After watching Double or Nothing this weekend, I saw some big differences between the conventional wrestling program and what was on there. One of the biggest things I noticed is the amount of blood that Dustin Rhodes spilled in his match with Cody. It was a real throwback to yesteryear, where blood was used as a plot point, not just for shock factor. And that brought me to the character I am highlighting on this week’s Tale, the Viking Lord Rage of Vince Austin.
Vince Austin in his career in Alberta has had many characters. While he had played a convict and the son of an oil baron, Vince is most remembered for his portrayal of a Viking Lord, as part of the Newfoundland Viking Rage, now the Viking Rage. The student of former WWF Superstar Moondog King (Sailor Ed White) has one of the most dedicated attitudes to his character and has almost an obsession with all things hardcore.
Joined by his long-time partner “Saltwater Savage” Andrew Hawkes, and most recently by the Pagan Destroyer Gunnar, along with a magical dwarf and Mr. Spectrum, their business advisor, this faction has run rampant all over the Real Canadian Wrestling landscape. A real throwback to the ’80s, Austin is truly one of the most vicious characters in Alberta Wrestling history. Terry Funk has been coined as “middle-aged and crazy” … Austin fits that description to a tee.
Some of the most notable events in Austin’s career include having his eye gouged out by Kevin Sullivan in a hardcore match in Calgary. To this day he still wears an eyepatch and refuses any medical treatment on that eye. Also, this man is so devious that he upped the ante on tables matches, introducing doors into the equation on a regular basis. This man will bleed, and make other’s bleed, on a regular basis. And that is what leads me to this week’s Tale.
The Viking Rage of Vince Austin
Springbrook, Alberta was one of Real Canadian Wrestling’s major strongholds throughout 2015 and 2016. Just outside of Red Deer, and with no other promotion running, RCW was able to draw in talents from every promotion in the province. This led to some of the best Super shows the province has ever seen. But the level of nuclear heat that Austin gained one faithful night lead to killing the town for a few years.
As usual, RCW was putting on a great show, and the main event was scheduled to be spectacular. Very rarely in independent wrestling show in Western Canada has the opportunity to have a solid steel cage, and RCW decided to have a three-team War Games match as the main event. This was a culmination of a long-time rivalry, with former partners Ugg and Steven Styles going at it on two separate teams. Combine that with the Newfoundland Viking Rage, or NVR, they were all entering a match for the RCW Tag Team Championships.
Now the match is hard-hitting as each new man enters the cage, and the crowd is eating it up. The fever in the building is building with every entry and every cage spot. But then, the last spot is Vince Austin, and cue the chaos. As Austin enters the ring, in a move straight out of Abdullah the Butcher, Austin pulls out a fork from out of his boot and proceeds to go after each person in the ring. The screaming of excitement from the fans turns into screams of horror at the level of violence inside the solid steel structure. This was only echoed by the screams of Austin’s victims inside the cage. Fans running for the exit, people in a complete panic as to what was going to happen next.
Unfortunately, the shock of the incident turned a lot of people off from the product. For the next couple of years, crowds were non-existent at RCW shows. Many attribute this single incident as the reason for that. However, with RCW merging with the extremely popular Canadian Wrestling Coalition at the start of 2019, it appears that central Alberta fans are willing to give RCW a second try. Judging by the crowd at the last show, the future is bright for Real Canadian Wrestling in Central Alberta. And that continues with “From the Ashes” June 15.
However, Austin is still there, and still as devious as ever. But now, he has new help. Just last month, with the help of his newest protégé, the Profane Profit Dante and his Magical Eye, the Viking Lord captured the RCW Commonwealth Title from the Universe Zack Mercury in Edmonton. (That match you will have to see to believe.) Now with gold, the Viking Lord Vince Austin will be more dangerous than ever. Who knows what he will do to retain the gold? This was the Viking Rage of Vince Austin.
But I am sure that will be Another Tale for Another week… Until Next Time…
