Post by The Ultimate Nullifier on May 15, 2017 20:27:50 GMT -6
www.wrestlinginc.com/wi/news/2017/0515/626179/cm-punk-and-young-bucks-respond-to-randy-orton-diss/
- Mississauga.com has a story here profiling Santino Marella's Battle Arts Academy training school. During the interview, Marella revealed his motivation behind opening the school.
"I knew the clock was ticking with my neck, so I wanted to have something established by the time I retired and not scramble to establish something," Marella said. "For the first two years, I was still with WWE and like clockwork, as soon as my contract expired with WWE, this began to stand on its own two feet, so it was perfect timing."
- Speaking of Marella's school, the message about independent wrestling posted by Rip Rogers that blew up after it was re-tweeted by Randy Orton was actually written by Canadian independent wrestler Daniel "D-Man" Parker, Wrestling Inc. has learned. "D-Man" was trained at Battle Arts Academy by Marella, Darryl Sharma, Yuki Ishikawa and occasionally Rip Rogers.
www.mississauga.com/news-story/7258854-battle-arts-home-to-gta-s-wwe-hopefuls/
Battle Arts home to GTA’s WWE hopefuls
Albert Tam can go on for days describing the artistry behind professional wrestling.
Within a 20-minute conversation, he paints it as a picture of “theatre, mixed with a stunt show, mixed with Shakespeare, mixed with a live action comic book.”
He’ll also throw out classical music terminology like progression and fortissimo to explain how he and many others hone their craft at Battle Arts Academy, a 15,000 square-foot facility located roughly 10 minutes away from Pearson International Airport in Mississauga.
“You really don’t have anything else like (professional wrestling),” said Tam, who fell in love with wrestling as a child thanks in large part to the high-flying luchador Rey Mysterio.
“It’s easy to see the appeal when you’re a kid, but when you grow up, you realize a lot of things mix together to make it so great. There’s no other thing like that.”
Tam was also influenced by Hollywood daredevils Jet Li and Jackie Chan and studied Wushu as a child.
Much like wrestling, Tam eventually realized a lot of the moves he saw in his favourite movies were choreographed and wouldn’t help him in an actual fight.
He eventually became a social worker and developed a bond with a number of high school students who showed an interest in wrestling and from there, his passion was reignited and he came to Battle Arts two and a half years ago with the hopes of making it to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).
“There aren’t a lot of Chinese guys in professional wrestling and I thought there’s a niche and an ability for me to at least try,” he explained. “If I make it, I make it and if I don’t, I don’t, but at least I tried.”
In front of roughly 50 fans at a show on April 15, Tam stumbles his way to the ring, tapping into his alter ego, Bolo Fung. He’ll occasionally sip from a bottle of what appears to be mouthwash in an attempt to pass off as Chan’s characterization of Wong Fei Hung, the comical hero in the Drunken Master line of films.
It’s a tactic that throws off Battle Arts light heavyweight champion Dustin Quicksilver as he doesn’t take the challenger seriously, but gets frustrated after Tam’s character gives him more of a fight than he first anticipated.
Quicksilver eventually retains his title after they go back and forth for about 15 minutes in the co-main event of the evening.
More than 20 men will enter the ring over the course of the night, all of them hoping to make it to the WWE like Battle Arts founder Anthony Carelli, best known for the flamboyant Italian gimmick that allowed him to carve out a long career under the alias of Santino Marella from 2007 to his official retirement in 2016.
Towards the end of his time with the WWE, Carelli underwent multiple neck surgeries, ultimately forcing him to retire.
Fortunately, there was some overlap between him establishing Battle Arts Academy with the help of Yuki Ishikawa (founder of the original Battlarts Japanese wrestling promotion) in 2013 and riding off into the proverbial sunset.
“I knew the clock was ticking with my neck, so I wanted to have something established by the time I retired and not scramble to establish something,” said Carelli, who won four championships in his WWE career.
