Matt Riddle hopes to one day be called a WWE Superstar again, but knows that the decision will not be his to make. Speaking on Stories With Brisco and Bradshaw, Riddle made it clear he’d return to WWE in a heartbeat if given the chance.

“I would love to go back to WWE one day eventually, maybe soon. But the thing is, whatever they want. It’s not up to me, that’s their decision.”

Riddle “never would have left” WWE had he been given the chance to stay, and wishes that his exit in September 2023 had never occurred. As he waits for WWE to give him a call, the reigning MLW World Heavyweight Champion has big plans in mind.

“I’m going to win every championship possible, I’m going to wrestle everywhere under the sun, in every country.”

Riddle had asserted himself as a top act in WWE, even challenging for World Championships on occassion. By 2023 though, a series of controversies, including an altercation at JFK airport, resulted in the ‘Original Bro’ being cut. These releases, which also saw Nic Nemeth and Mustafa Ali cut, were the first following the official launch of TKO Group Holdings.

Whether Riddle returns to WWE or not, he is focused on establishing himself as a top draw in wrestling, no matter the promotion. Stay tuned to SEScoops for the latest on Matt Riddle and his dreams to return to WWE superstardom.

Matt Riddle is the new “stallion” of MLW as the former WWE star became the promotion’s new World Champion tonight in Dallas.

MLW fired off its 2025 with Kings of Colosseum in Texas tonight and it was main-evented by Matt Riddle challenging Satoshi Kojima for the championship. Kojima is unprecedented in Major League Wrestling as he’s the only person in company history to hold the World Title two different times. Not only that, but Kojima is MLW’s first-ever World Champion, winning it back in 2002 when he defeated Jerry Lynn. Kojima began his second reign when he unseated Alex Kane and it’s been a memorable run for Kojima. During this reign, Kojima captured the MLW World Tag Team Championships a second time with Shigeo Okumura as well.

However, the landscape changed as Riddle defeated Kojima in the main event tonight via submission. The match came to a close when Kojima attempted his Lariato finisher only to be caught in a triangle hold.

Riddle’s win became a full-circle moment for The Super King of Bros too as he was one of the early stars to take shape when MLW returned as a wrestling company back in 2018. Post-fight, a “passing of the torch” went down as Riddle was crowned the new champ and he celebrated with “Filthy” Tom Lawlor who has been an ally to Riddle in recent months.

Along with Riddle’s Title win, a new MLW Women’s Featherweight Champion was crowned in Delmi Exo who defeated Janai Kai. Much like Kojima, Kai has also had a strong run as Champion and also much like Kojima, Exo became the first person in MLW to hold the Featherweight Championship two different times.

On the latest episode of AEW Dynamite, Adam Copeland returned to action, but is now going by the name ‘Cope.’ The WWE Hall of Famer is just the latest wrestling star to have his name shortened, but he isn’t the only one.

Here are some times wrestlers had their names cut short, for better or worse.

The Undertaker

One of wrestling’s most iconic names, The Undertaker originally debuted as “Kane The Undertaker” during a 1990 WWF Superstars taping. By the time of his official TV debut, the “Kane” portion was dropped but would resurface seven years later for Glenn Jacobs.

GUNTHER

Before reigning as WWE’s World Heavyweight Champion, GUNTHER was known as WALTER. In early 2022, WWE rebranded him as Gunther Stark, but quickly shortened the name to avoid controversy, as “Gunther Stark” was also the name of a Nazi naval officer.

Cody

When Cody Rhodes left WWE in 2016, he competed simply as “Cody” due to WWE’s trademark on the Rhodes surname. In November 2020, “The American Nightmare” successfully reclaimed the Rhodes name, which he now proudly carries as the reigning Undisputed WWE Champion.

Sheamus

The Celtic Warrior debuted in WWE’s developmental system as Sheamus O’Shaunessy. By the time of his main roster debut on WWE ECW in 2009, the name was shortened to Sheamus. The streamlined moniker didn’t hinder his success, as he ended the year as WWE Champion after defeating John Cena.

Riddle

Originally known as Matt Riddle, WWE shortened the Original Bro’s name in 2020. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the change was influenced by Riddle’s MMA background and his association with marijuana.

Carlito

The Judgment Day star has been wrestling as Carlito, fans may have forgotten that he debuted in 2004 as Carlito Caribbean Cool. It wasn’t long before WWE ditched two-thirds of the former U.S. Champion’s name, and Carlito has gone by one moniker ever since.

The Rock

Perhaps the most successful example of a name change, “The Rock” was born from the transition of Dwayne Johnson’s initial persona, “Rocky Maivia.” The shift not only marked a turning point in his career but also cemented his legacy. To this day, even non-wrestling fans recognize “The Rock” as a cultural icon.

Matt Riddle would have loved to finish his story with Randy Orton.

When the Superking of Bros was released from his WWE contract in September 2023, it also effectively ended his run with The Viper. Randy had been on the shelf due to a prolonged back injury at the time, so Riddle did not get an on-screen chance to explain the end of RK Bro.

During a recent interview with the Developmentally Speaking podcast, Matt Riddle discussed his tag team with the wrestling veteran and commented on the abrupt end of his WWE run. He noted how Orton had to take time off a lot during that period:

“I wish I would have been able to finish the run with Randy, with his injuries and then when we first started teaming up, he got COVID and was out for a couple months, he got it really bad. Then with the injuries, he’d have to take weeks off here and there. I was honestly waiting for him to come back.”

• Matt Riddle Reveals Why Randy Orton Initially Disliked Him

It’d Be Nice To Finish That: Matt Riddle

The former US Champion claimed that the run of RK Bro was a storyline he would have loved to finish in an on-screen capacity. Even if it was something as simple as Randy Orton turning heel and attacking him:

“The one that I really wanted to finish was RK-Bro. RK-Bro has some untied ends, some loose ends if you will. It’d be nice to finish that, even if it’s just me getting punted, whatever. It’d be nice to put a period at the end of it.”

Riddle noted that despite the way his WWE run ended, him and Randy are still friends. He said that the Legend Killer still texts him all the time and that’s good enough for him.

• Jim Ross Pushes for Matt Riddle To Be Given AEW Shot Despite “Baggage”

At Turning Point, Matt Riddle debuted in Wrestling as the mystery man in a six-man tag-team match. With Trey Miguel unable to make the show, Riddle filled in and teamed with Zachary Wentz and KUSHIDA. Unfortunately for the Original Bro, his TNA debut was not a successful one as his team lost to TNA World Tag Team Champions The Hardys and ABC’s Ace Austin.

TNA only found out that Miguel would not be able to appear on Friday afternoon, Fightful Select reports, mere hours before the show began that same day. Riddle reportedly found out not long before the show that he was needed and ended up making the trip to the Benton Convention Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Backstage Reaction

Sources in TNA said that the situation was far from ideal, but they were not worried about finding a replacement for Miguel. That’s because Turning Point was a part of the WrestleCade event, and there were “a hundred or so possible replacements” for Miguel.

Those in TNA were said to be pleased with the reaction Matt received, but would not commit to using him again at this time. Riddle has yet to be advertised for any future TNA pay-per-views of TV events.

Riddle was released from WWE in September 2023, and was one of the most high-profile names cut following the launch of TKO Group Holdings. The former U.S Champion’s exit came after a series of controversies, including a stint in rehab, a cocaine-related suspension, issues backstage with multiple wrestlers, and allegations of sexual assault, though the case against him was later dropped. Shortly after his release, Riddle made a scene at JFK Airport, with sources at the scene suggesting that he was drunk.

