09-05-2025
From recovery to the ring: a Cape Breton wrestler's comeback story
Most wrestlers don't make their debut after their athletic prime but Rick Chezenko from Louisbourg, N.S., stepped into the ring for the first time at age 42 on Sunday in front of family, friends and a hometown Cape Breton crowd.
'To hear the crowd chant 'Chezenko' over and over, it was pretty surreal', Chezenko said. 'It was like something I'd dreamt of as a kid.'
Chezenko says he put his dreams on hold for years because of addiction.
'I stopped drinking in August 2023, so I'm over twenty months alcohol-free and over a year clean from cocaine use', Chezenko said.
The road to recovery started with a meeting at Loaves and Fishes in Sydney, N.S., he said.
'There was a lot of times when I didn't really want to live', Chezenko said. 'I'm just grateful that I found my way into the rooms of recovery because a lot of people have wrapped their arms around me.'
Chezenko's wrestling journey began during his recovery when he made it onto a reality TV show in Nova Scotia called 'Wrestle Centre Boot Camp.' On May 3, he made his debut at an East Coast Pro Wrestling card in New Waterford, N.S., before a supportive crowd.
'The whole cliche, 'It's never too late' - it's not really a cliche, if you're willing to do the work', Chezenko said.
Chezenko's next appearance in the ring will be June 14 in New Waterford and his reality TV appearances will air in September.
'Your dreams are possible,' Chezenko said. 'They really can become reality. They don't have to stay dreams. I'm one of the lucky ones.'
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