of its events from the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia as of late. The company’s last three shows, Fightland on October 30, 2022, Blood & Thunder on January 7, 2023, and SuperFight on February 4, 2023, all took place from the former ECW Arena. This will be the second time the venue has hosted a Battle Riot event. Alexander Hammerstone won Battle Riot III from Philadelphia on July 10, 2021.

Our own “Filthy” Tom Lawlor won the first Battle Riot on July 19, 2018, from New York’s Melrose Ballroom. He would go on to defeat Low Ki for the MLW World Heavyweight Championship at SuperFight later that year. 

Killer Kross vs. Matt Cross added to MLW Battle Riot IV

Posted on by Ian Carey

MLW has booked Killer Kross vs. Matt Cross. 

The promotion announced on Wednesday that the match has been added to the lineup for Battle Riot IV. The event takes place Thursday, June 23 from the Melrose Ballroom in New York City. Matches on the show will be filmed for future episodes of MLW Fusion. 

Kross is undefeated in the promotion after three matches. He returned to MLW in February for the first time since being released from WWE back in November. 

This will be the second time Kross and Cross have faced each other in singles competition. Kross defeated Cross in a match for Maverick Pro Wrestling in 2018. 

MLW Battle Riot IV (Thursday, June 23) —

  • 40-man Battle Riot match
  • MLW World Heavyweight Champion Alex Hammerstone defends against Bandido
  • MLW National Openweight Champion Alex Kane defends against Davey Richards
  • MLW Middleweight Champion Myron Reed defends against Lince Dorado, La Estrella, and Arez in a four-way match
  • Taya Valkyrie vs. Brittany Blake
  • Ross & Marshall Von Erich vs. Samoan Swat Team
  • Scarlett Bordeaux vs. Clara Carreras
  • Killer Kross vs Matt Cross