Major League Wrestling (MLW), is an American
professional wrestling promotion based in
New Rochelle, New York. The promotion was founded in 2002 in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...
,
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
by former
WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vari ...
writer Court Bauer.
The promotion markets its product as "Hybrid Wrestling", with its roster featuring a mix of different styles.
The promotion originally ran live events between 2002 and 2004, with these events seen on the television series, ''
MLW Underground TV
''MLW Underground TV'' is a professional wrestling television series that was produced by Major League Wrestling (MLW) from 2003 to 2004. The series was hosted by former Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) commentator Joey Styles.
Reruns of the ...
''. MLW returned to promoting events in July 2017, with a new weekly television show named ''
MLW Fusion
''MLW Fusion'' is a professional wrestling television program produced by Major League Wrestling (MLW) that originally premiered on April 20, 2018 on beIN Sports USA. On November 10, 2022, the series began streaming on Pro Wrestling TV.
A thir ...
'' premiering in April 2018.
History
Formation (2002–2004)
Following the closures and acquisitions of
World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. (WCW) was an American professional wrestling promotion founded by Ted Turner in 1988, after Turner Broadcasting System, through a subsidiary named Universal Wrestling Corporation, purchased the assets of Nati ...
(WCW) and
Extreme Championship Wrestling
HHG Corporation, doing business as Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), was a professional wrestling promotion and media company that was based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The promotion was founded in 1992 by Tod Gordon as National Wrest ...
(ECW) by the
World Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and var ...
(WWF, now known as the WWE) in 2001, Major League Wrestling (MLW) was founded in 2002. Shortly after its founding, the promotion spent three months moving their headquarters from
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...
to
New York.
MLW styled itself as an alternative to
WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vari ...
's
sports entertainment
Sports entertainment is a type of spectacle which presents an ostensibly competitive event using a high level of theatrical flourish and extravagant presentation, with the purpose of entertaining an audience. Unlike typical sports and games, whi ...
, following in the tradition of ECW.
In 2003, MLW again moved their base of operations to
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
, and negotiated a deal with
Sunshine Network to air a television series titled ''
Underground TV'', which ran between April 7, 2003 and February 14, 2004.
The series was hosted by
Joey Styles
Joseph Carmine Bonsignore (born July 14, 1971) better known by his ring name Joey Styles, is an American former professional wrestling commentator. He is best known for his time with ECW and WWE. Before working for WWE, Styles was a full-time ...
, later replaced by
Kevin Kelly, and consisted of pre-taped matches from prior events. Furthering MLW's ties to ECW, the promotion highlighted many former ECW talents, such as
Sabu,
Terry Funk
Terrence Funk (born June 30, 1944) is an American retired professional wrestler, rapper, disc jockey and actor. Funk is known for the longevity of his career – which spanned more than 50 years and included multiple short-lived retirements – ...
,
Shane Douglas
Troy Allan Martin (born November 21, 1964) is an American professional wrestler and promoter, better known by his ring name Shane Douglas. He is best known for his tenures in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), World Championship Wrestling (W ...
, and
Steve Corino
Steven Eugene "Steve" Corino (born May 29, 1973) is a Canadian semi-retired professional wrestler currently signed with WWE as a trainer and producer for their developmental territory NXT. He is best known for his tenure with Extreme Championshi ...
. This led to criticism of MLW for being an imitation of ECW in comparison to
Ring of Honor, another Philadelphia-founded promotion that launched five months prior to MLW's formation.
After shuttering in 2004 , Major League Wrestling would return in 2011 as a podcast network, initially focused on producing broadcast and digital content relating to the
professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...
industry.
Many prominent professional wrestling figures have appeared on the network, including former
WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vari ...
and
WCW
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. (WCW) was an American professional wrestling promotion founded by Ted Turner in 1988, after Turner Broadcasting System, through a subsidiary named Universal Wrestling Corporation, purchased the assets of Nationa ...
stars
Kevin Sullivan,
Jim Duggan
James Edward Duggan Jr. (born January 14, 1954), better known by his ring name "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE on a Legends contract. His best-known character is that of an American patriot, which ...
