Maple Leaf Pro: Forged in Excellence Night 1 October 19th 2024

Well, after the total nut kick Bound For Glory was, feels like I should give the splinter promotion a try. Maple Leaf Pro is Scott D’Amore, former TNA head booker, trying to recreate the glory of some Canadian indie promotion of the past with ALL THE CANADIANS. Let’s give this a shot.

We start with a voice over and some old footage of the original Maple Leaf Pro. It’s nothing super flashy but it’s professional and well-done.

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

Background: So the first team are all Canadian babyfaces, with El Phantasmo being a New Japan guy, he’s kind of this sleazy looking guy with bleached hair and goofy sunglasses, Josh is in the singlet and has the tattoos and is a big deal in TNA (though he’s a heel there), Stu is the former Dark Order guy and he’s bald and has a beard and is BRED FOR COMBAT now. The heels are Alex Zayne, a pretty big cruiser whose gimmick is that he loves Taco Bell, Rocky is a vertically challenged New Japan guy who also moonlights in AEW and is a big backstage guy, Trevor Lee is TAFKA Cameron Grimes and cut his hair in a way that looks very generic now.

The Match: Josh and Rocky start with some technical stuff and Alexander obviously wins. Tag-out to Cameron and Stu and both guys have very similar builds and gear. Lee actually displays some heel intensity here and takes Stu down with simple stuff, until Stu gets a dropkick and Trevor tags out to Zayne and we get ELP in. They do a bit more acrobatic maneuvers but are still keeping it simple. And then ELP gets complicated with a slick rope-walking routine, and then we get the triple sharpshooter photo shoot from the babyfaces and commentary talks about Bret Hart. Did you know they’re in CANADA? And this is happening in a Maple Leaf Pro like the old promotion, and it’s CANADIAN? Anyway the heels trip up ELP and Zayne gets a somersault leg drop and then they stomp him out in the corner. Rocky does some taunting but ELP manages to flip out of a double back suplex and we have Josh Alexander with the hot-tag and he takes out Trevor until distraction by the heels lets them triple-team Josh. But Josh finally suplexes his way to a hot tag and Stu is a house on fire or something like that. He does a bunch of moves and then goes up but Rocky dodges the 450 and we’re back to Rocky and ELP who gets a spinning Argentine neckbreaker. But it’s all breaking down and everybody does everything until we isolate on Josh and Trevor. Alexander gets a German and then Rocky comes in to set up an armbar…that Josh counters with a powerbomb backbreaker and then the C4 Spike for 3.

**½

Just a fast-paced trios match where everybody got some shine and they didn’ really bother with heat or pacing. Fine opening match, but just a sorta opening match deal.

We now get a Mike Bailey promo, it’s bad, but that’s to be expected.

QT Marshall (w/Harley Cameron) vs. Bhupinder Gujjar

Background: So QT is…man I don’t know how to explain QT other than he is an indie guy that is doing a sort of slow, 90s heel deal. He does the big cartoon bumps and he has the hot valet. Bhupinder is a guy TNA has tried to push at times but never really landed, he’s an athletic babyface that has always shown potential but it has never quite clicked. I’m killing this match before it happens but man, this is not encouraging. Marshall is in white trunks and a blue and red jacket with the stars and stripes on it, so I guess he’s playing the evil American heel. Gujjar is the local kid and he’s wearing a Canadian jersey to do the full pandering.

