It is night two of Maple Leaf Pro-Wrestling’s big return. Scott D’Amore, termed Forged in Excellence weekend as his “proof of concept” for MLP. Let’s hope that it passes the test financially because it sure did from a production and performance point of view.
Both nights are pretty even when it comes to match quality but tonight with Konosuke Takeshita against Josh Alexander it is all about brawn versus brawn not technique versus brawn as it was last night when Konosuke Takeshita and Mike Bailey tangled.
Alexander is wearing pink and black as a tribute to Bret ‘Hitman’ Hart. The Walking Weapon chants begin. Don Callis leaves the announce table to escort Konosuke Takeshita to the ring. Maur0 Ranallo reminds us that their first meeting ended in a time limit draw. Callis heads back to the announce desk after his managerial duties are done.
Alexander smiles at Takeshita from across the ring. Callis predicts that Takeshita will put on a clinic tonight. Both men run off the ropes at each other. Alexander puts Takeshita to the mat with a shoulder tackle. Takeshita and Alexander trade chops. To the delight of the crowd, Alexander locks the Sharpshooter on. Takeshita reaches the ropes to end the pain and agony.
A flying clothesline has Alexander stunned on the apron. Takeshita DDTs Alexander on the apron. Takeshita drives Alexander’s back into the ringside barricade and the steel steps. Takeshita flattens Alexander with a senton from the second rope. Alexander is being worn down. He isn’t even battling back. He is whipped sternum-first into a corner.
The crowd tries to inspire Alexander on. A two count for Takeshita after a brainbuster. Alexander fights his way back to his feet. Alexander traps Takeshita in an ankle lock. Alexander flips Takeshita right over the top rope to the floor. Alexander body splashes Takeshita to the floor. Alexander drives a knee into Takeshita’s head from the top rope for a two count.
A franksteiner sends Alexander through the ropes and to the floor. Takeshita dives onto Alexander on the floor. He comes up holding his right knee or ankle. A running kick to Alexander’s head sends him to Dreamstreet. Takeshita Superplexes Alexander down but his frog splash hits Alexander’s knees. Alexander misses a moonsault. Takeshita clocks Alexander with running knee strike. Both men are down and are slow to rise to their feet.
Alexander has the situation well in hand. Courtesy: MLP, Fite TV.
Alexander pulls both of his straps down. Alexander’s Three Amigos is stopped at two by Takeshita’s two German Suplexes. Alexander German Suplexes Takeshita on the apron. Takeshita brainbusters Alexander on the rampway. Both men make it back into the ring by nine. Neither has the energy to get back to their feet though.
Alexander kicks out of a Blue Thunder Bomb. Alexander’s eyes glaze over after a forearm shot. Alexander stands up but there is no strength behind his blows. Another forearm knocks Alexander down to the mat again. Alexander locks on the ankle lock. Takeshita lifts Alexander into a German Suplex. Alexander kicks out at one after a C4 Spike by Takeshita. Alexander is rewarded with a two count after a Tombstone Piledriver. Takeshita put his leg on the rope to stop a guaranteed pin from Alexander’s C4 Spike.
It is another ankle lock by Alexander. Takeshita rolls through. Alexander holds on. Takeshita is German Suplexed into a corner. Takeshita clotheslines Alexander off the top rope and lands his running knee strike for a two count. Alexander throws his head gear at Takeshita. Takeshita pins Alexander with Raging Fire, his spinning Falcon Arrow.
In the middle of the ring, Don Callis praises Takeshita’s victories this weekend.
“Who’s is going to be him? Nobody!” shouts Callis.
Takeshita and Callis put the boots to Alexander after the match. Ricochet makes the save diving onto Takeshita and clearing the ring. Takeshita leaves his belt in the middle of the ring. Alexander and Ricochet shake hands. Ricochet dares Takeshita to come to the ring to reclaim his title.
