By Adam Brazeau
CORNWALL, Ontario – Newly crowned Big Time Pro Wrestling (BTPW) champion Randy ‘The Rage’ Berry doesn’t wait for opportunity to knock.
The five-foot-nine, 216-pound professional wrestler from Cornwall won the Ottawa-based league’s most coveted title Saturday at the Stormont County Fair in Newington.
There was plenty of hype surrounding the fight.
Berry vowed on social media that his wrestling career was over if he lost to his opponent Joshua James, the eight-month reigning champion.
To his fans’ delight, the retirement party has been cancelled.
“There is no bigger reward in this business than being the face of a company,” said Berry. “Being a champion represents all of the sacrifices, hard work, and hardships you’ve put in.”
And during his 10 years of fighting in wrestling rings throughout Ontario and Quebec, Berry has endured plenty of all three.
By no means was James an easy target. He’s had the privilege of working with World Wrestling Entertainment legends several times.
Berry claimed the same glimpse of fame in 2012 for a WWE Raw and SmackDown taping.
He noted that BTPW is the longest consistent running pro wrestling organization in all of eastern Ontario with a span of 11-plus years.
With all the cuts, bumps, and bruises, Berry was glad to dispel any myths about wrestling’s legitimacy.
“Pro wrestling is choreographed, not fake,” he said. “Even though we fall into the entertainment category, there are more injuries annually in pro wrestling than any other sport.”
Berry was trained by wrestling legend Jacques ‘The Mountie’ Rougeau.
Since making his debut with BTPW in early 2012, he has competed in countless main event matches and has defeated most of its top competitors.
Berry’s rise comes at a time when Cornwall’s wrestling scene has taken a nosedive.
As he climbs regional ranks, Mecca Pro Wrestling, a league Berry founded, has been put on the back burner.
Canadian Grand Prix Wrestling (CGPW) is also no longer hosting events in Cornwall.
Berry will be making his first title defense on Friday, October 3, in Metcalfe, Ontario.
