Post by CW .org .info .net on Mar 29, 2023 13:41:23 GMT -6
2000
WINDY CITY WRESTLERS WAGE A BATTLE FOR THE BELTS
by Tom Lounges
WRESTLING has been called ...the sport of kings! It's also been called
a sham and a sideshow!
Regardless of which your personal take on the subject may be - "sport"
or "entertainment" - there is no denying that professional wrestling is doing
really big numbers these days as it continues to rack up fans of all ages.
Decked out in a black leather vest, combat boots and dark glasses, the
boisterous Ritchard T. Sin is sitting in my office. The buttons on his vest
almost burst as he throws his shoulders back and puffs out his barrel chest
to decry my attempt to snag a quote about professional wrestling being a
pre-planned spectacle.
RITCHARD T. SIN, the region rocker turned wrestling manager, gave Midwest
Beat Magazine the low down on the smack down being held May 20 at the Hammond
Civic Center:
"Don't try to push me into a corner during this interview Lounges," he
sternly warns with a finger pointing in my face. "I'm not here to pull the
back curtain and expose some kind of wizard and feed your misconceptions.
You can think what you want and I don't care. If you think that the world of
professional wrestling is all fake and farce, than I challenge you to step
into the ring and see how you feel the next day...if there is a next day for
you!"
Ouch! There I was squared-off with an outspoken, goatee-sporting,
ring-rumbling malcontent who eschews any labeling of his profession as
"sports entertainment". "To us it is still a fight because we are putting
the punches in there and beating the heck out of each other," he defends.
"You won't catch me of anyone from WCPW using the term 'sports entertainment'
and I hope you don't refer to us as that in your article either."
During the course of our interview, Sin often pounds my helpless desk and
slams his clenched fist into his open palm to emphasize his points, as he
prattles on about how his current managerial charge, The Polish Crippler,
will be smashing and thrashing anyone who comes to within an arm's length of
him.
Sin - the dark and slightly eccentric alter-ego of the more passive and
kinder Dave Richardson - is to say the least, very keyed-up about the
impending "Battle of the Belts 2000" being presented by Windy City
Professional Wrestling (WCPW) on May 20 at the Hammond Civic Center. Bell
time is 6:30 p.m.
WAGING A ROYAL BATTLE...
"We're gonna romp and stomp all over the place," he says with eyes
flashing. "We're gonna have an unprecedented 120 man 'Battle Royal' at the
end of the night. There will be 120 men slamming it down in three rings in
what will be the biggest and grandest 'Battle Royal' that has ever been
presented in wrestling history to my knowledge."
For those of you unfamiliar with ringside terminology - "Battle Royal"
- means a collective group of brawlers fighting to the last man. "In a nut
shell, the Battle Royal is where we will put 120 guys of all ranks and sizes
into three rings at one time with all three rings going on simultaneously. We
let them all beat the holy heck out of each other until only one guy is left
in each ring," explained Sin. "It's an elimination contest, you fight it out
until you are tossed out of the ring. Once you are tossed out of the ring
you are eliminated from the competition. Then, those three finalists from
each of the rings will get together and slam it down until only one is left
standing..."
Whereas past 'Battle Royal' events topped off at 60 men, this one is
doubling that figure. "You want to know why? 'Why?' You have to ask?
Because we want to create a grand spectacle for wrestling fans here in the
region. We want to show how WCPW can pull off something that no one has ever
done before," said Sin, shooting me a look of disdain at my apparent
ignorance.
Even though he contains himself to mostly outside of the ring work in
management these days - Sin exclusively handles WCPW Heavyweight Champion The
Polish Crippler and the WCPW Bare Knuckles champion Xtreme - he plans to be
one of those 120 guys stepping into the ring on May 20. "It's the biggest
and baddest Battle Royal ever, man...how could Ritchard T. Sin not be in
there in the thick of it all, kicking some butt and showing these new kids
what a real wrestler is all about," he proclaimed.
POUNCING WITHOUT PROFANITY...
