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Hello folks! It’s your friendly neighbourhood Canadian here, and we’re back for episode two of Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling’s Mayhem, which aired on TSN2 in Canada and on MyAEW.com on Thursday.
If you’re looking for a detailed recap, please head on over to Cory Strode’s excellent coverage here. Otherwise, let’s get rolling!
EPISODE TWO
Much like last week, MLPW delivered a tight 45-minute episode with solid matches and good character and story development. I can only imagine how challenging it is to keep the show short and sweet without cramming too much into the broadcast. They’ve done a good job thus far, and the show flew by. The production is great, and I enjoy Mauro Ranallo as lead announcer - his enthusiasm and knowledge are impressive. Don Callis does a good job playing antagonist, siding with heels and basically just being a jerk.
WHAT I LIKED:
For two weeks in a row, MLPW used their short timeslot to highlight the men’s division, women’s division, and tag teams more or less equally. They’re doing a good job using the early episodes of Mayhem to establish talents and divisions while showing that they should all be taken seriously.
MLPW is doing a really great job with the short pre-recorded promos to give us a sense of who talents are, including 1st Faction, Rohan Raja and Dani Luna and Subculture.
The crowd at St. Clair College in Windsor, Ontario has been really lively on the first two episodes of Mayhem, and it’s helped add a fun energy to the show.
Just like last week, I enjoyed the homages to Canadian wrestlers and wrestling lore sprinkled through the show. Canadians aren’t known for being particularly boastful, and Canada’s wrestling history is rarely celebrated, so these little moments are welcome.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE:
The Meta glasses gimmick in the Johnny TV vs TJP match was cute at first, and I enjoyed watching Johnny interact with the kid in the audience. Once we got past that moment, the glasses wore out their welcome. Don Callis read my mind when he said, “I’ve seen so much of the glasses, I’d like to break them.”
HIGHLIGHT
Dani Luna was featured strongly this week, setting her up as a challenger for MLP Women's Canadian Champions Gisele Shaw, and I look forward to seeing where this is headed. I enjoyed Luna’s short match versus Vanna Black and her confident promo calling out Shaw, who was fun on commentary with Ranallo and Callis during the Luna/Black match.
STRAY THOUGHTS
I’m not faulting the MLPW crowd for this; it’s an epidemic in wrestling, and I never need to hear “fight forever” again. That is all!
Thanks for reading! I enjoyed episode two of Mayhem, and I’m looking forward to next week.
Eric Lewis is from New Brunswick, Canada. He’s been a pro wrestling fan for as long as he can remember, at least back to WrestleMania VII. During his journalism career, he was fortunate to interview wrestling legends like Bret Hart, Trish Stratus, Booker T, JJ Dillon, Christian Cage, Ted Dibiase, Lanny Poffo, and The Honky Tonk Man.
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