By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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MLW “Battle Riot VII”
Long Beach, California at Thunder Studios Arena
Streamed live April 5, 2025 on the MLW’s YouTube Page
This show aired live and free on their YouTube page. Lighting is really good but the volume was surprisingly low.
* Jesus Rodriguez was in the ring as the show began, and he introduced Cesar Duran, who said this is his “homecoming.” He talked about being president of MLW. He introduced MLW’s latest signing, Alex Hammerstone. He’s back! (Hey, in my last review, I suggested him among about six former MLW guys that should return for this show.) The volume just KICKED IN so I gotta now turn this down! Hammerstone said he’s back to win the Battle Riot and reclaim his title. We finally hear and see Joe Dombrowski on commentary, and tonight, he’s joined by Austin Aries on commentary. Interesting. Aries called himself “the greatest color man who ever lived.” (Where is Christian Cole?) This is a small arena, and Dombrowski said it’s a sellout at just over 2,000 fans in attendance. (That seems high based on what I am seeing; it doesn’t look like 500 per side.)
1. Barbaro Cavernario, Magnus, and Ultimo Guerrero vs. Star Jr., Atlantis, and Atlantis Jr. Magnus wore a gold mask today. Star Jr. is now unmasked! He looks like a rocker with his long, flowing hair. Atlantis Jr. and Guerrero opened with some quick lucha reversals with Atlantis Jr. hitting a dropkick. Barbaro dragged AJr to the floor and they brawled. The rudos worked over Star Jr., then they tied up Atlantis and started to untie his mask at 3:00. UG nearly had it off! Dombrowski just said Mistico is here but not medically cleared. Barbaro applied a half-crab on Atlantis Jr. Atlantis got in and hit a double armdrag at 6:30.
The rudos bailed to the floor to regroup. In the ring, Star Jr. and Cavernario traded reversals. UG backed Star Jr. into a corner and hit some hard chops at 9:00. Star Jr. hit a clothesline. Atlantis tagged back in and battled Magnus, and he kept pushing the rudos into each other. Atlantis hit a dive off the apron to the floor. Star Jr. hit a top-rope flip dive to the floor. In the ring, Atlantis Jr. hit a powerslam on Magnus, then a frogsplash, for the pin. Fun lucha match. Dombrowski said all six guys will be in the Battle Riot later.
Star Jr., Atlantis, and Atlantis Jr. defeated Barbaro Cavernario, Magnus, and Ultimo Guerrero at 11:48.
* A video montage aired, showing Eric Bischoff ordering Matt Riddle to put his MLW title on the line in the Battle Riot.
2. Janai Kai vs. Himawari. I haven’t seen Himawari before; she wore mostly black and yellow top and bottom and she’s comparable to Maki Itoh. Kai tied up the left arm and they had a standoff. Himawari whipped Janai with a braid at 1:30. Janai unloaded some kicks, then some bodyslams for a nearfall. She unloaded some stiff kicks to the spine for a nearfall at 3:30, and she locked in a Demon Clutch, but Himawari powered out, and she hit a dropkick.
Himawari whipped Janai some more with her braids. Aries questioned the legality of this. Janai hit a uranage for a believable nearfall. Himawari hit a running Blockbuster at 6:30, and she applied a half-crab. Janai nailed her with a leaping roundhouse kick and scored the pin. Decent; I thought that was going to be a squash.
Janai Kai defeated Himawari at 7:24.
* Mads “Krule” Krugger was backstage, and he’s focused on Matt Riddle, too!
* Back to the arena, Saint Laurent was in the ring and he was heavily booed. His left arm was in a sling. Matt Riddle and Tom Lawlor came to the ring, and Dombrowski said something fishy was going on. Riddle said it’s a big night for MLW and for him. Riddle said we don’t know who is all going to be in the Battle Riot, so he started listing off some actors who could be in the match. Laurent struck Lawlor, and his arm is fine. Donovan Dijak jumped in the ring and he stomped on Riddle. Bishop Dyer (f/k/a Baron Corbin!) jumped in the ring and hitt Riddle with a chair, and he was working with Dijak! Some security guards got in the ring, but Dijak and Dyer beat them all up. Aries said these are the dumbest security guards he’s ever seen. Good segment.
