5 Reasons Why You Should Be Watching "MLW FUSION" Each Week
A look at the growing, exciting and talent-centric American wrestling promotion.
Initially seen as carrying on the tradition of ECW, Major League Wrestling originated in the early 2000s as a Philadelphia-based wrestling promotion. Among the talent that passed through MLW's doors were Dusty Rhodes, Terry Funk, Daniel Bryan, CM Punk, Samoa Joe, Raven, Sabu, Shane Douglas, and Teddy Hart. Unfortunately, due to financial difficulties, MLW closed up shop in 2004.
The MLW brand was revitalized in 2011 when Court Bauer (also a former WWE writer) and Mister Saint Laurent (a wrestler and manager) launched the MLW Radio podcast. The two, often with wrestling legend Konnan in tow, would sometimes reminisce about the original MLW promotion while talking about the latest and greatest in wrestling. The success of the MLW Radio podcast would ultimately lead to the launch of other podcasts under the MLW Radio Network including the popular Something To Wrestling With Bruce Prichard.
MLW returned with a one-off live event called One Shot in 2017 and its popularity helped Bauer and Saint Laurent realize the need to bring Major League Wrestling back as a proper company. Currently, the weekly program known as MLW FUSION can be watched in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico on beIN SPORTS, in the UK and Ireland on FreeSports, in Africa on StarTimes and over the web via MLW's YouTube channel.
5. Its Collaborations
MLW takes a different approach from the WWE's Vince McMahon Jr. -- who notoriously helped put an end to the territory system of the National Wrestling Alliance by "nationalizing" professional wrestling -- in welcoming talent from all sorts of promotions. Recently MLW announced a full-on partnership with Japan's NOAH promotion. This is not MLW's first international collaboration as this year's Intimidation Games saw them working with Mexico's AAA.
Meanwhile, the current MLW roster includes talent regularly featured within AEW, AAA, Impact Wrestling and other notable non-WWE promotions around the world. What that tells you is that MLW not only sees the value in the NWA territory system of yesterday, but that it embraces the fact that wrestling fans don't just seek out one particular promotion or style of wrestling. MLW has also worked with popular rapper Wale on a variety of collaborations, also showing its openness to expansion outside of the wrestling realm.