In a recent interview with Ryan Gaydos of Fox Business, MLW founder Court Bauer discussed the company’s “tremendous growth,” providing updates on its major partnerships with Panini and actor Danny McBride’s Don Gato Tequila, and detailing the company’s successful digital-first strategy.
“We got a lot going on,” Bauer said, before highlighting the new Panini trading card sets hitting stores this month. These sets are part of the global partnership MLW signed with the collectibles company earlier this year. Bauer confirmed the new line features a wide array of combat sports legends alongside MLW talent. “We have one that includes Legends of Boxing, Legends of MMA, and MLW plus legends from pro wrestling. I think Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair are in the line, Mike Tyson’s in the line. It’s a ‘who’s who’ in that regard.”
In addition to the traditional card sets, Bauer elaborated on a new “instant” line that is released immediately following major events. “When any time we have a big fight coming up, right after that, new cards will drop that you can get, which is pretty cool,” he stated. Bauer noted the high demand for these limited items: “We get cards that just will hit the instance on Panini for like a few hours and they’re just sold out. You can’t get it. It’s like 1 of 5 and then there’s no more left.”
Bauer also promoted MLW’s upcoming Charleston debut on November 20th, which is presented in partnership with Danny McBride’s Don Gato Tequila. “It is fantastic,” Bauer said of the “Luchador endorsed” product, adding with a laugh, “Something we use here at the office.”
A significant portion of the interview focused on MLW’s digital strategy, which Bauer centered on the power of YouTube. “YouTube is so much the future. It’s eating everything,” he said, citing the NBA’s Adam Silver as another leader dependent on YouTube and TikTok. “That’s where everyone’s watching those clips… That’s where they’re getting excited about you.” Bauer emphasized MLW’s “no walls” approach: “We were the first major company to put a show weekly on YouTube… We know that there’s barriers for all this stuff, whether you have to have a cable box or you have to have a streaming subscription.”
This YouTube-first philosophy has allowed MLW to capture a key demographic. “The new generation… is coming and watching everything through YouTube or TikTok,” Bauer explained. “When we had our limited series on Reels, MLW Underground, we outperformed in the demo compared to our competitors with a younger audience. Younger than NBA, in fact. And it’s because we figured out how to talk to that audience and super-serve them.” Part of that “over-generous” strategy includes shunning the traditional pay-per-view model in favor of free, live monthly events on the platform.
Bauer contrasted this value-based approach with that of competitors, particularly regarding live event ticket prices. “We got to give the fans… a product at a great value but a high quality. Our tickets for the show in Charleston, the lowest ticket for November 20th is $15,” he said. “Some of our competitors are charging four, five figures. It’s insane for a ticket… if you look at the economy and a lot of people are going through hard times, that doesn’t really work well.”
The upcoming Charleston show on November 20th at the Charleston Music Hall will feature the tequila partnership and several high-profile matches. Bauer announced the card includes “Killer Kross versus Matt Riddle in a big match,” and “Mistico versus Volador Jr. for the Opera Cup, the oldest tournament dating back to the 1800s in wrestling.” He also confirmed appearances by Don Dijak and Bishop Dyer, “formerly Baron Corbin of the NFL.” Bauer jokingly added, “You might see Danny McBride hanging from the rafters even. You never know in MLW… We’re really excited to bring some of that Southern wrestling back.”
Click here for more details on the upcoming show in Charleston.
