BEFORE he even arrives for the big fight, pro-wrestler Alex Titan has slapped Armidale with insults.
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ALEX TITAN Height: 195cm Weight: 120kg Special move: Pinfall three count
“Honestly the fact that these people live in Armidale is a pretty accurate representation of their intelligence,” he said.
“If they’re attracted to a hillbilly like themselves in the shape of Cowboy Chris Abbott [competitor] from these roundabout towns that nobody has ever heard of – then good luck to them.
“If they’ve got any semblance of intelligence they’ll know a superstar when they see one and they’ll be grateful for the fact that I put Armidale on the map.”
The wrestler joined IWA Pro Wrestling three years ago, and said that he made the sport famous.
“Using my face on the posters, now our shows are selling out,” he said.
“It’s an hourly occurrence that newspapers, radio and TV call me and ask why I’m the biggest star in Australian wrestling.
“Everyone wants to speak to Alex Titan, everyone wants to hear what the champion has to say.”
Watching wrestling for as long as he can remember, Titan said he’s the big bad wolf in the ring and rarely gets his comeuppance.
The attitudes, over-the-top characters and colour are what drew him to the sport.
His special move is the pinfall, where opponents have their shoulders pinned to the mat for three seconds or longer.
“Regardless of what move it takes to get that person down, I’m always known for getting the pinfall, the three count and win,” he said.
“I’m not scared of anything, the only thing I’m intimidated by is empty sheets.
“As soon as I step through that curtain a whole new world opens up and I am the judge, jury and executioner in that world.”
Before he heads into the ring, Titan said he prepares by going on a shopping spree.
For him, fashion and fighting go hand-in-hand.
“It’s all about the minute details,” he said.
“I like to look good, when I look good I feel good, and when I feel good I always win.
“Lycra isn’t my favourite material but I make it look so good.”
Titan said he has no time for sceptics who don’t believe the matches are real.
“It’s not about what’s real,” he said.
“It’s about entertaining and manipulating people’s emotions.
“The capacity for me to have a platform to manipulate the emotions of up to 2000 people, I take enjoyment in the ability to give people an escape from their dull and dreary lives.”
Competitor Cowboy Chris Abbott weighs in
TRUCK DRIVER by day, pro-wrestler by night, Cowboy Chris Abbott is headed back to the country for the IWA Pro Wrestling live show.
Growing up in Blainey, a small town in the Central West, the wrestler said his character is just an exaggeration of himself.
“I grew up in the country so it’s an adaption of my life – it’s not that different to me,” Cowboy Chris said.
“I wear the blue singlet, the jeans, the cowboy hat, the boots – just a brawler really because I used to love getting in a bit of a scuffle as a teenager in the pub.
“When I go back to country towns it’s so different – they’re like, ‘Yeah, he’s our boy, he’s from the country,’ it’s good.”
Inspired watching The Rock wrestle on television when he was ten-years-old, Cowboy Chris has been hooked on the sport ever since.
“It’s pretty exciting when you’re in it and everything seems to be lining up how it’s supposed to,” he said.
“You can hear the crowd go with you on the rollercoaster ride of the match.
“You really have to psych yourself up so that as soon as you go through that curtain you get a big adrenaline rush and the crowd gets into it.”
A former-football player, Cowboy Chris said he prepares for a match much like he would to get on the field for a game.
“I go through stretches, a warm up, really get ready,” he said.
“My special move is the eight second ride, that’s my finisher.
“I pick them up, hook over their head, twist, throw them back down on their head and that’s what I call the eight second ride.
“They can never hold on for the eight seconds.”
Training at the gym every afternoon and wrestling for three hours during the week and six hours on weekends – Cowboy Chris is dedicated to the sport.
For the sceptics that think pro-wrestling is fake, Cowboy Chris said he’d like to see them in the ring.
“It’s not fake, we know what’s going on with the guys in the ring and we know what the outcome is going to be,” he said.
“We know the story we want to tell but it changes every time you’re in there.
“When people say it’s fake I always want to say, well if I slammed you down on your back right now would it hurt?”
Cowboy Chris will be in the ring with other wrestlers at the Armidale Bowling Club on July 29.
For tickets visit iwawrestling.com.au