Tag: mlw blood & thunder

MLW Blood & Thunder spoilers: New champions emerge

Posted on by Josh Nason

The following are spoilers for Saturday’s MLW Blood & Thunder TV taping at Philadelphia’s 2300 Arena.

The matches will air on upcoming episodes of MLW Fusion. The following are courtesy of Cagematch and Kevin McCarthy.

  • Dr. Dax defeated Moses
  • MLW Champion Alexander Hammerstone vs. Jacob Fatu ended in a no contest
  • The Billington Bulldogs (Mark Billington & Thomas Billington) defeated Bomaye Fight Club (Mr. Thomas & Myron Reed)
  • Sam Adonis defeated Calvin Tankman
  • Microman defeated Real1 (the former nZo)
  • Alex Kane defeated Davey Boy Smith Jr.
  • MLW Featherweight Champion Taya Valkyrie defeated Zoey Skye
  • MLW Champion Alexander Hammerstone defeated YAMATO to retain the title
  • Akira defeated Mike Law in a hardcore match
  • La Estrella, Lince Dorado & Microman defeated Delirious, Mini Abismo Negro & Uno
  • Rickey Shane Page defeated Mance Warner in a hardcore match
  • Samoan SWAT Team (Juicy Finau & Lance Anoa’i) defeated Hustle and Power (Calvin Tankman & EJ Nduka) in a street fight to win the MLW Tag Team titles
  • Billie Starkz defeated Kayla Kassidy
  • Johnny Fusion (John Morrison) defeated Davey Richards to win the MLW Openweight title
  • MLW Middleweight Champion Lince Dorado defeated La Estrella to retain the title
  • The Billington Bulldogs defeated The FBI
  • Jacob Fatu defeated Ben-K

MLW’s next taping is SuperFight at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia on February 4th.

Two titles change hands at MLW Blood & Thunder TV taping

Posted on by Josh Nason

The following are spoilers for a future edition of MLW Fusion.

Among several title matches at Saturday’s MLW Blood & Thunder event in Philadelphia, several new champions emerged.

The Samoan SWAT Team’s pursuit of the MLW Tag Team titles came to a conclusion as Juicy Finau & Lance Anoa’i defeated Calvin Tankman & EJ Nduka to win the gold in a street fight.

Part of a faction that also includes former MLW Champion Jacob Fatu, Finau & Anoa’i had made their intentions clear over the past few months of Fusion. Since debuting in May 2022, they won all four of their tag team matches, last defeating The FBI at October’s Fightland.

Tankman & Nduka held the titles for nearly a year, winning the gold in February 2022 with their win over 5150. They had just two successful title defenses before losing them Saturday. In past weeks on TV, there had been some hints of dissention as Nduka has his eyes on a MLW title match instead, along with a new attitude change.

The change comes when a report emerged this week that WWE may have interest in bringing Nduka back into their system as he is now a free agent.

The other title change saw Johnny Fusion (John Morrison) defeat Davey Richards for the MLW Openweight title. 

This was Fusion’s first match for MLW since September 2018 and his sixth appearance for them overall. He had unsuccessfully challenged for the MLW title in 2018 against then-champion Low Ki.

Richards had held the title for nearly 200 days after defeating Alex Kane in June 2002. He had four successful title defenses before Saturday with just one of them coming in an MLW ring. Two of the others took place on NWA pay-per-views while the other was on the NJPW Music City Mayhem pay-per-view.

Women’s title match added to MLW Blood & Thunder

Posted on by Joseph Currier

A Taya Valkyrie title defense is set for MLW’s first event of 2023.

It was announced today that Valkyrie will defend her Women’s Featherweight Championship against Zoey Skye at MLW Blood & Thunder. The show is taking place on Saturday, January 7.

The MLW Women’s Featherweight Championship is the first women’s title in the promotion’s history. Valkyrie was crowned the inaugural champion this May.

Since winning the title, Valkyrie’s defenses in MLW have been against Brittany Blake, Lady Flammer, and Trish Adora.

“Skye, a decorated athlete, is a technical threat who leverages her size to create a lethal, compact fighting style, often throwing off larger adversaries,” MLW wrote. “Standing just 5’ and weighing 99 lbs., Skye is the smallest female athlete in the division, but next to the champ, the most experienced.”

