Show: Interactive Wrestling Radio
Guest: Alexander Hammerstone
Date: 11/17/2021
Your Host: James Walsh

MLW’s War Chamber airs tonight on their Fusion TV show. Featuring the match beyond, the most violent match in regulated wrestling involving some of the largest, meanest, roughest, and toughest wrestlers you’ll see anywhere on wrestling TV today! And, the captain of one of the teams is the MLW Champion, our guest, Alex Hammerstone! Highlights of the conversation can be read below. Please feel free to share them on your respective websites! Just be sure and link back to our site!

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HAMMERSTONE:

On what it feels like to finally be MLW Heavyweight Champion:
“It is a little surreal! (laughs) I did an interview just before this one and they introduced me that way and it still just feels surreal! It is something I’ve been waiting and working for for a real long time. Now it is here! I guess it will just take some time to get used to it!”

On his thoughts on his Fightland encounter with Jacob Fatu:
“I can say it was definitely one of the toughest challenges I’ve ever had in wrestling. I wish I had gotten through it without suffering the injury. But, that is to be expected when you face someone like Jacob Fatu. But, I was satisfied with the match. Seeing the road that I went down to get there and having it pay off in such a grand fashion was awesome!”

On doing it in the legendary 2300, ECW Arena:
“It is such a famous venue for pro wrestling. It definitely has a vibe of its own and it adds to it.”

On how he’s doing after the scary injury:
“I lucked out! Nothing broke! It was my ankle. It was a very bad sprain, I had some tearing in some of the ligaments and tendons. But, I’m back wrestling. It put me down for a while. But, I’m being smart. Ankle injuries have a tendency to linger on. So, every time I wrestle, I’m going to be having a brace on for the forseeable to help prevent re-injuring this ankle.”

On paying homage to Hulk Hogan at Battle Riot:
“For sure. I like to borrow and repackage some subtle influences from some of my favorite guys from wrestling’s past. And, also, some of the guys who kind of mirror my likeness like (Hulk) Hogan, (Ultimate) Warrior, (Lex) Luger… You know, these guys who were just larger than life, big, jacked up guys who brought the energy and charisma with them. So, I like to throw a nod here or there for guys like you. Throwing a little nostalgia into the mix is never a bad thing.”

On surviving the pandemic as a pro wrestler:
“A lot of it is about surviving the mental aspect. Of course, you’re trying to make ends meet as far as paying the bills. But, it was a real challenge as far as being taken away from your element… Being taken away from what you’ve worked your whole life to get to be able to do. Especially for me. I was just hitting my stride. I was on the road every weekend! Being featured in main events all over the world! And then, I was stuck in my living room playing video games wishing I was out there. But, I think a positive that came out of the pandemic is I really came to appreciate pro wrestling. Sometimes we dread it, we curse it, and wish we were doing something else. But, that time away really reminded me how much I do love it! And, it did provide a little bit of a break to heal up some injuries. So, I can’t say it was all bad when it was all said and done.”

On the ever changing global wrestling scene and how MLW fits in:
“The thing I have been saying for a few years, even before the pandemic, is that wrestling is changing so fast. You’re just a boat on the water and you just adjust your sails as best you can because the wind is going to take you whatever way it wants. But, MLW, we did make it through! So, it just opens up the opportunity for us to keep climbing that ladder. I think we have the roster to do it and I think we have the minds behind the scenes to do it. I know all the guys are hungry to make it happen. So, we’ll see. It is definitely going to be an interesting couple of months moving forward.”

On MLW embracing the Lucha Underground audience with the Aztec Underground:
“I think you hit the nail on the head. I think Lucha Underground really was cut short from the opportunity it could have had or maybe even should have had. So, getting to incorporate some of those vibes and stories into our environment is making for a very interesting mix-up!”

On tonight’s match beyond, War Chamber match on MLW Fusion TV:
“(laughs) Oh, you know, it is amazing just the sheer mass of humanity in this ring! It is pretty much all these giant, heavyweight dudes! (laughs) You know, then you have to factor in the cage and the fact that there is going to be weapons allowed… It is going to be a match to watch!”