Tag: mlw

Daily Update: Tony Khan, Paul Walter Hauser-MLW, Shotzi

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Daily Update

Latest Headlines

Latest Audio

Latest Free YouTube Video

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

  • The new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter is up on the site right now:
  • WBD will split into two companies, what this means for the future of cable, for AEW, for the legacy of TBS, TNT and CNN, for TNT Sports and what and when this all goes into effect regarding AEW.
  • More on WrestleMania going back to Las Vegas
  • The story on Ron Killings being cut why they had to bring him back and all the ramifications regarding it
  • The story behind Gunther beating Jey Uso for the world tite and set up
  • Full King of the Ring coverage, as well as Saturday Night’s Main Event main event, Night of Champions, Evolution and future WWE major events.
  • Full UFC 316 coverage and Kayla Harrison garners one of the most impressive combat sports resumes in history
  • The story behind Worlds Collide, the history packages, behind the scenes, Mr. Iguana and his background, all the ratings numbers, TripleMania Regia and more.
  • Ben Askren fights for his life
  • Latest developments in the Janel Grant lawsuit
  • Mark Kerr goes into UFC Hall of  Fame meaning Dwayne Johnson will induct him
  • The most detailed look at the ratings for all the pro wrestling shows including comparing cable vs. network, cable vs. streaming, how Rw is really doing, four-hour AEW marathon shows, NBA competition and more
  • Arena Mexico has one of its best matches of the year
  • New Japan Dominion noes
  • Notes on the G-1 tournament
  • Why Greg Oliver was so valuable to pro wrestling
  • Bret Hart talks Vince McMahon
  • Final X notes
  • Former ROH star retires
  • Wrestler trading card auctioned off for more than $80,000
  • Wrestlers who had matches in seven different decades
  • Former WWF wrestler makes a grandstand challenge for Hulk Hogan
  • RAF signs Olympic gold medalist
  • Update on lawsuit against AEW
  • Grand Slam Mexico notes
  • All In notes
  • Komander injury
  • Dana White and Nick Khan back promoting the biggest fight of 2025 and how it looks to have gone down
  • BJ Penn arrested again
  • Notes on TKO stock and media rights talks
  • Lots of new WWE signings

This Week’s Back Issue

FIRST TIME SUBSCRIBERS GET 50% OFF YOUR FIRST MONTH

Wednesday Update

WWE

Other Wrestling

  • Ahead of tonight’s Grand Slam Mexico episode of Dynamite, Tony Khan met with CMLL director Salvador Lutteroth Lomeli. CMLL writes that Khan and Lutteroth reaffirmed the collaborative ties between their promotions.
  • AEW wrestler John Silver and his girlfriend Denise Liguori announced their engagement.
  • During an appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show today, actor Paul Walter Hauser explained what his role is as an executive producer of MLW:
    • So the day-to-day operations, not so much. But my thing is I’m trying to lead us into the next iteration of it… My hope for MLW, my whole desire is, let’s get a TV deal. Let’s get some sort of streaming deal. Let’s get the library up on something, be it a FAST channel [free ad-supported streaming channel], whatever. And let’s, slowly but surely, get the money to actually build up a full roster and get this thing going.
    • And then at the same time, let’s try to put eyes on it when we can… and find cross promotion wherever we can.
  • When asked how far along MLW is on a TV or streaming deal, Hauser responded:
    • I can’t say too much because we’re still figuring stuff out, obviously. But we’ve had a couple of offers and we’ve had discussions and we’re just trying to figure out what makes the most sense for everybody. Because it’s one thing for somebody to throw you some money, it’s another to find people that understand and like the product. So, like, we’re kind of looking for somebody who actually likes wrestling and understands the product and wants to see it grow exponentially. Not get some kind of cheapo buyout just to have it up off of YouTube.
  • Hauser named Sting, Bret Hart, Ric Flair & Chris Jericho as his pro wrestling Mount Rushmore.
  • Shotzi Blackheart told Denise Salcedo that, when she was let go by WWE, Charlotte Flair was the first person to reach out and offer her support:
    • She was honestly the first person that called me. Like when that news hit, she was the first person to call me. And she was like, ‘What do you need me to do? What connections can I pull? What do you want? Like, I will help you.’ She has just been such a rock for me. And I hope me for her as well. Because we were doing ACL rehab at the same time. We were just there for each other. And she has been somebody, like, a person that I cried to during that whole process. Yeah, she’s just been so great.
  • Joe Coffey explained that the reason Gallus haven’t wrestled since their WWE release is because they’re going through the process of getting new visas:
    • Just to cut a long story short, with the release and the contract, our visa goes with that. So we’re in the process of going through a new visa, which hopefully won’t be too lengthy. It’s costly, but it’s going to be an investment. Unfortunately, just now, we have to be landlocked in the US, so it means we can’t work in the US or get back to Europe or Japan or anything.
    • It’s just a bit of a waiting game. It’s a bit frustrating because I’ve been wrestling for a long, long time, coming up on 16 years now. It’s what I know. And I’m just itching to get my boots on, tie the laces up, and just get back to work and get back in the ring. So hopefully it won’t be too long.
  • Kayla Becker (former WWE broadcaster Kayla Braxton) announced that she is now seeking on-air broadcast jobs in sports and entertainment:
    • After nearly a decade in live broadcasting sports arenas to red carpets I’m currently seeking new on-air roles across sports, entertainment, and lifestyle.
    • Since leaving WWE, I’ve launched two independent podcasts I’m proud of, but I’m also ready to rejoin a media team where I can collaborate, tell bigger stories, and expand my impact on-air.
    • Whether it’s live coverage, unscripted interviews, or branded content I thrive when I’m in the moment and on the mic.
  • Elayna Black will challenge Masha Slamovich for the JCW World Championship at GCW’s Boss of all Bosses show in Dallas on Friday, July 11.
  • Gabriel Wai, a former WWE Performance Center recruit and rugby player, is part of the cast for the next season of MTV’s “The Challenge” that debuts on Wednesday, July 30. Wai was given the name Eka Brown after signing with WWE but was never featured in NXT.