Blood & Thunder is being held at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia and is a television taping for MLW Fusion. Here’s what’s been announced for the show:

  • MLW World Heavyweight Champion Alex Hammerstone defends against Yamato
  • MLW Tag Team Champions EJ Nduka & Calvin Tankman defend against The Samoan Swat Team (Lance Anoa’i & Juicy Finau)
  • MLW National Openweight Champion Davey Richards defends against Johnny Fusion
  • MLW Women’s Featherweight Champion Taya Valkyrie defends against Zoey Skye
  • Jacob Fatu vs. Ben-K
  • Real1 vs. Microman
  • Davey Boy Smith Jr. vs. Alex Kane
  • Hardcore match: Mance Warner vs. Rickey Shane Page
  • Lince Dorada vs. La Estrella

Enzo Amore vs. Microman added to MLW Blood & Thunder

Posted on by Joseph Currier

The former Enzo Amore is set to face off with MLW’s smallest wrestler at Blood & Thunder.

MLW has announced that Real1 vs. Microman has been added to the lineup for Blood & Thunder 2023, which is taking place at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia on Saturday, January 7. The event is a television taping for MLW Fusion.

“The match came about at the insistence of Microman, who lobbied league officials to book the bout. Microman was disrespected by being literally punted by Real1 out of the ring at a critical moment in Battle RIOT IV,” MLW wrote.

“The vicious elimination not only was brutal but cost Microman a coveted opportunity to win the Battle Riot and be granted a title shot anytime, anywhere.”

Jacob Fatu won Battle Riot IV and will be getting a future MLW World Heavyweight Championship match against Alex Hammerstone. Fatu is facing Dragon Gate’s Ben-K at Blood & Thunder.

The updated card for the Blood & Thunder tapings can be seen below:

  • MLW World Heavyweight Champion Alex Hammerstone defends against Yamato
  • MLW Tag Team Champions EJ Nduka & Calvin Tankman defend against The Samoan Swat Team (Lance Anoa’i & Juicy Finau)
  • MLW National Openweight Champion Davey Richards defends against Johnny Fusion
  • Jacob Fatu vs. Ben-K
  • Real1 vs. Microman

John Morrison to challenge for Openweight title at MLW Blood & Thunder

Posted on by Joseph Currier

In his return to MLW, the former John Morrison is getting a title shot.

It was announced today that John Hennigan, who is going by the name “Johnny Fusion” for the match, will challenge Davey Richards for the MLW National Openweight Championship at MLW Blood & Thunder on Saturday, January 7, 2023. The event is taking place at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia and is a television taping for MLW Fusion.

The match will be the first time Hennigan and Richards have ever faced each other. It’s Hennigan’s first time wrestling for MLW since 2018.

Richards won the MLW National Openweight Championship from Alex Kane this June. He’s since defended the title in MLW, the NWA, and at an NJPW event in the United States.

The updated card for MLW Blood & Thunder is listed below:

  • MLW World Heavyweight Champion Alex Hammerstone defends against Yamato
  • MLW Tag Team Champions EJ Nduka & Calvin Tankman defend against The Samoan Swat Team (Lance Anoa’i & Juicy Finau)
  • MLW National Openweight Champion Davey Richards defends against Johnny Fusion
  • Jacob Fatu vs. Ben-K

Tag Team title match added to MLW Blood & Thunder

Posted on by Joseph Currier

A Tag Team title match has been made official for MLW’s first television tapings of 2023.

It was announced today that EJ Nduka & Calvin Tankman will defend their MLW Tag Team titles against The Samoan Swat Team (Lance Anoa’i & Juicy Finau) at MLW Blood & Thunder on Saturday, January 7. The event is a TV taping for MLW Fusion.

Nduka & Tankman have held the MLW Tag Team titles since defeating 5150 (Danny “Limelight” Rivera & Slice Boogie) this February.

Anoa’i & Finau are part of a new-era Samoan Swat Team in MLW alongside Jacob Fatu. Fatu is facing Dragon Gate wrestler Ben-K at Blood & Thunder. 

MLW is billing the Nduka & Tankman vs. Samoan Swat Team title bout as a matchup between two undefeated teams.

Blood & Thunder is taking place at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia. The updated card for the tapings is listed below:

  • MLW World Heavyweight Champion Alex Hammerstone defends against Yamato
  • MLW Tag Team Champions EJ Nduka & Calvin Tankman defend against Lance Anoa’i & Juicy Finau
  • Jacob Fatu vs. Ben-K
  • Johnny Fusion (the former John Morrison) returns to MLW

Hammerstone vs. YAMATO World title match set for MLW Blood & Thunder

Posted on by Ian Carey

MLW has announced a world championship match for Blood & Thunder. 

