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Chatting with Court Bauer: The CEO of Major League Wrestling

Court Bauer, the CEO of Major League Wrestling (MLW), chatted with Digital Journal’s Markos Papadatos about the upcoming November 6th event in Philadelphia.

MLW CEO Court Bauer
MLW CEO Court Bauer. Photo Courtesy of MLW
MLW CEO Court Bauer. Photo Courtesy of MLW

Court Bauer, the CEO of Major League Wrestling (MLW), chatted with Digital Journal’s Markos Papadatos about the upcoming November 6th event in Philadelphia.

“It’s a huge FUSION TV taping,” he said. “We’re bringing the War Chamber to Philly for the first time ever. Fans will see CONTRA and MLW’s top wrestlers clash in their final battle inside a cage. This is going to be a big one. Plus, history will be made as the oldest tournament in wrestling, the Opera Cup is decided.”

“The Opera Cup dates back to the turn of the 19th/20th century and the coveted cup has been claimed by the likes of George Hackenschmidt and Stu Hart. Who will be immortalized by having their name etched in the 100-year-old trophy? Find out in Philly,” he said.

“We will also see the vacant National Openweight Championship decided as well as some new faces entering the mix, like NZO and Jeff Cobb,” he added.

He opened up about his upbringing in Westchester. “I grew up in Westchester, home of a few wrestling luminaries over the years, including Paul Heyman, Lou Albano, Freddie Blassie, and Arnie Skaaland. It was the home of ECW, which was a huge deal to me as a teenager. Heyman, a hometown guy had bootstrapped this small company and propelled it into a transformative global force. It was incredibly inspiring to me,” he said. 

“In 2002, I would go on to promote my first event in Philadelphia at the ECW Arena, now known as the 2300 Arena, using the same ECW production team and much of their talent. There’s a lot of the same DNA in MLW that was in ECW,” he said.

Each day, he is motivated simply by his “love for professional wrestling.”

Regarding his future plans, he said, “Expanding our content offerings is front and center. Whether it’s a spin-off series or a reality show, these are all things in the mix, as well as new streaming and linear partners that place MLW in front of more eyes on a weekly basis.”

“The new women’s featherweight division is going to be a big part of our future as well. The female athletes have been a game-changer for MLW, since the division kicked off this summer,” he added.

On being a CEO in the digital age, Bauer said, “The energy is similar to what the gold rush era must’ve been like. There’s a sense of excitement and adventure, and yes, a lot of money being made, too. Streaming has been a hugely disruptive force in entertainment, which has, in turn, opened doors to opportunities for MLW.”

“Fans can watch when they watch for as long as they want to watch and because of algorithms, can discover a whole new world of wrestling beyond the status quo. It’s very exciting,” he acknowledged.

“From a social media perspective, being able to connect one on one with your fans gives you a true pulse for who they love and hate as well as what they want and don’t want. It’s incredible market research but also a direct line to cultivating your ‘home team’ fan base,” he added.

On his definition of success, Bauer said, “Producing a product that the fans love and care for while operating a business that evolves and prospers.”

He concluded about the November 6th event in Philadelphia, “At Major League Wrestling, we celebrate the incredible styles of pro wrestling, from Lucha libre to hybrid wrestling to hardcore brawling. MLW is a combat sport. I welcome fans to experience the difference. I promise they won’t be disappointed,” he said.

To learn more about this forthcoming event in Philadelphia, check out the official MLW website.

Markos Papadatos
Written By

Markos Papadatos is Digital Journal's Editor-at-Large for Music News. Papadatos is a Greek-American journalist and educator that has authored over 20,000 original articles over the past 18 years. He has interviewed some of the biggest names in music, entertainment, lifestyle, magic, and sports. He is a 16-time "Best of Long Island" winner, where for three consecutive years (2020, 2021, and 2022), he was honored as the "Best Long Island Personality" in Arts & Entertainment, an honor that has gone to Billy Joel six times.

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