Eric Bischoff is heading to Major League Wrestling’s upcoming event from New York City on December 5, MLW One Shot.

Bischoff’s latest guest on his 83 Weeks podcast is Paul Walter Hauser, as the accomplished actor who has been heavily involved with MLW over the past few months. During their discussion, Hauser turned the tables on Bischoff, asking him if he ever gets the itch to get back in the business. Bischoff said that the feeling comes and goes, but he does particularly enjoy working in a backstage role and in the production realm of the business.

Hauser noted that he has MLW CEO Court Bauer in his phonebook and decided to call him on the spot. Bauer picked up, Hauser caught him up to speed and asked if he’d be open to working with the outspoken former wrestling executive.

“Without hesitation, the answer is absolutely yes. Dude, ERic going to enemy Territory in one place where he’s never promoted a show, new york city, for one night, calling the shots. That to me sounds like money.”

MLW President Court Bauer open to working with Eric Bischoff

Bauer then made the pitch for Bischoff to attend MLW One-Shot on December 5. Hauser, playing the facilitator, made clear he’d get the two in a group text to hammer out the details. On Thrusday afternoon, MLW confirmed Bischoff will be on hand.

The event is now being billed as, Eric Bischoff’s One-Shot: An Eric Bischoff Production. Tickets are now on sale at Eventbrite.

Both Tony Schiavone and Bruce Prichard worked for MLW both in production and commentary years back right as their podcasts began taking fire courtesy of Conrad Thompson. Bischoff has previously said he wouldn’t get involved with AEW, stating that the environment wouldn’t be fun for him.

Paul Walter Hauser will continue his pro wrestling career under the MLW banner.

Major League Wrestling announced via press release on their website that the famed actor will be entering Battle Riot VI on June 1 in Atlanta, GA. The Battle Riot is a 40-person Royal Rumble style fight where competitors can also be eliminated via pinfall or submission.

Hauser expressed his enthusiasm for entering the match, noting that he indeed has his eyes on the golden ticket to face MLW World Heavyweight Champion, Satoshi Kojima.

“While some could misconstrue this to be an actor making a cameo in wrestling, or a fan checking off some bucket list or wish fulfillment – don’t get it twisted. I am entering to prove myself worthy of a spot in the world of wrestling, as well as a shot at Satoshi Kojima’s World Heavyweight Title.”

• Paul Walter Hauser Beats Sami Callihan at WrestleCon Supershow, The Sandman Appears

MLW CEO Court Bauer stated how unique of an opportunity the match is for Hauser and how admirable his venture from the screen to the squared circle has been.

“Paul is building something special with a two-track career driven by his passion and an unrelenting quality that separates the pretenders from the contenders,” said MLW Founder and CEO Court Bauer. “I don’t think there is anything Paul wants more than to put MLW gold next to his Golden Globe and EMMY. Now he will get his chance of making that happen at MLW Battle Riot VI.”

Hauser has been an active wrestler in 2024 as he happened to put Matt Cardona through a flaming table back in March and actually defeated Sami Callihan at the WrestleCon Super Show during WrestleMania weekend in Philadelphia.

Major League Wrestling’s willingness to think outside the box has helped make them the ‘Apple’ of professional wrestling, Court Bauer has claimed. 

It’s hard to ignore the success of MLW in recent years, as the independent promotion has become one of the most prominent names in North America. The company recently emerged from an antitrust lawsuit with WWE which saw the Sports Entertainment juggernaut down $20 million. MLW has also been enjoying record-breaking toy sales in recent months, a testament to the promotion’s popularity.

Bauer spoke with Alfred Konuwa for Forbes this week to promote Saturday’s MLW: Azteca Lucha 2024 event from Chicago’s Cicero Stadium. You can stream the show live on TrillerTV+. Bauer was asked about his brand. When AEW’s comparison to Pepsi was brought up, Bauer suggested that MLW shares strategies akin to tech giant Apple. 

“Steve Jobs had this great mantra when he was doing all his amazing things with Apple, and it was simple: Think Different. So when I think what our mantra is, and what we try do everyday, it’s just “Think Different.” Don’t try to mimic, don’t try to replicate, just Think Different. What if you tried something new?

“I try to look at things in a positive way. It’s so tempting in wrestling to look at the drama, because everything in wrestling is drama, and I just try to think different and stay away from all that stuff, the main thing is the main thing.”

MLW will continue to think differently with its Azteca Lucha event. The event will take place from the Cicero Arena in Chicago, IL on Saturday, May 11. The show has already proved to be historic with Azteca Lucha smashing MLW’s box office record. 