MLP Forged in Excellence Results – Night Two
Rohan Raja, Rohit Raju and Rocky Romero versus Aiden Prince, The Jetsetters (IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions: Kushida and Kevin Knight)
Aiden Prince is the hometown boy in this match. Cool too see Raja back in action again tonight. I was really impressed by his work on night one. The crowd goes crazy when Kushida enters the ring. He and Knight work Romero over with quick tags and stereo arm wringers. Don Callis calls Kushida and “honorary Canadian”. Knight gets caught up in wrong corner. They punish and punish him. Rohit’s trash talking allows Knight to hot tag Prince in. Prince crowns everyone. He double DDTs Romero and Rohit.
“Prince is a native of Windsor. That’s his problem,” says Don Callis.
Mauro Ranallo says that Kushida and Romero have shared the ring over a hundred times so far in their careers. Knight’s springboard lariat turns the match in his team’s favour. Rohit is pinned by The Jetsetters’ body splash, neckbreaker combination as Prince splashes Romero and Raja on the floor to keep them from making the save.
Winners: Aiden Prince and The Jetsetters at 11 minutes and 3 seconds.
Rating: 7 / 10
Classy Ali (c) vs. El Reverso – QPW Qatar Championship Match
If you name yourself “El Reverso” you are setting yourself up for failure, I say. The first time you don’t counter something you might as well turn on the laugh track yourself.
Ranallo says Classy Ali has never been pinned in his career. Naturally, the crowd is behind Canadian Reverso. Classy shoulder blocks Reverso to the mat. Reverso reverse a suplex though and almost pins Classy. A running, flying clothesline spins Reverso around over and over for a two count. Reverso ties Classy to the Tree of Woe and drop kicks him in the “lower abdomen”. He misses a big charge though running into the turnbuckles hard. Classy takes his glove off chopping Reverso’s chest in a corner. Reverso pins Classy with a Five Star Frog Splash Moonsault.
Winner: …and new QPW Qatar Champion, El Reverso at 6 minutes and 47 seconds.
Rating: 4 / 10
Rohan Raja is backstage and angry that his team lost tonight’s match. He is sure of one thing it wasn’t his fault in any way. Mackenzie Mitchell tries to interview Kylie Rae backstage but Harley Cameron attacks Rae from behind.
Laynie Luck and Harley Cameron vs. Kylie Rae and Miyu Yamashita
Harley refuses to wrestle Miju. She gets into an argument with Luck. Rae tags in. They continue to debate things. Cameron flips Rae over and mocks her.
“If you wrestle with long hair you deserve to have it pulled,” says Callis.
“I used to know a guy with long hair. Cyrus something…” replies Ranallo.
Luck refuses to lock up with Miyu. Miyu lays in some kicks. Rae turns it up with some nasty shots to Luck and a cannonball. Rae gets caught in the wrong corner. She is battered and beaten. Luck puts Rae into the Lady Lock STF. Rae is able to drape her leg over the ropes to break the hold. Rae puts Luck down with a flying headscissors from the top rope. Rae hot tags Miyu. Luck holds Miyu from the apron. Cameron nails her with a clothesline. Miyu battles back though. Luck dives off the ropes and almost misses Miyu. Cameron beats down Miyu. Miyu pops back up with a German Suplex. Rae and Cameron are taken out with super kicks. Miyu pins Luck with her Skull Kick.
Winners: Kylie Rae and Miyu Yamashita at 7 minutes and 55 seconds.
Rating: 6 / 10
Mackenzie Mitchell chats with Josh Alexander. Josh says that Bret Hart inspired him to follow in his footsteps when he was just 10-years-old. Tonight, the dreams of that 10-year-old will come true.
Trevor Lee vs. Jake Something vs. Stu Grayson vs. Alex Zayne vs. Sheldon Jean vs. Mike Rollins – Six Man Scramble
What do you mean you don’t know who Psycho Mike is? Well, now you do. Courtesy: MLP, Fite TV.
