Now in its seventh iteration, when it comes to MLW, no match is more synonymous with the promotion than Battle Riot (this year’s was Battle Riot VII and you can read a full recap of the show here), MLW’s take on the traditional over-the-top battle royale mixed with a standard wrestling match. The Battle Riot features a field of 40 (and on one occasion, 41) wrestlers. Like WWE’s Royal Rumble, the match starts with two competitors. Every minute, another wrestler enters the ring until the entire field has entered. Wrestlers can be eliminated by being thrown over the top rope with both feet touching the floor, or by pinfall or submission. Historically, the winner of the Battle Riot receives a shot at the MLW World Heavyweight Championship, but this year, things were a little different.
After winning last year’s Battle Riot and going on to secure the world championship at Kings of the Coliseum in January, Matt Riddle was tasked with something no other wrestler has been when it comes to this match, defending his title. That’s right, much like a few Royal Rumbles of the past, the world championship was on the line with the match being winner-take-all. Fortunately for Riddle, he was able to retain his title, outlasting the field and doing so with broken ribs at that.
But before Riddle held the title over his head in victory, 39 other men, some with very impressive pedigrees in wrestling, had to enter the ring. Below is a full list of the participants (by entry order) in the match and a little about them.
1. Alexander Hammerstone – Returning to MLW for the first-time since 2023, the former TNA wrestler entered the Battle Riot at number one in search of his second world championship with the promotion. He held his first for 644 days from 2021-23, the second longest reign of all-time. Hammerstone joined MLW in 2019 and spent the next four+ years becoming one of its biggest stars. In addition to his world title reign, he was the first-ever National Openweight Champion, a title he held for 854 days, which still stands as the longest reign. This year marked Hammerstone’s third Battle Riot. He formerly won Battle Riot III.
2. Raj Dhesi – Making his MLW debut and entering the Battle Riot second was the wrestler formerly known as Jinder Mahal. Dhesi is best known for his time in WWE where he is a former 2x 24/7 Champion, United States Champion, and World Champion. Mahal spent parts of 13 years with WWE, wrestling his last match for the promotion last April.
3. Atlantis Jr. – Wrestling in MLW through their partnership with CMLL, the 26-year-old Atlantis Jr. first wrestled for MLW in 2024. In his eight-year career, the CMLL star has also featured in AEW and NJPW among others. He is a former trios champ in CMLL and World Television Champion in Ring of Honor. His father, the legendary Atlantis, was also in the match
4. Virus – Also wrestling through partnership with CMLL was a legend of the company, Virus. The 56-year-old luchador first debuted in CMLL in 1992 and has continued to wrestle there annually ever since. Now in his 33rd year in the business, Virus has accomplished much, including stints in NJPW and six championships in CMLL. Like Atlantis, he debuted in MLW in 2024.
5. Jesus Rodriguez – Many probably know Jesus Rodriguez for his non-wrestling abilities such as when he served as Alberto Del Rio’s personal ring announcer/manager in WWE (and briefly the same for RVD). However, the 39-year-old is a wrestler in his own right. Starting with FCW, Rodriguez both managed and wrestled during his time in WWE, largely wrestling under the persona of El Local. In 2023, he joined MLW, debuting in Battle Riot III. Currently, he owns his own wrestling academy in Lancaster, PA.
6. Star Jr. – Another wrestler in MLW by way of CMLL is Star Jr. The 31-year-old began his career in 2011 and joined CMLL three years later. Since then, he’s won the trios titles twice and has wrestled for AEW and NJPW.
7. Esfinge – Wrestling since 2009, Esfinge has spent his entire career with CMLL where he is a five-time champion including the current title holder of the Mexican National Light Heavyweight Championship. He debuted for MLW in 2024 and has also wrestled for ROH and AEW.
8. Ikuro Kwon – With MLW almost since 2019, Ikuro Kwan has been with the promotion almost since the beginning of its relaunch a year prior. He is a former tag champion alongside the great Minoru Suzuki and 2025 marked his third appearance in Battle Riot.
