MLW Battle Riot VI
June 1, 2024
By: John Siino
Center Stage in Atlanta, Georgia
Commentary: Joe Dombrowski & Christian Cole
RESULTS
*Janai Kai over Delmi Exo via pinfall (6:31)
*Alex Kane over AJ Francis via sitting (15:19)
*Satoshi Kojima over Tom Lawlor via pinfall (11:53) (Recommended)
*Matt Riddles wins Battle Riot eliminating Sami Callihan (50:29) (Recommended)
Revenge & Violence
The show starts with David Marquez outside trying to get a word with Salina de la Renta who says she’s here to get revenge and Cesar Duran is a dead man.
We then head to the ring, as Duran makes his way out who says tonight will be full of his favorite thing in violence. Duran just tonight is not about revenge but revelations and his luchadores will show why they are the best in the world.
MLW Women’s World Featherweight Championship: Janai Kai (c) (w/ Ikuro Kwon) vs. Delmi Exo (w/ Cesar Duran)
They start the match by testing each other out with kicks and suplexes before Janai Kai catches Delmi Exo off the ropes and takes her down with a spinning kick to the back of the head. Kai continued with the kicks in the corner and took Exo down, ending with a dropkick against the ropes for two. There are more kicks from the Kick Demon and pin attempts before Exo can catch a kick attempt and take control over Kai, eventually hitting a cutter for two. Kai comes back with the Demon Clutch, but Exo breaks out of it and hits the Delmi Driver. Salina de la Renta starts making her way down to the ring and as the referee is distracted with Kai, Salina sprays Exo in the face with some sort of spray. Kai follows with GTG Kick to get the pin and the win.
Winner: Janai Kai by pinfall at 6:31, to retain
A Juggalo, Cat, Arachnaman & Jimmy Yang
Marquez is in the back with Emmy Award-winning Paul Walter Hauser, who is in tonight’s Battle Riot. Hauser says he loves Center Stage, as he grew up watching WCW Saturday Night with guys like Ricky Steamboat, Vader, Dustin Rhodes & Sting. Hauser then revealed an Arachnaman costume that he bought locally, which will be a good luck charm for him. Ernest Miller walks in, as Hauser starts showing him some of his moves from Cobra Kai. Jimmy Yang then walks in and says The Last Dragon is better than Cobra Kai, and that Bruce Leeroy would beat Daniel-san’s ass. Violent J walks in, as Hauser realizes his Arachnaman costume is missing and he runs off looking for it.
Ritual Combat Match: AJ Francis vs. Alex Kane (w/ Mr. Thomas & Faye Jackson)
We have our ‘elders’ observing and judging the match come out in Teddy Long & Mark Henry, fresh off his AEW run. The rules for this match are that if AJ Francis wins this, he will take over Alex Kane’s Bomaye Fight Club. The only way to win this match is to sit on the throne on the top of the ramp in between Long & Henry, for ten seconds. Francis attacks Kane from behind to start the match and tries to use Kane’s beads on him but Kane is able to dodge him and send him to the outside where he hits Francis with a dive. They start brawling into the crowd as the now bald Kane is already busted open. Back ringside, Francis grabs Kane off the ring and powerbombs him into the apron before he starts hitting him with a chair. Francis goes to sit on the throne before getting up and going after Kane again. Francis continues attacking with the chair, including body-slamming Kane onto it. Francis goes to sit on the throne again before he goes after Kane again and starts choking him before Long & Henry stop Francis telling him that’s not how you win the match. Francis sends Kane back inside the ring and continues to attack him before grabbing a door from under the ring and setting it up against a corner. They fight back and forth before Kane is able to chop-block Francis, sending him crashing into the door. Kane takes out Francis with an Olympic Slam before putting on a choke hold which Francis breaks up by slamming Kane back. Kane continues with suplexes on Francis, but Francis hits a low blow and goes to sit on the throne, Kane is able to crawl and touch Francis’ foot, ending the count. Francis places Kane on a table in the ring, and heads to the top rope, but Kane gets up and tosses a chair into Francis’s face before superplexing him off into the table. Kane goes to sit on the throne, as Francis crawls his way over but is unable to reach Kane, ending the match.
