Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling is bringing one of Canadian professional wrestling’s best-known training institutions into a new era.
The promotion has announced that the Can-Am Dojo will relaunch under the name MLP Academy, with AEW’s Josh Alexander appointed as the school’s head coach. The academy is scheduled to open in October in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, operating out of a new 4,000-square-foot facility.
Scott D’Amore, the president of Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling, will hold the role of MLP Academy general manager. The project reconnects D’Amore and Alexander with a training environment that has helped develop a number of notable Canadian and international wrestling talents over the years.
For Alexander, the position carries a particularly personal meaning. The AEW star trained at the Can-Am Dojo during his own journey into professional wrestling, and he described the opportunity to lead its next incarnation as a chance to give back to the place that helped establish his career.
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“I trained at the Can-Am Dojo. It changed my life,” Alexander said. “This place built me – and now, I’m honoured to give back and help shape the future of this sport.”
A New Home for a Familiar Wrestling Institution
The October opening will see MLP Academy begin operations from its new Windsor space. While registration information, course details, and seminar schedules have not yet been released, Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling stated that additional information will be made available in the coming months.
MLP Academy is being positioned as a full-service developmental environment for prospective wrestlers at different points in their training. The school plans to provide both beginner and advanced classes, allowing newcomers to learn the fundamentals while also giving more experienced trainees access to further instruction.
Beyond regular in-ring courses, the academy intends to offer specialized clinics and seminars led by established industry names. Those sessions are expected to address a broad range of skills that extend beyond simply executing moves between the ropes.
The planned curriculum includes areas such as:
- In-ring technique and wrestling fundamentals
- Promo and communication skills
- Professional etiquette
- Personal brand building
- Additional specialized instruction through seminars and clinics
That approach reflects the modern demands placed on wrestlers entering the business. In-ring ability remains central to a performer’s development, but the ability to speak effectively, conduct oneself professionally, understand presentation, and build a recognizable identity can all play major roles in creating opportunities.
MLP Academy also plans to give trainees experience performing before live crowds. The school will host regular showcase events built around its students, creating a setting in which they can apply their training in front of an audience rather than exclusively in a classroom or ring-practice environment.
Josh Alexander Takes on a Major Development Role
Alexander’s selection as head coach gives MLP Academy an instructor with direct ties to the legacy of the Can-Am Dojo as well as extensive experience as an active high-level wrestler. His career has made him one of the more respected Canadian names of his generation, and his connection to the original school makes him a natural figure to lead its relaunch.
The head coach role will place Alexander at the center of the academy’s day-to-day wrestling instruction and its larger goal of preparing talent for the professional business. The announcement did not outline a detailed coaching staff or identify the names who will lead future seminars, but Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling indicated that top figures from the industry will contribute to those specialized sessions.
Alexander’s statement made clear that he sees the position as more than a standard coaching assignment. By returning to the training system where he developed, he is now set to help guide students looking to take their own first steps into the ring.
D’Amore emphasized the historical significance of the Can-Am Dojo while announcing its revival as MLP Academy. He called the original school a “proving ground for greatness” and said that he and Alexander are prepared to begin its next chapter.
D’Amore said that MLP Academy, with Alexander leading the way as head coach, will provide a “world-class” training environment designed to equip students for success.
Can-Am Dojo’s Established Legacy
The relaunch arrives with a significant history behind it. The Can-Am Dojo has been associated with the training of several wrestlers who went on to achieve prominence across major promotions and the wider independent scene.
Among the notable alumni connected to the school are Rhino, TNA’s Moose, Eric Young, Petey Williams, and Bobby Roode. The Motor City Machine Guns, who are new AEW signees, are also listed among the dojo’s notable graduates.
That collection of names demonstrates the range of careers that emerged from the Windsor training environment. Its alumni include performers known for different styles, character work, tag team success, singles accomplishments, and longevity across multiple eras of professional wrestling.
For MLP Academy, the challenge will be to preserve that reputation while building an updated program for a new generation. The academy’s stated focus on both foundational ring training and the business-facing aspects of wrestling suggests an effort to develop well-rounded performers rather than concentrating on one element of the craft.
The school’s regular showcases could be especially important in that process. Wrestling is a performance discipline as much as an athletic one, and live audience experience can provide trainees with lessons that are difficult to duplicate in a closed training session. Learning how to respond to crowd reactions, maintain composure, communicate a character, and work within the rhythm of a live event are all vital stages in a wrestler’s progression.
What the Academy Plans to Offer
MLP Academy’s initial announcement establishes the broad framework for the school but leaves several practical details for later. Prospective students will need to wait for information concerning registration, course availability, the structure of beginner and advanced programs, and the timing of seminars and clinics.
Still, the key components of the academy’s mission are already clear. The program will offer:
- Entry-level training for those beginning their wrestling education.
- Advanced instruction for trainees seeking to refine their existing skills.
- Seminars and clinics covering in-ring and professional-development subjects.
- Opportunities to perform at showcases in front of live audiences.
- Guidance under head coach Josh Alexander, with Scott D’Amore overseeing the academy as general manager.
The new 4,000-square-foot facility gives the academy a dedicated base in Windsor as it begins this relaunch. The announcement did not provide further details about the building’s specific layout or equipment, but the facility will serve as the home of the training operation when it opens in October.
Maple Leaf Pro Expands Its Developmental Vision
The launch of MLP Academy represents a meaningful expansion of Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling’s footprint in Canadian wrestling. A promotion’s ability to establish a training pipeline can have long-term implications, not only by creating a place for aspiring wrestlers to learn but also by helping build a community around live events, seminars, and local talent development.
With D’Amore in the general manager role and Alexander heading the coaching side, MLP Academy is combining administrative oversight with an active wrestler whose own path began at the Can-Am Dojo. That connection provides continuity between the school’s past and its planned future.
The original name carries considerable weight for wrestlers familiar with the Canadian scene, while the MLP Academy branding gives the relaunched school a direct association with Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling. The change signals that the academy will honor the lineage of the Can-Am Dojo while operating as a new chapter under the Maple Leaf Pro banner.
As October approaches, the remaining questions center on enrollment and the academy’s first set of programs. Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling has said that more information on registrations, courses, and seminars will be released in the months ahead.
For now, the central announcement is straightforward: the Can-Am Dojo is returning in Windsor as MLP Academy, and Josh Alexander will be the person entrusted with leading its students through the next stage of their wrestling education.
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Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.