Callander residents, the wrestlers are coming.
Ontario Elite Wrestling is presenting "Bulletproof," an epic event featuring 20 professional wrestlers. The Callander Community Centre will become the epicentre of soon-to-be-legendary brawls featuring Mr. Marvelous, The Heartbreakers, Bradford, and the not-so-holy Josh Angel.
The dreaded Space Monkey is also expected to turn up, but his fearsome presence should be tempered by the likes of Jody Threat, Shane Douglas, Marty Scurll, and Aiden Prince, all veterans of pro-leagues such as Impact, TNA, and WCW.
“We’re trying to really up the show quality,” explained Ontario Elite Wrestling founder, Steve Lavictoire. “So, we went all in with everything.”
That means extravagant lighting, an impressive entryway for the wrestlers, and a brand-new, full-size wrestling ring. Just the other week, Lavictoire made the drive to Kentucky to pick the rink up from Monster Rings, “we wanted a full standard ring to give the proper atmosphere.”
A wrestling fan his whole life, Lavictoire grew up watching the likes of Bret Hart, the Ultimate Warrior, Macho Man, and Jake the Snake Roberts. Those memories remain fresh, and he knows what a great wrestling event should be.
He has been involved with professional events for years, most of which centred around North Bay and Northern Ontario. In 2022 he formed Ontario Elite Wrestling in North Bay, and he plans to host many events in the area. Plans are underway to host more shows in Southern Ontario as well.
“We try to differentiate ourselves from everybody else by only picking the higher-end talent,” for matches, Lavictoire said. “I’m trying to set a standard for not only production but the quality of shows we put on talent-wise as well and getting as close to a nationally televised brand as possible.”
He noted that wrestling continues to gain fans, and many athletes are being drawn to the sport. “The talent pool in Ontario is deeper than it’s ever been,” he said. “It’s a good time to be a wrestling fan because there’s lots of wrestling” these days. A show of this magnitude has many working parts. Besides the many wrestling talents, the event also relies on referees, ring announcers, and a host of people behind the scenes whose work brings the show to life. “These guys are definitely a well-oiled machine, making the dream come alive.”
Catch all the action on Saturday, February 10 at Callander’s Community Centre at 1984 Swale Street. Advance tickets are $20, and kids under five are free. Your ticket also admits you to the Back to the 80s Dance Party after the matches. For tickets, contact the organizers via the league’s Facebook page, or drop them a line at [email protected].
David Briggs is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of BayToday, a publication of Village Media. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