KENTA to challenge Matt Riddle for MLW World title

Posted on by Joseph Currier

The MLW World Heavyweight Championship will be on the line when Matt Riddle and KENTA face each other for the first time ever.

Riddle will defend his MLW World title belt against KENTA at Summer of the Beasts 2025 in New York City on Thursday, June 26. The show is taking place at the Melrose Ballroom in Queens and will air live for free on MLW’s YouTube channel. This is the first match that’s been confirmed.

At MLW SuperFight earlier this year, KENTA defeated Kevin Knight and then declared that he was coming after the MLW World Championship. MLW then uploaded a promo from KENTA this week challenging Riddle for Summer of the Beasts.

Riddle has been champion since January, making three successful title defenses during his reign.

Both Riddle and KENTA are former WWE wrestlers. After several years competing for NJPW, KENTA is now back home in Pro Wrestling NOAH, where he originally became a star early in his career. He wrestles occasionally in the United States for MLW and on the indies.

Since MLW returned as a promotion in 2017, there have been eight wrestlers to hold the World title: Swerve Strickland, Low Ki, Tom Lawlor, Jacob Fatu, Alex Hammerstone, Alex Kane, Satoshi Kojima, and Riddle.

The only other announcement that’s been made for Summer of the Beasts so far is that Tokyo Joshi-Pro wrestler Yuki Kamifuku will make her MLW debut. Her opponent has not been named yet.

