MLW Underground Wrestling, also known as MLW Underground, is a professional wrestling television program produced by Major League Wrestling (MLW) that originally premiered on February 7, 2023, on Reelz in the United States. The show takes its name after the promotion's original television series, MLW Underground TV, which was produced from 2003 to 2004.
| MLW Underground Wrestling | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Professional wrestling |
| Created by | Court Bauer |
| Starring | See Major League Wrestling roster |
| Opening theme | “Enemies With Benefits” by VIOLENT IDOLS[1] |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of episodes | 13 |
| Production | |
| Camera setup | Multiple-camera setup |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Original release | |
| Network | Reelz |
| Release | February 7 – May 2, 2023 |
| Related | |
| MLW Underground TV (2003–2004) MLW Fusion (2018–2023) | |
History
editOn January 20, 2023, MLW announced a broadcast deal with the American cable channel Reelz to produce a new flagship show titled MLW Underground Wrestling. As part of the agreement, Reelz would also air past MLW content in a two-hour block including the series; a re-edited version of Battle Riot IV (which took place on June 23, 2022, and later aired on November 3, 2022, on the streaming service Pro Wrestling TV) aired immediately after the series premiere.[2][3]
The premiere episode featured segments from the 2022 Fightland event, which was originally taped for the promotion's other weekly series, MLW Fusion,[4][5] with the Last Man Standing match between Alexander Hammerstone and EJ Nduka for the MLW World Heavyweight Championship serving as the main event.[6]
On February 28, it was reported by Variety that MLW's deal with Reelz would conclude after 10 weeks.[7][8] In a statement made to PWInsider, the network confirmed that "No decisions have been made by MLW or REELZ and we are both committed to a good outcome for MLW, its fans and REELZ."[9]
In March 2023, it was announced that Battle Riot V would air on April 25 as an episode of Underground Wrestling.[10][11]
Production
editSpecial episodes
edit| Episode | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| War Chamber | April 18, 2023 | Special broadcast |
| Battle Riot V | April 25, 2023 | Special broadcast |
Broadcast history
editThough Reelz's linear channel and programming would be picked by NBCUniversal-owned streaming service Peacock shortly after the show's launch, Underground Wrestling and all MLW programming are blacked out on the service due to a pre-existing exclusivity agreement with WWE.[7]
International
editIn February 2023, it was announced that Underground Wrestling would air on Ayozat TV in the United Kingdom starting March 6.[12]
On March 23, 2023, it was announced that Premier Streaming Network will distribute Underground Wrestling outside of the U.S.[13]
References
edit- ^ Underground official theme song revealed
- ^ Rice, Lynette (January 20, 2023). "Reelz Becomes Official U.S. Home For Major League Wrestling". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
- ^ "MLW and Pro Wrestling TV Strike Streaming Deal". October 11, 2022.
- ^ "FIGHTLAND'22 coming to Philly's 2300 Arena October 30". Major League Wrestling. August 15, 2022. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
- ^ Russell, Skyler (August 15, 2022). "MLW Returning To Philadelphia In October For 'Fightland 22'". Fightful. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
- ^ "MLW Underground Results (2/7): Alex Hammerstone Defends World Title Against EJ Nduka". fightful.com. February 7, 2023. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
- ^ a b Schneider, Michael (February 28, 2023). "Peacock to Add 'On Patrol: Live' Network Reelz to Its Subscriber Offerings". Variety. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
- ^ Johnson, Mike (March 1, 2023). "REPORT STATES MLW REELZ RUN WRAPS UP IN TEN WEEKS". PWInsider. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
- ^ "REELZ Issues Statement On Future Of MLW Underground". Fightful. March 2, 2023. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
- ^ "MLW Battle Riot V To Air On REELZ On April 25". Fightful. March 22, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
- ^ "April 2023 Premieres Showcase New Original Stories About Beloved TV Icons Elizabeth Montgomery, Robert Reed and Flip Wilson". The Futon Critic. March 21, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
- ^ "UK TV Deal Announced For MLW Underground, Show To Begin Airing Every Monday On Ayozat TV In March". Fightful. February 16, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
- ^ Rice, Lynette (March 23, 2023). "MLW Underground Wrestling to Stream Internationally On Premier Streaming Network". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 28, 2023.