A year after
staging its first professional wrestling card, the Orléans
Wrestling Alliance, or OWA, returned to the Navan Memorial
Arena on December 17 to crown its inaugural heavyweight
champion.
Over 150
wrestling fans packed the second floor of the arena for
a card that included eight action-packed matches. Among
the featured wrestlers were hometown heroes Magic Mario
Bryant and Lance Law, who both hail from Orléans.
Magic Mario,
whose real name is Rich Leron, made it to the championship
match where he fought The Immaculate Ray St. Jean for the
championship belt.
Despite being the
runaway crowd favourite, Mario was the victim of shenanigans
and skullduggery perpetrated by the immaculate one who ultimately
won the match and left the ring with the belt around his waist.
The co-main event
pitted hometown hero Lance Law against his arch rival Michael
"MVP� Van Payton in a street fight match. The no-holds-barred
donnybrook spilled out of the ring and into the audience soon
after they rang the opening bell.
Once outside the
confines of the squared circle, the antagonists used whatever
items they had at their disposal, including garbage cans,
tables, condiments and a few chairs, as members of the audience
cheered them on.
The match was an
entertaining exhibition provided by a pair of pro-wrestling
veterans. In the end it was Law who emerged as the top cop
after power-bombing MVP through a door panel laid across a
pair of chairs and pinning him for the 1-2-3 count as the
audience went wild.
After the match,
Law � whose real name is Denis Racine � spent close to 30
minutes signing autographs and posing for photos with his
fans.
Besides appearing
on the card, Leron and Racine are partners in crime as the
co-promoters of the OWA.
By day, Racine
is a mild-mannered special constable with OC Transpo. He first
started wrestling when he just 20. After taking a break to
focus on his family and work, he got into the sport entertainment
business again last year and teamed up with Leron to promote
their first show.
"We are character-based
entertainment,� says Racine, "and through our characters we
want to bring old school fun, family friendly character-based
professional wrestling to Orléans.�
Everyone who was
at the show on Sunday night left the Navan Arena with a smile
on their face and a deep desire to see the next card including
10-year-old Mikael Lampron who happens to be a huge Lance
Law fan.
"I really
liked it a lot. The street fight was my favourite,� said Lampron.
Racine says the
organization plans to stage a number of events in 2019.
"We want to move
around and get into some festivals. I want to do a show in
Blackburn Hamlet. I want to do a show near Centrum. I want
to even maybe do a show at Ribfest. Why not enjoy some ribs
have a beer and watch the Orléans Wrestling Alliance?�
Why not indeed.
(This story
was made possible thanks to the generous support of our local
business partners.)
CANADA DAY AT THE LEGION – Canadian Legion Branch 632 on Taylor Creek Road will be hosting a fun-filled day of family-friendly activities with music and food starting at 11 am. FREE FOR EVERYONE 
ORLEANS FARMERS MARKET every Thursday from 11 am to 4 pm in the parking lot at the Ray Friel Recreation Centre on Tenth Line Road. Shop the freshest seasonal produce, meat and dairy, baked goods, prepared foods, crafts and more while getting to know the folks who grew and made it.
CUMBERLAND FARMERS MARKET from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the R.J. Kennedy Arena in Cumberland Village with 85 local farmers and vendors ready to showcase their freshest produce, handmade goods, and unique finds! FREE ADMISSION 
STRAY DOG BREWING COMPANY presents Crroked Creek live and in concert in their taproom. From Montreal, Crooked Creek effortlessly blends bluegrass and country music genres. Tickets $15 available at 