Sin may live large, talk loud and embrace the boastful badass public
image that has come to epitomize professional wrestlers since the glorious
days when Dick The Bruiser, Farmer Brown and Dr. X thrilled us in the 1960s,
as his incessant motormouth bravado spills forth it is devoid of the
profanities so common in today's wrestler world. When asked about this, he
smiles.
"Stone Cold Steve Austin made the cursing and spiting and stuff like that
popular and it's just gotten out of hand I think," said Sin. "It's gotten to
the point where of parents have to wonder if they should let their kids watch
wrestling because that stuff. At WCPW what we try to offer is all the
entertainment, all glitz and all the glory, but without the foul-mouthed
aspects. We are very old-school in that way. I grew up watching wrestling on
television with my dad, you grew up watching wrestling on television with
your dad, and kids today are growing up watching wrestling... We watch our
mouths and what we do because we know there are little kids watching us.
Using the 'F-word', grabbing your crotch, spitting on people and giving the
finger doesn't make you more of a man and it certainly doesn't make you a
better wrestler..."
A lack of profanity does not mean a duller show. "We're not choir boys,"
laughs Sin. "We still have a very sexy show with our valets who escort the
wrestlers to the ring and our Windy City Gems (card girls) walking around
looking gorgeous. We get loud and walk proud and there's a lot of violence
in the ring naturally. We just respect the fact that there are young people
in the audience who do not need to hear all the cursing and vulgarities..."
PLAYING DRESS UP...
While the reason for the recent rise in popularity for professional
wrestling remains a mystery to many, Sin believes it is the overt carnival
atmosphere and the fantastical imagery that wrestling has taken on in recent
years. He feels that it is because pro wrestlers have taken on an almost
'superhero' stature and appeal for people.
"Look at wrestling. It's a bunch of guys and girls who dress up in these
outrageous costumes, who paint their faces, and who seem to live this really
colorful, superhuman existence," he said. "We're like a comic book that you
don't have to read. For a lot of people it's kind of like playing dress up,
they are living vicariously through the wrestlers. We are like living and
breathing comic book superheroes. Most sports, while fun to play, are really
pretty dull to sit and watch. Wrestling is fun to watch, because it's a
spectacle. Wrestlers are Kiss of the sports world..."
THE BELT EVENTS...
Aside from the crowning 120 man Battle Royal, there will be many
other events on the card that day.
It's called the "Battle of the Belts" because there are title matches for
all the divisions that day as the reigning WCPW champions have to defend
their titles in the ring.
Ladies Wrestling Champion Crystal will compete; as will Heavyweight
Champion The Polish Crippler, Middleweight Champion Stone Manson (of The
Brotherhood tag team), Lightweight Champion Nick Brunswick, and Tag-Team
Champions, The Furies (who borrow their schtick from the fictional gang in
the cult-classic film, "The Warriors").
Sin was not sure at the time of our interview who would be challenging
the reigning champs, but he assured me that each will have to square off
against an opponent who is hungry and ready to win. "Getting the belt is
every wrestler's dream, so naturally, the opponents will have been working
and training hard all year for their shot to claim it," said Sin.
One of Sin's personal favorites on any wrestling card are the midget
matches. "We don't call them 'little people' or any of that politically
correct stuff," he mused. "We call 'em midgets and we'll have midgets on the
card wrestling on May 20."
A special guest on May 20 will be Road Warrior Hawk, of the infamous
AWA tag-team, The Road Warriors (who used to enter the ring to the strains of
Black Sabbath's "Iron Man" and who are credited as being the first tag team
to ever paint their faces). "Hawk will be stepping into the ring and that's
something to see," said Sin. "Hawk rocks!"
THE WCPW ORIGINS...
" Battle of the Belts 2000" is the thirteenth such annual event for WCPW,
an organization that has grown in leaps and bounds since being founded by
former pro wrestler, Sam DeCero, who once slammed the canvas as part of the
Max Brothers tag-team for the Midwest-based American Wrestling Association
(AWA), the same federation that spawned the likes of Terry "Hulk" Hogan, Dick
The Bruiser and Bob Luce.