Daily Update: WWE NXT notes, Apollo Crews, MLW War Chamber

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Daily Update

Latest Headlines

Latest Audio

Latest Free YouTube Video

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter Back Issue

Wednesday Update

WWE

  • WWE uploaded the full Joe Hendry concert segment from NXT last night, which ended with Hendry standing tall after Trick Williams tried to ambush him.
  • Williams also performed a rap aimed at Hendry ahead of their TNA World Championship match at NXT Battleground this Sunday.
  • Stephanie Vaquer and Jordynne Grace were spotlighted in profile pieces last night building up their NXT Women’s Championship match for Battleground.
  • There was an angle on NXT where Oba Femi was laid out by WWE LFG winner Jasper Troy. Myles Borne, who is challenging Femi for the NXT Championship on Sunday, stopped the attack by running off Troy.
  • WWE ID wrestler Sean Legacy cut a promo after defeating Ashante Adonis and Je’Von Evans in a triple threat match on NXT:
    • Eight long years, eight long years in the making. A couple months ago, I became one of the first-ever WWE ID prospects. I am killing it on the indies, I am killing it in Evolve. And two weeks ago, I came up short in the battle royal, but I was final five. But that doesn’t matter. What does matter is today, right now in the triple threat. Je’Von Evans, future NXT Champion. That boy is bouncy. And Ashante, somebody that has been here for a while, somebody that’s kicking the door down and getting his opportunity. But guess what? Guess who got the job done? I did. And now it is my turn to start my legacy. Everybody will remember the name Sean Legacy. I started as a nobody and, man, I just now became a somebody. And that is that Sean Legacy will always be super.
  • Bully Ray interviewed WWE LFG runner-up Zena Sterling on Busted Open Radio After Dark.
  • Apollo Crews noted that he’s doing well in his recovery after undergoing surgery for a torn pec this February:
    • Been crushin the rehab. Feeling good. I never really had any physical pain, but it took a while to get my mental game right after the injury happened. I’m over that hump now. Just waking up taking it day by day and putting in the work.
  • Cultaholic reports that WWE is in talks to sign Shaheen, a wrestler from the United Arab Emirates whose experience includes training at the NJPW LA Dojo.
  • On Insight with Chris Van Vliet, Lyra Valkyria said she didn’t find out she was winning the Women’s Intercontinental title until the day of the tournament final:
    • I never was a part of that conversation. I just find out on Mondays what I’m doing. I found out the day of. I was never a part of the decision or the conversation. I just showed up to work.
  • Valkyria said being told she would become champion was an amazing feeling, but it didn’t fully set in until the next day:
    • Amazing. I couldn’t believe it. I really couldn’t believe it. But things don’t hit me when I think they’re going to. I always say that it never hits me in the moment. It hit me when I was driving home and taking my bags out of the car on the Tuesday. The title is just sitting in my bag, the zip opens, and I’m like, ‘Oh yeah, that’s the Intercontinental Championship. I won that. I brought that home.’ That’s when it hits me.
  • Entertainment Tonight briefly covered the injury Zoey Stark suffered on Raw.
  • WWE’s Spanish-language X/Twitter account posted a Q&A with Lucha Libre AAA star Psycho Clown.
  • Ivy Nile joined Sheamus on this week’s episode of Celtic Warrior Workouts.

Other Wrestling

  • Mercedes Mone told Undisputed that she’s getting to live her dream through her work in AEW and internationally:
    • I wanted to explore Japanese women’s wrestling and UK women’s wrestling for so long. I’m not dreaming about it anymore – I’m doing it.
    • Before, there were so many times when I was getting four-minute matches – or we’d get to the building and something would change. You’d spend weeks planning for it all to change at the last minute. Now, it’s not changing. I get to go out and do it. It’s mine to claim, it’s mine to carry, it’s mine to do. I get to go out and live my dream.
  • Action Wrestling announced that Tom Lawlor will not be able to compete at Dean~! 2 in Glendale, Arizona this Saturday. Instead, Lawlor will accompany Josh Woods for Woods’ match against JD Drake.
  • The Beast Mortos vs. Slim J has been added to the Dean~! 2 card, along with Gringo Loco & Arez vs. Tank & Jaden Newman.
  • The Lightweights Podcast interviewed Harley Cameron.
  • AEW wished Kota Ibushi a happy 43rd birthday.
  • MLW will air its War Chamber 2025 special on YouTube and beIN Sports at 10 p.m. Eastern time on Saturday, June 7. The matches for the show have already been taped. It will feature:
    • War Chamber match: Alex Kane, Mr. Thomas, Matthew Justice & Paul London vs. Rogue Horsemen (Bobby Fish, Brock Anderson, CW Anderson & Brett Ryan Gosselin)
    • MLW Women’s Featherweight Champion Shoko Nakajima defends against Delmi Exo
    • Satoshi Kojima & Okumura vs. Dark Panther & Blue Panther Jr.
    • Lightning match: Myron Reed vs. Ariel Dominguez
    • Appearances by Matt Riddle & Tom Lawlor, Donovan Dijak, Místico, Contra Unit, and more

Former MLW champion Janai Kai announces free agency

Posted on by Joseph Currier

A former MLW champion is entering into free agency.

Janai Kai, the longest-reigning Women’s Champion in MLW history, announced yesterday that she is now a free agent. Kai thanked MLW for the nearly two years she spent with the promotion.

“Thank you MLW,” she wrote. “What a time.”

Kai held the MLW Women’s Featherweight Championship for 455 days from October 2023 to January 2025. She won the title from Delmi Exo and later dropped it back to Exo at the end of her reign. Taya Valkyrie, Exo, Kai, and current champion Shoko Nakajima are the only wrestlers to have held the Women’s Featherweight Championship since MLW introduced the title in 2022.

In MLW, Kai was a member of Contra Unit with Mads Krugger, Ikuro Kwon, and Minoru Suzuki. She’s known as “The Kick Demon” because of her skills in martial arts. Kai’s last MLW match before free agency was a victory over HIMAWARI in April.

The 30-year-old Kai competes on the indies and tweeted that she has dates available for bookings:

Shotzi teased for MLW Summer of the Beasts in June

Posted on by Ian Carey

Shotzi could be headed to Major League Wrestling.

