I know I usually submit my big year-end column on New Year's Eve itself, but I have been working like a Dog...of course. New Year's Eve was primarily spent napping on the couch, off-an-on, while Zoe and Kim watched television. But now, without further ado, [MAD]Dog Lovers, here it is: the 2009 Year In Review!
This past year was something else; the biggest year in the short and checkered history of yours truly. More matches, more promotions, more highs and lows...everything was more, more, more! Obviously, the biggest high was winning my first title: becoming the first-ever Okanagan-Interior Champion on May 30 in Enderby. Although it initially debuted in Thrash Wrestling, the Okanagan-Interior Title is now recognized by three different wrestling promotions as we kick off 2010. I also defended said title five times in five months: no buckling under pressure for this Dog! At the same time, I proved that in 2009 I was the most dominant wrestler in the entire Okanagan-Interior area, winning 13 of the 20 matches I had in the region. Only two wrestlers had more matches in the area (Mike More and Slave both had had 22), but only Vance Nevada came close to matching my overall success: with 9 victories in 18 matches.
More on that, later.
Meanwhile, the lowest of the lows was the ongoing (and ever-growing) toll of wrestler deaths; and this year, it really hit home when the Pacific Northwest lost Adam Dykes, one of the nicest and most genuine people I have ever met in this crazy and cut-throat business. Under a hood as El Antorcha/Torch, and later without the mask as Adam Firestorm, Dykes was a talented wrestler, an amazing commentator, a skilled videographer, and one heckuva guy. Plus, two of my all-time favorites to watch: Eddie "Umaga" Fatu and "Dr. Death" Steve Williams also passed away this year; the former from a heart-attack, the latter after a long battle with cancer. A lot of the Mad Dog's offense was inspired by Umaga and Doc, and they (along with every other wrestler on the far-too-long list of warriors that passed away in 2009), will be sorely missed.
But let's turn our focus back on The Year of the [MAD]Dog, which--as stated earlier--was extremely prolific. I had 46 matches in 2009, more than ever before, and also set a new career mark in victories, with 19. During that time, I also worked for eight different wrestling promotions; making my debut in half of them. Clearly, I spent much of my time working for All-Star Wrestling and Thrash Wrestling, as they are the two promotions that have put the most faith in the Mad Dog...and I owe them a lot for that. I also had my marathon five days with International Championship Wrestling as Tim Flowers invaded the Abbotsford Agrifair; working three matches a day during a heat wave was a real test of one's mettle! Plus, I got to be entertained (and ribbed) by Flowers and the legendary Honky Tonk Man, so that was cool, too.
"You get on a plane with that beard...you an A-Rab."
Meanwhile, there were lengthy road trips to Burns Lake, B.C. (Maniac Wrestling Alliance); Thorsby, Alberta (Real Canadian Wrestling); and Camrose, Alberta (RockStar Wrestling Federation), where I got to spend time with great wrestling minds like Vance Nevada, Disco Fury and Michelle Starr, as well as one of the future mega-stars of this business: Gurv Sihra.
Oh yeah, Seth Knight was along for the ride one time, too. We shared a bed in Camrose. It was beautiful. Maybe when I finally write a book, I'll elaborate.
I even had a one-night return to Extreme Canadian Championship Wrestling, where I found myself on the wrong end of a power bomb from Cole Bishop and suffered a mild concussion. There's very few tougher than Big Bish, that's for sure! One man who could make a claim, however, is The Mauler, who was recognized as "Most Improved" in the 2009 Ring Around The Northwest year-end awards. I tangled with the big man seven times in 2009 (and teamed with him once), and was only able to eke out one victory: at the RWF show in Camrose. Otherwise, that big bastard was killing me with sentons and back-splashes, on his way to becoming one of the most dominant indy stars in all of Canada.
Three other wrestlers I struggled with in 2009 were Disco Fury, Lak Siddartha and Adrian Walls. Walls is easily one of the most talented (and under-rated) wrestlers in all of Western Canada, while Siddartha is another powerful dude that tossed my 240ish-pound carcass around with reckless abandon. And Disco really came on strong in 2009, culminating with him becoming the ASW Trans-Canada Champion in November.
