You cannot get more Canadian than Bret Hart and Adam Copeland. Both living legends not only appear on this week’s episode but it is clear they are supporting, behind this revival of MLP.
The show begins with Johnny TV telling us that since his debut the ratings have exploded.
“Canada loves me more than Canada loves my wife and my wife is from here,” he says. “This place needed a star because otherwise this place is drab and dull.”
Johnny TV versus Evil Uno versus TJP versus Jonathan Gresham
Uno and Gresham team for a fraction of a second slamming TV to the mat together. Uno traps TJP and Gresham in a corner giving them clothesline after clothesline. TV misses a splashing hitting TJP and Gresham. Uno pulls TJP and TV out of the corner clotheslining them. He clotheslines Gresham who has been left standing in the corner.
Gresham and TJP put Octopus submissions on Uno and TV. TJP and Gresham begin chopping each other while still locked in their holds. Gresham rakes TJP’s eyes. Uno returns the favour.
Evil Uno lifts Gresham up onto his shoulders while TV climbs to the top rope. TJP shoves Gresham into the corner. Uno powerbombs Gresham while Gresham suplexes TV.
TV climbs to the top rope as he is set to deliver Starship Pain on Gresham. TJP kicks him off the top rope. He falls on Gresham. TJP climbs on the top rope for a double stomp on TV. TV rolls out of the ring. Uno kicks Gresham in the face, DDTs TJP and pins him with a spinning Flatliner.
Winner: Evil Uno
In his interview segment, Adam Copeland like most Canadian kids growing up in the eighties and nineties remembers watching wrestling emenating from Maple Leaf Gardens. It was where he watched his first wrestling show. The main event was Tito Santana, Junkyard Dog versus Macho Man and Jesse Ventura in 1986. It changed his life and set him on the course to be a professional wrestler. He goes over all the special moments that happened in Maple Leaf Gardens. Copeland is looking forward to MLP Northern Rising on October 3rd. How could he not be part of that?
Note: Maple Leaf Gardens doesn’t truly exist any longer. It was sold to the Loblaw grocery chain for $12 million in 2004. Part of the old Gardens was converted into a grocery store with “centre ice” and other Gardens history memoralised throughout the store. Another part of it has become a athletic facility for Toronto Metropolitan University that can seat approximately 2,796 guests. It is now called the Mattamy Athletic Centre and has hosted NXT and other smaller wrestling promotions, events in the past.
Taylor Rising versus ‘Big Al’ Alice Crowley
Kris Chambers is at ringside for Rising. He doesn’t interfere but he does chew out the official. Rising kicks out of Crowley’s side-press slam. As Rising goes for a wheelbarrow-something-or-other, Al gets the ‘W’ with a Victory Roll.
Winner: ‘Big Al’ Alice Crowley
Rising attacks Al from behind. She lays in punches as the crowd chants:
Taylor sucks! Taylor sucks!
As Chambers is about to put a Sharpshooter on Al the lights go off. There is the sound of thunder as we go black and white. Destro arrives with a coffin and that can mean only one thing…PCO! The Canadian Frankenstein is shocked back to life and he stomps to the ring. Chambers attacks PCO with a steel chair. PCO punches the chair out of his hands and chokeslams him. PCO climbs to the top rope but Rising pulls Chambers out of the ring just in time.
A segment on Mo Jabari. Bret ‘Hitman’ Hart praises Jabari and details his passion, dedication. Both men talk about the importance of Calgary to Canadian wrestling.
Michael Allen Richard Clark versus Luigi Primo
Primo comes out dressed as a chef and flipping pizza dough around. Zach Gowen joins Mauro and and Don on commentary. Clark, the guy with FAR too many names, doesn’t know what to make of Primo. Primo continues to flip around the dough while wrestling which just doesn’t make any sense at all. Ugh. Clark teases Primo with the dough dropping an elbow on him. He stomps all over the dough. Clark slams Primo down with his finisher.
Winner: Michael Allen Richard Clark
A segment on Bhupinder Gujjar and him struggling to break through to the next level.
Subculture (Mark Andrews and Flash Morgan Webster) with Dani Luna versus First Faction (c) (Brent Banks, Sheldon Jean) with Bryce Hansen – MLP Tag Team Championship Match
Great to see Subculture in MLP. They are such a great team. I hope they stay on as regulars. Andrews overwhelms Banks with his agility. The Modfather is tagged in and he starts working over one of Banks’ legs. Jean tags in putting Webster down with a shoulder tackle. Subculture slams Jean. Andrews slams Webster on Jean. He hits a standing moonsault for a two. First Faction double teams Webster sending him off the apron to the arena floor.
Webster leaps off the top rope with a Swanton Bomb onto the champs on the floor.
The fans chant “Holy s–t!” and it isn’t censored on Canadian television.
Flash Morgan Webster! Flash Morgan Webster!
Webster gets a two count with a double underhook facebuster on Banks. Andrews nails Banks with a Stun 41 from the top rope. Webster’s swanton though misses the target.
Bryce puts Banks’ leg over the bottom rope to stop the pinfall from happening. Luna just kicks him in the face. MLP Canadian Women’s Champion Gisele Shaw attacks Luna from behind. They brawl up the entrance way to the back.
A concerned Andrews heads up the rampway. When he turns back Jean punks him by dropping him on the apron face-first. First Faction neckbreaker, powerbombs Webster.
Winners: …and still MLP Tag Team Champions, First Faction.