9. Barbaro Cavernario – Another wrestler coming to MLW through the CMLL partnership, Barbaro Cavernario debuted for the promotion in 2023. He is mostly known for his near 15-year tenure in CMLL, where is a former eight-time champion. Cavernario has also wrestled in NJPW and ROH.
10. Blue Panther – In 1980, Blue Panther made his debut, wrestling across the Mexican independent circuit. That was 45 years ago, and still, the legend keeps going today. Blue Panther has wrestled for AAA, NJPW, and ROH among others, but he is most known for his 30 years spent with CMLL. He has won 13 titles in his career, including eight with CMLL. He made his MLW debut earlier this year.
11. Magnus – Another CMLL wrestler, Magnus debuted with the promotion in 2011 near the beginning of his career. He’s spent the ensuing 14+ years there, and is the current Mexican National Tag Team Champion alongside Rugido. He made his MLW debut back in 2019 and has also wrestled for NJPW, AEW, and ROH.
12. Juicy Finau – Wrestling since 2019, the 28-year-old Juicy Finau was largely known for his time in GCW before he joined the MLW roster in 2022 as part of the new Samoan Swat Team. In the last three years, Finau has also wrestled for AAA and other indies. With Lance Anoa’i, he is a former MLW Tag Team Champion. This was his third Battle Riot.
13. Ultimo Guerrero – One of the best known luchadors outside of WWE, the 53-year-old Ultimo Guerrero made a career for himself throughout Mexican and beyond. Debuting in 1996, Guerrero joined CMLL the following year and remains with the promotion to this day. During his storied career, Guerrero has wrestled for TNA, NJPW, ROH, and AEW among others. He is a 19-time champion including a two-time CMLL World Heavyweight Champion, of which has most recent reign lasted over 1,000 days. He is also a a five-time trios champion and six-time tag team champion, with his most recent reign lasting a record 640 days. He debuted in MLW in 2024.
14. Atlantis – The 62-year-old Atlantis is one of the longest tenured wrestlers in CMLL history. Founded in 1933, CMLL is the longest-active wrestling promotion still in existence. For 34 of the promotion’s 92 years, Atlantis has been apart of them. Debuting for CMLL in 1991, Atlantis’ career began in 1983 with EMLL. In his over 40-year-long wrestling journey, Atlantis has wrestled all over Mexico and the world. He’s wrestled for WCW, NJPW, NWA, ROH, and MLW, making his debut there in 2024. In his storied career, he has won 27 titles including five tag team championships and eight trios championships.
15. Hechicero – Another product of the CMLL partnership, Hechicero first debuted for the promotion in 2008, later joining fulltime in 2014. In the last 10+ years, he’s also wrestled for NJPW, ROH, and AEW where he wrestled MJF, Brian Danielson, Will Ospreay, and Jay White among others. The former CMLL World Heavyweight Champion debuted for MLW in 2024.
16. Okumura – Another CMLL legend but one of Japanese descent, Okumura joined the promotion in 2004 after a storied career with All Japan Pro Wrestling. He has primarily wrestled the last 20 years with CMLL, where he is a former tag team champion and trios champion, and NJPW. He debuted in MLW in 2024, where he is the current tag team champion alongside Satoshi Kojima.
17. Ariel Dominguez – One of the longest-tenured MLW wrestlers with the company, Ariel Dominguez debuted on Fusion episode #17 in 2018. Since then, he’s wrestled in AEW, WWE, ROH, and a slew of indies. After leaving MLW in 2021, Dominguez returned toward the end of 2024 and has been with the promotion ever since.
18. Mr. Thomas – One-half of Chikara’s tag-team championship-winning Devastation Corporation, Mr. Thomas joined MLW in 2021 as one of the Sentai Death Squad soldiers. In 2022, he joined the Bomaye Fight Club, where he is still a member. Most impressively though, no one in the history of MLW has been in more Battle Riot matches than Mr. Thomas as 2025 marked his fifth consecutive. He’s wrestled in the match every year since he joined the company.
