SASKATOON — What does a retail manager, a crane operator, a plumber and an emergency gas leak responder have in common? On first thought, probably not much. However, when the work week is done, that is where their bond is forged in blood.
All are members of Prairie Pro Wrestling which recently performed at the Cosmopolitan Senior Citizens Centre in Saskatoon
On a cold, winter night, folks excitedly file into the Cosmopolitan Centre. After dropping off their donations to the Christmas toy drive, they enter what has now become a transformed theatre. Conversations are abuzz through the small community room. Steel chairs are lined in rows, encircling the centrepiece of the evening.
What lies in the middle may just seem like a boxed ring, and yet, within the confines of the room itself, it becomes a metaphor to the entire performance experience for fans and professionals alike.
The lights dim as a gentleman in a suit slides into the ring to announce the start of the event. That, ladies and gentlemen, is where the monologue ends and the main act begins. For spectators and performers, Prairie Pro Wrestling is more than just theatrics and a show, it is an ongoing dialogue where emotions run high and low with every hit, spin, slam, throw and thud taking place within the confines of the usually 14-to-20-foot roped box.
For owner Roberto Ureta, fan interaction is the core of the business. Most fans who show up to an event are first-timers, so the atmosphere can come as a shock to some. Each match begins with a call from the ring announcer on how it will end; the audience will all stick up their pointer finger and chant in unison “one-fall” with shouts of authoritative glee.
Then, the music starts and the wrestlers emerge from behind the curtain, looking out towards their foe and the crowd. Nizar Watfa, whose ring name is Sheik Akbar Shabaz, already knows his calling the moment the lights hit.
Watfa first got into wrestling like many of his companions, by watching live shows or taping AEW or WWE matches. However, it wasn’t until 2006 in Edmonton when he worked as a security officer that he took the next step. His manager’s roommate was a referee on a local circuit and suggested he come out to try the sport. He was hooked.
Originally Watfa sported a mask, as a means of concealing his identity while learning the ebb and flow of the sport. It also gave him an opportunity to people watch, understanding what makes the fans tick, both in a positive and negative sense.
“I would start with people watching, and if I saw something that annoyed me, I believe it would annoy other people as well. I try to annoy people from the second I come out of the curtain until I’m gone.”
So where do the limits of these interactions lie? Take Eugene for example; a man in his mid-80s from Edmonton whom Watfa unexpectedly developed an unusual rapport with.
Following a tag match, Watfa’s opponent threw wrist tape at him. With nothing to return fire, he turned around and spotted an old man with a hat. Seizing the moment, the hat was scooped from the spectator, and a new opponent was added to the storyline. The gentleman was restrained by security while dishing out various cusses and threats about kicking his rear end to … Turns out, the spectator was a former boxer who was not willing to back down. Months later, the two would cross paths again, with the fan yelling “You’re not going to get the hat this time.” Watfa would once again steal the hat, and the “Sheik versus the hat” moment became an ongoing theme both in person and online for years to come.
Back in Saskatoon, each wrestler works the crowd before the match begins. Cody Garcia, who goes by “The Future Son of Irish” embraces the role of the heel. For those who are unaware of the term “heel,” it is a wrestler who is portrayed as either the bad guy, a rule breaker or an antagonist in matches.
Garcia hears it from the crowd right away, with various swears and chirps delivered his way. Most topics are not off-limits for most wrestlers, with Garcia being mockingly praised with the phrase “Eat a carb” throughout the match. The Future Son of Irish will stop to reacquaint himself with his foes outside the ring, turning momentarily to return the favour before going back to work inside the ropes.
Outside the ring, the crowd works itself too. Teenagers are grabbing hold of each other playfully in reaction to what they are seeing in the ring, amazed by the impact of the blows each wrestler delivers. Young children look on ringside in amazement at the athletic feats. Those older in the crowd bang against anything to increase the noise in the room, providing wisdom with their clever lines of mockery as well.
These moments define why CEO Roberto Ureta started the company. Ureta, who wrestlers under the guise of “El Asesino” says the fans always come first, and wrestling is second.
“I think it’s important for people to come together to enjoy something. I’m not blind to the fact that wrestling by nature is kind of silly.”
While it may seem light-hearted, the impact goes beyond the aches, bruises and cuts received in the ring.
It starts in training school, where puking and soreness are a staple. Then there are the relationships, which come naturally from having to trust another person with their body. Considerations like which way to step, knowing where you are in the ring to avoid falling or throwing a partner the wrong way, knowing the middle of the ring is the softest or tightening the timing on the ropes to avoid injury.
Some find the craft outside their full-time jobs a source of relief. That includes Ureta.
“The best thing about being in the ring is that you can separate all the crappy things in your life, and you can take that, put it into your character, and release it in a constructive and positive way.”
For most, it is a source of fierce passion and family. Garcia mentions how it has always been his dream and passion, and that he promises he’ll be in the big leagues one day. Steven
Blais, known as Steven Crow the Rhinestone Cowboy, says it’s the biggest thing in his life.
“I’ve met friends I consider family now,” he says.
Each day humans wrestle with the struggles of modern-day living, and yet, when trapped inside the ring, that wrestling movement becomes the ultimate expression of human struggle, emotion, and perseverance…moments that those both inside and outside the ring can all attest to.
