ESTEVAN — Before the doors opened at the Royal Canadian Legion in Estevan, a crowd began to form, eager to get inside for the Canadian Wrestling Elite show held on Feb. 19.
The event was set to begin at 7 p.m., but by 6:30 p.m., the venue was filled with over 150 fans, and latecomers were left standing.
Upon entering, a merchandise table was set up, and farther inside, a table with photos of the wrestlers was available. Each wrestler stood behind their section, talking to fans while they purchased autographed photos.
Former WWE superstar Rene Dupree was sitting at the last table to welcome fans.
Dupree joined WWE at age 18 and believes he still holds the record for being the youngest person to be hired, debuting at age 19. He stayed with WWE for five to six years before pursuing independent wrestling. He has wrestled all over the world, including many years in Japan and the UK. Now, he’s part of the 15-day CWE tour, Rage in a Cage.
Dupree was impressed with the group of wrestlers and praised Hot Shot Danny Duggan for his passion for wrestling, excellent event organization, and professionalism.
“I wish I could have the calm that Danny has,” said Dupree. “He just keeps it all together.”
This was Dupree’s first time in Saskatchewan, and Danny had told him the weather was great, but it just so happened to be a wind chill of -40.
“The wrestling fans are great in Canada,” Dupree said.
The lights went down, the music played, and Ronny Attitude made it to the ring, followed shortly by Jackson Conway, the CWE Unified Junior Champion. Conway was the crowd's favorite, and he energized the audience. Despite Attitude's efforts, Conway emerged victorious.
Next up was The Lion Warrior Bobby, who had the crowd on his back after facing Crude Oil from Alberta. After a series of intense moves, Bobby's underhanded tactics helped him secure the win.
In a tag-team match, WWE superstar Rene Dupree and his partner Bull Bodnar easily defeated The Headline and Cannon Corporation with double teaming.
Chizzled Chad Daniels, the CWE Champion, was vocal throughout his match against Zombie Killer Mentallo. The two brought the action into the crowd, with Mentallo delivering loud chest slaps to Daniels. Daniels won the match.
As the match ended, Dupree sang “Happy Birthday” to Brad, who was also the 50/50 winner.
The steel cage was then installed. Made of steel posts and chain-link fencing with one gate, it was ready for the final match.
Hot Shot Danny Duggan entered carrying his American flag, declaring that Canada would become the 51st state. The crowd erupted in boos.
Things changed when crowd favorite Cam!!ikaze came out carrying the CWE Central Canadian Championship. The crowd chanted “Canada,” sending Duggan into a tailspin.
Cam!!ikaze landed a big boot to the head and an atomic knee drop off the ropes, securing the win.
The wrestlers are passionate about their craft, and they love the way the crowd gets into the show. They look forward to returning to the area in the future.
