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Back in the Saddle: Big West Wrestling returns to Kelowna

The event takes place on Friday, Sept. 9 at the Rutland Centennial Hall
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Marty ‘Sugar’ Solotki and his company, Big West Wrestling returns on Sept. 9 (Photo - Marty Solotki/Facebook)

Big West Wrestling is back in Kelowna for the first time in three years.

And owner Marty Solotki is excited to have his company back in action.

“I moved back to Kelowna this March and I finally got [Big West Wrestling], that’s been on break for almost two full years to come back up Sept. 9.” said Solotki.

Born and raised in Duncan, Solotki (or Marty Sugar, his wrestling name), said his first memory was when he was three years old, watching his great-grandpa yell at the television while watching wrestling. During his teenage years, he lost touch with wrestling, but one night when he was attending the university in New Orleans, his friend put wrestling on television one night and he fell back in love.

After university, Solotki started wrestling and by 27 was wrestling in matches for the first time.

“I’ve been wrestling for over 20 years and I’ll be definitely be wrestling [in the show],” said Solotki. “I had to cancel a couple of times when I moved back in March but now were finally going to have a show.”

Solotki moved to Kelowna in 2008 and started Big West Wrestling in 2011. At one point, he was a bouncer at Fernando’s pub. In 2021, he spend the year in the Northwest Territories to help promote and build Totally Arctic Wrestling, the most northern wrestling promotion. He was the company’s first champion.

But now he’s back in Kelowna and hosting his first wrestling event since the pandemic.

“The one thing Big West Wrestling prides itself on is family-friendly entertainment,” said Solotki. “I’ve always made sure it was entertaining for kids. We try to focus on no blood, no excessive swearing, no overly sexual scenes but we still have fun. It’s like when you watch cartoon where there’s adults jokes that the kids don’t get, I try to keep it more on that line.”

The event, titled ‘Back in the Saddle’ is at the Rutland Centennial Hall on Sept 9. The door opens at 6:30 p.m. and the event begins at 7 p.m. Tickets are available at Pitch Black Tattoo in Rutland, Player Choice Sports Cards on Cawston (downtown) and online.

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Jordy Cunningham

About the Author: Jordy Cunningham

Hailing from Ladner, B.C., I have been passionate about sports, especially baseball, since I was young. In 2018, I graduated from Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops with a Bachelor of Journalism degree
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