Latest Major League Wresting News | Fox News

Current MLW roster

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 08:23:46 -0400

Major League Wrestling (MLW) features some of the biggest and most notable names in professional wrestling.

MLW has alliances with international organizations like Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL), New Japan Pro-Wrestling and Stardom, allowing it to feature top wrestlers around the globe.

Some of the company’s top stars include Killer Kross, Matt Riddle and Shotzi.

MLW airs "MLW Fusion" on Saturdays on YouTube.

Read below for the full roster.

MLW men’s roster

Alan Angels
Alex Hammerstone
Austin Aries
Beastman
Bishop Dyer – MLW world tag team champion
Blue Panther – MLW national openweight champion
Diego Hill
Doc Gallows
Don Gato
Donovan Dijak – MLW world tag team champion
Ikuro Kwon
Jesus Rodriguez
Joe Coffey
Josh Bishop
Karl Anderson
Killer Kross – MLW world heavyweight champion
Kushida
LaBron Kozone
Los Aztecas
Mark Coffey

Matt Riddle
Místico
Okumura
Paul Walter Hauser
Satoshi Kojima
Sentai Death Squad
Templario
Titán
Trevor Lee
Ultimo Guerrero
Wolfgang

MLW women’s roster

Lady Frost
Priscilla Kelly
Scarlett Bordeaux
Shotzi – MLW women’s world champion
Zamaya

Pro wrestler Joe Coffey says he felt his last few years were 'kinda wasted,' looks forward to growth with MLW

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 14:34:16 -0400

Joe Coffey was one of the pro wrestling stars who joined Major League Wrestling (MLW) over the last year to bolster its star-laden roster.

Coffey, a former WWE NXT wrestler, joined the company with his Gallus stablemates Mark Coffey and Wolfgang. The group rebranded as Glasgow Boys on Top (GBOT) and are looking to add some gold around their waists. Coffey was with WWE until May 2025 when the trio departed.

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"I feel like I just want more character development," Coffey told Fox News Digital when asked why MLW was the right place for him. "I want to be able to tell a story. The past couple years I just felt as if that kinda fell by the wayside and was kinda wasted. I have a lot to offer. So does Mark (Coffey). So does Wolfie (Wolfgang).

"I’m really looking forward to just sinking my teeth in and telling some great stories. I got some great ideas and Court (Bauer) has been very collaborative and stuff like that. I can’t thank them enough for giving us an opportunity. I think it’s a perfect fit for just now."

Coffey added that he hoped to have a title around his waist sooner rather than later and wished that for all of GBOT, not just himself.

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"I hope I have a title around my waist," he said. "I think we’re coming, especially now, the GBOT, it’s gotta be pure violence, to be honest. We have had restrictors, orders, before but now when we’re in the ring we just gotta be dominant. As Conor McGregor said a few years ago, we’re not here to take part. We’re here to take over.

"I’m not here to make up numbers. I’m here to show who I am. Quite frankly, I feel as though I’ve been wasted the past couple years so it’s just time to step up again and go, ‘Na, I’m Joe Coffey by the way. Just to let you know.’ I used to wrestle Hall of Famers, sold-out arenas, been a main-event player before that. So, na, na, I got my pedigree. I’m not going to rest on my laurels. But I’m here."

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"MLW Fusion" debuted on Veeps earlier this month, putting the promotion on a global streaming platform for free and opening it up to a new audience.

Coffey called it a "massive" move for MLW and said that new fans can expect a fresh emphasis on storylines that no other company has.

"Actually watching ‘Fusion’ (last) Saturday, I feel as if ‘MLW Fusion’ has what the pro wrestling world is missing," Coffey said. "It has something for everyone. There’s great storylines going on at one time. Again, I feel that’s missing in modern pro wrestling. So watching it, I was like, this is such a good show.

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"I can’t wait for it to take on and let people see what we’ve been doing. … The feedback has been nothing but positive. I’m really positive and looking forward to the future with MLW."

MLW star Shotzi to take part in Battle for the Brave event, auction battle helmet to support Tunnel to Towers

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 17:48:35 -0400

Major League Wrestling star Shotzi will be among the stars who will compete in the Battle for the Brave event on Saturday, which will support the Tunnel to Towers Foundation.

