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We’re back for another episode of Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling’s Mayhem, once again filmed at St. Clair College in Windsor, Ontario. This week we had some fun synergy between MLP and AEW, a few solid matches, and a strong promo from our Canadian Champions.
HIGHLIGHTS
The fiery promo between a cocky MLP Canadian Champion Josh Alexander and Interim Canadian Champion Stu Grayson was a great way to cap off a strong Mayhem. The Interim Champ has faced all comers for months, never backing down from a challenge, but Grayson knows he still has something to prove: he needs to beat Alexander and drop the Interim title to truly be the top male wrestler in MLP.
Alexander was great as a jerk here, pushing Grayson’s buttons. This is going to be a fun few weeks leading to their match at Northern Rising on Oct. 3.
I loved everything about the Steve Maclin and Adam Copeland segment filmed at AEW Dynamite. Maclin attacked Copeland, confirming their match at Northern Rising. Bridging between Mayhem and Dynamite is a really fun way to add an extra dimension to MLP, and it’s nice to see the strong collaboration between the companies.
One more highlight: the debut of Sinner & Saint was great. The team came in fiery and fast, with some innovative tag moves that 1st Faction simply wasn’t ready for. The champs won’t take the new contenders for granted again, and a title match is surely coming. My question is: when does 1st Faction finally put the boots to Brent Banks?
REST OF THE SHOW
AEW National Champion Andrade El Idolo made his MLP debut in a solid match with TJP. Andrade got the pin before challenging Rohan Raja to a match at Northern Rising.
The main event was a 4-way tag match between the Good Brothers, Subculture, Capitain Suicida and Neon, and the Grizzled Young Veteran. It was fun, fast-paced, and a little messy at times, with GYV taking the win and earning a tag title shot. The tag division in MLP is pretty hot, and it was on display this week.
I liked the face-off between Priscilla Kelly and Nikki Storm. Kelly is set to face Gisele Shaw next week for the Canadian Women’s Title, and we’re sure to see Kelly and Storm face off again soon.
The Psycho Mike promo was interesting, and I’m curious where that’s headed. I sometimes shake my head at some of the sillier parts of pro wrestling, like Psycho Mike or PCO. But then I remind myself that I became a fan when the Undertaker was in his earliest zombie-esque form. Sometimes we need to suspend our disbelief and remember that this is pro wrestling. I’ll say this: Psycho Mike does a great job in the role, and the crowds clearly like him.
STRAY THOUGHTS
I can’t say enough about how much I enjoy MLP engaging in the broader wrestling world, bringing in talents from AEW, CMLL, and others while also openly acknowledging WWE, TNA, ROH, NJPW, etc. They’re not the only promotion to do this, of course, but it positions MLP nicely as a strong Canadian player in the broader wrestling bubble (outside of WWE, that is).
I was disappointed there was no women’s match this week, but I’ll give MLP a pass as the Nikki vs Priscilla Kelly segment was well done, and it set up a women’s match for next week. With only about 43 minutes of airtime for Mayhem, not every division will be spotlighted every week.
Thanks for reading! See you back here next week. MLP Mayhem airs on TSN2 in Canada and on MyAEW.com everywhere.
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 including Bret Hart, Trish Stratus, Booker T, JJ Dillon, Christian Cage, Ted Dibiase, Lanny Poffo, and The Honky Tonk Man.
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