Normally with my “Tales from Ringside”, I chat about a wrestler or an experience I had on a certain night. Well, this week I am going to talk about my experiences with a particular promotion. This is when wrestling matters.
This past week Northern Alberta had one of their tri-monthly visits from a promotion known as Canadian Wrestling’s Elite, or CWE for short. CWE is based out of Winnipeg, and while they run the majority of their shows in the Manitoba area, they are also known for their tours throughout Canada. The promotion packs up their things, up to 4 times a year, to cities throughout Canada, on 30 to 40 day tours, something unheard of in these days outside of WWE.
When Wrestling Matters
Now with tours like this, you are going to run into problems, whether it is ring truck breaking down, to equipment malfunctioning, to merchandise boxes going missing. One of my favorite experiences with CWE was the time the audio equipment failed. Three guys next to me, along with myself, decided we were going to be the sound system. Whether it be Hakuna Matada for Johnny Devine, to William Regal’s Real Man’s Man theme for Silas Young, to Journey for another wrestler, we were belting out the favorites. My personal favorites were the Imperial March from Star Wars for Chase Owens of the Bullet Club, and the Star Wars Theme for his opponent, one-time ROH Top Prospect Jason “the Gift” Kincaid. The most shocking thing for most people is that we were completely sober!
Also, on some occasions, I’ve even had to jump in with production, or even set up the ring. It’s all about helping to see a good show.
Now you are probably asking yourself, “Mike, why would you even follow a promotion with these kinds of follies?” Well, frankly, I have never been a big worrier about production value, if the in-ring product is top-notch. Typically, on these tours, they have a “Big Name” to draw in the casual wrestling fan. Whether that be Ron Simmons, Nikita Koloff, Jake “The Snake” Roberts, or even recent inductee to the WWE Hall of Fame Brutus Beefcake. While those talents bring in the casual fan, they stay for the high-level in-ring action.
Names among the CWE Roster
Some of the names that have been a part of the CWE Roster are a who’s who of the current top independent scene. One of the main matches I’ve seen was current WWE Raw Superstar Lio Rush taking on All Elite Wrestling signee, SCU Member Frankie Kazarian. In terms of women, a couple tours back they had current Impact Wrestling Superstar Jordynne Grace taking on current Ring of Honour Women’s Champion Kelly Klein. There have been a smattering of wrestlers from all over the world to be a part of CWE, including former DDT competitor Shigehiro Irie, who recently took on Lionheart for the ICW World Championship.
But for me, it is all about the wrestlers who get the opportunity to get the exposure they deserve. Two that are with the company for me are AJ Sanchez, who I believe is on par with Kevin Owens in terms of athletic ability for a big guy, and promoter Danny Duggan, who I can’t believe still hasn’t been signed by one of the major three federations. Also, local promotions have talent that join their roster for some unique cross-promotional matchups.
Seeing Real Canadian Wrestling’s Top Talent take on CWE’s best is truly a treat. As well, Prairie Wrestling Alliance’s Marky captured the CWE Junior Heavyweight Title from current Fale Dojo trainer Tony Kozina. Monster Pro Wrestling’s Jude Dawkins teamed up with WCW Legend Psychosis to take on AJ Sanchez and current MPW Champion Shaun Martens. Along with checking out the awesome team of Thrash Wrestling’s Slave and Jade, fans are in for a treat wherever they go.
So if you get the opportunity to check out Canadian Wrestling’s Elite when they come to your town. I would highly recommend it. This is because when it comes to CWE, Wrestling Matters!
You can check out Canadian Wrestling’s Elite on Twitter at @CWECanada, or check them out on Facebook or their website cwecanada.ca