"Sam is the CEO of our organization," said Sin. "Sam is an old-school
wrestler who really loves the sport. When he left the ring because of a back
injury, he didn't want to let it go. He wanted to stay in the sport of kings,
so in 1988, Sam formed his own independent promotion company and school -
Windy City Professional Wrestling."
Sin likens the regionally-based WCPW as being "a farm team" for
professional wrestling. "It's a great place where young, talented wrestlers
can really learn their chops and move up the ranks," he said. Among those
who began their careers at WCPW and have gone on to bigger events are the
infamous Texas Hangmen, who now tour the world. Paul E. Hemen, the savvy
promoter who founded and now owns the popular Philly-based bloodfest known as
Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), began his career as Paul E.
Dangerously, then a manager with WCPW.
MORE THAN A "COOKED-UP" PERSONA...
Sin is a shining example of how an everyday Joe can move up the ranks
quickly. In only a few years, this now thirty-something Hoosier harbinger of
harm, went from being a curious onlooker and fan to managing some of the top
talents in the trade. He also hosts his own weekly television wrestling progr
am (but more on that later) and frequently does ringside color commentary a
la Howard Cosell. "Wrestling has opened a lot of doors for me personally,"
he said. "I never in a million years thought I would be on television
hosting a show..."
On most days, from 9 to 5, Dave Richardson creates a variety of edible
art masterpieces as a professional chef, a trade he has plied for years. But
once he leaves the kitchen and once he steps into the grievous persona of
Ritchard T. Sin, the Hammond native easily transforms from someone who
gingerly breaks eggs and folds ingredients to someone who venomously breaks
heads with folding chairs.
" Ritchard T. Sin is very much an extension of who I am," he explained.
"Yes, it is kind of a role in a sense, but it is not so much a made-up
character as it is my dark side being allowed to emerge. It's not an evil
side, but it is a dark side of who I am. Each and everyone of us have a dark
side, but we all don't have the opportunity to let it come out publically like
I do."
Richardson's ominous alter-ego first slinked his way into the public eye
in the early 1980s, when the (then) college student formed the punk/metal
band, The Gruesomes. Richardson played off of his real surname to create
the Ritchard T. Sin moniker for his newly forged punk persona.
Wild and unpredictable as he churned to the slamming power chords and
thundering drums of his band, Sin would stalk stages and taunt his audiences
with verbal assaults. As he would berate them and chide them for being a
flock of mindless sheep who bleated in accordance to society's whims and Big
Brother's wishes, more often than not, Sin would raise the ire of those in
his audience to nearly fighting levels.
"Sin has stepped up to the next level with WCPW," said Richardson
speaking of himself in the third person. "Now, he gets to be physical as
well as verbal and it's a whole new dimension."
After The Gruesomes disbanded in 1996 (they reformed only last month and
have announced their intent to return to live performing and recording),
Richardson/Sin was bored and looking for some kind of motivation for his
creative juices. "I have always been a wrestling fan and I saw an ad on
television one day while watching Windy City Wrestling," he said. "It was
about the school that Sam (DeCero) has for wrestling. My buddy Milo told me
that he thought I'd be a good wrestler and that I should try it."
He passed on the idea, until a few months later, when he saw the ad
again. "This time I decided to give it a shot," he said. "The funny thing
is, a few weeks earlier I had purchased those Tony Robbins motivational tapes
from one of those infomercials and I'd been listening to them. Then I saw
that ad for the school again was motivated to make the call."
The first step was attending WCPW's 'Pro Wrestling Fantasy Camp.' "There,
you learn to run the ropes, you do wrestling drills and you get to really
experience first hand what professional wrestling is all about. It's really a
fun and eye-opening thing to do," said Sin, "but it is quite a workout!"
Cost for a weekend visit to the grueling fantasy camp is $200. Sin says
many who attend the camp discover that wrestling is in their blood and stay
to train with the WCPW. "That's what happened with me," he said. "I tried
it and I loved it! I loved the challenge it offered me."
