In order to kick off 2022 with a bang, IWTV has brought back the fan-favorite series from 2020 — The Masked Wrestler. The show is based off the mega-successful Fox show ‘The Masked Singer’, which featured world famous celebrities singing under a mask with the intention of not having their identity revealed. The concept for The Masked Wrestler is similar, with wrestlers (under masks) competing against each other in a tournament that will crown a number one contender to the IWTV World Title. A panel of judges will try to guess who is under the mask, as an introduction video to each wrestler will play before their match — giving out specific clues as to who could be under the mask.
Season One, which was held in 2020, was won by Lee Moriarty (under the name Genkai) after he defeated Wheeler Yuta (Wyldkat) in the finals. Moriarty would go on to win the IWTV World Title from Warhorse in the coming months, proving the tournament’s prestige and worth.
IWTV The Masked Wrestler Season 2, Episode 1 Recap
The show opened with an introduction from one of the best ring announcers in independent wrestling, Larry Legend. Legend introduced the commentary team of Dylan Hales and ‘Hotsauce’ Tracy Williams — before moving to introduce the loaded judge panel of WARHORSE, Edith Surreal, and Matt Tremont. Legend clues in the judges on a new stipulation this year, saying that they will receive a point every time they correctly guess a wrestler’s identity. The judge with the most points at the end of the season will be able to pick the stipulation of the IWTV World Title match that the winner receives.
Match 1: Gaia Terra vs. Maze
Terra’s introduction featured a few interesting clues, but didn’t outright give it away. It was made apparent that whoever was under the mask was very versatile with their wrestling style and felt like they could trick their opponent. Terra had a chance to name Two Truths and a Lie, which prompted them to name the three following characteristics: Well rounded in music, trained by Damian Adams, and a fan of Adam Sandler movies.
Maze was more outright out of the gate, stating that they were from the cornfields of the Midwest. This immediately made me think it was One Called Manders, and my theory was backed up after this individual said that they’ve been wrestling for 5 years. It was also made a point of emphasis that this person knew all three judges very well.
The match between the two masked opponents lasted about eight minutes, with Maze coming out on top after hitting a full nelson facebuster to pin Terra. As the match went along, Terra’s fight style was signaling towards being somebody like Tootie Lynn but I couldn’t put any more clues together about Maze.
As per the rules, the competitor on the losing end must unmask after the judges make their picks. Matt Tremont’s guess was Kennedi Copeland, Edith Surreal’s guess was Janai Kai, and WARHORSE’s guess was Tootie Lynn.
Gai Terra was… Janai Kai
Gai Terra was revealed to be Janai Kai! Kai has been making waves across the independent scene in the US, appearing in promotions like Game Changer Wrestling, Paradigm Pro, and BEYOND. Kai was seemingly disappointed that she was eliminated in the first round, but showed optimism for the future. Kai also revealed that her ‘lie’ was that she was trained by Damian Adams.
The Masked Wrestler Season 2, Episode 1 Review
The first season of The Masked Wrestler had flaws, but the vast majority of them seem to be taken care of in the first episode of a new season. I appreciate the addition of unique and different ‘costumes’ rather than having the basic black suits they used last season. The production also seems to be kicked up a few notches, which is always appreciated.
From a personal standpoint, I didn’t connect with any of the judges last season aside from Kris Statlander. In season two, IWTV made sure to make the panel consist of more notable people with better personalities. The dynamic between Edith Surreal and Warhorse was very entertaining, as I presume it will be all season.
Larry Legend takes on his role so well and I’m more than glad that he is the host for the entire show.
If you’re interested in checking out The Masked Wrestler or any of the 12,000+ hours of content that IWTV provides, you can sign up here.
