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| (Image Source: PWMania.com) |
As stated in interviews on The New York Post and Sports Illustrated, MLW founder Court Bauer stated that the league does not consider doing empty arena shows and is likely to resume its forthcoming events once the spread of the coronavirus is decreased. Its stand to the resumption of the shows that are rescheduled to later dates due to the threat of the pandemic makes a strong sense that MLW is putting its focus the most on the safety of its athletes, crew and fans considering that the pandemic has not only mandated people to stay at home and practice social distancing when going outside, but also strictly prohibited huge mass gatherings while the virus is at large.
Fortunately, what keeps MLW going throughout the course of the pandemic is the revenue generating from sales on its official online store MLWShop.com as well as its sleuth of international broadcast deals with BeIN Sports, FreeSport, Ego Total and Fight Klub Poland among others. On the other hand, to keep its self-isolated fans entertained during the pandemic, MLW delivered intriguing content from its archives through MLW Anthology chronicling some of the league's finest and greatest names throughout its history such as Low Ki, LA Park, The Extreme Horsemen and The Lucha Brothers. Then there is the weekly digital short series Pulp Fusion featuring the league's roster of current stars including Mance Warner, Injustice, Alexander Hammerstone, and Salina Dela Renta.
Apart from maintaining the safety of its athletes and fans, MLW has also exerted its own efforts in the internal side to keep itself resilient and June was interestingly its best month when it comes to internal focus. The league has locked in new deals for Richard Holliday and its current National Openweight Champion Alexander Hammerstone and continues to sign in new talent such as Calvin Tankman. The league has also secured a deal with US combat sports streaming service DAZN that is set to deliver MLW's brand of professional wrestling to more than eight million subcribers. But it is only the beginning as MLW hopes to reach more countries across the globe through international broadcast deals. It also strives to focus more on the action upon resumption of live events, more particularly its highly-anticipated women's division.
Since its prodigal return back in mid-2017, MLW has been keen in fielding potential talent such as Maxwell Jacob Friedman, Matt Riddle, Jeff Cobb and Shane Strickland leading to a World Heavyweight Championship tournament back in 2018. Among the league's talents that has exerted success are Davey Boy Smith Jr., the inaugural MLW Opera Cup winner, and former World Heavyweight Champion "Filthy" Tom Lawlor who has competed in New Japan Pro Wrestling's Collision series. These efforts as well as its resiliency amidst challenging times has impressed me and, without question or doubt, happen to be the best reason why MLW is one of my favorite professional wrestling leagues to indulge on. Knowing that its unique patient approach will be worth the wait in the end, MLW will continue to break through the disruptions and challenges within the industry under the guidance and leadership of Court Bauer and is set to change the landscape of combat sports in the foreseeable future.
Binge-watch all episodes of Major League Wrestling Fusion and MLW Anthology and catch up with your favorite MLW stars on Pulp Fusion on MLW's official YouTube channel. For news and updates on MLW and its athletes and live events, visit www.MLW.com, @MajorLeagueWrestling on Facebook and Instagram and @MLW on Twitter.