19. Journey Fatu – The Bloodline continues to grow as the 29-year-old Journey Fatu made his MLW debut at Battle Riot VII. Trained by his uncle Rikishi and wrestling since 2016 for smaller indies, most notably Oasis Pro Wrestling, Fatu is the younger brother of WWE’s Jacob Fatu. And it’s worth noting that Jacob too got his start on MLW, quickly becoming one of the top names in wrestling.
20. Bobby Fish – At 48 years old, Bobby Fish has pretty much done it all in wrestling. Beginning his career in 2003, Fish quickly made a name for himself with ROH and Pro Wrestling NOAH, From 2004-17, Fish primarily wrestled for those two companies in addition to NJPW as he racked up the accolades. In 2017, Fish, alongside fellow ROH wrestlers Adam Cole, Roderick Strong, and Kyle O’Reilly, his reDRagon teammate joined WWE’s NXT brand. Known as the Undisputed Era, the group was one of the most successful in NXT’s history, twice winning the tag titles while Cole reigned as NXT Champion. In 2021, the same year he debuted for MLW, Fish, along with Cole and O’Reilly, left WWE for AEW, where the same success didn’t follow. Fish and AEW parted ways and in 2024, he joined MLW full-time with a chip on his shoulder. Fish has won 14 titles in his career, including tag gold in ROH, NJPW, and WWE.
21. CW Anderson – CW Anderson began his wrestling career in 1994 and began to achieve mainstream success as he landed with ECW in 1999. He made his MLW debut in 2002, where he won the tag titles just a few matches into his tenure there. Anderson also wrestled for ROH, TNA, and NWA among others. After parting ways with ECW, then under the WWF banner in 2006, Anderson returned to the indies where he’s spent the last almost 20 years. In 2024, he joined up with his storyline cousin Brock, to form the Andersons tag team in MLW. Anderson is a 34-time champ in professional wrestling including a tag champ in NWA and MLW.
22. Chris Adonis – Likely better known by his WWE ring name, Chris Masters, Chris Adonis began wrestling in 2002. He landed with WWE in 2004 and remained with the promotion through 2011, where most notably he had a storyline of the Masterlock Challenge. After wrestling across the indie circuit for four years, Adonis joined TNA in 2015. He remained with the promotion through 2017. In 2021, Adonis joined NWA where he wrestled primarily for the next two years. Battle Riot VII marked Adonis’ MLW debut and a surprise one at that. Adonis has won 20 titles in his career, including twice as the NWA World Heavyweight Champion.
23. Paul Walter Hauser – Actor turned wrestler, Paul Walter Hauser went from Cobra Kai to MLW. In 2023, the Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning actor best known for his roles in Richard Jewell, Cobra Kai, and Inside Out, decided to pursue wrestling. Bringing his fandom to the ring, Hauser joined MLW in 2024 where he’s wrestled six matches including the last two battle riots.
24. Brett Ryan Gosselin – Now in his 10th year in pro wrestling, BRG AKA Brett Ryan Gosselin (not to be confused with the actor of a similar name – though that’s kind of the point of the gimmick) is known for his time in Northeast Championship Wrestling and Beyond Wrestling. The 11-time indie champ joined MLW in 2023 but has also wrestled a handful of matches for AEW among others. 2025 marked his second Battle Riot.
25. Matt Riddle – The reigning champ made his entrance toward the middle of the match and lasted all the way until the end to defend his crown. The 39-year-old Riddle began wrestling in 2015 following a successful MMA career. Riddle first debuted with MLW in 2017, a year that saw him wrestle a still career-high 148 matches. In 2018, he landed with WWE, remaining there through 2023. Riddle returned to MLW in 2024, where he won that year’s Battle Riot and began champion to start 2025. Riddle has wrestled up and down the indies with appearances in NJPW, AAA, and Evolve to name a few. He’s won 21 championships including four in WWE.
