If you’re a fan of independent wrestling or a regular listener ofThat Other Podcast, then there’s a good chance the words ‘Major League Wrestling’ have entered your ears, but what exactly is it and why should you watch it?

After a brief stint as a promotion from 2002-2004, MLW reopened its doors for business in early 2018 and has been making waves in the professional wrestling world ever since. I’ll take us through my Top 5 reasons everybody should be watching MLW.

1. It’s FREE for everyone, EVERY WEEK

Being a wrestling fan can be expensive business. While the days of $50 PPVs may have passed us by, the various subscriptions required to keep up to date with all your favourite promotions such as WWE Network, New Japan World, Demand Progress, Global Wrestling Network, and ROH Honor Club, can see your bills quickly add up faster than a Scott Steiner math promo.

MLW’s weekly show Fusion, and their larger supercard events such as Battle Riot are broadcast on Bein Sports in the USA and Canada, EGO TV in Israel, and has just started being broadcast in the UK thanks to FreeSports. As well as the traditional TV broadcasts, MLW make these shows available on demand for FREE every week by uploading shows onto both YouTube and Fite.tv, removing all barriers to the content and making it truly accessible to all.

2. The Commentary Line-up

One of the first things you’ll notice while watching MLW for the first time is the number of instantly recognizable voices you’ll hear calling the action. MLW’s commentary team is usually comprised of a combination of former WCW announcer Tony Schivane, Rich Boccini (formally known as Rich Brennan on WWE), former WWE Superstar and Lucha Underground Commentator Matt Striker and recently, infamous wrestling manager and angry cloud man Jim Cornette.

The role of the commentator in wrestling is one of the most vital yet often overlooked. Seth Rollins cashing in the Money in The Bank to win the WWE title at WrestleMania 31 was a special moment, but it was improved tenfold by Maggle Cole’s incredible call of “Heist of the century!” Would the Big Red Machine have become one of the biggest stars of the 2000s without Vince McMahon yelling “That’s gotta be Kane” during his debut? When The Undertaker threw Mankind from the top of Hell in a Cell, Jim Ross screaming “He is broken in half” is almost more iconic than the moment itself.

The commentary is one area that MLW have not skimped on, and the selection of ex-WWE and WCW announcers helps give MLW that ‘big’ feeling. With Fusion being shown weekly on TV, the familiar voices should help attract the more casual wrestling fans while flicking through the sports section, while ensuring enough experience to make calls that complement the action.

3. The Roster Is Stacked

MLW boast one of the most diverse rosters on the planet, with a pool of incredibly talented stars sourced from all around the world. The roster features some of the biggest names outside of WWE such as WCW legend L.A Park, Pentagon Jr, Rey Fenix, MJF, and Low Ki.

The plethora of different styles is sure to cater to all tastes; like Hardcore or Deathmatch wrestling? MLW have stars such as Tommy Dreamer, Sami Callahan, and Jimmy Havoc. Are you a Lucha Libre or a Junior mark? MLW have the aforementioned Lucha Bros, Rey Horus, Air Wolf, Kotto Brazil, Rich Swann, and Ace Austin. Do you love old school big hoss battles? MLW have two of the biggest hoss’ that the Progress Atlas division could only dream of in Ace Romero and Barrington Hughes. Or maybe you’re more of a fan of Shoot Style wrestling – look no further than former UFC fighter and current MLW Heavyweight champion Tom Lawlor.

MLW’s alumni list is a who’s who of wrestling, with talent from the original run including CM Punk, Sabu, Daniel Bryan, “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes, Jerry Lynn, Roderick Strong, Raven, Jerry “The King” Lawler, Terry Funk, and The Sandman. Some of the more recent MLW alumni include MVP, Austin Aries, Matt Riddle, Joey Janela, Joey Ryan, Jack Swagger, Johnny Nitro/Impact/Mundo, Jeff Cobb, Rush, PCO, Shane Strickland, and Brody King.

All that being said and done, there is one wrestler on MLW’s roster that needs his own section…

4. Teddy Hart

There’s absolutely no denying that Teddy Hart is one of the most entertaining aspects of the show. Part of the Legendary Hart family and trained in the renowned ‘Dungeon’ in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Teddy is known to many for his antics earlier in his career including the infamous flip from the scramble steel cage in ROH where he was fired on the spot, as well as his more recent legal issues including a year spent in jail.

Teddy, along with his Hart Foundation stable mates Davey Boy Smith Jr and Brian Pillman Jr, his shiny trousers, and his cat Mr. Velvet, are now on the path to redemption. Their vignettes featuring them up to all sorts of antics, often intoxicated, are a weekly highlight of the show and a continuous source of comic relief.

5. The Storylines Are Great

Spoiler Alert: Professional Wrestling is not real, and everyone knows this. Gone are the days of kayfabe, where heels were hated and babyfaces unanimously adored. MLW are well aware of this, and as a result go full on balls-to-the-wall with some of the craziest, most absurd, and borderline insane angles ever seen in wrestling. For example, Episode 37 of Fusion ended with Konnan getting stabbed in the middle of the ring (crazy right?!).

Fusion regularly presents attitude era levels of craziness – on a recent episode, what started as a misunderstanding when Mance Warner accidentally spilled some of his beer on Serena De La Renta quickly escalated out of hand and ended up with him facing off against LA Park in a Deathmatch; a match Sugar Dunkerton dubbed a ‘WCW Nitro Hour 1 Main Event’ when he recently guest hosted an episode of That Other Podcast on TWM News. These storylines are so bonkers that you’ll have to watch for yourself to truly understand.

So why not give MLW a try?

If you already watch MLW then be sure to check out ‘That Other Podcast’ on TWM.news available on iTunes, Spotify, Soundcloud and Stitcher where it is covered every week by Matty, Mike and Rhys.

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You can find the writer of this article on Twitter @RhysTeddy. Thanks for reading!