* Backstage, Paul Walter Hauser, Mr. Thomas and Paul London confronted the Rogue Horsemen. Alex Kane walked up, so each side had four guys. Any cool factor the Bomaye Fight Club may have had immediately vanishes when they are hanging out with this dork.
* Back to the arena, we see Mistico sitting in the front row next to Salina De La Renta. Again, Mistico is not cleared to wrestle, so his singles match is off. Dombrowski said they have set a box office record tonight, and they are coming back here in October.
3. Esfinge vs. Hechicero vs. Templario. Templario pulled a sword out of a stone on the stage; he’s in red gear tonight. They took turns hitting shoulder tackles and clotheslines and armdrags and had a standoff at 1:00, and we got a “lucha!” chant. Esfinge hit a top-rope crossbody block on Templario and a big monkeyflip. Templario caught him with a superkick under the jaw. Hechicero got back into the ring and fought Templario, and they all went for pins. Templario hit a pop-up dropkick at 4:00. Esfinge dove to the floor on both.
In the ring, he hit a huracanrana on Templario and an armdrag on Hechicero, then a powerslam on Templario for a nearfall. Hechicero backed Esfinge into a corner and repeatedly hit punches to the gut. Templario hit a headscissors takedown on Hechicero. He hit a dive to the floor on Esfinge at 6:30. Templario hit a Go To Sleep on Esfinge, but Hechicero immediately grabbed Templario and tied him up, rolled him around the mat, and got a nearfall.
Hechicero applied a cross-armbreaker, but Esfinge hit a frogsplash to break it up at 9:30. Templario tied up Hechicero’s arms behind his back, leaned backwards for added pressure, and Hechicero tapped out! (Templario is No. 1 contender; he wasn’t losing here.) Really good lucha action.
Templario defeated Esfinge and Hechicero at 9:51.
* Dombrowski walked over to interview Duran and Mistico. Duran said Mistico will be out for a few more weeks. Mistico spoke on the mic and it appears he was giving the belt to Duran. However, Ikuro Kwon ran up and stole the belt. (I had to rewind it, and I’m still not 100% sure it was Kwon. Joe didn’t bother to say the name of who it was.)
* Something aired on the screen showing a close-up of bullets and a bottle of beer or pop; I have no idea who that is for…
4. Delmi Exo vs. Shoko Nakajima for the MLW Featherweight Title. Shoko came out in front of tiny, toy buildings that she stomped on (it made her look like Godzilla). Delmi has a serious height and overall size advantage, and she easily shoved Shoko into the corner. Dombrowski said that Riddle may have broken ribs from the assault earlier. Right on cue, Joe said that Shoko is only 4’10”. She did a slingshot to snap Delmi’s throat on the bottom rope at 1:30, then she hit a slingshot senton for a nearfall.
Delmi hit a discus clothesline for a nearfall, and she tied Shoko up on the mat, then she hit a delayed vertical suplex for a nearfall at 3:30. She hit a top-rope missile dropkick for a nearfall. (I want to point out that Aries is really focused on the match and adding good insight. Until now, he’s been more of a heel, justifying the heels’ actions.) Shoko hit a double-jump huracanrana, then a flip dive to the floor at 5:30.
Back in the ring, Delmi hit a running stunner (I thought she was going for a Pounce!) Exo dropped her over her knee a couple of times. Delmi set up for a Package Piledriver, but Shoko escaped and got a rollup for a nearfall. Shoko hit a 619 at 8:30 and was fired up, hitting a double-arm DDT. Shoko hit a top-rope senton splash for the pin! New champion! I didn’t expect that! They got a lot of offense in for a match that short.
Shoko Nakajima defeated Delmi Exo to win the MLW Featherweight Title at 9:15.
* We heard the rules for Battle Riot. No DQs, and weapons are legal! Entrants come out every 60 seconds, so in theory, everyone will be in the ring by 38:00. Also, pinfalls can lead to an elimination.
