One of the nice things about being an observer of the independent professional wrestling scene is the opportunity to see new talent emerging from the various wrestling schools.
These talents are beginning their transition from being students into professionals. Some slowly crawl onto the scene while others step out of that practice ring. They stand in front of the audience and make their presence known. This is Parm Singh Mann.
Last month, at Without A Cause: I Love WAC, Steve Migs was rumored to have a mystery partner in a tag team match with The Bowlers (Chris Ross and Johnny Flynn).
There was a great deal of speculation about who might emerge from behind the black curtains to join the local celebrity for this highly anticipated match. When the time came for the mystery partner to be announced the audience was waiting anxiously.
Would it be Hammerstone? Dirty Andy Dalton? Or some other beloved fly in? When the time came a young man emerged from behind the curtain. He wore green sparkly tights, a lean man of average height with a brilliant smile and a kind presence.
“Parm Singh Mann!” was announced. While the audience applauded politely not many know who this gentleman from Vancouver Canada was.
Steve Migs’ jaw dropped. It was clear he was not pleased with the promotions choice in tag partners. While Parm is certainly a fit young man he is hardly an overbearing physical presence. We all know Migs relies on his partner to do the heavy lifting, while Migs handles all the dirty work.
Parm Singh Mann entered the ring with an infectious smile, and shortly thereafter, the match began. What happened next is impossible to do justice to with words. Singh Mann went from being a virtual unknown to winning over the entire audience and making a debut that most students making a transition over to the professional arena can only dream of.
Migs and Parm may not have won the match, but Parm won the love and admiration of every person in the room that day.
https://twitter.com/WithoutACauseWA/status/1233473444341338112
It wasn’t simply his physical performance, which was impressive in a unique and humorous way. It was also his ring chemistry with Migs, Ross, and Flynn. His charisma and ability to connect with the audience, and these are the kinds of skills that can’t always be taught. To achieve this so early in his professional career is a testament to the potential of Parm Singh Mann.
When you see someone special burst onto the scene like this, you know you’re seeing the beginning of an incredible career. It was this moment there was no question, we need to know who Parm Singh Mann is. Fortunately, he was gracious enough to take the time to answer some questions. There is little doubt you will enjoy getting to know Parm as much as I did.
Philip: Tell us about your history with professional wrestling. Were you a fan as a child growing up? Who were your favorites? Who inspired you? Do you remember the first match you watched?
Singh Mann :
I was not a wrestling fan as a kid, my first time watching Raw on TV as a child was the Kane-Lita wedding angle, my parents decided I wasn’t allowed to watch wrestling after that for some reason.
My little brother got me into wrestling in late 2014, a Sin Cara vs. Bad News Barrett matched piqued my interest, mainly because I thought Sin Cara looked really cool and I wondered why everyone didn’t wear a super cool mask, that led to me searching about lucha libre and finding Lucha Underground on YouTube and I instantly became a fan, dudes like Aerostar, Jack Evans, Fenix, Prince Puma/Ricochet they all just blew my mind in combination with just how professional and different Lucha Underground looked from everything else I saw, I was hooked very quick.
Philip: Was there a talent or event that sucked you in and made you a fan that you remember?
Singh Mann :
On an emotional level Sami Zayn as a human being and in-ring was someone I connected with; he just had a sincerity in everything I did that got me emotional. I wanted him to succeed, when he debuted on Raw to answer John Cena’s open challenge, I was in the middle of eating a burger, when his music hit, I squealed, proceeded to choke on said burger, spat it out, and had some tears of joy in my eye all in the span of ten seconds.
I spent the next few days just happy, thinking about how something like a wrestling match made me feel a type of joy I never had before, eventually, I realized I wanted to bring people that type of joy.
Philip: How old were you when you decided to go from being a fan into someone who wanted to take this seriously, start training and start working? How did you go about finding a place to train?
Singh Mann :
I was 16 when I decided I wanted to become a wrestler, and as I’m sure many people did, I learned of Lance Storm’s school. I planned on going there after high school, worked a part-time job in my senior year of high school to afford to move there and back to Vancouver.
But I had a family situation come up that required me to stay in Vancouver. While in high school I connected with some wrestling fans my age and they showed me the local wrestling scene and we went to ECCW shows together.