Alex Hammerstone is set to defend his title on the show against Dragon Gate’s YAMATO. 

“‘The Almighty’ YAMATO, a perennial DRAGONGATE main eventer, is an elite class of fighter. Decorated in gold, having won the Open The Dream Gate Championship, Open the Triangle Gate Championship, and Open the Twin Gate Championship, YAMATO’s all-around skills and experience make him the most dangerous challenger to Hammerstone’s year-plus reign as champion,” reads an MLW press release for the match. 

MLW first announced a working relationship with Dragon Gate in February 2020. Former Open The Dream Gate Champion Shun Skywalker won MLW’s middleweight championship earlier this year. 

MLW Blood & Thunder takes place Saturday, January 7, 2023, from Philadelphia’s 2300 Arena. The show will be filmed for future episodes of MLW Fusion airing on BeIN Sports and Pro Wrestling TV. 

The following are advertised to appear:

  • Jacob Fatu
  • Alex Kane and the Bomaye Fight Club
  • Real1
  • Davey Boy Smith Jr. & The Billington Bulldogs
  • World Tag Team Champions Hustle & Power (EJ Nduka & Calvin Tankman)
  • Lince Dorado
  • Women’s World Featherweight Champion Taya Valkyrie
  • Microman
  • Davey Richards
  • Mance Warner
  • Delirious
  • Sam Adonis
  • Cesar Duran
  • The Samoan SWAT Team
  • The FBI
  • Billie Starkz

MLW Blood & Thunder 2023 announced for Philadelphia

Posted on by Ian Carey

MLW has announced that January’s Blood & Thunder event will be held in Philadelphia. 

The event will take place Saturday, January 7, 2023, from the famed 2300 Arena. Matches on the show will be filmed for future episodes of MLW Fusion. 

MLW presented Fightland 2022 from the same venue last month. Last year’s Blood & Thunder event was held in Gilley’s Dallas and featured Alexander Hammerstone defending the promotion’s world championship against Pagano. 

Tickets to the show are set to go on-sale Tuesday, November 8 at 10 a.m Eastern time. 

The following are advertised to appear on the show:

  • World Heavyweight Champion Alex Hammerstone
  • Jacob Fatu
  • Alex Kane and the Bomaye Fight Club
  • Real1
  • Davey Boy Smith Jr. & The Billington Bulldogs
  • World Tag Team Champions Hustle & Power (EJ Nduka & Calvin Tankman)
  • Lince Dorado
  • Women’s World Featherweight Champion Taya Valkyrie
  • Microman
  • Davey Richards
  • Mance Warner
  • Delirious
  • Sam Adonis
  • Cesar Duran
  • The Samoan SWAT Team
  • The FBI

MLW debuts on Pro Wrestling TV on Thursday, November 3. The “new season” of Fusion kicks off with the airing of Battle Riot IV, which was filmed in June from New York’s Melrose Ballroom. 

https://twitter.com/ProWTV/status/1587784208243691520

Buddy Matthews to make MLW debut at Blood & Thunder

Posted on by Joseph Currier

A former WWE wrestler is set to arrive in MLW tonight.

Buddy Matthews will make his MLW debut at Friday night’s Blood & Thunder tapings in Dallas, Texas. The show is taking place at Gilley’s Dallas.

Matthews (the former Buddy Murphy) was released by WWE during a round of roster cuts last June. In addition to wrestling on the indies since being released, Matthews faced Kazuchika Okada at NJPW’s Battle in the Valley event in November. Matthews will return to NJPW at their New Japan Strong tapings in Hollywood, California next month.

MLW hyped that Matthews appearing at tonight’s tapings is part of their “open-door policy” for free agents.

“There’s one free agent we get a ton of requests for. Tonight he makes his @MLW debut,” MLW’s Court Bauer tweeted about Matthews. “Dude is a top level workhorse and fits perfectly with my vision for a new ’22 for MLW.”

The Blood & Thunder tapings will feature Alex Hammerstone defending his MLW World Heavyweight Championship against Pagano in a falls count anywhere match. 5150 (Slice Boogie & Danny “Limelight” Rivera) putting their MLW Tag Team titles on the line against Ross & Marshall Von Erich was supposed to be the other top match at the tapings, but the Von Erichs are off the show due to COVID-19. A mystery team will replace them in the match against 5150. 