Whether fans see Riddle in TNA Wrestling again or not remains to be seen, but the Original Bro certainly made an impression when he arrived. Stay tuned to SEScoops for the latest on Matt Riddle and his next steps in the world of pro wrestling.

Matt Riddle has arrived in TNA.

The Anthem-owned promotion presented its latest Turning point PPV from the Benton Convention Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina this Friday, November 29.

One of the announced matches for the night was a six-man tag, featuring the team of Zachary Wentz, KUSHIDA and Trey Miguel taking on The Hardy Bros and Ace Austin.

Earlier in the day before the show, however, the company announced that Miguel would be missing the event due to a travel complication.

Matt Riddle would go on to make his surprise debut as a replacement for the young star, coming face-to-face with the legendary tag team in the process:

• Matt Riddle Reveals Why Randy Orton Initially Disliked Him

The team of Matt Hardy, Jeff Hardy, and Ace Austin ended up picking up the victory in the end, after Jeff took down KUSHIDA with a Swanton Bomb.

The former US Champion has a history with Zachary Wentz. The two have shared the ring on multiple occasions in the past and Riddle also briefly mentored MSK in NXT

The Bro of Bros has been a featured star on MLW since the start of this year, after being released from WWE late last year. He is set to challenge Satoshi Kojima for the MLW world title at the Kings of Colosseum event on January 11th.

• Update On Matt Riddle And AEW

Matt Riddle has revealed that Randy Orton didn’t like him at first.

RK Bro is the most famous and potentially most memorable act of Riddle’s wrestling career. Though like many other legends of the business, Orton wasn’t a fan of the King of Bros at first, because of his unique approach to things in the business.

The former WWE Star told the story of his first interaction with The Viper during an interview with Barstool Rasslin’. He revealed that he didn’t shake Randy’s hand when he came into the locker room because he didn’t want to look like a fanboy:

“Before we actually wrestled a full match, Randy wasn’t a huge fan of me. I guess he thought I was disrespectful because I had my headphones on. He came to the locker room, everybody was shaking everybody’s hand.

I didn’t want to be like a nerd and go over. Didn’t wanna do that. So I [just] gave him a nod. I was waiting for my chance to shake his hand, but I guess he took that as disrespect. I wasn’t [blowing him off].”

• Jim Ross Pushes for Matt Riddle To Be Given AEW Shot Despite “Baggage”

First Person That Said Anything: Matt Riddle

Matt Riddle would go on to form a tag team with Randy Orton after they had a match on the April 19, 2021 episode of Raw. Though according to the former US Champion Orton had already softened up to him following his infamous backstage promo where he forgot his lines:

“Later on, I did a promo with Asuka where I forgot my lines. I had this long segment about talking about robots in Japan, and I forgot it. I didn’t know we were live; I thought we were recording. When I did that, I was like, ‘Oh no, I’m probably in trouble.’

When I went to the locker room the first person that said anything was Randy. He goes, ‘I don’t know if that shit was planned, kid, but that was the funniest shit you’ve done since you’ve been here. That was your best promo yet.’ I was like ‘Well, at least Randy liked it.’ and then Vince and Bruce, and everybody else that was in creative also enjoyed it.”

Apart from this, Riddle also talked about potentially facing Goldberg in his announced retirement match, the difference of pro wrestling and MMA, and more.

• Update On Matt Riddle And AEW

Since his WWE release in September 2023, Matt Riddle has competed for New Japan Pro Wrestling, AAA, MLW, and other promotions. One major company where fans have yet to see the Original Bro is All Elite Wrestling, though that could change if legendary commentator Jim Ross has his way.

On his Grilling JR podcast, Ross shared that he believes Riddle should be given an opportunity in AEW, but understands why Tony Khan may be hesitant to bring him on board.

“I would suggest that he’d be given a shot. I understand Tony’s reluctance because Matt has a little baggage. How much that baggage weighs, I don’t know, but I know he’s a very talented kid.”

Riddle’s ‘baggage’ includes being accused of sexual assault by Candy Cartwright in 2020, though she dropped her lawsuit against him in July the following year. Riddle was also notorious throughout his WWE run for stirring up trouble with other wrestlers including Brock Lesnar and Bill Goldberg. Shortly before his release, Riddle was involved in an incident at JFK Airport where he was reportedly intoxicated.

While Riddle recently met with Tony Khan, the Original Bro isn’t sure he made a good impression, stating “I don’t know if he likes me” during an interview with SI Takedown. With that in mind, AEW has worked with ‘problematic’ names before, including Ric Flair, so fans know not to count out the possibility of a Riddle appearance.

With Jim Ross advocating for Riddle, fans know to never say never to the former U.S. Champion doing something with AEW down the line. Stay tuned to SEScoops for all the latest on Matt Riddle and whether he one day competes in an AEW ring.

Don’t expect to see Matt Riddle in AEW anytime soon.

The former WWE star was one of the hottest commodities in pro wrestling when he was released from the Endeavor-owned promotion last year. Unlike most who leave the company, however, there has never been any rumblings about the Superking of Bros joining their biggest rival.

Riddle recently gave his own reason for not wanting to make the move, stating that he wanted to avoid the pressure of live TV for a while. Though it might not be the only reason why we haven’t seen the former US Champion in AEW.

According to Fightful Select Tony Khan has not shown any interest in bringing the former UFC Champion in through the years. The fact that AEW talents work with Matt Riddle only in Mexico and almost never in US Indies further suggests that the AEW President doesn’t want to associate his brand with the controversial star.

• Matt Riddle Believes He Can Have An RK Bro Like Run With WWE Hall of Famer

Matt Riddle’s Post-WWE Career

The 38-year-old was released from his WWE contract in September last year, following a viral incident at the JFK Airport. He has been active in the indies ever since and regularly competes for promotions such as MLW and NJPW.

By his own admission, Riddle took a lot of indie dates after his departure from WWE. The scheduling conflict is the reason why he hasn’t appeared on TNA programming despite having talks with the company.

Though the former champion is not hopeless about his future in wrestling. He believes that if CM Punk can be welcomed back into the fold, then a WWE return for him is not completely out of the question either.

Matt Riddle has explained why he didn’t want to join AEW after being fired from WWE and detailed the one awkward conversation he had with Tony Khan.

Many expected the former WWE star to land a deal with the company’s biggest rivals when he was released. In a recent interview with Sports Illustrated, however, he explained that he was actually relieved after being fired from the TKO-owned promotion.

Riddle mentioned how he is a very provocative character and being on TV was stressful for him because it magnified everything. The reason he didn’t go into AEW straight away was because he didn’t want to get the attention for a while.

Though the former US Champion didn’t completely rule out the possibility of an AEW appearance in the future. He mentioned how MLW works with NJPW which in turn works with the promotion of Tony Khan.

Matt Riddle’s Strange Encounter With Tony Khan

Matt Riddle explained that it’s possible for him to make an AEW debut that way before revealing an awkward conversation he had with Khan at New Japan’s Windy City Riot show in April:

“I talked to Tony, I don’t know if he likes me. He seemed happy. I wrestled Zach Sabre Jr. in Chicago. He seemed cool about it. I don’t know. When you meet me, I’m very sarcastic. But when I met him, I was like, ‘Oh, you like that match’?

But I said it a different way, and he looked at me all confused. And I was like, ‘Never mind, dude’. I just walked away. So that was my experience with that.”

• Matt Riddle Says CM Punk’s WWE Return Shows He’d Be Welcomed Back

The former WWE star later also explained why he hasn’t made a TNA appearance so far either. Riddle mentioned that he took a lot of indie bookings following his release.

