This week One Fall Wrestling had the opportunity to speak with DR. MASK.
The Doctor was candid about his time as a promoter and merchandiser in the Ontario wrestling scene.
OFW – We got into this because we’re fans of wrestling. What got you into the business of pro wrestling?
DR. MASK – I have been a wrestling fan for as long as I can remember, tuning in to watch all my favourites on Maple leaf wrestling each and every Saturday afternoon and again at 7pm
OFW – You’re known as Doctor Mask but we know you deal in other merchandise. What other merch do you carry?
DR. MASK – First off, Dr Mask was a name given to me by my long time friend and former partner in GCW , DAVE WYLDSTAR, I have become famous and sometimes infamous for selling all kinds of wrestling related merch at indy shows all over Ontario. At each and every show I am at there is a variety of masks of course, and for the past year or so I have been selling off a collection of Classic WWF and WCW action figures that I purchased , some DVDs and now and then I discover or create something else to make people happy when they buy it.
OFW – Has promoting shows presented different challenges for you?
DR. MASK – Promoting shows is much more difficult than you could ever imagine, when you start telling people that you putting on a show and you list the indy stars that are on the card and they look at you with that blank look , it is an uphill battle trying to convince them to come out. While I have been involved in quite a few shows now, I still find that I tend to be learning more with every attempt I make.
OFW – We’ve seen on your site doctor-mask.com that you’ve met several wrestling legends. Is there one legend who stands out for you?
DR. MASK – To be honest, when I met Roddy Piper I was like a little kid, even though he was not the first “legend” I had met, the first was KING KONG BUNDY who was very honest with me on what to expect in pro wrestling, The Honky Tonk man and Shark Boy are really fun to be around outside of the ring, and of course I could not forget to mention my good friend Johnny Devine, who was the first wrestler to ever show me respect , he has gone out of his way to be a mentor to me, he is quick to tell me when I have done something well and just as quick to give me a kick in the pants when I need it.
One of my duties in GCW was to pick up the wrestlers at the airport and bring them to their hotel and or venue. Some , like April Hunter, Raven and even Abdullah the Butcher , I have had the pleasure of picking up more than once, and there is no way to explain the feeling that I get when they come through the doors and see me there to meet them and they greet me with a very warm smile , because they know that I am a friend and I will look after them in any way I can.
OFW – You make custom title belts. Is it an intense process creating designs and is there any belt/belts you’re particularly proud of?
DR. MASK – I started making belts just for fun, I think I made one for myself, with some vinyl from a Dr Wagner T shirt I had and could not sell, then I made The Anime belt for Darkstone , he was having a very bad day at the Anime convention, he had just received a huge speeding ticket on the way to the show, I showed him what I had made and he said it “made a very bad day that he was having -much better”, I have since modified it for him with the last modification being made this past December.
With each belt I create, it becomes my current favourite, the last one I made was used in the Wrestling Eclipse Canada Cup, it was made for my friend Dave Hunter, who was thrilled when he first saw it, saying that it was “very old school”
Each belt is an original and unique creation, I feel sorry that I only have so much free time to create each one, what I charge does not reflect the effort and time that goes into each belt.
OFW – You have many photos of masked fans and wrestlers on your site. Have you masked any wrestlers we might be familiar with?
DR. MASK – I have masked several wrestlers and referees , but I must say that I am very proud that I outfitted a wrestler who made his professional debut one night in Oshawa , The BLACK SERPENT, he wore both a mask and tights that I sold him- it was cool. There is a photo from after his match where we shake hands back stage and I do my best impersonation of Sir Oliver Humperdink
There have been several incarnations of the TWIN DRAGONS that have been adorned in masks that they purchased from me, it is not easy keeping all these secrets about who is the behind what mask.
OFW – How did you get into promoting shows? Is it as stressful as we think it is?
DR. MASK – Again to be honest , with my involvement in wrestling there came a itch to expand my horizons outside of GCW and Oshawa I may have not always made the right decisions in partners, but none the less I always held up my part of the bargain, even though some may have said different. I credit my good friend BILL MATTHEWS for giving me the push to “ just do it yourself”.
OFW – Is there a dream match you’d like to see in Pro Wrestling Eclipse? Someone to face the newly crowned and first ever champion Michael Elgin maybe?
DR. MASK – I have travelled all over Ontario selling merch and promoting shows, I have seen several different wrestlers that maybe not everyone involved in Ontario Indy have been given a chance to see .Some that stand out are SEXXY EDDY, Chaz Lovely, Bolen , and many others for who I must apologize for not mentioning but their names escape me right now.
As for Mr Elgin, if he continues to use his tactics to cheat to win, he will find himself fighting whomever I decide to put him against. To his credit, I have not seen or heard of him backing down from anyone yet.
OFW – Final question(more for me than the site lol) Do you have a wide variety of sizes and styles of mask? Some fans have much larger skulls than others. Lol
DR. MASK – I can get customs masks made, I have a contact in Mexico who has made several promises to make custom masks for me, but whenever I place an order their mask maker is either sick or on vacation.
I have a more dependable mask maker in the states, Iron Mike , who has made several masks for me , including the often mentioned DR MASK – mask and he also was the person who created the mask that CM PUNK wore for a short time- so you know he has to be good.
For the “cranium” challenged individuals, I have in my possession an “Iron Mike “ custom made white on white mask, kind of a cross between EL Santo and old school Dr Wagner mask, which was ordered and never picked up- it will fit anyone- selling it for what I paid for it $40
My advice to anyone that wants a custom mask is to go to the HIGHSPOTS website, follow the instructions on how and what to measure and then send your design ideas and measurements to doctor-mask@hotmail.com and I should be able to get your mask to you in about a month or so, or you can order from high spots and hope for the best. Prices vary upon the amount of work he has to put in to it.
WRESTLING ECLIPSE is presenting it’s next event, BATTLE ARTS, Saturday March 5th at the Vaughan Sportsplex.
MICHAEL ELGIN, ANTHONY FIASCO, “DANGERBOY” DEREK WYLDE, SEBASTIAN SUAVE and THE SUPER SMASH BROTHERS are just a few of the names you can see at this event.
You do not want to miss this one!
For more details check the WRESTLING ECLIPSE Facebook page.
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