,
MVP
In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...
, current WWE executive
Bruce Prichard
Bruce Prichard (born March 7, 1963) is an American professional wrestling executive, booker, and producer and a former manager, commentator, and occasional professional wrestler. In addition to his corporate roles with WWE, Prichard has also a ...
, former WCW and current
AEW AEW or aew may refer to:
* Airborne early warning, airborne radar system for detecting aircraft
* Aerosvit Airlines, an airline based in Kyiv, Ukraine (ICAO airline designator: AEW)
* AEW Capital Management, a property investment management company
...
commentator
Tony Schiavone
Noah Anthony Schiavone (, ; born November 7, 1957) is an American sports announcer, professional wrestling commentator and podcaster currently signed with All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as a play-by-play commentator and senior producer. He has pr ...
, former WCW and WWE manager
Jim Cornette
James Mark "Jim" Cornette (born September 17, 1961) is an American author and podcaster who has previously worked in the professional wrestling industry as an agent, booker, color commentator, manager, promoter, trainer, and occasional prof ...
, and former WCW President and WWE executive
Eric Bischoff
Eric Aaron Bischoff (born May 27, 1955) is an American television producer, professional wrestling booker, and performer. He is best known for serving as Executive Producer and later Senior Vice President of World Championship Wrestling (WCW) an ...
.
Revival (2017–present)
In 2017, MLW announced that it would once again be promoting wrestling events. Tickets for their first event, ''MLW One-Shot'', went on sale on July 21, 2017. In the same year, MLW announced it would run more shows in Orlando in 2018. Given the success of their independent outings, MLW was able to secure a television deal with
beIN Sports
beIN Sports ( ) is a global network of sports channels owned and operated by the Qatari media group beIN. It has played a major role in the increased commercialization of Qatari sports. Its chairman is Nasser Al-Khelaifi, and its CEO is Yousef O ...
for a new program, titled ''
MLW Fusion
''MLW Fusion'' is a professional wrestling television program produced by Major League Wrestling (MLW) that originally premiered on April 20, 2018 on beIN Sports USA. On November 10, 2022, the series began streaming on Pro Wrestling TV.
A thir ...
'', which debuted on April 20, 2018 on
beIN Sports USA
beIN Sports USA is a pay television sports network which primarily airs top level soccer, featuring exclusive coverage of Ligue 1, along with content from other leagues in Europe. In addition, BeIN Sports airs matches from such sports as rugb ...
. Their first episode featured
Pentagon Jr.
In geometry, a pentagon (from the Greek πέντε ''pente'' meaning ''five'' and γωνία ''gonia'' meaning ''angle'') is any five-sided polygon or 5-gon. The sum of the internal angles in a simple pentagon is 540°.
A pentagon may be sim ...
against
Fenix as the main event.
In July 2018, the inaugural
Battle Riot
Battle Riot is a professional wrestling event produced by Major League Wrestling
Major League Wrestling (MLW), is an American professional wrestling promotion based in New Rochelle, New York. The promotion was founded in 2002 in Philadelphia, P ...
would air as a ''Fusion'' television special. MLW began introducing contracts as part of their growth strategy. In August, the promotion started a working agreement with Mexican-based promotion
Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide
Antonio Peña Promotions, S.A. de C.V. doing business as, d/b/a Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide is a Mexican Lucha Libre (professional wrestling) professional wrestling promotion, promotion based in Mexico City, Mexico. Commonly referred to as simply ...
(AAA). On September 19, it was announced that MLW expanded its partnership with beIN Sports to air ''Fusion'' in
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
.
In October, MLW announced a Halloween-themed, ''Fusion'' television special,
and announced the signings of
PCO and Richard Holliday as full-time members of the roster on October 18.