I did reach out to some of the local wrestlers about their experiences training with ECCW and if ECCW did tryouts. That lead to a long year of emailing the ECCW email account and asking when their next tryout was. I got a reply, turned 18 and the rest is history.
Philip: You mentioned to me earlier you are a first-generation Canadian. What did your friends and family think of your decision to start training and become professional wrestling?
Singh Mann :
My family did not believe me when I said I was going to become a professional wrestler. They still don’t, to be honest. When they first saw me wrestle, their reaction was essentially one of “When you were saying you were going to wrestling practice, you were serious!?”
For my friends, they were all generally supportive, though surprised. I’ve always been a quieter, bookworm type kid, so most of them would not have guessed I wanted to be a wrestler, though they also knew that I was serious and had full confidence in my goal of becoming a wrestler.
Philip: You are training with some great talent at the ECCW training school. Tell us about your training, what it’s like to work with some of the trainers there.
Singh Mann :
So, the Whalley PC/ECCW training school has four types of classes throughout the week, Billy Suede and Cat Power run beginners, Nicole Matthews runs intermediates, Artemis Spencer runs advanced, and Tony Baroni runs an open to all levels class.
One of my favorite parts about training there is that each of our coaches bring a unique and smart perspective when they teach. I can genuinely say each of my coaches has made me think about both my own wrestling and wrestling in general differently.
They all know what they’re talking about and they tackle questions at all angles.
Philip: Tell us about some of the people you are training with.
Singh Mann :
Each class is pretty busy due to the number of people that want to learn. We once had a class where there were thirty people! A lot of people I train with have crazy work ethics. I can’t even remember the last time I saw Elliot Tyler or the Voros Twins miss a training.
Seeing super talented dudes like that constantly training and improving, it serves as a reminder that I can’t get lazy, not when all these super cool kids are always at training and improving, it’s constantly encouraging me to improve.
Philip: Everyone has a first match, tell us about your very first match. Who was it with, and how did it go?
Singh Mann :
One day Travis Williams walks up to me and says, after pushing to have it happen, that me and him are having a match next week for a smaller charity show run by ECCW. I was not at all expecting that news.
I didn’t even have gear at that point! A few days before the show Elliot Tyler gifted me an old pair of tights he used to wear, so the gear problem was sorted. Travis Williams made me look like gold in that match. It was kept fairly basic. Travis did an amazing job making sure the match highlighted me.
Williams took an apron bump and after the fact, it just felt good to be able to say I was a part of a small percentage of people who can say they had a professional wrestling match. Also, Judas Icarus made a highlight video of said match where he sang over it that got two thousand views and that still makes me giggle.
Philip: You mentioned you started training in 2018. How long did you train before you had your first match? How did your trainers decide you were ready to have your first match in public?
Singh Mann :
About a year and three months. I was generally a bit slow in terms of getting the hang of wrestling relative to my fellow rookies at first. Ya know, I don’t actually know how my trainers decided I was ready outside of them viewing having a match as the clear next step for me.
Philip: You recently defeated the infamously mean Nicole Matthews in a match. How did that feel? Do you have anything to say to Ms. Mathews that might help her improve her game in the ring?
Singh Mann :
You ever feel like a kid in a candy store who also won the lottery and has a family who loves them? Beating Nicole Matthews felt better than that. Personally, I think if Nicole wanted to improve she should [REDACTED], along with the fact that [REDACTED, due to fear of Nicole murdering Parm out of anger] and that really she should focus on [SERIOUSLY Parm, do you want to die? We, at the ProWrestling Post cannot in good conscious leave that in].
Outside of that, I genuinely believe she is one of, if not the best, wrestler in the Pacific Northwest, if not all of North America. Which means I can say I beat the best.
Philip: You’ve also done some ref work. Is that a whole different skill set? Tell us about what kind of training you did to work as a ref. Is it easy for you to switch from the mindset of a wrestler and a ref?
Singh Mann :
I never had much in the way of training as a ref. I mainly relied on feedback from Gearl Hebner and Chris Boushee (321 Battle’s head refs) when they were at shows up north. The skillset is mostly being able to be prepared to relay information to wrestlers without getting in the way and making sure fans stay immersed.
