By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
Maple Leaf Pro “Uprising”
March 28, 2026, in Windsor, Ontario, at St. Clair College
Replay available via TrillerTV+
The venue is a small arena with a crowd of maybe 2,000 fans, and it’s packed for a second consecutive night. Production, from sound to lighting, is exceptional. Ian Riccaboni and Don Callis provided commentary; no Mauro Ranallo tonight.
1. Michael Allen Richard Clark and Jake Crist vs. Mascara Dorada and Bhupinder Gujjar. Clark and Gujjar opened, and Bhupinder hit a headscissors takedown. Jake tagged in at 1:30, so Dorada also tagged in. They both tried some fast-paced reversals. Bhupinder and Dorada hit stereo dives to the floor at 3:00. In the ring, they worked over Crist in their corner. Clark hit a plancha onto Bhupinder at 4:30 and threw him back in. Jake hit a neckbreaker on Gujjar and threw him into their corner.
Jake tied up Gujjar’s arms behind his back. Dorada finally got a hot tag at 8:00 and hit spin kicks on each opponent. He hit a leaping huracanrana on Crist and a creative arm drag on Clark. He hit a tilt-a-whirl sideslam on Crist for a nearfall. Gujjar hit a TKO stunner on Crist for a nearfall. Jake hit a spin kick to the head that dropped Gujjar. They hit a team Bulldog Powerslam on Bhupinder for a nearfall at 10:00. Bhupinder hit a TKO stunner on Clark. Dorada got back in. Gujjar hit a spinebuster. Dorada hit a twisting dive to the floor. Bhupinder hit a spear on Clark for the pin. Satisfying opener.
Mascara Dorada and Bhupinder Gujjar defeated Jake Crist and Michael Allen Richard Clark at 11:02.
* Jay Lethal has been added to a six-way match to crown an interim Canadian champion; Jay is replacing Steve Maclin.
* Sam Leterna interviewed Bryce Hansen, Sheldon Jean, and Brent Banks. Sheldon claimed he’s the best wrestler in Canada. He said this is “my show, my country.” Jean blamed Hansen for losing their match on Friday! So, Jean is teaming with Brent tonight instead of Bryce! Sam went to ask Bryce if he was okay, but he yelled at her! Bryce confronted crew members, and didn’t realize one of them was Daisuke Sasaki!
2. Kris Chambers and Taylor Rising vs. Alice Crowley and Evil Uno. I’ve seen Chambers before, and he reminds me a LOT of a young “Wildcat” Chris Harris. “I’ve known Evil Uno a long time, and I’ve always wanted to run him over with a car,” Don Callis said. We have the ref with no legs. The women opened and immediately traded rollups. (It’s rather amazing, watching this ref move around the ring and making the count.) The guys traded arm holds at 1:30 as Ian Riccabani made a Kurrgan reference to Don Callis. Ah the memories…
The guys traded shoulder blocks. The women got back in, and Alice hit a back suplex for a nearfall, but Kris pulled Alice off her. Kris grabbed Crowley’s hair and yanked her to the mat at 3:00, and that drew some loud boos! Taylor stomped on Alice. Taylor rolled up Crowley for a nearfall. Kris flipped Taylor onto Crowley for a nearfall. They kept Alice in their corner for several minutes. Uno finally got a hot tag at 7:00, and he hit some jab punches on Kris, then a clothesline into the corner.
Evil Uno hit a DDT, then a shoulder-breaker over his knee. Taylor jumped in and slapped Uno, but he no-sold it. Kris superkicked Uno. Uno accidentally knocked over Taylor; Kris rolled him up for a nearfall. Alice hit a Saito Suplex on Kris! Uno hit a leaping piledriver and pinned Chambers. Solid action.
Alice Crowley and Evil Uno defeated Kris Chambers and Taylor Rising at 8:50.
* Jimmy Jacobs joined commentary. He is scouting the next match. Jimmy noted he’s faced Blake Christian before.