The Match: Pre-match we get some really generic heeling from Harley and QT on the ring announcer and the crowd, plenty of “you dumb Canadians in Local Town Here” stuff. Gujjar does some cheap pandering and both guys do some posing before they do a lockup and QT gets an armdrag and preens. More basic stuff and preening from QT and his veneers are really distracting. Gujjar comes back with a leapfrog and an enzuigiri and plays to the crowd before getting a headscissors and follows with a pescado that Mauro calls a springboard plancha like a FOOL! Back in and an awkward sequence lets QT toss Bhupinder off the ropes when the hometown kid goes for a diving elbow. QT does more VERY basic stuff and preens and poses between each move. And then QT uses a handspring gamengiri of all things while doing the C’MON stuff and it’s all just so basic. Gujjar fires back with more fired up jumpin’ babyface stuff and ends with a pretty nice spinebuster for 2.8 but he goes up and QT blocks and then gets a pop-up punch and a powerbomb. QT calls for the Diamond Cutter but Gujjar gets the backslide and then skins the cat back in and goes for his own powerbomb that QT does a horrible awkward reversal from and gets a superkick…before Gujjar gets a dropkick. This match is awkward. Both go for their finishes and miss but Gujjar gets a pump kick and a jumping knee and then goes up to the top…and Harley grabs the leg long enough to delay the diving spear so Marshall blocks it with a forearm and then the Diamond Cutter finishes.

*½

Woof. This was half slow, heel-heavy do all the taunts basic indie match, and then they wanted to do THE MOVEZ so we had guys going for powerbombs and superkicks and headscissors and flipping moves before going back to basic heel manager interference spots. I still think Gujjar has potential but he still looks like he needs his hand held in there.

Now we get a Kylie Rae interview and man the Bayley knockoff vibes are hard to shake, but she looks healthy and happy so that’s good to see.

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

Background: Laynie Luck is apparently the Lucha Unicorn but she doesn’t look super lucha-y to the ring, in blue and red gear, a hip-hop theme, and tattoos. Taylor Rising has yellow and black plaid gear and is the Standout…and given her mean-mugging and hair-flouncing I assume she’s a heel. Aurora Teves is in pink and black, but does not appear to be an attack, I dunno, not much personality on her intro. Kylie Rae of course is the big star where she’s a hyperactive, friendly, child-friendly wrestler wearing a Spongebob themed outfit, yes you heard that right. Clear babyface here and presented as the biggest star.

The Match: Handshakes all-around until Taylor kicks Kylie down as she’s the clear heel. We do some quick stuff and rollups to establish this match is FAST-PACED and backstabbing is a part of it as you need to be aware. Taylor drags Teves outside and Laynie and Kylie do some stuff until Taylor tries to pick the bones…but Luck and Kylie counter suplexes and Kylie gets ALL the shine here. More Taylor to break it up and throw weak punches. Kicky-punchy in the corner by Taylor and then a spinebuster and then Rising does the trashy talky. But Kylie is SMILING UP and she unleashes those friendly right hands and that generous clothesline. And unless my ears deceive me, Mauro mentioned that Kylie had “postpartum aggression” and I think that might be the dumbest thing a commentator has ever said. Anyway Teves comes in and gets a few kicks and then a double northern lights suplex as Mauro and Don just start talking about random Canadian stuff. Anyway we reset to Laynie and Taylor…and Rising horribly undershoots a tope suicida and then Laynie gets a somersault plancha. Taylor cuts off Laynie’s cover though and it’s Rising to try to steal the pin on Kylie and then she gets the Pedigree (cause she’s Taylor Rising) and it’s all breaking down until Kylie superkicks Teves for 3.

*

This was bad. I don’t like four-ways, but at the same time this match didn’t do anything other than establishing Taylor Rising is an opportunistic jerk. So 1 star for Taylor and DUD for everybody else who did a sloppy, badly agented, fourway match. I don’t blame the talent, but this just wasn’t going to be good. Okay I blame Teves, she seems bad.

Josh Alexander cuts a promo and he’s just so happy that he’s in CANADA in front of CANADIANS cause Canada was missing a promotion that was all about CANADA. Josh made me want to do a maple syrup shot and then destroy a bucket of poutine…something, something, Red Rider, Tragically Hip, Snow.

