By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
Major League Wrestling “Kings of Colosseum”
January 11, 2025 in North Richland Hills, Texas at NYTEX Sports Centre
Streamed on MLW YouTube
Joe Dombrowski and Christian Cole provided commentary. Lighting is good, and Joe said they are sold out with 2,400 fans here. I can’t see them all, but it’s clearly a good crowd.
* The show opened with a video package where we heard from Satoshi Kojima and Matt Riddle about their main event match later tonight. This was really well done.
* Kevin Knight came out, but he was attacked by Brock Anderson and CW Anderson. So, Mr. Thomas replaced Knight in our opening match.
1. Mr. Thomas vs. Brett Ryan Gosselin vs. Akira vs. Matthew Justice vs. Krule in a Gravity Gamble ladder match. There are five briefcases hanging above the ring. (NO, it’s not a Feast or Fired match!) Mr. Thomas ran up a ladder that was leaning against the ropes and hit a flip dive onto several guys on the floor! I didn’t expect that! BRG and Akira battled on top of a ladder. Akira opened a briefcase. (If there is a title shot in it, the match is over. So, of course there is not!) Instead, there was a staple gun in it, and he used it on each opponent. Akira tied BRG in the Paradise Lock. Justice put a chair over Krule’s head, and hit him with another chair.
Justice pulled down a second briefcase at 5:30, and this one had barbed wire in it. Cole said Kevin Knight is “headed to a local hospital.” (Will he be back later tonight? Or at the taping that follows?) Krule and BRG fought on top of a ladder. BRG got pushed onto a horizontal ladder. Akira hit a senton onto BRG at 9:00. In an insane spot, Justice speared Mr. Thomas off the ladder, and Thomas fell backwards onto a table lying in the corner! Krule opened another briefcase that had a bag of thumbtacks in it, and he dumped them on Akira. Justice and Akira hit a team suplex off the ladder on Krule, and all three fell onto the thumbtacks at 11:00! The crowd was really into this.
BRG and Mr. Thomas now fought on the ladder. CW and Brock returned and attacked Mr. Thomas! BRG pulled open a briefcase at 13:30 but it was empty! (Who would have believed the title shot was in the last briefcase?) Mr. Thomas powerbombed BRG onto a table, and we got a “This is awesome!” chant. (The picture was lost briefly here; the match was continuing as we could here Joe and Christian. It was a blackout for maybe 30 seconds.) Justice hit several guys with chairs, then a Death Valley Driver on Krule through a horizontal ladder at 17:00. Akira hit a German Suplex on Krule onto a ladder. Justice climbed the ladder, but Krule tipped it, and Justice fell onto two tables set up on the floor! Krule and Akira fought on the top of the ladder, but Krule shoved him to the mat. Krule then opened the final briefcase, which had the contract in it.
Krule defeated Mr. Thomas, Akira, Matthew Justice and Brett Ryan Gosselin in a Gravity Gamble ladder match to earn a shot at the MLW Championship at 19:24.
* More backstage telenovela stuff with Cesar Duran and Salina De La Renta. This is the worst storyline ongoing in pro wrestling today. Salina’s baby-daddy is missing! Salina is not winning any daytime Emmys with this acting, though.
* We saw Matt Riddle and Tom Lawlor arriving earlier today, then we saw Satoshi Kojima and Okumura arriving.
* A commercial aired for “Superfight 6” in Atlanta on Feb. 8.
2. Atlantis Jr. and Atlantis vs. Dark Panther and Blue Panther. Dombrowski said Blue Panther has 45 years in the ring, and Atlantis has 41 years! Dark Panther is the youngest son of Blue Panther. (Blue Panther removed his mask upon getting in the ring; yeah he has to be in his late 60s.) Atlantis Jr. and Dark Panther traded quick lucha reversals to open, while the commentators… talked about Salina De La Renta and her baby-daddy? Ugh. The vets got in and traded standing switches; Joe talked about a match they had in 1991. Wow. The younger duo of Dark Panther and Atlantis Jr. fought on the floor.
Atlantis Jr. hit a top-rope crossbody block in the ring. He hit a spin kick on Dark Panther at 7:00. The elderly guys got in and this is just sad to watch. I can’t pretend it’s entertaining. Atlantis Jr. hit a powerslam on Dark Panther, then a frogsplash. He hit a second frogsplash for the pin. They should have just let the young guys have a singles match.
Atlantis and Atlantis Jr. defeated Blue Panther and Dark Panther at 9:07.
3. Janai Kai vs. Delmi Exo in a “hair vs. MLW Featherweight Title” match. Delmi wore her crown; she has LONG hair down to the small of her back, so how much might she lose, if she loses this match? They immediately traded punches at the bell, and they fought to the floor. Janai hit a hard kick, then a spin kick to the chest. They got in the ring, but Kai flipped her off the corner to the mat at 2:30, then she hit a series of kicks to the spine. Janai hit a snap suplex. She pulled the hair out of Delmi’s head! Delmi responded with a superkick and a fisherman’s suplex for a nearfall at 5:30. Delmi nailed a package piledriver for a believable nearfall. Janai hit a roundhouse kick to the head for a nearfall. Janai applied a Dragon Sleeper, but Delmi escaped, hit a second package piledriver, and scored the pin! New champion! I guess she isn’t losing all that hair after all!
Delmi Exo defeated Janai Kai to win the MLW Featherweight Title at 7:10.
* Backstage, Matt Riddle talked to Tom Lawlor about the match tonight. Riddle said he came so close to winning last time.
4. Donovan Dijak (w/Saint Laurent) vs. Kenta. The crowd was loud and behind Kenta. Dijak kicked at Kenta’s left arm and focused on it early on. He nailed a Choke Bomb for a nearfall at 3:30. Kenta hit some open-hand slaps to the face. Kenta applied a Triangle Choke, and he turned it into a crossface at 6:30. Laurent jumped on the apron to distract the ref. Kenta hit a running knee for a nearfall. Dijak set up for Feast Your Eyes, but Kenta blocked it. Kenta hit Go To Sleep pop-up knee strike for a nearfall at 8:30, but Laurent pulled Dijak out of the ring! Kenta rolled to the floor and punched Laurent! As Kenta got back into the ring, he was hit by the discus Mafia Kick! Dijak then nailed Feast Your Eyes for the tainted pin! A very good match.
Donovan Dijak defeated Kenta at 9:27.
* Dombrowski interviewed Saint Laurent in the entrance area. Laurent said he has a huge victory celebration lined up. Dijak left.. and moments later, Tom Lawlor came out and grabbed Laurent! Security separated them.
* Salina De La Renta appeared in a backstage segment, making a plea for her baby-daddy, named Cristo, to be released. She watched a video of him being held captive! It indicated that Duran had a hand in this kidnapping. Shocking, right? “What did you do???” Salina yelled at Duran.
5. Mascara Dorada vs. Esfinge vs. Averno in a three-way. Dorada competed at Wrestle Dynasty in Japan a week ago. They all traded lucha reversals early on and had a stand-off at 1:30. Cole reiterated the crowd is 2,400 here. Dorado hit a flip off the top rope into an armdrag. Esfinge hit a stunner on Averno at 3:30 then a dive through the ropes onto him. In the ring, Averno hit a standing powerbomb for a nearfall. Esfinge hit a superplex on Averno for a nearfall. Dorada hit a 450 Splash for a believable nearfall. Averno hit a second-rope Angels Wings on Dorada for a believable nearfall at 8:00. They did a tower spot out of the corner, with Averno getting a nearfall. Dorada hit a top-rope Spanish Fly on Averno. Esfinge hit a Canadian Destroyer on Dorada, and all three were down.
Dorada hit an Asai Moonsault onto both opponents at 11:00. He hit a flip dive, but they caught him and slammed him onto the thin mat at ringside! In the ring, Esfinge missed a frogsplash. Averno immediately applied a leglock, and Esfinge tapped out! I didn’t expect that! Good lucha action here.
Averno defeated Esfinge and Mascara Dorada in a three-way at 11:45.
* In a backstage segment, Eric Bischoff talked about his appearance here last month. He addressed the MLW folder he was seen with last month. He said it is confidential! He has been collaborating with Court Bauer on ideas, and he’ll be back on Feb. 8!
* Back to the venue, Dombroski interviewed Paul Walter Hauser, whose 15 minutes of wrestling fame is long expired. Hauser said he’s a huge fan of wrestling and he took a cheap shot at Hulk Hogan (without saying his name) and the crowd booed at anything Hogan-related. (Maybe Hogan will get booed in Trump country after all!) CW and Brock Anderson came out. Brock spoke with a deep Southern drawl, and he told Hauser to leave MLW. “This ain’t your world, this ain’t your domain. Know your business,” Brock said. Hauser walked away. CW started to talk, but Hauser returned and hit him with a trash can. Alex Kane (who has been ‘fired’) and Mr. Thomas and Paul London brawled with the Andersons and BRG and Bobby Fish.Kane got on the mic and reminded us that Bomaye is for the people.
* The next show will air on YouTube on Jan. 23 (presumably with matches taped here tonight), including Mistico vs. Barbaro Cavernario. A video aired showing that Kushida is headed to MLW, too.
6. Satoshi Kojima vs. Matt Riddle for the MLW World Title. We had a ‘tale of the tape’ which I think is always a great idea. Standing switches to open. Riddle applied a leg lock around the neck as he was in the ropes at 3:00. Riddle hit some chops and a fisherman’s suplex for a nearfall. He hit a gut-wrench suplex for a nearfall. Kojima backed Riddle into a corner and hit his rapid-fire chops at 5:00, then a DDT. He couldn’t hit the Koji Cutter. Riddle fired back with an Exploder Suplex and a senton for a nearfall. Riddle tied up Kojima on the mat, and he applied a cross-armbreaker, but Kojima reached the ropes at 7:30.
Kojima hit a second-rope superplex, then he nailed the Koji Cutter (stunner) for a nearfall. Kojima hit a hard clothesline at 9:30, then a brainbuster for a nearfall. Riddle hit a running knee, a fisherman’s buster, and a top-rope corkscrew senton for a believable nearfall! Riddle hit his piledriver move and scored the pin! New champ! Honestly, that topped my expectations. Matt Riddle celebrated with the belt.
Matt Riddle defeated Satoshi Kojima to win the MLW World Title at 10:43.
* Tom Lawlor got in the ring and celebrated with Riddle. Riddle helped Kojima to his feet and they hugged.
Final Thoughts: A strong showing for MLW. Even if 2,400 is an exaggerated number (and I’m not saying it is!), it was a really good crowd. Satoshi-Riddle was wisely kept to the right length — it was energetic and fast-paced and probably as good as Kojima is going to look in 2025. The lucha three-way was good, and Kenta-Dijak was hard hitting.
Yes, the opening five-man ladder match reminded me of the awful Feast or Fired matches. And just like those matches… the very last briefcase is the important one. (We never once had a briefcase reveal in TNA where the ‘pink slip’ was in the first two briefcases.) I wish that had just been a SINGLE briefcase instead of five… because those five guys had a WAR. Mr. Thomas took a big flip early, then a big bump late in the match. My biggest complaint is the continued use of older or uninteresting guys like Blue Panther, Atlantis, CW Anderson and Hauser, and of course, the Salina De La Renta telenovela, which really is now existing in an alternate universe, as nothing that happens there is happening in front of the live crowd.
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