So when he talked to Tommy Dreamer about potentially working for the Anthem-owned promotion, they couldn’t find dates where he was free to participate in TNA tapings.

Matt Riddle joined WWE back in 2018 and found a lot of success in the company. He was involved in a lot of controversies as well, however. Following one such controversial incident at the JFK airport in September 2023, Riddle was released from his contract.

• Matt Riddle Believes He Can Have An RK Bro Like Run With WWE Hall of Famer

Former WWE star Matt Riddle is not ruling out his comeback to the company despite his controversial departure. The Original Bro believes CM Punk’s homecoming proves anything is possible in wrestling.

“The chances of me going back, I think they’re extremely high. If CM Punk, who filed a lawsuit against WWE, and then raked them through the mud for a decade, then goes to the competition, I’ll tell you this, if he can do that, everything can be forgiven. I know I wasn’t the easiest to work with at times. I think the door is always open.”

– Matt Riddle, SI

Riddle shifted his career to pro wrestling in 2014. The highly talented athlete honed his craft and made a name for himself in the independent circuit before joining WWE in 2018. He was in WWE’s developmental brand, NXT for less than two years and was called up to the main roster in 2020. During his run on the main roster, he won the United States Championship and famously won the tag team gold twice with Randy Orton as RK Bro.

RK Bro, an odd pairing was an entertaining act on WWE Raw and the former UFC fighter star gained massive popularity during his run. However, Riddle’s WWE career was marred with several controversial matters including failed drug tests, backstage tiff, and sexual assault. The controversial wrestler was eventually released in September last year following an incident at JFK Airport, where he appeared to be intoxicated.

Since leaving WWE, Riddle has been competing in the independent circuit and also making appearances for MLW and NJPW. Matt Riddle is set to face Tom Lawlor in a No-Holds-Barred Vale Rudo match in MLW on Saturday, September 14.

Wrestling fans know no borders, and that was evident this weekend in Queens at MLW’s Summer of the Beasts event.

Major League Wrestling’s event took place on Thursday evening at the Melrose Ballroom, drawing a sold-out crowd. The excitement wasn’t limited to New Yorkers—Art, a fan who traveled all the way from Russia, made MLW his first stop in the U.S. to experience the action firsthand.

“I came to America to see all these cool guys smashing each other around. I’m gonna see all my favorites like KENTA, Matt Riddle, Paul London—you name it. All the international talents are here tonight, and I’m really psyched to see that. So it’s going to be a bop.”

Though legends like Ivan and Nikita Koloff weren’t in attendance, Art wasn’t exaggerating about the international talent packed into Thursday’s event. KENTA was joined by the likes of Mistico, Minoru Suzuki, Atlantis Jr., TJP, and Hanako. Additionally, the reigning World Champion, KOJIMA, who recently lost the World Tag Titles to CONTRA Unit, headlined the event.

The evening also showcased the ongoing Opera Cup, with four matches determining the semi-finalists. Mistico triumphed over Atlantis Jr. in the main event, while TJP bested Tom Lawlor, Bad Dude Tito defeated Alex Kane, and KENTA took down AKIRA.

MLW fans were also treated to a surprise debut as Donovan Dijak made his presence felt during a four-way scramble. In another highlight, Paul London made a long-awaited return to the MLW ring after a 20-year hiatus.

Matt Riddle believes he can do for RVD what he did for Randy Orton and have a great tag team run with the WWE Hall of Famer.

The team, collectively known as RK Bro, was one of the highlights of WWE programming during the pandemic era. Their run, however, was cut short due to Orton’s back issues which resulted in the Legend Killer taking the longest break of his wrestling career in mid-2022.

The Ultimate Bro discussed his time working with The Viper during an interview with New York Post. He mentioned how Orton was dealing with extreme pain even before they started working together and he was actually able to assist the wrestling veteran by taking more damage himself:

“He wanted to keep wrestling and keep showing his value because the thing about wrestling is you’re only as valuable as the last show you can make it to.

Once, you can’t make it, you’re not as valuable to that company. I wanted to extend his career as long as I possibly could and I knew I could by taking a little of the damage and the brunt of the match.”

Matt Riddle Says WWE Creative Originally Laughed At The Idea Of RK Bro

We Could Probably Have A Crazy Run: Matt Riddle

Orton isn’t the only wrestling legend Matt Riddle has a good relationship with. Having first met RVD at a cannabis party hosted in the Playboy mansion in 2008, Riddle’s acquaintance with Mr. Monday Night predates his friendship with the 14-time world champion.

RVD has been on a part-time schedule since his last run with WWE ended in 2014 and Riddle believes that he can help extend the career of the former ECW champion:

“I think kind of what I did for Randy, I could kind of do for Rob, if he wanted to, we could probably have a crazy run as a tag team.”

Riddle previously stepped in the ring with RVD during an indie show in March this year. They teamed up to defeat America’s Most Wanted. The duo then had a singles match which ended in no contest.

The two have a partnership outside of the ring as well. They are working on an RV-Bro glass pipe line among other things. 

Plenty went down at AAA TripleMania XXXII: Mexico City, including surprising debuts, returns, and plenty of title changes. The show was the third TripleMania event of this year and followed on from the Monterrey show in April and the Tijuana event in June.

Nic Nemeth Finds Ally, Loses Title

The show saw AAA Mega Champion Nic Nemeth in action as the ‘Wanted Man’ continues to be a highlight in various promotions. Ahead of his championship match with Nic Nemeth, it was revealed that WWE Hall of Famer John ‘Bradshaw’ Layfield had aligned with Nic.

Despite this newfound ally, the show did not go as Nemeth had hoped. In a rematch of the bout that saw Nemeth win the gold, Alberto El Patron captured the title from his former WWE rival.

Matt Riddle Wins Gold

Matt Riddle was also a part of AAA TripleMania XXXII: Mexico City and left the city with some new hardware. The Original Bro captured the AAA Cruiserweight Championship from Komander in a Trios match that included Laredo Kid.

Raj Dhesi & Satnam Singh Win Tag Titles

Since his release from WWE in September 2023, Raj Dhesi has been making an impact and captured the Black Label Pro title in July of this year. Now the former Jinder Mahal has more gold as he and Satnam Singh have won the AAA Tag Team Championships.

WWE Superstars Return

TripleMania XXXII: Mexico City also saw former CMLL World Heavyweight Champion Marco Corleone (previously known as Mark Jindrak in WWE) make his return to AAA. Corleone last appeared for AAA in 2010 and this year was part of the Copa Bardhal.

Corleone wasn’t the only former WWE name who competed in the match in which the winner earned a guaranteed title match. Former WWE Superstar Kenzo Suzuki was also part of the match. Kenzo’s wife Hiroko will make her return to wrestling after close to a decade later this year.

The match was won by Octagon Jr. who now has the opportunity of a lifetime. Stay tuned to SE Scoops for all the latest from the world of AAA.

This recap was originally written on MLW.com by SEScoops’ Dominic DeAngelo.

Major League Wrestling is back in the notorious Coliseum in St. Petersburg, FL and its a stacked card and a main event with high stakes between Matt Riddle and Sami Callihan. We kick it off with a unique clash that features the opening round of The Opera Cup.

MATCH 1
Opera Cup Round 1
Atlantis Jr. vs. Shigeo Okumura

It’s a youngster vs. a veteran in this first round fight and Okumura was ready to unleash some tough love on Atlantis Jr. Okumura slowed the pace down to keep Atlantis underwater. However, the innovative generational talent got Okumura off-his-game with an airplane blue thunder bomb. Although Okumura kicked out Atlantis quickly followed up with a frog splash for the 1-2-3.

WINNER & ADVANCING: Atlantis Jr.

