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This article was published 19/11/2018 (2791 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
A group of passionate local wrestling fans are about to make their dream showcase a reality.
James Korba, Adam Giardino, Joanne Rodriguez, Ben Kissock, Curtis Howson, TJ Stevenson, and Devin Vray are the masterminds behind Winnipeg Pro Wrestling — the city’s newest wrestling organization.
The group’s debut event, titled Sherb Your Enthusiasm, takes place at the Sherbrook Inn on Dec. 6 and aims to introduce the entertainment sport to a new audience.
“There’s this subculture that’s so great and I think once people come to WPW and they’re part of that culture they’ll see what’s so great about it,” Korba said.
Winnipeg has a handful of established wrestling companies and the shows have gained a cult following among people from all walks of life. Korba and Giardino, like most of the WPW organizers, met through the local indie circuit.
“We were across the ring from one another at a show and we were heckling back and forth and we started feeding off each other. Eventually we decided to sit together and the rest is history,” said Giardino, who has been hosting a weekly radio show with Korba on UMFM called Loose Ropes Wrestling for the last five years.
The seed for WPW was planted last summer when a few of the organizers travelled to the United States and witnessed “bar wrestling” for the first time. The event was exactly as it sounds — a ring set up in the middle of a small bar with fans crowding the ropes a few feet from the action.
“It’s the most fun I’ve had at a wrestling show,” Kissock said. “It wasn’t the reason we went down, but we came back and it was definitely the highlight of the trip for us.”
The group started scheming ways to host a similarly intimate wrestling event in Winnipeg. When the topic of venue came up, the Sherbrook Inn at 685 Westminster Ave. was an obvious choice.
“This is a great venue for it,” Rodriguez said. “It’s central, usually (shows) are in Transcona or someplace where you have to take a bus and then walk another 20 minutes.”
Everyone in the group agrees that their appreciation for wrestling started when they were young.
“I’m an ’80s kid, so I would wake up early and watch
wrestling cartoons in the morning with Junkyard Dog and Hulk Hogan,” Rodriguez said.
The appeal of professional wrestling à la World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. comes from the show’s mixture of theatrics and athleticism.
“It’s theatre where you’re able to suspend your (disbelief) and everyone is in on it,” Giardino said.
The WPW organizers have signed roughly a dozen wrestlers from across Canada and the United States — as well as a female wrestler from Australia — for the Dec. 6 show. The lineup is a mixture of up-and-comers and stars like Quebec’s Pierre Carl Ouellet, or PCO, who wrestled in the WWE.
Looking ahead, the organizers are planning on mounting four shows a year with the goal of building a safe, inclusive addition to Winnipeg’s wrestling scene.
Tickets to Sherb Your Enthusiasm are $20 and are available at bit.ly/wpwsherb
A group of passionate local wrestling fans are about to make their dream showcase a reality.
Eva Wasney
Members of Winnipeg Pro Wrestling at a planning meeting for their upcoming Sherb Your Enthusiasm event at the Sherbrook Inn. From left: Ben Kissock, James Korba, Curtis Howson, Joanne Rodriguez and Adam Giardino.
James Korba, Adam Giardino, Joanne Rodriguez, Ben Kissock, Curtis Howson, TJ Stevenson, and Devin Bray are the masterminds behind Winnipeg Pro Wrestling — the city’s newest wrestling organization.
The group’s debut event, titled Sherb Your Enthusiasm, takes place at the Sherbrook Inn on Dec. 6 and aims to introduce the entertainment sport to a new audience.
“There’s this subculture that’s so great and I think once people come to WPW and they’re part of that culture they’ll see what’s so great about it,” Korba said.
Winnipeg has a handful of established wrestling companies and the shows have gained a cult following among people from all walks of life. Korba and Giardino, like most of the WPW organizers, met through the local indie circuit.
“We were across the ring from one another at a show and we were heckling back and forth and we started feeding off each other. Eventually we decided to sit together and the rest is history,” said Giardino, who has been hosting a weekly radio show with Korba on UMFM called Loose Ropes Wrestling for the last five years.
The seed for WPW was planted last summer when a few of the organizers travelled to the United States and witnessed “bar wrestling” for the first time. The event was exactly as it sounds — a ring set up in the middle of a small bar with fans crowding the ropes a few feet from the action.
“It’s the most fun I’ve had at a wrestling show,” Kissock said. “It wasn’t the reason we went down, but we came back and it was definitely the highlight of the trip for us.”
The group started scheming ways to host a similarly intimate wrestling event in Winnipeg. When the topic of venue came up, the Sherbrook Inn at 685 Westminster Ave. was an obvious choice.
“This is a great venue for it,” Rodriguez said. “It’s central, usually (shows) are in Transcona or someplace where you have to take a bus and then walk another 20 minutes.”
Everyone in the group agrees that their appreciation for wrestling started when they were young.
Eva Wasney
Joanne Rodriguez and Adam Giardino listen while Curtis Howson speaks during a Winnipeg Pro Wrestling meeting at the Sherbrook Inn on Nov. 13.
“I’m an ’80s kid, so I would wake up early and watch wrestling cartoons in the morning with Junkyard Dog and Hulk Hogan,” Rodriguez said.
The appeal of professional wrestling à la World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. comes from the show’s mixture of theatrics and athleticism.
“It’s theatre where you’re able to suspend your (disbelief) and everyone is in on it,” Giardino said.
The WPW organizers have signed roughly a dozen wrestlers from across Canada and the United States — as well as a female wrestler from Australia — for the Dec. 6 show. The lineup is a mixture of up-and-comers and stars like Quebec’s Pierre Carl Ouellet, or PCO, who wrestled in the WWE.
Looking ahead, the organizers are planning on mounting four shows a year with the goal of building a safe, inclusive addition to Winnipeg’s wrestling scene.
Tickets for Sherb Your Enthusiasm are $20 and are available at bit.ly/wpwsherb