Too hard to call as it is everyone against everyone and participants keep dropping to the floor, laying in a coma until it is their time to return to the action. Ugh. I hate these kinds of multi-man matches. Jean is pretty impressive as he heaves Something onto his shoulders and runs him into the steel post. Jean then shoves Grayson off the top rope. Grayson lands on the steel barricade. Jean takes a bow in the middle of the ring. Jean dominates with Something out of the way. Something and Grayson get into “anything you can do, I can do better” tossing Jean and Zayne around the ring.
Grayson hits a brainbuster on Something. Grayson injures his own knee when he gives Something a torture rack and a backbreaker. Psycho Mike bodyslams everyone again and again and again until they are all stacked in the middle of the ring. Something breaks the three count. Something throws Grayson over the top rope onto Jean and Lee. Zayne pitches Something out of the ring. Psycho Mike pins Zayne from behind.
Winner: Psycho Mike at 13 minutes and 36 seconds.
Rating: 7.5 / 10
Mike Bailey vs. El Phantasmo
Bailey has never lost to ELP, apparently. ELP offers his hand to start things off. Bailey shakes it. Bailey rolls through and seems to tweak his knee a bit. ELP slaps Bailey’s chest in the ropes. Bailey fires back. Bailey’s Speedball Fury sends ELP out of the ring. ELP gets a two count with a spinning backbreaker. ELP starts doing some jumping jacks and push-ups after whipping Bailey into a corner hard. Bailey whips ELP into a corner then hits him with a drop kick. ELP rolls out of the way of Bailey’s running shooting star press.
Bailey goes for a standing moonsault but ELP puts his knees up. Bailey’s knees hit ELP’s shins. Bailey is in agony after that misfire. Bailey doesn’t seem to be able to put much weight on his left knee, leg. Bailey and ELP put each other down with chops and kicks. ELP spins Bailey round and round ending the ride with a neckbreaker. Bailey escapes to the floor.
“This is Canadian wrestling,” ELP says to the cameras as Bailey splashes him on the floor and then lands a moonsault on the floor too. Bailey holds his knee after that move though.
ELP Tornado DDTs Bailey on the concrete floor. Bailey missed the Ultimo Weapon. ELP gets a two with the CR2. Bailey then kicks out of a Thunder Kiss splash. Bailey kicks ELP off the ropes but misses a moonsault hitting his knees on the apron. He rolls around in pain on the floor. ELP splashes Bailey on the floor. Bailey lays out ELP with the Tornado Kick and pins him with the Flamingo Driver.
Winner: Mike Bailey at 16 minutes and 32 seconds.
Rating: 8 / 10
Bully Ray and QT Marshall (w/Harley Cameron) vs. Raj Dhesi (Jinder Mahal) and Bhupinder Gujjar
Bully Ray, the boxer. Courtesy: MLP, Fite TV.
After last night’s shenanigans we get this grudge match. Bully refuses to lock up with Dhesi. He tags Marshall in. Dhesi just heaves Marshall around the ring. He even heaves Bhupinder onto a prone Marshall. The faces beat Marshall around. Bully Ray voices his irritation in the corner with QT performance. He crotches Bhupinder on the steel post. Bully works over Bhupinder for a long, long time. He tears off his bandana throwing it into the official’s face. Bhupinder slings Marshall over of the top rope so he can try to tag Dhesi. Marshal pulls Dhesi off the apron so he cannot make the tag.
It ends up being Dhesi versus Marshall. Running clotheslines almost knock Marshall over the top rope. Dhesi Stinger Splashes Bully and Marshall in a corner. Bully shoves Bhupinder off the top rope. Marshall takes Bhupinder over the top rope with a Cactus Jack Clothesline. Bully terrorizes Scott D’Amore’s mother at ringside. He dares her to slap him. Darren McCarty of the Detroit Red Wings steps in the way to defend her. She slaps Bully in the face. Bully readies Bhupinder for the What’s Up dive. He tells Cameron to climb to the top rope. Bhupinder reverses things with a roll-up. Dhesi pushes Cameron off the top rope. She nails Bully instead. Bhupinder pins Marshall with the Gargoyle Spear.