26. Brock Anderson – The other half of the Anderson team, the 28-year-old Brock Anderson made his pro wrestling debut on one of the biggest stages of them all when he showed up in AEW alongside his father, the legendary Arn Anderson in 2021. The younger Anderson remained with the promotion through 2023, joining MLW the following year alongside storyline cousin, CW Anderson.
27. Paul London – Much like Bobby Fish, the 44-year-old Paul London has pretty much done it all and seen it all in the world of pro wrestling. Debuting in 2001, London quickly landed with WWE, where he would remain for parts of the next eight years. He also wrestled for ROH and made his MLW debut during that time in 2003. London hit the indies in 2009, wrestling for companies including PWG, NOAH, NWA, and more. He returned to the mainstream in 2016, when his White Rabbit character captivated audiences on Lucha Underground. London remained with LU through 2018 and took a short break, only wrestling a handful of matches until 2023, at which point he popped back on the independent scene. In 2024, London returned to MLW. London is a 19-time champ including four title reigns in WWE.
28. Alex Kane – A veteran of MLW, Alex Kane began his pro wrestling career in 2018. After plying the indies for a few years, he joined MLW in 2021. Over the years. Kane has risen to become one of MLW’s top stars, with his crowning moment coming in 2023 when he defeated Alexander Hammerstone for the world title. In addition, Kane is also a former National Openweight Champion and the leader of the Bomaye Fight Club. 2025 marked his fifth consecutive Battle Riot, tied with Mr. Thomas for the most of all-time.
29. Matthew Justice – An indie veteran since 2006, Matthew Justice has been around pro wrestling for nearly two decades. He began his early career wrestling for smaller companies including AIW before receiving a chance at WWE in FCW where he once wrestled a very young Roman Reigns. Justice’s journey to WWE didn’t pan out and in 2012, he became a staple for New York Wrestling Connection. Justice continued to work the indies, landing with GCW in 2020 where he started to gain some name recognition and two matches with AEW. In 2023, he joined MLW full-time. He is the current National Openweight Champion and former tag team champion. Those are just two of his 24 title reigns.
30. Satoshi Kojima – One of the top stars of Japanese wrestling, Satoshi Kojima began his career in 1991. For the next 30+ years, he’s spent most of that career with AJPW (2000-12) and NJPW (1991 – present). But in addition to wrestling for those promotions, Kojima has worked for ROH, NOAH, CMLL, AEW, TNA, and MLW, where he first debuted in 2002 on the promotion’s second-ever card. It was there that Kojima won his first MLW world title. In 2023, 20 years after his last match with MLW, Kojima returned, and once again, quickly made an impact winning the tag titles and world title in short order. Kojima has won 25 titles in his career including the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship twice, and the tag titles eight times with the legendary Hiroyoshi Tenzan. Kojima is one-half of the current MLW tag team champions alongside Okumura.
31. Bishop Dyer – Best known as WWE’s Baron Corbin, Bishop Dyer was announced to be making his MLW debut prior to the Battle Riot. He made his pro wrestling debut in 2012 with WWE, remaining with the promotion through 2024. In 2025, Dyer began working the indies for the first time in his career. Dyer is a two-time champion in wrestling, both with WWE.
32. KUSHIDA – Another wrestler who’s had quite the career is the 41-year-old KUSHIDA. Debuting in 2006, KUSHIDA is most known for his time in NJPW, which began in 2010. He would debut in CMLL in 2012 and ROH a year later through the shared partnership of the three companies. In 2019. KUSHIDA made it to WWE, first through the Cruiserweight Classic and then as a full-time roster member. He remained with the company through 2022, at which point he made his TNA debut. His AEW and MLW debuts came a year later. KUSHIDA is a 10-time champion (six-time junior heavyweight champion) with NJPW along with a one-time champ in both ROH and WWE.
