Courtesy of MLW

Major League Wrestling has hired Chris DeJoseph as a co-Executive Producer, Sports Illustrated has learned.

DeJoseph, the former Executive Producer and co-creator of Lucha Underground, which ran from 2014 to 2018, has worked in pro wrestling for the past 17 years, including six years writing for WWE.

“Since the last season of Lucha Underground, I’ve had an itch to get back in the game,” DeJoseph said from his home in Los Angeles. “I’ve been watching what they’ve been doing and the steps they are taking to keep building, and I can’t wait to get my hands dirty with MLW.”

The hire was confirmed by MLW CEO Court Bauer, who noted that DeJoseph’s first day on the job will be at the Saturday Super Fight pay-per-view.

DeJoseph’s background is in theater, which he studied at Pepperdine University, and he broke into the business by wrestling on the indies. He has expertise in television production and will add to MLW’s storyline development and creative process, but his greatest strength is helping characters find their full potential as performers.

“Look at that MLW roster—Alex Hammerstone, Brian Pillman Jr., the Von Erichs, Tom Lawlor, Davey Boy Jr.—you can go on and on, there are so many young stars. My job will be to help make them better performers and better characters.”

Lucha Underground added a cutting edge to professional wrestling, generating significant interest for a genuine WWE alternative, with DeJoseph playing an integral role in the show’s success.

“So much has sprouted from the alternative universe of Lucha Underground,” said DeJoseph. “The wrestling world is exploding right now, and I’m looking forward to riding that wave.”

Justin Barrasso can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.