The Noble Dragon Speaks: Middle Kingdom Wrestling Interview

On 23 March, Middle Kingdom Wrestling reached out to ‘All Elite Wrestling’ to about booking talent.  In the inquiry, recently signed Allie was mentioned.  This event could indicate future cooperation or the establishment of a women’s division in China.

I contacted Middle Kingdom to learn more of the situation.  Below is the interview between myself and Middle Kingdom and their future plans.

SC: Middle Kingdom Wrestling has been remarkably successful for such a short running company, (5 years) what do you attribute this success to?

MKW:  The success has come from having a very dedicated and professional team around us at all times. We’re lucky to have the people working for us right now.   At the core of MKW, we are fans with a passion to make professional wrestling stronger.

Our employees have a strong work ethic, good hearts, and an ambitious vision for the future.  Our dedication has attracted some of the best workers in the world in and out of the ring.  They sacrifice their time, energy, and passion to this company.  From our fans to our employees, we share one goal, to make Middle Kingdom Wrestling grow into what it has become today.  Yes, to put it simply, it’s because of our team.

SC:  With the recent popularity in independent professional wrestling promotions, What are your 2019 goals and expectations for Middle Kingdom Wrestling?

MKW:  From a wrestling product point of view, I want MKW to be in the conversation for having both the most exciting matches, storylines, and characters in China.  From a business point of view, I would like to see MKW run in at least one dedicated sports venue in China at some point later in the year.

SC:  Middle Kingdom was the first Asian promotion to invite talent from Russian talent.  Is this a little known partnership between promotions or more freelance wrestlers finding great opportunities to tour the Asian market?

MKW: Is that right about us being the first? Wow, that’s great.  You see, MKW believes in the One Belt, One Road (OBOR) Initiative — which is one of the most exciting economic strategies for OBOR countries to be involved in.  

We brought in wrestlers from seventy two countries for the inaugural MKW Belt & Road Championship Tournament last year.  The event was really one of the most exciting projects that I have ever worked on, personally.  The participation demonstrates the success of our promotion and the dedication of our government to build alliances.

The OBOR also allows pro wrestling promotions in the region to create a kind of synergy among each other.. we see this as the future of pro wrestling in Asia.

Note: One Belt One Road is a diplomatic measure by the Chinese government to build trade and industrial cooperation with Asian partners.  The government has used MKW to help promote cooperation.

SC:  I notice that Middle Kingdom frequently shares talent and takes part in events with Taiwan, Oriental Wrestling Entertainment, and Hong Kong.  Is there an official partnership between the promotions or a common interest to create a stronger fanbase in the Chinese market?

MKW:  While there is not an official partnership between us, we have friends everywhere in the Chinese pro wrestling industry and so you should definitely expect to see more things like this.

SC:  Recently, Middle Kingdom and OWE hosted an American women’s wrestler Zeda Zhang and this past weekend put out interest in the All Elite Wrestling’s talent Allie to appear.  Are the Chinese promotions working to build a women’s wrestling division or continue to book individual matches rather than create a roster?

MKW:  Unfortunately, at the moment our women’s division in China is very much in its developing phase. We know that if the Women’s Wrestling revolution has taught us anything recently, it’s that the women’s wrestling division is just as competitive and exciting as the men’s.  Expect to see some new women’s wrestlers to make their debut in an MKW ring soon.

SC:  OWE announced a partnership with the American company AEW earlier this year.  Is this also a goal which Middle Kingdom is considering?

MKW: We have something to announce with an American wrestling company very soon.  Please stay tuned for our announcement.

NOTE:  In the past, Middle Kingdom Wrestling has worked with Impact Wrestling for a one time booking.  It also reached out to All Elite Wrestling this past weekend for a booking opportunity.  Though niether confirm an actual partnership.  Stay Tuned.

SC:  Professional wrestling fans in the United States do not get information about professional wrestling in China, is there anything you would like to say to these new fans?

MKW:  Sure.  I was very excited when I heard that AEW formed a working relationship with OWE.  Because for a lot of people — this was one of the first times that they had ever heard about pro wrestling in China.  It definitely brought a lot of new focus into OWE, but also a lot of new fans started checking out Middle Kingdom Wrestling as well.  Our followers among western social media platforms saw a spike in growth this year.   

  Middle Kingdom programs use Chinese, to learn more about our product. Please watch us on Youtube at Middle Kingdom Wrestling, twitter @MKWwrestling , or MKWchina on Instagram.  We love our international fans and we really appreciate their role in helping us grow into the best Chinese professional wrestling company in Asia.

SC:  Once again thank you so much for responding.