Post-match, both fighters paid one another respect. Can Atlantis go the distance and become the first CMLL star to capture The Opera Cup?

Alex Kane nor does Mr. Thomas plan for that not to happen, but they actually have to go through one another in their own opening round match. If you thought their match between could cause a rift with each other, think again. Both Kane and Thomas know it’s called the BOMAYE “FIGHT” Club!

MATCH 2
Opera Cup Round 1
Tom Lawlor vs. Jake Crist

Lawlor is a former Opera Cup winner and Crist was well-aware of that. The Ohio-born boy wasted no time in taking it to Filthy Tom, not even letting him get to the ring before starting the fight. The two used all elements of the ring in attempt to keep one another down, but it actually took Lawlor a superplex turned to Kimura Lock to cause Crist to pass out.

WINNER & ADVANCING: Tom Lawlor

Post-fight, Lawlor got on the mic to talk trash to Tampa, but up on the screen popped Paul Walter Hauser who issued a major challenge to Lawlor – an MMA cage fight! MSL banned from the building! Lawlor accepted!

RELATED: Paul Walter Hauser ‘Excited’ After Being Added To MLW Roster

MATCH 3
AKIRA (with Kota) vs. Minoru Suzuki

It’s Suzuki’s first match as a CONTRA soldier and joining the ranks may have even furthered his sadism. AKIRA, however, was game for the battle. Some intense shots were traded as AKIRA found it hard to shake Suzuki, but the Death Fighter kept bringing it. However, a Gotch Piledriver was good enough for Suzuki to ultimately get the 1-2-3.

WINNER: Minoru Suzuki

Post-fight, there was no respect shown as Minoru and Ikuro Kwon went on to further attack AKIRA devastatingly laying him out with more diabolical ideas in mind. Minoru was going for another Gotch when MLW World Champ Satoshi Kojima ran down to clear the evil out!

A concerned Cesar Duran saunters down to the ring to demand to see who Salina de la Renta’s baby daddy is after she revealed she has a bun in the oven. Well Salina showed up, but she was not without her mind games to her estranged daddy. Before making the reveal, she teased that the father was Bad Dude Tito and EVEN MSL but it was a surprise that made Duran literally sick: one of his own AZTECA henchman. The mysterious man pulled off the mask, revealing a Rudolph Valentino face with an even stronger libido as he and Salina started making out! Duran couldn’t take the discuss and fainted in the ring!

MATCH 4
Three Stages Of Destruction (First Blood + Street Fight + Medical Evacuation)
Mads Krule Krugger vs. Matthew Justice (Bill Alfonso)

Matthew Justice was not only ready to roll for this intense battle, but so was Fonzie who certainly has had his issues with CONTRA. Do both bring it to Krugger in the First Blood round of the fight as plenty of plunder is used. Justice gets Krugger off his feet with the indirect help of his own CONTRA soldier as he leapt off the back of a downed man to spear Krugger! Fonzie then tossed Justice a chair with barbed wire as he cracked Krugger HARD with it. Then Justice had some Mr. PPV plans as Fonzie held the chair for Justice to leap all the way across the ring for a Van TERMINATOR!! A few more cracks with the chair had the ref call for the bell noting that Krugger has poured enough crimson!

WINNER of STAGE 1: Matthew Justice

Next stage was a street fight and Justice continued to keep at his business of violence. He even showed his strength by hoisting the monster Mads up for a Death Valley Driver onto a chair! A massive ladder gets set up and Justice has to fight off a CONTRA soldier, allowing Mads to climb up and superplex Matt through a table! Krugger does drape an arm over Matt for the 1-2-3!

WINNER of STAGE 2: Mads Krugger

Someone will now be leaving in an ambulance. The two begin to brawl on the entryway as another ladder is presented. Justice gets Krugger on a table for his own plans of retribution, but the table collapses under the weight of Krugger. That doesn’t stop Justice who still decides to splash on top of Mads! Justice has a gameplan in mind as he gets a dolly. Both he and Fonzie get Krugger on it and push the massive man to the back! Fonzie hydrates Matt as they get Krugger to the ambulance, but when he opens the door to the back Ikuro Kwon is there to spray mist into Matt’s eyes! The fix was in! Kwon and Krugger gang up on Matt, set up a table, light it aflame and powerbomb Justice through it! Krugger tosses Matt in the ambulance and the match is over.

WINNER: Mads Krule Krugger

MATCH 5
MLW World Featherweight Championship
Gigi Ray vs. Janai Kai (c)

The Kick Demon Kai aimed to keep the momentum moving for CONTRA against Gigi Ray who definitely showed up ready for battle. Ray received plenty of kicks in this fight, but she had her own share of offense in this fight. However, Kai caught Ray with a roundhouse thrust in the corner and it was good to keep Ray down for the pinfall.

WINNER and STILL MLW World Featherweight Champion: Janai Kai

MATCH 6
Opera Cup Round 1
Bobby Fish vs. KENTA

Fish is ready to unleash “beautiful violence” onto KENTA who is making his Major League debut tonight. KENTA had an off-the-beaten path gameplan against Bobby as he was very disrespectful to the squared circle veteran, basically treating him like a young boy in the ring. Both men delivered in this battle though and Fish got his fair share of strikes in, but KENTA did take the mouthpiece out of Bobby with a GTS and it was good enough to advance in the Opera Cup.

WINNER & ADVANCING: KENTA

MAIN EVENT
No Ropes, No Hold Barred
Sami Callihan vs. Matt Riddle

The stakes are high in this brutal battle as if Riddle loses, he forgoes his future World Title shot to Callihan, the right he won at Battle Riot VI.

Tampa was all behind The Super King Of Bros and Callihan was less than pleased, getting on the mic to say he’s going to beat Riddle in less than five second. That didn’t happen as Riddle rocked him with a foot to the face. Despite that, Callihan had some nasty plans in mind.

Sami pulled out all types of violent ideas including paper cuts, lemon zest and staple gun tags. He got Riddle right in the foot with one but before that, wrapped Matt’s hair around a barbed wire bat! A broken beer bottle was introduced and its remaining chards became a factor.

The ring was ripped up, boards were broken and literal nuts and bolts became a bed of brutalitiy. Despite all that, Riddle persevered and caused Callihan to submit when he crossfaced Sami with loose ring ropes!

WINNER and STILL #1 Contender: Matt Riddle

RELATED: MLW Appoints David Marquez As The Head Of Production

Matt Riddle made sure the wrestling world knows he hasn’t forgot Randy Orton, bro.

Since being released by WWE back in September, Riddle has found his own groove on the independent wrestling scene but has had some stops in other name promotions such as NJPW and Major League Wrestling.

Riddle literally got to cool off his momentum at a Valley Wrestling Connection event over the weekend when he was wrestling The Vegan Superman outside and there so happened to be a swimming pool nearby. Matt made the most of the moment and delivered a beauty of a RKO into the deep end.

With his release from WWE, fans were left wondering as to where Matt Riddle was going to land and he did make his return to MLW after a five-year absence. Riddle also happened to win the NJPW World TV Title for a time, but he’s really been on a roll with MLW. The Super King Of Bros has been undefeated since coming back to the league and earlier this month, he won Battle Riot VI earning him a World Title shot at the time of his choosing.

The current MLW World Champion happens to be the promotion’s first ever champion, Satoshi Kojima. Kojima beat Alex Kane for the championship and is the first person in the league to hold multiple championships at the same time.

Matt Riddle On His Wrestling Origins: ‘I Watched WWE And Thought I Could Do This Better’

MLW is looking to continue to soar like the Falcons or the Hawks down in Atlanta after a sold out event this past weekend.

