Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling 10/19/2024 Forged in Excellence Night 1

Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling 10/19/2024 Forged in Excellence Night 1

This is the debut of Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling. It's basically an offshoot of TNA as Scott D'Amore left and formed this company. Mauro Ranallo and Don Callis are on commentary here.

El Phantasmo, Josh Alexander & Stu Grayson vs. Alex Zayne, Rocky Romero & Trevor Lee

Josh and Rocky start us off. Josh wristlocks him. Rocky rolls out and reverses it. Josh water wheel drops him. Josh chops him down Stu waistlock takedowns Lee. Lee has short hair now and looks like Chuck Taylor. Lee cartwheels out of a wristlock and takes him down by the arm. Stu hits a nice dropkick.

Alex and ELP get in. ELP wristlocks him, Alex kips up and reverses it. ELP bow and arrows Alex. They trade forearms. ELP walks up the buckles, does rope tricks and headscissors Alex down. Josh's team then does triple stereo sharpshooters.

ELP hits forearms on Alex, gets tripped from the outside then takes a flipping legdrop on the neck. Rocky hits running lariats on ELP. ELP is triple teamed in the orner and tags in Josh. Josh hits shots on Lee then finlay rolls him. Alex forward rolling side slams Josh then Rocky PK's Josh.

Rocky hits shots on Josh in the corner. Josh exploders Lee. Josh fights off a 2v1. Rocky is on Josh's back and Josh suplexes Alex with Rocky on him. Stu gets in and hits a flying double clothesline. Stu belly to belly overhead suplexes Alex and Rocky. Stu legsweeps Lee on the apron then slingshot swantons him on the apron. Stu pele kicks Rocky then asai moonsaults him for 2.

Rocky rolls out of a 450. ELP gets in and hits kicks on Rocky. ELP spinning torture rack neckbreakers Rocky for 2. Alex flips over Rocky's back and hits a hurricanrana on ELP, who is seated up top. Stu torture rack backbreakers Alex. Lee front kicks Josh then Josh release germans him. Josh takes a hurricanrana from Rock then Rocky armbars him. Josh powerbomb backbreakers him and hits a C4 spike to win.

Thoughts: It went a little longer than it needed to be but the work was good. They had a nice line-up for this one and put together a good trios match.

Mike Bailey is interviewed. He says he's facing Takeshita who is the best wrestler in the world. He says  he left Canada with nothing to be the best wrestler in the world. He said being Canadian was a disadvantage, but he's proud to be Canadian tonight and says he will beat Takeshita.

Bret Hart narrates a video on the history of Maple Leaf Wrestling, talking about various legends. He says it's time to reignite the flame of a wrestling dynasty. He says it's forged in the past, live in the present and ready to dominate the future. They then have a 2025 graphic.

QT Marshall vs. Bhupinder Gujjar

Harley Cameron is with QT and talks on the mic beforehand. She says she's doing a good job for having half a brain cell. She says they aren't international superstars but international super super stars. He complains about a local college giving BG an award and says his accolades are nothing compared to his.

QT rolls him off the lock up then snapmares him. BG armdrags him then flying enzugiri's him for 2. BG goes up and over then flying headscissors him. BG lariats him over the top then plancha's him outside.

BG is pulled from the buckles and goes down. QT back elbows him. BG hits forearms. QT handspring enzugiri's him. BG hits forearms and flying forearms him. BG spin kicks him then spinebusters him for 2. BG takes a pop-up forearm and a sitout powerbomb for 2.

BG backslides him. BG gets thrown over the top but skins the cat. QT superkicks him and spinning forearms him. BG dropkicks him. BG ump kicks him and jumping knees him. Harley trips up BG on the buckles. BG comes off the 2nd rope and takes a forearm. QT cutters him and gets the pin.

Thoughts: I'm not a big QT fan. He's one of those guys like Steve Corino who somehow gets his hand in every promotion every at one point or the other and just seems to fail up. I don't really get the logic of having him win since Gujjar is probably going to be around more and has more upside. The match was average.

Kylie Rae is interviewed. She says she's been in Canada for 3 months training and got here at 6AM. She says her head is here in the game. She says she's excited for all the girls on the show.

Kylie Rae vs. Laynie Luck vs. Aurora Teves vs. Taylor Rising

Tay hits boots to start. Luck running shoulders Teves. Tay rolls up Luck and the other girls try pins as well. They then do a 4-person stand off. Tay goes out to let the other girls fight. Tay trips Teves and sends her into the post.

Kylie la magistral's Luck and lariats Tay over the top. Kylie armdrags Luck and superkicks her in the head. Tay corner hip attacks Kylie and hits shots on her in the corner. Tay spinebusters Kylie for 2.

Tay piefaces Kylie and Kylie hits forearms. Kylie lariats her. Teves gets some offense in on Tay and Luck. She then double northern lights suplexes both. Tay 619's Luck in the gut then topes outside on 2 people. Luck doe a tope con hilo outside. 

