Former ROH, WWE and TNA cruiserweight and multiple times champion Brian Kendrick is the headliner as Canadian Wrestling’s Elite (CWE) returns to Prince Albert and Plaza 88 on Thursday, Aug. 28.
This is Kendrick’s first tour with CWE and said the experience has been great so far.
“It’s only day three, but the crew is great and we’re here at the Lilac Resort (in St. Anne, Manitoba) and it’s beautiful,” Kendrick said. “Everybody’s spirits are still up so, so far, so good.”
Kendrick became a wrestler in the late 1990s when he found a wresting school in Texas. He also trained at the Shawn Michaels Wrestling Academy
“I started in 1998 just as the Internet was coming out and I was able to research wrestling schools,” he remembered. “I moved from a small town in Washington state down to Texas in order to pursue it and I’ve been chasing it ever since.”
Though his career has lasted several decades he remembers his time on the road most fondly.
“The wrestling stuff, those are different types of memories, like the matches,” he said. “What I actually spend my time remembering is the time travelling in between hanging out with the other wrestlers of the conversations we’ve had the trouble we’ve gotten into, that kind of stuff. That’s what I look back fondly on: the in between time spent with other wrestlers.”
In 2013, Kendrick founded his own professional wrestling promotion, called Brian Kendrick’s Wrestling Pro Wrestling, in Bell Gardens, California.
“It hasn’t run in a while because we lost our building, but I’ve been running a comedy promotion for a little over 10 years,” he explained.
He said that he loves running his own promotion.
“It’s tough, but it’s fun. The toughest part is finding venues, finding a place to run a show, getting the money to run a show. (It) can be quite expensive but I really enjoy it. It’s a creative outlet and that’s what I like about it.”
Kendrick has worked as a singles wrestler, tag wrestler, trainer and every possible position in professional wrestling. The 46-years old still has a youthful look.
“It helps being short,” he said.
Kendrick is known for his run as a tag team with Paul London which was born out of two wrestlers not getting much work. London and Kendrick were at one time the longest reigning WWE Tag Team Champions in 2006.
“I was on TV doing nothing. Paul was in developmental. We knew each other previously and so I reached out to him and pitched to the office. Him coming up and us doing the tag team, we did that for a while. I went back to Japan. He teamed up with Billy Kidman and then when I came back Paul and I teamed together” Kendrick said.
Kendrick said that his favourite character to play was “The Brian Kendrick”.
Despite traveling as a wrestler over many years he will be in Prince Albert for the first time.
“I’m going to see a lot of places I’ve never been to on this tour and I guess that’s what what’s the most exciting part about it for me,” he said.
In Prince Albert he will be in a Special Attraction Match teaming with CAM!!ikaze vs. CWE Champion “Chizzled” Chad Daniels and the “Lion Warrior” Bobby Sharp.
“I’ve been lucky,” Kendrick said. “I’ve been either teaming with or wrestling against, so far, the top competitors. They’ve all been great.”
Other matches on the card include a CWE 123Approved.ca Hardcore Championship Match with CWE Hardcore Champion “The Pissed Off Pitbull” Robby Royce against. “The
Headline” Shaun Martens, a Grudge Match between “Crude Oil” Cody Mac and “Hotshot” Danny Duggan and Edward Wild III against Ronnie Attitude.
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 are available at Colette Portamedic Services or online at cwetickets.com.
Kendrick is looking forward to his stops in Saskatchewan and throughout the country.
“I’m really excited to be here in Canada,” he said. “I’m excited to experience being here this amount of time and being outside of the major cities. That’s why I’m here and hopefully to do some good wrestling.”
michael.oleksyn@paherald.sk.ca
