Black Rock wrestling fan part of Outside the Ropes episode on Fight Network
When given an opportunity to talk about the Maritime professional wrestling scene, Jason Langille doesn’t shy away.
In 2019, the Black Rock resident and 40-plus year wrestling fan was invited to take part in the taping of an episode of Outside the Ropes, a documentary series on the Maritime pro wrestling scene shown on Fight Network.
Langille was interviewed by show producer and former WrestleCentre promoter Jason Mosher to provide a fan’s perspective on the evolution of Maritime wrestling. Mosher got to know Langille as an avid fan after Langille attended several live shows promoted by Mosher in Halifax.
The two would discuss the glory days of International Wrestling, Atlantic Grand Prix Wrestling and other aspects of Maritime wrestling history. Mosher told Langille about the documentary series he was producing and asked if Langille wanted to be in it. Langille quickly accepted the offer.
“I know all about Atlantic Grand Prix Wrestling, it was a big part of my life growing up as a kid,” Langille said.
Langille was a huge fan of legendary New Brunswick wrestler and Atlantic Grand Prix promoter Emile Dupre and of the Cormier brothers — better known as Leo Burke, the Beast and Bobby and Rudy Kay.
During the interview, Langille spoke about watching wrestling as a young fan in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He fondly recalls watching George Momberg, better known to the world as Killer Karl Krupp, in his battles against the Great Mulumba and others.
Langille talked about the differences in the fan base between that era and today. Although it’s readily understood by today’s fans that professional wrestling is a form of entertainment, many fans in the late '70s and early '80s still thought everything about it was reality.
For example, Momberg was born in the Netherlands but portrayed a German character, complete with monocle and riding crop. The character was so despised that Momberg came close to inciting fan riots in many of the towns he performed in, including Berwick.
“At that time, it sparked such a rage in the fans that it was just a little over-the-top to see it all play out right in front of you,” Langille said. “As a kid, I thought that was great, I thought ‘when can I go next?’”
Many past and present stars of Maritime wrestling were interviewed for the Outside the Ropes series, giving their perspective on the evolution of the entertainment form and how the past compares to today. Langille said there is a big difference between then and now.
In the '80s, Atlantic Grand
Prix had a weekly one-hour slot on ATV. There is no weekly Maritime wrestling show being broadcast on network TV now. There was no internet in the '80s, so pro wrestling couldn’t be accessed 24-7 like it can be today.
However, Langille said the fact that you could only see it once a week created huge TV audiences. Wrestling was still made up of regional promotions, so the Maritimes was on par with other, larger centres. This meant that you could expect to see some of the biggest stars in the business to be wrestling here at any given time.
Langille said watching wrestling has now become a big part of his children’s lives too, as he takes them to see live matches any time there is a show within a reasonable distance.
“It’s just a fun thing to do as a family,” Langille said.