MLW and WWE were in a legal battle for a long time in an antitrust lawsuit. That ended last year, and then MLW seemed to have a lot more money to spend. Although details of the exact amount of that settlement were not disclosed, that all came to light thanks to TKO’s earnings report.

The financial aspects of the antitrust lawsuit settlement between WWE and MLW have finally come to light, shedding new insights into the resolution reached between the two wrestling promotions. In the end, WWE forked over $20 million.

WWE and MLW’s Legal Battle

The legal dispute originated in January 2022 when MLW initiated legal action against WWE, alleging that the wrestling giant engaged in coercive practices to dissuade third parties from establishing or maintaining partnerships with MLW. Specifically, MLW cited instances where WWE purportedly interfered with potential agreements involving media outlets like Vice TV and the streaming platform Tubi.

After nearly two years of legal proceedings, WWE and MLW reached a settlement agreement in December 2023, bringing an end to the contentious litigation. While the financial terms of the settlement were initially kept confidential, recent revelations have uncovered crucial details regarding WWE’s financial obligation to MLW.

According to TKO Group Holding’s 2023 business report, which was unveiled on Tuesday, WWE has committed to paying a substantial sum of $20 million as part of the settlement agreement. This disclosure marks a significant development in the legal saga, providing clarity on the financial repercussions for WWE resulting from the antitrust lawsuit filed by MLW.

For the twelve-month period ended December 31, 2023, the Company’s consolidated pre-tax results included $34.2 million in costs related to certain litigation matters at UFC and WWE, including the impact of a $20.0 million charge related to the settlement of an antitrust lawsuit at WWE. A reconciliation of Net Income to Adjusted EBITDA for the three and twelve-month periods ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 can be found in the supplemental schedule on page 14 of this release.

History of MLW

MLW was established by Court Bauer, who came from WWE roots. Bauer joined WWE in 1999, where he started as a writer for the Smackdown brand. Later on, he transitioned to the RAW brand and also worked on writing for various pay-per-views events. In 2002, Bauer went on to establish MLW.

Following MLW’s initial closure in 2004, Bauer evolved the brand into a radio and podcast network before making a comeback in 2017 as a pro wrestling company.

The promotion is now gearing up for its upcoming event, MLW Intimidation Games 2024, scheduled to take place in Queens, New York, this Thursday, February 29th.

SEScoops will have even more on this story as more news, if more news is available. 

In January 2022, MLW filed a lawsuit against WWE for violating the Sherman Antitrust Act. The promotion claims that WWE stopped VICE from working them in 2021. They also allege that Tubi ended their deal with MLW after a call from a WWE executive. Today a judge dismissed MLW’s complaint against WWE, but is allowing them to amend their complaint.

“WWE has been wrongfully depriving its competitors of critical opportunities for many years, but its latest conduct has been even more unconscionable,” said MLW CEO Court Bauer. “I think we speak for the rest of the professional wrestling world when we say that this anti-competitive behavior has to stop.”

Judge Will Allow MLW to Amend Complaint

MLW Underground debuted on REELZ last Tuesday night. They also have a deal with Pro Wrestling TV.

Brandon Thurston of Wrestlenomics tweeted that “the judge in MLW v. WWE antitrust lawsuit dismissed MLW’s initial complaint today, allowing MLW 21 days to submit an amended complaint. WWE has been seeking to avoid the case going to discovery.”

He also tweeted “The Court finds that MLW has not included sufficient facts to plausibly allege a relevant antitrust product market.” The judge wants to hear an argument for why other kinds of content aren’t acceptable substitutes for wrestling content, citing ongoing UFC lawsuit, Le v. Zuffa.”

Thurston further pointed out that “the judge notes MLW’s claims that WWE has monopoly power and has caused MLW antitrust injury, are unlikely to survive unless improved in the amended complaint.”

• ‘Iron Claw’ Von Erich Biopic Wraps Up Filming

The judge’s order can be read in full here.

Court Bauer, MLW’s founder, has provided a statement to Fightful:

“Our legal team is already at work on amending the complaint. We have every intention to continue pursuing our case against WWE.”

MLW is moving forward with its lawsuit against WWE after initially filing it in January. 

Judge Edward J. Davila scheduled a conference yesterday to discuss a trial date for the case between the two sides, according to Pwinsider.com. The conference is scheduled for September 7, 2023, in San Jose, California. 

Davila also ruled that all amended pleadings in the lawsuit are due on February 13, 2023. MLW laid out the materials they were seeking in discovery on December 7th. 

