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Fans Get Up-Close IWC Experience

Posted: Jan 22nd 2009 By: CMBurnham

Of all the millions of boys who grow up jumping on their beds and dreaming of becoming a professional wrestler, only a few actually do it. There are a lot of good reasons for that -- it requires a ridiculous amount of dedication, endurance, athleticism and an arena-sized personality. Plus, it hurts. A lot.

But for the few who choose that path, there's only one way to do it: Prove yourself worthy in the ring, in one of the many regional wrestling federations. Then work your way up.

One of the best places to start is Western Pennsylvania's International Wrestling Cartel (IWC), which holds monthly matches at the Court Time Sports Center in Elizabeth.

"You're bound to see some of the biggest names in wrestling," says Norm Connors, owner and promoter of the IWC. "Some who are the biggest stars now, some who will be in the future, and some who were in the past."

This week, one of those past stars will be Ric "The Nature Boy" Flair, one of the living legends of pro wrestling. He recently retired, so he won't be wrestling, but he'll do some announcing, meet the fans and sign autographs before the main event.

Many current wrestling superstars wrestled with the IWC when they were just starting out.

"One of the major wrestling superstars now is C.M. Punk, who was formerly an IWC heavyweight champion," Connors says. "In 2001-02, you could actually see him wrestling every month at IWC, and now he's a huge star. Also, Mick Foley was a former champion for my old group, Steel City Wrestling, and has appeared several times in the IWC."

At this level, some wrestlers have day jobs and others wrestle full-time. Connors works as a funeral director in Sinking Spring, Pa. But one thing he doesn't want is guys who do it "just for fun."

"You can do fine wrestling, financially, but this is not something you can count on for a living," Connors says. "I do this because I want to give my guys an opportunity to make it to the big leagues.

"A lot of people tell us they like our shows better. While we are, to a degree, a feeder system, the show is very much put together, in terms of show presentation, like a product from the (old) days -- less cartoony, less flash, more about great wrestling and athleticism, with great characters mixed in."

There's also the fact that you're much, much closer to the action at an IWC event.

"What makes us unique, versus the bigger organizations, is that, not only can you see some great wrestling, you also have the chance to meet the wrestlers," Connors says. "You can meet these guys, some of which will go on to become the biggest stars in the world, and some of the guys who are the biggest stars in the world."

Wrestling legend Ric "The Nature Boy" Flair might be retired, but that doesn't mean he's tired of the wrestling life. If anything, he still can't get enough.

"I miss it -- I'm not going to lie," Flair says. "Yeah, I get to talk to the guys, I watch the show, so I keep on top of it."

He went out with a bang last year, retiring from World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) at the ripe old age of 59, long accustomed to matches with men half his age. Somehow, he managed to stay on top since the '70s in a very rough business -- as his flamboyant, fur-lined robes, his strutting, rule-breaking attitude and trademark yell "Wooooo!!!" gradually worked their way into the vernacular of pro wrestling.

"It was time," Flair says. "The company (WWE) came to me with a suggestion to induct me (into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame) as an active wrestler, and possibly having my last match. They made it really great, the whole three-day thing -- it was a lot cooler than anything they've ever done at Canton (in the Pro Football Hall of Fame)."

This Saturday night, he'll make an appearance at Court Time Sports Center in Elizabeth, to sign autographs and chat with fans, as part of an International Wrestling Cartel event.

The years of competition have taken their toll on him physically, but he rarely lets it show.

"There was nothing I couldn't do physically," Flair says. "What affected me was self-confidence issues. If I did something that was difficult and missed it, I didn't want to try it again. Whereas, when I was younger, I'd just keep going at it."

In all his time as a pro wrestler -- wrestling every day for long stretches of time -- he never got the kinds of injuries that have sidelined so many others.

"I've really been lucky," Flair says. "I cracked my neck in 1986 or '87 -- that was bad news. I didn't wrestle single matches, just tag matches for a while."

"Oh, and the airplane crash (in 1975) set me back a little, but that wasn't in the ring -- (it was) on the way to an event."

He's making the rounds now to thank the fans for their years of support.

"There's only a few promoters I'll work for," Flair says. "The quality of the show -- these are top-notch guys (the IWC). There's sometimes a downside to those kinds of venues, because they don't always take care of the wrestlers. I only work for people who are consistent in the way they treat their wrestlers -- and consistent in the way they pay me."

Tags: Ric Flair, Mick Foley, WWE