I used to own a Hulk Hogan t-shirt. It’s true, I have no shame in saying I was watching it on pay per view when Hulkamania ran wild, all over Andre the Giant. I may well be dating myself when I say that, but I don’t care. Professional wrestling in all its glory has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. It was the same for many of us, but as we’ve gotten older and tastes have changed, the battle between good and evil just didn’t seem as cool, at least till now.
It’s this childhood passion that lead me to Vancouver’s Russian Community Centre about a year ago. Normally the haunt of tiny grandmothers and the men and women who love their perogies, I was there for something a little less tasty, but just as stimulating. I had been coerced into going and seeing names like Syd Sylum, Rick the Weapon X and Penni Lane perform as part of the monthly Vancouver showing of ECCW or Extreme Canadian Championship Wrestling. Needless to say, I was hooked again, I’ve been going back ever since and recently, I’ve been finding I’m not the only one.
Pro wrestling seems to be be the dark skeleton in a lot of peoples closets, but over the last six months, I’m finding that ECCW has become one of the new hot spots for Vancouverites. The gloss and the glamour of the WWE that puts a lot of people off has been stripped away leaving the bare elements of the craft in a truly indie format. One that seems to be pulling in more than just teens, families and the truly hardcore who know what kayfabe is.
There are still good guys and bad guys. Names like El Phantasmo, Scotty Mac, Brilliant Billy Suede and the Cremator abound. There are still nasty managers, dashing dudes and a little bit of blood. But in lieu of corporate sponsorship, there’s students from the ECCW Academy selling hot dogs and the lack of Jumbo Tron is made up for by promo videos cut on someone’s Mac. It’s not the promised land but for one night a month ,this gym becomes the major leagues as these athletes ply their trade to a crowd of housewives, hardcores and hipsters. By the end of the night, everybody’s lost their voice, they’ll bring their friends back. It’s been a good night.