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Hey folks! Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling’s latest pay-per-view, Northern Rising, on Saturday, Oct. 3, was an excellent wrestling card that served as a nice bookend to the first “season” of Mayhem on TSN2. The PPV seemed to wrap up some big feuds while laying the groundwork for what’s to come in the next season of Mayhem (no dates have been announced yet).
Below are one wrestling fan’s thoughts on the show. If you’re looking for a detailed recap, please check out Cory Strode’s excellent coverage here.
Let’s get to it!
HIGHLIGHTS
The match of the night, in my view, was the semi-main event MLP Interim Canadian Champion Stu Grayson versus returning MLP Canadian Champion Josh Alexander. It had a “big fight” feel before the bell even rang. I expected Alexander to get away with the Undisputed Title with Don Callis’s help, but the fan in me wondered if Grayson could triumph. It was a hard-fought match with both men enduring tons of stiff shots and an array of brutal suplexes.
There was all the drama and near-falls you’d expect to see on a WWE or AEW show. I gasped when Grayson leapt off the ropes to attack Alexander but was caught for the reverse tombstone. The reverse tombstones and all the piledriver variants looked stiff as hell. Grayson bouncing back to his feet after delivering a superplex was incredible. This could have been a main event anywhere.
The screwy finish of Alexander using a screwdriver (pun intended) given to him by Callis before delivering the C4 Spike for the win made a lot of sense. I hope Grayson gets a rematch whenever Mayhem is back for season 2, or possibly at the next big MLP PPV. This was awesome, and the finish leaves me wanting to see a second round.
As a longtime wrestling fan and a Canadian, it was impossible not to love watching Adam Copeland wrestle in his beloved Maple Leaf Gardens. Steve Maclin was an awesome prick heel against the hometown hero Copeland. Listening to the audience sing Copeland’s classic theme and breaking into “Oh, Canada” to support their hero was wrestling at its best.
The “Street Fight” setting allowed Copeland and Maclin to tour a lot of Maple Leaf Gardens, and they beat the hell out of each other with ladder spots, chair spots, and Maclin’s goalie-mask headbutts. The Deonna Purazzo and Rhino appearances were fine, and it all led to the perfect finish of Copeland spearing Maclin for the win. This was a heck of a street fight, and Copeland’s post-match promo was great.
The MLP Women’s Canadian Championship match with Priscilla Kelly vs. Nikki Storm was a great first defence for champion Kelly. Storm’s “galaxy’s best neckbreaker” on the floor enabled her to control most of the match before Kelly came back with a potent dragon suplex and sliding P for the win.
Finally, the triple threat tag match for the MLP Canadian Tag Team Championships was another fun battle. We watched 1st Faction’s alliance with Bryce Hansen fracture further, Sinner and Saint shine brightly, and Grizzled Young Veterans ultimately get the win. The doomsday device that GYV hit 1st Faction’s Sheldon Judas with on the floor was insane.
THE REST OF THE SHOW
The undercard of Northern Rising was simply a showcase of really good modern wrestling. I won’t recap everything, but here are scattered thoughts:
The first match of the PPV, with Johnny TV, TJP, and Gabriel Fuerza against Mascara Dorada and Subculture (Mark Andrews and Flash Morgan Webster) in a Lucha Libre Rules match, was a fast-paced opener. Fuerza and Dorada in particular shined.
Alexia Nicole and Kingsley vs. Jody Threat and “Big Al” Alice Crowley was a solid match. Threat’s strength is impressive. The spot where she picked up both opponents and hit a combo Samoan drop and fallaway slam was nuts, and it was nice to see Threat get some hometown love.
Psycho Mike has a cool presence, and it was good to see him win the Monster’s Mayhem match. I won’t comment on the match itself other than to say I respect the insane toughness of Dan Maff, Crazzy Steve, and Psycho Mike. Wrestling comes in all kinds of cool colours, but these matches are simply not my thing; stapler shots to the “swimsuit area” suspend my disbelief and take me out of the match.
I really enjoyed AEW National Champion Andrade El Ídolo vs Rohan Raja (w/Aurora Teves). It was a fun match with some innovative spots. The spot where El Ídolo powerslammed Raja from the apron to the floor looked painful! Nice show of respect at the end.
To each their own, but for the record: I’m really turned off by wrestlers licking blood. It occurred once on this show that I could see, when Psycho Mike licked the bloody forehead of Crazzy Steve right before their finish. It may have occurred a second time after Josh Alexander defeated Stu Grayson, then wiped Grayson’s bloody face before raising his hand out of the camera’s eye. We couldn’t see what Alexander did with his bloody hand, but the disgust in Mauro Ranallo’s voice left this viewer with little doubt. We know too much in 2026 about how disease can spread for me to enjoy this.
Bottom line: gripes about blood aside, this was a really fun show, and I look forward to Mayhem’s return and MLP’s next big event. If you’re considering ordering the replay of Northern Rising, it’s available at myaew.com.
STRAY THOUGHTS
I loved seeing MLP pay tribute to Benjamin “PAC/Neville” Slattery once again.
Mauro Ranallo and Don Callis did a great job throughout the show. Ranallo is incredible even on his own.
I didn’t recap the final episode of Mayhem on TSN2 simply due to scheduling challenges, but it was a solid final episode of a strong season of wrestling TV. I enjoyed the 12-episode run of Mayhem on TSN2, and I look forward to it returning. Lately, I’ve found myself rather disillusioned with my usual WWE main roster viewing, and MLP has been a really enjoyable alternative with great wrestling and solid storytelling.
Eric Lewis is from New Brunswick, Canada. He’s been a pro wrestling fan for as long as he can remember, at least back to WrestleMania VII. During his journalism career, he interviewed wrestling legends including Bret Hart, Trish Stratus, Booker T, JJ Dillon, Christian Cage, Ted DiBiase, Lanny Poffo, and The Honky Tonk Man.
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