MLW Secures Kotto Brazil with Long-Term Deal

Kotto Brazil had a star-making performance in MLW Fusion Episode 17 and follows it up with a new, long-term deal with Major League Wrestling. With War Games looming, can Brazil solidify himself as a main-event name less than a month after inking his contract?

MLW has reported that Kotto Brazil has signed a new, multi-year contract with the Florida-based promotion. Brazil has been competing in MLW and appearing on their weekly MLW Fusion series since early 2018. Just recently, Brazil was named as one of the participants in one of the most brutal matches in professional wrestling – War Games.

Brazil will join Shane Strickland, Barrington Hughes, John Hennigan, and Tommy Dreamer as they face off with Sami Callihan, Leon Scott, Fulton, Jimmy Havoc, and a mystery opponent yet to be revealed. Everything goes down on September 6 in Fort Lauderdale inside of the massive caged double-ring – if you’re not lucky enough to see it in person, you’ll have to wait with the rest of us to check it out on MLW Fusion.

As news broke of Kotto’s signing, MLW CEO Court Bauer recalled Brazil’s first night in the company:

"“I remember sitting down with him on his first night and saying if you bring it, there will be immense opportunity for you here.  Kotto kicked down that door and has shown Kotto can and then some. Kotto is major league material and we’re glad to make it official today.”"

While Brazil has been appearing on MLW Fusion throughout the entire year, he finally seems to be hitting his stride and coming into his own on a roster filled with top-tier talent. For me, Brazil had always been a solid hand in his MLW appearances but hadn’t quite connected with me more than as a wrestler who could be relied upon to have a good-to-great match. That all changed on the August 11, 2018 edition of MLW Fusion when Kotto stood toe-to-toe with Sami Callihan and his Death Machines.

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After rescuing his ally, Barrington Hughes, from a 3-on-1 attack perpetrated by Callihan, Leon Scott, and Fulton, Brazil got on the mic and laid out a challenge to “The Worldwide Desperado” in a fiery promo. When a wrestler can perform well in the ring, you can always count on a certain level of enjoyment when you watch their matches. When that same performer finally gets a chance to let their personality shine through and connect with the audience, both in-person and at home, everything rises to another level.

It wasn’t just Brazil’s promo and challenge to Callihan that dazzled me, though. The match that would follow was one of his best performances, perhaps due to the emotion that came pouring out of him prior to the match. While Kotto didn’t come up with the victory against Sami, he did open a lot of eyes and let everybody in MLW and everybody watching that he’s not “just another guy” on the roster. Now, Kotto gets the chance to raise his game even higher when he steps into the main event September 6 in Fort Lauderdale.

With so many combustible elements, there is going to be no shortage of opportunities for Brazil to shine once more when he and nine others are locked inside of War Games. The fight will be violent, gritty, and barbaric but Kotto has shown that he is able to handle himself when the numbers are against him and when he’s facing a deranged opponent like Sami Callihan. While the entire match will be a spectacle, for my money the one to watch inside of the cage will be Kotto Brazil.