The wrestling renaissance

Katrina Ebuenga, Staff Writer

From training in backyards on makeshift mats to structured ring stages, Alberta Arts Professional Wrestling (AAPW) facilitates a wild stage that spotlights local performers.

Anna Fuchshuber, founder and director of AAPW, creates an explosive atmosphere where athleticism and performing arts collide in a wrestling-inspired show.

While the organisation began as a satirical art project for an Alberta University of Arts (AUArts) class, it exceeded any expectations that Fuchshuber could have envisioned. 

The project flourished into a space that gave creative agency to wrestlers and performers, allowing them to test crazy stunts that might not be permitted on formal wrestling stages. 

“When we first started, it was just a bunch of artists getting together and thinking about what would be interesting and cool, and it was our interpretation of wrestling,” says Fuchshuber. 

In December of 2023, the first iteration of wrestling matches spurred a new avenue of excitement for the team involved. Relying on collaborative efforts from fellow AUArts students and friends, the match resulted in an experience that was both rewarding and unique.

“It was such a team effort, which I loved,” says Fuchshuber. “And then putting together a show and seeing all of these things that we tried so hard working on actually being performed in front of people was so cool.”

From the humble roots of learning how to properly body slam one another to putting on crowd-roaring performances, AAPW has grown into an organisation that now hosts crazed events at local bars like Whiskey Rose. 

Without much knowledge of wrestling at the beginning, the collaborative efforts of the AAPW team created something interesting, entertaining, and, above all, confidence-inspiring for the performers involved. Being able to see the fruition of the events is something that fills Fuchshuber with excitement.

“They [the wrestlers] go out and put on these absolute bangers, and you can just see their confidence oozing out of them. They transform into their characters, and they do the most amazing stunts and are superheroes out there,” says Fuchshuber.

Even individuals who are newer to the ring are seen performing shocking stunts, which is not unattainable, Fuchshuber explains—the high-adrenaline energy of the ring is unmatched.

Fuchshuber’s wrestling character, Bridgette Hearst “The Heiress”, has continued to develop over the years. From Eden Roadkill to Vicky Vicious, and now Bridgette Hearst, the alter persona holds nothing back, letting creative freedom reign supreme.

“When I am the good guy as Bridgette, I have had some really special moments from little girls coming up to me and being inspired,” says Fuchshuber.

Fuchshuber explains that at a previous show, she walked out from behind the curtain and into the ring hand-in-hand with one of her younger fans, creating a remarkable connection with the crowd.

It is both the excitement of these special moments and seeing the development of the organisation through collaborative efforts that is most rewarding to Fuchshuber. She expresses her gratitude to those who continue to show up and support the shows and local performers in the ring.

Now, taking part in the independent wrestling scene, Fuchshuber is able to further elevate her storytelling approach through the performance and athletic training she has gained on the scene.

“It’s a lot more on the fly and kind of touch and go, I guess, than it used to be. It used to be so perfectly orchestrated, but I think there are beautiful parts of both.”

The charm of these matches comes from the ability to react quickly and elicit a response from the crowd. Working together on an instantaneous level in the ring, performers produce unique experiences for the crowd through competitive cooperation.

“I think there’s beauty in not writing scripts and practising it for weeks,” says Fuchshuber. “But I think when you get to write scripts and practice them for weeks, there’s something special about being so specific about the story that you want to tell and making sure that that is the story being told.”

Within the wrestling landscape, AAPW has expanded to reach many wrestlers from across Canada. With a mix of seasoned wrestlers and some newer to the ring, the curated matches have evolved into experiences that capture a variety of different fighting styles.

Mainly active on the independent wrestling stage in Lethbridge, Alta., Shion Crook, known as Shogun Shion in the ring, says his love for wrestling has been integral since childhood.

While Crook grew up in the Calgary area, he often wrestles with his Hachimaki headband, placing an important emphasis on embracing his Japanese culture. 

As a former Canadian Judo Champion, he explains that his fighting style is a mixture of judo, martial arts, and heavyweight wrestling, with a side of sumo elements.

“Overall, I think that my character is very fun-loving, and I think that my overall gimmick is very fun, regardless of if I’m a good guy or a bad guy,” says Crook.

As the majority of his training is rooted in learning to fall properly with an emphasis on safety, judo and wrestling can be considered similar playing fields. Even so, Crook explains that the hardest part of his job is taking the physical beatings to the body.

Although the performance may appear fake and rehearsed, one misconception that circulates around wrestlers like Fachshuber and Crook is that the body slams are fake and nothing is painful. But, in reality, everything is quite difficult.

“I am doing all of those things that you see me doing [in the ring]. There’s no faking jumping off the top rope,” says Fuchshuber.

Since there is such athleticism and hard work put into the training to “throw your body around,” as Fuchshuber puts it, there is also equal trust with the opponent in the ring. Knowing you will be caught, and vice versa, is an element that needs to be reinforced.

The dedication and effort put into the shows reflect the true passion of wrestling from both the performers and the crowd.

“The women are fucking unreal, and so are the men. The men are very talented and unreal too, but the leaps and bounds that women’s wrestling has made in the past 10 years, is truly unbelievable,” says Fuchshuber. “I think there’s so much that women can see in wrestling and appreciate and get inspired by or feel connected to—it’s a beautiful soap opera.”

Although their annual Halloween event, AAPWEEN, featuring Shogun Shion and Bridgette Hearst, passed on Oct. 29 at Whiskey Rose, fans can still keep their eyes peeled for more over-the-top matches. 

Marking a period that Fuchshuber calls the “wrestling renaissance,” AAPW is far from done.