Must-See Matches
The best way to get ready for a pro-wrestling play? Watch some pro wrestling! We asked the cast of THE ELABORATE ENTRANCE OF CHAD DEITY for their favorite wrestling matches, moments and memories. Consider this an insider’s look at what’s on our actors’ minds as they prepare for CHAD DEITY – and, perhaps, what should be on your mind as your prepare to see it!
“My favorite would have to be: Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 25. First, you have two of the greatest legends in the business working together on the grandest stage in the wrestling industry. Then, as our audiences will soon find out, you can’t have a great wrestling match without a great entrance and these two men did not disappoint. You get goosebumps as Shawn descends from the rafters dressed in all white attire, almost looking “angel-like.” You can’t help but get chills as the gong hits and ‘Taker menacingly walks down the aisle in his black coat and black hat as fireballs blast in the air behind him. Shawn and ‘Taker have great in-ring chemistry, so every moment is a thrill to watch; they know how to pace the match so it’s not too slow or too fast. There is a major height difference between the two, with ‘Taker being over 6’5” and Shawn coming in at 5’10”; their bodies move fluidly throughout the entire 30-minute match! It’s an instant classic with classic wrestlers.” -Dimonte Henning
“Cactus Jack’s debut at WWF RAW 1997 is my favorite match because it showcases everything I love about wrestling: the characters, the weapons, the cool moves and most of all, Mick Foley.” -Vince “Demented Chucky Bates” Nygro
“As the elder statesman in our CHAD DEITY cast, my introduction to professional wrestling reaches well back into the mid-1960s, when Vern Gagne’s AWA (American Wrestling Association) out of Minneapolis ruled the upper Midwest. Many Saturdays – just like Mace in the play – I spent TV time with the likes of South Milwaukee’s own Crusher, tag team partner Dick The Bruiser, Gagne himself with his patented figure-4 leglock, arch rivals Mad Dog Vachon and his brother The Butcher, heel-of-heels Gorgeous Bobby Heenan, and dozens of other creative and entertaining characters exercising their athletic stories in the ring. Lacking brothers, I shared this kinetic passion with some of my junior high friends in the school cafeteria, trading forearm smashes and head slams while impersonating the more colorful AWA combatants. Seeds of acting being planted? Of stage combat? The penchant to perform? Who knows? But it was more fun than Algebra.” -David Cecsarini
“I knew about wrestling through my grandfather! He would always play it when I was little and I was mesmerized that my grandpa loved wrestling! I just thought it was so cool that he did. I thought it was always hilarious and gross that The Rock was smelling what he was cooking. As a little kid, I think me and my little brother would always say he was farting, and nobody wanted to smell what he was cooking!” -Levin Valayil
“So hard to choose, but here are a few of my ultimate favorites:
Bret Hart Vs. Ric Flair (WWF Championship 1992). Great storytelling, technical skills and heel work and iconic selling. (Part 1, Part 2)
Bret Hart Vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin (WWF Survivor Series 1996) (Part 1, Part 2)
And of course: Shawn Michaels Vs. Razor Ramon (Ladder Match, Wrestlemania X 1994).” -Adrian Feliciano
“This is tough. There are a lot of great matches out there that I know of – stand-out ones include The Dudley Boys vs. The Hardy Boyz vs. Edge & Christian at WrestleMania X-Seven, Razor Ramon vs. Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania X (see above), and Bret Hart vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin at WrestleMania 13. But I also haven’t watched wrestling for about 20 years. So, at the risk of sounding like a complete mark, I’m going to go with my latest favorite match. Here’s something recent that got me to my feet and made me a kid all over again: the main event of Wrestlemania XL between Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns. As someone who has been away from wrestling for almost two decades, I dropped into this Wrestlemania as part of my prep for CHAD DEITY. This main event happened to be the culmination of years of storytelling between these two, much of which I hadn’t been following. But even as a person coming into the match pretty blind, the stakes of the story they were trying to tell were so clear, so palpable. The match’s final moments are a doozy, with cheer-worthy, Marvel movie-esque cameo appearances by WWE legends. In the end, they really stuck the landing and reaffirmed for me the storytelling power of professional wrestling.” -Michael Cotey
Tickets are now on sale for THE ELABORATE ENTRANCE OF CHAD DEITY by Kristoffer Diaz. Call (414) 278-0765 or buy online now!