5. The 40-person Battle Riot. Starting off are Alex Hammerstone and Raj Dhesi (f/k/a Jinder Mahal). A nice pop for the surprise appearance of Dhesi; Dombrowski confirmed this was his debut. Atlantis Jr. was No. 3. Virus was No. 4; I always compare him to WCW’s El Dandy. Jesus Rodriguez was No. 5 at 3:30. No eliminations yet. Star Jr. drew No. 6. Esfinge was no. 7 at 6:00; Aries said these guys who have already wrestled are at a big disadvantage. Hammerstone did a tower spot out of the corner, and Dhesi pinned Virus! Ikuro Kwon entered the ring at No. 8. Barbaro Cavernario was No. 9 at 9:00. Blue Panther was No. 10; he might be 70!
Magnus was No. 11 at 12:30. A pinfall was broken up; Joe pointed out that was a bad idea. Atlantis Jr. was tossed; that seems awfully early for him. Juicy Finau was No. 12 and he got a pop; he looks like he’s trimmed down, too! Joe said someone has tapped out. Finau is still a BIG man and he hit some shoulder blocks. Hammerstone tossed three luchadores. Ultimo Guerrero was No. 13.; I am counting seven in the ring. UG hit a delayed vertical suplex on Dhesi that popped the crowd. Atlantis was No. 14 at 17:00 so we are falling behind pace. Hechicero was No. 15.
Okumura was No. 16; I think we have 10 in the ring. Atlantis and Blue Panther shoved each other; Dombrowski said they were top rivals in 1991! Atlantis tapped out to a submission hold. The tiny Ariel Dominguez was No. 17, and Joe reminded us he once was in Battle Riot for just 13 seconds. Blue Panther hit a huracanrana on Ultimo Guerrero that POPPED the crowd. Mr. Thomas was No. 18 at 24:00. Ultimo Guerrero was tossed. Mr. Thomas tossed Okumura. He tossed Ariel onto several guys ont he floor. Blue Panther was pinned and the crowd booed. We had eliminations right and left! Hammerstone tossed Dhesi and just like that, only Hammerstone and Mr. Thomas are left!!!!!
Journey Fatu was No. 19; I haven’t seen him in ages; he is the brother of Jacob Fatu. Bobby Fish was No. 20 at 28:00 and he fought with Mr. Thomas, who has been hiding on the floor, so he didn’t even get in the ring. CW Anderson drew No. 21 and he brought a crowbar. “Finally, someone brought a weapon!” Aries said. CW and Fish fought Mr. Thomas on the floor. Chris Adonis was No. 22 at 30:30; that’s a nice surprise. (We have six guys in but three are on the floor). Hammerstone tossed Journey Fatu, so he now squared off with Adonis, and they did a posedown before fighting.
Adonis went for the Masterlock and the crowd popped, but Hammerstone fought it off. Paul Walter Hauser was No. 23 at 32:30. “Not this guy!” Aries said, turning babyface in my eyes. Hauser had a shopping cart filled with weapons and he tossed several of them into the ring. Team Bomaye and the Rogue Horsemen are still fighting on the floor! Brett Ryan Gosselin, another Rogue Horsemen member, drew no. 24. Mr. Thomas threw BRG into the ring and hit him with a kendo stick! Hauser was already busted open. Everyone is in the ring now; I am seeing seven. Matt Riddle was No. 25 at 36:00, and his ribs are heavily taped from the assault earlier.
Dombrowski just said “Hammerstone is about to pass 25 minutes” (he’s more than 10 minutes off!) Brock Anderson was No. 26. Mr. Thomas was tossed by Riddle! I am seeing eight guys. BRG stomped on Riddle’s ribs. Paul London was No. 27 at 39:00 (everyone should be in the ring by now!) “Is he wearing a jumpsuit?” Aries mockingly asked of London’s ‘gear.’ Riddle tossed Chris Adonis. Hauser tossed a chair at Brock that hilariously came up short. Alex Kane drew No. 28. CW is out. Hauser is out. (Yay!) Dombrowski just said “we’re 27 minutes deep,” so he isn’t looking at a stopwatch.
Kane hit a German Suplex on Hammerstone and they fought. Matthew Justice drew No. 29 at 42:00 and he brought a ladder to the ring! The Rogue Horsemen and Bomaye guys who have been tossed are still at ringside, so I’m not even sure who is all eliminated, but there are five in the ring. Brock was bleeding HEAVILY. Satoshi Kojima was No. 30 at 44:00. Hammerstone got a nearfall on Kane. Justice fell off the apron and into the shopping cart, and he got back in. BRG was tossed. Bishop Dyer was No. 31. The Rogue Horsement were still fighting at ringside; I don’t know if Bobby Fish has yet to be in the ring.
