Battle Riot II
Date: April 5, 2019
Location: Melrose Ballroom, New York City, New York
Commentators: Rich Bocchini, Jim Cornette

This is the big live Wrestlemania weekend show and that means we have a major battle royal, which worked well enough last year. I’m not sure what to expect this year as they’ve barely announced any stories for the match, though we do know a good chunk of the lineup. The winner gets a title match at any point they want so at least there’s a big prize. Let’s get to it.

We open with a list of most of the people in the match.

The announcers run down the card, which includes a pair of title matches to go along with Battle Riot.

Middleweight Title: Teddy Hart vs. Ace Austin

Austin is challenging. The Dynasty (MJF, Alexander Hammerstone and Richard Holliday) is watching from ringside. As Cornette rants about travel in New York, we start with the guys shoving each other and slowly slugging it out. A rather early Project Ciampa gives Hart the first big advantage with Austin rolling out to the floor. An overhead belly to belly on the floor makes it even worse for Austin and the springboard moonsault off the barricade keeps Austin down. Austin gets crotched against the post and Teddy heads over to steal some of the Dynasty’s champagne.

Of course it goes into MJF’s face and it’s Austin coming back with a kick to the face from the apron. Back in and Austin kicks him in the head a few times before slamming him head first into the mat. Austin takes way too long coming off the top and gets crotched, though he’s fine enough to do the same thing to Hart to block the super Canadian Destroyer. A spinning kick to the face drops Hart again and a spinning top rope Fameasser gets two. Austin gets knocked off the top again though and it’s a super Canadian Destroyer into a regular Canadian Destroyer to retain the title at 6:54.

Result: Teddy Hart b. Ace Austin – Canadian Destroyer (6:54)

Post match Hart rhymes about Alexander Hammerstone, in red, seeing Ted, meaning he’ll be dead. He shoves Richard Holliday but gets a champagne bottle to the head.

Minoru Tanaka vs. Myron Reed

Reed has Rich Swann with him as they continue to claim MLW is treating them unfairly. Tanaka is a big star in Japan and the current GHC Junior Heavyweight Champion. Reed bails straight to the floor to start where Swann offers some advice. Back in and Tanaka works on the arm before going with a standard dropkick to keep Reed in trouble. Swann’s cheap shot from the floor lets Reed score with an enziguri though and we take a break.

We come back with Tanaka’s missile dropkick putting Reed in trouble again as Cornette goes over the history of Japanese wrestling. Reed uses the rope to get out of the cross armbreaker and Stuns his way out of a suplex. A slingshot cutter gives Reed two more but Tanaka rolls him up into a cradle for the pin at 8:48.

Result: Minoru Tanaka b. Myron Reed – Cradle (8:48)

Video on Contra, a terrorist style stable.

Promociones Dorado (major heel stable run by Salina de la Renta) draw their Battle Riot numbers with Salina not being happy with how long it takes. The guys seem pleased when Sami Callihan comes in demanding his money from Salina. He’ll see them tonight. As they leave, Mance Warner (feuding with the group) comes in and steals one of the good numbers, replacing it with a worse one.

We recap Jimmy Havoc vs. Tom Lawlor. Havoc was the last man to defeat him in MLW and now Jimmy is back to win the World Title.

Brian Pillman Jr. is happy with his number when Salina comes in and tries to buy it. Pillman would rather talk about her chest and Salina gives up.

MLW World Title: Jimmy Havoc vs. Tom Lawlor

Lawlor (a former UFC fighter) is defending and this is a street fight. Havoc jumps him before the bell and we lose a camera but Lawlor snaps off a release German suplex to take over. A Death Valley Driver out of the corner stops Lawlor and Havoc pelts a chair at him for two. It’s time to bring in a table (a board in this case) with Lawlor hitting him in the head and bridging the table between the ring and the barricade.

Some kicks to the chest have Havoc in trouble but he avoids a chair and takes Lawlor down again. The chair gets thrown at Lawlor’s head again but hang on as Havoc needs to yell at the fans, allowing Lawlor to send him into the table. They steal a horn from the crowd and Cornette gets in a few horny jokes. More tables and another chair are sent inside but Lawlor grabs a pumphandle suplex.

A charge hits chair though and Havoc gets two off a DDT. Havoc throws in four chairs and bridges a table between them as Cornette has just about had it with the hardcore stuff. Two more chairs are sets up on top of the table but a hurricanrana is countered into a powerbomb through everything for two. Lawlor sets up a table in a corner but gets sent to the floor before he can use it. Havoc finds a staple gun and that’s just too much for Cornette, especially as it’s used to break up a Figure Four on the floor.