It was also reported that Court Bauer and several MLW executives would travel to
Monaco
Monaco (; ), officially the Principality of Monaco (french: Principauté de Monaco; Ligurian: ; oc, Principat de Mónegue), is a sovereign city-state and microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Italian region of Lig ...
for Sportel, with intentions of making a big push internationally.
Also announced was a project between MLW and Spiff TV.
On November 8, 2018, MLW held a ''Fusion'' television taping, named ''Fightland'', in Chicago at Cicero Stadium. Bauer claimed that the event drew the highest attendance in MLW history, shattering the previous attendance record of 1,536 people for the June 20, 2003 event, ''Hybrid Hell'', in Florida. On November 29, Bauer announced that ''Fusion'' would be broadcast live on beIN Sports on December 14. This coincided with their two-day television tapings in Miami: "Never Say Never" and "Zero Hour"; the live episode was an hour of "Zero Hour"'s events.
Expansion
MLW continued to air live ''Fusion'' specials throughout 2019, including
SuperFight in February and
Intimidation Games in March. The company brought former manager
Jim Cornette
James Mark "Jim" Cornette (born September 17, 1961) is an American author and podcaster who has previously worked in the professional wrestling industry as an agent, booker, color commentator, manager, promoter, trainer, and occasional prof ...
on as a color commentator starting March 2, 2019.
He continued to work for the company for
Rise of the Renegades,
Battle Riot II
Battle Riot II was a professional wrestling event produced by Major League Wrestling (MLW). It took place on April 5, 2019 at the Melrose Ballroom in New York, New York. The event aired live as a two-hour special episode of '' Fusion'' on beIN Sp ...
, and
Fury Road.
He also worked unofficially in an
agent-like role for the company. This includes coaching younger talent on their television presentation and promos. In addition to SuperFight and Intimidation Games,
Rise of the Renegades and
Battle Riot II
Battle Riot II was a professional wrestling event produced by Major League Wrestling (MLW). It took place on April 5, 2019 at the Melrose Ballroom in New York, New York. The event aired live as a two-hour special episode of '' Fusion'' on beIN Sp ...
were all revealed to have sold out.
In April 2019, MLW would move their operations into a corporate office building in
New Rochelle, New York. On April 18, MLW announced the creation of a new title: the
MLW National Openweight Championship
The MLW National Openweight Championship is a professional wrestling championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion Major League Wrestling (MLW). The title was unveiled on April 18, 2019. The title's openweig ...
, with the inaugural champion to be crowned during
Fury Road in
Waukesha, Wisconsin
Waukesha ( ) is the county seat of Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States. It is part of the Milwaukee metropolitan area. Its population was 71,158 at the 2020 census. The city is adjacent to the Village of Waukesha.
History
The area tha ...
. In June 2019,
International Wrestling Association (IWA-PR) owner
Savio Vega
Juan Rivera (born August 10, 1964) is a Puerto Rican professional wrestler. He is known for his work in the World Wrestling Council, where he won the WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship three times and the WWC Puerto Rico Heavyweight Champion ...
was brought in as an on-air talent and backstage agent. This working relationship resulted in the use of the
IWA Caribbean Heavyweight Championship
The IWA Puerto Rico/Caribbean Heavyweight Championship (''Campeonato Peso Pesado del Caribe/Caribeño de la IWA'' in Spanish) is a regional championship originally defended in the International Wrestling Association of Puerto Rico (IWA-PR), where ...
in MLW storylines. On August 18, 2019, MLW teased the formation of its women's division, later announcing its official launch on October 18, 2019. The division's first official match would be later held at
MLW Blood and Thunder
Blood and Thunder is a professional wrestling supercard event produced by Major League Wrestling (MLW). The event was first held in 2019 as a television taping for MLW's weekly program, ''Fusion
Fusion, or synthesis, is the process of combining tw ...
on November 9, 2019.
