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New MLW World Champion crowned at Battle Riot VIII

Posted: Feb 6th 2026 By: Ian Carey

Killer Kross is the new MLW World Champion.

Kross won the eighth edition of the 40-person Battle Riot match, which for the second straight year featured the promotion’s top title on the line. He eliminated Bishop Dyer, Donovan Dijak, Hammerstone, and Matt Riddle in the closing moments to pick up the win.

The match was taped January 29, 2026, in Kissimmee, Florida, and aired Thursday on YouTube.

Mads Krule Krügger entered the match as the defending MLW World Champion. He was attacked, eliminated, and dragged away from ringside in a body bag by several members of Contra Unit, his former faction. Krügger had held the title since September, when he cashed in his Gravity Gamble contract at Fightland to take the title off Riddle.

Tom Lawlor won the first-ever Battle Riot in 2018. He was followed by LA Park, Hammerstone, Jacob Fatu, Alex Kane, and then back-to-back wins by Riddle in 2024 and 2025.