Battle Riot I

Battle Riot (sequentially known as Battle Riot I) was the first Battle Riot professional wrestling event produced by Major League Wrestling (MLW). It took place on July 19, 2018 at the Melrose Ballroom in New York, New York. The event aired as a special episode of MLW's television program Fusion on July 27 on beIN Sports.[1]

Battle Riot I
PromotionMajor League Wrestling
DateJuly 19, 2018
(aired July 27, 2018)
CityNew York, New York
VenueMelrose Ballroom
Event chronology
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Battle Riot chronology
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II
MLW Fusion special episodes chronology
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Eleven matches took place at the event with three matches airing at the Battle Riot special on July 27 while other matches were taped for future episodes of Fusion. The main event was the first-ever 40-man Battle Riot match, with the winner earning a future title shot for the World Heavyweight Championship. Tom Lawlor won the match. The event also featured a match between Maxwell Jacob Friedman and Joey Ryan to determine the inaugural World Middleweight Championship.[2][3]

Production

Background

In July 2017, Major League Wrestling resumed promoting events for the first time since the promotion's original closure in 2004. The success of these events lead MLW to secure a television deal with beIN Sports for a new program, MLW Fusion, which debuted on April 20, 2018.[4][5]

On May 7, 2018, MLW announced that it would hold an event at the Melrose Ballroom in New York, New York on July 19 which would be a television taping of Fusion, marking the return of MLW to New York after 2002.[6] On May 31, MLW announced that the first-ever 40-man Battle Riot match would take place at the event and the event was named "Battle Riot" after the match. The Battle Riot match is a hybrid of WWE's Royal Rumble and Money in the Bank, where 40 participants participate and a new participant enters the match at every 60 seconds and eliminations occur by pinfall, submission or throwing over the top rope and the winner will be awarded a MLW World Heavyweight Championship opportunity at any place and time of his choosing.[7][8] It was announced that Battle Riot would air as MLW's first two-hour television special on July 27 on beIN Sports.[9]

Storylines

The card consisted of matches that resulted from scripted storylines, where wrestlers portrayed villains, heroes, or less distinguishable characters in scripted events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches, with results predetermined by MLW's writers. Storylines were played out on MLW's television program Fusion.[10]

On June 12, MLW announced that the first-ever Battle Riot match would take place at the namesake event on July 19 and John Hennigan, Kevin Sullivan, ACH and Davey Boy Smith, Jr. were announced as the first four participants of the match.[11] In the upcoming weeks, more participants were added into the match including Pentagon, Jr., Barrington Hughes, Jake Hager, Jimmy Yuta,[12] PCO,[13] Lance Anoa'i,[14] Swoggle,[15] Konnan,[16] Sami Callihan, Joey Ryan, Jason Cade,[17] Tom Lawlor,[18] Jimmy Havoc, Brody King, Low Ki, Headshrinker Samu, Rey Fenix,[19] Maxwell Jacob Friedman, Homicide, Simon Gotch, Vandal Ortagun, Leo Brien and Michael Patrick.[20]

On June 28, MLW announced that the first-ever World Middleweight Champion would be crowned in a match between Maxwell Jacob Friedman and Joey Ryan at Battle Riot.[21]

On July 16, MLW announced that Myron Reed would be making his MLW debut at Battle Riot against Kotto Brazil.[22]

Event
Tom Lawlor was the winner of the inaugural Battle Riot match.

The first match that aired at Battle Riot took place between Kotto Brazil and Myron Reed. Brazil executed a running backflip three-quarter facelock inverted DDT for the win.

Next, Maxwell Jacob Friedman and Joey Ryan competed in a match for the new MLW World Middleweight Championship. MJF poked Ryan in the eyes and nailed a shoulderbreaker to win the match and become the inaugural World Middleweight Champion.

The main event was the inaugural 40-man Battle Riot match, where eliminations would occur by pinfall, submission or tossing the competitor over the top rope and the winner would be earning a future MLW World Heavyweight Championship opportunity. Pentagon, Jr. and Rey Fenix competed as the first two entrants of the match. Jimmy Havoc entered the match last at #40. Tom Lawlor (#5), Sami Callihan (#30), Jake Hager (#38) and John Hennigan (#40) were the last four participants. Lawlor choked out Callihan to eliminate him and Hager tossed Morrison over the top rope which led to Lawlor and Hager becoming the final two participants of the match. Lawlor eliminated Hager by tossing him over the top rope to win the Battle Riot.