Winner: Alex Kane wins Ritual Combat at 15:19
Mark Henry gets on the mic and says it’s great for Kane to win and be the king of the throne, but what’s more important is how he got there, with pride, respect & honor, and that’s why Kane will be a great king. Teddy Long said Henry made it very clear, and he’s wishing him congratulations and hopes he’ll be a great champion too, before asking for a ‘Holla, Holla, Holla’.
Saint Laurent & Tom Lawlor backstage as Lawlor proclaims he’ll take the MLW World Heavyweight Championship from Satoshi Kojima tonight, and no matter what he has an ‘insurance policy’.
Mads Krule Krugger in the back says the new crusader of the Contra Unit will introduce himself to the world tonight.
Upcoming Schedule
- MLW Anniversary – June 22 – beIN Sports/YouTube
- Blood & Thunder – July 12 (Tampa) – MLW YouTube Membership
- Summer Of The Beasts – August 29 (New York City) – MLW YouTube Membership
- Fightland – September 14 (Atlanta) – MLW YouTube Membership
MLW World Heavyweight Championship: Satoshi Kojima (w/ Okumura) (c) vs. Tom Lawlor
Satoshi Kojima comes out sporting a new version of the MLW World Heavyweight Championship. Saint Laurent passes a chain to Tom Lawlor before the bell rings, which he sneaks into his pocket, but the referee is able to search Lawlor and find even more weapons including brass knuckles and a roll of quarters. The referee then gives Laurent ten seconds to go to the back, or he’ll be banned for life in MLW. Lawlor goes right after Kojima in the corner with punches and splashes before he starts to choke out Kojima with his shirt.
They start trading forearms and punches before Lawlor takes down Kojima, and starts going after his leg. Lawlor stays on top of Kojima for a while, putting on a figure four in the process, before it gets broken up in the ropes. Kojima eventually is able to dodge Lawlor in the corner, as they start trading punches and chops. Lawlor takes Kojima to the outside with a knee off the apron and starts attacking his arm against the ring post. Back inside, they start trading a flurry of punches, before Lawlor hits a Flatliner and puts on the Anaconda Vice, but Kojima gets his foot on the rope. Kojima comes back with a DDT and a Cozy Cutter, before going for the Cozy Lariat, but Lawlor dodges and puts on a sleeper. Lawlor stays on top of Kojima with knees and pin attempts, before Kojima hits a pair of lariats to get the pin and the win.
Winner: Satoshi Kojima by pinfall at 11:53, to retain
Cesar Duran Is Salina’s Father
Cesar Duran comes out before the match to say one of his luchadors will win the Battle Riot and he will make Salina de la Renta pay consequences. This prompts Salina to come out, who said she’s waited three years to kick his ass as Bad Dude Tito shows up from behind Duran, and holds him down as Salina enters the ring and tells Duran he’s a dead man before asking if he has any last words. Duran starts singing a song, that Salina says is her mother’s song and starts looking worried, as the song starts playing over the loudspeaker and we cut to a video that looks like family footage along with family photos, of Duran, Salina’s mother and a young Salina as Duran reveals that he is Salina’s father. Salina breaks down and starts crying as Duran laughs. Duran keeps asking her who her daddy is before saying she can’t handle the truth.
40-Man Battle Riot
The #1 entrant is Mistico followed by Jimmy Yang at #2. Yang starts by kicking away at Mistico knocking him down as Star Jr. comes out at #3 and starts running the ropes with Mistico. Star takes control and starts going for pins here as Rugido from CMLL comes out at #4 and takes everybody out with a top rope crossbody. #5 is Jesus Rodiguez, followed by Okumura at #6 who goes after everybody. Ikuro Kwon at #7, as Mistico hits La Mistica on Rodriguez to make him tap out at 5:36 causing the first elimination. #8 is AKIRA who hits headbutts on everybody. Tom Lawlor at #9 as Kwon sprays mist in Yang’s face, as Star Jr. covers him and eliminates Yang at 7:36. Lawlor then slingshots Rugido over the top rope to eliminate him at 8:02. Josh Bishop comes out at #10 to help out his WTF teammate in Lawlor.
