Adam Copeland to Wrestle in Hometown Return at Maple Leaf Pro's Northern Rising
AEW star Adam Copeland returns to Maple Leaf Gardens for a homecoming match against Steve Maclin, an event wrestler Rohan Raja calls 'a big deal.'
Adam Copeland will wrestle at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto on Saturday night as part of Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling's (MLP) Northern Rising event. The match marks a significant homecoming for the legendary wrestler, who is set to face Steve Maclin.
Rohan Raja, who will also compete on the card against Andrade El Idolo for the AEW National Championship, spoke about the significance of Copeland's appearance. Raja noted that Maple Leaf Gardens was on Copeland's personal list of desired wrestling venues, highlighting the event's importance.
"It's more of a reminder for me, like, oh damn, this is a big deal. And him and Maclin are going to kill it," Raja told OutKick. He added that having a wrestler of Copeland's caliber, a Hall of Famer, brings a special emotion and energy to the venue.
Copeland himself shared with OutKick what returning to Maple Leaf Gardens means to him. He described it as the first place he ever saw wrestling live as a child. The arena played a significant role in his youth, serving as a place of emotional release during difficult times, such as the loss of his uncle.
"I feel at a certain point, if the arena’s been around long enough and had enough shows and experiences there, they almost start to soak in some of those experiences and some of that energy and some of those emotions so that when you walk in them, you feel like, oh, stuff has happened here," Copeland said.
The Northern Rising pay-per-view will feature several other championship matches, including Priscilla Kelly defending the MLP Women’s Championship against Nikki Storm, and Josh Alexander and Stu Grayson competing for the Undisputed MLP Canadian Championship. Additionally, Grizzled Young Veterans and Sinner & Saint will vie for the MLP Canadian Tag Team Championship in a three-way match. The card also includes tag team matches and a Monster's Mayhem match.
Raja expressed confidence in his own match and the overall card, stating, "The card is stacked right now and it's going to be a great pay-per-view."