For an eternity there was the WWF or WWE, which nothing shook, except for the WCW for a while at the end of the last century. All Elite Wrestling (AEW) wants to upset the giant.
AEW was founded in 2019 by Shahid Khan, the owner of the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars. And the action makes a first stop in Montreal with two shows at the Bell Centre, Tuesday and Wednesday.
This promotion allowed a well-known Quebecer on the independent scene, Evil Uno, to make a living from his art.
Nicolas Dansereau, his real name, is originally from Gatineau and has a career with the Dark Order, a group of wrestlers that he originally founded with another wrestler from Quebec, Marc Dionne from Victoriaville, aka Stu Grayson.
AEW wrestlers have more freedom to express themselves off the circuit. Courtesy of All Elite Wrestling
I fell in young
Like Obélix, we can also say that Dansereau was interested in wrestling as a small boy.
“I have been involved in the world of wrestling since I was 14,” he confirms during a video conference. I was always a fan growing up. A friend found a wrestling school in the area and when I was 16 I started doing shows like Player Uno.
“I was very lucky, I was online a little early and put my videos online. It wasn’t unusual, but it wasn’t common for independent wrestlers and it opened a lot of doors for me.”
He then had the chance to fight almost everywhere, be it Canada, the United States and even Europe. But he still had to work as he was employed by the Canadian government until his debut with AEW in 2019. Dansereau also co-owns a wrestling school in the Gatineau area.
“I was very lucky, for years it seemed impossible for a Quebecer to go to the United States and make a living there. Unless [du] “I don’t know if I would be doing wrestling and making a living at the start of AEW,” explains the man who, despite his new life, continues to live in Gatineau.
Different
It’s not easy to find a place in the world of wrestling when WWE takes up all the space. But AEW wants to rely on its other offering to stand out.
“We are on the same level as them,” emphasizes Dansereau. But we offer a product that is different from theirs. With us you can see someone explode in the independent circles, the same goes for Japanese or Mexican wrestling.
It gives a global overview of wrestling and not just a form of wrestling determined by the leaders of a circuit. It’s a mix of styles that provides more variety.”
This way, wrestlers have more leeway in their activities outside of the promotion. Nicolas Dansereau takes the opportunity to give back to the independent wrestling that gave him his first chance some twenty years ago.
“I find my place on the internet, which offers me many opportunities to express myself on YouTube and Twitch. You see me on TV maybe every three or four weeks. AEW gives us opportunities elsewhere, I can go to other circuits. For example, I recently wrestled in Montreal with the Foufounes Électriques.”
With his colorful jackets, Evil Uno is visually reminiscent of Marvel or DC Comics villains. Courtesy of All Elite Wrestling
anonymity
In the shoes of Evil Uno, the 36-year-old wrestler wears a mask, which he also wore during our video conference. We passed him in the supermarket and couldn’t recognize him even if we talked to him for more than 30 minutes.
“When I was 14, I was told it was better to hide my face to hide my age,” he explains.
He planned to take off his mask one day, but his character became more and more known and at the same time he began to see the benefits of anonymity.
“It’s a job, and when I take off my mask, no one knows who I am. It allows me to find balance in my life and isolate my family from my public role. And there’s the magic that I don’t want to break, a bit like what happened when Ray Mysterio took off his mask in WCW.
And since his character is inspired by video games, we point out that he looks a bit like the Joker in Batman with his colorful jackets.
“I’ve always been a fan of luchadors wearing three-piece suits and I always thought it was a very interesting look.
“If I wear a T-shirt and jeans, it’s not impressive. With the jacket and mask it creates interest and allows me to stand out. I’m a villain and if I look like a Batman villain, I’ve done my job.