“For the first two years, I was still with WWE and like clockwork, as soon as my contract expired with WWE, this began to stand on its own two feet, so it was perfect timing.”
Battle Arts Academy was built across the street from Carelli’s alma mater, Philip Pocock Catholic Secondary School.
While a wide range of martial arts are offered at Battle Arts, Carelli’s fully invested in helping his up-and-comers eventually make it to the WWE, most likely through its main feeder promotion, Orlando-based NXT.
A growing independent wrestling scene in Toronto has allowed aspiring Canadians to get the experience they need without packing up and going elsewhere.
“A lot of the wrestlers before had to go to Mexico, Puerto Rico. There’s a healthy independent scene in the Northeast United States,” Carelli explains.
“Now, they’re getting the experience locally and you should see some good Canadian representation in the future because we’re developing our own well-rounded talent.”
Darryl Sharma is one of those talents Carelli refers to. Nicknamed Hornet, he wrestled and coached at Battle Arts and recently signed a WWE contract to be a referee on NXT.
Battle Arts has also garnered attention overseas. Australian Sam Brewer began wrestling in his homeland three years ago and came to Canada to train at BattleArts last summer.
“The most important part is he didn’t come here during the winter,” said fellow wrestler Randy Bynoe before he, Brewer and Tam broke into laughter.
Inspired by the Heart Break Kid Shawn Michaels, Brewer now wrestles as Sam Osborne and enters the ring with Men at Work’s hit Down Under blaring as his entrance theme.
It’s a song that played over the PA back in January when he took advantage of some leverage to lift the powerhouse Bynoe over the ropes and win the Battle Arts 40-man battle royal.
Anyone who’s watched an episode of WWE flagship programs Raw or Smackdown can see that charisma goes a long way in the business as the best performers are as strong on the microphone as they are in the ring.
Even with some experience in theatre, Brewer explains the vocal part of the craft can be terrifying.
“Being chucked in front of your peers and your teachers and being asked to speak for one minute and entertain them, that improvising is more daunting that being in front of a crowd of 500 by far,” he said. “That experience alone is valuable.”
The heroes and villains – faces and heels as they’re referred to in the business – are clearly defined at Battle Arts shows.
Even commentator George Iceman is greeted to a chorus of cheers while colleague Scott D’Amore – or Damoron according to one fan’s sign – is told by the crowd to shut up before he even says anything.
Anyone managed by “Battle Arts landlord” Pasquale Di Papa and Ray Bernardo are antagonists as they’re believed to have sold out in joining The Family.
Bynoe is one of those individuals. In March, he partnered with DJ to win the Battle Arts tag team championship as the tag team Kingdom Come. They both stand over 6-foot-4 and are built like Greek Gods.
Bynoe and his peers try to “suspend disbelief,” in their shows. He’ll explain that followers know that much of wrestling is fake and scripted, but there’s still an extraordinary amount of strength and athleticism that goes behind it.
The WWE doesn’t put up disclaimers before each show for nothing after all.
In terms of character formation, Bynoe models himself after Goldberg, who was recently given a push as WWE universal champion at the age of 50.
However, it’s crucial for anyone to develop their own identity in the industry.
“We all have guys we idolize and try to emulate, maybe borrow a little bit from, but the idea is to be unique,” Bynoe said.
“Why would (the WWE) want to hire you for trying to be a Shawn Michaels when there already is a Shawn Michaels?”
The road to the WWE is long and the Battle Arts wrestlers still have a long way to go.
Needless to say, they can’t quit their day jobs, or in Brewer’s case, night job since he works as a bartender.
Tam is still a social worker with the Canadian Mental Health Association and Bynoe is a security guard at the Federal Court of Appeal.
Still, the hope for a shot at the WWE is there thanks to Toronto’s independent scene, which includes promotions such as Battle Arts, Smash, Superkick’d and Destiny.
Carelli’s influence has definitely been beneficial for many aspiring entertainers.
“The reputation he has definitely allows us to get the right eyes on the product, which is amazing for us,” Brewer said.