The charity wrestling showcase, being run by pro wrestling couple, Steve Maclin and Deonna Purrazzo, will take place in Rahway, New Jersey, and feature several high-profile wrestlers and matches.

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Shotzi told Fox News Digital in a recent interview she was going to donate a piece of gear to be put up for auction to help support the charity.

"Not only is the match card insane. It’s just gonna be a really killer show," she said. "They’re doing a really great job at promoting and raising money. I’m actually going to raffle off a helmet for the charity as well. All proceeds for that helmet, it’ll be a special helmet that I wear at that show, and it’ll be raffled off to contribute.

PRO WRESTLING STAR SHOTZI OPENS UP ABOUT SIGNING WITH MLW, WHAT MAKES COMPANY STAND OUT

"That’ll be my little contribution to everything that they’ve been working for. Hats off to Deonna and Steve for putting all of that together."

Shotzi will team with Priscilla Kelly, who she beat on "MLW Fusion" on Saturday, to go up against Emily Jaye and Tiara James.

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Maclin, Matt and Jeff Hardy, Richard Holliday, Amazing Red, Rich Swann, Kris Statlander and others will also be on the card. Megan Bayne had to drop out of the event.

The Hardys released a statement to Fox News Digital last month about their participation.

"My brother and I are both very excited to be headlining Steve Maclin and Deonna Purrazzo's very special Tunnel to Towers event. Tunnel to Towers is a very special organization that helps take care of people who have been injured on the job protecting us - people like the military, first responders and police," the Hardys said. "We are very grateful for all of these people's services and efforts in keeping us all safe and healthy. We look forward to raising as much money as we possibly can."

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The event begins at 7 p.m. ET at the Rahway Rec Center.

Pro wrestling star Killer Kross reveals why he's flourishing with Major League Wrestling

Thu, 28 May 2026 21:01:35 -0400

Major League Wrestling (MLW) world heavyweight champion Killer Kross has been the top guy in the company since he won the title at Battle Riot VIII in January.

With the debut of "MLW Fusion" on Veeps Saturday, Kross’ pro wrestling prowess will be exposed to an entirely new global audience starving for in-ring action. He told Fox News Digital in a recent interview that he’s pretty excited about the new partnership.

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"Honestly, selfishly, I should say, I’m very happy about it," he said. "I’ve put on some of my best performances, probably of my entire career, with MLW. Just being afforded the time to go out there, main event and have basically the creative liberties to be able to tell people the stories that I believe they want to see out of me. It’s been awesome and to have it on a streaming service where anybody and everybody can watch it, I mean, I can’t ask for more."

Kross is part of a loaded roster of familiar faces.

Donovan Dijak and Bishop Dyer are the MLW world tag team champions while Matt Riddle, Austin Aries, Shotzi, Karl Anderson, Doc Gallows, Scarlett Bordeaux, Blue Panther and Paul Walter Hauser are just a handful of names who are also a part of the hard-hitting action.

Kross said the amount of talent, bringing different styles to the ring, really showcases what pro wrestling is all about.

PRO WRESTLING STARS KILLER KROSS, SCARLETT BORDEAUX TALK 'VERY SIMPLE DECISION' TO WORK IN MLW AGAIN

"I think there’s a nice blend of what people like in modern professional wrestling, ring wise, like that hybrid Lucha style, there’s nostalgic elements of it," he told Fox News Digital. "I always go back to ECW – just the extreme nature of it all. They can literally go anywhere, it can go off the rails, back on the rails. The creative freedom that all of us have as performers there is virtually unlimited to a degree of where we’re not necessarily setting ourselves on fire and diving off the roof. But it’s a very collaborative experience working with MLW for all of us.

"We can really lean into what we know that crowd wants to see out of us as performers and create something together that people want to watch. All of that, I think, really lends a special nature to itself into the audience watching, because a lot of professional wrestling shows, they have guidelines they have to follow behind closed doors. We don’t necessarily have those types of guidelines. We can take it as far as we want. If the people in the ring have the capabilities, which they do, they’re from all over the world, different experience levels, there’s no limits to the types of stories that we can tell, which is very, very fun as a performer to be under a roof like that."

