Major League Wrestling (MLW) has signed two of the most decorated Champions on the West Coast in 720-day PCW ULTRA tag team Champions WARBEAST (The Almighty Sheik & Jacob Fatu), and 602-day (combined days) two-time Future Stars of Wrestling Champion Alexander Hammerstone. MLW confirmed with Last World on Pro Wrestling that WARBEAST and Hammerstone were signed to multi-year deals. They will make their debuts on February 2nd at MLW SuperFight.
WARBEAST enters a slightly top heavy, but developing tag division. Their moniker “All Violence is Legal” has carried them through their title reign, and has been the primary stipulation in title matches. They’ve posted wins against the likes of True Grit (Jesse James & Hoss Hogg), Reno Scum (Adam Thornstowe & Luster the Legend), Border Patrol (Colt Stevens & J.R. Kranos), and oVe (Dave & Jake Crist). Josef “The Almighty Sheik” is the strategist of a team that initially began with himself, “The Samoan Werewolf” Jacob Fatu, Kevin Sullivan, and Brody King. The majority of their 2017 tag Championship reign, Josef teamed with Brody King in defense of the PCW ULTRA Tag Team Titles, and as King began competing more in singles competition, the supremely gifted Fatu (son of former WWE Superstar The Tonga Kid) became the permanent partner. Josef and Fatu continued to dominate into 2018. The pairing with Fatu loses some in the power game, but gains so much in the high flying aerial portion. Fatu will jump from anywhere including a shooting star press that finishes fights. We’ll see if MLW will continue to allow the All Violence is Legal stipulation that PCW ULTRA does in their matches. It would be hard to see every match being a street fight in particular for a team that has a lot to prove.
Alexander Hammerstone’s two FSW Title reigns were dominant. It’s easy to make the argument that Hammerstone was one of the most underrated wrestlers out West, despite the lengthy title reigns (each over 250 days). He spent two years as Champion beating guys that were signed to IMPACT, Ring of Honor, or MLW ahead of him, or already on the roster. This includes wins over Sami Callahan, Brian Cage, Eli Drake, Moose, and Killer Kross. The 28-year-old is big, powerful, athletic, and arrives as an immediate contender to the MLW Championship. If anyone in that locker room doesn’t know who the new guy from Arizona is, they’d better start watching the tapes. “The Business” is aggressive in his attac, and likes to overwhelm his opponents with a smothering style. Hammerstone traps opponents in the corner and buries punches to the midsection to soften them up for the suplexes, and the rest of his devastating power game. This is a great chance for Hammerstone to prove his doubters wrong. Many expected him to go to IMPACT, but you can only wait for so long. He had outgrown his surroundings, and he will thrive on the big stage.
MLW pulled off a coup signing WARBEAST and Hammerstone. Kudos to Court Bauer and his entire team.
