Sinner & Saint head into Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling’s Northern Rising event with championship stakes in front of them, but Judas Icarus and Travis Williams are also taking time to recognize the opportunity the promotion has created for Canadian wrestlers.
The duo, made up of Icarus and Williams, are scheduled to compete at MLP Northern Rising on October 3 at the Mattamy Athletic Centre in Toronto, the building formerly known as Maple Leaf Gardens. Sinner & Saint will be involved in a three-way contest for the MLP Canadian Tag Team Championship, placing them in a prominent position on one of Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling’s key cards.
For both men, the significance of the night extends beyond one match. Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling has become a venue where performers from Canada can receive a larger platform, and Sinner & Saint believe Scott D’Amore’s commitment to that mission has been clear since they arrived in the company.
Williams reflects on a new working relationship
Speaking on In The Weeds, Travis Williams said his experience working with D’Amore and Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling has been a positive one. Williams explained that he and Icarus had not previously crossed paths with D’Amore before joining MLP, despite the broader connections both have had within the wrestling landscape.
For more background on this topic, read TNA Announces Two Championship Matches and Call Your Shot Advantage Bout for October 8 iMPACT.
“It’s been fantastic,” Williams said. “We completely missed him by the time we arrived to TNA. I don’t think I’d met him at all prior to Maple Leaf. So that was a complete introduction when we were there. So far, so good. He gave us an opportunity right away.”
That immediate chance to perform made an impression on Williams, who pointed to the roster makeup and the visibility given to talent from Canada as evidence of D’Amore’s priorities. Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling has positioned Canadian performers prominently on its programming, something Williams feels was needed for wrestlers who may not always have received the same consideration elsewhere.
“Obviously you can see how much he cares about the product and how much he cares about Canadian wrestling because there’s so many guys there,” Williams continued. “We’re not really given an opportunity or weren’t looked at fully, and now, there they are, on your television, on Maple Leaf programming, given a spotlight.”
Williams’ comments underline the distinction between simply booking Canadian wrestlers and consistently presenting them as a meaningful part of a promotion’s identity. For Sinner & Saint, MLP has represented an opportunity to appear on a platform built with Canadian wrestling as a central focus rather than an occasional feature.
Icarus on the challenge of earning exposure
Judas Icarus offered a broader view of the obstacles Canadian wrestlers can face while trying to gain attention. He noted that much of the conventional path toward greater recognition has often run through the United States independent scene, where wrestlers can more readily get in front of influential audiences and decision-makers.
That reality can make it more difficult for talent based in Canada to build momentum, regardless of their ability. Icarus said that MLP has supplied an opening that was not previously available in the same form, giving Canadian wrestlers another meaningful place to establish themselves and be seen.
“Obviously, I think Canadian wrestlers have a really tough time getting exposure and getting signed,” Icarus said. “Obviously, with just the U.S. indies usually being the main way people become aware of wrestlers and then get on people’s radar, so I think MLP giving an opportunity for a lot of Canadian wrestlers, it’s something we didn’t have at any time previous and I’m really thankful that Scott was able to make MLP and has made it into what it is.”
The point is especially relevant to a team such as Sinner & Saint, whose position in the MLP tag team division puts them before an audience at a major Toronto venue. A championship match gives Icarus and Williams a chance to strengthen their standing in the promotion, while their inclusion on the card also reflects the kind of exposure they described.
Northern Rising brings a title opportunity
Northern Rising takes place at a venue with a deep connection to the history of professional wrestling in Canada. The Mattamy Athletic Centre’s former identity as Maple Leaf Gardens gives the event an additional sense of occasion, particularly for a promotion carrying the Maple Leaf name and emphasizing Canadian talent.
Sinner & Saint’s three-way match for the MLP Canadian Tag Team Championship will be one of the featured competitive situations on the show. The format introduces a different layer of pressure: a title can change hands without the champions necessarily being defeated by the eventual winners, while every team must remain alert to multiple opponents and shifting alliances of circumstance.
Specifics around the other teams in the three-way match were not addressed in the discussion, but Icarus and Williams made clear that they view MLP as a valuable proving ground. Their focus on opportunity, exposure, and the spotlight for Canadian wrestlers supplies important context to their appearance in a championship bout.
For a tag team, visibility is not only about individual performances. It is also about the chance to develop a recognizable identity together in front of a consistent audience. Sinner & Saint have that opportunity at Northern Rising, where a strong showing could add further weight to their role within Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling’s growing tag team scene.
MLP’s Canadian emphasis remains central
The appreciation voiced by Williams and Icarus centers on a straightforward idea: Canadian wrestlers benefit when there is a high-profile promotion actively committed to presenting them. D’Amore’s efforts with Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling have created that stage for wrestlers who might otherwise need to rely primarily on travel and U.S. independent appearances to expand their profiles.
That does not eliminate the value of working elsewhere, nor did Icarus suggest that it does. Instead, his point was that MLP offers a significant additional route for Canadian performers to be noticed. A company focused on Canadian wrestling can help create more opportunities close to home while allowing talent to perform on programming designed to reach beyond a local setting.
Williams similarly emphasized that the promotion’s philosophy is visible in the people receiving chances on its shows. In his view, the presence of so many Canadian wrestlers on MLP programming demonstrates D’Amore’s investment in the scene and in performers who had not always been fully considered.
As Northern Rising approaches, Sinner & Saint will have a chance to turn those opportunities into a tangible achievement. Winning the MLP Canadian Tag Team Championship would be a major result for Icarus and Williams, but their comments also make clear that they see their work with the company as part of something larger than one title match.
On October 3 in Toronto, the team will compete for gold in a building tied to Canadian wrestling history. Whatever the result of the three-way championship match, Sinner & Saint’s perspective is unmistakable: Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling has given Canadian talent an important platform, and they are grateful to D’Amore for helping make that platform possible.
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.