The Latest

The court documents note that the Plaintiff anticipates taking discovery concerning its claims, including:

“(1) the relevant antitrust market; (2) documents related to VICE, Tubi and FITE; (3) WWE’s employment agreements, event venue agreements and distribution agreements; (4) WWE’s poaching of talent from MLW, AEW and other competitors; (5) WWE’s interference with booking arenas; (6) the impact of WWE’s conduct on entry into the market for broadcasting of professional wrestling programming and related consumer harm; (7) documents related to Jerry S. McDevitt’s appearance in the Dark Side of the Ring program; and (8) damages.”

Defendant anticipates taking discovery with respect to its defenses in the case, including “Plaintiff’s attempts to obtain broadcasting rights from the hundreds if not thousands of other potential buyers, Plaintiff’s efforts to start its own streaming service (which it acknowledges that WWE and Impact have started), and Plaintiff’s recent successes in obtaining broadcast agreement(s), such as its agreement with Pro Wrestling TV, which demonstrate the frivolous nature of its antitrust claims. The Parties are not proposing to conduct discovery in phases or to limit discovery to particular issues.”

Sources tell SEScoops WWE’s motion will be formally dismissed shortly. The judge found there is merit and a case for the court to examine.

In January, MLW filed a lawsuit against WWE, alleging that WWE attempted to undermine their competition by preventing Major League Wrestling from finalizing multiple media distribution deals. It also accused WWE of attempting to sign MLW talent while they were still under contract with the wrestling company. 

MLW CEO Court Bauer has announced a partnership with Pro Wrestling TV that will kick off in November after teasing for months that a new deal was coming, which had been holding up new episodes of MLW Fusion

The news was announced on SI.com Tuesday. MLW’s official streaming home will be on the free service and starts on Thursday, November 3rd, with Battle Riot IV. This is MLW’s June event that has yet to be aired anywhere.

MLW’s Programming Schedule

According to their website, MLW Fusion will debut on PWTV on Thursdays at 8 PM Eastern. Fusion will continue to air on BeIN Sports on Saturdays as their linear partner, but it’s unknown if YouTube, where Fusion used to debut, will also continue to air during the week.

PWTV already broadcasts AAA, Control Your Narrative, and other indie promotions, airing 24/7. MLW’s entire catalog of shows will be available on PWTV in the future. 

MLW hasn’t aired a new episode of Fusion since July. Once matches from Battle Riot IV air, MLW will transition to matches taped in September (Super Series) and then to this month’s Fightland TV taping.

Days after pulling a scheduled TV taping, MLW has announced a new event for later this year. 

The promotion will return to Philadelphia at the 2300 Arena on Sunday, October 30th, for Fightland, serving as a taping for Fusion. As of this writing, no matches are announced for the event, but MLW Champion Alex Hammerstone, MLW Women’s Champion Taya Valkyrie, Jacob Fatu, Mads Krugger, and Mance Warner will appear.

MLW CEO Court Bauer also mentioned in a response to a fan on Twitter that MLW live specials would be coming. 

MLW changed their August 27th Fury Road taping to a house show.

Meajor League Wrestling will hold its next event, Super Series, a TV taping with AAA, on Sunday, September 18th, that will be headlined by Hammerstone defending the MLW World Heavyweight Title against Bandido. 

Last year’s Fightland event was held in Philadelphia and was headlined by Hammerstone defeating Fatu for the MLW World Title, which snapped Fatu’s two-year run as champion. It also featured the quarterfinals of the Opera Cup tournament.

Fusion, MLW’s flagship television program, will start to air new episodes with footage from late June’s Battle Riot IV taping.

MLW has reached a new licensing partnership with Hot Topic that will see the retailer have the licensing rights to MLW and its talent roster to deliver fans merchandise, fashion apparel, and accessories.

The news was broken by Comic Book. There are over 80 different shirts, hoodies, and tank tops that will be available at launch.

MLW World Heavyweight Champion Alex Hammerstone, Jacob Fatu, Women’s Featherweight Champion Taya Valkyrie, Davey Richards, Microman, The Von Erichs (Ross & Marshall Von Erich), Gangrel, and King Muertes are featured on the merchandise. You can check out the collection right here.

“This partnership with Hot Topic is another step in continuing to align ourselves with the hottest brands and platforms,” said Court Bauer, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, MLW. “We look forward to bringing merchandise inspired by our diverse and popular fighters to Hot Topic, and it kicks off today.”

There are designs based on Battle Riot IV, the Von Erichs, Gangrel, King Muertes, Contra Unit, and MLW itself. The shirts retail for around $26.90 while sweatshirts run $38.90 and Hoodies run $44.90.

MLW also sells merchandise through Pro Wrestling Tees.

MLW could be on the verge of a new deal through a cable or streaming partner.

