Canadian Wrestling’s Elite (CWE) is returning to Plaza 88 on Monday, Feb. 24 for their 16th Anniversary Tour Rage In The Cage.
The featured guest for the evening is former WWE wrestler René Duprée, a two time holder of WWE tag team championship gold.
This is Dupree’s first tour with CWE. He’s toured this part of the country before and says he is looking forward to doing so again.
“I probably have (toured Prince Albert). I just don’t remember,” Duprée said. “(It’s) like that song by Johnny Cash, ‘I’ve been everywhere man, I’ve been everywhere’. Pretty well every city and province, with the exception of one or two, I have been to.”
Duprée, who was born Rene Goguen, got into the business because of his father Emile Dupree. The elder Duprée started wrestling in New Brunswick in 1955, and later began a successful promotion out east called Grand Prix Wrestling.
His early start in the business led to signing a deal with WWE just out of high school.
“I was a second generation wrestler and I just started working in the carnival at 13,” he remembered. “I started wrestling at 14. I signed a WWE contract two months after I graduated high school at 18. I stayed there for about six years. (From) 2007 to 2025, 17 or 18 years, I’ve been independent all over the world.”
After starting his career in Grand Prix and then signing with WWE, Dupree first worked for Heartland Wresting before moving to OVW (Ohio Valley Wrestling). The Heartland Wrestling Association was shut down and all of the talent moved to Kentucky.
Dupree may be best remembered for his time in La Resistance with Sylvain Grenier and later Rob Conway, with whom he held tag team championships as both World Tag Team Champion and WWE Tag Team Champion.
Although Duprée is from Eastern Canada, his in-ring persona was billed as coming from France. He said the decision was well-timed.
“If you remember in 2003, France declined the United States in joining the War on Terror in Iraq and it became a big a big deal in the United States,” he remembered. “The Americans hated the French, which is not unusual and it was his perfect time and perfect place. I was in the right place at the right time and that’s how it started.
“That’s how it is in the business, it’s all timing.”
Duprée said it’s common for wrestlers to find inspiration from what’s happening in the culture around them. One of the best examples, he said, comes from his father, who used a hit song to help come up with a name for Randy Poffo, aka Macho Man Randy Savage.
The Poffo family ran the independent wrestling promotion International Championship Wrestling, which was based in Lexington Kentucky but they also did tours all over the world.
“My father started the promotion in the 70s, (and) in 1978 he brought in the Poffos (to) try and start up the promotion,” Duprée remembered. “You might know the names Randy Macho Man Savage and the Genius Lanny Poffo. Their father was Angelo Poffo who became the Carpetbagger (a masked wrestler).
“The Village People came out with the song ‘Macho Man’ in February of 1978, and by the summer of 1978 it reached the Top 25 in the Top 100 Billboard. That’s wrestling you take whatever is in the culture, whatever is hot in the mainstream media, and you use it. ‘Macho Man’ was a very popular song and Randy Savage is just Randy Savage. My father said ‘we should start calling you The Macho Man’ and the rest is history.”
Duprée has recently been working for Japanese promotions and is a multiple time champion overseas including in Pro Wrestling Noah and All Japan Pro Wrestling.
He said working in Japan is a great way to learn about wrestling.
“I’ve done multiple tours in Japan, I lived there for three years. I married a Japanese woman and there is talks of me going back to do something really big with a major promotion in Japan,” he said.
“There’s a reason why the Japanese are leaders in the automotive industry, technological industry, gaming Industries video games. Let’s just say if it’s made in Japan you’re getting quality.”
Duprée encouraged everyone to come out to the show on Feb. 24.
The card will include Dupree facing Bobby Sharp, Shawn Martens against “Crude Oil” Cody Mac, “The Real Deal” James Roth against Ronnie Attitude, a CWE Championship Match between “Chizzled” Chad Daniels and “The Zombie Killer” Mentallo and a steel cage match main event for the CWE Central Canadian Championship featuring CAM!!ikaze against former Champion “Hotshot” Danny Duggan.
The Meet and Greet is at 6 p.m., doors open at 6:30 p.m. and bell time is 7 p.m. at Plaza 88. Advance Tickets Available at: Colette Portamedic Services or purchase tickets online at cwetickets.com.
“I’m glad that I have the chance to be in Prince Albert, I hope you can be there,” Duprée said. “I mean. It’s can’t miss, February 24, 7 p.m. bell time, I will be there and it’s going to be a fabulous show.”
michael.oleksyn@paherald.sk.ca