Lawlor is busted open and Havoc licks the blood off, setting up another staple into the head. The referee gets beaten down and there’s a Death Valley Driver through the door for no count. A belly to back faceplant onto some chairs gets a very delayed two from a fresh referee. With nothing else working, Lawlor knees a chair into Havoc’s head twice in a row to retain at 13:13.

Result: Tom Lawlor b. Jimmy Havoc – Chair to the face (13:13)

Salina tries to buy a rookie’s number but that isn’t happening. Her goons come in and steal it instead.

Video on last year’s Battle Riot.

The announcers preview the match.

Battle Riot

40 man Royal Rumble (with pin/submission/over the top eliminations) with one minute intervals and the winner gets a World Title shot whenever they want. Maxwell Jacob Friedman is in at #1 and says he isn’t shaking because the other thirty nine men in the back are shaking in their own boots. Dan Severn is in at #2 and MJF panics in a hurry. The eye poke doesn’t work to start and it’s a belly to belly suplex to send MJF flying.

Hijo de LA Park is in at #3 as the intervals are already going fast. A dropkick puts Severn down but he’s back up to suplex a gyrating Hijo. Air Wolf is in at #4 and it’s a springboard armdrag to take Hijo down as the announcers talk about Teddy Hart being sent to the hospital, meaning he’s out of the match. Severn gets MJF into the corner and it’s Minoru Tanaka in at #5.

We get a slugout between Severn and Tanaka until Jordan Oliver (newcomer) is in at #6. With no one doing anything, Rey Fenix is in at #7 as they need to get rid of a few people. A rolling dropkick hits Hijo and the multiple springs springboard wristdrag have Wolf in trouble. Severn and Tanaka team up on MJF and it’s Pentagon in at #8. Kicking and chopping go around the ring and it’s a standoff with Fenix.

Avalanche (an Austrian from WXW) is in at #9 and Oliver’s high crossbody bounces off of his chest. Well you deserve that if you try to hit someone named Avalanche. MJF offers him money and that seems to be a business deal as Tanaka is on the floor but not eliminated. MJF does manage to get rid of Fenix for the first elimination so Pentagon gives him a beating. Ace Romero (400lbs) is in at #10, giving us MJF, Severn, Hijo, Wolf, Tanaka, Oliver, Pentagon, Avalanche and Romero at the moment. A Pounce eliminates Oliver and Hijo eliminates Pentagon in an upset.

Ken Kerbis (the newcomer who Salina tried to buy earlier) is in at #11 and it’s Romero and Avalanche doing the big man showdown. As Severn and Tanaka hook holds on MJF at the same time, Leo Brien is in at #12. Tanaka gets rid of Severn to a chorus of booing. Michael Patrick (Brien’s partner) is in at #13 but they can’t get rid of Avalanche. Tanaka gets rid of Brien and it’s Gringo Loco in at #14. A top rope cutter hits Romero as the fans are way into Loco, as always. MJF gets rid of Hijo and Tanaka makes Patrick tap to a kneebar.

Kotto Brazil is in at #15 with a slingshot spear and a frog splash to Loco. There’s a standing Sliced Bread to Kerbis and it’s Rey Horus in at #16. A springboard crossbody gets two on Brazil with Loco making the illogical save. One heck of a pop up tornado DDT hits Loco and MJF steals the two count. Romero eliminates Kerbis and it’s Rich Swann in at #17. Superkicks and running Swantons abound but Horus rips the tape off of Swann’s mouth to start the slugout.

Myron Reed is in at #18 for the second back to back partners in a row. Thankfully Reed gets in his running cutter over the top for the always cool visual. Reed and Swann dropkick Tanaka out. Avalanches eliminates Loco and it’s the nearly 500lb Barrington Hughes in at #19. Reed’s springboard crossbody bounces off of Romero and Hughes, meaning an easy elimination.

It’s Ace Austin in at #20, giving us MJF, Avalanche, Romero, Brazil, Horus, Swann, Hughes and Austin at the halfway point. A bunch of people get together to get rid of Hughes with Swann celebrating, earning himself the big elbow from Romero for the elimination. Jimmy Yuta is in at #21 as Avalanche is gone. Yuta superkicks Austin out and MJF is dropkicked through the ropes for a breather.

Jacob Fatu of Contra is in at #22 but here are Simon Gotch and Josef Samael through the crowd to clean house. A gas can to the head has Brazil in trouble and everyone but Romero is stacked up a moonsault. Fatu drops a backsplash to crush them again. The gas is poured on three guys and a lighter is pulled out, drawing in security to prevent the murder.