Tay bangs Luck's head off the apron. Tay pedigrees Kylie then Teves does a tequila shot on Tay. Luck 2nd rope diving cutters Teves. Kylie superkicks Luck then botches the pin on Teves to win. She then falls out of the ring on accident.

Thoughts: The ending pretty much described this one. It wasn't good. There were a lot of sloppy and awkward moments here with everyone trying to figure out where people were.

We get a production error then Josh Alexander is interviewed. He said he's proud to be back in Canada. He says it's been decades since Canadian fans have had a place to call their home. He says Canadian wrestling is back. He says he will watch history in the making tonight with Mike Bailey vs Konosuke Takeshita. We then get a video of Josh talking about Takeshita.

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Title Four Way Tag Team Match - Jet Setters (Kevin Knight & KUSHIDA) (c) vs. Brent Banks & Johnny Swinger vs. Aiden Prince & El Reverso vs. Rogue Squadron (Rohit Raju & Sheldon Jean)

Raju and Jean knock some of their opponents off the apron then run from everyone. Knight and Banks go at it. Knight uppercuts him and they miss a bunch of offense. They then catch each others feet at the same time. Knight atomic drops Swinger.

Reverso headlock takeovers Knight. Prince flying headscissors Knight. Prince rolls and kicks Knight in the head. Knight then takes a superkick + brainbuster combo. Prince and Reverso do stereo dives out. Rogue Squadron stomp on Prince and Reverso. Jean leg lariats Prince.

Jean hits gut punches on Prince. Kush hits leg kicks on Raju. Raju is then pulled crotch first into the post by the Jet Setters. Jean bangs Knight's head off the steps.  Kush bangs Raju's arm off his shoulder. Raju legsweeps him. Banks tags himself in then Swinger tags himself in then tags himself out. 

Banks backdrops Kush. Kush flatliners Rjau into the buckles. Knight springboards in and hits a double clothesline. Raju is put o nthe top rope and Knight jumps into a hurricanrana on him. Knight slams Prince on Reverso then frog splashes both.

Knight dropkicks Banks then jumps off of Kush's back onto Swinger in the corner. Knight jumping ddt's Jean. Raju and Kush double clothesline each other. Swinger gets in and stomps on everyone. Kush and Knight take low blows on a failed tower of doom. Swinger then hits low blows on Jean and Raju. They fall into the ropes and Swinger gets crotched.

Reverso is caught on a dive outside then Price topes them all over. Raju top rope double stomps Prince then does the same to reverso. Raju spends a lot of time on the top rope and top rope double stomps Knight for 2. Banks fights off Jean and Raju then does a springboard twisting euro. Banks back flips over Raju then dropkicks him. Jean backdrops Banks into a neckbreaker.

Reverso cartwheels on the ropes and springboard mule kicks. Prince dropsaults Knight. Knight jumps over a double clothesline and hits a double pele kick. Knight and Kush hit stereo baseball slides. Knight then springboard plancha's outside.

Swinger rolls up Kush by surprise. Kush hiptoss cartwheel dropkicks Swinger then Swinger takes a crossbody + neckbreaker combo and is pinned.

Thoughts: It was a longer match and not that fast paced for a match like this. It was about average here. Kush and Knight winning wasn't much of a surprise since their titles were on the line.

PWA Champion's Grail Title Match - Jake Something vs. Rohan Raja

They say this title is a fusion of a trophies Kenny Omega and Rikidozen won.

Jake backs him up in the corner and is slapped. Raja side headlocks him then Jake reverses it. Jake shoulders him over several times then bodyblocks him. Jake's arm is pulled over the top and his shoulder is driven into the buckle. Raja codebreakers the arm.

Raja hits mounted shots on Jake. Raja stomps on him then sends him into the buckles shouler first. Raja neckbreakers him and armlocks him. Raja reverse ddt's him. Jake blocks a flatliner and lariats him.

Raja comes off the 2nd rope and takes a forearm. They are both on their knees and Raja hits forearms. Jake drives Raja's head into the mat. Jake hits lariats and back elbows. Jake double axe handles him.

Jake hits a chokeslam for 2. Raja hits forearms then headbutts him. Jake forearms him over. Jake powerbombs him for 2. Raja backcrackers him then brainbusters him for 2. Jake bodyblocks him. Raja forearms him down then does a jumping flatliner. Raja then wins it.

Thoughts: I wasn't a fan of this. Raja worked the arm and forgot about it. Jake didn't sell it well and I didn't like him throwing around Jake. The finish was unexpected as well and did not help this one. 

Raja is interviewed after. He says he knew he would be champ because it's his destiny. He says everywhere he goes, he ascends to the top and the throne. He says this is his throne. He says he will take it all over the world and face the best. He says he will be known as "Ravenous" Rohan Raja going forward.