3. “The Swirl” Blake Christian and Lee Johnson vs. El Reverso and Mo Jabari. Reverso wears Canadian red-and-white and a mask; I think he appeared on a few of the earlier Maple Leaf Pro shows. Mo and Lee opened. Reverso battled Blake. Blake hit a clothesline at 2:00 and took control. He hit a high back suplex. Lee got back in, and the Swirl worked over Reverso in their corner. Jacobs kept praising Mo Jabari, saying he has “untapped potential.” Blake put Jabar in the Tree of Woe and hit a 619 on him. Blake hit a moonsault to the floor on Reverso at 4:00.
Lee hit a series of kicks in the corner on Jabari. Blake and Mo hit stereo clotheslines and were both down at 7:00. Reverso finally tagged in and hit a springboard dropkick. He hit a springboard spin kick on Lee and a tornado DDT on Blake for a nearfall. Reverso hit a Canadian Destroyer on Blake for a nearfall at 8:30. Blake hit a handspring-back-spin kick, and Lee hit a brainbuster for a nearfall, and they were all down, and we got a “This is awesome!” chant.
Blake hit a superkick. Lee flipped Reverso into the air, and Blake caught Reverso’s head and hit a stunner, and everyone was down again. Jimmy Jacobs left the commentary table (at the top of the ramp) and walked to ringside. He got a chair and handed it to Jabari! However, Mo set it down! Blake immediately speared Mo on the apron. In the ring, the Swirl hit a series of kicks on Reverso. They hit their doublestomp-and-DVD combo on Reverso and pinned him. Really good action.
“The Swirl” Blake Christian and Lee Johnson defeated El Reverso and Mo Jabari at 11:33.
* Footage aired of the four-way tag match that headlined Friday’s show, including video of Bishop Dyer attacking his partner, Kaito Kiyomiya, after they lost!
* Sam Leterna asked Bishop Dyer why he “betrayed’ Kaito. “Because I’m an asshole,” was Bishop’s blunt response.
4. Bishop Dyer vs. Kaito Kiyomiya in a grudge match. Not sure if this being a “grudge match” means it has relaxed rules. As expected, Bishop is much taller and heavier. Ian estimated Bishop is six inches taller. Kaito tackled Dyer and repeatedly punched him. He hit a flying crossbody block. Dyer caught him with a knee to the jaw at 1:30, and Kaito rolled to the floor. They brawled at ringside. Dyer leaned him against the guardrail and hit some LOUD chops.
They got back into the ring, and Dyer was in charge. Dyer hit a short-arm clothesline that dropped Kaito at 4:30, and he jawed at the fans. They brawled back to the floor; Dyer has dominated. She shoved Kaito’s lower back into the ring frame at 6:30. In the ring, Kaito hit some heavy, open-handed slaps, then a flying clothesline, and they were both down at 9:00. Kaito hit a dropkick to the knee, then another to the sternum.
Kaito hit a top-rope missile dropkick, and he was fired up! Dyer caught him and hit a DVD and a brainbuster for a nearfall at 10:30. Bishop hit a chokeslam across his knee for a believable nearfall. Ian wondered what more Bishop could do to put Kaito away. Kaito hit two jumping knees to the sternum, but Dyer blocked a third. Kaito got a rollup for the flash pin! Dyer attacked him after the bell and was booed. Bishop hit the End of Days pendulum faceplant.
Kaito Kiyomiya defeated Bishop Dyer at 12:58.
* The video from Friday aired again, announcing that MLP “Mayhem” is coming to TSN in July! A TV taping will be held here in June. Sam Leterna was backstage waiting to talk to management. Rohan Raja and Aurora Tevis came out of the management office. Raja wants more opportunities. He’s taking what’s his… and he’s going to become the interim Canadian champion!
