Pro-wrestling is pile-driving into Kamloops on Nov. 15 as the BC-based promotion, Thrash Wrestling, returns to Moccasin Square Garden for its new event, Dazed and Contused.
Thrash owner Nick Szalanski said the card should be exciting, but he has yet to determine the main event. He is currently considering two different match-ups.
The local favourite Kamloops-based wrestler Justin Cider and his tag partner Charlie Joseph are set to take on the duo of Dave Rishi and Parm Mann, while the Hillbilly Hounddog, Drayco, will go one-on-one with bodybuilder Cyborg D’Arcy in what are expected to be hard-hitting bouts.
“We’ve got wrestlers from Vernon, Kelowna and Vancouver coming down. We’ve got a mixture of BC residents coming in from all angles,” Szalanski said.
Two women square off when Szalanski’s wife, billed as Vixen Jade, wrestles Magnum Mel. Former mixed martial artist Chase Degenhardt is also scheduled to go at it with Big Rig Jimmy Mitchell, among other matches on the card.
Ticket sales are not final yet, but Szalanski said he’s expecting 100-200 fans based on past Kamloops turnouts. Doors open at 6:00 p.m., and the event starts at 7:00 p.m.
According to Szalanski, Thrash is one of the most active independent wrestling organizations in the province. Typically, they host shows in any town between Kamloops and Osoyoos.
“Last year, I ran about 33 shows. This year, it might be a little more,” Szalanski said. “I run anywhere from one to five shows a month… Wrestling’s healthy in BC. Vancouver has its own scene, and lots of shows go out there. They all seem to be well-attended.”
Posters and the name of this specific event were inspired by the 1993 Matthew McConaughey film titled Dazed and Confused, which was an idea Szalanski got from a friend long ago.
“We’ve been doing this for so long, probably in 2005 or 2006, we named an event Dazed and Contused,” Szalanski said. “I figured enough time had gone by that I could just use the name again… It kind of fits for a wrestling show in any city.”
This marks the first time the organization has hosted an event in the city since May of this year when Refined Chaos came to the Moccasin Square Garden. Last year, Thrash even held a show at TRU inside the CAC’s Grand Hall.
Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at Legends Used Books and the Desert Hemp Hut for $25 or $30 at the door on Nov. 15.