KIRKLAND LAKE - Wrestling stars are stepping into the ring for a good cause.
Rock Solid Wrestling, an Ontario-based professional wrestling company, is returning to Kirkland Lake on Aug. 24 at the Northern College gym for Shake The Lake: A Tribute To Raymond Contant event, with all proceeds going to Community Living Kirkland Lake.
“My uncle Raymond Contant was a client of Community Living for pretty much his entire adult life and he loved professional wrestling, so much so that he passed that down to me as a youngster. That was my first exposure to pro wrestling ... watching it with my uncle on Saturday mornings,” said Adam Contant, the event’s promoter.
“When I myself got involved in the professional wrestling business with Rock Solid Wrestling, I immediately wanted to come back to Kirkland Lake and I knew that the charity we wanted to partner with for that town was Community Living.”
Last year the event raised over $2,200 for Community Living. Although Contant said they don’t have a number in mind that they want to raise next month, he said they want to “smash” last year’s amount.
“I just want it to be bigger and better than it was last year in all aspects,” he said.
Lauri Lambert, Community Living Kirkland Lake's executive director, said the money raised from this year's event will go towards beautifying the outdoor area at their day program location.
"Last year’s money paid for flower boxes and other equipment for our gardening class and we would like to continue the theme with picnic tables and possibly a permanent gazebo to make a welcoming outdoor space for people to enjoy," she said.
"We think it's a great event and we are happy to have Rock Solid Wrestling back in Kirkland Lake."
The event will include many of Rock Solid Wrestling’s most popular stars like Canadian heavyweight champion Scotty the Body, Cody Deaner, Krystal Moon and The Ring Truck Crew.
“Scotty the Body has been with the company since day one. He’s incredibly popular with our fans. He’s a human comic book hero come to life with his face paint and his muscles upon muscles. He's been our champion now for almost a full year. As a matter of fact, he regained his championship at our Kirkland Lake event last year,” Contant said.
Moon is known as "The Misfit" for good reason, Contant said.
“She's definitely unorthodox but she is also one of our performers that makes a great connection with the crowd, especially young females in the audience. A lot of girls come up to us after our shows and say that they connect with Krystal and that they want to be like her when they grow up, which is really awesome to hear,” he said.
“Unfortunately, of my generation, there wasn't a lot of space made for young girls and women in the realm of professional wrestling as fans. So anytime we hear positive reinforcement coming from that segment of the audience, it's a point of pride.”
Tickets are $25 for floor seating and $20 for bleacher seating and will be available online at rocksolidwrestling.tickit.ca and in person in the coming weeks.
For more information on tickets and the wrestlers hitting the ring in Kirkland Lake, visit rocksolidpro.ca.