Plus, let's not forget my long-standing 17-month feud with Friar MacBeth, which came to a brutal and grisly end on October 31 in Enderby. I walked away with a split eyebrow and eight broken teeth...but I also walked away with the Okanagan-Interior Title, and the smug satisfaction that this feud is done and buried. And I proved, in the end, that I was the better man. Unfortunately, that showdown with The Friar inadvertently ended up being my last match of 2009 (which denied me a chance at 50 matches, easily), as family/work commitments and an emergency appendectomy put me on the shelf for the last two months of the year. Which sucks, because I was bound and determined to kick some ass in a Coal Miner's Glove Match at TW's Super Evil VIII on December 5; however, rumor has it that Hellion has already agreed to face me in just such a brutal match, sometime in 2010!
Best of luck, kid: you're gonna need it!
And now, let's get to the "meat and potatoes" of this column, my Top Ten Hit List for 2010!
10. KELOWNAFORNIANS
What would a Top Ten Hit List be, without Adam Fedyk and Collin Cutler? Although the 'Fornians and I made amends (personally) in 2009, there is still a professional controversy: these two pretty boys are 2-0 against me in their young careers. While Cutler and Fedyk were busy chasing the ASW Tag Team Titles (which they eventually held from August 28 until October 3), and I was focussed on my singles career, it doesn't mean this friendly rivalry has been forgotten. Unfortunately, I only tangled with one-half of this duo (Cutler, during Thrash Wrestling's Costume Battle Royale on October 31) in 2009, but I vow in 2010 to find a tag-team partner that can carry his weight and help me gain a measure of friendly revenge against the Kelownafornians.
9. THE CREMATOR
In 2008, I faced The Cremator six times; emerging victorious just once, by disqualification after a painful nighstick assault. In 2009, there was very little chance for the two of us to cross paths, as we were never booked at the same events; the lone ECCW show I did work in 2009, The Cremator didn't even attend. Meanwhile, on April 23, The Cremator challenged Sid Sylum to an impromptu match in Nanaimo and walked away with the Vancouver Island Title...or should I say, MY Vancouver Island Title? In 2008, I teamed with Veronika Vice to defeat Sid and Nicole Matthews in Nanaimo, thus guaranteeing that I would remain Number One Contender to that belt; but Sid spent all of 2009 like he spent 2008: ducking me as often as possible. Ironically, I moved away from Vancouver Island in mid-2008, but I personally had more matches on the Island in 2009 (six), then all the other Vancouver Island wrestlers, combined! Hopefully in 2010, I will get the chance to tangle with the massive masked monster and finally realize my long-time dream of claiming that Vancouver Island Title as my own.
8. MINION
Minion and I teamed up once in 2009, beating Friar MacBeth and Mike More on March 21 in Vernon. We also tangled in several Battle Royales; however, we have yet to face each other one-on-one. Without a doubt, Minion is one powerful young stud; but when I sat there on December 5 (just four days after my appendectomy), and watched Minion hide under the ring during most of the Barbwire Three-Way that was the finale of the Super Evil VIII Tournament (which Minion ultimately won), and then listened to Minion talk tough about how he "dominated" the competition...I couldn't help but think that a lot of Minion's toughness was mostly hype. It pained me to miss out on that hardcore tournament in Enderby--especially when an apparent chickenshit walked away with the trophy--so I think I need to find out first-hand if Minion is really as tough as he claims to be. I'm sure that a shot at the Okanagan-Interior Title will be more than enough incentive to lure Minion into the ring to see if he truly is tough enough to hang with the Dog.
7. MONEY & POWER
Adrian Walls and The Mauler burst onto All-Star Wrestling's tag team scene in a big way in 2009, winning the Tag Team Titles in only their third match as a duo. Individually, I was 0-4 against Walls, and had only one victory after numerous battles with The Mauler...as mentioned earlier. Along with the tag straps, Walls is also the Power Zone Wrestling Champion, while Mauler holds both the Maniac Wrestling Alliance and the MainStream Wrestling Championships. And I know for a fact that Walls has been greedily eyeing my Okanagan-Interior Title, in his never-ending quest for more and more championship glory. Clearly, a victory over either of these men is worth its weight in gold...literally!
