Prior to Battle Riot starting, Jesus Rodriguez introduced Cesar Duran to the stage with a very important message for his Renegades. A gift for the audience that, to me, was somewhat surprising to see him again after he left so abruptly. Alex Hammerstone. I saw his face briefly at AEW, I believe, or was it Impact? Nevertheless, he’s back wearing a mohawk now. Although, you could see and hear some excited fans in the crowd, others didn’t look too happy. Ha! Hammerstone didn’t only come back to hear his name being chanting, but to win the World Heavyweight Championship.

Barbaro Cavernario, Ultimo Guerrero & Magnus vs. Atlantis, Atlantis Jr. & Star Jr. – CMLL Trios match

Given how chaotic Lucha Libre tends to be, Magnus and Barbaro were doubling their efforts against Star Jr., kicking him outside the ring. Now, Atlantis Jr. got involved and caught easily by all three oppositions. Just as Magnus, Cavernario and Guerrero were about to remove Atlantis’ mask, Star Jr. quickly stepped in and was overwhelmed. The game was moving in favor of Cavernario’s team until Atlantis Jr. and Star Jr. were showing signs of life.

We’re seeing Atlantis Jr. at his best by taking down Cavernario first, followed by Magnus and Ultimo. The moment that Star came in, Barbaro was left reeling hard. That impressive neck breaker sent the wild man scattering. Magnus wasn’t much better versus Star since he fell flat, too. Ultimo saw that his partners were taken out, so he stepped in. A chopping war ensued and ended with Star on top.

Magnus, Ultimo and Cavernario were dominant for the most part, but during the final stretch, Atlantis Jr.’s high flying frog splash concluded the fight with them on the losing side.

Winners: Atlantis, Atlantis Jr. & Star Jr.

Janai Kai vs. Himawari

Himawari is making her debut at MLW in one the grandest entrances I’ve ever seen on this promotion. The music was so loud, I could actually hear it this time, but it made me dizzy. Whoever made it was high on stimulates. Dear God… Anyway, she looked very elated to be here, slightly forgetting who’ll be standing across from her in a matter of minutes.

Both women were jocking for position as they tried to apply force on the other’s arm in the early goings of the match. A bit of some ground wrestling surprised Kai since she didn’t expect Himawari to keep her down by the throat for as long as she has. Hima attempted to trip Janai, the Kick Demon got mad, so she shot an opposing glare before being dragged into a near fall by roll up.

After Himawari used her hair as a whip, the same way Bianca Belair does, it only encouraged Kai to wrap one of her challenger’s pigtails around the middle rope and proceed to kick her in the back repeatedly. Despite of the three body slams Kai performed on Hima, it wasn’t sufficient to win. Himawari continued to hold her own regardless of the agony she was in. She was fading in the Demon Clutch, but she managed to make multiple comebacks.

Himawari caught Janai off guard with a rolling facebuster in the middle of the ring that left her seeing stars. Ha! Can Kai survive Hima’s half Boston crab? Yea, she did and got the job done with that Earth-shattering roundhouse kick.

Winner: Janai Kai

During a segment of Sessions with Saint Laurent, he welcomes the Filthy Bros, Matt Riddle and Tom Lawlor, to the stage. It seemed like all was good, if you’re fool, because soon after Saint Laurent delivered a clothesline to the back of Lawlor’s head with a pipe. Then Donovan Dijak jumped Riddle with the help of Baron Corbin of all People, known as Bishop Dyer making his MLW debut.

Templario vs. Esfinge vs. Hechicero – Triple Treat match

Since the main event is coming up soon, all three men are trying to end this match as quickly as possible with all those failed cover attempts. Templario demonstrated amazing reversal skills to dodge his opponents the way he did, but he couldn’t get into a strong enough pin. Esfinge returned to the ring and planted Templario on his ass numerous times.

Just as Hechicero had Esfinge by the throat near the ropes, he pushed the Sphinx Warrior forward, so he could collide with Templario’s Super Kick to the jaw. A couple of slippery manhandling between Templario and Hechicero until Esfinge came back. It made things even more difficult knowing there’s another opponent they need to watch out for.

None of them were able to pin someone long enough to reign supreme and move on to the next order of business. Hechicero was incredible to watch when he attempted to pin both wrestlers at the same time in a very convincing pining combination. Esfinge bulldozed through Hechicero while he was disorienting Templario by rolling him around the ring.

When Hechicero had Templario in an armbar, Esfinge came crashing down with a frog splash. At some point, the Lion Warrior Templario, pulled Esfinge out of a cover on Hechicero and delivered a suplex. I don’t know what that submission maneuver was, but Templario deserved that hard-earned victory.

Winner: Templario

Shoko Nakajima vs. Delmi Exo (c) – MLW World Featherweight Championship match

Even though, Shoko has been very amazing thus far, it was far too easy for Delmi to crawl towards the bottom rope because Nakajima applied visibly no weight on the lower back of the champ in order to keep her grounded. Due to this little mishap, she came back slingshooting herself onto Delmi from the apron. She had Exo down for a bit, however, he ascent to the top of the ring took time and allowed Delmi to recuperate her strength back and delivered a lariat.

Delmi was in a state of disbelief when her fishermen suplex bridge maneuver, forcing all the blood to rush to Shoko’s head, didn’t help her retain her Championship then and there. So, she tightened her grip around her challenger with a drop kick from the top. She covered Nakajima three times and nothing came of it. Shoko had real staying power when she flipped Delmi over and suicide dived after her as well in an incredible rotation.

Exo blindsided Nakajima with a cutter, which granted her some relief before delivering multiple backbreakers, then dumped Shoko like garbage. But Shoko retaliated with a modified chicken wing that could have been even more effective if further weight was applied, hence the reason Delmi got out of there almost easily like last time. Whenever Exo ventured to perform the Delmi Driver, Shoko would find a way to counter the attack. She had the Champion dazed near the ropes.