GETTING COLORFUL...
Ritchard T. Sin spent only a short time in the ring before deciding that
managing was something he wanted to do. "I still wrestle, but I really like
doing the management and I'm damn good at it," he crows. "I handle two of
the current champions - The Polish Crippler and Xtreme - so I must be doing
something right."
A year ago, Sin parlayed his experience as a stage performer into a gig
as co-host for "Sports Entertainment Live", a live weekly AT&T cable program
that originates in suburban Hickory Hills and is broadcast at 7 p.m. every
Wednesday night throughout Cook County, Illinois on Channel 4.
Taped delayed versions of the show are broadcast at various times in
various areas of Illinois and N.W. Indiana. Dupage County, Illinois gets the
show on Thursdays and Fridays at 6 p.m. on Channel 4, South Side suburban
communities wired to AT&T in Oak Lawn get it Wednesdays at 5 p.m. on Channel
43 and Orland Park gets it at the same time, except on Channel 4, South Side
communities wired to AT&T in Dolton get the show on Thursdays at 9 p.m., and
Hoosiers across the state line can catch the show every Saturday at 7 p.m.
via AT&T of Lake County on Channel 3.
Sin landed the job after meeting up with the show's producer, Rashad
Darwish, at some WCPW matches where Darwish guested doing some play by play
announcing. The two men hit it off and now co-host the second half of "Sport
Entertainment Live" each week. The first half of the hour-long show covers
general sports and the second half is dedicated solely to wrestling.
To see the best professional wrestling the Midwest has to offer, one need
only to point their vehicle toward the Hammond Civic Center (5825 Sohl St.)
on May 20 for the "Battle of the Belts". WCPW will also be doing matches at
Balmoral Race Track (26435 Dixie Hwy.) in Crete, Illinois on May 26, 27 and
28.
For information on either wrestling event or for more details on either
the WCPW Fantasy Camp or the WCPC Wrestling School, call the WCPC 24-Hour
Hotline @ (312) 490-WCPW or the WCPW Training Center at (773) 978-7317.
WINDY CITY WRESTLERS WAGE A BATTLE FOR THE BELTS
by Tom Lounges
WRESTLING has been called ...the sport of kings! It's also been called
a sham and a sideshow!
Regardless of which your personal take on the subject may be - "sport"
or "entertainment" - there is no denying that professional wrestling is doing
really big numbers these days as it continues to rack up fans of all ages.
Decked out in a black leather vest, combat boots and dark glasses, the
boisterous Ritchard T. Sin is sitting in my office. The buttons on his vest
almost burst as he throws his shoulders back and puffs out his barrel chest
to decry my attempt to snag a quote about professional wrestling being a
pre-planned spectacle.
RITCHARD T. SIN, the region rocker turned wrestling manager, gave Midwest
Beat Magazine the low down on the smack down being held May 20 at the Hammond
Civic Center:
"Don't try to push me into a corner during this interview Lounges," he
sternly warns with a finger pointing in my face. "I'm not here to pull the
back curtain and expose some kind of wizard and feed your misconceptions.
You can think what you want and I don't care. If you think that the world of
professional wrestling is all fake and farce, than I challenge you to step
into the ring and see how you feel the next day...if there is a next day for
you!"
Ouch! There I was squared-off with an outspoken, goatee-sporting,
ring-rumbling malcontent who eschews any labeling of his profession as
"sports entertainment". "To us it is still a fight because we are putting
the punches in there and beating the heck out of each other," he defends.
"You won't catch me of anyone from WCPW using the term 'sports entertainment'
and I hope you don't refer to us as that in your article either."
During the course of our interview, Sin often pounds my helpless desk and
slams his clenched fist into his open palm to emphasize his points, as he
prattles on about how his current managerial charge, The Polish Crippler,
will be smashing and thrashing anyone who comes to within an arm's length of
him.
