Samantha L. Sayre
Fans were excited throughout MLW Battle Riot VI due to numerous unexpected appearances. They were early and often during the event. Mark Henry made his first post-AEW appearance at MLW’s Battle Riot VI show on Saturday, June 1st in Atlanta, GA.
MLW World Featherweight Championship: Delmi Exo versus Janai Kai (c)
In the first match of the night, we saw CONTRA’s latest member, Janai Kai’s toughest championship defense yet. Delmi Exo had stated that she had been studying tape of the champion and it showed. During the match, the fans saw Salina de la Renta came out to confront Cesar Duran who was ringside. De la Renta attempted to spray him in the face. In the meantime, Delmi Exo was getting ready to win the match when Duran ducked the spray and it caught Delmi in the face instead. Janai Kai took advantage of this. She dropped Exo with a harsh book for the win.
Winner and MLW World Featherweight Champion: Janai Kai
The show goes backstage where we see David Marquez and Emmy-award winning actor Paul Walter Hauser. Hauser announced back in May that he was entering the Battle Riot. He is wearing the “classic” WCW costume of Arachnaman for luck. Then we see Jimmy Yang, ICP’s Violent J and Ernest the Cat Miller come over to introduce themselves to Hauser.
Mark Henry Appears
Henry appeared with Teddy Long right before the Ritual Combat Match between Alex Kane and AJ Francis (Formerly WWE Top Dolla). It marked Henry’s first appearance since his AEW contract expired at the end of May. Henry announced on Busted Open Radio that he wouldn’t be re-signing. He wants to focus on other projects.
“And I am not gonna be renewing my deal. And I think that, you know, it’s a mutual thing,” he said. “If I can’t dedicate 100 percent of myself, then it’s only fair for both parties to end the relationship on a positive note. And, like I said, it’s been nothing but positive.”
Mark Henry on Busted Open Radio
Ritual Combat Match: AJ Francis versus Alex Kane
Before the MLW Battle Riot’s second match starts, they go over the rules for the “Ritual Combat Match.” They are fairly simple. You sit on the throne for ten seconds untouched and you are the rightful “King” of BOMAYE. The elders are introduced as we stated before. Teddy Long and Mark Henry are there with Henry sitting in the throne.
AJ Francis starts the fight off being dominant and using his strength against Alex Kane. There were some close calls as Francis sat on the throne. Every time the former World Champion Kane pumped up his energy to stop him. Francis tried by body slamming Kane on an open chair and then powerbombed Kane off the apron. Mark Henry made it known he was not a fan of Francis’ actions with Kane.
Francis set up a table and went to put Kane through it when Kane counter and suplexed Francis through it. Then we saw Kane walk up the entryway to sit on the throne for ten seconds.
Winner and King of BOMAYE: Alex Kane
After the fight, the fans hear Mark Henry and Teddy Long saying that Kane earned the throne the right way. Then we see Mads Krugger. Krugger promises a CONTRA Unit new crusader will shake MLW at its foundation.
MLW World Heavyweight Championship: Tom Lawlor w/MSL versus Satoshi Kojima (c) w/ Okumura
The first main event of MLW Battle Riot VI is Tom Lawlor versus Satoshi Kojima. Lawlor came out loaded for this match as we have seen before. The referee pulled out all sorts of foreign objects out of Lawlor’s gear. Due to this, the referee ruled that MSL must leave the arena immediately or he would be banned from MLW forever. MSL fell on his way out.
Lawlor wore down Kojima with submission holds and some hard strikes. He proved why he was a former MLW World Champion. I thought he had the champ’s number and was going to win easily. But as usually happens in pro wrestling, Kojima caught Lawlor with his Lariato then hit him with another Lariato. So the fans saw Kojima retain his championship.
Winner and MLW World Heavyweight Champion: Satoshi Kojima
Before the next main event MLW Battle Riot match started, Salina de la Renta aimed to find Cesar Duran and get revenge. Bad Dude Tito helped her by pinning him down. However, Duran began singing to Salina. She recognized the familiar lullaby that her mother used to sing. Duran stood up and presented her with footage on the screen. We see along with Salina photographs of herself as younger then photos of her mother with a young Cesar Duran. He reveals that he is Salina’s “papa” and we watch Salina fall apart. Then MLW shows Duran laughing manically.
Battle Riot VI
It is forty-man battle royal time. The first two out to start this match is MLW World Middleweight Champion, Mistico and MLW original Jimmy Yang. Then fans see older stars, CW Anderson and Scotty Riggs. We saw Tom Lawlor try to enter the match on three different occasions. Once as himself, then has the legendary Masked Assassin, and then using Paul Walter Hauser’s Arachaman costume.
Speaking about Hauser, the wrestlers in this match really shined Hauser up. He eliminated Tom Lawlor upon his entry and lasted a long time before Sami Callihan took him out.
Another surprise was the YouTube sensation and newbie Chris Danger. He hit Violent J with a stunner and then eliminated Violent J. The MLW Battle Riot’s biggest surprise was the newest CONTRA member that Mads Krugger promised. The fans went wild when Minoru Suzuki came out as Krugger’s newest soldier. No one was safe as Suzuki just ran wild. He even helped to eliminate last year’s winner, Alex Kane. Then when only five remained, they all ganged up on Matt Riddle. However, Riddle knee’d Suzuki out of the match.
The Final Four
The final four were Davey Boy Smith, Jr., Timothy Thatcher, Sami Callihan, and Matt Riddle. We almost immediately see Riddle and Callihan on the apron fighting. Then Smith and Thatcher join them on the apron to help Callihan. Thatcher pulls Smith off, but the force causes both men to fall off the apron hitting the floor. They are eliminated. This leaves the final two as Matt Riddle and Sami Callihan. Then we see Riddle put Sami down on the floor seconds later.
Winner of MLW Battle Riot VI: Matt Riddle