5. Bryce Hansen vs. Daisuke Sasaki in a no-DQ match. I saw DDT star Daisuke wrestle in an AEW dark match on Wednesday in St. Paul, and I was surprised at how short and slender he is. Daisuke brought a chair to the ring, swung and missed, and we’re underway. Daisuke threw a chair at Bryce, and I hate that. He put the chair over Hansen’s head and pushed him into the ring post. Callis laughed at that. They got in the ring, and Sasaki was in charge.
Sasaki hit a stunner as Bryce still had the chair around his neck! Daisuke went under the ring at 2:00 and got a kendo stick and a table, which he slid into the ring. Hansen hit a clothesline and a DVD for a nearfall at 3:30. Bryce set up a table on the floor. Hansen hit a Doctor Bomb off the apron and through the table at ringside, and they were both down at 6:00.
In the ring, Hansen swung and missed the kendo stick, and it ricocheted and hit his own head. Daisuke hit the kendo stick on Bryce’s crotch. He speared Bryce onto the table, which didn’t break. So, Daisuke hit a second spear, and this time the table snapped in half. Daisuke leapt off the top rope and drove a chair onto a prone Hansen and pinned him. A good brawl that didn’t get gross or bloody.
Daisuke Sasaki defeated Bryce Hansen at 8:12.
* Sam Leterna interviewed Stu Grayson, who admitted he felt the pressure about being in the main event tonight. Evil Uno approached him and pumped him up.
6. “The Good Brothers” Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows vs. Sheldon Jean and Brent Banks for the MLP Tag Team Titles. Karl and Banks opened, and Anderson hit some chops. Gallows entered and hit a delayed vertical suplex at 2:30, then some blows in the corner as the champs were in control. Gallows hit a fallaway slam on Sheldon at 4:30. Banks got back in and stomped on Gallows and pushed him into the challengers’ corner. Anderson got back in and hit a senton on Sheldon for a nearfall. Banks hit a hard back elbow on Karl for a nearfall at 7:30.
Gallows got a hot tag and hit a double crossbody block at 9:00. Karl hit a flip dive to the floor on the challengers! In the ring, the champs hit a modified Magic Killer on Banks for a nearfall. They set up for a regular Magic Killer, but Sheldon made the save. Anderson nailed a Spinebuster on Banks for a nearfall. Banks got a title belt and struck Anderson in the head with it! He covered Karl and scored the tainted pin! New champs! I didn’t expect that!
Sheldon Jean and Brent Banks defeated Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows to win the MLP Tag Team Titles at 11:00 even.
* Sam Leterna interviewed Gisele Shaw backstage. Deonna won Friday’s matchup; Shaw pointed out that Deonna won under Pure Wrestling rules, not in “pro” wrestling. Shaw claimed to be the “best Canada has to offer.” Shaw vowed to break Deonna’s arm.
7. Gisele Shaw vs. Deonna Purrazzo for the MLP Women’s Title. Standing switches to open. Don said that Shaw is “mean and nasty.” Deonna went for a Fujiwara Armbar, and Shaw immediately got a foot on the ropes at 2:00; Callis pointed out “no penalty” tonight for doing that. Deonna hit a baseball slide dropkick to the floor, and they traded chops at ringside. Shaw shoved her into the ring steps at 4:00 and posed. In the ring, Shaw got a nearfall and kept Deonna grounded. They got in a knuckle lock at 6:00.
They traded forearm strikes while on their knees, then while standing. Deonna hit some clotheslines at 7:30 and a Russian Leg Sweep, into a Fujiwara Armbar. Deonna hit a short-arm clothesline for a nearfall. Deonna set up for a package piledriver, but Gisele blocked it. Shaw nailed a Magic Screw twisting neckbreaker out of the ropes and applied a Fujiwara Armbar at 9:00, but Deonna got a rollup for a nearfall. Shaw hit a spear for a nearfall. They fought on the ropes in the corner. Deonna tied Shaw in the Tree of Woe and hit a Maclin-style spear to the ribs!