On July 5, it was announced that MLW would hold its first
pay-per-view event,
Saturday Night SuperFight, which would be held on November 2. On July 26, MLW announced a working agreement with Japanese-based promotion
Pro Wrestling Noah
(stylised as Pro Wrestling NOAH) is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion, founded in 2000 by former All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) ace Mitsuharu Misawa after he had led a mass exodus in which 24 of AJPW's 26 contracted wrestlers left the ...
, which would include a talent-exchange agreement and content collaboration between the two promotions. On August 8, MLW announced that they had reached a new deal with
FITE TV
Fite (stylized as FITE by Triller) is an American digital video streaming service launched on May 20, 2012, that is dedicated to combat sports-related programming (including boxing, mixed martial arts, and professional wrestling). The network dis ...
to carry MLW pay-per-view events, with the first event being Saturday Night SuperFight. Four days later, MLW announced a working relationship with Mexican-based promotion
The Crash Lucha Libre
The Crash Lucha Libre, also referred to as simply The Crash, is a '' lucha libre'' (Mexican professional wrestling) promotion based in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. The promotion largely runs its events in Tijuana, Mexico City, and Monterre ...
termed as a "strategic alliance". On August 23, MLW and The Crash announced they would co-promote their first event on October 5 at the Auditorio Fausto Gutierrez in
Tijuana
Tijuana ( ,["Tijuana"](_blank)
(US) and [< ...]
,
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
.
On February 1, 2020, MLW announced a working relationship with Japanese promotion
Dragon Gate (DG), which would include a talent-exchange between the two promotions.
COVID-19
After
AAA vs MLW
AAA vs MLW (also known as MLW x AAA and AAA vs. MLW Super Series) was a professional wrestling supercard event co-produced by the U.S-based Major League Wrestling (MLW) and the Mexico-based Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA), in partnership with Prom ...
on March 13, 2020, MLW would take a six-month hiatus due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
. On April 21, MLW announced they had begun digitizing the 2003–2004 tape library, including the complete run of ''
MLW Underground TV
''MLW Underground TV'' is a professional wrestling television series that was produced by Major League Wrestling (MLW) from 2003 to 2004. The series was hosted by former Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) commentator Joey Styles.
Reruns of the ...
''. On April 30, MLW announced a limited series titled ''MLW Anthology'' to air on Bein Sports starting May 16, 2020. Following the last episode of ''Fusion'' on May 9, 2020, a new digital spinoff series titled ''Pulp Fusion'' would launch on MLW's
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
channel beginning on May 29, 2020.
On June 9, 2020, MLW reached a new media rights deal to stream their programming on
DAZN
DAZN ( "da zone") is a global sports entertainment platform. Different to traditional linear and satellite broadcasting, DAZN is an over-the-top (OTT) streaming service meaning that it is delivered directly to viewers via the internet.
The ...
. CEO Court Bauer also announced during the same month that reruns of ''
MLW Underground TV
''MLW Underground TV'' is a professional wrestling television series that was produced by Major League Wrestling (MLW) from 2003 to 2004. The series was hosted by former Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) commentator Joey Styles.
Reruns of the ...
'' would air on Bein Sports throughout the summer.
In August 2020, MLW announced that ''Fusion'' TV tapings will resume in October of that year. On September 10, it was announced that ''MLW Fusion'' would move to Wednesday nights on
fubo Sports Network
FuboTV Inc. (stylized as fuboTV) is an American streaming television service serving customers in the United States, Canada, and Spain that focuses primarily on channels that distribute live sports. Depending on country, channels offered by Fubo ...
. On October 10, it was revealed that ''Fusion'' would return on November 18 at 7pm EST and new episodes would also premiere on MLW's
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
channel on the same night.