It’s no secret that MLW has been looking to make a splash with a big broadcast deal. The search was seemingly over as they were set to enter a lucrative deal with Tubi, which is a streaming service owned by FOX.

MLW has filed an antitrust lawsuit against WWE, alleging the promotion halted the deal with Tubi. FOX has a deal with WWE, allowing them to air SmackDown every Friday night.

While that case is ongoing, MLW’s Court Bauer appeared on Busted Open Radio to confirm that there have been serious talks with another cable or streaming partner (via Putting You Over).

“I can confirm that we are in deep talks with a possible player either in cable or in streaming. I can’t say anything else, I’ll get into trouble but we’ve been working on something for a bit.”

MLW has been the home of some great talent including MJF, who left the promotion in favor of a full-time deal with AEW. Max last appeared for MLW back in Jan. 2020.

Today, MLW features talent such as the promotion’s current heavyweight champion Alex Hammerstone, Jacob Fatu, and Richard Holliday.

Former WWE Superstar Harland (Parker Boudreaux) wont have trouble finding work in the wrestling business.

Boudreaux was released from WWE last week after an underwhelming stint in NXT.

The 6’4″ heavyweight came into the company with a lot of fan fare. During an interview with Bleacher Report last year, Boudreaux said he gets compared to Brock Lesnar frequently. “I probably get that one every day,” he said.

Lesnar’s former advocate, Paul Heyman, also touted his potential.

• Paul Heyman Promises Big Things For Parker Boudreaux

Parker Boudreaux is Back

Shortly after his WWE release, Boudreux let it be known that “Harland” is gone and he is back using his birth name.

It didn’t take long for Parker Boudreaux’s return to get the attention of other promoters.

MLW CEO Court Bauer took notice of Boudreaux’s tweets and said he’s a “beast of an athlete” that will realize his potential as a “big player” one day.

As a former member of the NXT roster, Boudreaux is likely bound by a 30-day non-compete clause. He would be able to appear for other companies starting in late May.

WWE has taken the first step to dismiss a lawsuit against them by MLW. Major League Wrestling filed a lawsuit this past January where they alleged attempts to monopolize the wrestling market and undermine the competition. 

The center of the case is regarding a potential partnership with streaming service Tubi as MLW accused WWE of not wanting Tubi, owned by FOX, to work with a rival promotion and that the company put a stop to the deal before it could be completed.

WWE’s attorney Jerry McDevitt has publicly stated that MLW shouldn’t be suing WWE, but rather Tubi for breaking the deal. WWE was served with it on January 14th. MLW was granted a motion to seal their financial information.

WWE has filed a motion to dismiss the case as they argued that LLW failed to please “a facially sustainable relevant market, monopoly power or anticompetitive conduct, or antitrust injury.” 

They also argued, “MLW’s claim for intentional interference with contractual relations is unsupported by factual allegations, and what allegations MW pleads are entirely implausible.”

Finally, WWE argued the case should be thrown out as neither company is a resident in California, which is where the lawsuit is filed.

Major League Wrestling has filed a lawsuit against the WWE.

MLW claims that the WWE is continuingly interfering with their business prospects and contracts. Courthouse news was able to obtain the full lawsuit statement. The lawsuit alleges that the WWE attempted to prevent Vice TV from working with MLW in early 2021.

It also claims that a former WWE executive called Vice TV to tell them that WWE Chairman Vince McMahon was “pissed” that Vice TV started airing MLW programs and wanted them to stop working with MLW. The Wrap’s Tim Baysinger and Tony Maglio report that the former WWE Executive is Susan Levinson.

The report also says that MLW claims WWE prevented MLW from getting a deal with the streaming service Tubi. According to the MLW, the failure to secure a deal with Tubi resulted in “substantial losses” like not reaching a broader fan base and event cancellations. It also states that the failed deal caused a MLW 40% drop in tickets sales. MLW CEO Court Bauer spoke out against the WWE in a press release. Baysinger and Maglio transcribed Bauer statement.

“WWE has been wrongfully depriving its competitors of critical opportunities for many years, but its latest conduct has been even more unconscionable,” said MLW CEO Court Bauer. “I think we speak for the rest of the professional wrestling world when we say that this anti-competitive behavior has to stop.”

MLW Deal with Vice TV

MLW signed its deal with Vice TV on April 19, 2021. Based on the lawsuit, it’s unclear if MLW alleges that WWE requested Vice TV to stop working with them before the deal. However, the lawsuit says that a Vice TV Executive responded that “WWE’s conduct was illegal and an antitrust violation.” The lawsuit also states that Levinson couldn’t control McMahon from interfering with MLW and Vice TV’s relationship.

