Welcome back to MLW. It’s been a while since we covered new-school MLW. With Underground keeping us occupied, Court Bauer and co had been building to their triumphant return to the 2300 Arena and the rapturous applause of a returning crowd. Now, the company is making it free to view as we review the big marque 40-fighter Battle Riot bout. This was going to be a monstrous battle of attrition as fighters new and old entered with the one goal of earning a title shot at a time of their choosing. This was going to be the chance to see new signees and draft picks like Davey Richards, Alex Kane, Lee Moriarty, KC Navarro (fully signed now), and more as we saw this glorious clusterf-ck go down. Let’s get into this mammoth match.

Coming soon…#BATTLERIOT

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— Major League Wrestling (@MLW) July 25, 2021

Cesar Duran had opened things up by announcing he was MLW’s new matchmaker and that he would be bringing Azteca Underground’s brand of violence to MLW on a more permanent basis. Injustice cut him off mid-speech and wanted a shot at Los Parks for those tag titles. They were cut off mid-speech as Konnan interrupted with a new incarnation of LAX. He had Slice Boogie and Rivera (Danny Limelight) alongside him as Dr. Juilius Smokes flanked them. He too demanded a tag title shot to establish his new faction. LAX laid waste to Injustice and Reed forced an outside brawl by diving onto the body pile. MLW opened with a dose of chaos before the real chaos could begin. We’d had CONTRA warnings, EJ Nduka celebrations, and a new miniseries, MLW Fusion Alpha announced. That will act as a bridge between this and the new season with more title fights, marquee matches, and shadowy agendas. With a new season coming in the fall, this is how they are keeping everyone up to date and informed. Now was the time to riot.

Battle Riot: Alexander Hammerstone defeated Davey Richards, Filthy Tom Lawlor, TJP, Lee Moriarty, Kit Osbourne, King Mo, Calvin Tankman, Arez, Gringo Loco, Zenshi, Aramis, Alex Kane, Myron Reed, Savio Vega, Jordan Oliver, The Beastman, Rivera, Slice Boogie, Matt Cross, Bu Ku Dao, Marshall Von Erich, EJ Nduka, Kimchee, Zicky Dice, Kevin Ku, KC Navarro, Lance Anoa’I, LA Parker (not), Simon Gotch, Daivari, The Blue Meanie, Ikuro Kwon, Ross Von Erich, Josef Samael, Sentai Death Squad, Kwang the Ninja, King Muertes, Gino Medina & Mads Krügger via Over the Top Clothesline on Krügger

Here we go, 40-men, one title shot, and a whole lot of chaos about to ensue. We were in for almost an hour of action as MLW prepared to welcome crowds back with a bang. Through YouTube and BeIn Sports, they were now sharing this with the world. All with Azteca Underground’s Cesar Duran watching over everything. The numbers had been randomly selected so it was time to see who was number one. Davey Richards was your number one entrant. Filthy Tom Lawlor was out at number two, talk about a strong opening duo. Both guys went right for the submissions and Lawlor had to bite his way to freedom. The submission style continued as TJP came out at number three to a chorus of boos. We got another human centipede of submissions and Lawlor teamed up with TJP to torture Richards. The technical masterclass just kept on going as TAIGASTYLE Lee Moriarty entered a number four. He laid waste to TJP and Lawlor and locked on dual submissions with Richards. That alliance did not last. Kit Osbourne came out next and stomped away at TJP. He watched on as Moriarty and Richards attacked Lawlor and TJP further. Lawlor got some backup as King Mo entered next and killed Moriarty with an Exploder. Team Filthy wishboned Richards and kept trying to tap him out as Calvin Tankman entered at number seven. Tankman KO’ed Moriarty with a pop-up back elbow and traded with Richards as Team Filthy took a breather. We got more new blood next as Arez entered to infect the match with some Strange Style. He started a superkick party and planted Moriarty with a Falcon Arrow. The Lucha hits kept on coming as Gringo Loco entered next and flew around Arez before dropping him with a Based Slam. He threw Arez away and kept showing off against TJP. He went for a pin as Zenshi came in at number 10 and came in kicking. He went after Tankman and survived death by landing on the time-keeper’s table.

