Inter Species Wrestling suicide dives into Danbury

Inter Species Wrestling slams into Danbury's Heirloom Arts Theatre on Friday, April 19. Inter Species Wrestling slams into Danbury's Heirloom Arts Theatre on Friday, April 19. Photo: Contributed Photo Photo: Contributed Photo Image 1 of / 5 Caption Close Inter Species Wrestling suicide dives into Danbury 1 / 5 Back to Gallery

The WWE has its share of bizarre personalities, from a mythical superhuman who puts his opponents in caskets, to a beareded everyman who chants "YES!" to a crowd of fanatic followers.

But in the weird department, the WWE has nothing on Inter Species Wrestling. A veritable Halloween party of costumed athletes, ISW's roster boasts an Italian chef, a zombie, a mythical dragon, a panda bear, a cow, a cheeseburger, a cast of Caucasian luchadores and a masked monster who looks straight out of the "Texas Chainsaw Massacre."

"We're a small company, and we don't have a very big budget," Matt Hack, head of promotions for Inter Species Wrestling, said. "But what we lack in glitz, we make up for in talent."

The Danbury-based independent wrestling circuit slams into the Heirloom Arts Theatre for its latest spectacular, Trapped in the Closet, on Saturday, April 19. Part of the proceeds will go to the cash-strapped Danbury venue, which is hosting a series of fundraising events this month.

More than a dozen wrestlers will duke it out through nine matches in a ring set up in a space next door to the Heirloom's concert hall. For the main event, the Undisputed King of Crazy will be on the line in a championship match that pits title holder Pinkie Sanchez against challenger Chris Dickinson.

"Pinkie is an insane speedball of a character who's inspired by the Ultimate Warrior, and Dickinson is 250 pounds of solid muscle, an absolute beast of a human being," Hack said. "They've got a heated rivalry going."

At its core, ISW is a traditional pro-wrestling enterprise, featuring soap opera storylines, dramatic entrances and all the essential holds, throws and aerial techniques. But the promotion is unique in its embrace of vaudevillian theatrics, weaving slapstick humor, dance and music. By way of example, WWE has King of the Ring; Inter Species Wrestling has Burger King of the Ring.

"It's WWE-style, but it's amplified to a crazy degree," Hack said.

More Information Heirloom Arts Theatre, 155 Main St., Danbury. Friday, April 19, 7 p.m. $20 VIP, $15 general admission, $12 door. 203-300-5270, www.heirloomarts.org.

While ISW incites plenty of laughs, the talent is no joke. The company, Hack said, is a "launch pad for many competitors trying to make it to the big leagues." One wrestler, a former caped luchador by the name of El Generico (real name Rami Sebei) graduated to WWE NXT, the WWE's developmental program, last year. Many wrestlers train multiple days a week while holding down day jobs.

Launched in 2005 in Montreal, ISW relocated to Danbury four years ago to be closer to New York City -- a more lucrative market. The company found a permanent home at the Heirloom Arts Theatre, which, Hack said, "is so important to entertainment in downtown Danbury."

The venue has become the unofficial headquarters of the ISW, a fiercely independent, homegrown company that isn't afraid to suicide dive into the eccentric and bizarre.

"I think this will be the year we turn the corner," Hack said of the company. "Just like any other indie, we struggle to maintain notoriety. But I think people are starting to take notice."

Scott.gargan@scni.com; Twitter: @scottgarg

Heirloom Arts Theatre, 155 Main St., Danbury. Saturday, April 19, 7 p.m. $20 VIP, $15 general admission. 203-300-5270, www.heirloomarts.org.