Major League Wrestling presented Battle Riot VI at the historic Center Stage down in the ATL and the place was packed to the gills for one of the promotion premier events. Now MLW has announced that another tentpole shows in Fightland will be making its way back to Atlanta on September 14. Tickets are set to go on sale this Wednesday, June 5 at 10 AM ET, and if Battle Riot is any indication, Major League Wrestling will have some surprises in store.

• Mark Henry & Teddy Long Appear At MLW Battle Riot VI

Battle Riot VI featured promoted acts such as Ernest “The Cat” Miller, Jimmy Yang and Violent J as participants in the 40-man match, but the real shining star of the show was Paul Walter Hauser. Hauser elminated several people in the match, including former World Champion Tom Lawlor before being eliminated by Sami Callihan. However, it was Matt Riddle winning the whole bout after tossing Callihan with the two being the final two entrants.

Primarily having a residence in the northeast, MLW has finally spread its wings after the pandemic and now have two consecutive sold out shows, one in Chicago and now in Atlanta. However, the company recently returned back to its roots when it returned to Tampa Bay back in March for their War Chamber event.

Currently advertised for Fightland is Riddle, Alex Kane and World Champion Satoshi Kojima who retained his title against the aforementioned Lawlor.

Matt Riddle has a guaranteed MLW World Title match at a time of his choosing after winning the sixth-annual MLW Battle Riot match. 

The 40-man match came down to Riddle, Sami Callihan, Davey Boy Smith Jr, and Timothy Thatcher. Thatcher would eliminate Smith but in the process accidentally eliminated himself. Riddle then eliminated Calihan to clinch the victory.

THE FINAL 4??…

WATCH LIVE NOW FREE ?: https://t.co/JXkcY7Sajm pic.twitter.com/4fq2fTuoaP

— MLW (@MLW) June 2, 2024

Chris Danger, Paul Walter Hauser, Violent J, and Ernest “The Cat” Miller were among the notable names in the match at the sold-out show. Scotty Riggs and Minoru Suzuki were among the surprise entries. ‘Filthy’ Tom Lawlorpulled a Mick Foley at Royal Rumble 1998 by entering the match three times. Lawlor entered once as himself before returning as ‘The Masked Assassin’ before a comeback as ‘Arachnidman.’

• Court Bauer: ‘MLW Is The Apple of Pro Wrestling. We Think Differently’

What’s to Come? 

Riddle will now receive an MLW World Heavyweight Title match at the time of his choosing. Ironically, Riddle had (according to himself) been scheduled to win the WWE Money in the Bank contract in 2022 which would have given him a similar opportunity. The briefcase instead went to Austin Theory that year. 

Satoshi Kojima is the reigning MLW World Heavyweight Champion. During the MLW Battle Riot pay-per-view, the new MLW World Heavyweight Championship was revealed and Kojima retained the title against Tom Lawlor in the latter’s first of two matches on the night. 

This recap was originally written by SEScoops’ Dominic DeAngelo on MLW.com.

Atlanta is more than ready to riot as the historic Center Stage is sold out for Battle Riot VI. We first see Salina de la Renta enter the building after a brief interview with David Marquez and she arrived just in time for the World Featherweight Title fight to kick off the festivities!

MATCH 1
MLW World Featherweight Championship
Delmi Exo vs. Janai Kai (c)

This match was Kai’s toughest to date as a rejuvenated Delmi showed that she was studying tape of the champion Kick Demon and CONTRA’s latest member. Delmi actually had the champ dead to rights but Salina de la Renta came out to confront Cesar Duran who was at ringside and attempted to spray him in the face. Duran ducked and it caught Delmi in the face instead. Kai took advantage and dropped Delmi with a harsh boot for the 1-2-3.

WINNER and STILL MLW World Featherweight Champion: Janai Kai

Backstage we see David Marquez sitting with Emmy-award winning actor Paul Walter Hauser who made media waves in May announcing that he was entering the Battle Riot. Hauser is all types of ready and even has the “classic” WCW costume of Arachnaman for good luck. Ernest The Cat Miller, Jimmy Yang and ICP’s Violent J all come to introduce themselves to Hauser and as he’s rubbing elbows, a hand slips in and steals Hauser’s good luck charm!

• Actor Paul Walter Hauser Enters MLW Battle Riot VI

MATCH 2
Ritual Combat Match
AJ Francis vs. Alex Kane

The rules for a “Ritual Combat” match are simple: sit on the throne for ten seconds untouched and you are the rightful “King” of BOMAYE. The elders are introduced and needless to say the two names are legendary: it’s Teddy Long and Mark Henry!

The fight begins and Francis is quite dominant, putting his ruthlessness and strength to good use. Kane encounters some close calls when it comes to the ten count, but the former World Champion musters up the energy to stop it on numerous occassions. That’s even after being body slammed on an open chair and powerbombed off the apron! Even Mark Henry makes it known that he’s not all too enthused with AJ’s actions

Francis goes to finish Kane by setting up a table but it’s Kane who puts AJ through through it with a superplex! Kane walks up the entryway, sits on the throne, and AJ can’t answer the ten count!

WINNER and KING of BOMAYE: Alex Kane

Post-fight, both Henry and Long make it clear that Kane earned his throne the right way.

We see Mads Krugger and he promises that the new crusader in CONTRA Unit will shake the league at its foundation.

It’s World Title fight time. And we get to catch the first glimpse of the new World Championship!

MAIN EVENT #1
MLW World Heavyweight Championship
Tom Lawlor (with MSL) vs. Satoshi Kojima (c) (with Okumura)

Tom Lawlor literally came loaded for this match as the official pull out all sorts of foreign objects out of Lawlor’s gear. Due to that, he ruled that MSL must leave the arena within 10 seconds or he’d forever be banned from MLW! MSL fell on his way out and we’re off to the races.

Even without the weapons, Lawlor showed exactly why he was a former MLW World Champion as he had Kojima’s number greatly in this match, wearing the champ down with submission holds and hard strikes. However, Lawlor eventually got caught by a Lariato! One didn’t keep him down, but two did and Kojima fights through pain to retain once more!

WINNER and STILL MLW World Heavyweight Champion: Satoshi Kojima

Before we get to the Riot match, Salina aimed to seek out her revenge on Cesar Duran. She had some help pinning him down with Bad Dude Tito and it seemed like she had Duran dead to rights. However, Duran began singing Salina a familiar lullaby that clearly had the Bruja shaken. It was one her mother sang. Duran stood up and presented her footage on the big screen and we see photographs of a young Salina, then older photos of her mother – with a young Cesar Duran. Duran reveals that his happens to be Salina’s “papa” and de la Renta is a broken mess! Duran laughs manically as this throws a clear wedge in the ongoing power struggle between the two!

MAIN EVENT #2
Battle Riot VI

The first two entrants to this fight happen to be fitting. Entrant #1 is your World Middleweight Champion Mistico while entrant two is MLW original Jimmy Yang!

What a Riot this was as we had surprise appearances from the likes of CW Anderson and Scotty Riggs, and Tom Lawlor tried to enter on three different occassions as himself, The legendary Masked Assassin, and using Paul Walter Hauser’s Arachna-Man costume!

Speaking of Hauser really shined in the Riot. He actually eliminated Lawlor nearly upon entry and lasted a very good while until Sami Callihan took him out! Another newbie to the ring, YouTube sensation Chris Danger also showed up, actually hitting Violent J with a stunner and eliminating him!