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Kross is set for a press conference on the "MLW Fusion" premiere.

Pro wrestling star Shotzi opens up about signing with MLW, what makes company stand out

Thu, 28 May 2026 21:57:13 -0400

Shotzi brought her "devil-may-care" style to Major League Wrestling (MLW) last June, just a month after she departed WWE when her contract expired with the company.

She made her debut at Summer of the Beasts and about nine months later she officially signed with the company. The extreme, full-throttle nature of Shotzi brought some extra energy to the MLW women’s division.

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She opened up about her decision to sign with MLW, suggesting it was the right time and right place for her.

"When my contract ended with WWE, I really was not in any rush to sign anywhere," she explained to Fox News Digital. "It kind of reminds me of when you’re like fed up with dating, and you’re like, ‘Oh, I’m not looking for a relationship,’ and that’s when you find the love of your life. … I started wrestling for MLW, they were one of the first companies to hit me up when my contract ended.

"They immediately brought me in, and they immediately understood my character, and I was just having so much fun that when they asked me to sign I was just like, ‘You know what? Yeah, let’s make this official.’"

Shotzi said she’s having some of the most fun she’s had in her pro wrestling career.

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"I’m having a blast. Just like, the creative freedom that I have, the wrestling freedom that I have to just be everywhere," she said. "I feel like I’m getting my wrestling fix finally. I’m traveling the world and having some of the most amazing matches – matches that I’m so truly proud of. I really just love the match list that I’m creating. I’m just so proud of."

Shotzi will be in action when "MLW Fusion" makes its debut on Veeps Saturday night and is relishing the opportunity to welcome more fans to the promotion.

"I love that MLW is so easily accessible now," she said. "You can catch us everywhere – YouTube, beIN Sports, Veeps. I love that we have so many partners, and you can see us everywhere. Getting the visibility for MLW everywhere is just like so cool to see."

Shotzi added that MLW wasn’t afraid to "push the envelope" with its wrestling and storytelling, which makes it stand out among the crowd in the industry.

"The thing with MLW – I feel that some places are lacking is the storytelling," she told Fox News Digital. "MLW has great storylines. They’re not afraid to push the envelope with stuff, and it just feels like pro wrestling. True pro wrestling, entertainment.

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"If you love watching WWE or whatever, you’re gonna love MLW. It’s just a good time."

Pro wrestling star Scarlett Bordeaux touts rising Major League Wrestling women's division

Wed, 08 Apr 2026 11:56:25 -0400

The Major League Wrestling (MLW) women’s division has seen tremendous growth over the last year with some of the top stars in the industry joining the company.

Women’s world featherweight champion Shoko Nakajima currently sits on top of the division, but there are several others who are making waves and could certainly contend for the title in months and weeks to come.

Scarlett Bordeaux, Shotzi Blackheart, Priscilla Kelly and the newly signed Lady Frost could all contend for the championship in the near future.

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Bordeaux, who is in her second run with MLW, described the group as "very, very talented."

"Well, I will say it’s some of my best friends in there, which is probably another reason I want to be there," she told Fox News Digital in a recent interview. "Priscilla, Shotzi, Isla Dawn, those are my girls. We’ll all beat the absolute crap out of each other when we need to, but love them to death. They’re very, very talented."

Lady Frost was the most recent addition to the MLW roster. She’s worked on the independent scene for several years and has made appearances in WWE, All Elite Wrestling, Ring of Honor, the National Wrestling Alliance and Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL).

After her contract with AEW expired earlier this month, MLW quickly picked her up.

PRO WRESTLING STARS KILLER KROSS, SCARLETT BORDEAUX TALK 'VERY SIMPLE DECISION' TO WORK IN MLW AGAIN

Bordeaux said that for those who don’t exactly know much about the Pennsylvania native, they soon will.

"She’s an incredible gymnast, incredible athlete," Bordeaux said. "I actually haven’t gotten to wrestle her yet, but I’ve seen her on shows, and we have a lot of mutual friends, love her to death."

