This Saturday, Major League Wrestling makes its long-awaited return and they’re returning with a bang with MLW Battle Riot III! First, Team Filthy continues their bitter rivalry with The Von Erichs, which would be more than enough for Major League Wrestling to make a meaningful return. From there, Richard Holliday defends the IWA Caribbean Heavyweight Championship against King Muertes; again more than enough to get MLW fans tuned in, especially given the intrigue around Azteca Underground. This doesn’t even mention Davey Richards facing off against TJP in what is sure to a match of the night contender.
These will be great, but none of those are the main event or will be my main focus of discussion. This belongs to the 40-man Battle Riot Match. With such a rich field of talent and high stakes, this match will set the tone for MLW moving forward. Now let’s dive in!
https://twitter.com/MLW/status/1413243920331550720?s=20
MLW Battle Riot III Match Card
- Battle Riot Match
- IWA Caribbean Heavyweight Championship: Richard Holliday (c) vs. King Muertes
- Bunkhouse Match: Team Filthy (Tom Lawlor & Kevin Ku) vs. The Von Erichs (Marshall & Ross Von Erich)
- Davey Richards vs. TJP
Battle Riot Match
For those who are unfamiliar with the Battle Riot, please do not confuse it with WWE‘s Royal Rumble. Yes, wrestlers can be eliminated by being thrown over the top rope, but pinfalls and submissions are also in play. In addition, the winner receives a key which they can use to unlock a world title opportunity, anytime and anywhere. Though there will be 40 participants, as of this writing, only 28 have been announced.
With that being said, although MLW definitely could shock us all with a debuting star winning, I don’t see that being the case. There are too many potential plot hooks MLW has laid out, and all of them are very tempting. Look at Tom Lawlor; he is still riding a wave of momentum and could easily use a victory here to get his long-awaited title shot.
Two more intriguing narratives could be told, and both of them involve MLW National Openweight Champion Alexander Hammerstone and Contra Unit. Hammerstone made his intentions of winning the MLW World Heavyweight Championship known before MLW went on break. However, Contra Unit has put every road black between him and champion/leader Jacob Fatu. One story that could be told is Hammerstone finally overcoming the rest of Contra Unit to claim the victory and his long-overdue title shot. Another could see one of the other members of Contra Unit steal the win from Hammerstone. Thus, Contra Unit would remain a looming threat. This would also remind Hammerstone that, even if he does manage to beat Fatu, Contra will be right there to bring it back into the fold.
One thing is guaranteed: the MLW roster members are guaranteed to deliver, especially in front of the live Philadelphia crowd! The fact fans are in attendance is a victory in itself and one I hope we all celebrate!
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. MLW FUSION airs every Wednesday on fubo Sports Network and YouTube at 7 PM EST and every Saturday on beIN SPORTS at 10 PM EST.
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