However perhaps the biggest surprise of the Riot was the newest CONTRA member. Mads Krugger wasn’t lying when he said his newest soldier was earth-shattering as it was MINORU SUZUKI. No one was safe in the ring with Minoru running rampant. Suzuki even helped to eliminate last year’s winner, Alex Kane. After that, there’s only five remain as Riddle is ganged up on.Suzuki is a big threat but it’s Riddle who knees him out!

The final four ended up being Davey Boy Smith Jr., Timothy Thatcher, Matt Riddle and Sami Callihan. Riddle has to fight on the apron against Callihan and Smith and Thatcher joins on the apron to help him! Thatcher pulls Davey off but both men hit the floor are eliminated. Riddle ultimately ends up putting Sami down seconds later and he’s your Riot winner!

WINNER: Matt Riddle

This recap was originally written by SEScoops’ staff writer Dominic DeAngelo on MLW.com. 

Watch the replay of MLW AZTECA Lucha NOW on TrillerTV+

It’s a history-making night in Chicago as MLW made its return to the Windy City after a five-year hiatus from the city. However, the league rings it in big with a sold-out Cicero Stadium and a stacked card as Cesar Duran and Salina de la Renta fight for supremacy. What hangs in the balance, but a literal key that opens the door for one of the two promoters to take power. Trios action starts the battle off!

MATCH 1
Virus, Villano III Jr. & Felino (representing Cesar Duran) vs. Guerrero Maya Jr., Atlantis & Jose Rodriguez (representing Salina de la Renta)

This match rocks Cicero to open the show as both Felino and Maya Jr. show the technical side of lucha libre, but all competitors get physical, including Rodriguez who exchanged a tuxedo for wrestling gear. The tide turns in the favor of Salina when the upstart Villano III Jr. gets caught in a signature torture rack by the legendary Atlantis and has no option but to submit!

WINNERS: Guerrero Maya Jr., Atlantis & Jose Rodriguez (representing Salina de la Renta)

SCORE: Salina de la Renta (1), Cesar Duran (0)

MATCH 2
MLW National Openweight Championship
Bad Dude Tito vs. Rickey Shane Page (c)

It’s a different tone for RSP as he no longer has The Calling at his side, but the big man is ready to step up against another big man in Bad Dude Tito. Tito has been a game contender in any match he’s done since coming to MLW and even took Satoshi Kojima to the limit in a World Title Fight.

Tito switched up his style a bit as he not only delivered the strength, but the speed and even dove at Rickey through the ropes to the outside!

RSP decided to show how fast he was as well, but Tito’s size didn’t phase the champ. He firman tossed Tito like he was a middleweight before dropping an elbow on him. RSP followed that up with his signature gordbuster toss. However, Tito did make the adjustments. He hit RSP with a death valley driver, but Page somehow managed to get a shoulder up! Fatigue kicks in for both fighters but Tito manages to muster up the strength to hit a Thunder Driver for 1-2-3! New champ!

WINNER and NEW MLW National Openweight Champion: Bad Dude Tito

We see Bill Alfonso backstage and he gets ambushed by Mads Krugger and CONTRA Unit! Before he gets knocked out, he warns Krugger that Matthew Justice isn’t gonna be happy!

MATCH 3
Ultimo Guerrero (representing Cesar Duran) vs. Atlantis Jr. (representing Salina de la Renta)

This battle is a clash of styles and experience as the veteran Ultimo Guerrero takes on the legacy youngster in Atlantis Jr. Guerrero has been all too familiar with Atlantis Jr. throughout his whole career and he had the young fighter scouted. Atlantis had UG off his game with an outside attack and then rocked him hard with several kicks. However, Guerrero figured him out. Atlantis went for a top hurricanrana but Ultimo held on and jarred him with a massive powerbomb!

Atlantis managed to keep Guerrero grounded enough to nail one beautiful frog splash for the definitive 1-2-3!

WINNER: Atlantis Jr.

SCORE: Salina de la Renta (2), Cesar Duran (0)

Duran has to be fuming and it’s added salt to the wound when Guerrero exchange handshakes with Atlantis Jr.

MATCH 4
Vacant MLW World Tag Team Championships
Second Gear Crew vs. COZYMAX

This match has quite the historic stakes as if Kojima wins, he’ll be the first dual champion in MLW history. However, SGC have their own stakes in the matter as they lost the straps to WTF under nefarious means.

This fight is hard-hitting. SGC really bring out all stops against Kojima, trying to isolate him on the outside, but Okumura reminds them not to take their eyes off him as he does a flipping senton onto both.

SGC does have Okumura dead to rights when they hit a combo spear and lariat! Kojima gets in the ring in just enough time to break it all up.

Justice and Manders go for a corner double team but Okumura pulls Kojima free and it opens him up to nail a LARIATO on the legal man in Manders. He picks Manders up and it allows Okumura to hit a running Cozy Cutter! 1-2-3!

WINNERS and NEW MLW World Tag Team Champions: COZYMAX

History is made in Cicero as KOJIMA is a dual champion!

MATCH 5
Joshua Bishop (with MSL) vs. Matt Riddle

Joshua Bishop doesn’t endear himself to Chicago nor the Mexican fans in the crowd when he snatches a Mexican flag from a fan to disrespect it. That fires them up and they get even more hot when Matt Riddle walks out. The fan whose flag was stolen fill Riddle in who grabbed the flag from MSL and waved it to a huge reaction from Cicero!

The bell rings and Bishop uses his brute strength against Riddle, including a massive fallaway slam akin to Scott Hall and then an extremely impressive blackout slam on Riddle. Riddle was able to show his striking ability. It catches Bishop off his game and he gets laid out after a high knee lift. Riddle swings up top to nail a twisting senton for the pinfall!

WINNER: Matt Riddle

• MLW Breaks Company’s All-Time Box Office Record For 5/11 Chicago Return

Post-fight Riddle hypes up his desire to win Battle Riot this June before being attacked by Sami Callihan! Callihan grabs hold of Joe Dombrowski and says he’s going to win the bout. Riddle breaks up Callihan’s hold on Joe and the two begin brawling big time!

MATCH 6
Averno & Magnus (representing Cesar Duran) vs. Fuego & Star Jr (representing Salina de la Renta)

Star Jr. really sets the tone for the fight when he catches Averno with a leaping stiff shot to the back of the head. Star Jr. shows why he’s one of Salina’s star acquisitions in this fight. His synergy with Fuego.

Fuego shows his skill too with a big spinning headscissor takeover but Magnus catches him with two double knees and gets him down for the pinfall win!

WINNERS: Averno & Magnus

SCORE: Salina de la Renta (2), Cesar Duran (1)

Duran has one more shot to tie Salina and he has to do it with his prize client, MLW World Middleweight Champion Mistico.

MAIN EVENT
MLW World Middleweight Championship
Bárbaro Cavernario (representing Salina de la Renta) vs. Mistico (c) (representing Cesar Duran)

Mistico makes an epic entrance and even offers a hand in respect for Bárbaro Cavernario, who declines the proposition.

The crowd is absolutely ELECTRIC for Mistico in this match, but Cavernario brings his brawling style to take Mistico off his game. However, the talent of Mistico is clearly unparalleled as the champ kept his focus and hit some of his signature movesets. Cavernario gets a near pinfall after a DVD backbreaker combo. Caverno uses the ropes to splash on top of Mistico.

He continues to wear Mistico down by wrenching the arm of the champion and punches on the right shoulder. Mistico manages to get on the top rope and uses a twisting arm drag to fling Cavernario to the outside, setting him up for a twisting over the top splash!

