Results
- Jay Lethal def. Psycho Mike
- PCO def. Kris Chambers
- Gisele Shaw def. Dani Luna (Maple Leaf Pro Women’s Championship)
An unexpected debut causes Psycho Mike to lose in opener
This week’s episode of Maple Leaf Pro: Mayhem, taped earlier this summer from St. Clair College in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, opened with a singles showdown between Jay Lethal and Psycho Mike. We have seen weeks of video packages on Mike, plus he faced Lethal in a six-man tag bout a few weeks ago. Overall, he has been one of the more highlighted local names on the show thus far.
For those not up to date on Mike’s lore: He’s a psycho (hence the name) who is obsessed in each match with getting a bodyslam. Of course, because of pro wrestling logic, wanting the bodyslam means he often struggles throughout a match to finally connect with that move.
Mike kept trying to set up for his bodyslam, but Lethal was able to evade it time and time again. A Lethal Injection was avoided by Mike, who did a Samoa Joe-esque casual walk away from the attempted move.
With Lethal down and out after the failed finisher, Mike shouted, “Who wants to see a bodyslam?” then actually connected with it! Blake Christian and Lee Johnson appeared on the ring apron to try and distract Mike. “Give me a minute,” he said. “Who wants to see another bodyslam?” Mike slammed Lethal again.
Zach Gowen and Billy Gunn, who were the teammates for Mike a few weeks back, came in to even the odds at ringside. The referee was wiped out during this brawl (which was a little silly; why did the ref leave the ring for a brawl which wasn’t even interfering in the match?).
Mike made it a trio with a third bodyslam, but there was no referee present to count a follow-up pin. Suddenly, ex-TNA name Steve Maclin showed up! He took out Mike with a series of ground and pound punches, then a double-underhook DDT. Lethal capitalized on this interference, scoring the pinfall victory.
Maclin declared himself a “free man” to a camera and warned that “it is Mayhem for all.”
Well, Maclin was an unexpected cameo here. I mean, I had a feeling he would show up at some point, but I didn’t think that’s how this was going to end. I thought the finish here was a little overbooked, but it looks like Mike will be Maclin’s first MLP feud, which could be fun.
PCO makes Mayhem debut
We saw a PCO video package talking about how he’s “unbreakable.” This clip included shots of his title collection, including the TNA Digital Championship he infamously took a hammer to at a GCW event in 2025. TNA discontinued the belt shortly thereafter.
Also, a quick teaser aired for Priscila Kelly’s arrival in MLP.
This week’s clip from an Adam Copeland interview mentioned him describing that he likes the spotlight Maple Leaf Pro has put on both the Canadian talent and market.
“I think Maple Leaf Pro is becoming what Maple Leaf Wrestling was to me, and that’s appointment viewing … If it’s a vehicle for a young talent to get noticed, to make their mark on the world, that’s the goal.”
We saw the Mayhem debut of PCO next, facing “The Half-Baked Kid” Kris Chambers. To hit home Chambers’ weed gimmick, Mauro Ranallo said Chambers is from Toronto but likely has “some BC buds.”
PCO (or Perfect Creation One, if you’re referring to him by his government name) rose from a casket on stage for his match against Chambers. PCO scored a terrifying tope suicida to the floor (as always taking the nastiest fall, going shoulder-first onto the concrete) early on. Back in the ring, PCO hit a series of headbutts and a senton. Chambers tried to escape a chokeslam from PCO, but was eventually put down with it. PCO sealed the deal with a moonsault for the pinfall win.
Taylor Rising helped distract PCO in the post-match, allowing Chambers to try and get some revenge. But just as they thought they had the man down due to the attack, he shot back up to his feet! A scared Rising and Chambers ran to the back to end the segment.
Gisele Shaw uses exposed buckle to defend title over Dani Luna
The main event of the night saw Maple Leaf Pro Women’s Champion Gisele Shaw face Dani Luna. This has been one of the show’s main feuds through the first six weeks, built through numerous segments since the premiere episode in July.
Luna gained some momentum after the show returned from a break, scoring a pair of lariats then a fast head kick off the ropes. A near fall emerged moments later when Luna transitioned a powerbomb into a pin attempt.
Luna picked up Shaw for a move, but the champ countered it into a Sunset Flip pin attempt – this was fun. The match went into a corner, where Luna delivered a gnarly springboard German Suplex for a near fall.
Shaw peeled off a top turnbuckle while working her way out of a Luna Landing late in the match. An Alabama Slam from Luna was countered mid-air into a Destroyer from Shaw. The champ followed up with The Shock and The Awe (backbreaker into facebuster) for a two-count.
A frustrated Shaw grabbed her title from the timekeeper’s area and started to imagine using it as a weapon. The referee instead ripped the title from her hands and tossed it back to ringside, a distraction that allowed Luna to score a Luna Landing for a near fall.
Shaw connected with a backfist to Luna late in the match. Luna came charging at Shaw for a move, but the champ got out of the way, causing the challenger to run full-force into the exposed turnbuckle. Damage from the turnbuckle bump was enough to put away Luna, allowing Shaw to score the pinfall win and retain her MLP title. I thought the finish was lacking something, but earlier moments of this match were lots of fun.
The road to title unification begins
Before the show went off air, interim Maple Leaf Pro Champion and newly-crowned PWA Champion’s Grail holder Stu Grayson came to the ring for a promo. He opened his speech by saying he can’t remember the last time he felt “so damn proud.”
Grayson said his double-champ status shows he is the best wrestler not just in Canada, but the world. This promo was cut off by the main Maple Leaf Pro champ, Josh Alexander! This expectedly caused a huge reaction, as Alexander hasn’t wrestled since March due to a knee injury.
Alexander got into the ring and went face to face with Grayson. Alexander raised his title; Grayson raised his. It’s clear they’re setting up a title unification bout sometime down the line. If Alexander is ready in time for the company’s Northern Rising event in a little under two months, what impressive luck that is for the company. Anyway, this ended on a cliffhanger, and we were told we’ll learn more next week.
Final thoughts
This week had a solid title main event, two decent midcard storylines progressing, a surprise debut for Steve Maclin and a huge reveal in the final segment. Nothing on this show topped the classic that was Stu Grayson and Rohan Raja last week, but I think they might be chasing that high for a while. Nonetheless, still a strong hour of TV.