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

Background: So this has some New Japan influence here and we’re getting an IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Title defense. The champions are the Jet Setters (which I swear were intergalactic not that long ago) and it’s made up of Marty McFly superfan KUSHIDA, he’s been around the biz forever and is respected by all, he’s a very classic New Japan cruiser who is technical as hell and is not as much with the spotty stuff though he can go high, Kevin Knight is a crazy athlete who can jump over the moon and was getting some buzz in TNA before the New Japan/TNA relationship kinda blew up, they’re the champions and KUSHIDA has the puffy vest and yellow shorts and Knight has matching yellow pants. Brent Banks is a guy I know nothing about but he’s in decent shape and has black and green tights and is teaming with the SWING DADDY, Johnny Swinger, who is a goofy veteran with an aging deluded lothario gimmick, he’s got a headband and a singlet and he’s going to smarten these jabronis up! Rogue Squadron I think might be a vaguely up and coming team and they have an actual tron with a meteor impacting earth, they’re Rohit in red trunks and jacket and Sheldon in jean jacket (ha) and red tights, Sheldon was in TNA a bit as well as a greasy undercard act so I think these are more ultra-Canadian indie talents swallowed up in the D’Amore-verse. Last we got Aiden Prince with an undercut and masked El Reverso who have a mask of course, they have a Canadian flag tron so I assume they’re faces.

The Match: Rogue Squadron start hot and clear off the aprons and then powder. We go to Brent and and Knight and they throw ugly strikes and then try some high-flying stuff and do some ugly counters and do the staredown. Swinger comes in and preens and eats an atomic drop and now it’s El Reverso and I’m unsure about white guys doing luchador gimmicks. But Aiden Prince comes in and does some junior stuff that looks…rough. Anyway Aiden and Reveso get a dive and they go back in and now Rogue Squadron are stomping on them and Mauro informs me that Rohit’s nickname is the “Mocha-Skinned Manimal”…bro. Sheldon and Rohit double-team AIden for a bit but after a little bit the Jet Setters run in, post Rohit and work his uh…lower abdomen over but Sheldon pops in and takes out KUSHIDA and then Brent and Swinger do some stuff…and Rogue Squadron are BACK in until they run into a turnbuckle flatliner and Kevin Knight comes in with a gorgeous springboard lariat and he clears out everybody on the apron. Kevin gets a sequence with Rohit that ends with a standing super frankensteiner from Knight and then people run in so Knight can take them out too. Jet Setters wipe out EVERYBODY until they whiff the Skull and Bones on Rogue Squadron and then they all take each other out until Johnny Swinger moves in on the four downed guys until his preening ends up in a big ole tower of doom on him…until Rogue Squadron punches everybody in the junk to set up their own superplex on Swinger…who responds with a double low blow on Rogue Squadron but they fall on the ropes and then Swinger’s junk gets savaged by the turnbuckle. We get a whacky build-a-bear four person dive sequence on the outside and then Aiden is nice enough to roll inside to take a stomp from Rohit…and then El Reverso is nice enough to roll inside for the stomp…and then Kevin Knight is nice enough to do the same! Absolutely terrible spot. But nevermind that, Banks is chopping guys now and an awful springboard uppercut and some dropkicks. Sheldon goes the eyes and gets a back suplex neckbreaker but El Reverso comes in to do some awful loose high-flying stuff that Sheldon bumps well for. Knight bumps a bit for this some more until he just clears them out with one move and in comes KUSHIDA for a double. We get some dives until Swinger tries to rollup KUSHIDA until he gets demolished by the Jet Setters and they get the neckbreaker frog splash crossbody for 3.

*

That * is all for two teams. I do not like multi-person matches already, but this was a total mess. The Jet Setters seem really good and maybe Rogue Squadron have potential as low-level indie dirtbags, but the other wrestlers (except for Swinger who is funny if one-note) were woefully unprepared for this moment. Jet Setters vs. Rogue Squadron could be good, this was…not that.

