Much like many industries around the world, pro wrestling was hit hard by the coronavirus and MLW is one of the many companies that have had to suspend its shows.
In an interview with Entrepreneur, MLW CEO Court Bauer spoke on what happened when he had to tell the roster and company employees that they would not be doing shows for the foreseeable future as a result of COVID-19. Bauer reiterated that the health and safety of everyone in MLW is the most important thing.
"We've been straightforward with our message to them: Health comes first," Bauer said. "Health comes second. Health comes third. And we have responsibilities to their families and to them to be prudent during a time when there's so much uncertainty. We've had guys who have literally offered to do matches in the desert, one-on-one with a referee, and go through testing. We've had guys who just say, 'However we can spread the word during this time and stay active and promote on social media.' Obviously, we've turned down the matches in the desert. [Laughs] I'm not interested in putting anyone at risk. There are so many steps to take to ensure the health of everyone. What's the risk versus the reward?"
While MLW isn't holding any shows right now, companies such as WWE and AEW have been running televised events closed to the general public in past weeks. Bauer said the idea of wrestling promotions running shows at this time is grotesque.
"I'll say this succinctly: That my competitors are putting on events in empty arenas and exposing their talent, crews, staffs and families to the potential [of] contracting the coronavirus I think is, frankly, grotesque," Bauer said.
The full interview can be seen at this link.