The action didn’t stop as Aramis came out next and instantly picked up the pace with more hybrid high-flying against the other Luchadors. Bodies kept flying as some took breathers and the Luchadors kept flying. The tone changed quickly as The Suplex Assassin Alex Kane clocked in to give everyone the work with a barrage of suplexes, even nailing Tankman with a German. Myron Reed was out next and tried to eliminate Moriarty. Zenshi kept avoiding elimination and Savio Vega entered the fight with his trusty Singapore Cane. He whacked everyone and kept caning until Jordan Oliver entered at 15.  By this point, the action was getting hard to document. Skirmishes were breaking out everywhere and you either hung on for dear life, caught your breath, or went on the kill. The Beastman entered next as the first surprise of the match. The Stone-Age Savage smashed it out with Tankman and LAX made the match hardcore as Rivera and Slice Boogie brought the weaponry. They went after Injustice with a board-breaking spinebuster and Rivera kept the caning going. Matt Cross was out next and made his entrance as Vega was pinned. More fights broke out as multiple people flew at the Beastman. Number 20 was coming with a vengeance as Bu Ku Dao went straight for TJP. Richards eliminated Lawlor and he scarpered as Marshall Von Erich entered the fight and Aramis was eliminated. Marshall eliminated Osbourne with a claw slam and tried to claw the Beastman. The minute rolled by in a blaze of battle and we reached number 22, EJ Nduka. Judgement had come. He instantly eliminated the Beastman with a clothesline and threw Gringo Loco out after a spear. He was wrecking shop as Zenshi and Richards flew after attempting a double Suplex, Zenshi finally getting eliminated. 23 was another surprise entrant as Kimchee emerged for an unexpected sighting. His entrance proved to be bad luck as Alex Kane was clotheslined out of the match by Nduka.

Kimchee looked for a fight as Nduka kept killing off fighters, this time throwing King Mo to his doom with a fireman’s carry. Kimchee attempted to club his way to victory but Nduka just buried him the way he had everyone else. Arez squared up to the Judge but he too met the same fate. TJP craftily eliminated Dao and he too got eliminated as things got Outlandish. That’s right Zicky Dice was number 24. He started doing magic in the ring and clotheslined Moriarty and Cross with a ribbon he’d pulled out of his throat. Marshall shut him down with the claw as Kevin Ku entered the mix. Ku too killed Dice with a combo into a Brainbuster. He joined the other skirmishes as Nduka got yet another elimination, sending Cross to the floor. As Cross fell out, the match was blessed as KC Navarro entered the Riot. Navarro got to work and Tankman eliminated Moriarty with a Hidden Blade. Nduka had a battle of the titans with Tankman and Lance Anoa’I entered as the next entrant. He started throwing bombs and the two titans took each other out. LAX and Injustice took each other out and brawled to the back as LA Park made his entrance. Only, LA Park wasn’t LA Park… it was Tom Lawlor in disguise. We learned this as Marshall unmasked him with the claw and eliminated him with a clothesline. Anoa’I and Dice went on rampages as number 29 marked the first CONTRA fighter, Simon Gotch. He took a shot at everyone left and awaited the arrival of number 30, Daivari. He went after Navarro with the black flag of CONTRA and hung him out to dry with a hangman. Navarro narrowly escaped with a kick and the countdown brought in our next surprise entrant, The Blue Meanie. He took out everyone and danced until Daivari floored him with a club. CONTRA and Dice stomped down the Meanie and Ikuro Kwon made his way to the ring. He mixed it up with the Meanie and Ross Von Erich made his entrance as Dice was eliminated. Ross joined his brother in beating down CONTRA but the numbers shifted again as Josef Samael emerged.

Samael had brought the spike and stabbed it right into the Von Erichs, stabbing Ross in the mouth as he applied a Camel Clutch. Alexander Hammerstone was the next entrant and was ready to clean house of CONTRA. He was struggling with Daivari as the ring erupted in violence. CONTRA tipped the deck in their favour again as the Sentai Death Squad got their own placement. They went after Hammerstone and CONTRA took control until Kwang the Ninja came out next. He took everyone out with nun-chucks until CONTRA took them away. King Muertes got the 38 spot as Azteca Underground’s last monster and took the Meanie straight to hell as he was misted. Gino Medina came out for 39 and played it smart, going for quick pins. Samael continued to torture the Von Erichs and CONTRA ended out Riot with Mads Krügger at number 40. He instantly eliminated Anoa’I and threw Navarro out too before going after Hammerstone. Muertes launched Medina out of the match and sent Kwang to hell. The monsters were clearing the field quickly as CONTRA continued to pick apart who was left. The Von Erichs eliminated Muertes and teamed up with Hammerstone to thin out the CONTRA players. The Sentai soldiers and Samael were quickly thrown out with Kwon following soon after off a claw slam. Krügger eliminated both Von Erichs with a double clothesline and Hammerstone did the same to Gotch and Daivari. We were down to two, Hammerstone and Krügger. The two monsters stared each other down and both tried to outpower the other. They both threw bombs and Krügger seemed to have the better of Hammerstone. Krügger nearly got the kill with a Full-Nelson Slam and Chokeslam but Hammerstone refused to stay down. Hammerstone hulked up but Krügger sent him straight back down with a boot. Krügger went for the spike but Hammerstone forced him to drop it, stabbed him with it, and sent Krügger out with a clothesline. Alexander Hammerstone is your Battle Riot winner and finally gets his crack at Jacob Fatu. He now calls that shot now and there’s nothing CONTRA can do to stop him. This was a mess but in a great way. I’ve given you the cliff notes version of the match, watch it yourself to experience the majesty in full.

All images courtesy MLW, Basil Mahmud, video courtesy of MLW YouTube