In October 2020, MLW announced a "strategic alliance" with IWA-PR for the “celebration of inter-promotional events, direct support to the events of each of the companies and collaboration in other types of promotions”. MLW would also began incorporating story elements from the now-defunct Lucha Libre promotion and television drama, ''
Lucha Underground'', into an angle involving IWA-PR. Talent formally associated with ''Lucha Underground'' were brought into MLW as part of the "Azteca Underground" stable.
In April 2021, MLW announced a television deal with
Vice TV
Vice (formerly known as Viceland and also known as Vice TV) is an American basic cable television channel that launched on December 2, 2019, replacing H2 on most multichannel television providers in the United States. It is a part of the Vicela ...
. A block of MLW programming, including reruns of ''Fusion'', began airing on Saturdays starting May 1. The agreement would further expand when it was announced on September 17 that Vice would air
MLW Fightland
MLW Fightland is an annual professional wrestling supercard event produced by Major League Wrestling (MLW). The event was first held in 2018 as a television taping for MLW's weekly program, ''Fusion
Fusion, or synthesis, is the process of combinin ...
as a television special on October 7.
On the April 21, episode of ''MLW Fusion'', Bauer announced that MLW's "new season" would begin with their July 10, 2021 event at the
2300 Arena
2300 Arena is a multipurpose indoor arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania used primarily for professional wrestling, boxing, mixed martial arts, and concert events. Originally known as Viking Hall, the venue has since been named Alhambra Aren ...
in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...
, later revealed to be
Battle Riot III
Battle Riot III was a professional wrestling event produced by Major League Wrestling (MLW) that took place on July 10, 2021, at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was MLW's first event since its hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic ...
, and it would be their first event since the pandemic to have a live audience in attendance. On April 29, 2021, MLW announced a partnership with
Revolution Pro Wrestling
Revolution Pro Wrestling (RevPro/RPW) is a British professional wrestling promotion founded on 26 August 2012 by Andy Quildan after separating from International Pro Wrestling: United Kingdom.
Revolution Pro Wrestling currently has partnershi ...
.
In June 2021, ''
Wrestling Observer
The ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON'') is a newsletter that covers professional wrestling and mixed martial arts.
Founded in print in 1982 by Dave Meltzer, the ''Wrestling Observer'' website merged with Bryan Alvarez's ''Figure Four We ...
'' reported that MLW had ended its deal with DAZN. it was also reported that MLW had begun taping content in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
for a spinoff series that would "resemble ''Lucha Underground''", with plans to film vignettes in the Summer and matches in the fall. It would later be revealed on August 4, 2021 that MLW had signed a deal to produce a new series centered around Azteca Underground, featuring a different roster from that seen on ''MLW Fusion''. In an update during ''Wrestling Observer Radio'' on November 1, 2021, Meltzer reported that tapings for the series were cancelled because MLW was unable to secure a TV deal.
On July 7, 2021, it was announced that
Shimmer Women Athletes
Shimmer Women Athletes (often referred to and stylized as SHIMMER) is an American, Chicago-based independent women's professional wrestling promotion which held its first event on November 6, 2005. Established by Dave Prazak and run by both him ...
co-founder
Dave Prazak Dave Prazak is an American professional wrestling promoter and commentator. He is the co-founder of Shimmer Women Athletes.
Championships and accomplishments
*Game Changer Wrestling
Game Changer Wrestling (GCW), formerly known as Jersey Champion ...
had joined MLW to help relaunch its women's division; later to be announced in September as the
MLW Women's Featherweight division.
During the television premiere of
Battle Riot III
Battle Riot III was a professional wrestling event produced by Major League Wrestling (MLW) that took place on July 10, 2021, at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was MLW's first event since its hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic ...
on July 24, 2021, MLW announced a new season of ''Fusion'' to air on "a new home" in the Fall, and a new, four-part mini-series titled ''MLW Fusion: Alpha''. Initially announced to air in August, ''Fusion: Alpha'' was later announced as "a new season and series from MLW" to premiere on September 22 on MLW's YouTube channel, and would air on Saturdays and Mondays on Bein Sports.