The war wages on but the finish comes when Mistico catches Cavernario in his signature spinning fujiwa armbar! Barbaro taps and Mistico retains! Duran has tied Salina de la Renta, which means the key stays in Cesar’s possession

WINNER and STILL MLW World Middleweight Champion: Mistico

SCORE: Salina de la Renta (2), Cesar Duran (2)

Post fight, Duran celebrates his tie as Salina says they should have a sudden death match to really determine the winner. In comes MLW CEO Court Bauer to give Duran his payout for Chicago and while that happens, Salina runs off with the key! However, the Azteca henchmen corner Salina and they lock the door behind them! Salina is screaming as we see Duran grinning ear to ear.

Major League Wrestling’s live event schedule continues to roll on with their first collaborative show with CMLL. This Saturday, MLW and CMLL will host Azteca Lucha at the Cicero Stadium in Chicago, Illinois. The pay-per-view event features seven exciting matches, with three title bouts. 

For fans looking to get last-minute tickets for Azteca Lucha, MLW has shared that the show is sold out. However, the event will stream live on Triller TV+ for subscribers. 

The success of Saturday’s event has also led to the company’s decision to return later this year for Lucha Apocolypto at the Cicero Stadium. Tickets for the second super card with CMLL will go on sale on May 14. 

That said, fans are looking forward to this Saturday’s event to see some of the best MLW and CMLL talent compete against each other.

Match Card Preview

In the main event of Azteca Lucha, MLW World Middleweight Champion Mistico, with Cesar Duran in his corner, will defend his title against Barbaro Cavernario. Mistico comes into the matchup aiming to retain his for the second time successfully. He won MLW gold by defeating Rocky Romero at MLW Intimidation Games on February 29. 

Although the underdog, Cavernario will try to pull off an upset to end Mistico’s reign as MLW World Middleweight Champion. The odds may not be in his favor, but Cavernario can push Mistico to his limit.

Elsewhere on the card, MLW National Openweight Champion Ricky Shane Page will put his title on the line against Bad Man Tito. Page has held the championship for nearly a year with five successful defenses. However, Tito can present a formidable challenge as he has the strength and speed to get the upper hand on the champion.

Full MLW Azteca Lucha Card

(Match Card Is Subject To Change)

• (C) Rickey Shane Page vs. Bad Dude Tito-MLW National Openweight Championship Match
• Second Gear Crew (1 Called Manders & Mathew Justice) vs. CozyMAX(Satoshi Kojima & Okumura)-Vacant MLW Tag Team Championship Match
• Matt Riddle vs. Josh Bishop with Saint Laurent
• Averno & Magnus with Cesar Duran vs. Fuego & Star Jr.
• Atlantis, Guerrero Maya Jr. with Cesar Duran & Jesus Rodriguez vs. Felino, Villano III Jr. & Virus-Six-Man Tag Team Match
• Ultimo Guerrero with Cesar Duran vs. Atlantis Jr.
• (C) Mistico with Cesar Duran vs. Barbaro Cavernario-MLW World Middleweight Championship Match

WWE Backlash had a wild crowd courtesy of Lyon, France, but it also marked the end of an unbelievable streak with the WWE Undisputed Universal Championship.

Cody Rhodes put that very championship on the line against AJ Styles on Saturday and the battle became memorable in more ways than one. Not only did ‘The American Nightmare’ get a tremendous pop from the French crowd, but Rhodes actually retained his title by defeating ‘The Phenomenal One.’

However, Punk from the Burial Squad was able to dig up an insane statistic about Rhodes’ successful title defense. Backlash happened to mark the first time that specific championship was successfully defended on television without any outside interference in almost two years. The last time the title was defended without any interference had Roman Reigns beating Matt Riddle on the June 17, 2022 episode of WWE SmackDown.

Reigns’ reign became notorious for having constant interference in his title fights. While the tactic was certainly frustrating for fans (and his opponents), it did create for some memorable moments. Solo Sikoa made his main roster debut by interfering in his cousin Roman’s defense against Drew McIntyre at Clash At The Castle. Jimmy Uso also happened to stab his brother Jey in the back at WWE SummerSlam, allowing Roman to retain his gold.

Rhodes vs. Styles at Backlash also marked a new moment in WWE history. Their main event fight also happened to be the first WWE Undisputed Title match on PLE that was officiated by a female. Jessika Carr donned the zebra stripes for the battle between Cody and AJ.

MLW is making waves in the Windy City following a five-year hiatus from the great wrestling city of Chicago.

Major League Wrestling announced yesterday that tickets for its upcoming AZTECA Lucha event on May 11 is sold out and it did so in historic fashion. The event has smashed the company’s all-time box office gate record. The league’s website did tell its fanbase to keep tabs in case the production set-up offers more space, but as of now there are no tickets available.

MLW CEO Court Bauer expressed his excitement for the news, noting that 2024 has been a good start for the promotion.

“Thank you, Chicago. To sell out the biggest arena we run is a huge triumph. This is a big milestone as MLW’s best year of business to date in the history of the league. From our Boss Fight Studios action figures selling out to arenas selling out, this is an unprecedented era for MLW. None of this happens without the fans’ support, the wrestlers’ work in and away from the ring, and the grind of our production team and front office. We’re all pumped to now bring it on May 11. Chicago and fans watching on TrillerTV+ are in for a very special night.”

If the name of the event didn’t give you the hint, the card for AZTECA Lucha is extremely lucha libre focused as Cesar Duran (formerly Dario Cueto of Lucha Underground) is in the middle of a power struggle with Salina de la Renta. The two promoters are waging war with lucha talent and up for grabs is a mysterious key that Duran currently holds possession of.

The headline match for the show is Mistico defending the MLW World Middleweight Championship against Barbaro Cavernario. Matt Riddle will also be taking on Joshua Bishop and Rickey Shane Page will put his National Openweight Championship on the line against Bad Dude Tito.

This recap was originally written by SEScoops’ staff writer Dominic DeAngelo on MLW.com. 

If you thought the war was over – think again as War Chamber 2 commences down in St. Petersburg on Saturday night. Who began to get things on a roll but Cesar Duran as he unveils his newest acquisition, Virus. He’s looking to continue to keep Salina de la Renta off her game as she has Star Jr. ready for him to face.

MATCH 1
Virus (with Cesar Duran) vs. Star Jr. (presented Salina de la Renta)

The lucha style was in full effect on this match, but this battle was hard-hitting as Virus and Star Jr. slugged it out. Star floored Virus with a really hard shot, but Virus got some impact back with an extremely impressive avalanche bomb from all the way up top. That could have been curtains for Star Jr.

However, Star Jr secured the victory via submission with a modified leg and arm stretch. Virus had no choice and the ref called for the bell!

WINNER: Star Jr.

We cut to see World Titan Federation who expressed their enthusiasm in facing Alex Kane and Mr. Thomas. Davey Boy Smith Jr and Tom Lawlor have words for their opponents, but can they deliver?

Outside of the arena, there’s Matthew Justice and Bill Alfonso, daddy! The two make a perfect pair and Justice warns CONTRA Unit that he’s ready to continue their war.

MATCH 2
Brett Ryan Gosselin (with MSL) vs. Budd Heavy

It’s been awhile since we’ve seen Budd Heavy, but BRG doesn’t wait for any pomp and circumstance for the hometown Heavy as he immediately goes on the attack. BRG hits a massive lariat before hitting a spinning fisherman’s for the 1-2-3.

WINNER: Brett Ryan Gosselin

Post-fight, Gosselin makes clear he’s ready to make an impact in MLW and then takes a couple more shots on Heavy before he and MSL leave.

Salina de la Renta is elated as she’s with her mother and they’re making plans to celebrate about the big victory by Star Jr. tonight.

