Eat This Punch

Anthony Kingdom James is 5-foot-9 inches tall, and a solid 280 pounds. He looks like he belongs in a wrestling ring.

Which, as it turns out, is where he feels most at home. He's a part time wrestler and promoter, and for almost half his life, he's stoked a passion for the squared circle. With his 40th birthday approaching, Anthony Kingdom James wanted to mount an event the indie wrestling scene would remember.

Now, this isn't the high end wrestling of packed stadiums on prime-time television....the world of Hulk Hogan, the Rock and the Undertaker .... the WWE. This is its little, much poorer, cousin that survives on crowds in town halls and community centres.

For his big night, Anthony Kingdom James rented the second floor hall of a neighbourhood Legion branch in east-end Toronto. He hired wrestlers for eight matches, including an indie star for his main event. He came up with an elaborate storyline with garishly costumed heroes and villains, slithery lounge singers and acrobatic high-flyers.

But his star attraction had to pull out after getting hurt the week before the event. It could have been a death knell, and might have been for another promoter, but Anthony Kingdom James wanted his show. So he rewrote the plot, shuffled his matches, and the event was back on track. It was all coming together ... except for one small detail. Here is Eat this Punch.