“There’s nothing to say that you couldn’t get a tryout or contract for NXT through Battle Arts.”
- Mississauga.com has a story here profiling Santino Marella's Battle Arts Academy training school. During the interview, Marella revealed his motivation behind opening the school.
"I knew the clock was ticking with my neck, so I wanted to have something established by the time I retired and not scramble to establish something," Marella said. "For the first two years, I was still with WWE and like clockwork, as soon as my contract expired with WWE, this began to stand on its own two feet, so it was perfect timing."
- Speaking of Marella's school, the message about independent wrestling posted by Rip Rogers that blew up after it was re-tweeted by Randy Orton was actually written by Canadian independent wrestler Daniel "D-Man" Parker, Wrestling Inc. has learned. "D-Man" was trained at Battle Arts Academy by Marella, Darryl Sharma, Yuki Ishikawa and occasionally Rip Rogers.
www.mississauga.com/news-story/7258854-battle-arts-home-to-gta-s-wwe-hopefuls/
Battle Arts home to GTA’s WWE hopefuls
Albert Tam can go on for days describing the artistry behind professional wrestling.
Within a 20-minute conversation, he paints it as a picture of “theatre, mixed with a stunt show, mixed with Shakespeare, mixed with a live action comic book.”
He’ll also throw out classical music terminology like progression and fortissimo to explain how he and many others hone their craft at Battle Arts Academy, a 15,000 square-foot facility located roughly 10 minutes away from Pearson International Airport in Mississauga.
“You really don’t have anything else like (professional wrestling),” said Tam, who fell in love with wrestling as a child thanks in large part to the high-flying luchador Rey Mysterio.
“It’s easy to see the appeal when you’re a kid, but when you grow up, you realize a lot of things mix together to make it so great. There’s no other thing like that.”
Tam was also influenced by Hollywood daredevils Jet Li and Jackie Chan and studied Wushu as a child.
Much like wrestling, Tam eventually realized a lot of the moves he saw in his favourite movies were choreographed and wouldn’t help him in an actual fight.
He eventually became a social worker and developed a bond with a number of high school students who showed an interest in wrestling and from there, his passion was reignited and he came to Battle Arts two and a half years ago with the hopes of making it to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).
“There aren’t a lot of Chinese guys in professional wrestling and I thought there’s a niche and an ability for me to at least try,” he explained. “If I make it, I make it and if I don’t, I don’t, but at least I tried.”
In front of roughly 50 fans at a show on April 15, Tam stumbles his way to the ring, tapping into his alter ego, Bolo Fung. He’ll occasionally sip from a bottle of what appears to be mouthwash in an attempt to pass off as Chan’s characterization of Wong Fei Hung, the comical hero in the Drunken Master line of films.
It’s a tactic that throws off Battle Arts light heavyweight champion Dustin Quicksilver as he doesn’t take the challenger seriously, but gets frustrated after Tam’s character gives him more of a fight than he first anticipated.
Quicksilver eventually retains his title after they go back and forth for about 15 minutes in the co-main event of the evening.
More than 20 men will enter the ring over the course of the night, all of them hoping to make it to the WWE like Battle Arts founder Anthony Carelli, best known for the flamboyant Italian gimmick that allowed him to carve out a long career under the alias of Santino Marella from 2007 to his official retirement in 2016.
Towards the end of his time with the WWE, Carelli underwent multiple neck surgeries, ultimately forcing him to retire.
Fortunately, there was some overlap between him establishing Battle Arts Academy with the help of Yuki Ishikawa (founder of the original Battlarts Japanese wrestling promotion) in 2013 and riding off into the proverbial sunset.
“I knew the clock was ticking with my neck, so I wanted to have something established by the time I retired and not scramble to establish something,” said Carelli, who won four championships in his WWE career.
“For the first two years, I was still with WWE and like clockwork, as soon as my contract expired with WWE, this began to stand on its own two feet, so it was perfect timing.”