Bully Ray does a promo. He asks if we know who he is. He says he's the reason we are all here tonight and the reason why the show sold out. He says he's the biggest star in the company and says nobody is better at doing this than him. He says he doesn't know why Raj would sign up for a tables match with the tables match master. He calls Raj washed up and says he will never put him through a table.

Tables Match - Bully Ray vs. Raj Dhesi

Bully asks the ring announcer how many Hall of Fames he's in. She says he's in 2 and Ray says she only announced one. He tells her to announce the other and says not to screw it up. He then makes more demands and she goes along with it. Ray tells the ring announcer to tell everyone to sit down and shut up. Ray says if the crowd keeps chanting his name, he will get back in his car and go back to the US. Ray tells the ring announcer to tell everyone to shut up again. He says Raj will never put him through a table.

Raj then hits him and they trade shots. Raj goes up and over and jumping knees him. Ray's head is banged off the buckles then he is thrown out. Ray is thrown into the post and Ray hides behing the ring announcer. He eye pokes Raj and hits him with the mic. Ray hits punches and rakes Raj's chest.

Ray yells at Scott D'Amore's mom then Raj hits Ray from behind. Ray eye rakes Raj and hits him with a kendo stick. Ray chokes him with it then eye rakes him. Ray kicks Raj low.

Ray pushes the ref over. Raj kendo sticks Ray then slams him. Raj tells the ref to go up top and do the whatsup spot. The ref then does which was bogus. The ref tells Raj to get the tables.

Raj is thrown into the ref. Raj chokeslams Ray through a table but the ref doesn't see it. QT Marshall comes down and hits Raj with a chain. QT puts Raj on the broken table, the ref sees it and Ray is given the win.

Raj is held by QT after. Ray goes to hit him with a chair. The music gets messed up then Gujjar comes out. He threatens Ray with a chair and Ray leaves.

Thoughts: I didn't like the ref getting involved as it wasn't realistic and shouldn't be happening. The match made sense and all but it was pretty basic for the most part. The finish wasn't good.

We get an ad for the next TNA PPV which is odd. We also gets some adds for Dynamite.

I won't be covering the Miyu Yamashita match.

Mike Bailey vs. Konosuke Takeshita

They shake hands and KT doesn't let go. They shoulder battle and Mike is knocked over. KT rolls up Mike then Mike hits a hard kick. KT facekicks him then Mike flying headscissors him out. Mike legsweeps him off the apron and headscissors him through the ropes. Mike triangle moonsaults him outside.

KT is thrown into the rails and Mike kicks him there. Mike hits a kick combo and step up enzugiri's him. They fight on the apron. KT death valley drivers him on the apron. KT flying lariats him inside then twist Mike's neck with his feet. KT chinlocks him then sleepers him.

KT ddt's him for 2. Mike flying headscissors him into the buckles. Mike spin kicks him and axe kicks him. Mike drops him with a chest kick then running ssp's him for 2. Mike goes for a standing moonsault double knee but KT gets his feet up. KT germans him then release germans him.

KT bearhugs him. Mike PK's him then misses a standing moonsault. They evade moves and Mike hits a standing moonsault double knee. Mike hits kicks to the chest. KT back body drops him. KT lifts him up by the throat and forearms him down.

KT misses a flying knee in the corner and goes out. Mike double springboard corkscrew dives him. Mike misses ultimate weapon. KT boots him out of the corner then alley oops him into the buckles. Mike sitout powerboms him for 2. Mike hits an ssp legdrop for 2.

Mike canadian destroyers him and KT falls out of the ring. KT forearms him off the apron. KT and Mike fight on the buckles. Mike top rope hurricanrana's him. KT then hits a blue thunder for 2. They trade forearms. Mike facekicks him and spin kicks him. KT hits a big forearm. KT runs at him and Mike does a spanish fly off of it.

KT wheelbarrow germans him then flips him with a lariat for 1. Mike superkicks KT then poisonrana's him. Mike superkicks again then tornado kicks him. Mike hits ultimate weapon (though they say he misses) for 2. KT package tombstones him for 2. Mike slap flurries him and KT forearms him down. KT knees him in the face and pumping knees him for 2. KT hits a raging fire and wins.

Thoughts: I didn't like them having Mike lose here. He's likely going to be someone the promotion uses going forward so you'd want him to win. It was an indy style match. They didn't get too stupid until the last part of this where moves stopped meaning anything. 

Overall thoughts: They had a lot of names on the card, bringing in talents from NJPW, AEW and TNA. They also had some oddities like Jinder Mahal and Bully Ray on the card. They definitely got as much talent as they could on this one. The show was very heavy wrestling focused with few things set up for the next show. The production had some issues but the arena looked good.  They didn't introduce a lot of the wrestlers here and just expected you know them. A lot of the talent they used will probably not be able to be used regularly and it's going to be interesting to see what this promotion ends up looking like when they eventually get some kind of tv show. I think smarks and people looking for matches might like it but I think people looking to get into a new promotion are not going to be satisfied. I thought it was a good indy show tailored toward smarks but not the best show to start a promotion off with.