Aftermath

The feud between Team Filthy and Stud Stable which had begun before Battle Riot escalated due to Tom Lawlor's elimination of Jake Hager to win the Battle Riot. Hager defeated Team Filthy member Simon Gotch on the August 3 episode of Fusion.[23] On the August 17 episode of Fusion, Lawlor challenged Hager to a match in the Jungle MMA Gym but Stud Stable manager Col. Robert Parker instead put Parrow in the match, whom Lawlor defeated.[24] On the August 31 episode of Fusion, Lawlor defeated Hager to end the feud.[25] As a result of winning the Battle Riot, Lawlor announced on the October 19 episode of Fusion that he would cash in for his World Heavyweight Championship title shot against Low Ki at SuperFight on February 2, 2019,[26][27] which Lawlor would win.[28]

The feud between MJF and Joey Ryan continued after Battle Riot as the team of MJF and Aria Blake defeated Ryan and the debuting Taya Valkyrie in a mixed tag team match on the September 21 episode of Fusion.[29]

Results
No. Results Stipulations
1FUS Fred Yehi defeated Richard Holliday Singles match
2 Kotto Brazil defeated Myron Reed Singles match
3FUS Jake Hager (with Col. Robert Parker and The Dirty Blondes) defeated Simon Gotch (with Fred Yehi and Tom Lawlor) Singles match
4FUS Jimmy Havoc defeated Brody King Singles match
5FUS Lucha Brothers (Pentagón Jr. and Rey Fenix) (c) defeated Drago and Rey Horus Tag team match for the MLW World Tag Team Championship
6FUS PCO defeated Homicide Singles match
7 Maxwell Jacob Friedman defeated Joey Ryan Singles match for the vacant MLW World Middleweight Championship
8FUS Sami Callihan (with The Death Machines) defeated Shane Strickland Singles match
9FUS Davey Boy Smith Jr. and Teddy Hart (with Brian Pillman Jr.) defeated ACH and Rich Swann Tag team match
10FUS Low Ki (c) defeated John Hennigan Singles match for the MLW World Heavyweight Championship
11 Tom Lawlor won by last eliminating Jake Hager 40-man Battle Riot match for a future MLW World Heavyweight Championship match
  • (c) – refers to the champion(s) heading into the match
  • FUS – indicates the match was taped for broadcast on a future episode of Fusion

Battle Riot match entrances and eliminations
Draw Entrant Order[30] Eliminated by[30] Method of elimination[30] Elimination(s)
1Pentagon Jr.11Fallah BahhOver the top rope1
2Rey Fenix10Fallah BahhOver the top rope2
3Brody King1Tom LawlorSubmission0
4Kenny Doane5Barrington HughesPinfall0
5Tom Lawlor–Winner–10
6Lance Anoa'i6Barrington HughesPinfall1
7Rey Horus13Barrington HughesOver the top rope0
8Kevin Sullivan2Tom LawlorSubmission0
9Fallah Bahh9Pentagon Jr. and Rey FenixOver the top rope2
10Swoggle4Tom LawlorSubmission0
11Headshrinker Samu3Lance Anoa'iOver the top rope0
12ACH7Rey FenixPinfall0
13Konnan8Barrington HughesPinfall0
14Barrington Hughes18Jason Cade, Jimmy Yuta and Richard HollidayOver the top rope8
15Jimmy Yuta15Barrington HughesOver the top rope1
16Kotto Brazil12Tom LawlorPinfall1
17Richard Holliday17Barrington HughesOver the top rope1
18Fred Yehi16Barrington HughesOver the top rope0
19Jason Cade14Barrington HughesOver the top rope1
20Teddy Hart19HimselfOver the top rope0
21Vandal Ortagun20Tom LawlorSubmission0
22Mikey Mondo21Tom LawlorSubmission0
23PCO24Tom Lawlor and Simon GotchOver the top rope0
24L.A. Smooth22PCOOver the top rope0
25Simon Gotch31Jake HagerOver the top rope2
26Homicide25Sami Callihan and Michael PatrickOver the top rope1
27Davey Boy Smith Jr.26Sawyer Fulton and Leon ScottOver the top rope0
28The Blue Meanie23HomicideOver the top rope0
29Michael Patrick30John HenniganOver the top rope1
30Jake Hager39Tom LawlorOver the top rope3
31Sami Callihan37Tom LawlorOver the top rope2
32Sawyer Fulton34John HenniganPinfall1
33Shane Strickland36Sami CallihanOver the top rope2
34Leon Scott29Jake HagerOver the top rope1
35Drago32Jimmy HavocOver the top rope0
36Leo Bryan33Shane StricklandOver the top rope0
37Joey Ryan28Simon GotchOver the top rope0
38Maxwell Jacob Friedman27Tom LawlorOver the top rope0
39John Hennigan38Jake HagerOver the top rope0
40Jimmy Havoc35Shane StricklandOver the top rope1