Deonna again applied a Fujiwara Armbar, but Shaw reached the ropes at 11:30. Shaw hit a backbreaker over the knee, then a Shellshock faceplant for a nearfall. They got up and traded LOUD slaps to the face, and this crowd was HOT! They both collapsed as the crowd chanted “Fight forever!” They got up and traded more forearm strikes. Shaw nailed a superkick; Deonna accidentally hit a Mafia Kick on the ref at 15:00! Shaw immediately shoved Deonna into the steel post and wrapped her damaged arm around the post!
Shaw trapped Deonna’s hand behind the ring steps and kicked the steps. Deonna shrieked in pain. They got back into the ring, and Deonna was on the mat. However, she tripped Shaw and again went for the Fujiwara Armbar; she got it locked in, and Shaw tapped out, but the ref was down! The ref got up and was checking on Deonna’s damaged arm. Shaw went to a turnbuckle and grabbed hidden brass knuckles! Shaw clocked Deonna in the jaw and scored the (very!) tainted pin. Two really strong matches between these two over the weekend.
Gisele Shaw defeated Deonna Purrazzo to retain the MLP Women’s Title at 17:28.
8. Jay Lethal vs. Jonathan Gresham vs. Stu Grayson vs. Rich Swann vs. Rohan Raja vs. Michael Oku in an elimination gauntlet match for the interim MLP Canadian Title. Again, we have an interim title because champion Josh Alexander will have knee surgery on Wednesday. Lethal, the replacement for Steve Maclin, drew No. 1. (I am deeply disappointed this is a gauntlet; I thought this was just a plain elimination match where we start with six and whittle our way down.)
8a. Jay Lethal vs. Michael Oku. Oku was not in the six competitors listed for this match on Friday, so someone else has been removed besides Steve Maclin. They both went for a quick pin as they traded multiple rollups. Oku dropkicked Lethal to the floor at 2:30, then nailed the Fosbury Flop to the floor on Jay. Jay trapped a leg in the ropes and worked over the damaged knee, hitting a series of elbow drops onto it. He hit a dropkick on the knee at 5:30.
Jay went for a Figure Four, but Oku rolled him up for a nearfall. Oku hit a missile dropkick. Oku hit a DDT for a nearfall at 7:30. Jay hit a faceplant, and he finally locked in the Figure Four! Oku escaped and applied the half-crab (his finisher!) and leaned back, but Jay rolled through it and kicked free. They fought on the ropes, and Jay hit some chops, and he threw Oku knees-first to the mat. Jay went for a top-rope elbow drop, but Oku caught him and rolled him up for the flash pin. A shockingly long mini-match to begin a six-man gauntlet.
Michael Oku defeated Jay Lethal at 12:03 to advance.
8b. Michael Oku vs. Rohan Raja (w/Aurora Teves). Teves appeared on the ramp; Raja ran into the ring from behind and chop-blocked Oku’s damaged knee! (No bell, so I started the stopwatch at first contact.) He slammed Oku’s head to the mat and pinned him!
Rohan Raja defeated Michael Oku at 00:19 to advance.
8c. Rohan Raja (w/Aurora Teves) vs. Rich Swann. Teves grabbed Swann’s ankle as he entered the ring. It allowed Raja to hit a modified Black Hole Slam and apply a sleeper on the mat. Swann escaped and hit a jump-up Frankensteiner for a nearfall. Swann hit a running somersault off the apron and crashed onto Raja at 1:30. Swann grabbed a chair from the crowd! He hit a running kick to the jaw on a seated Raja.
In the ring, Raja came off the ropes, but Swann caught him with a superkick! Rich hit some jab punches to the jaw and a twisting neckbreaker, then a splash to the mat for a nearfall at 4:30. Raja again applied a sleeper. Swann hit a stunner for a nearfall. Swann hit a 450 Splash for a nearfall. Teves got on the apron. Swann missed a second 450 Splash. Raja hit a Lungblower to the back and a leaping Flatliner move for the pin.
Rohan Raja defeated Rich Swann at 6:19 to advance.
