Legendary promoter to feature two star sons on 2008 Grand Prix Wrestling tour

By Kirk Starratt

kstarratt@kentvilleadvertiser.ca

NovaNewsNow.com

His name is synonymous with professional wrestling throughout the Maritimes and beyond, and legendary promoter Emile Dupre is proud to feature both his wrestling star sons on the same tour for the first time in 2008.

Atlantic Grand Prix Wrestling takes to the road again this summer some 52 years after Emile first laced up a pair of wrestling boots and the line-up for the upcoming tour is sure to be considered nothing short of spectacular by Maritime squared-circle fanatics.

The tour makes its return to the historic Berwick Arena Saturday, June 7. The doors open at 7 p.m. and the opening bell rings around 7:30. Admission is payable at the door.

Many fans will remember that Grand Prix Wrestling last came to Berwick in 2006 with three 50th anniversary spectaculars. The first in early June drew the largest crowd for a live pro wrestling show in Berwick in the last two decades, close to 300 fans.

Of particular interest is the fact that both of Emile’s sons - Rene Dupre, a former World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) superstar featured on all three WWE brands, Raw, Smackdown! and ECW, and Jeff Dupre, a rising wrestling star who has been on tours of WWE developmental territories on several occasions - will wrestle on the same Grand Prix tour for the first time this year.

“It’s the first time we’ve had that,” Emile said during a recent telephone interview from his home in New Brunswick. “It’s looking very good everywhere we’ve been advertised.”

Major coup

Emile said it’s a relaxing experiencing for Rene to be back in the Maritimes with the Grand Prix roster and tour the way they used to years ago, especially considering the success of Rene’s recent multi-year run with the WWE. Rene became the youngest champion in WWE history when he co-held the world tag-team championship at age 18.

In what would be a major coup for Grand Prix, Emile said they’re hoping to have Robert Maillet, the Acadian Giant, a.k.a former WWE superstar Kurrgan, make several appearances on the second leg of the tour. There will likely be second and possibly third visits by Grand Prix in some locations.

Maillet’s success has transcended the world of wrestling to the bright lights of Hollywood, as he was featured prominently in the controversial box office hit 300 last year.

Women’s wrestling stars will prove to be major attractions again this year, including a somewhat mysterious yet-to-be identified female competitor Rene saw on a recent tour of England. Emile said Rene was impressed with her ability and she will be flying in for the tour.

A female star who was a hit on the last tour, She-Nay-Nay, will return and possibly national TV star Krysta Kinisky, who was also a popular attraction on the 2006 tour.

Other stars to be making appearances during the 2008 tour include Grand Prix legend “Wildman” Butcher Vachon, “Nature Boy” Buddy Austin, Pirate of the Carribean, Mighty Atlas, the Wrestling Spider-Man and more.

• It should be noted that all wrestlers appearing have years of highly specialized training and are performing in the spirit of entertaining fans, not in the spirit of violence or irresponsibility. Nothing shown should be mimicked or re-enacted by anyone who is not a trained professional wrestler.