On December 7, 2021, MLW announced a new "anthology mini-series" titled ''
MLW Azteca'' to premiere on Thursday January 6, 2022 on MLW's YouTube channel and
FITE TV
Fite (stylized as FITE by Triller) is an American digital video streaming service launched on May 20, 2012, that is dedicated to combat sports-related programming (including boxing, mixed martial arts, and professional wrestling). The network dis ...
.
2022–present
On January 11, 2022, MLW filed an
anti-trust lawsuit against
WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vari ...
, accusing them of interfering in television and streaming deals and poaching talent. Through the lawsuit, it was disclosed that a streaming deal with
Fox Corporation
Fox Corporation (stylized in all-caps as FOX Corporation) is a publicly traded American mass media company operated and controlled by media mogul Rupert Murdoch and headquartered at 1211 Avenue of the Americas in New York City. Incorporated ...
-owned
Tubi
Tubi is an American over-the-top content platform and ad-supported streaming service owned by Fox Corporation. The service was launched on April 1, 2014, and is based in Los Angeles, California. In January 2021, Tubi reached 33 million monthly ...
was terminated due to WWE allegedly threatening to pull their programming from the sibling
Fox
Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush'').
Twelve sp ...
broadcast network. The suit also alleges that WWE pressured Vice TV to withdraw from negotiations with MLW.
On July 5, 2022, MLW announced a new broadcast deal with Ayozat TV in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
. Two days later, MLW announced an expanded agreement with
beIN Sports USA
beIN Sports USA is a pay television sports network which primarily airs top level soccer, featuring exclusive coverage of Ligue 1, along with content from other leagues in Europe. In addition, BeIN Sports airs matches from such sports as rugb ...
to carry the promotion's programming on BeIN Sports Xtra, both through its FAST channel and across its
over-the-air television station
A television station is a set of equipment managed by a business, organisation or other entity, such as an amateur television (ATV) operator, that transmits video content and audio content via radio waves directly from a transmitter on the eart ...
affiliates, on Friday nights.
On October 11, 2022, MLW announced a partnership with
streaming platform
An over-the-top media service is a streaming media service offered directly to viewers via the Internet. OTT bypasses cable, broadcast, and satellite television platforms, the companies that traditionally act as a controller or distributors of s ...
Pro Wrestling TV (PWTV), bringing the promotion's programming library to the service. The partnership began on November 3, with the premiere of the
Battle Riot IV
Battle Riot IV was a professional wrestling supercard event produced by Major League Wrestling (MLW) that took place on June 23, 2022 at the Melrose Ballroom in New York City. It was the fourth event under the Battle Riot chronology.
Matches fr ...
event. ''MLW Fusion'' would return for a new season the following week on November 10.
Touring and TV tapings
In the beginning, MLW would hold one show a month, originally from the
Viking Hall in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
. By the end of 2002, MLW began running two shows a month and, in 2003, multiple shows in a weekend were held in New York. The first time MLW left New York was December 20, 2002, for ''King Of Kings'' from the War Memorial Auditorium in
Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The promotion primarily held events in
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
prior to closing its doors in 2004.
MLW initially held shows in Florida since their revival in 2017. Soon after the debut of ''
MLW Fusion
''MLW Fusion'' is a professional wrestling television program produced by Major League Wrestling (MLW) that originally premiered on April 20, 2018 on beIN Sports USA. On November 10, 2022, the series began streaming on Pro Wrestling TV.
A thir ...
'' in 2018 on
beIN Sports USA
beIN Sports USA is a pay television sports network which primarily airs top level soccer, featuring exclusive coverage of Ligue 1, along with content from other leagues in Europe. In addition, BeIN Sports airs matches from such sports as rugb ...
, the promotion would once again resuming touring, returning to New York later that year. On September 18, 2018, MLW announced their debut in
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
. On October 19, 2018, MLW announced that they would return to Florida to make their
Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...
debut.