Sin - the dark and slightly eccentric alter-ego of the more passive and
kinder Dave Richardson - is to say the least, very keyed-up about the
impending "Battle of the Belts 2000" being presented by Windy City
Professional Wrestling (WCPW) on May 20 at the Hammond Civic Center. Bell
time is 6:30 p.m.
WAGING A ROYAL BATTLE...
"We're gonna romp and stomp all over the place," he says with eyes
flashing. "We're gonna have an unprecedented 120 man 'Battle Royal' at the
end of the night. There will be 120 men slamming it down in three rings in
what will be the biggest and grandest 'Battle Royal' that has ever been
presented in wrestling history to my knowledge."
For those of you unfamiliar with ringside terminology - "Battle Royal"
- means a collective group of brawlers fighting to the last man. "In a nut
shell, the Battle Royal is where we will put 120 guys of all ranks and sizes
into three rings at one time with all three rings going on simultaneously. We
let them all beat the holy heck out of each other until only one guy is left
in each ring," explained Sin. "It's an elimination contest, you fight it out
until you are tossed out of the ring. Once you are tossed out of the ring
you are eliminated from the competition. Then, those three finalists from
each of the rings will get together and slam it down until only one is left
standing..."
Whereas past 'Battle Royal' events topped off at 60 men, this one is
doubling that figure. "You want to know why? 'Why?' You have to ask?
Because we want to create a grand spectacle for wrestling fans here in the
region. We want to show how WCPW can pull off something that no one has ever
done before," said Sin, shooting me a look of disdain at my apparent
ignorance.
Even though he contains himself to mostly outside of the ring work in
management these days - Sin exclusively handles WCPW Heavyweight Champion The
Polish Crippler and the WCPW Bare Knuckles champion Xtreme - he plans to be
one of those 120 guys stepping into the ring on May 20. "It's the biggest
and baddest Battle Royal ever, man...how could Ritchard T. Sin not be in
there in the thick of it all, kicking some butt and showing these new kids
what a real wrestler is all about," he proclaimed.
POUNCING WITHOUT PROFANITY...
Sin may live large, talk loud and embrace the boastful badass public
image that has come to epitomize professional wrestlers since the glorious
days when Dick The Bruiser, Farmer Brown and Dr. X thrilled us in the 1960s,
as his incessant motormouth bravado spills forth it is devoid of the
profanities so common in today's wrestler world. When asked about this, he
smiles.
"Stone Cold Steve Austin made the cursing and spiting and stuff like that
popular and it's just gotten out of hand I think," said Sin. "It's gotten to
the point where of parents have to wonder if they should let their kids watch
wrestling because that stuff. At WCPW what we try to offer is all the
entertainment, all glitz and all the glory, but without the foul-mouthed
aspects. We are very old-school in that way. I grew up watching wrestling on
television with my dad, you grew up watching wrestling on television with
your dad, and kids today are growing up watching wrestling... We watch our
mouths and what we do because we know there are little kids watching us.
Using the 'F-word', grabbing your crotch, spitting on people and giving the
finger doesn't make you more of a man and it certainly doesn't make you a
better wrestler..."
A lack of profanity does not mean a duller show. "We're not choir boys,"
laughs Sin. "We still have a very sexy show with our valets who escort the
wrestlers to the ring and our Windy City Gems (card girls) walking around
looking gorgeous. We get loud and walk proud and there's a lot of violence
in the ring naturally. We just respect the fact that there are young people
in the audience who do not need to hear all the cursing and vulgarities..."
PLAYING DRESS UP...
While the reason for the recent rise in popularity for professional
wrestling remains a mystery to many, Sin believes it is the overt carnival
atmosphere and the fantastical imagery that wrestling has taken on in recent
years. He feels that it is because pro wrestlers have taken on an almost
'superhero' stature and appeal for people.
"Look at wrestling. It's a bunch of guys and girls who dress up in these
outrageous costumes, who paint their faces, and who seem to live this really
colorful, superhuman existence," he said. "We're like a comic book that you
don't have to read. For a lot of people it's kind of like playing dress up,
they are living vicariously through the wrestlers. We are like living and
breathing comic book superheroes. Most sports, while fun to play, are really
pretty dull to sit and watch. Wrestling is fun to watch, because it's a
spectacle. Wrestlers are Kiss of the sports world..."