Middleweight title eliminator match set for MLW Blood & Thunder

Posted on by Joseph Currier

A match with future Middleweight title implications is set for MLW’s Blood & Thunder tapings.

MLW has announced that TJP vs. Matt Cross will take place at Blood & Thunder on Friday, January 21. It’s a Middleweight title eliminator match, with the winner getting a future shot at the MLW Middleweight Championship.

Tajiri currently holds the MLW Middleweight title. He’s set to defend it in a triple threat match against Myron Reed and a mystery opponent at Blood & Thunder.

Tajiri also has a Middleweight title defense scheduled against Jody Fleisch for World Pro Wrestling in the United Kingdom on Saturday, February 19.

“TJP, fresh off of an impressive outing in the ’21 Opera Cup, where he went to the finals, looks to start 2022 with a statement. A win over the globe-trotting grappler Matt Cross would start the new year with a punctuation,” MLW wrote.

“Meanwhile, the talented Matt Cross has rumbled with some of MLW’s best and is hungry to get into the mix for a crack at the middleweight championship.”

The Blood & Thunder tapings are being held at Gilley’s Dallas in Dallas, Texas. Here’s the updated lineup for the event:

  • Falls count anywhere match: MLW World Heavyweight Champion Alex Hammerstone defends against Pagano
  • Texas Tornado match: MLW Tag Team Champions 5150 (Slice Boogie & Danny “Limelight” Rivera) defend against Marshall & Ross Von Erich
  • Jacob Fatu vs. Mads Krugger
  • Triple threat match: MLW Middleweight Champion Tajiri defends against Myron Reed and a mystery entrant
  • MLW National Openweight Champion Alex Kane defends against Calvin Tankman
  • Rok-C vs. Miranda Gordy
  • Davey Richards vs. ACH
  • Middleweight title eliminator match: TJP vs. Matt Cross
  • Trios match: Aramis, El Dragon, and a mystery partner vs. Arez, Gino Medina & Mini Abismo Negro

World title match added to MLW Blood & Thunder tapings

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Alex Hammerstone has an opponent for his first MLW World Heavyweight Championship defense.

Hammerstone will defend his title against Pagano in a falls count anywhere match at MLW’s Blood & Thunder tapings in Dallas, Texas on Friday, January 21. The tapings are being held at Gilley’s Dallas.

The title match was set up by an angle on the premiere episode of MLW Azteca. Hammerstone & Pagano teamed together to defeat King Muertes & Taurus in an Apocalypto match in the main event of the show. But after the match, Pagano turned against Hammerstone. Pagano, Muertes, and Taurus beat down Hammerstone until he was carried away by a group of Azteca henchmen.

The attack was ordered by MLW authority figure Cesar Duran after the issues he’s had with Hammerstone.

Hammerstone won the MLW World Heavyweight Championship from Jacob Fatu in a title vs. title match at Fightland last October. Hammerstone was MLW National Openweight Champion heading into that match but voluntarily relinquished the title after becoming World Champion.

Here’s the updated card for Blood & Thunder:

  • Falls count anywhere match: MLW World Heavyweight Champion Alex Hammerstone defends against Pagano
  • Texas Tornado match: MLW Tag Team Champions 5150 (Slice Boogie & Danny “Limelight” Rivera) defend against Marshall & Ross Von Erich
  • Jacob Fatu vs. Mads Krugger
  • MLW National Openweight Champion Alex Kane defends against Calvin Tankman
  • Rok-C vs. Miranda Gordy
  • Davey Richards vs. ACH

Miranda Gordy to make MLW debut at Blood & Thunder tapings

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Miranda Gordy is set to make her MLW debut at the promotion’s first tapings of the new year.

It was announced via the Dallas Morning News today that Gordy will debut for MLW at the promotion’s Blood & Thunder tapings on Friday, January 21. The 32-year-old Gordy is the daughter of the late Terry Gordy.

Gordy will face Rok-C at the Blood & Thunder tapings. Rok-C, who currently holds the ROH Women’s Championship, is also making her MLW debut at the show. MLW hyped that Rok-C is debuting as part of its new “open door policy” for free agents.

The Blood & Thunder tapings are being held at Gilley’s Dallas in Dallas, Texas. The show will also feature Marshall & Ross Von Erich challenging 5150’s Danny “Limelight” Rivera & Slice Boogie for the MLW Tag Team titles.