Bordeaux is in the middle of her fifth month back with MLW. She came back to the company with her husband, pro wrestler Killer Kross. She said she’s been "having more fun" than ever in wrestling since rejoining the company.

"The talent is absolutely stacked," she said. "I’ve kind of been killing it with my matches and wins, and I’m feeling very, very focused, and I’m kind of just having more fun than I’ve ever had with wrestling, honestly."

Particularly, Bordeaux said she enjoyed being able to do a little bit of everything when it comes to pro wrestling.

"I feel like I’m getting to do everything right now," she told Fox News Digital. "I get to manage, I get to wrestle, I’m not boxed into just one role, which I’m super grateful for. Managers are very valuable as you can see with Paul Heyman, but it’s nice to be able to do everything and show you could do everything. So, MLW is allowing me to do that and the shows have just been killing it. They’ve been selling out all over the country, and I’m going to be wrestling Sunday against a very tough chick. I don’t want to say who it’s going to be yet. I’m very, very excited."

MLW will host CMLL Fantastica Mania USA and tape an episode of "MLW Fusion" in Charleston, South Carolina, on Sunday night. Bordeaux is slated to appear with a whole host of other MLW talent, including newest signing Trevor Lee.

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Lee’s deal with MLW was first reported by Fox News Digital.

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Pro wrestling star Trevor Lee signs MLW deal, talks goals with company

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 10:00:29 -0400

Pro wrestling star Trevor Lee signed a deal with Major League Wrestling (MLW) and will continue performing with the company as the Southern Crown champion.

Lee, who wrestled in WWE as Cameron Grimes, returned to MLW for sporadic appearances after he was released. He faced off against Mistico at MLW Eric Bischoff’s One Shot, appeared at Battle Riot VIII in January and a handful of Fusion tapings.

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He won the MLW Southern Crown Championship in a Bunkhouse Stampede match against Andrew Everett, Beastman, Diego Hill, Festus, Ikuro Kwon, Jesus Rodriguez, Josh Bishop, Matthew Justice and Paul Walter Hauser.

"I’m just excited to be able to really kind of do anything," Lee told Fox News Digital. "You know, these past couple of years, I’ve been kind of waiting on a good opportunity and I feel like MLW is kind of presenting that opportunity. I really liked the ability to be able to work with CMLL (Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre), to be able to work with New Japan.

"So, it’s really cool to see what’s going to come out of this."

Lee is among former WWE wrestlers who have joined MLW over the last few years. Matt Riddle, Killer Kross, Scarlett Bordeaux, Shotzi Blackheart, Donovan Dijak, Bishop Dyer, Austin Aries, Doc Gallows, Karl Anderson, Priscilla Kelly and several others have all competed in WWE at one point or another.

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It also helps that MLW founder Court Bauer has a WWE background as well.

"I think what really entices me to want to work with MLW is that they do have a great production," Lee explained. "When you watch the product, it looks good. The crowds are big, the crowds are loud. That’s really kind of all you’re asking for, especially when you kind of take a step down.

"MLW isn’t WWE, but they’re not an indie either. They’re right there. So, it’s nice to be able to be at a place that can represent you well, show you well, and also give you a good batch of talent to work with as well with so many different companies that can come through there."

Lee, 32, said he wanted to keep showing the pro wrestling world that he can still perform at a high level.

"I just want to be able to show that I’m more than just like a comedy promo act. I can have these elite tier matches and that’s really what my goal is with MLW – to see how far we can go," he said.

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He said he hoped to be able to square up with Aries, Riddle, Dijak as well as CMLL and New Japan competitors.

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Pro wrestling star Alex Hammerstone focuses on winning MLW's Battle Riot as he fights through scrutiny

Mon, 15 Dec 2025 17:08:39 -0500

Alex Hammerstone will try to accomplish a feat in Major League Wrestling (MLW) only one other person has ever done in the history of the promotion – win the Battle Riot match twice.

Hammerstone won the 41-man event in 2021. It was the third iteration of the match in the company’s history. He entered the ring as the 35th competitor and came out on top. Later that year, he defeated Jacob Fatu for the MLW World Heavyweight Championship.

