A family-friendly wrestling event is making its Castlegar debut.
Thrash Wrestling is putting on Wrestlegar at the Castlegar and District Community Complex on Friday, July 27.
Thrash Wrestling was founded 22 years ago by backyard wrestlers from the Okanagan.
Nick Szalanski, owner and promoter, says the group graduated from backyard wrestling after receiving some training from professional Vancouver wrestlers.
"We weren't going away. We were going to stick it out until we had a ring, until we had everything that we needed and we were going to run pro wrestling," explains Szalanski, who wrestled for 18 years, first as a backyard wrestler and then as a professional.
Now Thrash Wrestling tours with its own ring, putting on shows all over Interior BC, including the Kootenays with shows in Nelson and Trail.
For Wrestlegar, Thrash Wrestling champion "The Aviator" Sean Gaston will take on his most notable rival "Backstage Pass" Braydon Goss in the main event.
There's also a mixed tag match with "The Vixen" Jade and Haviko vs. Riea von Slasher and Evan Adams, and Castlegar's hometown hero Thelonious Jovinius Harlequin will take on Albertan Sydney Steel.
Thelonius has been "competing in mortal combat in the wrestling ring for nearly 25 years," and brings a little something special to the ring in the form of his fifth-dimensional mittens Lefty and Righty.
"They came to me from the Fifth Dimension with my good friend Ephialtes. He brought them to me with my magical trunk, and they have a bit of a mind of their own, and sometimes they take over the show a little bit. But I always make sure that whoever the character is that I'm facing, that he gets a good taste of the leather of my mittens."
Thelonius's finishing move is the Mandible Mitten, where he shoves his two index fingers down his opponent's gullet, which Thelonius says usually results in a quick tap out.
Anyone coming to the show should feel free to wear their wrestling t-shirts — from any wrestling organization — their lucha libre masks, and their title belts.
Doors open at 6 p.m., and the bell time is 7 p.m.
Tickets are $20 and available online at www.ticketseller.ca or at the Shop Skate and Snowboard Supply in Castlegar.
Any tickets still available will be $25 at the door, and there will be a licensed concession for attendees 19 and over.