- Major League Wrestling
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Major League Wrestling 
Acronym MLW Founded 2002 Style hybrid wrestling Headquarters {{{location}}} Founder(s) Court Bauer Major League Wrestling (MLW) is a professional wrestling promotion that markets its presentation around hybrid wrestling, which encompasses and showcases many different forms of wrestling. MLW's mission is to present itself as an alternative to sports entertainment.[1] Founder Court Bauer described MLW's product as "the most violent, hard-hitting action mixed with cutting edge storylines creating a counter culture attitude that only MLW can deliver to its rabid fans."[1]
Contents
Underground TV
MLW's weekly 60 minute TV series called Underground TV, has aired on FOX SportsNet affiliates as well as Sun Sports, DirecTV and in several markets worldwide. The gritty and hip program, features music by 50 Cent and Powerman 5000, and was at one point hosted by Joey Styles and consisted of pre-taped matches from prior events. Some of the most popular matches and moments featured on MLW Underground TV include: a 5 on 5 War Games match, CM Punk's national TV debut (versus Raven), a wild brawl between Terry Funk and Steve Corino on the streets of Orlando, FL, Sonjay Dutt's emergence as a top star winning the J-CUP USA tournament, Abdullah the Butcher vs. Terry Funk, La Parka vs. Sabu and Vampiro vs. CM Punk to name a few.
Major Shows
MLW has promoted several major shows including:[2]
•War Games: An event held at the famous War Memorial Auditorium in Fort Lauderdale, War Games featured a 2-ring War Games steel cage match between Steve Corino and the Extreme Horsemen (Barry Windham, Justin Credible, Simon Diamond & CW Anderson vs The Funkin' Army of Terry Funk, Sabu, {[The Sandman]], Steve Williams, Bill Alfonso. The event also featured an international junior heavyweight tournament to crown the league's first junior heavyweight champion, called J-CUP, featuring: Juventud Guerrera, Jimmy Yang, Christopher Daniels, Super Dragon, Primo Colon, Jerry Lynn, Tony Mamaluke and Sonjay Dutt - who would ultimately defeat Daniels to take the belt. Also, Umaga teamed with his cousins Samu and Mana to win a falls count anywhere weapons match against Matt Striker, Monsta Mack and Rich Criado.
•Hybrid Hell: This event broke the MLW attendance record with the War Memorial Auditorium selling out to see a double main event featuring Terry Funk vs. Steve Corino in a barbed wire match as well as MLW World Champion Satoshi Kojima defend against Mike Awesome (Kojima lost the belt only for new champion Awesome to lose it right afterwards to Corino just prior to Corino's big barbed wire match against Funk). Also on the card: Homicide defeated Michael Shane, Los Maximos defeated The Samoan Island Tribe, Christopher Daniels defeated Billy Fives, Kenzo Suzuki defeated Norman Smiley, C.W. Anderson & Simon Diamond def Steve Williams & D-Lo Brown to retain the GTC tag titles, Sabu defeated La Parka in a blood bath and CM Punk defeated Raven. The Sandman would make his surprise MLW return in the final moments of the show, helping to save Terry Funk from a bloody post match beating at the hands of the Extreme Horsemen.
•Reload: MLW's second major show, this one held at the prestigious Manhattan Center in New York City. The main event featured the MLW World Title finals where Satoshi Kojima defeated Jerry Lynn. Also on the card: Super Crazy debuted defeating Fuego Guerrero. Steve Williams & P.J. Friedman defeated Afterburn & Giovanni Jobronie, La Parka beat Shocker, Christopher Daniels & Dick Togo & Ikuto Hidaka beat Quiet Storm & Los Maximos, C.W. Anderson beat Devon "Crowbar" Storm, Terry Funk beat Chris Candido (with Sunny), Steve Corino beat Vampiro & The Sandman in a triple threat, Taiyo Kea (of All Japan Pro-Wres) beat Sabu in a #1 contenders match.
•Revolutions: This show is noteworthy for the debut of several future wrestling superstars including a very young Umaga, CM Punk & Paul London: The main event featured the first ever match between Terry Funk and Steve Corino (Funk won). ALso: Paul London beat Jerry Lynn, Masada beat Don Juan & Fast Eddie in a triple threat, Homicide beat Christopher Daniels, The Samoan Island Tribe (Samu & Mana) beat Los Maximos, Michael Shane beat Norman Smiley, Raven beat C.M. Punk, Fuego Guerrero beat Ikuto Hidaka, C.W. Anderson & Simon Diamond beat Steve Williams & P.J. Friedman to win the MLW Global Tag Team title tournament, Mike Awesome beat Masato Tanaka via KO in a #1 Contenders match after a running Awesome Bomb from inside the ring to the outside floor, La Parka beat Sabu.