From Fall 2020 until 2021, due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
, MLW would return to Gilt Nightclub in Florida to tape their programming
behind closed doors. From July to December 2021, MLW programming was taped at the
2300 Arena
2300 Arena is a multipurpose indoor arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania used primarily for professional wrestling, boxing, mixed martial arts, and concert events. Originally known as Viking Hall, the venue has since been named Alhambra Aren ...
from the promotion's home base in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...
,
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
. The promotion would resume a regular touring schedule later that year, beginning with their second joint show with
The Crash Lucha Libre
The Crash Lucha Libre, also referred to as simply The Crash, is a '' lucha libre'' (Mexican professional wrestling) promotion based in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. The promotion largely runs its events in Tijuana, Mexico City, and Monterre ...
(
MLW Azteca/The Crash show
The MLW Azteca/The Crash Show, also known as the MLW Azteca • The Crash Super Card, was a professional wrestling supercard event co-produced by the U.S-based Major League Wrestling (MLW) and Mexico-based The Crash Lucha Libre (The Crash), which ...
) that December.
Contracts
In 2018, after the promotion was revived, MLW signed some talent to exclusive contracts.
It also gave MLW power over the performers' dates. Their wrestlers are allowed to perform for other promotions but have to prioritize MLW events.
MLW's roster mainly consists of
independent contractor
Employment is a relationship between two parties regulating the provision of paid labour services. Usually based on a contract, one party, the employer, which might be a corporation, a not-for-profit organization, a co-operative, or any oth ...
s who have also appeared in other promotions (namely
Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide
Antonio Peña Promotions, S.A. de C.V. doing business as, d/b/a Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide is a Mexican Lucha Libre (professional wrestling) professional wrestling promotion, promotion based in Mexico City, Mexico. Commonly referred to as simply ...
and
Impact Wrestling).
Partnerships
MLW currently has working relationships with
Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide
Antonio Peña Promotions, S.A. de C.V. doing business as, d/b/a Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide is a Mexican Lucha Libre (professional wrestling) professional wrestling promotion, promotion based in Mexico City, Mexico. Commonly referred to as simply ...
,
Impact Wrestling,
The Crash Lucha Libre
The Crash Lucha Libre, also referred to as simply The Crash, is a '' lucha libre'' (Mexican professional wrestling) promotion based in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. The promotion largely runs its events in Tijuana, Mexico City, and Monterre ...
, the
International Wrestling Association,
Pro Wrestling Noah
(stylised as Pro Wrestling NOAH) is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion, founded in 2000 by former All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) ace Mitsuharu Misawa after he had led a mass exodus in which 24 of AJPW's 26 contracted wrestlers left the ...
,
Dragon Gate,
Revolution Pro Wrestling
Revolution Pro Wrestling (RevPro/RPW) is a British professional wrestling promotion founded on 26 August 2012 by Andy Quildan after separating from International Pro Wrestling: United Kingdom.
Revolution Pro Wrestling currently has partnershi ...
, and
All Japan Pro Wrestling
(AJPW/AJP) or simply All Japan is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion established on October 21, 1972 when Giant Baba split away from the Japanese Wrestling Association and created his own promotion. Many wrestlers had left with Baba ...
.
Championships and accomplishments
Current championships
As of ,
Defunct championships
Other accomplishments
See also
*
List of Major League Wrestling events
This is a list of Major League Wrestling events, detailing all professional wrestling supercards held by Major League Wrestling (MLW).
Supercard events Past events 2002
2003
2004
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
Upcoming ...
References
*
*
External links
*
*
{{New Japan Pro Wrestling
Entertainment companies established in 2002
Organizations established in 2002
Entertainment companies disestablished in 2004
Organizations disestablished in 2004
Entertainment companies established in 2017
Organizations established in 2017
Re-established companies
2002 establishments in Pennsylvania
Professional wrestling in Philadelphia
Professional wrestling in Orlando, Florida