As a ref you pay very close attention to wrestlers plan and perform, so switching the mindset from ref to wrestler isn’t too tough.
Philip: Tell us about your approach in the ring. How would you describe your style and technique, ring philosophy and your gimmick?
Singh Mann :
I would describe what I try to make my style as what happens if you put a lucha matwork dweeb, a contortionist, some higher impact suplexes and a cheesy 80’s World of Sport character all in a pot, mix them together and the weird hodgepodge of styles is how I want my style to come off as.
My ring philosophy is to be different. There are so many ways to go about a wrestling match. I want to be able to explore ideas I don’t see a lot of other people doing, which directly feeds into my emphasis on my flexibility when I wrestle. I want to give people something they haven’t seen before, something to remember, something that makes the audience go “That’s neat I guess.”
Philip: Is there a big difference between Parm the professional wrestler and the Parm we would sit down and have a coffee with?
Singh Mann :
The Parm you would sit down and talk with isn’t too different than the Parm you see in the ring. Less randomly moving my limbs in weird ways, more talking your ear off about wrestling and whatever I’ve been enjoying recently.
Philip: Anyone who has seen your work in the ring has seen how limber you are. Is this something that comes naturally to you or did this take a lot of work?
Singh Mann :
Initially, it was a lot of work. Believe it or not, despite my scrawny frame now, I was a chubby tween kid. I learned most of my stretches through a Contemporary dance class I took in high school and followed that up with stretching routines by a Body Building YouTuber named Antranik.
The dance class gave me a base for general healthy mobility, which outside of wrestling is a goal of mine. I want to stay limber and mobile as long as I possibly can. I want to do weird stretches till the day I die.
Antranik routines are what got me to the next level and made me the bendy brown boy you see today. I tend to plateau a lot with my flexibility goals, but nowadays flexibility comes naturally to me for the most part. It helps that wrestling has a lot of tumbling and gymnastic influence which helps keep me limber.
Philip: Where would you like to see this go with this wrestling thing? WWE? AEW? King of the Indies? What would be your dream come true?
Singh Mann :
I want to feel fulfilled. In ten years, I want to have matches that I’m proud of, something that I can show to people, to lay down and feel happy with what I’ve done, to know that I did everything I could and have no regrets with my wrestling career.
Also, I WISH TO MAKE BENDY FIGHT WITH OSWALD PROJECT!
Philip: Who have been your favorite opponents thus far and who would you like to get in the ring with you haven’t had the opportunity to face yet?
Singh Mann :
Nicole Matthews is one of the most professional people I’ve ever shared a ring with. She has a great mind for wrestling and inside the ring, she always knows what she’s doing. Nicole’s someone I’m incredibly lucky to say I shared a ring with.
Also, a very good human being if you care about this, I guess. Up in Calgary, there is a wrestler named Aiden Adams who I had one of my first major singles matches with. He gave me a chance and I felt so much more confident after wrestling him, he’s the man. Also, it goes without saying, that Aiden has some sick skills in the ring.
There is a man named Oswald Project, who is pretty similar to me, except he was born in a petri dish and is even more flexible than I am. I want to see what happens when two bendy boys fight each other, LET ME MAKE BENDY FIGHT WITH OSWALD PROJECT.
Outside of that, Sebastian Wolfe and Matt Bronson are two very talented jacked heavyweights who were in the same training class as me and I never had a match with either of them, and I really want to slay those two goliaths.
If I had to pick an intergender opponent, I would love to wrestle Liiza Hall and see how my chain matches up to the Technical Tornado.
Philip: You are a proud member of the LGBTQ community. Tell us about what your experience has been being an openly bi-sexual person is like in this business and in your community.
Singh Mann :
Wrestling has been great for that, generally, everyone has been accepting of me and have made it clear that if something ever happens to me due to my sexuality, they have my back. The wrestling community has become one of the places I feel the safest in, and that fills me with a type of joy that’s hard to describe, a type of joy I hope everyone can feel at some point.
In the Indo-Canadian community, there can be a lot of confusion and thinking with emotions over facts on the topic of sexuality, which can become frustrating. But people, in general, are becoming more and more educated on sexuality every day.
It makes me hopeful that in the future I can be openly proud of who I am without the worry of discrimination or confusion thrown my way. It’s a slow process, but it’s a process, nonetheless.