Jake Something vs. Rohan Raja – PWA Champion’s Grail inaugural match

Background: So I have no real idea what the PWA is but I think this is supposed to be part of the big deal MLP has with some middle-eastern indie. Anyway, Rohan Raja apparently spent some time in NXT UK and he’s pretty shredded and has stringy hair and a beard and he probably could be a Shield member, well except for his black and red tights with the gold logo on the side. Jake Something is a jacked up dude with a mullet and a beard and a hairy chest and profane thigh tattoo.

The Match: Something wins the lockup and Raja powders. Back in and Something just runs him over with shoulders and a running body attack and Rohan bumps wonderfully for it. Rohit avoids a slam and gets in the corner and they work a sequence that ends with Something’s arm being snapped over the top-rope and Rohit goes in with arm stuff. Raja does some kicky-punchy and clubbering blows and then some ground and pound sorta stuff. Rohit calls a spot and Something starts firing back before eating a knee to the gut and they work the arm in the ropes. More kicky punchy and more Something being whipped shoulder first into the ropes. They slug it out a bit and Raja gets a neckbreaker and then an armbar, enhanced with some hairpulling. Inverted DDT follows and this has been ALL Raja. And just on cue Something blocks a Flatliner and lariats down Raja. Rohan gets placed on the top rope and manages to transition into a flying nothing into Something’s forearm. More obvious spot-calling and they duke it out on their knees. Something wins with a facebuster and a clothesline and more hammerfists but he can’t get the powerbomb due to the dodgy arm so he goes for a chokeslam instead…for 2.8. Something fires up the crowd and goes for the powerbomb but can’t land it as he’s just howling in pain, so when Something goes for the chokeslam again Raja blocks it, but he can’t get any space as Something steps on Rohan’s foot and just takes his head off with a forearm. Jake finally gets the one-armed powerbomb…but it’s just for 2.9 and Something now tries to pop his arm back into place. Something attempts Into the Void but Rohan dodges, goes into the ropes again and uses that to land a backstabber on Something and then follows with a brainbuster but Something kicks out at 2.7. Rohan pulls his arm-sleeve off…but runs into another Something flying body press, but they both miss stuff and Raja just…gets his jumping flatliner for 3? Huh.

**¼

Man a tale of two matches. They had something going with Rohan taking out Something’s arm and Jake firing back. But Rohit’s offense is so pedestrian and plain it’s hard to care, and it’s not about movez, it’s about doing things with pop and vigor and finding innovative ways to counter and keep a guy down and it was just so much kicky punchy. Something remains good, and he was selling and doing all the stuff he needed to do but it had a total wet-fart ending as well. Solid psychology, sub-par work from one member means slightly below average match.

Post-match Rohan cuts a promo where he compares himself to a wolf and says he’s Ravenous Rohan Raja.

Bully Ray vs. Raj Dhesi – Tables Match

Background: Oh boy. So Bully Ray likes putting people through tables, and Raj Dhesi (TAFKA Jinder Mahal) is I think playing the hometown babyface. We know who both these guys are.

The Match: Before the bout Bully Ray cuts a promo about how he’s a big star and the reason for this show and all the success, okay. Bully then gives the ring announcer a hard time with the regular. And we get more promo time, which I guess is better than them wrestling. But alas they start and Dhesi gets a few right hands and then a float-over (?!) and a jumping knee and Bully does his cartoon selling. And they go outside and Bully takes over when he hides behind the ring announcer lady and then clocks Dhesi with a mic for a brief heat moment before it’s back to Raj with the kicky punchy. And then Bully Ray yells at Scott D’Amore’s mom before Raj breaks it up and starts pulling out plunder. Yawn. Raj mises the cane shot and Bully goes to the eyes and wears out Dhesi with the kendo stick. More heeling at Scott’s mom and then a kick to the groin puts Dhesi down again. And then Bully gets into it with the ref and shoves him down, and Dhesi now gets the cane and a few shots and then a scoop slam. And Raj tells the ref to go up top and we get the Wazzup Drop on Bully Ray. The ref tells Dhesi to GET THE TABLES while Bully sells his junk. But we get a ref bump, Bully gets chokeslammed through the table but QT Marshall shows up (?!) to take out Raj Dhesi and they drag Raj into the broken table, they revive the ref, and he calls it for Bully.