8d. Rohan Raja (w/Aurora Teves) vs. Stu Grayson. Raja stalled on the floor as the crowd chanted, “New champ!” He has a trickle of blood near his nose. I once again started the stopwatch at first contact. Stu eventually rolled to the floor and punched him, and we’re underway. In the ring, Stu hit Pele Kick. He put Rohan on his shoulders, but Teves grabbed Raja’s ankle and pulled him to the ropes. The ref saw this and ejected Teves! Stu hit a jumping knee and put Raja across his back and nailed his “Nightfall” backbreaker over the knee for the pin.
Stu Grayson defeated Rohan Raja at 2:00 to advance.
* Raja hit Grayson across the back with a steel chair before leaving ringside!
8e. Stu Grayson vs. Jonathan Gresham for the interim MLP Canadian Title. OKAY, Gresham in the final slot means that Psycho Mike is not in this match as originally advertised. Gresham took his time getting to the ring and removing his jacket. They shook hands, and I started the stopwatch at a clean lockup. Stu knocked him down with a shoulder tackle at 2:00. He hit a huracanrana and a dropkick that sent Gresham to the ropes. Stu hit a slingshot senton onto the apron. In the ring, Gresham tied up Stu on the mat, and the crowd was fully behind Stu.
Gresham hit an armdrag at 7:00, but Stu rolled him up for a nearfall. They did the spot where they suplexed each other over the ropes to the floor at 8:30. Back in the ring, Stu hit a release belly-to-belly suplex, then a second one, and a third! Stu hit a swinging Flatliner and a Lionsault for a nearfall at 10:30. Gresham got a backslide for a nearfall. Stu hit a tornado DDT for a nearfall. They traded rollups, and Gresham tied him in a Crossface on the mat, but Stu reached the ropes at 13:00.
They got up and traded forearm strikes while holding onto each other’s left wrist. Gresham hit an enzuigiri and a German Suplex for a nearfall, then a second German Suplex, and he applied an Octopus Stretch! Stu hit a top-rope superplex, then a running knee to the sternum. Stu put Gresham across his shoulders and hit the Nightfall backbreaker over the knee for the pin! Good action, but there was absolutely no mystery over who was winning this final mini-match.
Stu Grayson defeated Jonathan Gresham at 15:28 to win the interim MLP Canadian Title.
Final Thoughts: Elimination gauntlets are easily my least favorite stipulation match in pro wrestling. They inevitably lead to a really short match in there that is damaging for the loser. (In a non-gauntlet match, Swann doesn’t lose in under seven minutes to Raja.) Rarely does the individual (or team) that starts a gauntlet survive to see the final mini-match. Yes, I know Royal Rumbles are equally unfair, but I just find gauntlets to be kayfabe unfair, more so than a Rumble. (We’ve seen many people in the first three entrants of a Rumble win it!)
I don’t know why they pulled Psycho Mike from the six-way main event. I get wanting to have Michael Oku in there because he’s great, but it should have been Mike vs. Stu in the finals. That at least would have created some mystery over the winner, as both are Canadians and regulars here. I never once thought Gresham was winning.
I’ll go with that excellent Deonna-Shaw rematch for best match of the night, ahead of Lethal-Oku, then Stu-Gresham for third. Kaito-Dyer was fine but not eye-popping, either. It’s been great to watch Blake Christian and Lee Johnson have two long-form matches these past two days, as a reminder of how incredibly good both are in the ring.
I feel like every time I watch Sheldon Jean wrestle, I write, “It’s too bad that TNA stopped using him when Kenny King left, because this guy is so talented.” I write it repeatedly because it’s accurate and needs to be said.
Not too many complaints… if I had booked Mascara Dorada for a show, I would have found a better slot for him than a meaningless tag opener. (Heck, I would have left Psycho Mike in the six-way and had Dorada face Michael Oku!) Overall, both shows this weekend were pretty entertaining, and I’m really intrigued to see how MLP Mayhem looks once it reaches TV. We still don’t know what day or time it will air, or if it’s one hour or two.
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