A vignette aired during the promotion’s Azteca Lucha show on Saturday featuring green text that read, “June 26. Hearts Turn Black. The Warning Shotz Will Be Fired,” before cutting to an ad for MLW Summer of the Beasts. That event takes place June 26 at the Melrose Ballroom in Queens, New York.

The vignette begins around the 1-hour, 50-minute mark in the video below.

In a since-deleted post to X, Shotzi noted that she is free to wrestle for other promotions beginning in July. “Just to clarify, I still have a good amount of time on my contract,” she wrote. “But come July I will be full time balls to the walls!”

Shotzi was part of the WWE roster cuts revealed on May 2 and was reportedly informed that her contract would not be renewed. On May 4, she announced that she’s accepting independent bookings. Her profile was moved to the alumni section of WWE.com earlier this month.

While Shotzi has never wrestled for MLW, there were rumors in 2019 that she was headed to the promotion before she ultimately signed with WWE. She also appears to be teasing a possible angle in House of Glory involving either Indi Hartwell or Miyu Yamashita.

Daily Update: WWE notes, Adam Cole, MLW title match

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Daily Update

Latest News

Latest Audio

Latest Free YouTube Video

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

  • What people thought of WrestleMania and Stand & Deliver
  • An in-depth look at WrestleMania
  • Crowd reactions
  • Dwayne Johnson and his role in the show and the entire back story
  • How the John Cena story started and evolved
  • Why the Cena retiring the belt story makes no sense historically
  • Johnson tells his version of what went down
  • Matches that at different points were scheduled for the show and how they changed
  • Show audience
  • Joe Hendry story
  • How much WWE spent on Mania week compared to what AEW spent for Double or Nothing week
  • A look at all the matches and angles
  • Detailed look at how the WWE purchase of AAA went down, the partners, different people comment on what it means, AAA’s history as well as its attempt to expand to the U.S., Lucha Underground, does this effect CMLL, the original When Worlds Collide, how AAA was formed and more
  • The death of Hisashi Shinma, the golden age of New Japan Pro Wrestling, how he first got into wrestling, what he’s credited with as a booker, the rise of Inoki, the first UWF, Universal Lucha Libre, WWE Presidency, Backlund vs. Inoki, Inoki vs. Ali and more
  • A look at the life and career of Steve McMichael
  • CMLL and a week of sellouts including a killer Friday main event
  • WWE NXT Stand & Deliver coverage and poll
  • The life and times of Black Terry
  • The most detailed look at the ratings for all the wrestling and MMA shows this past week, demos, competition and segments looked at, as well as streaming numbers for Raw
  • Universal tournament ends this week
  • Biggest women’s show of the year this week
  • What’s new with Tetsuya Naito & Bushi
  • Dark Side of the Ring on Billy Graham
  • A look at the Mania week on the indies side including Bloodsport
  • Notes on future AEW PPV shows
  • Kenny Omega on What is the best schedule for wrestlers?
  • Mark Hunt’s case against UFC and Brock Lesnar thrown out
  • Advanced ticket sales to WWE & AEW shows
  • How streaming platform advertising works vs. television
  • Bayley talks her knee injury
  • WWE ID tournaments