Philip: Wrestling is very physical and a lot of work. Tell us about what you do to stay healthy and fit.
Singh Mann :
Many squats, neck exercises, cardio during wrestling training, many jogs, weight liftings, and many stretches. Many squats… Even more many squats.
Philip: What would we find Parm doing on the rare occasion he has free time?
Singh Mann :
Expanding his ever-growing video game collection. Reading, trying new types of stretches, being single and lonely, learning about Paleontology, dreaming of making a bendy fight with Oswald, and tackling my never-ending watch list of anime, tv shows, and movies. Also watching wrestling, but I feel that’s a given.
Philip: Tell us your thoughts on the growing independent scene. What kind of opportunities have come your way so far and what promotions are you hoping to get a chance to work within the next year or so?
Singh Mann :
I recently made my debut with WAC (Without A Cause) and it was an amazing experience, from the energy of the locker room to the great venue and the amazing fans. I absolutely want to get back there as soon as I can and will be making my 321 Battle debut soon, and 321 is an absolutely incredible place.
The Solid Steel Experience is unlike any other and it’s exciting to have a chance to perform for the 321 Battalion.
Right now, I really want to work for VIPW and 365 Pro on Vancouver Island. I always see/hear the people I train with work there having great matches and the promoters are cool people. It’s a great scene that I would love to be a part of.
For like, super long term goals, I would adore a chance to work for Gatoh Move, a very small company in Japan that originated from Thailand that runs in the back of a restaurant that I’ve been watching for as long as I’ve been a fan. Working Gatoh Move would be a dream come true.
Philip: Tell us about some talent emerging from the training schools who haven’t gotten the attention they should, or you feel are going to break out big.
Singh Mann :
Miles Deville is an incredibly talented individual who can do everything. The scary thing about Miles is that despite how good he is already; he keeps getting better. Miles has an incredible work ethic and he’s an asset for any wrestling show.
Sebastian Wolfe is in the Finals of the WAC Tag Tournament with Miles and I think after that match a lot more people are going to be talking about him.
The Wolfe Man is dope. Matt Bronson is a boss who yells “CHOO, CHOO” and pounces people, need I say more about him? Draven Andrews is Miles’ tag partner up here in ECCW, and he’s developed into a jack of all trades who always has something cool up his sleeve.
All four of these dudes are slowly gaining momentum and it’s great to see talented people seeing results of their work.
For people that haven’t had a match yet, two brothers named Suge Smash and Coco Flash are making their ECCW debuts as a team soon and they are so different than a lot of others in the Pacific Northwest right now. Their super athletic, have a great dynamic and have put in the work. Proud of these two.
Philip: Tell us something about yourself that many of your new fans might not know about you.
Singh Mann :
My full name is Parmvir Singh Mann translates to Bravest Lions Honor, though technically Ultimate Courage Lion Honor is the direct translation. Bravest Lions Honor makes more sense for an English speaker to say.
Also, every year I run the Vancouver Sun Run, a 10 KM run throughout Vancouver, and there’s a 50% chance at training that I’ll be wearing one of my many Sun Run shirts I own.
Philip: Who would you like to give a shout out to in your support network?
Singh Mann :
Gosh, this could be a loooooooong list!
Izzy Mcqueen for being someone I vent to constantly, geek out with and who always has my back.
Fergie for being one of the most lovable and funny men I’ve ever met.
Jacub “Berry Best Bear in Existence” Soumis for being one of my first, and one of my best friends I’ve gotten to meet in wrestling.
Miles Deville for being a constant road buddy who always pushes me to improve.
Elliot Tyler, who I could probably write an entire paragraph on all the ways he’s helped me and so many others. He’s made the wrestling world a better place.
Nicole Matthews who has always given me a chance and made me the wrestler I am today.
The Voros Twins for being truly unforgettable people with a wealth of knowledge.
Luch Baleo, someone I trained with who has since moved away who has always supported and believed in me for as long as I’ve known him.
Alyssa Sargeant, a behind the scenes badass for ECCW who helps everyone out in countless ways. Also, for throwing a bitchin Christmas party.
Sebastian Wolf, the wolf that keeps this lion sharp and constant road buddy. I’m blessed to be a part of his personal wolf pack.
