Rohan Raja Aims to 'Steal the Show' Against Andrade in Title Match

Pro wrestling standout Rohan Raja is set to challenge All Elite Wrestling’s Andrade for the AEW National Championship on October 3rd at Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling’s (MLP) Northern Rising pay-per-view event in Toronto. Raja stated in a recent interview that he feels motivated by being left off the initial card for the first Northern Rising event held at the historic Maple Leaf Gardens, and is now determined to make a significant impact.

"I'm super excited for this. This is our second show in Maple Leaf Gardens and the first one I was left off the main card, so I had this like real chip on my shoulder since that day," Raja told OutKick Dropkick. "And now coming back again and I'm one of the marquee matches on it, just goes to show all the hard work I’ve been putting in."

Raja, who lost the PWA Champions Grail earlier this year, has been on a winning streak since June. He voiced strong conviction about his upcoming match with Andrade, whom he considers one of the best wrestlers globally. "To go against someone like an Andrade who is like pound-for-pound one of the best wrestlers in the world right now and he's AEW national champion and I believe, wholeheartedly believe, that me and him are going to have the best match and we're going to steal the show," he said. "I'm training really, really hard for this. I'm trying to up my game even more. I'm looking at this match and I want to have the best match of my career at this point."

Raja is confident in his ability to secure a victory, citing his consistent performance on MLP 'Mayhem' and anticipating further promotional efforts leading up to the pay-per-view that will generate excitement for the championship match.

MLP owner Scott D’Amore has reportedly praised Raja’s performance, with Raja himself feeling that he has elevated his status to that of a main-event competitor. "It's like when I come to the back after all of my segments, matches, promos and everything like that, hearing feedback like that, whether it's directly to me or I've heard it somewhere else, is just very humbling and it reassures everything that I'm doing," Raja commented. "And then hearing everyone backstage say all these nice things about me and putting me over and I think everyone has seen … I hold myself as like a top talent, but I think everyone, especially since we've been doing Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling, but especially since we've been doing MLP ‘Mayhem,’ is like they've seen this next level I've added to like a main event status where I can hold main event ground."

The Northern Rising card also features several other notable matches, including Adam Copeland vs. Steve Maclin, and Priscilla Kelly defending the MLP Canadian Women’s Championship against Nikki Storm.