THE BELT EVENTS...
Aside from the crowning 120 man Battle Royal, there will be many
other events on the card that day.
It's called the "Battle of the Belts" because there are title matches for
all the divisions that day as the reigning WCPW champions have to defend
their titles in the ring.
Ladies Wrestling Champion Crystal will compete; as will Heavyweight
Champion The Polish Crippler, Middleweight Champion Stone Manson (of The
Brotherhood tag team), Lightweight Champion Nick Brunswick, and Tag-Team
Champions, The Furies (who borrow their schtick from the fictional gang in
the cult-classic film, "The Warriors").
Sin was not sure at the time of our interview who would be challenging
the reigning champs, but he assured me that each will have to square off
against an opponent who is hungry and ready to win. "Getting the belt is
every wrestler's dream, so naturally, the opponents will have been working
and training hard all year for their shot to claim it," said Sin.
One of Sin's personal favorites on any wrestling card are the midget
matches. "We don't call them 'little people' or any of that politically
correct stuff," he mused. "We call 'em midgets and we'll have midgets on the
card wrestling on May 20."
A special guest on May 20 will be Road Warrior Hawk, of the infamous
AWA tag-team, The Road Warriors (who used to enter the ring to the strains of
Black Sabbath's "Iron Man" and who are credited as being the first tag team
to ever paint their faces). "Hawk will be stepping into the ring and that's
something to see," said Sin. "Hawk rocks!"
THE WCPW ORIGINS...
" Battle of the Belts 2000" is the thirteenth such annual event for WCPW,
an organization that has grown in leaps and bounds since being founded by
former pro wrestler, Sam DeCero, who once slammed the canvas as part of the
Max Brothers tag-team for the Midwest-based American Wrestling Association
(AWA), the same federation that spawned the likes of Terry "Hulk" Hogan, Dick
The Bruiser and Bob Luce.
"Sam is the CEO of our organization," said Sin. "Sam is an old-school
wrestler who really loves the sport. When he left the ring because of a back
injury, he didn't want to let it go. He wanted to stay in the sport of kings,
so in 1988, Sam formed his own independent promotion company and school -
Windy City Professional Wrestling."
Sin likens the regionally-based WCPW as being "a farm team" for
professional wrestling. "It's a great place where young, talented wrestlers
can really learn their chops and move up the ranks," he said. Among those
who began their careers at WCPW and have gone on to bigger events are the
infamous Texas Hangmen, who now tour the world. Paul E. Hemen, the savvy
promoter who founded and now owns the popular Philly-based bloodfest known as
Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), began his career as Paul E.
Dangerously, then a manager with WCPW.
MORE THAN A "COOKED-UP" PERSONA...
Sin is a shining example of how an everyday Joe can move up the ranks
quickly. In only a few years, this now thirty-something Hoosier harbinger of
harm, went from being a curious onlooker and fan to managing some of the top
talents in the trade. He also hosts his own weekly television wrestling progr
am (but more on that later) and frequently does ringside color commentary a
la Howard Cosell. "Wrestling has opened a lot of doors for me personally,"
he said. "I never in a million years thought I would be on television
hosting a show..."
On most days, from 9 to 5, Dave Richardson creates a variety of edible
art masterpieces as a professional chef, a trade he has plied for years. But
once he leaves the kitchen and once he steps into the grievous persona of
Ritchard T. Sin, the Hammond native easily transforms from someone who
gingerly breaks eggs and folds ingredients to someone who venomously breaks
heads with folding chairs.
" Ritchard T. Sin is very much an extension of who I am," he explained.
"Yes, it is kind of a role in a sense, but it is not so much a made-up
character as it is my dark side being allowed to emerge. It's not an evil
side, but it is a dark side of who I am. Each and everyone of us have a dark
side, but we all don't have the opportunity to let it come out publically like
I do."
