Little fighters put on a big show at Okotoks Elks Hall last week.
CanAm Wrestling's main event on Feb. 23 was titled "Big Things Come in Small Packages" and was billed as a fight between midget wrestling superstar Short Sleeve Sampson and CanAm's own midget wrestler Canadian Badass.
"This is pretty exciting," said Sampson in an interview with the Western Wheel before the event. "I've been in Calgary before, I've been in Lethbridge before, but I've never been in Okotoks before."
Sampson's arrival was highly anticipated by wrestling fans, who packed the Olde Towne hall for what CanAm staff called the largest crowd in Okotoks wrestling history.
"You know, just here listening to the crowd, they sound excited and everything, so I'm definitely looking forward to it," he said.
Sampson has been in the professional wrestling business for over 20 years, including appearances on WWE SmackDown and Hulk Hogan's promotion Micro Championship Wrestling.
"I'm just excited that the fans, you know, my fans or CanAm fans or, you know, people that want to see midgets or whatever it is, they're all coming out," he said.
Sampson has achieved much success as a self-proclaimed midget wrestler, and he considers the sport to be empowering.
"Midget wrestling started back in, I think it was like the '40s and '50s, and at that time, best of my knowledge, it was called midget wrestling," said Sampson. "And then in the 2000s, basically, it started to swerve because the fact that everybody's trying to be politically correct, you know, and we don't want to hurt people's feelings and this one wants to be called this and this one doesn't want to be called that.
"Look, it's midget wrestling, you know what I mean? I'm actually excited for everything I do. I'm excited for the career I have and everything."
Sampson does not consider the word 'midget' offensive or demeaning.
"I have my own promotion as well, the Midget Wrestling Warriors," said Sampson. "So, I put 'midget' in that, you know, I have a catchphrase, 'It's midget time.'
"So, I embrace the word 'midget' because of the fact that, you know, people when they see me, they're not going to sit there and say, 'Hey, look, midget.' No, they're going to sit there and say, 'Hey, look, there's Short Sleeve."
The battle between Sampson and the Canadian Badass was hard-fought, and Sampson was declared victorious after landing his signature finishing move, the Inch Worm.
Also on the card was a bout between Calgary wrestler Tyson Hiller and Scorpious, an Okotoks wrestler hailed as "The Last Gladiator" from Rome, Italy. Scorpious, a heel, successfully defended his title as World Junior Heavyweight Champion, much to the crowd's disappointment.
Ed Anderson, CanAm's chief financial officer, said that a major goal of the organization's shows is always giving back to the community.
"Wherever we do shows, we donate to the community," said Anderson. "Local food banks, animal shelters, whatever we can do. A portion of ticket sales always goes to those in need."
Anderson said CanAm's next show in Okotoks is slated for sometime in the next few months, and that there are big surprises in store.
