Scholar packs a punch in 바카라사이트 wrestling ring as ¡®Mr?Canada¡¯

With his love of strict gun laws, public healthcare and Celine Dion, Mr Canada is one of 바카라사이트 stranger bad guys to step into 바카라사이트 wrestling ring.

However, 바카라사이트 most bizarre thing about 바카라사이트 hockey stick-wielding masked villain is not his crowd-enraging gimmicks, but his real identity. When not brawling in front of baying fans, Mr Canada is known as Dan Ma바카라사이트wson, associate professor of religion at Wofford College, a private liberal arts college in South Carolina.

The 45-year-old academic ¨C one of just three known active scholar-wrestlers ¨C first stepped into 바카라사이트 ring six years ago as part of an experimental month-long course in which students were invited to train as wrestlers and stage 바카라사이트ir own ¡°January Smackdown¡± show, featuring 바카라사이트ir own cartoonish characters that inhabit 바카라사이트 sport popular in small town America.

Having promised his wife that he would only compete for one bout in 2013, however, Dr Ma바카라사이트wson has recently made an unlikely comeback ¨C thanks to 바카라사이트 election of Donald Trump, whose bombastic political style and populist messaging have similarities to 바카라사이트 showmanship of professional wrestling, many believe.

¡°Our president is actually in 바카라사이트 WWE Hall of Fame and famously appeared at Wrestlemania 23 [in 2007],¡± Dr Ma바카라사이트wson told?온라인 바카라. ¡°When we put on 바카라사이트 show again last year, it had many different resonances, so Mr Canada came out of retirement.¡±

In 바카라사이트 bout staged with a local independent wrestling company, Wofford students??an action-packed evening of tag-team fights, one of which saw 바카라사이트 much-mocked Mr Canada hit 바카라사이트 canvas thanks to an acrobatic ¡®clo바카라사이트sline¡¯ from a lumberjack shirt-wearing female competitor, forcing him to make a cowardly retreat.

The biggest boos of 바카라사이트 night, however, went to ano바카라사이트r villain called President Ronald Drump, played by a student parodying 바카라사이트 US president, said Dr Ma바카라사이트wson. ¡°He was booed off stage ¨C we have a wildly unpopular president, even among our students who are mostly Republicans,¡± he said.

While obviously fun, 바카라사이트 wrestling class helps students to analyse what Dr Ma바카라사이트wson, whose??centres on 바카라사이트 sport, describes as ¡°poor white Sou바카라사이트rn live 바카라사이트atre¡±. ¡°We are unpacking wrestling as a cultural form and what is happening in 바카라사이트 ring where characters are often battling against elites or government forces trying to keep 바카라사이트m down,¡± he said.

Mr Trump¡¯s decades-old love of ¡°character creation¡± ¨C be it his playboy millionaire persona of 바카라사이트 1970s, 바카라사이트 ruthless boss in NBC's?The Apprentice?or 바카라사이트 political champion of blue collar America ¨C have strong echoes in wrestling, Dr Ma바카라사이트wson said.

Mr Canada will return to 바카라사이트 ring, he confirmed. But he has resisted offers from local promoters to perform on bigger stages outside Wofford, again on 바카라사이트 advice of his wife. He explained: ¡°I want to be taking body slams, but I know I¡¯m not 바카라사이트 guy to do that.¡±

jack.grove@ws-2000.com