6. MIKEY D
Mikey D and I were slated to feud at the end of 2008, but that feud got lost in the shuffle before it ever got a chance to get off the ground. Luckily, I got to face Mikey twice in 2009, thanks to Tim Flowers and ICW: we both fell to The Mauler in a three-way, and then I pinned Mikey in a singles match that went approximately 25 minutes and was easily my best match of the year. But the victory was not without a price, as my two daughters (like most young girls), were quite enamored with the Abbotsford local's charming and friendly demeanor. Plus, he bestowed them both with Mardi Gras beads...what's up with that?!? When Mikey and I aren't busy at all those ECCW Alumni functions in 2010, I look forward to more one-on-one encounters with another of the Lower Mainland's more underrated competitors.
5. LAK SIDDARTHA
"The Prince of Power" pinned me clean in the middle of the ring in front of my Kelowna faithful, just fourteen days before I won the Okanagan-Interior Title. Siddartha did not return to the Okanagan again in 2009, but we tangled twice more last year: a No-Holds Barred Three-Way that included "The Greaser" Ronnie Angel in Victoria, and another one-on-one encounter the following night in Campbell River. Both nights, Siddartha got a three-count with his killer F-5 (he pinned Angel in Victoria, by the way), and continued to maintain a powerful grip on his PWA British Columbia Title. There's no denying that Siddartha is a massive powerhouse, but even the biggest rock will eventually give in to the tiniest (but steadiest) drip of water. I'm not sure where I was going with that (I only got an "A" in Philosophy 101 because I was the professor's drinking buddy), but the point is this: a top official in the Pure Wrestling Association has been quoted as saying, "someone's going to beat Lak for that belt one day," and this Dog is determined to make sure that I am that someone!
4. VANCE NEVADA
"Mr. Beefy Goodness" had a very productive 2009, both in and out of the ring. Not only did he go out of his way to defend the ASW Trans-Canada Title all across our great country, but his book, Wrestling in the Canadian West has been a huge success. Plus, at #413, Vance was the highest-ranked Canadian independent wrestler on Pro Wrestling Illustrated's annual "PWI 500" list...and the only player on the B.C. wrestling scene to get a mention. And in April of 2010ear, Vance will be receiving the Jim Melby Historian Award at the annual Cauliflower Alley Club reunion in Las Vegas. On top of all that, Vance is unofficially the Number One Contender to my Okanagan-Interior Title, as he was the second-most successful competitor in the region (behind yours truly) in 2009. I didn't get a chance to face Vance one-on-one in 2009, but I vow to rectify that in 2010...on my way to my very own ranking in the PWI 500! (Yeah, I said it...)
3. MIKE MORE
"The Celebrity from Enderby" showed great improvement throughout 2009, as matches with Vance Nevada, Adrian Walls, Seth Knight, Panama Wasp and myself really helped expand his wrestling repertoire. Plus, More had an emotional victory over The Great Kasaki on December 5, to win the vacant Thrash Wrestling Title...a victory he quickly tarnished after he turned on Slave and shattered a fluorescent light-tube across his back! More would've made the list regardless, since he's parading around with the TW Title...but the fact that he pretty much mocked my emotional Okanagan-Interior Title victory (bringing his enfant son, Mickey, into the ring...just like I brought in my oldest daughter, Zoe), really sticks in my craw. If you want to mock the fans, More, knock yourself out; but when you mock ME, then prepare to be knocked down a peg or two.
2. DISCO FURY
The conductor of the "Disco Train" and I have had an interesting love-hate relationship, both inside and outside the ring, for the past several years. Some of our non-wrestling conflicts have become part of local backstage wrestling lore (I am sure the stories get more elaborate with every rehashing, since I am not around to keep the bullshit at bay), but more importantly in 2009, our matches started generating just as much chatter. Although I failed to score a one-on-one victory over Disco in 2009, we did tear into each other on more than one occassion: our biggest showdown, on August 28 in Kelowna, saw Disco need two Pedigree piledrivers to get the pinfall...a victory that launched him into Number One Contender status for the ASW Trans-Canada Title. Now that Disco is proudly dancing and jiving as the Trans-Canada Champion, I look forward to our rivalry continuing in 2010...and adding another belt to my collection!
