The Godspeed Gospel: MLW turns 20 years old in June 2022; their revival turns 5 years old in July 2022. Here's my retrospective.

It's amazing to think that Major League Wrestling turns 20 this year. They held their first event in June 2002; back then, MLW was just a small, indy "rip-off" of ECW that didn't even last two years. They've existed as a podcast network since 2011(?), but MLW One-Shot on July 21, 2017 was their true comeback.

Almost one year later, they hooked up with Bein Sports to launch "MLW Fusion" in April 2018. By that Fall, MLW became the first television wrestling company in a long while (not named WWE or TNA) to air live on national TV with their first ever live "Fusion" broadcast on December 14, 2018. That episode subsequently brought then-commentator Tony Schiavone back to calling live television wrestling for the first time since WCW folded in 2001. Keep in mind that, up until then, WWE was the only national TV wrestling company airing live programming; Impact Wrestling hasn't aired their weekly show live since 2017 (and that was during their final months as "TNA Wrestling").

Live Fusion specials would continue to air throughout 2019, and MLW would air their first live pay-per-view event on FITE TV later that year. Unfortunately, their momentum stopped with the COVID-19 pandemic. During their 2020 hiatus, MLW brought back reruns of the original "Underground TV" series, did an anthology series, and aired a digital spin-off called "Pulp Fiction".

MLW Fusion returned with the the Fall TV tapings, and the show was moved to YouTube. Bein Sports was now airing reruns of Wednesday's Fusion premieres. Only now do we know that was because Bein Sports USA's distribution has gotten worse in recent years. The 2020 run of MLW Fusion was dubbed "The Restart"; referencing both MLW's move to digital platforms, and the huge roster turnover during their hiatus. Fusion would go on another hiatus in Spring 2021, but not before culminating a year long story arc with the reveal of Cesar Duran - fka, Dario Cueto - as the new owner of the former Promociones Dorado that was absorbed into his own Azteca Underground; setting up MLW's mini-revival of "Lucha Underground".

After Battle Riot III, MLW (awkwardly) launched the "MLW Fusion: Alpha" mini-series. I'm just speculating, but this may have been MLW's attempt to do a "soft reboot" by adapting the more cinematic elements of Lucha Underground to their programming, and also because of another roster turnover during the "Open Draft" that took place before Battle Riot III over the Summer. Though it clearly wasn't as planned, Fusion: Alpha, along with the "MLW Fightland" special on Vice TV, and the "MLW Azteca" mini-series, did succeed in its original purpose to lead into the return of "MLW Fusion" proper this month. Thankfully, you don't need to watch the previous Fusion episodes, because for whatever reason, they've been made private on MLW's YouTube channel.

This is just more speculation from me, but I'm willing to bet it had something to do with MLW's failed deal with Tubi; which in turn lead to the lawsuit with WWE. They wanted to move Fusion to a more focused video platform in Tubi, and a larger cable network in Vice TV. So, MLW "removed" (privated) almost all previous "Fusion" and "Underground TV" episodes from their YouTube channel, and aired Fightland exclusively on Vice TV (you can only stream the event though Vice's own platforms) as an expansion of the existing deal made between the two in 2020. Don't ask me why they could have just stuck with FITE TV in the first place; although that might have something to do with their short-lived deal with FITE's rival, DAZN. The thing is, DAZN, A+E Networks (parent of Vice Media, and also part of The Walt Disney Company), and Fox (parent of Tubi) were all in dealings with WWE at the time MLW tried to work with each of them.

If the WWE lawsuit kills MLW, then it was fun while it lasted.

At its peak, MLW provided a decent sports-centric alternative to WWE, the former TNA, and even Ring of Honor (circa 2019). They didn't have championship matches, they had "title fights". They weren't a wrestling promotion, they were a "combat sports" league. MLW's "Hybrid Wrestling" is in reflection of the various "disciplines", wrestling styles, by its roster. Even now, shades of ECW can be seen in MLW's preference for Hardcore matches and Lucha Libre. In an age where people talk about diversity, but never back it up, members of MLW's roster hail from various backgrounds. Hell, if you watched some of their Cicero Stadium events, you'd swear MLW was performing in front of Soccer fans. Former commentator Jim Cornette rightfully described MLW as an "Island of Misfit Toys" during a Fusion episode. Behind their former UFC-esque presentation, MLW wasn't afraid to be experimental.

They still aren't, as you can see from recent episodes of Fusion.

Right now, WWE, AEW, and Impact are the top leagues in the United States; by virtue of being the only television promotions that carried on through the pandemic; in addition to airing on both national TV and established streaming platforms (as with ROH and MLW; not that the NWA really needs a TV deal. *cough*cord cutters). It's a close battle for "fourth" between the NWA, MLW, and a returning ROH; and one can even make the argument that GCW may surpass all of them based on their regular touring schedule, their recent traditional PPV debut from a sold out Hammerstein Ballroom, and the deafening nose they've made in recent years.

I really hope MLW survives the lawsuit and makes it to their anniversary this Summer, because there has never been a better time to watch professional wrestling. Instead of having a pissing match with toxic WWE and AEW stans (or lamenting the loss of NXT as we knew it), you can enjoy all the alternatives to be found on TV and streaming. For all of MLW's flaws (and with everything considered, it shouldn't surprise anyone to learn this company is run by a former WWE writer), it would suck to lose one of the most unique alternatives I've seen from the States.