MATCH 3
MLW World Tag Team Championships
Alex Kane & Mr. Thomas vs. Word Titan Federation (Tom Lawlor & Davey Boy Smith Jr.) (with MSL)

AJ Francis joins commentary as Alex Kane aims early to take the champs to Suplex Island, but it wasn’t Lawlor nor DBS getting suplexed. Kane uses Mr. Thomas to toss into Tom!

WTF does slow the pace and isolate Alex Kane as DBS traps Kane in a modified Indian Deathlock. Mr. Thomas was figuratively and literally a big factor change in the fight as once he got tagged in he became an unstoppable force.

Unfortunately, Francis became a vocal distraction for Kane and the former World Champ took his eye off the prize. MSL slides in a tag belt to Tom and as Mr. Thomas hoists Lawlor up for a powerbomb gets smacked with the gold. Lawlor falls on top of Thomas for the pinfall W.

WINNERS and STILL MLW World Tag Team Champions: Davey Boy Smith Jr. & Tom Lawlor

Post-fight, we see WTF backstage relishing in their win as MSL shows that he happens to hold the new version of the MLW World Heavyweight Title. In comes Satoshi Kojima and Okumura. Kojima lets DBS know in Japanese that they’re coming for those titles in Chicago!

MATCH 4
Sofia Castillo vs. Zayda

The first part of this fight started out with Sofia and Zayda feeling one another out and attempting to wear one another down with fundamentals. However, Zayda underestimated Sofia who catches her in the corner then hits a beauty of a stunner on the ring apron.

Zayda attempts to reset and almost hits her “I’m Prettier” finisher, but Sofia breaks free. Zayda does end up catching her with the move and it’s good for the victory.

WINNER: Zayda

We see AKIRA, Raven, Jake Crist and Jimmy Lloyd. Raven makes it known that he created The Calling and tonight in War Chamber, he’s going to put an end to it. “Quoth the Raven, nevermore.”

MATCH 5
Timothy Thatcher vs. Matt Riddle

Arguably the most anticipated match of the evening – this rematch delivered. Thatcher and Riddle put on a chess match of hard hitting technique. Both men put their strength to the test and in turn, challenged one another’s endurance. Thatcher rocked Riddle hard with three straight European uppercuts and Riddle fired back with some unique submission attempts to take Thatcher off his game.

Riddle ends up rocking Thatcher enough by hitting his “Brostone” piledriver for the 1-2-3.

WINNER: Matt Riddle

Post fight, Riddle drops a bombshell that he does indeed plan to hold that MLW World Heavyweight Gold and he plans to punch his ticket by entering this year’s Battle Riot!

While Riddle is on cloud nine, the tone has changed for WTF. CONTRA has decided to set their sights on the Superstars as they one-by-one take out Richard Holliday, Davey Boy Smith Jr and Tom Lawlor!

MATCH 6
MLW World Heavyweight Championship
Bad Dude Tito (presented by Salina de la Renta) vs. Satoshi Kojima (c)

Bad Dude has pulled a page out of Minoru Suzuki’s book as he really brings it to Kojima and it’s clear Tito wants that World Title. Kojima is still fighting through injury, but the champ does look unphased by his ailments.

Tito not only has the size but the speed to get Kojima off his game, giving him very little window to get any offense in. However Kojima threads the needle by catching Bad Dude with a sudden Lariato and gets the 1-2-3!

WINNER and STILL MLW World Heavyweight Champion: Satoshi Kojima

MAIN EVENT
War Chamber II Match
Death Fighters vs. The Calling

Jake Crist is the first entrant into War Chamber which means The Death Fighters has the man advantage for starters! His opponent is someone he’s very familiar with in Sami Callihan. Before the bell rings, the two make it physically clear there’s no love loss between one another. Trash can lids really hammered that point home.

Callihan and Crist find one another outside of the Chamber and it doesn’t take long for Crist to don the crimson mask. The third man out is Akira, but The Calling get a jump on him and he’s down and out. This allows Rickey Shane Page to enter and rub salt in the wound to his former tag partner.

Crist does his best to weather the storm that is Sami and RSP and avoids a trash can lid shot. Thankfully, it’s enough for Jimmy Lloyd to enter to even the odds and he does just that with a steel chair.

Out next is Cannonball as the real estate for the two rings lessens with his presence. A bloody AKIRA finally comes to and gets involved but The Calling thwarts his efforts in a big way. They lay him out on a table and allows Cannonball to come crashing down on him from the top of the cage!

However Tampa Bay explodes when out comes Raven! He lays The Calling out with some stiff kendo stick shots and then pulls a page out of his arsenal by nailing a tandem drop toe hold onto a steel chair to Cannonball!

AKIRA gets to exact some really devastating punishment to the final entrance, Dr. Cornwallace as he throws a cinder block at a trash can, ramming the steel into the big man’s groin! The final fight finally commences but the violence amps up as thumbtacks get introduced. Both Cannonball and Jimmy Lloyd feel the effects of that. Lloyd also crashes through a door bridged across the two rings and Crist ultimately takes everyone out with a huge dive from up top.

The focus then gets on RSP and AKIRA. RSP has the death fighter sandwiched between a table and a door. RSP climbs the ropes and leaps
off to senton on top of AKIRA, but the latter moves and takes advantage! AKIRA nails a Raven Effect DDT and then uses a kendo stick to lock in a crossface on RSP! However, Jimmy Lloyd levels him up with barbed wire and RSP has no choice but to tap!

WINNERS: The Death Fighters

Post-fight, AKIRA gets on the mic and thanks everyone in the arena and at home. He says to believe in Major League Wrestling and trust the AKIRA way. Raven then gets on the mic and tells the fans that AKIRA is the future of pro wrestling!

We cut to see Salina de la Renta walking with her mother as Cesar Duran watches them, swinging the very key that’s at stake for Azteca Lucha in Chicago!

Matt Riddle has revealed that the WWE creative originally laughed at the idea of the RK Bro tag team and it only came to fruition after Randy Orton himself pushed for it.

The Original Bro recently spoke to Johnny I Pro Show for an interview. He discussed things such as his favorite wrestlers growing up, why he hesitated in choosing pro wrestling as a career at first, and more.

The Birth of RK-Bro

Riddle’s team with WWE’s Apex Predator was easily the most entertaining part of his run. He was asked how this pairing originally came about.

The former WWE star revealed that Randy Orton pushed for doing more work with Matt Riddle after they had a singles match during the March 19, 2021 episode of Monday Night Raw:

“Randy was supposed to wrestle Braun Strowman one night and I was supposed to tag with Drew against Mace and T Bar you know when Retribution was still around.

I don’t know what happened but Randy and Braun didn’t end up wrestling and they switched Braun with me. So I got to wrestle Randy instead. After we worked Randy spoke very highly of me. He’s like ‘I want to do something else with him’ and they already had plans that we tag.”

Though the former WWE star also claimed that he got laughed at when he originally pitched the idea of teaming with The Legend Killer:

“Weeks before this I suggested we tag as RK Bro and the writing team just kinda laughed at me. Which most of my ideas they laugh and then like 2 weeks later they’ll be like ‘Hey I think we gotta do this’ and I’m like ‘Sounds awesome.’ I don’t even bring it up to them.”

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Matt Riddle first pitched the idea of a tag team to Randy Orton on the same episode of Raw where they locked horns for a singles match. Orton had originally dismissed the idea but he accepted the proposal after losing to Riddle in the bout.

RK Bro saw a lot of success and they had two reigns with the Raw Tag Team Championships in their 13-month-long run together. Their stint came to an abrupt end however as Riddle got released from his contract in September 2023, at a time when Orton was on the shelf rehabbing his back injury.