This Sunday marks an exciting time in Australian wrestling. With the growth of interest in wrestling Down Under, we’re seeing more promotions opening up like Iron Fist Pro in two weeks or Pro Wrestling League in November. But the federation known as Mayhem Pro is setting up shop first, having its first ever event this Sunday afternoon, called Episode 1: It’s My First Day. Taking place in Ardeer, Victoria, a suburb of Melbourne, It’s My First Day features some major Aussie talent like Kellyanne and JXT, and is looking to emphasize unpredictability in its shows, as they are even keeping some match ups a secret until showtime.
We were able to chat with Jay from Mayhem Pro management about their brand of Pro Wrestling and the future of their new venture:
What made you want to start a wrestling promotion?
We felt like Melbourne fans were missing out on having Sunday afternoon wrestling. So many shows are all on Saturday nights and they clash. Making the fans pick and choose which one they should go to.
Then there was wanting to provide something different. Professional Wrestling is an art form, and can be interpreted in so many different ways just like flavours of ice cream. So we want to be a fresh new flavour, full of surprises and excitement. So hopefully that resonates with the fans and everybody has a great time.
Any special story behind the name Mayhem Pro?
Its the feeling we’re going for. Excitement, surprises, not knowing what will happen next, being on the edge of your seat and in the midst of completely electrifying Mayhem.
How often are you hoping to run shows?
For now this is obviously the pilot. Episode 01. So pending on how well this first event goes, that will dictate how often we run. But we do hope to be quite regular. The power is in the hands of the people on this one.
Will you expand outside of Victoria in the near future?
Our goal is to be a successful Professional Wrestling promotion. You need to be able to crawl before you can walk, then walk before you can run. So for now we just want to run regular shows in Victoria before we look at venturing interstate.
How many fans are you hoping to attend your first show?
Hoping? We hope 50,000 attend. But if we break above the 200 mark on our first show that would be amazing.
For those of us who don’t live in Australia, is there a way we can watch your product?
YES. Our first event ‘MAYHEM Pro EP:01 – It’s my first day’ will be available in its entirety online for free. That will obviously happen post the show and once it is all edited nicely. But yes, the full show will be online and most likely be on YouTube.
What makes Mayhem Pro different from the other Aussie promotions out there?
So often you’ll see shows with the entire card announced online. Every wrestler announced in advance and also how often do you get to see inter-gender wrestling or matches that happen spontaneously? We aim to do things differently and have a real focus on fan interaction and what they want. Whats exciting to them, how can we surprise them and leave them going home happy.
This is the place where you will see Australian talent grow, be pushed outside there comfort zone and really have a chance to soar. We want this to be the place that helps guys and girls find who they are in the ring and take themselves along with MAYHEM Pro to great places.
Other than the names announced for Episode 1, what performers might we see in future shows?
Well that would ruin any ideas and surprises we already have wouldn’t it?
We’ve been paying attention to all our social media posts and who the fans want to see. I can guarantee you some of the surprises on the night will make some fans very happy.
What’s your long term goal for Mayhem Pro?
Again that successful Professional Wrestling promotion. Having regular shows that are the hot ticket in town everyone wants to be at to where we’re Selling out shows, giving the wrestlers a great place to work and the fans shows they love and enjoy.
What can we expect for Ep. 01 “It’s My First Day”?
Complete MAYHEM. We have 4 matches announced, most shows have 6-8 matches.
So that alone should tell you we have something up our sleeves. Along with talent announced that aren’t in an announced match yet. Its going to be fun, exciting and full of surprises.
We have specifically put a roster together of guys & girls who work really hard and always want to improve. The guys who have big goals and won’t settle for mediocrity. So that culture and atmosphere is going to be exciting within itself.
Anything else you’d like to say to our readers?
Are you ready for MAYHEM? Sunday September 16 at 4pm. The MAYHEM is unleashed.
So be at the MAYHEM Arena, 83 Suspension Street, Ardeer and be a part of history. Be a part, of the MAYHEM
The matches announced for this weekend’s show are:
Jake Navara vs. JXT
Mr. 24/7 Jake Navara has been working the Australian independent scene since 2010, despite being only 28 years old. Working mostly in Victoria, Navara is a bit of a brawler and a bit of a bully, which pairs him up nicely with JXT. JXT is a staple in Victorian wrestling, whose flashy offense is always fun to see. Both performers are very solid, and this is should be a well worked match.
Kellyanne vs. Taylah Rose
Rose is newer to the wrestling scene, but is quickly gaining steam in the Victoria area. She’s going up against veteran Kellyanne, who’s not only made a name for herself in Australia, but also in the USA for SHIMMER and Shine, amongst others. This is a perfect pairing, matching up a performer on the greener side of things with one who has a variety of experience. For those who haven’t seen Rose yet, this match will be a great introduction to her.
Campbell Crawford & Jake Lindo vs. Wet & Slick (Mitch Waterman & Nick Bury)
This is actually a rematch of last weekend’s Melbourne City Wrestling’s Fight to Survive, where Waterman and Bury won. These two teams have great chemistry, and Waterman and Bury are probably two of the most underrated performers on the Aussie indie scene. Looks for this to be a fun one.
“Loverboy” Lochy Hendricks vs. Cousin Ali
Loverboy has been on the rise ever since he retired his former tag team partner KrackerJak last year in an emotional hardcore match. His heel gimmick is very involved with his promos, so it wouldn’t surprise me if he got some mic time before the match to get some heat. Ali, who got his start with MCW in 2013, will be using his size against the smaller Hendricks here. Expect a lot of big man/small man spots here, in what is guaranteed to be an entertaining match.
Also announced for the show is Vance Adams and “The Doom Machine” Fox, but Mayhem Pro has announced that there will be talent and match surprises not announced until the show, so get ready for the unexpected with Mayhem Pro!