London was tossed. Dyer tossed Kane at 47:30! We have five in the ring. Kushida was No. 32. Hauser was beating up BRG on the floor (stealing the spotlight from the guys in the match, of course.) Shane Haste was No. 33 at 49:30; this was his MLW debut. Hauser dove off the ladder onto BRG on a table on the floor, with them crashing through it. “He knows he’s not in the match anymore, right Dombrowski?” Aries said. Mads “Krule” Krugger was No. 34 and he has a chainsaw! Justice hit Krule with a kendo stick . The other eight or so guys cowered against the far rope, as Krule slammed Justice through a table at ringside to eliminate him at 52:30. Riddle grabbed the chainsaw and tossed it out of the ring.
I am seeing seven in the ring. Riddle tossed Hammerstone! He was in for about 53 minutes. WOW. Tom Lawlor was No. 35; there are seven in the ring, and I think most of them are viable winners. Donovan Dijak drew No. 36 at 56:00. Saint Laurent joined commentary. Anthony Greene was No. 37 and Dombrowski talked up Greene’s accolades in NOAH and a recent tour in India. Haste was tossed at 58:00. Kushida was tossed. Titus Alexander was No. 38! That’s a good choice! He hit a dropkick on Greene. He hit a Lethal Injection on Lawlor. Krule tossed Kojima, and he brawled with Dijak.
We have seven in the ring. Dr. Dax, a masked 300-pounder got in at No. 39; Dombrowski said he was surprised he was out of prison. Riddle tossed this guy immediately! Greene was tossed. Lawlor was tossed!!! Dyer tossed Titus Alexander. The crowd POPPED as Rob Van Dam drew No. 40 at 62:00. We have just FIVE left as RVD entered the match and hit some spin kicks on Dijak. (RVD, Riddle, Krule, Dijak, Dyer are left). RVD and Riddle hit a double clothesline to send Krule over the top rope to the floor, and we’re down to four!
RVD tossed Dyer. Dijak also flew over the top rope, and just like that, it’s RVD vs. Riddle and did a “too sweet” (light up a joint?) hand signal, then they traded forearm strikes. Riddle hit a fisherman’s suplex. RVD hit a sliding guillotine leg drop and the Rolling Thunder senton at 66:00. RVD went to the top rope for a Five-Star Frog Splash, but Riddle pushed him off to the floor to win! (I want video proof that Bobby Fish was ever in this match and was eliminated!) A very well-booked Rumble.
Matt Riddle won the 40-Man Battle Riot to retain the MLW World Title at 1:06:31.
Final Thoughts: I thought the last live MLW show was really good, but the taped episode that aired a few weeks later was flat. This was really, really good. I thought that was a well-booked Rumble. I enjoyed how Hammerstone suddenly cleared almost everyone mid-match and we basically started over. Some nice surprises too: Hammerstone, RVD, Dhesi, and Adonis.
I love the idea of them using both Anthony Greene and Titus Alexander; if no one else wants to put Titus under contract, MLW definitely should. (I just posted on Twitter literally yesterday that he is my top indy wrestler over the past year who isn’t signed.) Okay, I didn’t like how long that Bomaye-Rogue Horsemen fight on the floor kept going and going. As I’ve noted before — like super sweaty Shane-O-Mac — Paul Walter Hauser is hitting a big bump and looking invincible.
The undercard was fine. Too bad about the Mistico injury, and it telegraphed that Templario was winning his new match. A long show, as they never got close to entrances in 60-second intervals, but it was fun.
Holy cow, man, tell us you’re on the payroll without telling us you’re on the payroll. That was one of the absolute worst wrestling shows I have ever seen in my life. On a big, free show to get more eyeballs, not a single MLW talent was elevated. It was a complete failure, the camera work was horrendous. When is the last time you watched wrestlers blade on the way to the locker room? When is the last time you saw guys come to the ring only to brawl with people already eliminated? That show was garbage.