Sunderland 'Til I Die Series 2 Review - 7 Ups & 5 Downs
4. Just Joshing
Netflix
Much of the first half of the second series pivoted around if Josh Maja would stay or go in the January transfer window having proved himself an integral part of a potential promotion that appeared more vital with every passing week.
More on the deadline day drama later, but the unfocussed profiling of Maja during this period forced introspection on what exactly the documentary makers were trying to achieve with it.
Then just 19 years old and staring down the possibility of mammoth money for a move away, Maja is dragged in front of the camera to be vilified mere seconds after an exasperated Stewart Donald and his team confirm that he'll only communicate through his agent. Was a different answer expected here, or was the intention just to get that painfully awkward lingering shot of his fake smile and shifting hand movements?
Faced with an opportunity to punch upwards towards a game in desperate need of it, the show instead elected to manipulate viewers into despising a pawn rather than a king.
Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 30 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz", Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 50,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett
