Mattias Wild

Mattias Wild is one of the many talented wrestlers from Calgary who is looking to strut his stuff in Wrestling with Hunger!

Born in Penticton, BC, the current Calgary based wrestler joins Ravenous Randy, Superfly Dan, CJ Strongheart, Chucky Blaze, BVD and Alex Plexis as Alberta wrestlers who have traveled out to B.C. to show a whole new batch of fans what they are made out of.

Mattias was trained by Lance Storm at the Storm Academy, and was students with current NWA Canadian Junior Champion Billy Suede! He and Superfly Dan team in Alberta as Super Wild, and is quickly climbing the ranks as one of the elite in all of Alberta!

Mattias really loves wrestling and views this as a perfect opportunity to show that for 72 hours. “It’s just something I wanted to do ever since I was a little kid. I went to a show with my dad and I was hooked, ya know? I didn’t really have a hero or any real favorite; I enjoyed almost everyone.”

Mattias understand the great cause he is wrestling for, and is happy to help. “I get to wrestle for three days. On top of that, help out a lot of families. It really is a spectacular chance to help people while doing what I love.”

CJ Strongheart

In 2008, C.J. took ECCW by storm and made everyone take notice. Now, he looks to do the same at Wrestling with Hunger!

The 5’11, 175 pound Albertan was one 2008 best stories. A kid with a year experience storming into to ECCW and winning his way to the hearts of all  faithful followers. He has since moved back to Alberta, but jumped at the opportunity to make his way back here to B.C. to be part of Wrestling with Hunger.

CJ debuted in the summer of 2007 after graduating the Storm Wrestling Academy. He accomplished so much in the first year of his career (including wrestling in the 2008 Pacific Cup) and his future is looking very bright.

C.J. has the full support of everyone in his life about Wrestling with Hunger. “Everyone in my life is very supportive and thinks it a pretty cool idea.”

More than ever, people are using the food bank. C.J. recognizes that and is glad he can help. “If I can give back by doing what I love doing, I am all over it. I understand economically what is going on in the world today, I am glad I can help.” The overall experience really appeals to CJ. “I love that I have the opportunity to help others. I can make a difference and set a world record.  That’s sounds perfect to me.”

Volt Vegas

At the young age of 18, Volt Vegas is living out his dream wrestling for ECCW. Consequentially, he hopes to make a splash in the biggest opportunity of his career:  Wrestling with Hunger!

At 6’4 and 230 pounds, Volt Vegas is one of ECCW’s prominent rookies. He had his first match at Season Beatings on December 26th, and has opened a lot of eyes in ECCW. But easily, Wrestling with Hunger is Volt career highlight and he couldn’t be any happier “We are here to solve one of the biggest problems of the world, which is World Hunger. I am proud to be wrestling for 3 days straight to help this problem.”

Volt loves the fact that he can help people in need “No one should have to go to bed hungry and knowing that I am trying to help in a situation like this, makes me feel good about myself.”

ECCW gives back to the community and Volt loves being a part of Wrestling with Hunger. “We provide the community with shows every once in a while but showing that we are willing to take it this far, people will hopefully respect us and appreciate what we, the wrestlers of ECCW are doing.”

Five Questions with Volt Vegas

Q: What do your friends and family think about you doing Wrestling for Hunger?
A: They support me, and think it’s really cool. Not only am I helping out, but I get to, along with 19 of my fellow wrestlers, get to set a world record.

Q: What has been your favorite arena to wrestle in and why?
A: The Bridgeview Hall, hands down. The atmosphere there is incredible. When the fans are pumped, I get pumped and that makes me want to put on the best show that I possibly can.

Q: What is your most memorable?
A: Easily, my last match with Danni Deeds in our feud. I was so sick that night, but I managed to still put on a really good show. When I hit the spear when he came off the top rope, I knew it was great!

Q: Why did you get into wrestling?
A: When I was six I watched my first show, and it was ECW. From that point on, I knew I wanted to be a professional wrestler.

Q: What do you wish to achieve in the next 12 months in your wrestling career?
A: I hope to develop a tag team with someone and be in top contention for the tag belts. To follow the footsteps of my favorite tag team, Edge & Christian. By the time I am done wrestling, I want to be known as the guy who held the most tag team championships in the history of wrestling.

Scott Steel

Scott Steel is trying to make an impact in ECCW, but for 72 hours, he will try and make an impact for Wrestling with Hunger!

Scott started out wrestling on June 11th 2005. What a debut it was, a four way ladder match with Mike Dempsey, Ice, and Halo! That was defiantly a statement to the wrestling world on Scott’s style - pedal to the medal!

Steele got his break  in Salem Oregon for WCWC. Shortly thereafter, he got an opportunity to wrestle for ECCW.

Scott is really looking forward to such a unique opportunity that Wrestling with Hunger gives. “It matters to me a lot because we need to support the community, the way they have supported local wrestling.”

Scott knows he can help, and is looking forward to it! “It means a great deal to give back to the people because if I were ever in that place I would hope that there would be someone there to help me.”

Five Questions with Scott Steel

Q: What do your friends and/or family think about this?
A: They are very proud of me for getting involved with such a good cause.

Q: How are you preparing for this world record attempt?
A: Working out four days a week with intense weight lifting and cardio. I need to be in tip-top physical condition!

Q: What has been your best and most memorable match?
A: My best match would have to when Ice and I tagged up to face Memphis Raines & Mike Dempsey in the WCWC. However, my most memorable would have to be vs. Kyle O’Reilly in Comox, B.C.

Q: What is your biggest rival and describe your history with him?
A: Easily, the rivalry would be with B.J Laredo (then Kid Xtreme). We’ve known each other since high school and we try to out do one another in every way possible. We now are a team though, hopefully will be just as good as a team as we were enemies!

Q: Why did you get into wrestling?
A: I  got in to wrestling because I’ve always loved to watch it as a child, and wanted to be part of it because it was my dream.

Manther

This half man, half panther is turning heads in ECCW, and hopes to entertain fans for 72 hours at Wrestling with Hunger.

In one of the most interesting characters in ECCW since Abbadon, MANTHER has come onto the scene in ECCW like a cat on fire and he loves every second of it.

April of 2009 marks his one year in wrestling and what a way to celebrate than to help the community with Wrestling with Hunger! “It matters a lot to me. The reason that they are without could be out of their control. I want to ensure that if they need that food that it’s available.”

When approached to do Wrestling with Hunger, MANTHER jumped on the opportunity. “I am taking part of this amazing event for the opportunity to give back. I am a fairly new wrestler in the Pacific Northwest and want to try and give back as much as I can, while I am doing this great thing called Pro Wrestling. My friends and family think it’s fantastic that I am giving back to the community. Especially while doing something I love so much.”

MANTHER will be joining 19 other top flight ECCW superstars and he should prove to be one of the most energetic and charismatic of the bunch! If you have never seen this man live, it’s something special.

Five Questions with MANTHER

Q: What has been your favorite arena to wrestle in and why?
A: McLaren Park Arena, Penticton, BC. I was given the chance to wrestle on the NWA 60th Anniversary Show Tour. I wrestled Tony Baroni in front of 1,800+ fans. It was such a great experience.

Q: What’s your most memorable match?
A: The Halloween Hell Costume Battle Royal. I was dressed as a banana, I was Manana. (Manther + Banana = Manana… get it? Ha!) I handed out bananas on the way to the ring. I was that guy that everyone hates at Halloween handing out fruit to everyone. I was in the final three and was outsmarted by the Grinch. He gave me a present! But it turned out to be a ball of yarn and tossed it over the top rope. The ball of yarn got the best of me again.

Q: What is your biggest rival and describe your history with him?
A: I’d have to say Tony Baroni at this point. He came up through the Slam Academy a few months behind me. Now we’ve been in the ring together three times this year. I have been victorious two out of the three times!

Q: Who was your wrestling hero growing up?
A: Macho Man Randy Savage. He has so much pizzazz and flair. Always entertaining to watch and listen to.

Q: What do you wish to achieve in the next 12 months in your wrestling career?
A: I hope to be able to travel and wrestle around other parts of Canada and eventually venture into the United States.

Tony Baroni

Even though his wrestling background is fairly short and sweet, this rookie is becoming a household name!

Tony Baroni is a hot head and is as mouthy as the day is long, but he is really making a name for himself in ECCW. Wrestling with Hunger is another big opportunity for him to shine. “I am taking part in wrestling with hunger for two reasons. To help the food banks and I want to test my body and abilities. Wrestling for three days will do that, as well as improve my game.”

Since being trained by such ECCW superstars as Kenny lush, Nelson Creed and Artimus Spencer, Baroni has been looking forward shine in a big show.  “Everyone I have told about Wrestling with Hunger thinks it’s a pretty cool event. I am really looking forward to this.”

Baroni understands that giving back is really important in the grand scheme of things. “You never know whose help you might need in the future, so help people out when you can. It’s Karma, you know?” Baroni has roughly 20 matches under his belt, and looks to more than double that over the three day world record attempt!

Five Questions with Tony Baroni

Q: How are you preparing for this world record attempt?
A: I am preparing by training. Training some more and then more training! Its two to three days in the ring as well as four to six days lifting weights and doing cardio. I will be at my absolute best for this!

Q: What has been your favorite arena to wrestle in and why?
A: My favorite arena to wrestle as thus far is easily the new Penticton hockey arena. It was the biggest arena and largest crowd I have ever wrestled in front of  and it was truly amazing!

Q: What is your biggest rival and describe your history with him?
A: My biggest rivals thus far have to be those big goofs Bubba and Junior. I’ve squared of with these two in tag team contest on three separate occasions and each time I have come up short. Only if I ever get either one of them in a one-on-one contest the shoe will be on the other foot and Tony Baroni will be the victor. I also faced Kenny Lush in Abbotsford, and would love to get a rematch with him!

Q: Why did you get into wrestling?
A: Pro wrestling has been an obsession of mine ever since I watched Royal Rumble 1990 and decided that pro wrestling is most likely the coolest thing ever. Whether it is Macho Man Randy Savage, Razor Ramon, Ultimo Dragon, Jushin Liger or Great Muta; I just loved everything about wrestling.

Q: What do you wish to achieve in the next 12 months in your wrestling career?
A: In the next 12 months I’d like to get my hands on more top contenders in ECCW and leave ever one of them laying in the ring after being destroyed by the Baroni Sandwich or the Baroni Buster!

MR2

This seasoned veteran in the ECCW rings really understands the greater good with Wrestling with Hunger!

MR2 debuted in late 2001 and is a former two time ECCW Tag Team Champion and a former NWA Canadian Junior Heavyweight Champion. He has proven success in ECCW’s rings and is applying that work ethic and determination into Wrestling with Hunger.

“Right now I am getting as much rest as I can now and doing loads of extra cardio. About one week out I will start sleeping in cycles to prepare for the long nights and days. When I am not doing that I am bugging and harassing as many of my contacts/business associates as much as possible to pony up and donate some food or money for SHARE’s food banks.”

MR2 is very aware what Wrestling with Hunger can mean to someone. “In today’s tough economic times, I can’t think of a better way to help those in need. Most people forget that the food bank runs all year not just at Christmas. Hunger doesn’t end at the holidays, it never stops.”

Five Questions with MR2

Q: What do your friends and/or family think about your involvement in Wrestling with Hunger?
A: My family and friends think it is great and are behind me and the charity 100%. They also say that they will be thinking about me while they are sleeping in their warm comfy beds. These are my friends! They also think I am completely nuts for wrestling for 72 hours even if it is for charity but more so because it’s for a world record.

Q: What was your most memorable match?
A: I have two and I lost both of them! On Nov 25, 2006 in Nanaimo BC, I defended my NWA Canadian Jr. Title in a Triple threat Ladder match! The match featured myself, ICE, my brother Memphis. I also got a “great” pep talk from the Honky Tonk Man for the match! My second would be on Dec 6, 2008. I faced Scotty Mac at the Russian Community Centre in Vancouver for the NWA Canadian Heavyweight Championship. This match was a good match but from a fans perspective I doubt it had anything that really stood out. However, I picked this match for very for personal reasons.

Q: Who is your biggest rival and describe your history with him?
A: My biggest rival is my brother Memphis. We are both extremely competitive and we both hate losing. So growing up together we were natural competitors and as all brothers do, we fought. Wrestling is no easy business and even though we are supportive of each others accomplishments, we both enjoy taking shots at the others successes and defeats.

Q: Who was your wrestling hero growing up?
A: Like all kids, I was a Hulkamanic!! However I was also a big fan of Ricky Steamboat, Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels and secretly the Ultimate Warrior.

Q: What has been your favorite arena to wrestle in and why?
A: The Russian Community Centre in Vancouver, hands down. The atmosphere at the RCC is unmatched by any other venue.

Callos

Professional Wrestling rookie Callos is looking forward to the biggest opportunity of his short career, Wrestling with Hunger!

Callos’s professional wrestling career is just getting started as he has been training for just over a year now.  This event is really something special and he knows it. “You can see people in need everyday and people can do all sorts of things for them. This is our way of giving something back by doing what we love and enjoy.”

Everyone around Callos is really supportive, and boy does he appreciate it. “My friends and family are behind me on this. I’ve even visited my old high school to talk to the Principal about advertising for this event. They all seem to enjoy the idea of it.”

Giving back to the community is something Callos is very grateful he has a chance to do. “Everyone should try to give back what they can to the community. Not everyone can be privileged enough to have basic necessities that most of us do and take for granted. Some days I find myself buying extra food for some people on the street cause that’s what they need the most.”

Five Questions with Callos

Q: Why they are taking part in Wrestling for Hunger?
A: Three days of wrestling, how could you turn that down? Plus a world record and the chance to help people out. You put those three things together and I don’t know any other way I would like to spend my time. I’m in the gym a couple hours in the morning, doing more cardio workouts as well. It’s not an easy task wrestling for this long and without upping the training sessions I wouldn’t see how it would be possible.

Q: What your best match? How about most memorable?
A: Best Match I would have to say is Nicole Matthews for the SuperGirls Title. We just clicked really well I thought and the crowd reaction was great. Most Memorable would have to be against Scotty Mac round two. To get the chance to stand across the ring with the NWA Canadian Heavyweight Champion and last over 5 minutes with him was something special. Plus I had a few 2 counts in there.

Q: What is your biggest rival and describe your history with him?
A: Azeem the Dream. It seems wherever I go this guy is running his mouth about me saying how great he is and he beat me before I knew it. Yet he continues to just stand outside the ring and watch me. Maybe one day he will find the guts to get in the ring and face me.

Q: Why did you get into wrestling?
A: I got into amateur wrestling in high school and ended up injuring myself for a couple months and during that time I was channel surfing and came across a John Cena vs. Eddie Guerrero on Smackdown! and since that one match I’ve been hooked ever since.

Q: What do you wish to achieve in the next 12 months in your wrestling career?
A: Well one is to get bigger. I’m slower getting there but there is still a long way to go and in 12 months hopefully I’ll be big enough that people will stop looking past me. Continue to be a small pain in the butts of Azeem and Scotty Mac. Hey maybe I’ll even wrestle the Prophet for that Slam Academy title of his. But anything can happen in a year so I guess I’ll just have to wait and see.

Alex Plexis

Calgary’s own Alex Plexis is traveling from Province to Province, all just to be in Wrestling for Hunger!

Alex made his wrestling debut in October 2005 and moved up the ranks in Stampede Wrestling and all over Alberta.  He has had such memorable matches with now WWE Diva Natalya Neidhart before winning the Stampede Wrestling Young Lions Cup in November 2007.   Alex made his ECCW debut in January 2008, and continues to frequent the Western Canada’s premier wrestling promotion.

Alex realizes how much it matters that he is Wrestling for Hunger. “To me, Wrestling for Hunger is an opportunity to what I love and compete with some of the best wrestlers in Canada and the world while helping a great cause. Where’s the downside?”

