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  Hauri, 1

1/11/2011 Page 1 of 2

Cody Hauri

Instructor Leo Dabbs

English 112

Don’t Forget To Breath Out

The weekend after my 16th birthday, I went to a pro wrestling show in my hometown,

Connersville, IN, at a large metal building known as the Expo Hall, mostly used for 4H events

and some wedding parties, and occasionally the senior prom. As far as the wrestling goes, United

States Wrestling Promotions (USWP), it was called at the time, had been doing a series of shows

in our little town. I had become good friends with the promoter, David Ferguson.

David and I had met at a Rose City Championship Wrestling (RCCW) show on

September 21st, 2007. We began communicating online, and someone stumbled onto the idea of 

me being a wrestler. If someone had asked me when I started watching wrestling that I’d be in

that business… I never would have believed them.

I pulled into the parking lot as the sun started to set, got out of my black Chevy Blazer

into the snow covered gravel, and walking through the large doors at the Expo Hall to see a large

yellow delivery truck with metal beams hanging out the back of it and a few guys standing

around it.

“Hey, Cody, “said David in his usual style, a black hat and his RCCW hoodie. “Come

meet the guys.” He introduced me to Tom, aka Reverend Grimm, Psycho Joe, FLS, and Havok,

as they were all known by their wrestling names. We all got our gloves on in the large, cold

arena, and set up the wrestling ring piece by heavy piece. Metal turnbuckle posts first, then metal

bracings, then cross beams, wood 2x4s which were covered by 2 layers of plywood, with the mat

and canvas on top of that, then we twisted on the steal cable ropes, and the steal cable cross-

wires underneath to balance out the pull on the poles.

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Then came time for my first lesson in the wrestling ring. I was nervous. I feared for my

life that these men, all experienced at hurting each other in brutal ways, would end up killing me.

I believed I had gone daft and insane to be doing something this painful. At first, when they were

showing me basic things, I just stood there, not making any movement or sounds, other than the

crazy breathing for my spiking nerves. And it was easy to tell, they noticed I wasn’t calm enough

to do what they were doing by my own will.

“There’s two things you need to remember,” Havok told me. “Tuck your head in and

breath out.” Immediately, he shoved me. Unbeknownst to me, David had gotten on his hands and

knees behind me. I fell backwards over him, flat on my back. Needless to say, I tucked my head

in and breathed out. Then I realized, I had a higher tolerance to pain than I thought. We

continued falling and learning to flip and fall correctly throughout the night.

I awoke the next morning, so sore I could hardly move. But, I felt accomplished. If it

hadn’t been for my decision to get into that ring, I never would have known all the many

wonderful people I do today. I would’ve never travelled around like I do now to see shows, film

shows, wrestle matches at shows, etc. I wouldn’t have been known as a former CWA Champion.

And, especially this, I wouldn’t have met the many former WWE superstars I grew up watching

as a kid. Whenever I get in that ring, and hear a crowd cheering or booing me, I know that I’m

doing what I’ve always wanted to do, entertain people. And I wouldn’t change any of it for the

world.