Major League Wrestling (MLW) is having its debut PPV on Saturday night, as MLW presents Saturday Night SuperFight live from Chicago. After a successful reboot in 2017 and the success of their weekly flagship show, MLW Fusion, MLW looks to take the next step and enter the world of PPV. The Pre-Show will air for free on FITE.tv and MLW’s YouTube Channel, while the PPV itself will air on FITE.tv.
Pre-Show: Savio Vega vs. Leo Brien
Former WWE Superstar Savio Vega made his MLW debut this past July when he challenged Hammerstone for the MLW National Openweight Championship, and he returns on Saturday night to face a returning face. For much of the first year of the MLW reboot, Leo Brien was heavily involved in the MLW tag team scene as part of The Dirty Blondes with Michael Patrick, in Col. Robert Parker‘s new Stud Stable. He returned in singles competition this past September, scoring a win over Brandon Banks, but now he faces off against a Puerto Rican legend.
Pre-Show: Zenshi vs. Hijo de LA Park w/ Salina de la Renta
The wrestler formerly known as Shynron in CHIKARA made his MLW debut earlier this year as Zenshi and he continues to have issues with Salina de la Renta‘s Promociones Dorado. He faced Hijo de LA Park this past July on MLW Fusion, picking up the win, but it appears they aren’t done with him again, as the two will face off as part of the pre-show.
Pre-Show: CONTRA Unit (Simon Gotch & Ikuro Kwon) vs. Douglas James & Dominic Garrini vs. Spirit Squad (Kenny & Mikey)
Simon Gotch‘s CONTRA Unit has been a force in MLW the past year since it’s founding, with Jacob Fatu holding the MLW World title. In a tag team triple threat, Gotch pairs with the latest addition to CONTRA Unit, Ikuro Kwon. The second tag team features a pairing of two of the more recent additions to the MLW roster. Douglas James has been a star on the rise in the West Coast indie scene who made his MLW debut this past September in a loss against Timothy Thatcher. His partner on Saturday night is Ohio’s Dominic Garrini, a former member of Catch Point in EVOLVE Wrestling who has been tagging with Kevin Ku in Violence is Forever for the past year. Garrini also debuted in September, defeating Ariel Dominguez. The two newcomers to MLW will be looking for a big win to rise the ranks. The final duo are Ken Doane and Mike Mondo of former WWE Tag Team Champions The Spirit Squad, who arrived in MLW this past summer to reclaim their past legacy.
Septimo Dragon, Gringo Loco & Puma King vs. INJUSTICE (Kotto Brazil, Jordan Oliver & Myron Reed)
For months now, Chicago’s own Gringo Loco has had issues with the youth movement in INJUSTICE. He’s had individual battles with Jordan Oliver and Myron Reed, and alongside various partners, he has battled the trio with mixed success. On Saturday night, he finds himself in a battle against Oliver, Reed and Kotto Brazil once more, and this time he’s got a fresh unit with him. Puma King has found great success in the US since heading north from Mexico, particularly in MLW. They’re also joined by another Mexican luchador who is breaking into the US in Septimo Dragon, whose worked for The Crash Lucha, Desastre Total Ultraviolento (DTU), and other Mexican indies in his 13-year career south of the border.
Jimmy Havoc vs. Bestia 666 (w/ Salina de la Renta) vs. Mance Warner
If you’re looking for chaos, this will be the match with the most unpredictability and violence. Jimmy Havoc continues to create mayhem in the US, as both a member of MLW’s roster and that of All Elite Wrestling, and for the past few months has had issues with both Salina de la Renta’s Promociones Dorado and Mance Warner. On Saturday night, he hopes to kill two birds with one stone. After Havoc was defeated by LA Park in a New York Street Fight in July, he measured some revenge against de la Renta when he defeated Bestia 666 in early October in a triple threat with Savio Vega. Bestia 666 is the leader of La Rebelión Amarilla, a faction of mercenaries from Mexico’s The Crash Lucha that Salina de la Renta has brought to the US, and he’ll be looking for some payback of his own. Mance Warner is in many ways the US counterpart to Havoc – a demented psychopath with a love for violence and a good beer. In September, Warner beat Havoc in a Bunkhouse Brawl, so these two have a history of spilling each other’s blood.