Seventy two hours in a row is going to be tough, and Alex knows it. “My friends and family have been very supportive which I appreciate because my training must be driving them insane. They understand the importance of this cause and have been an incredible asset in my preparation for the record attempt.”

Five Questions with Alex Plexis

Q: How much does matter that your helping people in need for Wrestling With Hunger?
A: It’s very important to me to be able to help local food banks, they do very valuable work in their individual communities and need all the help they can get. There aren’t many thing I’m good at so I’m very thankful to be able to use wrestling to do my part.

Q: What your best match? How about most memorable?
A: My favorite and what I would consider my best match was my Young Lions Cup Triple Threat Match in which I beat Brandon Van Danielson and Carrot Adams to win the cup in November 2007. However, my most memorable match which is still (unfortunately) brought up to me by many fans would be another Triple Threat in which I wrestled Ravenous Randy and Dusty Adonis. The match ended while I was incapacitated having been hung on the ring post in an atomic wedgies by Randy so he could finish Adonis off.

Q: Why did you get into wrestling?
A: I’ve loved wrestling for as long as I can remember. The spectacle and athleticism has always drawn me to it. So when I moved to Calgary I immediately was drawn to the local wrestling scene where I met Chucky Blaze who told me about the local training. I saw the opportunity to take a shot at my dream and joined him training with Randy and Kidd and the rest is history.

Q: Who was your wrestling hero growing up?
A: My wrestling hero growing up was Shawn Michaels. He epitomized the athleticism and spectacle that drew me to the sport.

Q: What do you wish to achieve in the next 12 months in your wrestling career?
A: In the next 12 months my goal is to prove to everyone, not only in the crowds but in the locker rooms, that I am one of the top Junior Heavyweights in Canada!

Ray Brooks

ECCW’s longest running wrestler is looking to show his stuff at Wrestling for Hunger!

“Southern Comfort” Ray Brooks debut in 1997, easily making him ECCW’s longest active wrestler. You would think that he has held many titles and is at the Main Event?  Nope, the only title he has held is the Extreme Jobber Title and he would not have it any other way!

Ray Brooks loves being the comedy relief on shows.  Now don’t get me wrong, Ray is not bad or anything.  Heck, he won ECCW most improved wrestler in 2008!  No, Ray just understands that every match needs a loser, and he just loves wrestling and has zero ego on him.  That and his personality make him on of ECCW nicest people in the locker room. Seriously, no one has a bad thing to say about him.  That makes Ray Brooks a complete success as a professional wrestler.

Ray is has two reasons to be excited about Wrestling for hunger. “I love that I have the opportunity to help others. Its really cool to think that I can make a difference. Plus, getting into the world record, how cool is that?!”

Five Questions with Ray Brooks

Q:  As one of ECCW’s longest active wrestlers, tell a really fun story that happened at a show back in the day?
A:  During a latter portion of a Northern Hell tour, one of the wrestlers pulled off his heavily-used kneepads, and tried to get everyone in the locker room to smell it.  One of the female wrestlers ended up dry-heaving over a garbage can.  Maybe I should YouTube that!

Q: People close to you know that one of your idols as a kid was Marty Jannety.  I am here to ask the follow up question that enters everyone’s head once they here that.  Why?
A:  Huh?  Look at his track record!  Tag team champ, Intercontinental champ, and the most devastating finisher in all of professional wrestling.  And you have to admit, his mullet back in the day was top-notch.  Really, is it any wonder why Vince always wants him back in the company?

Q: What is your greatest match in ECCW?
A: Probably against Dr. Luther in Mackenzie, for the ECCW Heavyweight Championship.  It was an honor to be in the ring with someone like that, though I ended up black, blue, and bloody.  It happens!

Q:  If you could team with one current ECCW wrestler, who would it be and why?
A:  Veronika.  She’s hot.  Or, I don’t know, who’s won the most matches in the past year or so?  Whoever that is, I’ll take him.

Q:.  How on earth did you get the nickname Southern Comfort?
A:  It came courtesy of Gorgeous Michelle Starr and Adam Firestorm.  I don’t know exactly how, but since Starr was involved, I’m not sure I want to know.

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