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An upcoming professional wrestling event in Windsor promises a raucous showdown that’s as Canadian as maple syrup and poutine.
Following his departure from his role as president of TNA Wrestling earlier this year, Windsor-born promoter Scott D’Amore is resurrecting the Canadian wrestling giant, Maple Leaf Wrestling.
Under a new, but similar name, Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling’s comeback will begin at a debut live show, Forged in Excellence, hosted at St. Clair College in Windsor, showcasing what is being billed as some of the world’s top pro wrestlers.
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“I think it’s long overdue for Canada to have its own premier wrestling company that gets showcased on a worldwide market,” said D’Amore.
“A Canadian-based promotion company that focuses on giving opportunities to Canadians to showcase their talents with some of the very best from around the world, is certainly needed, because it’s so hard for Canadians to get opportunities.”
Founded in 1930, Maple Leaf Wrestling made a name for itself drawing thousands of fans to events at famed venues like Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens. Under the guidance of founder Jack Corcoran, and later John and Frank Tunney, it thrived for decades.
“It’s such an important historic brand,” said D’Amore.
“When Maple Leaf Wrestling started in the early 1930s, Maple Leaf Gardens quickly became one of the premier venues for wrestling. Multiple times a month, sometimes as often as weekly, it featured all of the biggest stars from wrestling around the world.”
However, the Canadian promotion company folded soon after it was acquired by Vince McMahon and the American World Wrestling Federation promotion in 1984.
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Nearly four decades later, Maple Leaf makes its big return, bringing about 40 to 50 pros from Canada and around the world into the ring, said D’Amore, including two-time world champion Josh Alexander, current X-Division title holder Mike Bailey, and Gisele Shaw.
St. Clair College graduate Bhupinder Gujjar, who trained in India under former WWE world champion The Great Khali, and who has since competed on the TNA Wrestling roster, is also slated for the upcoming showdown.
D’Amore chose Windsor as the location for the debut event to highlight the city’s rich wrestling scene on the world stage. Through Border City Wrestling, the Windsor native has been a key player in bringing major talent to Windsor over the years, including Edge, Bret Hart, Mick Foley and, in 1998, Dwayne (The Rock) Johnson.
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“Windsor, historically, is such an unbelievable wrestling town,” D’Amore said.
“I think this is an opportunity to showcase what Windsor is to wrestling fans around the world. We started to develop a reputation that Windsor is considered one of the places that has the best wrestling fans, the loudest wrestling fans, a place where the buildings are always full, the crowds are always loud.”
Forged in Excellence Tickets
Tickets for the two-day showdown at St. Clair College on Oct. 19 and 20 are available at mlpwrestling.com. General admission for both nights is $43, while a single-day ticket is $32. Front and second-rowstickets are sold out.
For those unable to attend in person, the event will be broadcast live on Triller TV. A link to the streaming service is available on the Maple Leaf Wrestling website.
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