Let’s catch up on the week’s major news in MLW. Jim Cornette has signed on to call more matches, new bouts have been added to the New York City cards, and the Hart Foundation will defend their tag team titles on the next episode of MLW Fusion.
Jim Cornette signed for more MLW
MLW announced that Jim Cornette has extended his stay with the promotion after debuting on commentary in Chicago for Intimidation Games. Cornette will be present for the New York show in April, the Milwaukee show in June, and the return to Chicago in July.
Enjoy a short sitdown with Cornette and beIN SPORTS, if only for that sweet theme song. Topics include why Cornette is there with MLW, Tom Lawlor, Mance Warner, and tag team wrestling.
One quote that stuck out was Cornette’s guilty pleasure in MLW.
“I got to admit my guilty pleasure, my favorite, the southern psychopath. Mancer dancer, himself, Mance Warner. I’m telling you, this guy... I’ve been to Bucksnort, Tennessee, and I know how the people are down there. He reminds me a great deal of all of them that I’ve met. And I’m looking forward to seeing the lariats, the light beers, and more from Mancer.”
Mance Warner has a certain way of growing on fans. He could captivate a revolution. Of what? I’m not sure, but he has charisma. If what Cornette said is true about Warner’s hometown people, then Bucksnort better watch out for an increase in light beer tourism.
Rise of the Renegades and Battle Riot II
Rise of the Renegades and Battle Riot II are scheduled for April 4 and April 5 in New York City during Wrestlemania week. More matches and participants in the 40 man rumble have been announced.
Rise of the Renegades already had Tom Lawlor vs Jimmy Havoc in a street fight for the heavyweight championship, LA Park vs Pentagon, MJF vs Brian Pillman Jr., and Mance Warner vs Sami Callihan. Add Gringo Loco vs Hijo de LA Park to the list.
One more match that was announced really has me intrigued.
GHC Jr. Heavyweight Champion Minoru Tanaka vs Daga signed for April 4. See @minoru_official vs. @Daga_Wrestler LIVE in NYC! https://t.co/MViJiSUlW2 pic.twitter.com/H6MHhwYK9i
— Major League Wrestling (@MLW) March 13, 2019
Minoru Tanaka will be wrestling Daga. I’ve never seen Tanaka wrestle, so I’m eager for that. Tanaka will be coming in as the new GHC Junior Heavyweight Champion. According to the press release, “Tanaka holds the distinction of being the only man to hold all five major junior heavyweight titles in Japan.”
Daga still has novelty value for me. For all the years he’s been on my radar, I haven’t actually seen him wrestle all that much. Most of Daga’s work in Lucha Underground was with trios, and he missed pretty much all of season three.
Battle Riot II has increased its number of announced participants. The current list includes Low Ki , Pentagon, Minoru Tanaka, Teddy Hart, Davey Boy Smith Jr., MJF, Ace Romero, Alex Hammerstone, Ace Austin, Brian Pillman Jr., Fenix, and Ken Kerbis. That is twelve down, twenty-eight more to go to fill the forty spots.
One name I want to touch on is Ken Kerbis.
Israel’s Ken Kerbis enters the Battle Riot https://t.co/e2VRqRNMYo pic.twitter.com/3GLcAUaEJX
— Major League Wrestling (@MLW) March 11, 2019
I have no idea what is true, stretching the truth, and flat out kayfabe about Ken Kerbis, but the press release paints a pretty cool story.
A former Staff Sergeant and recipient of the “Independence Day Award of Excellence” in the Israeli Army, Kerbis wrestled throughout his time in the Israeli army.
Committed to climbing the rankings, Kerbis would sometimes have to sneak out of the base, drive to compete on the Israeli wrestling circuit and then drive back without his commanders knowing he was gone.
Known for his Kaio-Ken (over the shoulder legomatic), Kerbis is one of the most decorated Israeli competitors in the sport today.
That sounds a little like Frank Dux in Bloodsport. The real question is if Kerbis knows the dim mak.
Q&A with Court Bauer
MLW CEO Court Bauer holds Q&A from time to time on Twitter. A couple of interesting notes popped out.
The idea of a new trios title and a secondary singles belt have been floating around. Bauer hinted that one of those may be coming very soon.
Yes! Stay tuned. Good chance the road to the next championship begins in NYC next month. #Hint https://t.co/vQDfZy4uhd
— Court Bauer (@courtbauer) March 15, 2019
If you are interested in experiencing MLW during Wrestlemania week, then you better get on it because those may be the last ones of that kind for the foreseeable future.
We are tracking to sell out both NYC shows April 4 & 5. That said, we're probably 1 and done doing Mania weekends. Why? Google couldn't create an algorithm to process the logistics of doing these things! Never say never but I wouldn't hold my breath. NYC will be wild. Bet on it. https://t.co/hSASvDpdlF
— Court Bauer (@courtbauer) March 14, 2019
On the ticket tip, they are currently available for MLW’s Fury Road on June 1 in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin area.
Bauer also mentioned the addition of George Carroll Jr. to the MLW family as a senior coordinator in the wrestling operations division.
George Carroll Jr. joins MLW https://t.co/WHjwpNc5hx pic.twitter.com/N45Uz3rJJD
— Major League Wrestling (@MLW) March 15, 2019
The press release states, “Carroll comes to Major League Wrestling rich in experience working for Ring of Honor for a number of years before taking the helm of New Japan Pro Wrestling’s American expansion where he served as the U.S. Director of New Japan Pro Wrestling.” If Bauer is excited, then it must be for good reason.
We’ll finish it with a goof. During discussion of post-event partying, Tom Lawlor suggested Huck Finn’s Donuts. Bauer wasn’t too fond of that idea for the filthy one.
Don't encourage Lawlor. I'm going to have to go and buy a new belt and repackage him as the Super Heavyweight Champ. The linear issues with the heavyweight belt will F everything up! https://t.co/yauJVzOvVS
— Court Bauer (@courtbauer) March 14, 2019
Super heavies watch out. Tom Lawlor is coming for your donuts covered in ice cream. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go find a place like that near me.
Hart Foundation vs The Dynasty for tag team gold on Fusion
Although the Hart Foundation is will be using the Freebird rules in the future, the veterans will be taking position as Teddy Hart and Davey Boy Smith Jr. defend the tag team championships against MJF and Richard Holliday. This has turned into a heated feud rather quickly.
MJF vacated the middleweight belt due to injury. Hart stepped into a ladder match to be crowned champ. MJF failed in his attempt to reclaim a title he never lost. If mocking Hart’s family didn’t make it personal, having Holliday ambush Hart backstage surely did. I expect that the Hart Foundation will be coming to inflict pain upon the fancy boys. Smith may shoot all over them.
Two side stories to keep an eye on are Hart’s ribs and Alexander Hammerstone. During the attack by Holliday and MJF, Hart was left clutching his ribs and exclaiming they might be broken. As for the big man Hammerstone, there were hints last week that he might be aligning with the Dynasty. That could be enough power to swing the feud in their favor.
MLW Fusion airs on beIN SPORTS Saturday nights at 9 pm ET / 6 pm PT. New episodes are posted on YouTube Sundays at noon ET.