33. Shane Haste – Perhaps also best known for his time in WWE, the former Shane Thorne began his career in 2003. Haste’s early years were spent with Australia’s Explosive Pro Wrestling before he traveled to Japan to join NOAH in 2011. Haste remained primarily with NOAH until 2016 when alongside his TMDK (TM-61) partner, Nick Miller, joined WWE’s NXT brand. The two found some success but never made it to the main roster as a duo. As Miller departed WWE, Haste was repackaged as part of the RETRIBUTION stable under the name Slapjack. RETRIBUTION didn’t last and neither did Haste as he departed WWE in 2021, joining NJPW the following year to reunite TMDK. In 2023, he debuted for AEW and at Battle Riot VII, made his MLW debut.
34. Mads Krule Krugger – A wrestler since 2012. Mads Krule Krugger largely worked small indies until he joined MLW in 2019. There, Krugger was presented as a threat, often in and out of title pictures as a member of Jacob Fatu’s Contra Unit. The 20-time indie champ has failed to capture MLW gold thus far but he’s got a title shot looming against Matt Riddle in the near future.
35. Tom Lawlor – Another MMA fighter turned wrestler, Tom Lawlor’s pro wrestling career began in earnest in 2017, where he wrestled some of the first-ever shows of the MLW relaunch. Lawlor remained a staple for the promotion for the next five years before departing for a more full-time role in NJPW. But Lawlor, who also wrestled for smaller indies like AIW, and larger companies including TNA, ROH, and AEW, made his MLW return after just a year away. In 2024, Lawlor once again became a full-time member of the roster, primarily wrestling for MLW over the last two years. Lawlor is an eight-time champion in wrestling, including a former MLW world champ and tag team champ.
36. Donovan Dijak – Known for his time in ROH and WWE, Donovan Dijak began his wrestling career in 2013. He joined ROH in 2015 and landed with WWE two years later. Dijak remained with WWE through 2024. Much like Shane Haste, Dijak spent the bulk of his WWE career in NXT before being added to the RETRIBUTION stable that never quite landed. He wrestled as T-Bar, which I suppose is mildly better than Slapjack…Dijak made his MLW debut in 2024. He is a six-time champion in wrestling.
37. Anthony Greene – Wrestling since 2012, Anthony Greene has been a well known name on the indie circuit for quite a while now, especially in the Northeast as Greene has been a staple at promotions like Northeast Championship Wrestling, Chaotic Wrestling, and Beyond. In 2019, Greene began wrestling for Evolve, which at the time had WWE higher-up eyes on it. As such, Greene received opportunities in NXT and 205 Live. After parting ways with WWE in 2021, Greene wrestled for AEW, TNA, and NOAH among others. However, it wasn’t until the Battle Riot that Greene made his MLW debut. Greene has won 21 titles in his career.
38. Titus Alexander – At 24 years old, Titus Alexander was the youngest of the bunch in the Battle Riot, having only began his wrestling career in 2018. But Alexander has had eyes on him for some time, going all the way back to 2019 when he wrestled on 205 Live as local talent. From there, Alexander has primarily worked for Defy, West Coast Pro Wrestling, and GCW. In 2023, the five-time indie champ made his AEW and ROH debuts, along with a jaunt to Japan to wrestle for NOAH. Much like Anthony Greene, his MLW debut came in the Battle Riot.
39. Dr. Dax – Beginning his career in 2016, Dr. Dax has been with MLW since 2019. He’s largely been used as enhancement talent but has taken part in some big matches including multiple battle riots and war chamber matches.
40. Rob Van Dam – MLW saved the biggest surprise for last when Rob Van Dam entered at No. 4o to a huge reaction. Van Dam and Riddle bro’ed out in the end with Riddle ultimately getting the best of the legend. This was RVD’s MLW debut after a 35+ year career that has seen him wrestle in AJPW, WCW, ECW, TNA, AEW, and WWE. Van Dam is of course most known for his time in WWE, especially when ECW was under its banner. That includes the infamous One Night Stand match with John Cena where the fans took over to support RVD the whole f’in show. RVD has won 28 titles in his career including world championships in TNA, ECW, and WWE, and additional titles such as the European Championship, Intercontinental Championship (6x), Hardcore Championship, and various tag titles.
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