MLW announced Hammerstone as the first participant for Battle Riot VIII, which will take place on Jan. 29 at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Florida.

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"The goal is to win," he told Fox News Digital in an interview on Monday. "I won it once before and that was the match that ultimately led to me becoming MLW world champion. Obviously, that was a huge highlight of my career, and coming back to the company, I don’t want to come back and just hang out in the middle of the pack. I want to raise back up to the top and if the Battle Riot is the vehicle to get me there, then all expectations are winning."

Hammerstone made a surprise return to MLW at this year’s Battle Riot back in April after being with TNA Wrestling for a few years.

He called the crowd reaction to his return "very gratifying."

"In wrestling, there’s always a feeling of, ‘What have you done for me lately?’ and ‘You’re only as good as your last match.’ Especially after having such a period of time where I was faced with so many struggles whether it was injuries and surgeries and being out and feeling, at times, like I didn’t get the opportunity to present myself the way I would have liked to, there was a lot of concern that fans wouldn’t receive me the same way they did when I was there before.

"So, to get that reaction and to see the excitement and to feel that energy, it was very gratifying in that moment."

PRO WRESTLING STARS KILLER KROSS, SCARLETT BORDEAUX TALK 'VERY SIMPLE DECISION' TO WORK IN MLW AGAIN

Hammerstone, 34, has been on the pro wrestling circuit since 2013 and initially started his stint with MLW in 2019 when he helped form The Dynasty faction with Richard Holliday and Maxwell Jacob Friedman. He then competed at Pro Wrestling Noah in Japan for a short time and had a good year with TNA.

He’s had to deal with a few injuries that have halted some of the momentum he’s built. The injuries not only took time away from the ring, but created a cloud of doubt around his ability to stay healthy.

Hammerstone told Fox News Digital how he’s battled back to cut through the noise and the scrutiny he’s faced to focus on the task at hand.

"It’s hard. There’s a lot of times over the years where it’s damn near broke me, and maybe at times it has broken me, and I’ve had to put myself back together," he said. "I can’t speak for everybody, but I know for me specifically, the things that I’ve done, the things that I’ve given to the business, the things effort wise and the things I do on a daily basis, there’s these moments in my day where I have this realization – I don’t think anyone could possibly be giving more than me.

"And when you have that kind of belief in your own effort system, that tends to really solidify the belief you have in yourself to be successful. So, no matter how much outside noise or opinions or whatever it is that might try to break me, just knowing the kind of resolve that I’ve continued to maintain for nearly 15 years despite it all, it really builds a foundation that holds me up to this day."

Hammerstone’s belief system coupled with his in-ring prowess is why he’s ripe to become the next challenger for Mads Krule Krugger’s MLW World Heavyweight Championship.

And vice versa, it’s why Hammerstone believes in MLW as a company in the pro wrestling industry.

"It wouldn’t be out of the question to call them something of an underdog promotion. They didn’t come out of the gate backed with a billionaire who was signing TV deals from day one. We’ve had a roster of guys, who at all different times who have fought and clawed to carve out a personality and carve out its own place within the industry.

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"I think that’s something that resonates with a lot of fans and that resonates for a lot of wrestlers. So, wrestlers do have the opportunity to go to different places, and MLW is one of them, it’s a spot worth being at because, like I said, they’ve managed to weather a storm and carve out their own niche in the industry. Not only fans respect that but wrestlers respect that and it’s still a very prestigious spot to wrestle at."

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John Cena was 'battle-tested, always delivered and was just a true champion' of WWE, MLW founder says

Mon, 10 Nov 2025 11:52:19 -0500

John Cena’s illustrious in-ring career with WWE will come to an end in just over a month as his final match is slated for Dec. 13 in Washington at the Capital One Arena.

Cena made his main roster debut in 2002 when he went up against Kurt Angle, who was having an open challenge on "SmackDown." The rest is history as Cena made an indelible mark on the industry and became a 17-time WWE champion at WrestleMania 41.

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Major League Wrestling founder Court Bauer was a writer for WWE just as Cena was coming up through the territory system and eventually to the top shows. Bauer recalled Cena’s grit and professionalism over the course of his career in a recent interview with Fox News Digital.