Battle Arts Academy was built across the street from Carelli’s alma mater, Philip Pocock Catholic Secondary School.
While a wide range of martial arts are offered at Battle Arts, Carelli’s fully invested in helping his up-and-comers eventually make it to the WWE, most likely through its main feeder promotion, Orlando-based NXT.
A growing independent wrestling scene in Toronto has allowed aspiring Canadians to get the experience they need without packing up and going elsewhere.
“A lot of the wrestlers before had to go to Mexico, Puerto Rico. There’s a healthy independent scene in the Northeast United States,” Carelli explains.
“Now, they’re getting the experience locally and you should see some good Canadian representation in the future because we’re developing our own well-rounded talent.”
Darryl Sharma is one of those talents Carelli refers to. Nicknamed Hornet, he wrestled and coached at Battle Arts and recently signed a WWE contract to be a referee on NXT.
Battle Arts has also garnered attention overseas. Australian Sam Brewer began wrestling in his homeland three years ago and came to Canada to train at BattleArts last summer.
“The most important part is he didn’t come here during the winter,” said fellow wrestler Randy Bynoe before he, Brewer and Tam broke into laughter.
Inspired by the Heart Break Kid Shawn Michaels, Brewer now wrestles as Sam Osborne and enters the ring with Men at Work’s hit Down Under blaring as his entrance theme.
It’s a song that played over the PA back in January when he took advantage of some leverage to lift the powerhouse Bynoe over the ropes and win the Battle Arts 40-man battle royal.
Anyone who’s watched an episode of WWE flagship programs Raw or Smackdown can see that charisma goes a long way in the business as the best performers are as strong on the microphone as they are in the ring.
Even with some experience in theatre, Brewer explains the vocal part of the craft can be terrifying.
“Being chucked in front of your peers and your teachers and being asked to speak for one minute and entertain them, that improvising is more daunting that being in front of a crowd of 500 by far,” he said. “That experience alone is valuable.”
The heroes and villains – faces and heels as they’re referred to in the business – are clearly defined at Battle Arts shows.
Even commentator George Iceman is greeted to a chorus of cheers while colleague Scott D’Amore – or Damoron according to one fan’s sign – is told by the crowd to shut up before he even says anything.
Anyone managed by “Battle Arts landlord” Pasquale Di Papa and Ray Bernardo are antagonists as they’re believed to have sold out in joining The Family.
Bynoe is one of those individuals. In March, he partnered with DJ to win the Battle Arts tag team championship as the tag team Kingdom Come. They both stand over 6-foot-4 and are built like Greek Gods.
Bynoe and his peers try to “suspend disbelief,” in their shows. He’ll explain that followers know that much of wrestling is fake and scripted, but there’s still an extraordinary amount of strength and athleticism that goes behind it.
The WWE doesn’t put up disclaimers before each show for nothing after all.
In terms of character formation, Bynoe models himself after Goldberg, who was recently given a push as WWE universal champion at the age of 50.
However, it’s crucial for anyone to develop their own identity in the industry.
“We all have guys we idolize and try to emulate, maybe borrow a little bit from, but the idea is to be unique,” Bynoe said.
“Why would (the WWE) want to hire you for trying to be a Shawn Michaels when there already is a Shawn Michaels?”
The road to the WWE is long and the Battle Arts wrestlers still have a long way to go.
Needless to say, they can’t quit their day jobs, or in Brewer’s case, night job since he works as a bartender.
Tam is still a social worker with the Canadian Mental Health Association and Bynoe is a security guard at the Federal Court of Appeal.
Still, the hope for a shot at the WWE is there thanks to Toronto’s independent scene, which includes promotions such as Battle Arts, Smash, Superkick’d and Destiny.
Carelli’s influence has definitely been beneficial for many aspiring entertainers.
“The reputation he has definitely allows us to get the right eyes on the product, which is amazing for us,” Brewer said.
“There’s nothing to say that you couldn’t get a tryout or contract for NXT through Battle Arts.”