Tag: Mlw World Heavyweight Title

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:

Satoshi Kojima wins World Heavyweight title at MLW SuperFight

Posted on by Bryan Rose

After more than twenty years, Satoshi Kojima is MLW World Heavyweight Champion once again.

The NJPW star defeated Alex Kane in the main event of MLW’s SuperFight event in Philadelphia on Saturday, pinning him following two lariats. With the win, Kojima is now the first ever two-time MLW World Heavyweight champion. Kane had won the title back on July 8 of last year, defeating Alex Hammerstone at Never Say Never.

After the match, Kojima thanked the crowd and said that after twenty years, he reached glory again. He ended by telling everyone to drink beer and eat bread.

https://twitter.com/MLW/status/1753983610128863491https://twitter.com/MLW/status/1753985883743629591

As he was making his exit, Kojima celebrated with OKUMURA and Yuji Nagata, the latter of whom poured beer over Kojima in celebration.

https://twitter.com/MLW/status/1753988750319735212

Kojima first won the MLW World Heavyweight title back on September 26, 2002, defeating Jerry Lynn to win the vacant title. He would later lose it to Mike Awesome on June 20, 2003.

A match between Minoru Suzuki and Satoshi Kojima was announced for MLW’s Intimidation Games event on February 29.