Gordy told the Dallas Morning News about being able to perform in the city: “I consider Dallas as one of my homes. Not only is it where I began my wrestling career, it is home to the Sportatorium, which is where a lot of my legacy begins. When you think wrestling in Dallas, you immediately think about the Von Erichs vs. the Freebirds, so I feel that this is going to be a very special occasion to have not only myself but the Von Erich boys on the same card.”

MLW’s Court Bauer said about Gordy’s debut: “Miranda has that distinct hard-hitting, southern wrestling style that you just don’t see much today. When Miranda hits, you don’t just hear it, you feel it reverberate into the crowd. She is tough as nails with impressive power to back it up. That’s an explosive combination when the bell rings.”

Gordy has been wrestling since 2019. She’s appeared on AEW Dark once previously and was in action at the NWA’s Empower pay-per-view this August.

ROH Women’s Champion Rok-C to make MLW debut

Posted on by Joseph Currier

ROH Women’s World Champion Rok-C is set to make her MLW debut.

It was announced today that Rok-C will debut for MLW at the promotions Blood & Thunder tapings in Dallas on Friday, January 21. The tapings are being held at Gilley’s Dallas.

MLW touted that Rok-C debuting for the promotion is part of its new “open door policy” for free agents.

Rok-C became the inaugural ROH Women’s World Champion by defeating Miranda Alize in the finals of a tournament this September. Rok-C will defend the title against either Willow Nightingale or Mandy Leon at December’s Final Battle pay-per-view. After the PPV, ROH is going on hiatus for the first quarter of 2022. ROH talent won’t have their contracts renewed following Final Battle.

Nightingale and Leon are facing off on this weekend’s episode of ROH TV to determine Rok-C’s Final Battle challenger.

Texas is Rok-C’s home state. She was trained by Booker T and was a champion for his Reality of Wrestling promotion.

It’s also been announced that The Von Erichs (Marshall & Ross Von Erich) will challenge for the MLW Tag Team titles at Blood & Thunder. The show will be MLW’s first event of 2022.

Von Erichs to challenge for MLW Tag Team titles at Dallas tapings

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Image: MLW

The Von Erichs are getting a Tag Team title shot when MLW comes to the family’s original home state of Texas in January.

Ross & Marshall Von Erich will challenge for the MLW Tag Team titles at the promotion’s “Blood & Thunder” tapings in Dallas on Friday, January 21, 2022. The tapings are being held at Gilley’s Dallas.

The announcement was made during an appearance that Ross & Marshall made on 96.7 The Ticket sports radio in Dallas/Fort Worth today.

Los Parks put the MLW Tag Team titles on the line against 5150’s Slice Boogie & Danny “Limelight” Rivera in a street fight at MLW’s War Chamber tapings in Philadelphia earlier this month. Spoilers from those tapings can be found here.

Ross & Marshall Von Erich previously held the MLW Tag Team titles from November 2019 to January 2021. They lost the titles to Los Parks in a match where Tom Lawlor was the special guest referee and cheated against The Von Erichs throughout. It was hyped after that loss that The Von Erichs would focus on their feud with Team Filthy before going after the Tag Team titles again.

Blood & Thunder will be MLW’s first TV tapings of 2022. The promotion will be back at Gilley’s Dallas for tapings on Thursday, March 31.

Falls count anywhere match added to MLW Blood & Thunder tapings

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Mance Warner and Jimmy Havoc’s feud will continue at MLW’s Blood & Thunder television tapings.

MLW has announced that Warner and Havoc will face off in a falls count anywhere match at the tapings. They’re taking place at GILT Nightclub in Orlando, Florida this Saturday afternoon and will feature the fallout from MLW’s Saturday Night SuperFight pay-per-view.

With Bestia 666 added to make it a three-way match, Warner and Havoc faced off in a Stairway to Hell match at Saturday Night SuperFight. Warner got the win by pinning Bestia 666, but Havoc attacked Warner after the match, piledrove him into a guardrail, and laid him out with the Acid Rainmaker.

Here’s the updated lineup for the Blood & Thunder tapings:

  • Davey Boy Smith Jr. vs. Tom Lawlor
  • Mance Warner vs. Jimmy Havoc in a falls count anywhere match
  • Low Ki vs. Timothy Thatcher
  • Zeda Zhang vs. The Spider Lady
  • Mystery Box Battle Royal (participants not announced in advance)