5 Reasons Why You Should Be Watching "MLW FUSION" Each Week

A look at the growing, exciting and talent-centric American wrestling promotion.

by Darren Paltrowitz
MLW Fusion
MLW.com

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.

Contributor
Contributor

Darren Paltrowitz is a New York resident with over 20 years of entertainment industry experience. He began working around the music business as a teenager, interning for the manager of his then-favorite band Superdrag. In the years following, he has worked with a wide array of artists including OK Go, They Might Be Giants, Mike Viola, Tracy Bonham, Loudness, Rachael Yamagata, and Amanda Palmer. Darren's writing has appeared in dozens of outlets including the New York Daily News, Inquisitr, The Daily Meal, The Hype Magazine, All Music Guide, Guitar World, TheStreet.com, Format Magazine, Businessweek, The Improper, Chicago Tribune, the L.A. Times, and the Jewish Journal. Darren is also the host of the "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz" podcast, as co-produced with PureGrainAudio. He is also the author of two published books, including 2018's "Pocket Change: Your Happy Money" (Book Web Publishing) and 2019's "Good Advice From Professional Wrestling" (6623 Press).