Bobby Fish comes out at #11, as Mistico & Star Jr. battle on the ropes, with Star Jr. surprisingly kicking Mistico off to eliminate him at 9:57. Bad Dude Tito is out at #12 as Lawlor knocks Okumura off the apron at 10:43. Bishop & Lawlor double clothesline Star Jr. out at 11:19 as Adam Priest comes out at #13, followed by Paul Walter Hauser at #14 who comes out wearing a singlet and goes after Lawlor, clothesline him over the top rope at 12:58. #15 is a surprise in Slim J, as AKIRA & Kwon eliminate each other at 13:32. As they continue to brawl after elimination; Mads Krule Krugger comes out at #16 and takes out AKIRA on the ramp, choke-slamming him off and onto a table. Mr. Thomas comes out at #17 and goes after everybody until Fish fights back. #18 is the mystery Contra Unit member, revealed to be Minoru Suzuki who comes in and eliminates Priest over the top rope at 18:44. Suzuki follows this by choking out Bishop at 19:22 as Brett Ryan Gosselin enters at #19, provokes Suzuki then runs away and hides under the ring as ECW alumni & MLW original, CW Anderson enters at #20.
Hauser hits an impressive hammerlock DDT on Slim J to pin him at 21:38, as Scotty Riggs comes out at #21. Riggs & Suzuki go at it (surreal), as Jake Crist comes out at #22 and pulls BRG from under the ring, and sends him inside. Tito & Fish go at it, with Tito tossing Fish out at 23:22. Violent J comes out at #23 with a trash can lid and goes after Crist as Hauser pins Riggs at 23:57. #24 is YouTube personality, Chris Danger who suckers Violent J in with a handshake before taking him out with a stunner for the pin at 25:52. #25 is Ernest ‘The Cat’ Miller who teams up with Hauser, as Hauser hits a Crane Kick to Mr. Thomas, followed by a clothesline from Tito to eliminate him at 27:03. 1 Called Manders is out at #26, who is followed from the back by Krugger, who had yet to enter this match after fighting AKIRA all the way to the back. Sami Callihan is out at #27 and starts tossing weapons in the ring as BRG tosses Crist out at 29:06. Hauser hits a Crane Kick to Callihan and calls for the Diamond Cutter, but with his back turned, gets tossed over the top rope by Callihan at 29:48. #28 is introduced as “The Masked Assassin” who just walks around the ring over and over instead of entering as Manders & Krugger toss each other over the top rope at 31:20. Alex Kane comes out at #29 and puts the “The Masked Assassin” in a chokehold and removes his mask to reveal it’s Tom Lawlor who made his way back into this match and tossed yet again, this time by Kane at 32:23. Out at #30 is Matthew Justice who hits a Coast To Coast on CW Anderson with help from Manders who came back out to place the chair.
Out at #31 is Matt Riddle who rolls up Ernest Miller at 34:50, as Justice hits another Coast To Coast, this one to BRG to eliminate him at 35:11. #32 is Andrew Everett as Kane chokes out Anderson at 36:39, followed by Kim Chee at #33 who quickly gets eliminated by Danger at 37:15. Riddle headscissors Tito out of the match at 37:21, as Timothy Thatcher comes out at #34 and goes after Suzuki. Doctor Cornwallis is #35, but Suzuki sends him packing with an armbar, submitting him at 39:23. Suge D is out at #36 followed by Rickey Shane Page #37. Shane Mercer is out at #38 and hits a very impressive top rope fall-away slam to Everett. #39 is Arachnaman, shooting his cobwebs at the fans as Mercer clotheslines Everett off the apron, eliminating him at 42:58, followed by Suge D getting sent out at 43:02 by Mercer as Callihan eliminates RSP at 43:08. Before Arachnaman can enter, Paul Walter Hauser shows up and unmasks him, revealing it is yet again, Tom Lawlor, who this time doesn’t even enter the ring. During this, Thatcher tosses out Danger at 44:00. Coming out last at #40 is Davey Boy Smith Jr. of WTF.
