Low Ki On Why Promotion Crossovers Are ‘Tricky,’ Wanting to Work With Top Guys, Possible MLW/NJPW Crossover

AEW’s work with NWA and Impact have made promotion crossovers a hot topic in wrestling, and Low Ki discussed the potential pitfalls of such crossovers in a new interview. The MLW star spoke with Wrestling Inc for a new interview and weighed in on the idea of MLW working with other companies; you can check out the highlights below:

On the idea of MLW crossing over with other promotions: “Well I mean, just from a traditional sense, from promoter’s sense, those cross promotions are always tricky just because you have two sides who want equal advantage or equal game, and then you have extra elements in play. Who’s going to get what, and how’s it going to turn out? With MLW, to me, it’s who’s going to step up because working with other companies, they’ve shown how lazy they are.

“I could sit back and watch and see, for one, how the companies operate, for two, how the wrestlers operate, which is clear a indication that there’s no leadership there. So why on earth would I be risking my my company to work with somebody else who doesn’t even show respect or care to operate their company responsibly? So there’s always a double-edged sword in there. So I think somebody mentioned to me, I think AEW and Impact are working together. Okay, hopefully whatever their arrangement is has a good design method because that is a huge risk by doing that only because the lack of respect shown by all participants is rather apparent. So if that’s going to be the case, good luck with trying to endure your idea because people are not stupid, and when they’re treated as if they’re stupid and their intelligence is insulted and they’re being force-fed, that’s arrogance and that’s disrespect that will be noted. And if you’re trying to stay in business, that’s not something you do.”

On potential matches in a crossover: “So in regards to working with other companies, I’m a money match guy. I’m one of the few guys who, right now in my current position, can match up against all world champions on the planet. So I’m a floating money match. I did an interview a couple of weeks ago where they asked me, ‘What haven’t you done that you still want to do?’ I want Georges St. Pierre. So I mean, I’m not sitting here playing games just because I’m a pro wrestler, and this is sports entertainment. Shut up. I’m tired of this nonsense. Why? These are grown men and women who are putting their bodies on the line for a specific craft. Pro wrestling is actually a lot more rigorous than people consider. Why, because everyone’s focused on WrestleMania and Monday night. So rather than have them believe that that’s what this is, no, that’s what this could be if you’re good enough and you endure long enough to actually turn this into a returnable craft, but the hard part is what most people don’t see. And they try to shortcut it to get up there, and by doing so, they undercut all the experience and all the self integrity that they should be developing.

“So the double-edged sword is working with other companies, but bottom line, I’m a money match guy. You gonna work with somebody else, you better bring your top guys. Don’t offer me some low-class guys because if not, then you’re telling all of us, you guys are scared of us. Our roster, I can match up our champions right now against anybody. The guys who don’t have championships, I can match him up against anybody. So that’s the whole idea. If we want to do cross promotion stuff, what do you guys have to offer?”

On the idea of an MLW/NJPW crossover: “No doubt in my mind that Court would want to work with New Japan, but again, who do they have? If you ain’t offering me your top guys, what’s the point? Rocky Romero? Yeah, he’s legit. I saw him go at it with [Tom] Lawler, and Rocky’s one of our guys. I’ve known him for 20 years. He’s one of our guys even going back as far as Ring of Honor, one of the Rottweilers with us, so don’t think just because he’s smaller than me that he can’t bang. He can bang, and he proved it with Lawler. So there are certain guys, but if Court wants to work with New Japan, you better give me your best guy. I’ve conquered that company top and bottom. These guys are not the same as they were in my era. They’ve gotten soft, and they’ve been playing a lot. And the thing is I know New Japan management may not like me, but I can walk into that locker room and scare the s–t out of all those guys real quick, and they wouldn’t like that, but that’s the idea. That’s what the crowd wants to see, who’s the baddest? Let them go at it, but that’s not the way that these companies are trying to book. Why, because they’re trying to protect this guy. They’re trying to protect that guy. You know who really wants these guys to go at it, either the guys or the people. Let them do it, but the thing is don’t have so many fingers in the cookie jar that you’re screwing up the opportunity because that’s usually what happens.

“I went after Court to talk to him about going after Georges St. Pierre. This is not something that I’m just like, ‘Oh, okay, I just want to do it just because I’m thinking about it today.’ No, I pitched that idea when I was in WWE 10 years ago. They disregarded it just like the other stuff I told them, so 10 years later, I’m still thinking about it. 10 years later, I’m still doing research about it. 10 years later, I’m more skillful. I’m probably in better shape, and we’re both closer to each other than we’ve ever been because now, he’s not as active in UFC. I’m not as active at the highest scale of my career, but that’s a money match that can happen at the drop of a hat. Why, because both guys are really really good.”