Wrestling at the ‘Con
It’s no secret that the first Wizard World Comic Con expanded its focus beyond the world of comics, boasting an eclectic mix of pop culture for all attendees to indulge in—regardless of interests.
Attending this year’s Toronto Comic Con was a great number of artists, movie/television stars (some of which were reality “stars”), porn actors, video game PR folk, and wrestlers; oddly enough, the wrestling fit in much better than you’d assume…
Presented by GCW (Great Canadian Wrestling), both legendary and new faces walked the convention floors. In a designated area, GCW put on entertaining shows throughout the duration of Comic Con.
Of course, being a predominant part of Comic Con was no wasted opportunity for the GCW crew. To capture a new audience and make them cheering spectators, these shows contained major pop culture icons that made for some very entertaining moments—brought to levels of hilarity thanks to comedic colour commentary.
What exactly do I mean by this? Well, let’s take a gander at some of the matches that happened over the weekend:
- Zangief vs. Super Mario
- Punisher vs. Lex Luthor
- Kingpin vs. Spiderman
- Moral Kombat vs. Street Fighter Elimination Match
- Mr. Satan + Vegeta vs. Consequences Creed + Elmo
Keep in mind that, when you read those names, no—they are not mere monikers donned by the wrestlers for that specific match. When a wrestler took on the persona of a video game/movie/comic character, they took on their traits, special manoeuvres, and sayings.
Mario would finish off his opponents by jumping from the top rope with a punishing stomp and, when desperate, he would throw fireballs. If you’re not grinning as you imagine that, picture wrestling legend The Iron Sheik sitting at ringside, passionately shouting how Mario is “the future of wrestling.”
The most memorable match from the weekend had to have been the epic battle between independent wrestler Hornet (accompanied to the ring by Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka) and TNA superstar Consequences Creed. The two struggled through the bout in a glorious display that left the audience on their feet.
It was days filled with laughter, nostalgia, and geeky references. What more could you want to liven up the mundane experience of walking through aisles upon aisles of comic books?
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GCW have been putting on family-friendly shows in Ontario since 2005. (March 25th saw them celebrate their 100th show!) They run a monthly event in Oshawa, Ontario, at the Legion. Be sure to check out their website, and follow them on Twitter for more information.
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Special thanks goes out to Jen Grantham who attended Comic Con with us and took some amazing shots. [Editor's note: She's also our newest (and cutest) staff member!]
