It may sound a little odd, but on Friday, August 17th,
Tudor Hall will have a bevy of professional wrestlers and scores of raucous
fans all fighting in the name of one ‘homeless guy’. Phrank Morin, known to wrestling fans as
Stinky the Homeless Guy, was beloved by fans and his friends in the wrestling
world. He would walk to the ring in torn
up t-shirts with a taped up shoe and his trademark hat all to the tune of
‘Maybe Tomorrow’, the theme of the Littlest Hobo. Over several years, his often-touted smile
and unique humour was a fixture in Ottawa and Quebec as well as the Northeast
United States, where he fought in Lego Weapons Matches and became a champion
after finding a title belt while digging in the trash.
It was with little warning that Phrank’s career was cut
short when in December of 2010 it was discovered he had cancer. The next month during his first cycle of
chemotherapy it was found that the cancer was terminal. He was told he had one year to live.
One of his good friends in the wrestling business was Ottawa
C*4 Promoter Mark Pollesel, who after hearing the news, wrote the Canadian
Cancer Society about putting on an event for Phrank. Over the next several months, Mark and his
crew held countless fundraisers at his own shows. They sold cupcakes and t-shirts, they shaved
heads; whatever they could do to put the show together, they did it.
“Basically everybody who had known Phrank from promoters to
wrestlers to fans all stepped up and helped us raise the money. It's our little community, indy pro
wrestling, coming together and trying to make a difference.”
As they continued to raise money for the big event, Phrank’s
sickness was growing as well. Soon, one year became only three months. On April
1st, 2011, Phrank passed away.
It was a huge blow to all those who had been hoping to put the event
together and have Phrank attend. The
decision was made to go ahead with the show, and put it on in his memory
instead.
The very first Fighting
Back saw nearly 400 people come to Tudor Hall, among them Phrank’s mother,
sister and girlfriend. It was a night
filled with great emotion and tremendous success as well. The ‘little community’ raised over 10,000
dollars for the Canadian Cancer Society.
At the end of the night, everyone left with a smile on their face and
quite a few wiping away tears.
This year, Mark is hoping for even more success. Former Wrestlemania headliner Bobby Lashley
will appear, Harry Smith, a member of Canada’s own famous Hart Family, and Jay
Lethal of TNA Wrestling.
“If you’re a wrestling fan, you'll be in for a treat. You'll see guys who you've seen on TV like
Lashley and Smith, working without the limitations of commercial breaks and TV
time. If you're not a wrestling fan, you
can show up, donate $20 straight to the Canadian Cancer Society with a General
Admission Ticket purchase, lower your inhibitions, and just have fun for a
couple of hours.”
Emotions will undoubtedly be running
high as his fellow wrestlers take to the ring on August 17th to put
on a show for their fallen friend. The
event isn’t about someone who died though, but about celebrating the person
this community loved and his unwavering spirit.
“Much like Phrank and his attitude all the way through his
sickness, this is going to be a positive night.”
Fighting Back 2: Wrestling With Cancer will be held at
Tudor Hall (3750 North Bowesville Road in Ottawa). Tickets can be purchased at VERTIGO Records
(193 Rideau St. in Ottawa). All money
from ticket sales will be donated to the Canadian Cancer Society in memory of
Phrank Morin.