•The Last Tangle: GTC Carnival: Steve Corino retained the MLW Title against Terry Funk in a Barbed Wire I Quit match. Also - Rich Criado beat Chad Hart, Mike Modest & PJ Friedman & Chris Hero beat M-Dogg 20 & Matt Striker & Bobby Quance, Los Maximos beat Norman Smiley & Julius Smokes, Sonjay Dutt beat Chasyn Rance & Puma & Jack Evans in a 4-WAY, Low Ki beat Chad Collyer, Jerry Lynn beat Teddy Hart, Stampede Bulldogs beat Havana Pitbulls and Dark Fuego & Pete Wilson in a 3-WAY to become #1 Contender, Vampiro beat Raven, The Extreme Horsemen (CW Anderson & Simon Diamond) def The Samoan Island Tribe (Samu & Mana).
•King of Kings: Satoshi Kojima defeated Vampiro to retain the MLW Championship in the main event. Also, Sabu beat La Parka, Mike Awesome beat Jerry Lynn in a #1 contenders match, Steve Corino beat Terry Funk & Dusty Rhodes in a triple threat (after the match the Extreme Horsemen would form), Norman Smiley vs Hack Myers went to a No-Contest, E.Z. Money & Julio Dinero beat Nosawa & Katsushi Takemura, Fuego Guerrero beat Super Crazy & Christopher Daniels in a triple threat, Steve Williams & P.J. Friedman beat Mike Sanders & Jimmy Yang, C.W. Anderson & Simon Diamond beat Los Maximos in the first round of the GTC Tournament.
•Reloaded: GTC Carnival Tournament: The Stampede Bulldogs beat Bobby Quance & Puma, The Havana Pitbulls beat Los Maximos, Dark Fuego (Jack Evans masked) & Pete Wilson beat Roderick Strong & M-Dogg20, Richard Criado & Chad Hart beat The Shane Twins, Chris Hero beat Chad Collyer, Chasyn Rance beat PJ Friedman & Matt Striker, Mike Modest beat Jerry Lynn with help from Homicide, Teddy Hart beat Brian Danielson (they did an angle where Teddy Hart did backflips after the match and Danielson attacked him for being disrespectful), Sonjay Dutt beat Jack Evans to retain the Jr title, Raven & Vampiro beat Steve Corino & Sabu in a "Lethal Lottery" tag match when Raven pinned Steve Corino to become #1 Contender, Homicide beat Low Ki (Jerry Lynn attacked Homicide after the match, Low Ki made the save. Suddenly Gary Hart himself appeared with Mr. Wu).
•Rise of the Renegades •Summer Apocalypse from St. Peteresburg, FL: Jerry Lawler beat Terry Funk in the main event. After the match, Anderson & Diamond told Lawler he wouldn't get any bounty money, because they wanted Funk injured, not pinned. Anderson & Diamond beat up Lawler after, until Funk made the save. Corino (who was suspended) in an Extreme Horsemen mask ran in when a second masked man ran in to help him. Also- Los Maximos beat B-Boy & Nosawa, Mana beat Rich Criado, Jimmy Yang beat Sonjay Dutt, Mikey Whipwreck beat Tony Mamaluke, Samoan Island Tribe beat Monsta Mack & B-Boy in falls count anywhere match, C.M. Punk beat Raven with Nosawa interfering and Chasyn Rance as a straight edge heel ref, Michael Shane & Francine beat Norman Smiley & G.I. Ho, Homicide beat Jerry Lynn, C.W. Anderson & Simon Diamond beat Sandman & Steve Williams to keep tag titles with interference from a masked man who looked like Steve Corino, Sabu beat Christopher Daniels in a SPIKE Match.MLW Sold
In the winter of 2004, Bauer sold MLW's video library to an Asian-based entertainment group, called W.G.O. Properties.[3][4] [5][6]
MLW Today
On March 2, 2010, it was reported by Jason Powell of ProWrestling.net that MLW founder and former WWE creative team member Court Bauer reacquired Major League Wrestling and all of its assets (video library amongst other key items). Powell detailed how Bauer has always been in possession of the trademark and intellectual property, but he sold the video library back in 2004 to Asian entertainment group, WGO Properties.[6][7] [8]
Bauer stressed to Prowrestling.net that he does not intend to resume promoting MLW shows as he did from June 2002 to February 2004. "I remain sane and will not be promoting," Bauer stated.[9]
Powell further detailed how Bauer purchased the video library with the intent of continuing to profit from international television distribution. MLW TV airs in countries such as India, Japan, Bangladesh and parts of Europe and Asia.[10]
