Trevor Lee becomes inaugural MLW Southern Crown champion

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Trevor Lee is a different man from his days as WWE Million Dollar Champion Cameron Grimes in NXT. His perseverance in career rediscovery paid off in MLW to become the inaugural titleholder for the Southern Crown Championship. The match also featured cheeky shenanigans from Festus, Ricardo Rodriguez, and Don Gato. Lee competed against nine other men in a Bunkhouse Stampede match on MLW Fusion (airing July 4, 2026). The Southern Crown Championship was created to honor the history of southern wrestling. Bunkhouse Stampede rules were no disqualification and first man to a pin or submission is the winner. In the end, the herd thinned out as several participants brawled to the back. Andrew Everett landed a shooting star press on Diego Hill. Paul Walter Hauser grabbed Everett off the pin, however, Everett reversed position to dump the award-winning actor from the ring. Everett turned around to become victim to a jumping double stomp from Lee, and that maneuver earned Lee the Southern Crown title. HE’S DONE IT! @TrevorLeePro WINS THE SOUTHERN CROWN CHAMPIONSHIP! Watch on @Veeps: 🇺🇸 https://t.co/ZVlGpNDbL7 pic.twitter.com/w8lEXlMGFV — MLW (@MLW) July 5, 2026 Lee adds that honor to his résumé as former NXT North American champion, three-time TNA Division champion, former TNA world tag team champion with Brian Myers, as well as several titles from the indies. The match also included Beastman, Ikuro Kwon, Josh Bishop, Matthew Justice, Jesus (Ricardo) Rodriguez, and Festus. Yes, that Festus. One of the many alter egos of Doc Gallows wanted a taste of gold. Festus ran wild with punches to clear the ring early. Rodriguez, who is better known as the right-hand man for Alberto Del Rio in WWE, actually had a smart plan. He rushed over to the timekeeper table to ring the bell. Festus went into his docile state. Jesus Rodriguez rang the bell and immobilized Festus. giving him one less competitor to contend with for the title! Tune into the Signal: 🎆 https://t.co/ajvBR2rdi0 pic.twitter.com/cLargA3TJa — MLW (@MLW) July 4, 2026 A short while later, there was an opening in the ring. Rodriguez rolled Festus under the ropes with the plan to pin him. Commentator Tom Lawlor refused to stand by and see Festus get screwed, so he rang the bell with Beastman’s bone to snap Festus out of his trance. Festus ran wild again. Jesus Rodriguez’s attempt to capitalize on Festus’s vulnerability was THWARTED by @FilthyTomLawlor! Catch the VIOLENCE: 🎆 https://t.co/ajvBR2rdi0 pic.twitter.com/PbUcbP8pgV — MLW (@MLW) July 4, 2026 Closing with a funny moment of tequila kingpin Don Gato clocking Kwon with brass knuckles. IKURO KWON’S (@The_IkuroKwon) DISRESPECT COSTS HIM AGAIN! Don Gato just knocked Kwon OUT! Tap into FUSION on @Veeps: 🇺🇸 https://t.co/ZVlGpNDJAF pic.twitter.com/BAoBOeSGvD — MLW (@MLW) July 5, 2026 Share your reaction to the Bunkhouse Stampede hijinks and Trevor Lee winning the MLW Southern Crown Championship.