Adam Copeland has officially checked another major accomplishment off his wrestling bucket list.
For the first time since 2001, Copeland competed in a match outside of WWE or AEW when he faced Steve Maclin in the main event of Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling’s Northern Rising event on October 3. The show took place at the Mattamy Athletic Centre, the historic venue better known as Maple Leaf Gardens.
The significance of the night was not lost on Copeland. The Toronto native has spoken extensively over the years about his desire to wrestle at Maple Leaf Gardens, a building that holds a special place in his childhood memories and where he attended his first wrestling event.
During the post-show press conference, Copeland was asked about returning to the venue and wrestling his first non-WWE or AEW match in 25 years. He said,
“This was part of the reason I made the move that I did. For nights like this. For nights like Maple Leaf Gardens, Wembley Stadium, Arena Mexico. That doesn’t happen if I stay where I’m at. These are all things that I wanted to still accomplish. Within this last calendar month, I’ve worked Arena Mexico, Wembley, and Maple Leaf Gardens. As a student of this industry, I know what those buildings mean. This, for me, was absolutely the most special.”
“This was the touchstone for my childhood. My first show was here. Watching TV, it was watching the Leafs. It was everything that touched my childhood seemed to emenate from here. To get out there and perform…this was long gone for me. Retirement for nine years. Wrestling was long gone. Yet here we are six years into coming back and somehow getting to Maple Leaf Gardens.”
“Scott knew this was one of the main dreams for me. Honestly, the main dream I had left. When he said, ‘We might be able to make this happen.’ I am absolutely in. Thankfully, Tony Khan is the way he is and he was in. He’s a guy that wants the entire wrestling industry to flourish, not just his bottom line. That’s what I appreciate most about where I work now.”
“This was truly a dream for me. I can’t stress that enough. To be able to perform out there after so many years and experiences here, I’m going to be smiling going to bed tonight.”
Copeland ultimately had even more reason to smile, as he defeated Maclin in the main event.
Following the match, Copeland spoke to the crowd and delivered some major praise for his opponent, going as far as to declare that Maclin should be the most sought-after free agent in wrestling. He said,
“No matter what I think of Steve Maclin as a person, that man should be the most wanted free agent in this industry. He’s that damn good.”
“I really like his style. He reminds me of a wrestler in the NWA. I could picture him in the Shelby, North Carolina high school gym trading punches with Tully Blanchard. He’s that kind of talent.”
“I’ve always appreciated his work and what he’s done and also, how can you not appreciate a guy who bets on himself? Who walks away from something to try to get something more. That trait, I can appreciate and respect, and then, just from a style perspective, I thought, okay, our styles should match pretty well here.”
“But you never know, right? Then you get going and I was like, oh, ah, man. Here we go. Alright.”
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