On September 27, Bryan Alvarez of the Wrestling Observer & Figure 4 Newsletter (www.f4wonline.com) interviewed Bauer on the Figure 4 Daily podcast where the 2 discussed a MLW project on the horizon that would be digital-based, likely using the MLW website www.MLW.com as the location for the project. A few details were shared by Bauer, including that this project will as a "hub" for MLW fans to reconnect and talk about the league and its fighters. While vague on specifics, apparently exclusive never-before-seen behind the scenes video will be featured as well as rarely seen footage from the MLW video library.[11]
Championships
MLW World Heavyweight Championship
Wrestler: Reigns: Date: Place: Notes: Shane Douglas 1 June 15, 2002 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Douglas defeated Vampiro and Taiyō Kea in a 3-way match to become the first champion.[12] Vacated September 2002 Douglas refused to defend the championship, as per order of Referee John Finnegan after Douglas' attempt to throw down the championship at MLW's inaugural event.[12] Satoshi Kojima 1 September 26, 2002 New York City, New York Kojima pinned Jerry Lynn to win the vacant MLW World Heavyweight title.[12] Mike Awesome 1 June 20, 2003 Fort Lauderdale, Florida [12] Steve Corino 1 June 20, 2003 Fort Lauderdale, Florida Corino challenged Awesome to an impromptu match, immediately following Awesome's victory over Kojima. Corino claimed that Awesome had promised him backstage before his win a shot at the title whenever Corino wanted one.[12] MLW Global Tag-Team Crown (GTC) Championship
Wrestler: Reigns: Date: Place: Notes: C.W. Anderson and Simon Diamond 1 May 9, 2003 Orlando, Florida C.W. Anderson and Simon Diamond defeated Steve Williams and P.J. Friedman to become the first champions. MLW World Junior Heavyweight Championship
Wrestler: Reigns: Date: Place: Notes: Sonjay Dutt 1 September 19, 2003 Fort Lauderdale, Florida Dutt defeated Christopher Daniels to win the title. Notes
- ^ a b http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2003/04/23/71604.html
- ^ http://www.obsessedwithwrestling.com/results/mlw.php - MLW Results
- ^ http://www.tpww.net/headlines/1083361822.html - Breaking News: New Hart Promotion Debuts This June
- ^ http://www.pwinsiderelite.com/article.php?id=7407&p=5- 2004: THE YEAR IN REVIEW
- ^ http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/Other_News_4/article_7106.shtml - Court Bauer says the Major League Wrestling venture is "at an end"
- ^ a b [declarationofindependents.net/doi/pages/reviews/mic_reviews/mcpinions46.html - Proof that not only was Court Bauer lying about selling MLW to WGO Properties, but that WGO Properties doesn't even exist.]
- ^ http://www.prowrestling.net/artman/publish/miscnews/article10010615.shtml - Former WWE creative team member Court Bauer reacquires the Major League Wrestling video library, comments on whether he intend to promote shows under the MLW banner
- ^ http://forceofwrestling.com/?p=20880 - Court Bauer Reacquires The Major League Wrestling Video Library
- ^ http://www.prowrestling.net/artman/publish/miscnews/article10010615.shtml - Former WWE creative team member Court Bauer reacquires the Major League Wrestling video library, comments on whether he intend to promote shows under the MLW banner
- ^ http://www.prowrestling.net/artman/publish/miscnews/article10010615.shtml - Former WWE creative team member Court Bauer reacquires the Major League Wrestling video library, comments on whether he intend to promote shows under the MLW banner
- ^ http://www.f4wonline.com/component/content/article/77-figure-four-daily/22335-sept-27-figure-four-daily-bryan-alvarez-and-court-bauer-talk-wwe-network-plans-whether-theyre-close-to-launch-inability-to-create-new-stars-morale-creative-changes-how-bjj-saved-courts-life-and-more - Sept. 27 Figure Four Daily: Bryan Alvarez and Court Bauer talk WWE Network plans, whether they're close to launch, inability to create new stars, morale, creative changes, how BJJ saved Court's life and more!
- ^ a b c d e Martin, Fin (August 2003). "Major League Wrestling". Power Slam Magazine (Lancaster, Lancashire, England: SW Publishing LTD): pp. 22–23. 109.
External links
- Major League Wrestling Underground TV on TV.com
- Major League Wrestling on IMDb.com
- MLW: The Underground on IMDb.com
- MLW: Genesis on IMDb.com
Categories:- American independent professional wrestling promotions based in Pennsylvania
- Organizations established in 2002
- Organizations disestablished in 2004
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