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MLW returns tonight for the Battle Riot from the old ECW Arena in Philadelphia, PA.
The Battle Riot match is a 40 man clash similar to the Royal Rumble. MLW describes it as:
A mash-up of a battle royal, royal rumble and anything goes street fight, this super-sized main event will feature 40 wrestlers with new participants entering the ring every 60 seconds.
There will be surprises! There will be legends! There will be WTF entries… and there will be no disqualifications!
Elimination is by pinfall, submission or by throwing an individual over the top rope.
Anything is possible in a Battle Riot!
The winner will earn a shot at the MLW World Heavyweight Championship. The cash-in sounds similar to Money in the Bank. The winner has the right to have his title match tonight, if he so desires.
MLW announced Josef Samael, Ikuro Kwon, Simon Gotch, Tom Lawlor, Jordan Oliver, and KC Navarro as new additions to compete in the Battle Riot. Navarro will be making his debut with the promotion. He has some slick aerial skills.
They will join Davey Richards, Daivari, Kit Osbourne, Ross Von Erich, Marshall Von Erich, Aramis, King Mo, Bu Ku Dao, Alex Kane, Alexander Hammerstone, King Muertes, Richard Holliday, Zenshi, Lee Moriarty, TJP, Gringo Loco, Kevin Ku, Arez, Mads Krugger, Gino Medina, Myron Reed, Savio Vega, and Calvin Tankman. That makes 29 of 40 spots filled.
The main story for the match is Hammerstone’s quest to become world champ. He has been gunning to dethrone Jacob Fatu, but Samael has blocked the path thus far. Samael even entered himself and other Contra Unit soldiers into the Battle Riot with the specific purpose to make sure Hammerstone does not win.
Other favorites include Lawlor looking to become a two-time Battle Riot winner and King Muertes looking to bring gold to Azteca Underground. My underdog pick would be Marshall Von Erich. He has the size, stamina, and heart to prevail.
The Battle Riot is a big deal, but there is one man who is an even bigger deal. Cesar Duran (alias Dario Cueto) will be in the house.
Philadelphia. It is almost time. Are you ready for daddy to bring some super luchas? Yes, yessss. I know you are. Pronto, amigos.
— Cesar Duran (@RealCesarDuran) July 8, 2021
Duran is making renovations to his office.
Making some final touches for tomorrow in my office at @2300arena. pic.twitter.com/EOLEM5Ru0N
— Cesar Duran (@RealCesarDuran) July 9, 2021
In addition to the Battle Riot, two other matches have been announced. Davey Richards will make his MLW debut against TJP and Richard Holliday will defend the Caribbean Championship against King Muertes. They will likely be more bouts, since MLW works on the bulk taping model to produce weekly TV episodes of Fusion.
Holliday is ramping up his training to be faster, stronger, and more agile than the Man of a Thousand Deaths. He put out a personal video that does a good job building anticipation to consume the match.
This is not a hype video. This is how I operate. @MLW pic.twitter.com/EFyaQkjH95
— Richard Holliday (@MostMarketable) July 6, 2021
With all the excitement about MLW’s big show, you might be wondering how to watch. MLW announced that the Battle Riot match will air for free July 24 on beIN Sports.
Instead of putting the Battle Riot on PPV or behind a paywall when many are still financially recovering from a brutal 18 months, I will give you the Riot for FREE - thanks to our partners at @beINSPORTSUSA. More in a moment on when you can watch!
— Court Bauer (@courtbauer) July 9, 2021
MLW also added, “MLW Battle Riot III will be available to stream for free on demand on MLW’s YouTube Channel later this month.”
Who’s your pick to win Battle Riot? Who is your underdog choice? Who are you hoping will win?