My wrestling dweeb friends, who can be found in various group chats, and blogs. Brock Hates Wrestling Walking the Kings Road on YT, to shout out a few and wrestling watch parties.
And countless others who for the sake of time I won’t name, but writing it all down, it’s kinda insane how many amazing people I’ve gotten to meet, both in wrestling and outside of it.
* * * *
As you can see for yourself, Parm Singh Mann is a unique talent for many reasons. He breathes positivity. His wrestling style in the ring is not something even the most ardent consumer of professional wrestling has likely seen.
He is a proud member of the LGBTQ and the Indo-Canadian community. He’s approachable, talented beyond measure and he knows how to connect with the audience and his fellow workers. If ever there was a recipe for success, Parm ticks all the boxes for this recipe.
Already, he is making a notable mark on the local wrestling scene, an accomplishment that is no small feat. With his growing popularity among fans, Parm has already earned the respect of his fellow professional wrestlers. Have a look at what some of his colleagues have to say about Parm.
Quotes regarding Parm Singh Mann
“Parm is a textbook example of someone working hard to pursue their dreams. He’s always giving his all in training, bringing a unique skill set to the ring with his creativity, knowledge, fearlessness, and most importantly, his instantaneous connection with the fans.
Outside the ring, he’s one of the most positive and sincere individuals you’ll ever meet – always eager to help out and always looking out for others. I’m glad he’s finally getting a bit of attention as of late, nobody deserves it more.” –Jacky Lee, Professional Wrestler
“Few people’s souls shine as bright or as warm as Parm’s does. His positivity is not only a breath of fresh air it’s a life-saving respirator.” – Randy Myers, Professional Wrestler
“Parm has come such a long way and works harder than anybody I know. He busted his ass to get where he is now, and he deserves all the opportunities he is getting.” – “Golden Boy” Travis Williams, Professional Wrestler
“I think with Parm’s body of work and how he conducts himself is a great example of what the Pacific Northwest has to offer. We always hear about someone getting canceled or people who ‘don’t deserve’ certain things but I truly believe Parm’s positive attitude, passion for wrestling, willingness to adapt and learn are things we should talk about more, highlight and acknowledge as high points of what comes out of this area.” – Izzy McQueen, Professional Wrestler
“Parm’s charisma is infectious in the ring. Plus, he brings instant great vibes to any locker room that he is in.” – Steve Migs, Local Celebrity, Professional Wrestler
“Parm is someone I’ve seen go from relatively looked over to hardest worker. His drive and want to be successful is beyond motivating and he is so easy to talk to about wrestling. I hope nothing but the best for that man.” – Elliot Tyler, Professional Wrestler, and leader of Beefamania
“Parm is the coolest guy I’ve ever met!” –JaCub Soumis, Professional Wrestler
“Parm is genuinely one of the kindest workers I have ever met. The first time I met Parm was at 3-2-1 BATTLE vs. ECCW in 2019. The first thing he did when I first met him, was that he offered me blueberries and some nuts.
A genuine human being is all I can really say on a personal level. He is an amazing worker both wrestling and reffing. We had the honor to have him at 5CC Wrestling in one of our prestigious five-way! It was the first time I’ve ever seen his work as well.
I’ve seen Parm more often and every time a show is over, he always has some type of food to offer. Recently at WAC, he was the surprise tag team partner for Migs and he has a lot of my respect after that match as well. PARM. DOES. NOT. CHEAT. Love the guy!” – “The Juice Box Kid” Kendall Marie, Ref and Professional Wrestler
Videos:
ECCW: Nicole Mathews & The Voros vs. Jacky Lee, Shareef Morrow, and Parm Singh Mann
ECCW: Nicole Mathews & The Voros vs. Jacky Lee, Shareef Morrow, and Parm Singh Mann second angle
May Days 2019: Aiden Adams vs. Parm Singh Mann
5CC: Malcolm Phlex vs. Shareef Morrow vs. Dean Cooper vs. Evan Excelsior vs. Parm Singh Mann
60th Annual Rutland May Days: Danni Deeds vs. Parm Singh Mann Part 1
60th Annual Rutland May Days: Danni Deeds vs. Parm Singh Mann Part 2
