YORKTON — Canadian Wrestling's Elite is set to bring its signature hard-hitting action back to Yorkton June 4 for their Point to Prove tour.
Among the wrestlers stepping into the ring that night is the infamous "Headline" Shaun Martens—arguably one of the meanest heels in the promotion.
Martens, a seasoned competitor, has been wrestling since 2003. His career took a sharp detour in 2010 due to a serious injury, forcing him to take a long hiatus.
“I had a pretty close call ... in 2010 and lost about six years of my career," said Martens.
“I fell from the top of a 20-foot ladder onto concrete and my right arm at the elbow joint exploded,” recalled Martens, “the entirety of my elbow was reconstructed out of titanium.”
Given Martens' line of work, one could make the assumption that the injury was wrestling-related, however, the injury was sustained during Martens' time as a journeyman electrician.
While the physical recovery was gruelling, Martens said it was the mental recovery that posed the greatest challenge.
“I fell into a pretty deep depression and it was really life-changing,” said Martens, adding, “it took away my lust for life. I wasn't able to do anything. I couldn't drive. I couldn't work. I couldn't wrestle. I couldn't work out. All I could do is sit on the couch and eat.”
In 2016, Martens said his professional wrestling career had a resurgence, and the the Edmonton, Alta.-based wrestler said he has kept himself exceptionally busy in recent years.
“I've been going pretty strong since," said Martens.
Martens has embraced the role of wrestling’s antagonist—a heel whose job is to rile up crowds and make heroes shine brighter in the ring.
“I think everything in media needs heroes and villains so there is no hero without a good villain,” said Martens, adding, “it's something that I'm good at and it's something that I enjoy doing.”
His passion for the sport has led him to commit full-time to professional wrestling, though that wasn't always the case. Early in his career, he balanced the sport with a steady trade in electrical work.
“I was a bit of a Benjamin Button to a degree. When I broke in I had a young family. I went and I got my journeyman electrical certification. I had a full-time career and I actually was quite successful at it,” said Martens.
But it didn’t take long before he realized that success in his trade wasn’t enough.
“The problem was that I wasn't happy,” said Martens, noting when a layoff forced a crossroads moment, he made the bold decision to pursue wrestling full-time.
Now, Martens wrestles more than most on the independent circuit. In 2024 alone, he recorded 192 matches, translating to about 150 shows.
“I'd say I'm probably travelling and on the road 210 days out of the year,” said Martens.
The current CWE tour sees Martens on a 17-day stint across four provinces.
“I'm a bit of everywhere,” said Martens.
Martens is a self-proclaimed wrestling historian, drawing inspiration from legendary names in the industry.
“Looking at my presentation, a lot of people immediately jump to Ric Flair—which is a huge inspiration—or Ravishing Rick Rude, which is also an inspiration,” said Martens.
Beyond those household names, he holds deep respect for wrestlers such as Shane Douglas, Tully Blanchard, Jeff Jarrett and James Storm.
“Pretty much the great heels—especially Tennessee heels—of yesteryear,” said Martens, "I really enjoy that style of professional wrestling and I think that it's something that I can translate well into my own presentation."
"Up north in the WWF you had a certain style where it was all cartoony and it was all about the big man tossing people around. Down in Memphis there was a lot more walk-and-talk and actual wrestling holds and manoeuvres and some of the over-the-top goofyness," said Martens.
Martens said he was trained by Phil Lafon, who wrestled with promotions such as All Japan Pro Wrestling, Extreme Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation, now World Wrestling Entertainment.
And when it comes to wrestling in Yorkton, Martens said it's something the promotion looks forward to.
“Yorkton is one of my favourite towns in Western Canada,” said Martens, crediting the city's lively crowds for the electric atmosphere CWE enjoys at its events.
“It's a lot of fun wrestling in Yorkton. We love coming there," added Martens.
"Headline" is scheduled to face off against "Crude Oil" Cody Mac in a 'Loser Eats a Can of Dog Food' match when CWE rolls into Yorkdale Central School on June 4.
"Moreover than just the crowd and the event, Yorkton is one of our favourite towns to go to. It's one of the highlights on the tour for sure,” said Martens.
