Alex Hammerstone discusses MLW‘s mix of established stars and homegrown talent.
Hammerstone has been the reigning MLW World Heavyweight Champion since he beat Jacob Fatu to win the gold at MLW Fightland 2021. Since then, he has defended the title against a range of talent that includes Bandido, EJ Nduka, Richard Holliday, and Davey Richards. This mix parallels MLW’s combination of established names and up-and-coming performers.
Speaking with Graham “GSM” Matthews for FanSided’s Daily DDT, Hammerstone was asked to describe MLW’s identity, given its combination of homegrown stars and established talent that it brings it from elsewhere. He described how, throughout his time with the company, MLW has leaned on a group of performers who are often getting their first major breakout opportunity. Hammerstone cited himself, Fatu, and Holliday as some examples.
“Ever since I stepped foot in it, that’s what it was. There was a group of guys that were like the guys that they’re cooking,” Hammerstone said. “It’s like some of them are gonna turn into something, and some of them aren’t. So some of the guys move up to the higher level of the company, and some guys get released. That’s part of the business model, right. MLW, a lot of time, it’s given opportunities to guys who, it’s the first big opportunity they get. Sometimes, it’s like hey, here’s where we have you. It’s not the world, but it’s an opportunity. S
“how us what you got in the next two years or the next year or whatever it is. Maybe we’ll extend this contract, maybe it’ll turn into something, maybe it won’t.’ Sometimes, that pans out, and you get guys like me and Richard Holliday. We got our first opportunity here, and now we’re growing into guys that people are talking about, ‘Who’s going to be the first company to steal us way?’ Same thing with Jacob Fatu.
Hammerstone then highlighted the way established stars make seemingly one-off appearances for MLW, and unlike with other promotions, they sometimes wind up winning titles and even having a run with the company. He emphasized the importance of these credible, tenured wrestlers, as they help young talent develop and make a name for themselves.
“On top of that, when I first came in, we had a couple guys who had already been with the big major companies, who had already toured the world, had already been to Japan, and they’re now back in MLW, or at the very least they’re coming in for some appearances,” Hammerstone said. “One of the coolest things is the fact that, a lot of times, when you have a company that has these appearances that it’s like ‘Oh, this guy’s coming in for a title match,’ you know they’re not doing anything with him, so it’s not like he’s gonna win the title. He’s not under contract. That’s not true here.
“We had guys like Tajiri. Tajiri came in and won the title, or Shun Skywalker, came in and won a title. You really never know what’s gonna happen. Sometimes we get these guys that you think it’s gonna be a one-off appearance, and then they end up getting a run with the company, and it’s sometimes really surprising. But it is definitely a mixed identity of both. I think both parts are equally important because it’s the credibility and the tenure of those guys who have been around, who have been around that hemp develop these younger people into having more of an identity in the business.
Hammerstone defended the MLW World Heavyweight Championship against YAMATO at MLW Blood & Thunder on January 7.
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