Ikuro Kwon and Star Jr. join MLW’s Battle Riot.
Matt Riddle is scheduled to defend the MLW World Heavyweight Championship in the company’s annual Battle Riot match and it’s shaping up to be a star studded event featuring names from all kinds of professional wrestling. For those who don’t remember, Battle Riot is a 40-wrestler match where pinfalls, submissions, and over-the-top eliminations all count.
This is also the first time that the Battle RIOT match has been held for the World Heavyweight Championship. MLW has already confirmed several big names; former MLW World Heavyweight Champion Satoshi Kojima, Paul Walter Hauser, Bobby Fish, Jesus Rodriguez, Paul London, and Brock Anderson are just some of the competitors confirmed for the match.
A dangerous CONTRA Unit member and a decorated CMLL star are now added to the mix.
CONTRA Unit has been a force within MLW since 2019. Ikuro Kwon has been an unrelenting soldier for the faction since it began to terrorize the MLW locker room. Kwon is known for his striking ability, with the 30-year-old conquering the tag team division with Minoru Suzuki in 2024. But now, Ikuro is looking to win his first singles championship within the promotion and a Battle Riot match perfectly suits the MLW star’s style and thrill for chaos.
Meanwhile, the CMLL native is hoping to finally get some gold in MLW. Star Jr. made his name first in Mexico. Then the 31-year-old traveled overseas to bring his skills to an American audience. Jr. has that classic lucha libre style mixed in with some of the modern wrestling that puts him above some of the other luchadores in Mexico. Star Jr has only been a staple in the trios division, but when he branched out internationally, he vowed to become a singles star. Star Jr. has been on the cusp for singles gold for a while now, can he do in the violent Battle Riot match?
Battle Riot is rounding out nicely. Check out the updated line-up below:
40-wrestler Battle RIOT match for Matt Riddle’s MLW World Heavyweight Championship. Participants:
- Matt Riddle (champion)
- Donovan Dijak
- Satoshi Kojima
- Barbaro Cavernario
- Hechicero
- Paul Walter Hauser
- Paul London
- ”Filthy” Tom Lawlor
- Atlantis Jr.
- BRG
- Bobby Fish
- MLW National Openweight Champion Matthew Justice
- Alex Kane
- Brock Anderson
- Esfinge
- Okumura
- Kushida
- Anthony Greene
- Atlantis
- Ultimo Guerrero
- Bishop Dyer
- Ikuro Kwon
- Star Jr.
MLW World Middleweight Championship:
Místico (champion) vs. Templario
MLW Women’s World Featherweight Championship:
Delmi Exo (champion) vs. Shoko Nakajima