References
  1. "7/27 MLW FUSION TV REPORT: Special "Battle Riot" episode with Konnan, Teddy Hart, Davey Boy Jr, Swoggle, Fenix, ACH, Lawlor, Hennigan, Sami, Strickland, Pentagon Jr., Hager, -". 30 July 2018.
  2. "MLW Battle Riot results: Tom Lawlor stands tall in 40-man match". WON/F4W - WWE news, Pro Wrestling News, WWE Results, UFC News, UFC results. 29 July 2018.
  3. "MLW Battle Riot spoilers: 40-man match, Rich Swann injured". WON/F4W - WWE news, Pro Wrestling News, WWE Results, UFC News, UFC results. 20 July 2018.
  4. "EVENTS". 17 April 2017.
  5. "How to watch MLW Fusion on beIN SPORTS starting this Friday". 18 April 2018.
  6. "MLW IS COMING TO NYC JULY 19". Major League Wrestling. May 7, 2018. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  7. "FIRST-EVER BATTLE RIOT TO MAIN EVENT MLW'S JULY 19TH NYC CARD". Major League Wrestling. May 31, 2018. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  8. "MLW Battle Riot 2018". 29 July 2018.
  9. Barrasso, Justin. "Major League Wrestling network special set for beIN Sports". SI.com.
  10. Grabianowski, Ed. "How Pro Wrestling Works". HowStuffWorks. Discovery Communications. Archived from the original on November 18, 2013. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
  11. "FIRST BATTLE RIOT PARTICIPANTS ANNOUNCED". Major League Wrestling. June 12, 2018. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  12. "PENTAGON JR., HUGHES, HAGER AND YUTA ADDED TO BATTLE RIOT". Major League Wrestling. June 18, 2018. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  13. "PCO TO RUMBLE IN BATTLE RIOT". Major League Wrestling. June 19, 2018. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  14. "LANCE ANOA'I ENTERS THE BATTLE RIOT". Major League Wrestling. June 19, 2018. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  15. "SWOGGLE ENTERS THE BATTLE RIOT!". Major League Wrestling. June 21, 2018. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  16. "KONNAN ENTERS THE BATTLE RIOT". Major League Wrestling. June 22, 2018. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  17. "SAMI CALLIHAN, JOEY RYAN AND JASON CADE ENTER THE BATTLE RIOT". Major League Wrestling. June 23, 2018. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  18. "TOM LAWLOR WILL RUMBLE IN THE BATTLE RIOT". Major League Wrestling. June 25, 2018. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  19. "JIMMY HAVOC, BRODY KING, LOW KI, HEAD SHRINKER SAMU AND REY FENIX JOIN BATTLE RIOT". Major League Wrestling. June 29, 2018. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  20. "5 NEW ENTRANTS ANNOUNCED FOR THE BATTLE RIOT". Major League Wrestling. July 9, 2018. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  21. "WORLD MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP TO BE CROWNED IN NYC JULY 19TH: JOEY RYAN VS. MJF". Major League Wrestling. June 28, 2018. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  22. "KOTTO BRAZIL GRAPPLES WITH DEBUTING MYRON REED THURSDAY IN NYC". Major League Wrestling. July 16, 2018. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  23. "FUSION RECAP – AUGUST 3, 2018". Major League Wrestling. August 4, 2018. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  24. "FUSION RECAP – AUGUST 17, 2018". Major League Wrestling. August 17, 2018. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  25. "FUSION RECAP – AUGUST 31, 2018". Major League Wrestling. August 31, 2018. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  26. "FUSION RECAP – OCTOBER 19, 2018". Major League Wrestling. October 19, 2018. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  27. "LOW KI, LAWLOR SET FOR BATTLE". Major League Wrestling. January 28, 2019. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  28. "BREAKING – LAWLOR DEFEATS LOW KI FOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP". Major League Wrestling. February 2, 2019. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  29. "FUSION RECAP – SEPT. 21, 2018". Major League Wrestling. September 21, 2018. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
  30. "BATTLE RIOT TV SPECIAL RECAP". Major League Wrestling. July 27, 2018. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
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