MLW reveals location for next Battle Riot event
MLW’s next Battle Riot event will be held in the Orlando area in January 2026.
The promotion announced today that Battle Riot VIII will take place at the Osceola Heritage Park Events Center in Kissimmee, Florida on Thursday, January 29. The show is in partnership with Don Gato Tequila, an alcohol brand that’s owned by Hollywood star Danny McBride.
🚨 BREAKING: MLW will make its long-awaited return to the Orlando area on Jan. 29, 2026, with MLW’s most-anticipated event of the year, BATTLE RIOT VIII!
— MLW (@MLW) November 13, 2025
🌴 Tickets go on sale Wednesday, Nov. 19 at 10 am ET at https://t.co/2bQ4RGY95t! pic.twitter.com/CFGRhrSIK8
Considered MLW’s biggest event of the year, Battle Riot is headlined by MLW’s version of a Royal Rumble. The Battle Riot is a 40-person battle royal where eliminations can occur via pinfall, submission, or being thrown over the top rope. The MLW World Heavyweight Championship — currently held by Mads Krule Krugger — will be defended in the match.
Past Battle Riots have been won by Tom Lawlor, LA Park, Alex Hammerstone, Jacob Fatu, Alex Kane, and Matt Riddle (twice).
Tickets for Battle Riot VIII are going on sale on Wednesday, November 19 at 10 a.m. Eastern time. The show will be a homecoming for MLW, which held its initial events in Orlando after the promotion relaunched in 2017.
“Whenever we announce the location of a big event, we get so much feedback telling us to come back to Orlando,” MLW’s Court Bauer told the Orlando Sentinel. “We’ve been to Miami/Fort Lauderdale, we’ve been to Tampa, but still we hear ‘come back home’ to Orlando from fans who are loud and proud about it.”
MLW and Don Gato Tequila are also partnering together for a live special that will be held in Charleston, South Carolina next Thursday (November 20).
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.