Richardson's ominous alter-ego first slinked his way into the public eye
in the early 1980s, when the (then) college student formed the punk/metal
band, The Gruesomes. Richardson played off of his real surname to create
the Ritchard T. Sin moniker for his newly forged punk persona.
Wild and unpredictable as he churned to the slamming power chords and
thundering drums of his band, Sin would stalk stages and taunt his audiences
with verbal assaults. As he would berate them and chide them for being a
flock of mindless sheep who bleated in accordance to society's whims and Big
Brother's wishes, more often than not, Sin would raise the ire of those in
his audience to nearly fighting levels.
"Sin has stepped up to the next level with WCPW," said Richardson
speaking of himself in the third person. "Now, he gets to be physical as
well as verbal and it's a whole new dimension."
After The Gruesomes disbanded in 1996 (they reformed only last month and
have announced their intent to return to live performing and recording),
Richardson/Sin was bored and looking for some kind of motivation for his
creative juices. "I have always been a wrestling fan and I saw an ad on
television one day while watching Windy City Wrestling," he said. "It was
about the school that Sam (DeCero) has for wrestling. My buddy Milo told me
that he thought I'd be a good wrestler and that I should try it."
He passed on the idea, until a few months later, when he saw the ad
again. "This time I decided to give it a shot," he said. "The funny thing
is, a few weeks earlier I had purchased those Tony Robbins motivational tapes
from one of those infomercials and I'd been listening to them. Then I saw
that ad for the school again was motivated to make the call."
The first step was attending WCPW's 'Pro Wrestling Fantasy Camp.' "There,
you learn to run the ropes, you do wrestling drills and you get to really
experience first hand what professional wrestling is all about. It's really a
fun and eye-opening thing to do," said Sin, "but it is quite a workout!"
Cost for a weekend visit to the grueling fantasy camp is $200. Sin says
many who attend the camp discover that wrestling is in their blood and stay
to train with the WCPW. "That's what happened with me," he said. "I tried
it and I loved it! I loved the challenge it offered me."
GETTING COLORFUL...
Ritchard T. Sin spent only a short time in the ring before deciding that
managing was something he wanted to do. "I still wrestle, but I really like
doing the management and I'm damn good at it," he crows. "I handle two of
the current champions - The Polish Crippler and Xtreme - so I must be doing
something right."
A year ago, Sin parlayed his experience as a stage performer into a gig
as co-host for "Sports Entertainment Live", a live weekly AT&T cable program
that originates in suburban Hickory Hills and is broadcast at 7 p.m. every
Wednesday night throughout Cook County, Illinois on Channel 4.
Taped delayed versions of the show are broadcast at various times in
various areas of Illinois and N.W. Indiana. Dupage County, Illinois gets the
show on Thursdays and Fridays at 6 p.m. on Channel 4, South Side suburban
communities wired to AT&T in Oak Lawn get it Wednesdays at 5 p.m. on Channel
43 and Orland Park gets it at the same time, except on Channel 4, South Side
communities wired to AT&T in Dolton get the show on Thursdays at 9 p.m., and
Hoosiers across the state line can catch the show every Saturday at 7 p.m.
via AT&T of Lake County on Channel 3.
Sin landed the job after meeting up with the show's producer, Rashad
Darwish, at some WCPW matches where Darwish guested doing some play by play
announcing. The two men hit it off and now co-host the second half of "Sport
Entertainment Live" each week. The first half of the hour-long show covers
general sports and the second half is dedicated solely to wrestling.
To see the best professional wrestling the Midwest has to offer, one need
only to point their vehicle toward the Hammond Civic Center (5825 Sohl St.)
on May 20 for the "Battle of the Belts". WCPW will also be doing matches at
Balmoral Race Track (26435 Dixie Hwy.) in Crete, Illinois on May 26, 27 and
28.
For information on either wrestling event or for more details on either
the WCPW Fantasy Camp or the WCPC Wrestling School, call the WCPC 24-Hour
Hotline @ (312) 490-WCPW or the WCPW Training Center at (773) 978-7317.