MLW CEO Court Bauer has made it clear that Major League Wrestling won't run during the pandemic as he feels it is not safe for fans or performers.
Instead, the company has filled its slots on BeINSports and YouTube with Anthology series and older content.
"I looked at [the situation] pragmatically and talked with my network partner and they were very comfortable with my strategy to fill content," Bauer told Newsweek. "Live television has value. But because of the pandemic you don't know if people are going to covet live sports programming the same way without having something that's taped for moments like this or be more forward thinking to have a docu-series like The Last Dance."
MLW has made its base in Florida and with the stay-at-home order lifted, could technically run events in a closed off set. But Bauer doesn't believe that is the solution.
"In wrestling the key component is the fan participation," he said. "Who are the stars of the show? One of the biggest are the fans. If they're not there it's like watching a movie without a soundtrack. It can happen but should it? It's kind of perverse. I don't think it's possible. I'm sure you can throw a lot of money at it like some major organizations will, but at the same time, it's not foolproof. I'm dictating my own pace because I have great network partners and we have a built-in solution. A lot of people in my position are tempted because temptation is a big part of the decision-making process. I'm not tempted at all, I'm not in the position to be tempted. I'm comfortable waiting for things to get as normal as possible."
It is unknown when MLW will hold live events. The company has been running a takeover angle with CONTRA occupying the company.