A DDT dropped Delmi on the mat… and that Senton was the final nail in the coffin that I didn’t expect at all. What it took for Exo to win that title back in the first place, only for it be swept away not too along ago is shocking, but I’m ecstatic for Shoko!

Winner: Shoko Nakajima

Battle Riot match

Since Eric Bischoff was the one who pulled the rug from beneath Matt Riddle’s feet by including his title within Battle Riot against 39 other men, Riddle has his work cut out for him if he wants to keep his Championship. I haven’t seen Jinder Mahal in a while, aside from Bishop Dyer coming from WWE, so has Raj Dhesi as the second entrant against Alex Hammerstone.

Before anyone else arrived, Dhesi and Hammerstone were seizing each other up as they attempt to throw the other over the rope. Entrant number three was Atlantis Jr. Despite his previous match, he’s doing fine for the most part. Raj wrecked everyone with a knee strike to the jaw as Virus came in at number four. He took down Atlantis Jr., and Hammerstone took him to the floor. Dhesi cleared house again. Jesus Rodriguez is our number five not wearing his recognizable tuxedo as his gear.

 

He rocked Hammerstone before entering a chopping contest with Virus. Star Jr. entered next with a swinging neck breaker on Rodriguez, a springboard on Atlantis and a clothesline to Dhesi. Right after that suplex from Hammerstone to Star Jr., Esfinge joined the battle. Raj became an opportunist when Virus, Atlantis Jr. and Jesus came crashing down at the hands on Hammerstone, he eliminated Virus via pinfall. Ikuro Kwon rushed to the ring at number eight, the man that might have sent Cesar Duran to the hospital after assaulting him early in this evening. Blue Panther also entered the fight.

Blue was having a ball beating people up as Magnus rushed over to a filling ring and dropping Atlantis on his ass. It may have been instinct on Star Jr.’s part when he thwarted Magnus’ pinning efforts, but oh, well. There goes Atlantis over the ropes and here comes a returning face in Juicy Finau. I’m sure as hell that he lost some weight, too. Anyway, Hammerstone and Finau locked eyes for a moment. Everyone else realized the treat by trying to hoist Juicy up, but failed miserably. Ha! This is Nia Jax all over again.

Cavernario, Star and Esfinge are eliminated by Hammerstone as Ultimo Guerrero hooped into the match as well as Atlantis and Hechicero. Some of the remaining Luchadores were fighting amongst themselves with a few hiccups of the notion that this match is every man for himself. I’m so happy that Shigeo Okumura came out at 16, my favorite number. But I don’t think that’s enough for him to reign victorious. He did come in with impact. Ultimo eliminated Atlantis. Next up, we have Ariel Dominguez zooming into Battle Riot and holds the record for shortest entrant at 13 seconds. Ha! Wow. Anyway, Mr. Thomas was in this game, too. Meanwhile, Guerrero has been sent packing.

Like I said, just because Okumura came out at 16, doesn’t mean he’ll win. Mr. Thomas made sure of that. Damn. Hechicero eliminated Blue Panther, then he got thrown out as well along with Magnus. Dominguez tried and failed real fast. Maybe next time. Jesus, Juicy and Raj were gone, too. Mr. Thomas and Hammerstone were left inside. Entrant number 19, Journey Fatu, Jacob Fatu’s little brother, came storming in. Oof. Hammerstone had his fair share of Samoans, what’s another? Bobby Fish was here, too, but Mr. Thomas jumped him given he hasn’t been eliminated yet.

CW Anderson came out with a crowbar to help Fish on the main floor against Mr. Thomas. Chris Adonis went right after Fatu the second he arrived. Hammerstone finished the job by tossing Journey out. Paul Walter Hauser came out rushing with a shopping cart filled with weapons. Thanks to the artillery Hauser brought, Mr. Thomas said: “Don’t mind if I do.” as he locked his attention on BRG. Well, the King of Bros has finally entered the fray. Riddle planted Fish.

The last member of the Rogue Horsemen, Brock Anderson, was here to assist. Unfortunately, Mr. Thomas was taken out by Matt. CW, Brock and Hauser are out. Alex Kane tried to remove BRG from the game. A suplex competition between Hammerstone and Kane has commenced. Matthew Justice came in with a ladder. Following that, Satoshi Kojima arrived. While there’s a brawl happening inside, there’s also madness outside. So much so that I didn’t noticed that Kwon was gone. Ha!

Blood was everywhere. Yay, BRG was taken to the floor! Now, we’ve reached the part of the match where Bishop Dyer made his presence known by going right after Riddle. Paul London was smacked silly off the apron. There goes Kane, surprisingly. Kushida entered the match. And what the actual is up with Mads Krugger coming in with a goddamn chainsaw?? Thank you, Riddle for getting that out of there. It’s a shame that Justice had to be taken out before that…

I laughed my ass off when Hammerstone was eliminated. All that huff and puff from earlier. Deflated. Ha! Tom Lawlor came in swinging hard and angry. And speaking of angry, Donovan matches the description. Shane Haste and Kushida were terminated. And Dax was taken out so fast, it was hilarious. Titus was gone. Riddle was now alone with Dyer, Dijak and Krugger. In some way, he got help from our final entrant, Hall of Famer Rob Van Dam! They eliminated the fearsome trio to brawl each other.

While Dam was cooped up at the top, Riddle took that opportunity to shove him off and retain his World Heavyweight Championship! In your face, Bischoff.

Winner: Matt Riddle

 

TOP PHOTO: Shoko Nakajima holding the Featherweight triumphantly. Courtesy of MLW