What’s Next for WWE and MLW

The WWE has responded to the MLW lawsuit. Baysinger and Maglio received a statement from WWE Spokesperson that believes MLW claims have no merit. The spokesperson also shared WWE will defend itself against MLW. MLW seeks compensation for losses they suffered due to WWE interference and wants to prevent future interferences. It’s unclear when MLW and WWE will go to court or if they will settle.

Major League Wrestling/MLW owner Court Bauer has confirmed that he and the company were in talks with WWE earlier this year.

That had been rumors of talks between the two parties after the ‘Forbidden Door’ concept really took off with AEW, IMPACT, New Japan, AAA, GCW and more all working together.

Bauer confirmed the rumors during a media call for MLW Fightland:

“We’re talking with different offices about bringing their talent in and doing some international title matches. As for domestic partnerships, that’s where it gets a little tricky.

Court Bauer on WWE Conversations

“We’ve had talks, people are probably aware, we talked with WWE earlier this year. You have these conversations, try to see how it would work, and the biggest concern you have, at least for me, is you’re kind of inviting tortious interference and allowing it to happen if you go down that road and if you don’t feel like you’re getting enough in return to even take that risk, what are you doing? What’s the strategy there?

“It can be very complicated, whether it’s WWE or another company. It can be risky because often the talent, when they come through, you’re not going to now be able to control the creative for.

“These guys you spent a lot of time building up are now not in your system and now they are main event stars in MLW, but they go over there for a cameo and they’re not treated like top guys, you’re doing a disservice to them and your fans that have invested in their journey.

“It’s a really delicate thing and every conversation with every company is different. It’s a bit of a dance and sometimes it’s the forbidden dance.“

WWE had a negative reaction to a streaming deal that MLW was trying to secure and reportedly had a part in getting the deal nixed. 

Fightful Select reported today that Major League Wrestling was working on a deal with the Tubi streaming service, which is owned by FOX. The plan was to announce the deal publicly in August, but WWE learned about it before the contract was signed and a source close to FOX stated WWE did not respond favorably to the deal. 

Because of WWE’s response to the deal, it was put into question and WWE, as well as FOX, nixed the streaming deal. A comment from WWE, MLW, and FOX was not made. While MLW had archived content on Tubi at one time, it appears they are no longer on the service.

Speaking of streaming services, it has been previously reported FOX wasn’t happy with NBCUniversal’s Peacock streaming service being promoted on their network. One source stated that FOX wanted to pay for the rights to WWE pay-per-views to turn the tables with the idea of putting WWE programming on Tubi. 

It was reiterated by FOX sources that while there were some in the company who likely shared that same frustration, they were happy to help promote major events on FOX platforms. The reason for that is due to them thinking that what is “good for the goose is good for the gander.”

A source at Peacock stated WWE’s performance on the streaming service appears to be exceptional and more eyes on WWE pay-per-view events than ever before.

Court Bauer’s MLW promotion is gearing up for the start of a new era. El Jefe from Azteca Underground was revealed on Fusion this week and a big show from the 2300 Arena has been scheduled for July.

It has also been reported in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter recently that MLW and WWE were developing some type of relationship. Bauer recently spoke to Forbes about those rumors. Bauer noted that his company is in talks with some “interesting people” but any relationship would have to benefit both parties.

“A collaboration must have a long-term vision and a genuine commitment to enriching both parties,” said Bauer. 

“We’re having some interesting conversations with some interesting people, and if there is a two-way relationship that feels like it’s a win-win for the companies, the talent and the fans—and has a long-term sustainability to it—we’ll always examine it. You can’t do one-sided. I don’t kiss rings, I don’t need the validation,” Bauer continued.

Court Bauer on MLW and VICE TV

Bauer also spoke about MLW’s new deal with VICE TV and how it helps both parties.

“Vice TV has found an audience in pro wrestling. They’re the fastest-growing entertainment cable network in America, and in this day in age to be growing in linear cable a lot—and their success with Dark Side of the Ring and finding this audience—[the pro wrestling audience] is a very loyal audience. It always has been. That’s why Turner Sports grew in the ‘70s, because of the Atlanta Braves and pro wrestling. The reason USA Network found its way in the ‘80s was because of WWF. Pay-per-view thrives because of wrestling. This formula worked for them, and in us they have a partner that’s very true to their audience, which is full of Gen Z and millennial viewers.” 

MLW is looking to add some fresh faces to its roster before the show on July 10th. The promotion announced a draft of sorts will take place in the coming weeks.

MLW boss Court Bauer is teasing that a “world war” of sorts could be brewing that would have far reaching effects across the entire wrestling industry.

MLW worked with AAA earlier this year and recently announced a partnership with IWA Puerto Rico. In a tweet sent out on 11/28, Bauer teased that he just got off the phone with another major international promotion.