"John Cena is what Vince McMahon looked for his entire career as a promoter," Bauer said. "Someone that would show up to work early, leave late, be an incredible soldier and leader on the field, or in the ring in this case. Always represent the company, go above and beyond, whether it was charity, whether it was anything to do to help other talent and elevate them. Never a complaint. Never an issue.

"You look at all the guys that were anointed, ‘the guy,’ throughout Vince McMahon’s tenure as head of the company and there was maybe a guy who didn’t like doing the honor for someone else or had a financial conflict or would complain about some issue or was a malcontent or thought the grass was greener somewhere else or just something would come up. John Cena was battle-tested, always delivered and was just a true champion of the company."

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Bauer pointed to Cena learning Mandarin, which helped take WWE into China.

"You could start a cloning factory and not come up with the prototype that was John Cena for WWE," Bauer continued. "And when you look at how the company changed and evolved with him at the helm as the guy, it’s undeniable what his contributions were as a performer, in terms of what they were of what Vince McMahon always looked for and couldn’t find in Shawn Michaels, couldn’t find in Ultimate Warrior, couldn’t find in guys that went through, you could go through the list for 40 years, there was like, ‘Yeah …’ And then it all went to hell.

"John Cena’s start is strong, his end is strong and was a constant in every sense. So when you see someone like that, and I’ve worked with him, and I thought, ‘What a great experience it was to work with him.’ Always kept it light on set, always was just giving positive contributions and feedback on things, never difficult, always with the shared goal of, ‘Let’s make this as good as we can, let’s make this great.’ And sharing that sentiment, let’s give the fans the best damn thing we can."

Bauer said that same mindset has carried over into other projects Cena has worked on outside of the ring, including the "Peacemaker" series and the commercials he’s on.

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Cena’s in-ring career will culminate in a match with the winner of the Last Time is Now Tournament. The winner will get a shot at Cena and presumably will carry the torch for the company into 2026.

Cena has four scheduled dates left. The first of which is Monday night in Boston.

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Pro wrestling stars Killer Kross, Scarlett Bordeaux talk 'very simple decision' to work in MLW again

Wed, 29 Oct 2025 16:47:18 -0400

Killer Kross and Scarlett Bordeaux will make their return to Major League Wrestling (MLW) in a long-awaited match next month in Charleston, South Carolina.

Kross, who will be accompanied by Bordeaux, will take on the one-time MLW world heavyweight champion Matt Riddle at the "MLW x Don Gato Tequila Live Wrestling Special" on Nov. 20 at the Charleston Music Hall.

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Kross and Bordeaux have been performing across the independent wrestling scene since their departure from WWE. The husband-and-wife duo have previous experience performing in MLW and their next match there seemed to be a long time coming.

"We’ve always had a great correspondence with MLW and Court Bauer and the whole team there – that goes back before 2019, I think," Kross told Fox News Digital. "We came up in the indies, we came up in what would be the closet thing to the territory days, working all over the world. We had met Court a long time ago and always stayed in touch. This was a very simple decision. When we all got in contact with each other, we thought this would be a great fit for their audience."

Kross and Bordeaux are far from the only former WWE stars who have made their way to MLW in the last few years. Riddle, Donovan Dijak, Bishop Dyer, Shotzi and Priscilla Kelly are the more recent former WWE figures to make their way to the promotion. Bauer also previously worked at WWE before he founded and revitalized MLW.

"When we’re on the independents we ask our friends, ‘What places are you having the most fun at? What places have fantastic production? Which places would you recommend that we work at?’ And these are previously WWE people, so MLW is an easy fit," Bordeaux said.

Kross vs. Riddle is being billed as "dream match" with the two competitors expanding their fan base over the last few years.

Kross told Fox News Digital he just hoped that they could stay friends after they do battle.

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"I’ve known Matt for a few years now," he said. "I do consider him a close friend, and he’s been a training partner of mine. He’s a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. He’s legit as they get. The idea of what a tough guy is is a little bit romanticized in the archetype of Clint Eastwood – just being really stoic and not saying a lot. Matt is goofy, he likes to have fun, he likes to say outrageous stuff and I think people forget Matt is really credentialed. He’s a very legit martial artist.