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter Back Issue

Wednesday Update

WWE

  • WWE is promoting John Cena vs. Randy Orton at Backlash with the tagline “One Last Time.” The match is Cena’s first Undisputed WWE Championship defense of his retirement tour, which will conclude in December 2025.
  • Hulk Hogan told Forbes that he felt “disconnected” from John Cena’s heel turn when WWE didn’t follow up on The Rock appearing at Elimination Chamber:
    • At the end of the day, when he turned heel—like the [nWo] storyline, like Eric [Bischoff] said—we set it up, we set up, we set up, then we delivered. And then not only did we deliver, we rolled out with me, Hall and Nash. And that story kept snowballing and snowballing, and we kept getting more evil and evil. And so for me, watching that story with John Cena, when The Rock did the throat thing, cut his throat, and John Cena turned heel, I expected more of the same.
    • And then John Cena came out and there was no Rock, and I just got disconnected at that point, ’cause I was expecting the characters to keep rolling out like we did. So I know everybody’s got movies and obligations and stuff, but it didn’t feel like that big tidal wave coming at you. Like when the nWo took over, man, I even hate to say the word, we just cleaned house and beat everybody’s ass, and we just killed it. All the babyfaces were crying and complaining, and it got really ugly. We were so powerful with that trio.
  • In an interview with Undisputed, Jimmy Hart called Paul Heyman the greatest manager of all time:
    • It’s Paul Heyman. He’s my favorite, and he’s been doing this at such a high level for so long. What he’s doing now is the best stuff in wrestling. He’s putting food on the table for a lot of people in WWE.
    • Paul Heyman, he’s magic. He makes every part of what he’s doing so meaningful. That’s what I tried to do, too–if they were going to paint me yellow, then I brought the paint. Paul is the same way–you have to watch to see what he’s going to do next. He’s a genius.
  • Dakota Kai, who hasn’t wrestled in more than a month, tweeted yesterday: “I miss wrestling and I miss you guys”
  • Kai then followed that up with another post: “Not hurt btw!”
  • WWE uploaded the full IYO SKY & Jordynne Grace vs. Giulia & Roxanne Perez main event from NXT last night.
  • SKY thanked the audience for the reception they gave her on NXT: “What an amazing night!! The NXT universe welcomed me very warmly!! Thank you #WWENXT!!!”
  • On commentary during NXT, Corey Graves acknowledged Meiko Satomura’s retirement and congratulated her on having an unbelievable career.
  • Sol Ruca appeared on the post-NXT edition of Busted Open Radio After Dark.
  • Busted Open and Screen Rant have interviews with Zelina Vega. After winning the WWE Women’s United States title last Friday, Vega told Busted Open that – while in New York – she’s going to the 9/11 Memorial so she can place single’s gold on her late father Michael Trinidad’s name:
    • I am going to the 9/11 Memorial and finally getting to put single’s gold on my dad’s name at the memorial. So I’m very, very excited to finally do that. And, I mean, the thing is, it doesn’t mean that the journey is over in that sense because I still – there’s always a part of you that’s like, ‘I want the World title.’ I do. And I think if anything, this inspires me to show people who I am as a champion. And you kind of have a duty to show them how you can rock with that title too.
    • So it’s nice to be able to finally just do this and have that moment because I’ve wanted it for so, so long.
  • Montez Ford has been announced as one of the inductees for the Boys & Girls Club of America Alumni Hall of Fame class of 2025. Ford said he’s “humbled, grateful, and truly honored” by the induction.
  • WWE uploaded a behind-the-scenes vlog from NXT Stand & Deliver.

Other Wrestling

  • TNT Champion Adam Cole told Comicbook.com that Will Ospreay and Kevin Knight are two of the people he really wants to face in AEW. 
  • Cole praised the work Ricochet is doing as a heel:
    • Unbelievable. I mean, again, when you look at Ricochet, anyone who’s seen Ricochet wrestle, he’s maybe the best athlete I’ve ever seen. Just like an absolute freak of nature. We jokingly in the locker room – we call him an alien. Like, he’s not even a real person. He’s not even a human being. The things he can do [are] just absolutely unbelievable.
    • Clearly one of the best, one of the most athletically gifted guys in the entire world, but getting to see this different side of Ricochet has been so much fun because he’s showing the world what he can bring to the table. Maybe people thought, ‘Oh, ok, cool. He can do all these really, really cool athletic things, and that’s awesome, and we really love that.’ But now he’s showing what a great character he can be. The timing that he has. His aura right now is absolutely unbelievable. So, yeah, Ricochet’s work has been absolutely incredible to watch. It’s been super, super fun. And I’ll tell you what, I may be a good guy, but I’m liking this new side of Ricochet. I am.
  • The Express spoke with Samoa Joe.
  • First Up with Korolnek & Colaiacovo interviewed Adam Copeland.
  • Billie Starkz noted that she’s only a few classes away from obtaining her associate’s degree: “Exams next week and then Summer break! Three classes away from my associates degree! Woohooo!”
  • TNA announced that we’ll hear from Steve Maclin on this Thursday’s live episode of Impact following his successful International title defense against Eric Young at Rebellion.
  • Matt Riddle will defend his MLW World Heavyweight title against Donovan Dijak at the promotion’s Azteca Lucha show in Cicero, Illinois on Saturday, May 10.
  • Marigold is holding a press conference overnight tonight at 3 a.m. Eastern time.

Rob Van Dam suffered double heel fracture at MLW Battle Riot VII

Posted on by Ian Carey

Rob Van Dam is injured.

The 54-year-old says he broke both of his heels when he was eliminated from the Battle Riot match earlier this month. RVD was the last competitor to be eliminated in the match, having been tossed from the turnbuckle to the floor by MLW World Champion and Battle Riot VII winner, Matt Riddle.

During an episode of his 1 of a Kind podcast, RVD revealed that he suffered the injuries upon landing outside the ring.