During a media call held earlier this week, Court Bauer teased that MLW is in talks with more than one promotion about working together. He mentioned a ‘world war’ brewing and says we should know more about this before the year is over.

“In all seriousness, I think we all see a world war of sorts brewing,” said Bauer. “I can’t say anything right now but hope to be able to say a lot more before the end of the year. We’ll see.”

This news comes as AEW has established a working relationship with Impact Wrestling. Even WWE sounds more open to partnering with other promotions, the biggest indication yet that the landscape is shifting before our very eyes.

• Triple H On Promotional Relationships: WWE Is ‘Open For Business’

MLW CEO Court Bauer recently spoke to Sports Illustrated about a wide range of topics including when the promotion will return to putting on shows.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, MLW has halted holding events in order to maintain guidelines from health officials to keep everyone safe. In the meantime, MLW has been airing taped shows from before the outbreak and even archive footage. 

“I will wait until we are sure it’s safe to return. We’re doing that for our fans, our athletes, and our crew, and all of their families. We do not want to put anyone at harm. We’ll see what the NBA looks like once they go live with their season, and we’re seeing what is happening with WWE. This [battle with COVID] is far from the rearview mirror. Our decision to proceed will be dictated by science and experts in the medical world. Until we know it’s safe, we’re going to be as judicious as possible.”

Tom Lawlor, who is under contract with MLW, is part of New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Lion’s Break Collision series on New Japan World. As a result, there’s been speculation as to whether the two promotions have a working relationship.

This potential working relationship was asked about and Bauer addressed whether there is a partnership. 

“All I can say is that the arrangement was worked out office-to-office as opposed to independently. I’m a big fan of what New Japan is doing, and we’ll see where this relationship can take us.”

Bauer continued by stating that Lawlor had a talk with New Japan and they explained the process of sterilizing the rings and testing. Thus, he left it up to Lawlor as to whether he wanted to pursue this. 

He added that there was no pressure on Lawlor to not work for NJPW as MLW talent has been performing elsewhere during this pandemic, but he always cautioned them to take all the safety measures possible for themselves and their families.

• Court Bauer Invites Mike Tyson To Wrestle MLW Exhibition Match For Charity

Major League Wrestling won’t be running any live events until there is no risk to wrestlers, employees, or the general public from doing so. In a recent interview with Entrepreneur, MLW’s Court Bauer referred to other promotions filming content at this time as “grotesque.”

“I’ll say this succinctly: That my competitors are putting on events in empty arenas and exposing their talent, crews, staffs and families to the potential [of] contracting the coronavirus I think is, frankly, grotesque,” Bauer said during the interview.

Asked about his call not to run events during the pandemic, Bauer stated it was not a difficult decision.

“I have to do the right thing for the people in my company. It’s kind of the easiest decision I’ve ever made managing this company. There’s no discussion. This is what you do. And I sleep great at night.”

Currently on MLW Fusion, the promotion is airing matches filmed in Tijuana on March 13th. The company has no plans to produce more content until it is safe to do so.

• MLW Fusion Results & 6 Takeaways (4/11/20)

Bauer also said during the interview that MLW has a 16-month strategy for programming mapped out. He would continue to say that his company has produced 3-models based on when they could return.

“We have three models: one that would have us return in the summer, one in the fall and one 18 months from now,” Bauer said.

“I have an incredible team with a financial background that helps us navigate this. We don’t have the substantial overhead that a lot of companies have, and our revenue’s very strong and steady.”

Bauer would continue to talk about how the ongoing situation will likely change the landscape of pro-wrestling. Live events might not be as essential to wrestling companies as they once were.

“Live TV is exciting, but is it essential and necessary to operate in 2020 and beyond? I think people should rethink that. And if you’re a company built on promoting events weekly, this kind of disruption might cause you to pause and think: What if this happens again?”

The full interview with Entrepreneur Media can be found here.

MLW’s Court Bauer sent out a Tweet recently that has some fans wondering exactly what the future might hold for the promotion. Last month, MLW announced they had signed on with ICM Partner,s a talent agency that typically represents showrunners in the TV and Film industries. A recent Tweet by Bauer is suggesting some interesting negotiations have taken place as of late.

Bauer sent out the following Tweet regarding some conversations he is having about the future of MLW TV. The location of the Tweet is tagged as being from 30 Rockefeller Plaza, the famed-headquarters of NBC, NBC Studios, and NBC Universal.

Future Of MLW TV

According to a reports earlier this month, MLW has also been in contact with Amazon about providing content for Amazon Prime. The company is looking for content for its streaming service especially with looming concerns over a writer’s strike this summer. The situation between MLW and Amazon is said to be fluid with MLW seeing “momentum in a few directions with major players.”