"I’ve grappled with some of the best martial artists in the world, really, really good guys. And then there are people that are on another level – that’s Matt Riddle. And I just hope things are gonna continue to be cool with us after we compete because sometimes that could change a friendship. I gotta go in there and I gotta do what I gotta do – what people are paying me to do, which is ‘kill’ people. That’s the name. And Riddle is a killer himself in his own right. I just hope that Matt and I can still be friends after it’s all said and done because, like I said, sometimes that stuff gets weird and I hope it doesn’t, but whatever’s gonna happen is gonna happen. People are gonna get a show."

Bordeaux isn’t on the MLW card for Nov. 20, but shouldn’t be brushed off as just a valet or a manager. Pro Wrestling Illustrated named her one of the top 100 female wrestlers in the world in 2019 and she’s held women’s championships at multiple promotions during her career.

She teased that it may be a bit longer before she’s back in the ring for MLW.

"Maybe November 20th, it might be a little bit longer though," she told Fox News Digital. "But I had my first return to the ring about two weeks ago, which was a blast. We tagged with Jimmy Jacobs at a show in Detroit and then I have a few singles matches coming up.

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"But right now, we are in talks. I do not have an opponent yet – if I will be wrestling in MLW – but it is in talks."

The card will also include Dijak and Dyer defending the MLW Tag Team Championship against Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows, the Opera Cup finals between Mistico and Volador Jr. and an appearance by pro wrestling legend Arn Anderson.

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Matt Riddle talks winning MLW World Heavyweight Championship, experience in company since returning

Tue, 14 Jan 2025 06:00:37 -0500

Nearly a year after he returned to Major League Wrestling, Matt Riddle defeated Satoshi Kojima at Kings of Colosseum to win the MLW World Heavyweight Championship for the first time.

Riddle recalled the "amazing evening" in an interview with Fox News Digital.

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"It feels pretty good," he said of winning the title. "It’s been a long time coming, I felt. But you know, anything worthwhile isn’t easy, and it feels really, really good."

Riddle nearly got his hands on the MLW World Heavyweight Championship in 2018 when he battled the pro wrestler now known as Swerve Strickland. He came up short in the nearly 22-minute match.

After a trip in the independent circuit, WWE and New Japan Pro-Wrestling, Riddle found himself back in MLW last year, starting with a match against Jacob Fatu. He’s been on a roll since then.

"To be able to do everything I’ve done and then come back full circle and then win the heavyweight championship against Kojima, who is also an absolute legend, it couldn’t have been any better," he said. "It was a sensational weekend. The crowd was white-hot in Texas, and it was an amazing evening."

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Riddle said his experience in Major League Wrestling has been even better than before. Riddle is far from the only notable name on the roster. Mistico, KENTA, Donovan Dijak, Tom Lawlor and Bobby Fish are just some of the notable names in the organization.

"It’s only gotten bigger and better from [a year ago], but even then, I was working with the best people in the business, and I was working with the best competition in the business," Riddle told Fox News Digital. "I lost in the finals against Swerve and we’ve all seen what he’s done since then just like everybody’s seen what I’ve done since then.

"MLW isn’t like a locker room full of pushovers. They got, quote, a laundry list of fires plus all the CMLL talent, New Japan talent. … Since I’ve been back, it’s just been top guys and a top promotion and getting the ability to have high-level matches."

Riddle may have started the year on top, but it’s only going to get tougher from here.

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He will be back in action defending the championship against two opponents: Kojima and Alex Kane. The three will meet in a triple-threat match at MLW SuperFight 6 on Feb. 8 at Atlanta’s Center Stage.

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Pro wrestling legend Eric Bischoff makes MLW debut and makes major impact

Fri, 06 Dec 2024 18:04:15 -0500

Major League Wrestling (MLW) founder Court Bauer told Fox News Digital at the beginning of the year he believed the company was in for a "huge year."

It hardly gets bigger than Eric Bischoff.

