Major League Wrestling is set to premiere on Vice TV on Saturday, May 1.
As noted before, MLW revealed on Monday night that they have signed a new TV deal with Vice TV. It was then revealed that MLW content would be used to promote the new season of “Dark Side of the Ring” on Vice, before MLW started to tape in front of fans again in July, and air that content on Vice as soon as possible. You can click here for that backstage report.
In an update, MLW CEO Court Bauer recently spoke to Raj Giri of Wrestling Inc and confirmed that the promotion will premiere on Vice TV on May 1. This was expected as “Dark Side of the Ring” returns on Thursday, May 6, and it was reported that MLW content would be used to promote the premiere.
“MLW’s presence will hit in May,” Bauer revealed. “We’re going to be putting that out, the exact date, very soon…you know what? F**k it; it’s May 1. That’s when you’re first going to see MLW. This isn’t like new footage, it’s just the library so you can see the 2020 stuff.”
Bauer was also asked if the new show on Vice will be different from the MLW Fusion TV show that currently airs every Wednesday night on multiple platforms.
“We’re developing a lot of different things,” Bauer said. “Phase one of this partnership is just getting a larger audience aware of what we are as a league, what makes us different, how we showcase different styles and really lean into the legacy of different family stories, families from the past. And just a very combat sports centered product. So phase one is getting everyone acclimated, learn we exist and from there kind of bite into the product. And then phase two will be new content you’ll see later on this summer.
“Part of me was like, we could just show empty arena stuff. But for me it’s like, the empty arena stuff is tough. And I think at a certain point, if you’re going to introduce yourself to a larger audience, it would behoove you to show it with a crowd. So we came up with the elegant solution in that we can just show our footage from when we were super hot, just before the pandemic. And then we can get people ready for the flipside when we return.”
Bauer later confirmed the report that said MLW was looking to start taping with crowds again this summer.
“We’re tracking that way. It depends,” Bauer said of the return to crowds in the summer. “We’re having great conversations with state athletic commissions, with the local arenas. Every city in every state is going to have a different criteria. And the nice thing is athletic commissions are really giving us a hard look. New York, Pennsylvania, ect. And they’re going to determine the best practices to put on a show, with a crowd or without a crowd. And I think that’s been very helpful for us.
“We have our own COVID compliance officer. But on top of that, some of the places we’re talking with, they have their own COVID compliance officer. You talk with our COVID compliance officer, we talk to yours and let’s figure this out. But it’s great because you need these steps. You want it for the betterment and health of the talent, the crew your fans, everyone in that building. You want it to be the best it can be, and the healthiest it can be.”
Stay tuned for more from MLW. You can see the full interview here. Below is the MLW – Vice TV trailer:
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