After Fantastic Four Casting, Paul Walter Hauser Is Doubling Down On Becoming A Badass Pro Wrestler With WWE Vets And More
Paul Walter Hauser’s career already started exploding in recent years, due in part to his fan-favorite performance Stingray in Netflix’s Cobra Kai. But as fans await the karate dramedy’s sixth and final season, the actor is landing mega-jobs left and right, such as a mystery MCU role within the Fantastic Four cast, and playing a comedy legend for Chris Farley’s biopic. If that wasn’t enough, he also added “badass pro wrestler” to the checklist, and is now teaming with Major League Wrestling for a trio of exciting events that include former WWE, UFC and NFL superstars.
MLW is gearing up for its yearly highlight event, Battle Riot VI, which is set to take place on Saturday, June 1. The key draw to this event is the gleefully chaotic titular match itself, a 40-man battle royale where no holds are barred, and rules are thrown out the window. New entrants make their way to the ring every 60 seconds, and now we know one of those entrants will be the voice of Inside Out 2’s Embarrassment.
Though I think we can all agree that Paul Walter Hauser will be aiming to bring shame and disgust to his opponents in this case, rather than the other way around. Because winning out at Battle Riot VI wouldn’t just mean pride and a feeling of accomplishment; this is for a shot at the strap itself, the MLW World Heavyweight Championship.
Paul Walter Hauser Shares Thoughts On Joining MLW's Battle Riot VI
In sharing a statement alongside the Battle Riot announcement, Hauser addressed the notion that he's following in the footsteps of other Hollywood actors without a legitimate drive for wrestling itself. In his words:
I’m so excited to take part in Major League Wrestling’s 6th Annual Battle Riot. While some could misconstrue this to be an actor making a cameo in wrestling, or a fan checking off some bucket list or wish fulfillment - don’t get it twisted. I am entering to prove myself worthy of a spot in the world of wrestling, as well as a shot at Satoshi Kojima’s World Heavyweight Title.
Indeed, Paul Walter Hauser has even addressed his burgeoning sports-entertainment efforts as being a reverse-approach to how Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has conquered pop culture, telling New York Post that he aims to bring the kind of legitimate spectacle that Stephen Amell and Bad Bunny have delivered, as opposed to other comedians and celebs who make more stunt-minded appearances.
Indeed, he followed up on some 2023 AEW appearances by getting even more active in the ring with promotions such as Wrestling Revolver and the fan convention WrestleCon. And he's actually been training and getting fit for that kind of athleticism behind the scenes for several years. As bonkers as it might be to one day call Hauser an "MLW heavyweight champion," it's not so wild overall.
Who Else Is Heading To Battle Riot VI?
Though Paul Walter Hauser may be the only current Battle Riot competitor with a Golden Globe and an Emmy, he's not the only familiar face heading to the ring for the event. It'll also feature UFC and WWE vet Matt Riddle, WWE and WCW great Ernest "The Cat" Miller, NFL veteran AJ Francis, TNA and ROH vet Sami Callihan (who's no stranger to MLW), the British Bulldog's son Davey Boy Smith Jr. and more. The list of announced competitors is below, with more to be announced ahead of the event.
Matt Riddle
Mistico
Bobby Fish
"Death Machine" Sami Callihan
Ernest "The Cat" Miller
Matthew Justice
Timothy Thatcher
Davey Boy Smith Jr.
Mads Krule Krugger
Alex Kane
AJ Francis
So don't forget to set your wrestling bell-sized alarms for Major League Wrestling's Battle Riot VI, which will be streaming for free from Atlanta's Center Stage Theater on YouTube on Saturday, June 1. Head to our 2024 TV schedule to see what other big events are hitting the small screen soon.