The former World Championship Wrestling (WCW) executive who launched the "Monday Night Wars" against WWE in the mid-1990s with the formation of the New World Order faction received "one shot" to put his creative mind at work on Thursday night.

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Much to the delight of the crowd at Melrose Ballroom in Queens, New York, he made an impact almost immediately.

Matt Riddle and "Filthy" Tom Lawlor came out to welcome Bischoff to MLW and poked the bear. Bischoff booked Riddle to go against Donovan Dijak in a match, putting Riddle’s title shot on the line. If Riddle lost, Dijak would receive the MLW World Heavyweight Championship shot at the company’s first premium live event of 2025, "Kings of Colosseum," against Satoshi Kojima.

Bischoff was far from finished. He put Paul Walter Hauser into a tag-team match with Matthew Justice against the Rogue Horsemen members Brock and CW Anderson. The match also turned into a New York City street fight.

The biggest shocker of the night came when Alex Kane had a few choice words for Bischoff. Kane took a few pot shots at Bischoff’s career and the way he left WCW.

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Bischoff is hardly one to forget. Kane defeated Bobby Fish in a UWFI Rules match. As he celebrated the victory, Bischoff appeared on the screen and said it wouldn’t be a real return if he didn’t get a chance to fire somebody.

Kane was in Bischoff’s crosshairs. He fired Kane.

Security guards tried to get "The Suplex Assassin," but were met with suplex after suplex. Kane’s partner Mr. Thomas then calmed him down and escorted him out.

It was the biggest moment of the night — until the very end.

Bischoff was seen looking toward a handful of skyscrapers while on the phone with someone. He was holding an MLW contract in his hands.

Then, the show ended.

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Bischoff previously told Fox News Digital he would only really think about returning if Bauer, the performers and the fans enjoyed it. The fans definitely left Queens wondering whether he will become a mainstay in the company.

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MLW star AJ Francis talks fight for control of Bomaye Fight Club, teases new members

Wed, 27 Mar 2024 08:37:23 -0400

A.J. Francis entered Major League Wrestling (MLW) and immediately set his sights on Alex Kane and the Bomaye Fight Club in hopes of sowing dissent and becoming the group’s new leader.

Francis busted onto the MLW scene and immediately called out Kane. He defeated one of Kane’s closest confidants in Mr. Thomas at MLW’s "Once Upon A Time in New York City" and now will face the former MLW Heavyweight Champion at "MLW War Chamber" in Tampa, Florida, on Friday.

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The former WWE star told Fox News Digital that his rivalry with Kane is inspired by the "Black Panther," as the two alpha dogs battle for control of an integral group in MLW.

"I’m coming in as the outsider who is trying to make his claim for the throne. And so far, I’ve already sown dissension in his ranks and beaten his top right-hand man Mr. Thomas," he explained. "I’ve already started to lay the groundwork for the hostile takeover of Bomaye."

Francis said the two have bounced ideas off each other about how the match should go, but once he takes over, "they’ll actually have a leader that can give them exposure to the level that they deserve."

He shared with Fox News Digital some of his plans for when he does take control of Bomaye – and it starts with beating Kane first.

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"First things first, I’m going to beat Alex Kane," he said. "Just like in ‘Black Panther,’ you got to beat the king to be the king. And after I beat Alex Kane, I think having a faction like Bomaye at my back in MLW and just in general will save me from a lot of snakes in the grass.

"I always have backup. I always have people that are not only working toward the betterment of our group but my personal benefit. It’s a very representative group and a very representative team. And I’m very much looking forward to taking over."

Francis also teased possible additions to Bomaye.

"You know, I could bring anybody. I could bring Rich Homie Swann from TNA. I could bring old friends that I’ve worked with for years back when I was in that big three-letter company in the sky (WWE). I could bring endless people.

"The good thing about working at MLW is if (MLW founder Court Bauer) likes the idea, he’s all for it. And I have a bunch of really good ideas."

Francis and Kane’s match is far from the only one on the card.

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New Japan Pro-Wrestling World TV Champion Matt Riddle will defend his title against Kosei Fujita, while Janai Kai and Unagi Sayaka will battle for the World Featherweight Championship.

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