Low Ki vs. Brian Pillman Jr.
When he was a part of Salina de la Renta’s crew, Low Ki had some run-ins with the Hart Foundation, but now that he’s free, the sins of the past are following him. The former Ring of Honor World Champion is facing off against the junior member of the Hart Foundation in Brian Pillman Jr., in what should be an athletic and high flying contest.
Timothy Thatcher vs. “Filthy” Tom Lawlor
Two of the toughest men in the sport will clash in a match that may be better suited for one of Game Changer Wrestling (GCW)‘s Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport events. On Saturday night, former MLW World Champion “Filthy” Tom Lawlor looks to get back into the title hunt when he faces Timothy Thatcher, who made his own MLW debut this past summer. Thatcher is the reigning Westside Xtreme Wrestling (wXw) Unified World Wrestling Champion in Germany and is the former EVOLVE Champion – he has the resume. But Lawlor is a former UFC star who is no slouch in the grappling game. This will be a classic.
MLW World Tag Team Championship: The Dynasty (MJF & Richard Holliday) (c) vs. The Von Erichs (Ross & Marshall Von Erich)
The Dynasty has been warring with the Hart Foundation for nearly a year now, and this past July they finally captured the MLW World Tag Team titles from them. The tandem of AEW’s MJF and Richard Holliday have already defended the titles against the Hart Foundation and now they move on to face another multi-generational team of challengers in the Von Erichs. The sons of Kevin Von Erich, Ross & Marshall Von Erich have impressed since they debuted in MLW this past June, with wins over CONTRA Unit and The Spirit Squad. Now they get a shot at the MLW tag team gold.
MLW National Openweight Championship: Alex Hammerstone (c) vs. Davey Boy Smith Jr.
Since its creation this past summer, only one man has held the MLW National Openweight Championship, and that’s The Dynasty’s Alex Hammerstone. Hammerstone has been explosive since he joined MLW, after establishing himself as one of the top stars on the West Coast. In his first title defense, he defeated The Hart Foundation’s Davey Boy Smith Jr., but it was a DQ finish. Now, 150+ days later, Smith gets another shot at the title, as the war between The Dynasty and the Harts continues.
MLW World Middleweight Championship: Teddy Hart (c) vs. Austin Aries
At 323-days, Teddy Hart is the longest-reigning champion in MLW, when he captured the MLW World Middleweight title last December. Since then, the leader of the Hart Foundation has defended his belt against MJF, Myron Reed, Ace Austin, and Jimmy Havoc. On Saturday, he’s in the biggest challenge to his belt to date, when he squares off against former 3x IMPACT World Champion and 2x ROH World Champion Austin Aries. Aries is undefeated since his MLW debut this year, with wins over Adam Brooks, Ace Austin, and most recently, Brian Pillman Jr. With one Hart member defeated, Aries looks to ride the momentum into a big win over the faction’s leader.
MLW World Heavyweight Championship: Jacob Fatu (c) w/ Josef Samael vs. LA Park w/ Salina de la Renta
“The Samoan Werewolf” Jacob Fatu shocked the world when he became the man to end Tom Lawlor’s reign as MLW World Heavyweight Champion at Kings of Colosseum in early July. To prove it was no fluke, he successfully defended it against Lawlor two weeks later in his rematch. The beast of CONTRA Unit will have the nefarious Josef Samael (his tag partner in the West Coast tag team Warbeast) in his corner, as he prepares to face the crown jewel of Salina de la Renta’s Promociones Dorado, the lucha legend LA Park. LA Park has been a wrecking machine throughout MLW, but on Saturday he’ll be gunning for gold to bring the World title back to Salina’s possession.
Stay tuned to the Last Word on Pro Wrestling for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world. The Pre-Show for Saturday Night SuperFight will air for free on FITE.tv and MLW’s YouTube Channel, while the PPV itself will air on FITE.tv.
