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Local professional wrestler David Pitre Jr. knows that on July 15, a giant crowd of Tri-parish wrestling fans gathered at Dumas Auditorium will hate his guts.
They will boo his every move. They will spit and snarl at his every word.
They will shout obscenities his way – piercing words that one wouldn’t wish on his/her worst enemy.
“That’s how you know you’re doing a good job,” Pitre Jr. said with a laugh. “If they hate you, you get an A+ for that night.”
If the taunting isn’t enough, Pitre Jr. knows he’s in for a beating. His body will be pushed to the limit, and if things go wrong, he could potentially suffer a severe injury in the heat of battle.
A lot of his friends are currently on the shelf with injuries – a laundry list ranging from bumps and bruises to broken bones.
So why does Pitre Jr. do it?
Why does he subject himself to the hatred and the potential danger?
That’s easy. It’s the cause: Team Maddie.
Returning for the first time since January, Elite Championship Wrestling will host its “Summer Scorcher” show on July 15 at the Dumas Auditorium in Houma.
Profits from the show will benefit children’s cancer research via young Maddie Boudreaux, who suffered from osteosarcoma as a child.
Maddie has now been cancer-free for two years and Pitre Jr. said it is his hope to raise awareness to the plight of cancer suffers through he and his friends’ wrestling.
It is that message which makes the event a win-win for everyone — no matter how harsh the crowd may be on the villainous wrestler.
“It’s a passion man,” Pitre Jr. said. “Wrestling just gets into your blood and it takes over. Seeing that little girl and all of the other little kids at the show cheering with all of their might or booing with every ounce in them … there’s just no other way to explain it besides saying it’s a rush. It really is.
“And to be able to do this to help out a lot of people who need it – that just makes it all the more worth it.”
All tickets for the show are $10 – no matter where one sits in the Houma auditorium.
When one looks at the card, it’s easy to see that’s a bargain for any philanthropic wrestling fan.
That’s because the Summer Scorcher show will feature a four-man, single-elimination tournament to crown a new Louisiana heavyweight champion.
Semifinal matches in the tournament will pit Dynasty member Minotaur against Scott Phoenix. Steve Anthony will compete against John Saxxon for the other spot in the finals.
All four competitors have axes to grind against one another in their championship bids.
“Those semifinal matches are going to be two huge matches,” Pitre Jr. said. “Steve Anthony and John Saxxon have been feuding up and down the coast for years and their big blow-off will happen with us on July 15. Minotaur is part of the Dynasty and they’ve been winning everything in Elite Championship Wrestling lately, so people will surely want to see if their winning ways come to an end.”
The need for a heavyweight championship tournament arose recently when ECW’s inaugural champion Stan Sweet Tan had to give up his crown with an injury.
“He’s done probably until next year,” Pitre Sr. said. “He’s beat up pretty good. It’s time for someone else to have a crack at holding the title and being known as the champ.”
Aside from the title tournament, the younger Pitre Jr. said the always-popular Bayou Boys will make an appearance at the show.
They will be out to seek revenge on Dynasty members Mr. JD and The Dark Angels, who attacked the tag team from behind at the last show.
“They told me to tell the newspaper that they are looking for Dynasty,” Pitre Sr. said with a laugh. “They are out for blood. They want revenge.”
Local favorites like the Grizz, Purple Haze and Flip “Wolfman” Jackson are also scheduled to appear in the show, which is selling out fast, according to everyone involved.
Charitable shows are nothing new to Elite Championship Wrestling.
The truth is – they do these as often as they can.
The local wrestling organization did a show for Toys for Tots this past November.
They have plans to do another on July 29 at the Municipal Auditorium, which will benefit Cerebral Palsy.
“The telethon is the next week, so whatever we make there, we’ll present the check at the telethon,” Pitre said.
The idea for this particular show is several months in the making, as Maddie’s grandmother Susan Boudreaux approached the Pitre’s about a show at their Toys for Tots show.
With hard work and persistence, the thought became a reality – a very popular reality.
“The reception we’ve received so far has been great,” Folse said.
“More than 200 tickets have already been sold,” Pitre Sr. said. “It’s really looking like we’re in line to pick Dumas.
“Susan Boudreaux has been great. She really has. These shows are not easy to put on. We all have full-time jobs and we all have a lot going on in our lives. So when you have someone willing to go the extra mile, that’s when you have an extra successful show.”
Successful shows mean lots of fans.
Lots of fans mean the booing at Pitre Jr. becomes harsher.
That’s OK.
He is willing to stomach some good-natured spewing in the name of a good cause.
“It’s all about Maddie and the kids,” he says with a smile. “If they are having fun, then I am having fun. It’s really as simple as that.”
To purchase tickets, those interested may call Pitre’s Cab at 985-868-1041 or visit www.tinyurl.com/elitetickets.
