If you ever find yourself in Florida attending a Coastal Championship Wrestling (CCW) match, you might hear the announcer declare: B次元官网网址淔rom the great Canadian Rockies, standing seven feet tall and weighing 305 pounds B次元官网网址� Van Bruggen!B次元官网网址� You would then see longtime Greater Victoria resident Kale Van Bruggen burst into the ring.

Van Bruggen entered the world of wrestling later than most, after working his way through several other careers.

After growing up in Saanich where he graduated from Claremont Secondary School, he joined the Canadian Army and rowed with Rowing Canada. However, a spinal injury forced him to step away from the sport in 2016. He moved to Cobble Hill in 2019 and launched Gold Standard Hauling & Services, a trucking business serving Victoria and the Island.

B次元官网网址淚 was driving my trucks, and business was going well. I had great guys working with me, and I had my peaceful life on a little farm in Cobble Hill with my wife and son,B次元官网网址� Van Bruggen said. Standing 6'10", he's received comments about his size his whole life. B次元官网网址淎 guy in a grocery store said, B次元官网网址業 feel like IB次元官网网址檓 walking behind the Undertaker.B次元官网网址� My wife and I joked about giving wrestling a shot,B次元官网网址� he said. So, he did.

He called an old friend and Claremont classmate, Chelsea Green, the reigning WWE WomenB次元官网网址檚 United States Champion. Green suggested he attend Flatbacks Wrestling School in Apopka, Fla. Van Bruggen hopped into his old Cadillac and drove 6,300 kilometres to train. HeB次元官网网址檚 been wrestling on the indie circuit ever since.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e completely fallen in love with pro wrestling,B次元官网网址� he said. After a few months of training, he started attending promotions. B次元官网网址淎t my second appearance, they just threw me onto the show. IB次元官网网址檇 never wrestled a match in front of people in my life and wasnB次元官网网址檛 planning on it that night. I just went to help set up the ring and guardrails.B次元官网网址�

Since then, he has been travelling from town to town with the CCW promotion. Van Bruggen says itB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址渘ot a question of if, but whenB次元官网网址� he gets a call to audition for WWE. However, challenges remain B次元官网网址� he is currently on a tourist visa and cannot earn income as a wrestler. For now, he relies on his trucking company for income while working on securing a performance visa that would allow him to stay in the U.S. for five years and wrestle professionally.

B次元官网网址淚f WWE reaches out in the next three-and-a-half months and decides to give me a tryout, theyB次元官网网址檒l likely sponsor me for the visa, which would be really nice,B次元官网网址� he said.

Visa troubles aside, an invite to the WWE performance centre has always been the goal, a stepping stone to the wrestling big time. 

For now, wrestling remains a journey. With 22 matches under his belt, a broken rib, and a retired Texas Ranger character called B次元官网网址淏ig Iron Buck,B次元官网网址� he now wrestles as Van Bruggen B次元官网网址� a butt-kicking Canadian from the Rockies. His character is a heel, wrestling slang for a villain.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 great because it garners a lot of heat B次元官网网址� a lot of negative emotions from the crowd, which is what we want,B次元官网网址� he said.

B次元官网网址淲hen the babyface B次元官网网址� the good guy in wrestling B次元官网网址� comes out, the crowd cheers. TheyB次元官网网址檙e excited and want to see good overcome evil.B次元官网网址� Van Bruggen then duels with the babyface, ultimately being defeated. ItB次元官网网址檚 a performance, an element he said has taken some getting used to.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 a bit of a hermit back in Canada. WeB次元官网网址檝e got a little farm, our business, and we keep to ourselves. I never even had social media,B次元官网网址� Van Bruggen said.

B次元官网网址淭he first time you walk through the curtain and hear the fans yelling and screaming B次元官网网址� whether theyB次元官网网址檙e excited or angry B次元官网网址� it doesnB次元官网网址檛 matter. All emotions get emotion in wrestling. I was super nervous.B次元官网网址�

While pro wrestling revolves around performance, Van Bruggen assures fans itB次元官网网址檚 not fake. ThereB次元官网网址檚 no cushion in the ring, the moves, the athleticism and the pain are all real.

B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 nothing fake about it. When itB次元官网网址檚 done right, itB次元官网网址檚 a beautiful dance,B次元官网网址� he said.