Fatu isn’t having that and hits the moonsault onto Yuta and Horus before leaving, seemingly eliminating himself. MJF comes in and steals pins on Reed, Yuta and Horus in the most perfect thing he could have done. Brian Pillman Jr. is in at #23 for a showdown with MJF. A superkick gets rid of MJF (Bocchini: “BRIAN PILLMAN YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE!”) and it’s Davey Boy Smith Jr. at #24. They shake hands but Romero is back up to prevent them from having to fight.

The double teaming works just fine though and Romero is out as Konnan and LAX (as in all three) are in at #25, #26 and #27. Smith tosses Santana and Ortiz as Low Ki is in at #28. Konnan just leaves as Ki fights back with a springboard kick to both Harts. LA Park is in at #29 for the fourth or fifth instance of partners/stable mates in consecutive numbers. Park brings in a step stool as we hear about Fatu being arrested for fighting with the NYPD.

Emil Sitoci (Dutch wrestler from WXW) is in at #30 and hits a moonsault onto Pillman. That gives us Smith, Pillman, Ki, Park and Sitoci for a rather international grouping. Daga is in at #31 and goes straight for Low Ki (who nearly ripped his ear off a few months ago) with stomps and choking in the corner. Blue Meanie is in at #32 and it’s a bunch of eye pokes until Smith suplexes him down. Alexander Hammerstone (a monster freak of nature) is in at #33 to kick Pillman out and Sami Callihan (with the bat) is in at #34 to a big reaction. Callihan bats Meanie in the head for the pin, followed by Ki and Sitoci being tossed.

Ariel Dominguez is in at #35 and Hammerstone gorilla presses him a few times before getting the easy elimination. Ricky Martinez is in at #36 as Ki comes back in to help Park get rid of Daga. Lance Anoa’i is in at #37 for some Samoan drops and Mance Warner is in at #38 with a 2×4. Some board shots (and a Jim Duggan thumbs up) clean house and a jumping knee gets two on Hammerstone.

Richard Holliday is in at #39 to complete the field as Hart isn’t here. The final grouping is Smith, Park, Hammerstone, Callihan, Martinez, Anoa’i, Warner and Holliday, leaving the match pretty wide open. Holliday takes his time getting in and Callihan gives him a Russian legsweep with the 2×4. Warner tosses Martinez and a swinging neckbreaker gets rid of Anoa’i.

A running big boot eliminates Holliday but Hammerstone kicks Smith out to get us down to four. Callihan mocks Park’s dance and gets kicked in the face by Hammerstone but Park breaks up a cover on Warner for some reason. Warner and Hammerstone go to the apron with an eye poke getting rid of Hammerstone but Callihan gets rid of Warner, leaving us with Callihan vs. Park. Sami is ready so Park hits a spear and tosses Callihan out for the win at 47:13.

Result: LA Park won Battle Riot II last eliminating Sami Callihan (47:13)

In a press conference, Tom Lawlor says he’ll fight anyone from any country and he’s ready for Contra. Speaking of Contra, here they are to lay him out, with the handcuffs still on Fatu’s wrists.

 

If you like the sound of this, you can watch the full show for free right here:

MLW 2019 Battle Riot

Thomas Hall has been a wrestling fan for over thirty years and has seen over 50,000 wrestling matches. He has also been a wrestling reviewer since 2009 with over 5,000 full shows covered. You can find his work at kbwrestlingreviews.com, or check out his Amazon author page with 28 wrestling books. His latest book is the the Complete 2000 Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Part 1.

Get the latest and greatest in professional wrestling news by signing up for our daily email newsletter. Just look below for “GET EXCLUSIVE UPDATES” to sign up. We are proud to offer our popular Wrestling Rumors app and encourage you to download it for an optimized user experience. It is available for Android and also on iOS. Thank you for reading!

MORE IN WRESTLING

  • Video: Student Arrested For Attempting To RKO His Principal, Judge Laughs Over Case

    News
  • Rumor: Two WWE Superstars Threw Fits Over Loss At WrestleMania 35 (Details)

    News
  • If Brock Lesnar Won’t Do It. Bobby Lashley Considering A Return To Mixed Martial Arts This Year.

    News
  • Rumor: Everybody’s Got A Price? AEW Makes Huge Offer To Top WWE Star.

    News
  • Yes, Another. WWE Star Has Two Torn ACL’s, To Miss About Nine Months.

    News
  • Impact Wrestling Results – April 5, 2019

    News
  • Road Dogg Jesse James Steps Down As Co-Head Writer Of Smackdown Live

    News
  • Backstage News on Sasha Banks’ Future With WWE

    News
  • WWE Writer Fired After Bret Hart’s Hall Of Fame Speech

    News
  • Are A New WWE Mega Couple Engaged?

    News