*

Not a WMOTYC, but it was bad and stupid, but blessedly short. I mean, this is what you expected it to be and nothing more.

We have miscue or something post-match where QT and Bully try to hit Raj with a chair but then Bhupinder shows up to break it up. Whatever.

Gisele cuts a pretty good interview about how she doesn’t really care about the stipulation on the match cause Miyu probably wants a lot of stuff but ain’t getting it.

Miyu Yamashita vs. Gisele Shaw – if Miyu wins she’s added to next night’s RoH Women’s Championship Match

Background: Gisele has has been one of those bubbling under wrestlers that’s felt on the cusp of breaking out, but is following her partner to MLP after being on the verge of being something in TNA. She’s playing a heel and has long dirty-blonde hair and a black, yellow, and white color scheme. Miyu is from TJPW and is a kick-happy wrestler known as the Pink Striker. No points for guessing her ring gear color. They have faced before and Miyu has beaten her.

The Match: Start with some technical stuff as both fight over hammer and headlocks and all that. Miyu gets a schoolgirl and then we get a standstill as Gisele sarcastically claps. We start with some attempts at corner moves and Gisele gets dumped on the apron and booted off. Miyu can’t get the running apron kick though and gets slammed down and Shaw works her over a bit but Miyu blocks a German and gets a headlock driver into the ringpost and then gets the apron kick. Back in and Miyu works Gisele over with kicks and goes for her own German, but Shaw blocks it…only to get clobbered with more kicks. Miyu misses a corner charge though and Shaw gets a stomp while Yamashita is caught in the ropes and then Gisele uncorks the chops and some running strikes. Shaw grinds down Miyu with a chinlock and Mauro starts randomly referencing hip-hop tracks. Miyu breaks free and goes to the top rope but it’s Gisele who kicks her…but Yamashita counters with a draping armbar…and Shaw counters that into a powerbomb for 2.6. Both slowly make their feet and Gisele gets a pump kick but Miyu gets a kitchen sink knee and they continue to trade strikes and Miyu gets the springboard roundhouse out of the corner and we have a double down. We get some OBVIOUS spot-calling here and we get Gisele blocking a suplex and then responding with an OzCutter and then a full-nelson backbreaker into a spinning flatliner but that only gets 2. Shaw hypes herself up and goes for the running knee but Miyu sidesteps and gets a German out of the corner. Miyu hammers away with kicks to the chest but Gisele blocks and they slug it out with forearms. Mauro meanwhile references Strong Style and King’s Road and my eyelid starts twitching. Anyway they continue throwing strikes and they trade superkicks and then Miyu finally drops Shaw with a roundhouse. Miyu goes for something but GIsele blocks by grabbing the tights, gets a headbutt, a forearm, and then a Denouement knee for 3.

***

Wow, a good match! Was starting to think we weren’t going to get one. This was pretty standard indie heavyweight stuff with both ladies throwing big stuff and working a good clip, but Gisele finding ways to evade Miyu’s offense was novel at least. It’s not a reinvention but it was good stuff.

After that we get a video on Athena cause Gisele will be facing her next week.

Mike Bailey vs. Konosuke Takeshita

Background: Konosuke is obviously the big AEW star (and also DDT if people care about that). He’s notably much bigger than the tiny Bailey. Konosuke in black shorts, Bailey in baggy blue pants. They have a ton of history in Japan apparently and if Bailey wins he gets a title shot for Takeshita’s AEW International Title.