RVD said:

“A couple weeks ago, I had a match with MLW. A lot of people saw that. A lot of people don’t know that I got hurt because it was the very last move of the night. I went up to the top rope and Matt Riddle pushed me off, and the way I landed on my feet — normally, I kind of hug the guardrail and my weight goes into it. This time, I must have misjudged it a little bit, and I just landed on my feet. Both heels blew. I thought that my ankles were sprained. I crawled out of there. I haven’t been able to walk since. I got the X-rays, both heels broke.”

“It definitely made me cancel a lot of plans that I had for the next few months,” he continued, noting that he still managed to fulfill all of his scheduled WrestleCon and WrestleMania appearances.

RVD’s appearance in Battle Riot VII marked his MLW debut. For the first time in history, the MLW World Championship was on the line in the match, with Riddle retaining the title after winning Battle Riot for the second year in a row. The event took place at Thunder Studios in Long Beach, California. MLW’s next show is Azteca Lucha at Cicero Stadium just outside of Chicago on May 10.

The full episode of 1 Of A Kind with RVD is available below:

Alex Hammerstone on TNA departure: ‘I felt like the company stopped caring about me’

Posted on by Ian Carey

Alex Hammerstone says he got the feeling he wasn’t a top priority in TNA Wrestling.

Hammerstone returned to Major League Wrestling on Saturday at Battle Riot VII. He had announced his departure from TNA in February, after signing with the company in March 2024. In a recent interview with Sports Illustrated, Hammerstone said he believes TNA stopped caring about him.

“At a certain point, perception is reality,” Hammerstone said. “So I’m sitting there and from my perception, I felt like the company stopped caring about me and maybe I needed to do something in a different way. Maybe they were looking for something that I wasn’t giving them. But also that was never a conversation that was had. I’d be very happy to be sat down and told, ‘Hey, creatively, this is what we want to do. So we need to see more of this out of you.’ And I never got that. It was just like, hey, where are we going creatively? And a lot of times it’s like, well, you know what you’re doing with this guy. You know what you’re doing with that guy, so why don’t you know what you’re doing with me?”

When he signed with TNA last year, he felt the company had offered him the best deal.

“There’s been subtle discussions at every point with every company at the time last year,” Hammerstone said. “When I was in free agency like that, that TNA deal seemed like the best — the best offer for me at the time. I understand that sometimes people get lost in the shuffle, but with the size of the TNA product at the time, I thought that was a good opportunity to stand out. I was very happy with the match they gave me at Hard to Kill. So, that just seemed like the most logical choice at the time.”

During his time in TNA, Hammerstone lost a Last Man Standing match to Josh Alexander at Rebellion 2024, wrestled in an Ultimate X match at Emergence 2024, and closed out his run with a TNA World Championship loss to Joe Hendry at the February 21 tapings at Full Sail University. He also wrestled twice in NXT last September, losing to Oba Femi and defeating Tony D’Angelo via count out.

In MLW, Hammerstone is a former World and National Openweight Champion.

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

Daily Update: MJF, Stevie Turner, CMLL vs. MLW card

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Daily Update

Latest News

Latest Audio

Latest Free YouTube Video

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

The new issue of the Wrestling Observer:

  • Updating the John Cena/Cody Rhodes interview, what was and wasn’t said, update on the plans for WrestleMania as well as the current ticket demand and interest level.
  • WBD expresses interest in UFC and evaluating the value of the UFC PPV business, the methods of distribution, how many buyers or subscribers will it take to cover what UFC wants and that value, how a deal with WBD would affect AEW (it would, perhaps significantly).
  • Full coverage of the final week of the New Japan Cup, including a look at one of the best shows of the year and New Japan’s next major show.
  • 2024 Gaspard/Huber award winners, the most important award we give each year
  • The most detailed look at the ratings for the various shows, including competition, men vs. women and things to note from the different shows over the past week.
  • Build to CMLL’s second biggest event of the year
  • How the foreign talent is doing in Mexico
  • AAA champion suspended in key market and why
  • Difference between commission suspensions in U.S. and Mexico
  • What WWE superstar was suspended for a drug test failure by athletic commissions nationwide and a commission didn’t  honor it and why several years back
  • Angle for a non-wrestling booker to face a woman star in a match
  • Homicide retirement notes
  • A look back at the most famous NCAA wrestling tournament match of all-time
  • The state of  El Hijo del Santo’s retirement tour
  • Updates on Border City Wrestling
  • Queen of the Ring updates
  • More on the early days of women’s pro wrestling history
  • Mandy Rose talks business after wrestling
  • AEW Dynasty updates including business
  • AEW and the Ryan Nemeth lawsuit against the company, Tony Khan and CM Punk
  • International TV and streaming numbers
  • WWE countering AEW PPV shows
  • Lex Luger Hall of Fame questions
  • How much is Dwayne Johhnson’s ownership of TKO worth
  • How much is Vince McMahon’s current ownership worth
  • Lots of injury updates
  • Developmental updates

