The high-flying antics of professional wrestling return to Yorkton June 9.
High Impact Wrestling, headlining champion Jumpin' Joe (Neustaeter), will be at the Royal Canadian Legion for a show that should entertain, as that is the key to the sport, said its champ.
In fact it was the entertainment aspect which drew Neustaeter to wrestling.
"I love the entertainment, characters, moves, people booing and cheering, being able to control a crowd with your actions and the crowd's ability to interact with the wrestlers," he told Yorkton This Week. "Wrestling has it all."
Neustaeter, who was born in Moose Jaw, but now lives in Regina said his love of the sport started early for him.
"I've watched wrestling and wanted to be a wrestler for as long as I can remember," he said.
So when an opportunity to participate came along he jumped at it.
"The High Impact Wrestling School is where I was trained," he said. "Charles Pichette (Charley Hayes) and Rex Roberts were the two most influential trainers of mine.
"I've also learned by hitting the road and wrestling for different promoters in Alberta and Manitoba."
The chance to learn the sport came via a random click on the mouse.
"I was browsing the internet one day and came across a message board that had information on an event that High Impact Wrestling was going to be putting on," said Neustaeter. "I got in touch with one of the wrestlers who passed along contact information for promoter, Charles Pichette.
"Ironically, I missed his first response because it was filtered to my junk mail, but lucky for me, Charles sent a second to see if I was still interested in training! We set up a date and in July 2004, Cannonball Kelly and I attended a training session and we've been there ever since."
But learning the craft and loving doesn't mean being a wrestler is easy.
"The bumps and bruises are defiantly the hardest part," said Neustaeter. "You never get used to getting slammed and suplexed but you learn to deal with the pain.
"Wrestling is a very real sport and the ring is unforgiving."
As for his in-ring persona, Neustaeter said he built it around who he is.
"I just took who I am and like the cliché says `turned up the volume`. I`m brash, cocky and egotistical but I can back it up," he said." Over the last year, I`ve taken to calling myself Mr. High Impact. I truly feel that I`ve earned and deserve that nickname
"I was told to be an original not a copy. There`s nobody whom I try to emulate but some of my favourites are Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin and CM Punk."
As for fans, Neustaeter said wrestling is escapism.
"Wrestling gives people a chance to let loose and forget what`s on their mind for a couple hours," he said. "I love getting lost in a great wrestling match. I`ll always be a wrestling fan at heart."
As for career highlights, Neustaeter said a belt is always big.
"My biggest highlight is holding the HIW Provincial Title for 30-months. I don't think that length of title reign will be beat for a long, long time," he said.
"Another is a match from Moose Jaw where I won the tag titles with Cannonball (Kelly). When we won the roof blew off the place in what was the loudest pop of my entire career. When I watch the footage it gives me goosebumps.
"More recently winning the Central Canadian Heavyweight Title this past February."
