Tom Lawlor on What Excites Him About MLW, Discusses MLW’s Creative Process and How Scripted the Shows Are

Speaking with Jeffrey Harris for the the 411 Interview Podcast, Major League Wrestling (MLW) talent “Filthy” Tom Lawlor discussed MLW’s place in the wrestling world and how CEO and owner Court Bauer is doing running the company. Highlights and the full podcast are below:

Tom Lawlor on MLW’s roster: “Obviously there’s a reason why I re-signed with MLW and I’ll be there for the next few years. And that is because on the roster — you mentioned the roster that has been assembled has a great mix of talent. You get young guys like Brian Pillman Jr., Mance Warner, two completely different style wrestlers that you’ll find in MLW. You have guys like Air Wolf, Zenshi, there’s a ton of luchadores that come in from Mexico, and all of them are a completely different style from what you’ll find with a Davey Boy Smith Jr., a King Mo, from even a Low Ki. So, what I think excites me the most is being able to diversify myself and fight all these different styles. And I think that’s what MLW does best as a diverse variety of different wrestling that you get, and you really don’t get that anywhere else. If you watch most professional wrestling, they’re homogenized. And MLW, when I watch it, is not, so that’s the reason I’m there. that’s the reason I stayed. I think the name of MLW’s flagship show, Fusion, is the perfect name for what MLW brings to the table.”

Tom Lawlor on Court Bauer as the captain of the ship: “Well, if you look at where MLW started to where it is now, you can obviously see that there’s been a tremendous amount of growth. And as far as Court goes, I was thinking about this earlier, I’m sure that virtually every other promotion you see on television is handcuffed to a certain degree as to what the performers can and cannot do — can and can’t do as far as their characters go. And I feel like I’m not really handcuffed by any of that in MLW. I can do what I want to a certain extent. As I have a ton of input as to how I am as a character and what I can do. I think that’s very important in today’s wrestling landscape. You hear so many horror stories about promos being scripted and guys being given characters that don’t fit them. In MLW, we don’t really have that. You don’t really have anybody that’s fish out of water so to speak.”

Lawlor on if his promos in MLW are scripted: “There’s varying degrees of things that are scripted and unscripted. I think because I have been around for virtually the entirety of — I have been around for the entirety of the second run — I think I’m getting a little bit more leeway than more people. I’m sure of that actually. One thing you have to remember is that I get a — not like ad nauseam, but I’ve done a lot of media when it comes to the UFC and other MMA promotions, doing MMA commentary, going on goodwill tours. So, I’m accustomed to at least being in front of people speaking, whether I’m getting my point across or not is a different story. But I think the fact that I’ve done all that stuff and that I’ve been around with MLW since it restarted means that I have a little bit more input than perhaps some people. But I can tell you from firsthand, watching stuff backstage and behind the scenes, guys are not being fed what to say. Guys are not being given characters and ideas that don’t necessarily fit them for the most part. So, I think it’s a great place as far as being a worker goes.”

In the full interview, Tom Lawlor discusses his match with Killer Kross at MLW: Fightland, the talent roster in MLW, Court Bauer giving him freedom in his creative work, King Mo’s arrival in MLW, the trend of MMA fighters transitioning to professional wrestling and more.

And if you’re enjoying all of our recent interviews with names like Lance Archer, Jimmy Jacobs, Ken Shamrock, Scott D’Amore, and Jungle Grrrl and want to support us getting more interviews with big names in wrestling, please leave us a 5 star review on Apple Podcasts, it only takes a few seconds to do and really helps us out!

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit the 411 Wrestling Interview Podcast on 411mania.com and please embed our podcast player or YouTube video.

0:00: Introduction
0:19: On his match with Killer Kross at MLW Fightland this weekend, being the veteran in MLW against Kross
2:36: On whether his MMA background makes him overpowered for any opponent in MLW
3:42: On making his own history in the 2300 Arena
5:12: On whether the match is a new start for him before heading back to the Heavyweight Title
6:14: On the level of talent on the roster in MLW, why he re-signed with the company
8:54: On Court Bauer’s success guiding MLW and allowing talent freedom to do what they want, how much of his promos are scripted
12:17: On not being retired from MMA yet, being offered fights and willingness to take a fight
13:29: On King Mo joining MLW and wanting to face him in the ring
14:25: On the trend of MMA fighters transitioning into professional wrestling
16:24: On growing up as a fan of pro wrestling, his wrestling-style entrances and weigh-ins in the UFC
21:11: On his win over CB Dolloway at UFC 100 and his thoughts on USADA’s handling of anti-doping efforts in the UFC
23:24: On his goals for 2020, keeping things “business as usual,” being open to do anything
25:39: On his prediction for his match with Killer Kross
26:16: On where to find him on social media

You can subscribe and listen to the 411 Wrestling Interviews Podcast via the above player on Transistor, or on the following platforms:

* Apple Podcasts
* Spotify
* Stitcher
* Google Play