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter Back Issue

Thursday Update

WWE

  • WWE Vault uploaded a full NXT house show from March 27, 2015, which was an important event for the brand as it took place during WrestleMania 31 weekend with WWE’s top brass in attendance.
  • NXT wrestler Stevie Turner was named the new general manager of WWE Evolve on the episode that premiered on Tubi last night. Turner is from London and started her WWE career in NXT UK.
  • Adrian Hernandez interviewed Kevin Owens on a new episode of Unlikely.
  • Corey Graves narrated a hype video for the Pittsburgh Pirates celebrating the start of the 2025 baseball season.
  • In their top 50 countdown, WWE ranked Ronda Rousey & Kurt Angle vs. Stephanie McMahon & Triple H (WrestleMania 34) as the 21st greatest match in WrestleMania history.
  • Linda Hogan, ex-wife of Hulk Hogan, posted an emotional social media video saying her family is in “the worst mess” and calling Hulk a “complete liar.” Linda said her daughter Brooke has not talked to her in almost eight years and does not talk to Hulk either:
    • Brooke doesn’t talk to us. She’s had twins. She got married. She didn’t tell us. She had a huge fight with Terry. I don’t know how that reflected onto me, but she cut me out too. I haven’t talked to her for seven years. Almost eight years now.

AEW/Other Wrestling

  • To promote All In 2025 taking place at Globe Life Field this July, AEW star MJF is in Arlington, Texas today to throw out the first pitch at the Texas Rangers’ opening day game against the Boston Red Sox.
  • Video of MJF’s pitch can be seen here.
  • Jim Ross said on his Grilling JR podcast that he would fully endorse the idea of AEW hiring Gail Kim, who was fired from her role in TNA Wrestling talent relations earlier this week:
    • No [I wouldn’t be surprised to see Gail Kim end up in AEW at some point]. I would endorse that. If Tony Khan asked me my thoughts on the matter, I would suggest – go for it. She’s very, very valuable and does a great job. I have great respect for Gail Kim, and her reputation speaks for itself. She gets results. She’s very good at working with talent. So – I’m a big Gail Kim fan. And she should not be unemployed for long in my world.
  • Konosuke Takeshita will face Mike Santana at House of Glory’s show in Queens, New York on Friday, April 25.
  • Saraya launched her new Rulebreakers podcast with its first two episodes debuting today. In the first episode, Saraya discusses her departure from AEW. She then interviews Harley Cameron in the second episode. Here is the description for the podcast:
    • Born into a chaotic, hellraising and deeply tight-knit family, Saraya learned to never back down from a challenge. She’s a rule breaker and drawn to people with this same mentality. In RULEBREAKERS, her DGAF mentality takes center stage while also exploring vulnerability and transparency with listeners. Every week, Saraya and a guest will explore their unconventional paths to success. Inspired by the honesty of Dumb Blonde, the unapologetic nature of Cancelled, and the humor and undeniable charm of Chicken Shop Date, Saraya is ready to ask the hard questions and talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly of her and her guests’ lives.
  • Future Stars of Wrestling said their Chris Bey benefit show from last weekend exceeded all expectations the promotion had: “The Beynefit For Bey was a success beyond our wildest dreams. We shattered records at the Silverton, the largest amount of viewers ever for an @FSWVegas on @Triller_TV. Our crew was amazing getting backstage interaction, and interviews. Hoping to have info on a DVD of the event”
  • A CMLL vs. MLW show is set to take place at Arena Mexico on Friday, May 2 with the following matches:
    • Mistico vs. KUSHIDA
    • MLW National Openweight Champion Matthew Justice defends against Ultimo Guerrero
    • Neon vs. Paul London
    • MLW Tag Team Champions Satoshi Kojima & Okumura defend against Magnus & Rugido
    • Zandokan Jr. & Barboza vs. Donovan Dijak & Ikuro Kwon
    • Reyna Isis vs. Janai Kai
  • MLW announced that Ikuro Kwon will be an entrant in Battle Riot VII in Long Beach, California on Saturday, April 5.
  • James Storm appeared as a guest on Wrestling Life with Ben Veal.

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.

Matt Riddle: Working with Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn was ‘difficult’

Posted on by Ian Carey

Matt Riddle commented on several of his former WWE co-workers in a new interview with Going Ringside released on Monday.

