Why a Canadian pro wrestler calls his mom his ‘biggest hero’

Lionel Knight, AKA The Lavender Knight, on his idols (aside from Eddie Guerrero)

wrestling poster

Poster courtesy Cross Body Pro Wresting Academy Facebook page.

four students at a desk

Lionel Knight being interviewed by Rena Jones, Kajan Thiruthanikaslam, Richard Lee-Sam and Giorgio Lee, April 7, 2017 via Facetime from the Centennial College’s East York campus.

Lionel Thompson’s mother has never seen him wrestle in the ring.

Also known as Lionel Knight and nicknamed “The Amazing Canadian” and “Lavender Knight”, Thompson, 32, is a two-time A1 Tag Team Champion and a two-time BW Piston Champion. He is also a three time UWA Light Heavyweight Champion, who makes his home in Brampton, Ont.

Knight has been in the wrestling industry since 2004, and got his start in high school after the family moved to Brampton from Montreal. Some might say he is a grizzled veteran. However, Knight remains a contender even after almost 13 years in the ring.

Reached by telephone while driving back home to Brampton from Barrie, Ont. during an early spring snowstorm,  the Canadian wrestler had just finished recording an episode as a guest of World Wrestling Podcast, and was preparing for his next match, on April 15 in Kitchener.

The Cross Body Pro Wrestling Championship was to be a three way match against Tarik and “Psycho” Mike Rollins.

Knight knew what to expect from his opponents.

“Psycho Mike’s a psycho,” Knight said, laughing. “Tarik is talented so I definitely got to pick and choose my spots against him.”

But Knight also spoke about the reality behind the image of professional wrestling as fake entertainment: just a short time before the interview, Knight learned that his friend, wrestler Tyler Thomas, had withdrawn from the same weekend championship, due to injury.

“It’s because he had a concussion,” Knight admitted. “He’s a guy that doesn’t like to miss a show so the fact that he’s missing a show is that he’s in a spot where he has to worry about his health, more than anything. So I’m concerned.”

Injury is the reason why Knight’s mother has yet to attend one of her son’s wrestling matches.

“She doesn’t want to come to a show and see me get hurt,” Knight said. “I don’t blame her. I’m her son so I get it.”

Yet he credits his mother for turning him into the man he is.

“My hero is my mom; she’s my warrior,” Thompson said, proudly. “She had two kids, not much help from my dad, and she raised us into very responsible men. And she never once showed me weakness during that entire time.”

As for how he planned to tackle his upcoming match and win it, he revealed his game plan for how to be the last man standing.

“My game plan is to let them beat each other up,” Knight said. “When I see them kind of getting tired, that’s when I’m going to go in.”

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Posted: May 15 2017 2:32 pm
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