The mat rumbled and the crowd cheered as wrestlers competed for the Miller Memorial Cup Saturday afternoon and to be crowned the Northland King of the North Champion.
The wrestling event, organised by Dann Pigozzo, is in honour of Adam “Wheels” Miller, who passed away earlier this year.
Pigozzo said Miller was a champion for local sports events and felt this uniquely local wrestling event in his honour, under the Northland banner, was a great way to celebrate the good he’s done for the community.
Miller, who was born with spina bifida and confined to a wheelchair, never let his disability stop him from making an impact on the community. Through his company, Miller Promotions and Event Planning, he promoted wrestling in North Bay, among so many other events.
“We’re donating to the Special Olympics this weekend in honour of Adam Miller,” Pigozzo said, noting how Miller loved wrestling. “Adam Miller promoted shows in North Bay for eight years, with the very little resources for eight years, he’s struggled against everything to put on shows, many of which were charity shows. When he passed away, it was a no-brainer that we needed to do something for him - we needed to put a show on for him.”
As a result, $1,000 was donated to the North Bay chapter of Special Olympics - a fundraising effort that was carried on from Miller’s past wrestling events.
During the prelude to the event, Pigozzo told the crowd that they were one wrester short and couldn’t fill the slot in time, but a determined Ray Beauchamp—North Bay native and friend of Miller—stood up from the crowd and threw his name in the ring.
“I’ve been training and I’m ready for this,” Beauchamp told the crowd, who cheered him on, urging Pigozzo to let him compete.
“I haven’t been in the ring for over five years, but I’m ready.”
With the crowd at his back, Beauchamp was carried onto the card to compete for the Miller Memorial Cup in honour of his fallen friend.
Pigozzo said he hoped to continue running more wrestling events in the coming years, as well as support the community.
“We’re very new and still trying to find our identity,” he said. “But I want it to become a group that is ingrained in North Bay. Every show can do something for the community.”