When asked about his toughest opponent in WWE, Riddle said Sheamus hit the hardest but he found working with Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens the most difficult.

“Hardest opponent in the ring, I would have to say Sheamus,” Riddle said. “Sheamus is easy to work with, hits really hard.”

“But then when I think about who’s harder to maybe work with, I would have to say Sami Zayn or Kevin Owens because they’re just—it’s hard to put a complete sentence together with those guys, if you know what I’m saying.”

“They were difficult. Sheamus hits you hard, but it’s easy to put together.”

Riddle also spoke about Bill Goldberg in the interview, referring to him as “Willy G.”

“William, Willie G is how I like to refer to him. Willie G, I hope everything’s good,” Riddle continued. “You’re in your mansion in Texas, your bank account is definitely way bigger than mine, especially now since I’ve been fired. But let’s be real, bro, at the end of the day, I’d whoop that ass 10 times out of 10, maybe even 11 times out of 10. You know it, your kids know it, your family knows it, the universe knows it.”

Riddle also mentioned that if Vince McMahon started a new wrestling company, he’d be interested in working for him.

“Through the grapevine I’ve heard Vince might have another company,” he said.

When asked if he would be interested in working with McMahon, Riddle responded, “Oh, I’m interested in anybody, bro. I’m an independent contractor. Unlike when I was under contract with WWE, I can actually work anywhere and wherever I want, when I want, for how much money I want.”

Last month, rumors regarding McMahon starting a wrestling company began after comments made by Conrad Thompson and Eric Bischoff on the 83 Weeks podcast. Thompson said he’d heard rumblings that McMahon had met with camera operators experienced in pro wrestling and that Fox could be holding a spot for a potential McMahon-run promotion. Fox later issued a statement to The Athletic denying their involvement in such a project.

“There is a report that Vince McMahon might start a wrestling company with Fox as a partner. If McMahon is planning that or not, I don’t know, but the Fox part is not true, according to a network spokesman,” Andrew Marchand wrote.

In October, PWInsider reported that McMahon is planning to launch an entertainment company but is not looking to start a wrestling promotion or compete with WWE.

Riddle’s full appearance on Going Ringside is available below.

Paul Walter Hauser named MLW Executive Producer

Posted on by Ian Carey

Paul Walter Hauser has been named to a new position at Major League Wrestling.

As first reported by Deadline, the Emmy-award winning actor will now serve as an Executive Producer for the promotion. Additionally, MLW has signed a deal with Artists First, the agency that represents Hauser,  for representation in seeking television and streaming distribution deals.

“I’ve been a lifelong fan of professional wrestling, and MLW represents everything I love about the sport— hard-hitting action, compelling characters, and innovative storytelling,” Hauser said. “I’m thrilled to join MLW as an Executive Producer and look forward to working alongside the team to bring fans the best possible experience.”

“Bringing Paul Walter Hauser on board as Executive Producer and teaming up with Artists First marks a major milestone for MLW,” said Court Bauer, MLW Founder and CEO. “Paul’s passion and creative insight, combined with the industry-leading expertise of Artists First, will propel MLW to new heights and expand our presence across multiple platforms.”

Hauser made his pro wrestling debut at a November 2023 REVOLVER show in Los Angeles. He later beat Matt Cardona in an EMMY vs. Slammy Winner Takes All match at a show in Iowa. He wrestled his first MLW match last May and has been a regular for the promotion since. His last match was a fatal four-way for the National Openweight title that saw Matthew Justice retain over Hauser, Bobby Fish, and AKIRA.

Up next for MLW is Battle RIOT VII on Saturday, April 5, 2025, at the Commerce Casino in Los Angeles. Hauser has been announced for the Battle RIOT match on the show.





JNPO: MLW’s Rich Palladino on 31 years of ring announcing, road stories & ECW memories

Posted on by Josh Nason

On a brand-new Josh Nason’s Punch-Out, I am joined by first-time guest Rich Palladino, a 31-year veteran of ring announcing in the Northeast United States in addition to MLW.

Ring announcers are such a key part of the live show experience and are often overlooked which is why I wanted to have an extended talk with Rich on why he does what he does and why he’s done it for so long.

Some of the topics:

  • The unusual way in which he got his first opportunity in the business
  • How he got hooked up with MLW and how it’s taking him to places he has never been before
  • Working for Paul Heyman as part of ECW’s New England events
  • His connections to the many wrestlers seen on national TV every single week
  • What it’s like to work a WrestleMania weekend string of shows
  • His method going into events and memorization vs. reading cards
  • How The Sandman and Bobby Cruise helped change his career

Click here to listen or listen for free on Spotify or Apple Pods