1. MICHELLE STARR
What can I say about Michelle Starr? If it wasn't for him and a few other intelligent promoters, 2009 wouldn't have been a very productive year for Marty Sugar. While I can't thank Starr enough as a promoter, the in-ring performer and I have a lot of personal issues...the most egregious being that he kissed my wife at a TW show in Enderby on May 30. Since that day, Starr and I have not been booked to wrestle on the same event; both of us have accused each other of being chicken, but the Dog's Honest Truth of the matter is that we're not going to be able to be kept apart forever. Besides, I have promised sweet revenge against the man that Zoe refers to as "Chimelle Starr: the worst wrestler ever." Sooner or later, we will meet again, and there will be fireworks.
And with 2009 in the books, this was the final Top Ten rankings for wrestlers that competed in the Okanagan-Interior area:
OKANAGAN-INTERIOR CHAMPION: "Mad Dog" Marty Sugar (13 wins in 20 matches)
1. "Mr. Beefy Goodness" Vance Nevada (9 wins in 12 matches)
2. "Hardcore" Mike More (9 wins in 22 matches)
3. Minion (8 wins in 14 matches)
4. Slave (7 wins in 22 matches)
5. The Great Kasaki (7 wins in 19 matches)
6. "2010 Superstar" Seth Knight (5 wins in 15 matches)
7. "Canadian Classic" Collin Cutler (5 wins in 12 matches)
8. The Mauler (4 wins, 2 draws in 9 matches)
9. "Surefire" Adam Fedyk (4 wins in 8 matches)
10. Panama Wasp (4 wins in 8 matches)
But what about 2010? I know that in 2009 I should've easily surpassed the somewhat elusive 50-match mark, but can that be done this year? Quite honestly, I just don't think it's possible: real life has dictated that my wife (who has been a spectacular stay-at-home mom and in-home caregiver for my grandfather for the past two years) get back into the job market. With that in mind, my availability for wrestling is going to be limited; the chances of me driving 12-16 hours for one-off shows are going to be slim and none until late Spring. And to add to the ongoing controversy and backlash towards the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games, the entire month of February will surely be a write-off for professional wrestling in all of British Columbia. Which is a plus and a minus, as it will give me some time to help my handler, Big Steve McCarthy work towards realizing a dream of actually competing in the ring, and not just doing his thing outside of it...and it will give me an extra month to really focus on getting in better shape.
In the late Spring of 2008, I weighed 238 lbs. (the lightest I had been since 2003), and Michelle Starr actually commented that I was killing my gimmick by losing weight; but by the time Starr and I first met one-on-one in the ring in November 2008, I had actually gotten back up over 250 again. In 2009, I hovered between 244-249 pounds for almost the entire year, although the scale did climb up as high as 252 a few times...and quite honestly, that is just too damn much. I turn 5 in February (35 in human years), and had a bit of a high blood-pressure scare in 2009, so I have started 2010 with a renewed focus on exercise...and maybe one day I will actually take dieting a little more seriously, too. If only it didn't have the word "DIE" right in there, man! It's not like I'm the JunkFood Dog or anything, but I do have sporadic bingeing tendencies; but more importantly, my exercise routine was extremely lax in 2009. This year, I've already been much more serious about my health, and have a goal of being somewhere between 220-230 lbs. by the time 2010 draws to a close. Wish me luck!
That's it for now: it's 6:20 a.m. and I have to start think about getting ready to head to Barriere, B.C. for my first match of 2010: an Okanagan-Interior Title defense against former Vancouver Island buddy, Scott Steel. Steel is another underrated guy in the Pacific Northwest, but he's got a pretty big mouth for a guy that doesn't even weigh 200 lbs. I look forward to tangling with him at the first-ever Thompson Valley Wrestling event, and stealing the show.
Until next time, Sugar Addicts.
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