Justice tosses out Mercer at 45:38, but then Justice himself gets tossed out by Callihan at 45:41 as it’s now down to six men. Thatcher & Smith start double-teaming Kane, and with some last-second help from Suzuki, toss him over the top at 46:01. Smith, Suzuki, Thatcher & Callihan all start ganging up on Riddle, but he fights them all off and eventually knocks Suzuki off the apron at 47:49. The final four start battling, with all ending up on the apron as Thatcher & Smith eliminate each other at 50:22, followed by Riddle eliminating Callihan to win the match.
Winner: Matt Riddle wins Battle Riot at 50:29
FINAL THOUGHTS
The show started off with a bit of a letdown in the women’s match, which just ended in a distracting fashion that was just a set-up for the bigger angle later on between Cesar & Salina. Janai Kai is a strong champion, but the combination of her matches getting short-changed in time plus the lack of new competition doesn’t make her reign a memorable one. While we are on Cesar & Salina, this seems like a never-ending battle between the two that has been going on for years that never seemed to have a destination, and today just took the telenovela approach with Cesar being revealed as her father, which should lead this down an interesting path, to say the least.
It was a surprise to see not only Teddy Long, but Mark Henry so soon after leaving AEW, but they seemed confused just as I did at the rules for this Ritual Combat match. They kept trying to say on commentary how the Bomaye Fight Club members kept switching sides but it certainly wasn’t well presented to the audience. AJ Francis kept looking foolish getting up from the throne, stopping the count when Alex Kane wasn’t even near him, but yet all it would take was a tip of a finger to land on your opponent to break the ‘sitting’? Silly rules aside, the winning presentation by Kane and the endorsement from Long & Henry definitely made this feel like a ‘King of the Ring’ type of achievement/crowning, so hopefully Kane can move on from this and move back into the title picture. Something makes me think, there’ll be more betrayal within the Bomaye camp, and if it’s not the man Don King himself, it’ll be the elusive Faye Jackson making the turn, in my eyes.
The only match besides the Battle Riot that I would recommend would be Kojima vs. Lawlor, as those two styles are hard to not make an entertaining yet hard-hitting match, and honestly, I would have just put that along with the Battle Riot for this airing, with the two other matches being saved for their next special on June 22nd. I understand this was a live special for YouTube and wanting to pack the card, but I don’t think there was a need to, as the Battle Riot itself was over 50 minutes, and with everything else on this show it brought the total run-time to close to 2 hours and 20 minutes. In the past, they’ve even just shown Battle Riot alone for free on YouTube, so I don’t see why they couldn’t do the same as that is certainly the main attraction. It should be noted that they kept pushing future events for the MLW Membership through YouTube, which gets you early access to future shows, the back catalog of Fusion, and much more, so it’s unknown if the big events will still be streaming on TrillerTV+ like they have been doing the first half of the year.
On to what everybody came to see and that is the Battle Riot itself. What can I say about this match? What I will say is it was better presented and executed than it has been in the past, especially with the final six being some really stronger candidates to win, but once we saw the gang up on Riddle it became pretty evident who would come out on top. Even though there were still some comedy and wacky elements sprinkled in it, this felt fresher and more entertaining with faces not seen too often. Where else can you see Paul Walter Hausen battling with Scotty Riggs, delivering crane kicks from Cobra Kai, while Violent J from Insane Clown Posse trading strikes with Minoru Suzuki in the other corner. Even the start with Mistico vs. Jimmy Yang wasn’t something I’d expect to entertain as much as it did in 2024. Suzuki joining Contra Unit is a nice fit, but it was a bit jarring to see him come out to a different theme song.
Overall, you can just skip to the main event, but if you want a fun appetizer, check out the World Title match before you can see the cavalcade of Lawlor’s wardrobe changes at the end of the show.