Winners : Raj Dhesi (Jinder Mahal) and Bhupinder Gujjar at 13 minutes and 22 seconds.
Rating: 7 / 10
Mackenzie Mitchell interviews Mike Bailey backstage. Mike Bailey wrestled injured last night but he fought on as that is what Canadians do. He wishes Alexander all the best in his match tonight.
Athena (c) vs. Gisele Shaw – ROH Women’s World Championship
Gisele stretches out Athena’s spine. Courtesy: MLP, Fite TV.
Gisele is wearing the same top she wore last night. One gathers she isn’t letting that wardrobe malfunction deter her. You go, girl!
Athena shakes Shaw’s hand but…barely. Athena and Shaw get into some mat wrestling. Athena ends up on top punching Shaw in the face. Shaw knocks Athena down with a shoulder tackle. Athena does the same thing. She drop kicks Shaw off the apron though. She dives through the ropes. Shaw catches her by the throat slamming her neck-first onto the ring apron. Athena twitches like she is having a seizure. Shaw drives Athena’s head into the ring. Athena rams Shaw’s face into the steel post twice. A kick from Athena knocks Shaw to the floor.
Shaw barely makes it back into the ring in time. Athena saunters around Shaw kicking at her here and there. Athena leans Shaw over the middle rope choking her. Athena holds Shaw in place while kicking her over and over. Athena slaps Shaw in the face. Shaw stomps Athena’s face into the mat.
Athena misses an axe kick and a senton. Shaw locks in an arm bar. Athena stands up but drops Shaw to the mat. Shaw Liger Bombs Athena. She is too spent to cover Athena though. Athena kicks out of a spinebuster at two. A Tiger Driver, a powerslam gets Athena a two count.
We can see the women talking to each other as they lay on the mat battling to get back up to their feet. Athena has trouble lifting Shaw up for a powerbomb. She almost drops her.
“You think this is a game!” asks Athena putting Shaw in a crossface.
Shaw reverses things. Athena reverses that into a standing knee bar. Shaw reverses that into a modified Sharpshooter. Athena reverses that into another crossface. Shaw spears Athena off the ropes for a one count. Athena kicks out at one after a flatliner. What’s up with that? A one count? Nonsense. Athena kicks out of a springboard stunner. Athena hugs the bottom rope as Shaw prepares for her running knee strike. Athena sends Shaw face-first into the turnbuckles. Athena retains with her stunner from the top rope.
Winner:…and still ROH Women’s World Championship at 23 minutes and 55 seconds.
Rating: 7. 5 / 10
Konosuke Takeshita (c) vs. Josh Alexander – AEW International Championship Match
Winner:… and still AEW International Champion, Konosuke Takeshita at 29 minutes and 58 seconds
Rating: 8. 5 / 10
RELATED LINKS
Brad McFarlin’s MLPW Forged in Excellence Night One Photo Gallery
Alexander, Takeshita, Bailey, ELP are the MVPs of MLP’s Forged in Excellence Night Two
MLP Forged in Excellence (Night Two) Summary
Night Two was pretty even with Night One. The ROH Women’s World Championship match was five minutes too long. I cannot believe Athena is still making rookie mistakes too. Rohan Raja is exceptional talent. I cannot believe he and Alex Zayne aren’t signed to one of the big three promotions. Classy Ali versus El Reverso was a weak bout. I hope it isn’t indicative of what that partnership has to offer. Is Raj Dhesi injured? Like last night he did so little in the ring. Mike Bailey and El Phantasmo proved why they are two of the very best of their generation. How long will it be before Ricochet ends up as a regular on Rampage or living in AEW Limbo Land like Action Andretti, AR Fox, Danhausen, Johnny TV, Powerhouse Hobbs, Scorpio Sky, Griff Garrison, Jay Lethal, Ricky Starks, Tony Nese, Deonna Purrazzo, Jamie Hayter, Mercedes Martinez, Rebel, Taya Valkyrie, etc, etc?