Buddy Matthews to make MLW debut at Blood & Thunder

A former WWE wrestler is set to arrive in MLW tonight.

Buddy Matthews will make his MLW debut at Friday night’s Blood & Thunder tapings in Dallas, Texas. The show is taking place at Gilley’s Dallas.

Matthews (the former Buddy Murphy) was released by WWE during a round of roster cuts last June. In addition to wrestling on the indies since being released, Matthews faced Kazuchika Okada at NJPW’s Battle in the Valley event in November. Matthews will return to NJPW at their New Japan Strong tapings in Hollywood, California next month.

MLW hyped that Matthews appearing at tonight’s tapings is part of their “open-door policy” for free agents.

“There’s one free agent we get a ton of requests for. Tonight he makes his @MLW debut,” MLW’s Court Bauer tweeted about Matthews. “Dude is a top level workhorse and fits perfectly with my vision for a new ’22 for MLW.”

The Blood & Thunder tapings will feature Alex Hammerstone defending his MLW World Heavyweight Championship against Pagano in a falls count anywhere match. 5150 (Slice Boogie & Danny “Limelight” Rivera) putting their MLW Tag Team titles on the line against Ross & Marshall Von Erich was supposed to be the other top match at the tapings, but the Von Erichs are off the show due to COVID-19. A mystery team will replace them in the match against 5150.