MLW Teases Debut Of Recently Released WWE Talent

Could another former Lucha Underground talent be coming to MLW Azteca? A hint at the end of last night's episode hinted in that direction. During the final scene of the episode, a shot of two doors in the Azteca Underground locker room were shown. One door read Salina, referencing former MLW manager Salina de la Renta, while the other read Killshot, the name of a long-time Lucha Underground star.

Portrayed by Shane Strickland, best known for his run in WWE as Isaiah "Swerve" Scott, Killshot was part of all four seasons of Lucha Underground, getting the job thanks to his friendship with WWE star Ricochet, who also wrestled in Lucha Underground as Prince Puma as an ally to Big Ryck (former WWE star Ezekiel Jackson) and The Mack (in season one). In season two, Killshot's backstory was expanded to that of a former military sniper, who fought to forget the horrors of war and wore the dog tags of his fallen comrades.

For the next two seasons, Killshot would engage in rivalries with Marty "The Moth" Martinez (former Tough Enough competitor Martin Casaus and Dante Fox (independent star AR Fox), the latter portraying a fellow soldier who believed Killshot had abandoned them. The feud culminated in a highly acclaimed Hell of War match at Lucha Underground Ultima Lucha Tres, which Killshot won. He would go on to lose his mask at Ultima Lucha IV to Son of Havoc (Matt Cross).

While working for Lucha Underground, Strickland also worked for MLW from 2017 to early 2019, becoming the first MLW World Heavyweight Champion after the promotion was relaunched. He left MLW to join WWE NXT in 2019 as Scott, going on to form the Hit Row stable and win the NXT North American Championship before he was released in November of 2021.

MLW Azteca airs on Thursday nights on YouTube. The third episode will premiere next week. You can watch the Killshot tease at the end of episode two below.