The Match: Handshake to start but Kono pulls Mike in and Bailey squirms over Take but gets tossed around. It’s all speed so far as Bailey and Take both throwing kicks but Mike headscissors Konosuke outside and we get a dive…and Takeshita just gets on the apron to block it but Bailey reverses that to a slingshot headscissors on the outside and then an inside-out moonsault on Take. Bailey follows up with some chops and kicks on the outside and Kono just kinda shakes it off and we go back in so Mike can do his kick flurry thing. Takeshita blocks the moonsault knee drop on the apron and then gets a death valley driver on the apron. Back in and Takeshita gets a leaping lariat and then works the neck with a crank and then a standing foot crank thing. Chinlock by Takeshita. Bailey fights out. Takeshita gets it back on and then DDTs Mike. Takeshita gets some forearms to the back of Bailey and then a big chop but Bailey gets a flying headscissors on Konosuke to send him into the corner and then we get a ton of flurry of kicks but the moonsault double knees are blocked by Takeshita as Bailey is just booted away. And Takeshita gets a huge German suplex to follow up. Konosuke goes for another but Bailey blocks so Takeshits just bear hugs him for a bit before going for the German again, and Takeshita backflips out of it, knocks Konosuke down and whiffs the standing moonsault knee drop AGAIN. Konosuke goes for a powerbomb, Bailey flips out, gets a backdrop and then finally lands the standing moonsault knee drop. Well they paid it off at least. Now Bailey goes for a powerbomb and when blocked he gets a few kicks. And Bailey goes for the powerbomb again but gets backdropped and Konosuke picks him up for a pop-up forearm…kinda. Takeshita whiffs a Stinger splash and flies outside and Bailey gets a springboard corkscrew plancha. Back in and Bailey attempts the Ultima Weapon but Takeshita dodges and they go for some more stuff and Takeshita gets a reverse alley-oop powerbomb into the turnbuckle. And Bailey manages to get a Liger Bomb (?!) and then a shooting star leg drop in an UGLY looking spot as Bailey’s bony behind landed right on Takeshita’s face. Canadian Destroyer follows but Takeshita rolls outside and Bailey can’t get the cover. Countout tease but Bailey doesn’t want to win that way and he can’t get Konosuke back inside, and eventually Mike manages it but Konosuke wipes out Bailey with a forearm and we have a double-down…but Bailey ignores the count-out tease and just goes back inside. They tease some stuff on the top turnbuckle but Bailey pulls of the super frankenstiener but runs into a Blue Thunder Bomb and well, we know that isn’t going to finish. More forearms from Takeshita and Bailey gets more kicks but runs into another Takeshita forearm. And Takeshita goes for the knee but runs into the Green Tea Plunge (Trevor Lee’s mid-air powerslam) but Takeshita just kicks out and transitions into the wheelbarrow suplex and then a running lariat follows…for 2. Konosuke with the brainbuster attempt but Bailey gets a knee mid-air, a superkick, a poison rana, and a tornado kick to set up the Ultima Weapon…for 2. Bailey goes for the Flamingo Driver but Takeshita slips out and gets the reverse B-Driver…for 2. They slug it out but Takeshita gets ANOTHER big forearm to knock out Bailey’s mouthguard, he gets a big knee after dodging a superkick and then another big knee…for 2. And then a spinning falcon arrow finally finishes.

**

Cut this match in half and maybe you have something, but you just have too much bloat and Takeshita’s physical gifts just don’t seem impressive when he’s doing all this stuff and Bailey kicks out of it all. Nobody sold much of anything but we knew that was going to happen. I dunno, people love this, it got five stars from Dave of course, but it’s just the same thing we’ve seen a million times before. Overall there is some good sequences in here, but it’s like a nice steak swimming in a big bowl of overcooked oatmeal.

Post-match Josh Alexander comes out to stare down Konosuke Takeshita.

Overall this uh, didn’t impress me. I think they went overboard with starpower and it made the actual show feel just like a regular indie, the many production gaffes didn’t help either. I dunno, I still have faith in Scott as a booker and a show like this isn’t really something that plays to his strength as a booker. I also found the ridiculous pro-Canada stuff pretty silly but I get that’s the appeal of the show to local cats. Didn’t like commentary either. I dunno, so far this probably won’t crack my rotation but it’s always fun to try new promotions out. Give it a try I guess.