Adam Copeland match at Maple Leaf Gardens makes event a big deal, Rohan Raja says

Adam Copeland’s scheduled match against Steve Maclin at Maple Leaf Gardens during Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling’s Northern Rising event has infused the card with historic momentum, according to wrestler Rohan Raja in an interview with OutKick Dropkick.

Rohan Raja on the Historic Weight of Maple Leaf Gardens

Raja will face Andrade El Idolo for the All Elite Wrestling National Championship at the Toronto pay-per-view. He points to Copeland’s public wrestling bucket list as a driver of the event’s unique atmosphere. The card stands as Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling’s biggest show of the year, broadcast via MyAEW.

“I think what’s cool is (Copeland), I think it was maybe about a month ago, he posted notes on his list of stadiums he wanted to wrestle in, his bucket list, and it’s cool that two of the stadiums on there that I’ve wrestled in before, including Maple Leaf Gardens,” Raja told OutKick Dropkick.

“And just for someone of that caliber to say, this is one of my lifetime goals I’ve wanted to do since I’ve started wrestling and everything, and I think we already have this historic buzz going around because this really feels like a really, really big deal and it’s obviously our biggest show, but having someone like him and him being backstage and just seeing the vibe that he’s going to bring and his emotion and everything, so like someone of a Hall of Fame career is going to get emotional coming into this venue, It’s more of like a reminder for me, like, oh damn, this is a big deal. And him and Maclin are going to kill it.”

Adam Copeland Shares Childhood Memories of Toronto Arena

For Copeland, stepping into the venue carries deep personal significance. Maple Leaf Gardens served as his introduction to live professional wrestling as a child.

“Maple Leaf Gardens was the very first time I saw wrestling live, and to see it live and for it to be this tangible thing and wait, these guys and women, they’re real,” Copeland stated to OutKick in a recent interview. “I can go see them and actually smack hands with them and that kind of thing? But just the feeling that it gave me as a release and as a place where I didn’t have to worry about things as a kid and I didn’t have to think about, you know, the stuff that goes on in life. We lost my uncle when I was very young and I was very close to him and I feel like that was a big hole that wrestling helped try and fill, it doesn’t fill it, but you know what I mean.”

He added that the arena’s long history leaves an imprint on competitors walking through its doors. “Man, the first time I saw it, I just went, I got to do this. But I’m 9, 10 saying that, right? But it was Maple Leaf Gardens and the fact that it was in that venue added more importance to it for me because all I ever did was watch stuff from Maple Leaf Gardens whether it was Maple Leaf wrestling or the Toronto Maple Leafs. My world kind of revolved around that arena and I never got down for a Leafs game, but we could afford wrestling tickets and so to get down there, experience so many shows over there over the years and just experience what it felt like because, I’ve said before, 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.”

Full Northern Rising Championship Match Card Lineup

The Saturday night pay-per-view features multiple title bouts alongside the marquee singles matches. Priscilla Kelly defends the MLP Women’s Championship against Nikki Storm. Josh Alexander and Stu Grayson compete for the Undisputed MLP Canadian Championship. 1st Faction, Grizzled Young Veterans, and Sinner & Saint meet in a three-way tag team match for the MLP Canadian Tag Team Championship.

Additional matches include Kinsley and Alexia Nicole versus Alice Crowley and Jody Threat in tag team action. Dan Maff, Psycho Mike, and Crazzy Steve clash in a Monster’s Mayhem match. Máscara Dorada and Subculture join forces to face TJP, Johnny TV, and Gabriel Fuerza in a mixed six-person tag team match.

“I’m very confident in my match, but I’m confident that every match on the card is going to succeed expectations,” Raja told OutKick Dropkick. “Like the card is stacked right now and it’s going to be a great pay-per-view.”