• Details On MLW In Talks With Amazon For Streaming Deal

NBC has a wrestling-related project already in the works for the 2020/21 season. Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson’s early life will provide the backdrop for the sitcom “Young Rock.”

• The Rock’s Early Life To Be Turned Into An NBC Sitcom

MLW Signs With ICM Partners

• MLW Signs With ICM Partners, Eyeing New TV Deal

“As the only free agent in the wrestling space in 2020, MLW is in a unique position in the television landscape,” said Court Bauer, creator and Chief Executive Officer, Major League Wrestling in a press release announcing the league’s signing with ICM Partners.

“MLW provides an extraordinary entertainment experience, showcasing some of the sport’s most storied and iconic families, embracing the Mexican lucha libre culture and presenting original content in a 360 manner.”

Lawyers for Major League Wrestling have reportedly contacted WWE in regards to concerns of contract tampering. PW Insider is reporting that a source within MLW told them their lawyers have contacted WWE about contract-tampering concerns regarding “multiple talents.” A source within MLW says they have evidence against WWE in this regard.

The situation is said to have nothing to do with Davey Boy Smith Jr. recently appearing on WWE’s the Bump, however.

It is not clear which wrestlers or talent under MLW contract were approached by WWE but this is not the first time such concerns have been raised. In late 2018, MLW is reported to have sent a cease and desist order to WWE regarding contacting their talent.

“I had guys at WaleMania approached by WWE people backstage in the green room about signing,” Bauer said on Wrestling Observer Radio in late 2018. “I’m like ‘you can’t do that, I’ll give you a freebie, don’t do it again’. Boom, they do it again. I had to send a cease and desist to WWE, that’s called tortious interference.”

Contract-Tampering Accusations Against WWE

MLW contracts prohibit the talent from working with WWE and speaking with WWE while under these contracts would be considered a breach.

• Court Bauer Talks Sending A Cease & Desist Order To WWE

MLW continues to enjoy a good relationship with AEW, however. AEW and MLW have shared wrestlers such as MJF for months with seemingly no issues cropping up between the two promotions.

• MLW Fusion Results & 7 Takeaways (2/15/20)

MLW’s Court Bauer was the most recent guest on Chris Jericho’s Talk is Jericho. During the episode released today, Bauer speaks about his experience working on the WWE writing team following the Chris Benoit double-murder suicide in 2007. According to Bauer, the writing team was being asked to handle an issue that arguably should have been handled by people with more specialized training and expertise.

Jericho and Bauer were talking about not having run into each other in WWE while Bauer was on the writing team when the topic of WWE’s handling of the Benoit murder-suicide came up.

“I left in 07 basically was just starting a family with my wife, wanted to move on, I was in the midst of their handling of the Chris Benoit thing, which was very uncomfortable,” Bauer said during the show. “They were having the writing team try to be part of the damage control PR crisis team, I’m like ‘This is not the gig and this is not how you really should handle this.'”

Jericho then asked for more details.

“One day we go in there and Vince is looking at several monitors saying he’s going to be called to Congress and we’re like ‘this is pretty heavy stuff and horrible, sad, tragic stuff’ and Vince being this Master of the Universe always like’s to have control of something. So, we basically get hold up there and try to figure out what the messaging is going to be from the company about the situation and we’re batting around different ideas.”

Bauer then suggested that experts should have been hired to come in and handle the situation.

“I’m just like ‘you have the money, hire the right people to do this.’ The creative team isn’t… Michael Hayes pitching ideas on this is probably not the best path for any of us.”

Bauer’s comments about his time on the WWE writing team come in around the 6-minute mark of the show.

Several MLW-contracted wrestlers have become regular members of the AEW roster. Maxwell Jacob Friedman, Brian Pillman Jr and a few others have appeared on multiple AEW shows while still being under contract with Major League Wrestling. Announcer Tony Shiavone is now also in that group.

MLW’s Court Bauer addressed the relationship between the two promotions on a recent media call.

“People probably want there to be some animosity between our two organizations as that is kind of the history of wrestling where you have to go to war and stuff, that there has to be some weird tension but there isn’t here,” Bauer said in regard to the relationship between AEW and MLW.

“Funny story, I’ve been interviewed by the media once or twice and I’ve been given these loaded questions where [they were hoping] I would smash AEW, but my response has always been to give my genuine feelings and fondness towards Tony, Cody, and the guys. Guess what? They never ran those quotes! I guess it’s not as sexy, but the truth was I really want those guys to succeed.”

Bauer would continue to say he wants both promotions to succeed.

