The fight will be king in Montreal this weekend, and there’s no talk of motorists colliding for one of the few on-street parking spots available downtown.
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NO. WWE is coming to the Bell Center for two nights instead of one, which is not a first, but a rarity nonetheless.
“They already came out with two shows in two nights, but there was one that was pre-taped for later airing,” said Pat Laprade, co-host of WWE Raw Wrestling at TVA Sports.
Kicking things off with Undertaker’s one-man show on Thursday night, we’re treated to Friday night Raw and Saturday night with the much-anticipated Elimination Chamber gala.
Photo provided by WWE
Laval resident Sami Zayn will experience consecration by being the star of the two wrestling nights presented at the Bell Center.
In both cases the tickets are almost all sold out and above all Sami Zayn from Laval will be presented.
rage
Pat Laprade has been the voice of wrestling in Quebec for years, he is a sports enthusiast and historian.
“This is the biggest wrestling weekend in Montreal in 25 years. The last time there was a binge like this was in 1997 with the Survivor series, which starred Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart. »
Laprade recalls that wrestling night went down in history as the one where Hart, a Canadian from Calgary, was duped by his peers in what later became the “Montreal Screwjob,” leading to his transfer from WWE to WCW .
“Back then, everyone had a scenario where Bret Hart lost and he believed there shouldn’t be any winners,” says Laprade.
“It had caused a great deal of excitement because it was the start of the a la carte galas. There have been many WWE events in Montreal, but I’ve never felt such a frenzy. »
special event
The highlight of this weekend’s show will be Saturday’s Elimination Chamber, an annual event that will be held for the first time in Canada and only the second time outside the United States.
It’s basically a fight that ends in a cage from which there is no escape.
“It’s been 14 years since there’s been a special show in Montreal,” says Pat Laprade.
consecration
According to him, there is a festive atmosphere in the city due to the size of the event.
Photo provided by WWE
After a career in the UFC, Ronda Rousey is now one of the stars of WWE.
“There is a pop-up store at Place Ville-Marie, the wrestlers will meet the contestants, Sami Zayn was a guest of the Canadian on Tuesday”, it’s big! »
For Sami Zayn it’s a great opportunity to step out of the shadow of his good friend and lifelong pal Kevin Owens.
“Sami, a Quebecer, is in the final and it’s his consecration. Kevin follows along a lot and often gets a little more media exposure because people know him a little better.
“The two have the same course and followed each other. It’s a bit like our own Wrestlemania. »
Laprade is well placed to speak about the two Quebec stars who are among the most important in WWE.
“I have known Kevin and Sami for twenty years, they are friends. »
Shifting perceptions in Quebec
Marko Estrada recently told us and Pat Laprade confirms that wrestling is very healthy in Quebec.
“What I’ve noticed is that attendance at a lot of wrestling organizations in Quebec is good,” the WWE Raw Wrestling co-host told TVA Sports.
“The fight often had an unfairly derogatory connotation,” he regrets. We have often spoken of an ecclesiastical cellar fight. 2022 saw parties in Montreal at Olympia, M Telus, Studio TD, Bain Mathieu and Club Soda.
“These are places where local and international artists perform. And in Quebec, there are galas at Le Diamant. »
In fact, NSPW presents wrestling galas in Robert Lepage’s hall and these are very successful, as confirmed by Marko Estrada earlier this month.
A different vision
There has long been a folkloric perception of wrestling, that of the church basement, to which Laprade referred.
The various players in the community have worked hard to change this perception and they are now reaping the rewards. It’s no longer about denying the essence of sport.
“People see wrestling differently and they like to be explained,” Laprade believes. For a long time it was kept secret and believed to be true.
“Now we better recognize the quality of the athletes and the theater side. There is a bit of everything, dance, choreography, humour, excitement and improvisation. »
French speaking representatives
There’s also the presence of Quebec stars within WWE, which helps. We are obviously talking about Kevin Owens, a Francophone, and Sami Zayn, an Anglophone who can express himself in Molière’s language.
“In Quebec, it always helps if there’s a French aspect upstairs, which is WWE,” Laprade clarifies. Having Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens, two Quebecers speaking French in the media, helps a lot. »
And both men are endearing and charismatic, which is a huge plus in promoting the sport, which has clearly entered the 2020s.