You can't hold down a champion.
Totally Arctic Wrestling displayed this warrior attitude last weekend as the four-man wrestling stable hosted a private gathering Sept. 26 and broadcast the battle on its Youtube channel.
With Covid-19 restrictions preventing the band of brothers from hosting a full-on show, they had to get creative in preparing and performing the show.
All four wrestlers became housemates for the duration of training and the show, ensuring they were within their safety bubble. Audience members were invited and all in the crowd maintained safe social distancing and wore masks. The ring was even sanitized between matches and afterwards.
"They were living with me and as far as I have seen we are not expected to socially distance from our roommates," explained Deztro the Eskimofo. "It was a private event we didn't charge entry so it wasn't public."
Photo courtesy Totally Arctic Wrestling
Two matches were held throughout the day, kicking off with the debut of two wrestlers, Nolarbear and Blu Wilder. Wilder had been with TAW since the beginning, but had to miss out on their opening show, Proving Ground, due to an injury.
In his no-holds-barred match with Nolarbear, Wilder made up for lost time as the pair threw each other around the ring, bashed each other with a dirty old board and leapt off the turnbuckles. The audience didn't have chairs but didn't need them as the two kept them on their feet screaming.
Photo courtesy Totally Arctic Wrestling
Ultimately, Wilder managed to counterattack Nolarbear while getting fed shots on a turnbuckle, to powerbomb him into a table, winning the right to be the number one contender to the first TAW champion, which was to be decided in the main card of the day — Deztro the Eskimofo versus Jarred Kalifornia.
Both having made their debut during TAW's initial show, the two grapplers had a lot to prove this time. Deztro continued to swear the title should be his by default because he put in the blood, sweat and tears, while Kalifornia continued to defy him with his poetic taunts and out-boxing style of combat.
Photo courtesy Totally Arctic Wrestling
Fans were treated to a bout of Bepsis, beatdowns and brutally illegal moves before the match was suddenly called off because Nolarbear entered the ring and joined the Eskimofo in pounding the babyface Kalifornia, meaning TAW fans will have to wait until the next show to find out who will be the first TAW Champion.
They may not have to wait for long, however. After the show, Deztro told Inuvik Drum he wanted to have a public show at the Midnight Sun Complex in time for Totally Arctic Wrestling's anniversary for all the fans who paid for the April show that had to be cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
"We realize that we owe our fans a show here and we will be giving it to them in November," he said. "We had a lot of people pre-pay for our April event. If they would like refunds we are definitely giving refunds but we are asking that people wait for November because we will put on a show.
"All the money we raised in April for pre-sales was used to pay for wrestler airfare
We have those flights held for undetermined date. We bought air miles and had to spend even more to re-book. All that money was spent and we spent even more to re book from our pocket."