“I want AEW and MLW to succeed. It shows that there is a bigger world beyond our industry that shares the market that is completely valuable in appeal that isn’t WWE. For twenty years, frankly, probably longer, WWE has had a massive, massive dip on the market share and for media rights, licensing, you name it, they have owned it in the wrestling space and that narrative needs to change. If we’re not successful, that’s bad for the fans, the talent, the crew, and the health of our business.”

Transcriptions via ProWrestlingStories.

The full interview can be listed to in the player below:

MLW vs AEW War?

Bauer also addressed the possibility of a MLW vs AEW storyline happening someday.

“Is there going to be some big world war between promotions? Maybe that’s where this goes, maybe it doesn’t. Are there other strategic alliances? Maybe there are, maybe there aren’t, but I know that the fans will enjoy that so the media, and maybe a few companies, but I really have to say Tony [Khan] is a great guy, so is Cody. I genuinely like all of those guys. Right now it’s been great.”

Jim Cornette Gone From MLW

Bauer also addressed Jim Cornette’s role in MLW. Bauer noted that Cornette does not have any further dates booked with the promotion.

“Jim came in to pitch in for a certain amount of dates when Tony [Schiavone] could not make his commitments that were carved out in his contract. Jim fulfilled his last date with us on July 6th so, as of right now, we don’t have any future dates with Jim.”

MLW’s Court Bauer recently struck a deal with AEW to allow Tony Shiavone to work for both promotions. Several MLW contracted talents, including Maxwell Jacob Friedman, work for both companies. Bauer appeared on the WINCLY podcast recently and spoke about the future of some of MLW’s roster as AEW’s TV begins in the fall.

“There’s this misnomer that it’s like Cinderella at midnight and things are gonna automatically change when [AEW] go on TV. That’s not the case because we have pre-existing contracts and the guys that are with us are for the duration of those contracts. At that point we’ll have a conversation on if we continue to work with them or they go their separate ways,” Bauer said during the interview.

“But it’s not gonna just happen overnight where October X you’re gonna be only on that show. They have pre-existing contracts with us.”

In addition to MJF, Jimmy Havoc is also with MLW and AEW.

“It’s in everyone’s best interest to find ways to work things out rather than to flex and be all ego-driven,” he continued. “Then it just escalates things and usually it’s a negative outcome. I try to approach things more holistically and pragmatically to try and find a solution where everyone can win.”

The full interview can be listened to in the player below:

This past Saturday night’s MLW Superfight event from Philadelphia, PA was a huge success for the promotion. The show was very well received by fans online and MLW broke its all-time box office record. You can watch MLW Superfight in its entirety below.

In addition to action-packed card, there were several announcements made about upcoming MLW events:

MLW: Intimidation Games: March 2nd

MLW’s next live event will be the return of Intimidation Games on Saturday, March 2nd from Chicago, IL at Cicero Stadium. This will be another live event on beIN SPORTS.

https://twitter.com/MLW/status/1092498775501721600

MLW Returns To Philadelphia June 1st

Hot of the success of MLW Superfight, Major League Wrestling returns to the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia on Saturday, June 1st.

MLW SuperFight II: February 2020 In Los Angeles

MLW Superfight is poised to become an annual show. During the MLW Superfight broadcast, the promotion announced MLW Suoperfight II will be taking place next February from Los Angeles, CA.

Watch: MLW Superfight

MLW World Tag Team Championship:
Pentagón Jr. & Rey Fenix (c) vs. Hart Foundation

Grudge Match:
Ricky Martinez “El Sicario” vs. “The Haitian Sensation” Kotto Brazil

MLW World Heavyweight Championship:
Low Ki (c) vs. “Filthy” Tom Lawlor

Court Bauer Thanks Pentagon, Fenix and Low Ki

Following MLW Superfight, MLW CEO Court Bauer took to social media to thank Pentagon Jr. and Rey Fenix for their 7-month MLW tag team championship reign.

The brothers lost the MLW Tag Team championships this weekend to the Hart Foundation team of Davey Boy Smith Jr. and Teddy Hart.

Bauer wishes Pengaton and Fenix well “wherever they go.” As we covered over the weekend, the Lucha Bros. have agreed to wrestle for All Elite Wrestling (AEW). It’s believed those deals are non-exclusive and they should be able to continue working for MLW, Impact Wrestling and other non-WWE companies.

https://twitter.com/courtbauer/status/1092219746139996160

Court Bauer also thanked Low Ki for all the hard work that went into his MLW World Heavyweight Championship reign. He was defeated by “Filthy” Tom Lawler at Superfight.

https://twitter.com/courtbauer/status/1092218457658150912