Vern May (born December 31, 1975) better known by his ringname Fat Pasty Mark is a Canadian
professional wrestler
Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...
, author, professional wrestling promoter and wrestling historian.
Professional wrestling career
Since his earliest matches in 1993, Vance Nevada has maintained one of the most aggressive touring schedules of his generation, appearing for 64 wrestling organizations from coast to coast in Canada and wrestling in almost every Province and territory in the country during his career. His passion for the sport and his exposure to the regional sub-cultures of professional wrestling and its fans have served to create an immeasurable appreciation for the sport and its history.
In addition to his success between the ropes which has included matches against ring legends and today’s top stars from
Jim Neidhart
James Henry Neidhart (February 8, 1955 – August 13, 2018) was an American professional wrestler known for his appearances in the 1980s and 1990s in the World Wrestling Federation as Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart, where he was a two-time WWF Tag T ...
,
Matt Borne
Matthew Wade Osborne (July 27, 1957 – June 28, 2013), known professionally as Matt Borne, was an American professional wrestler. Osborne was a second generation wrestler, the son of Tony Borne, and is best known as being the first wrestler to ...
and
the Honky Tonk Man
Roy Wayne Farris (born January 25, 1953), better known by the ring name The Honky Tonk Man, is an American retired professional wrestler. He previously wrestled for World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) ...
to
Kenny Omega
Tyson Smith (born October 16, 1983), better known by the ring name Kenny Omega, is a Canadian-born professional wrestler. Omega is an executive vice president of All Elite Wrestling (AEW), in which he also performs. Omega is a former one-time ...
,
Kyle O'Reilly
Kyle Edward Greenwood (born March 1, 1987) is a Canadian Professional wrestling, professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) where he performs under the ring name Kyle O'Reilly. He is also known for his time in Ring of Hono ...
and the
Bollywood Boyz, Vance Nevada is regarded as one of the premiere historians of Canadian ring lore, having published three books on the top and being awarded with the James C. Melby Historian Award by the U.S.-based
Cauliflower Alley Club
The Cauliflower Alley Club is a non-profit fraternal organization, which includes a newsletter and website, comprising both retired and active professional wrestlers and boxers in North America.
Established in 1965 by Mike Mazurki and Art Abram ...
for his efforts.
Aside from his endeavours to preserve wrestling’s past, while also actively participating in wrestling’s present, Nevada is a life member of the Cauliflower Alley Club, a benevolent organization of wrestling professionals that provides funding and resource support for wrestling’s alumni in the face of medical and personal hardship. In addition to his role on the advisory board and committee appointments, he has served as the editor for the club’s international newsletter since 2020.
Between 1994 and 2009, Nevada was ranked in the ''
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American internationally sold professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publish ...
'' magazine top 500 ten times. In February 2022, he eclipsed the all-time record set by
Leo Burke
Léonce Cormier (born June 29, 1948) is a Canadian retired professional wrestler. He was born in Dorchester, New Brunswick. He competed across Canada, in several American promotions, and wrestled internationally for both Puerto Rico's World Wr ...
for most Canadian wrestling title reigns at 44.
Nevada has done four
Canadian Death Tour
The Canadian Death Tour or Northern Hell Tour, and sometimes just known as the "Death Tour" is a professional wrestling tour of the North Canada, northern territories of Canada promoted by Tony Condello annually for over 30 years during the winters ...
s.
Personal life
Championships and accomplishments
*
All-Star Wrestling
All Star Wrestling (ASW) is a British professional wrestling promotion operated by Brian Dixon and based in Birkenhead, England. Founded as Wrestling Enterprises of Birkenhead in October 1970, it has also been known over the years as All Star P ...
**ASW Trans Canada Heavyweight Championship (5 times)
*
Canadian Wrestling Federation
**CWF Junior Heavyweight Championship
**CWF Tag Team Championship (5 times)
*
Elite Canadian Championship Wrestling
Elite Canadian Championship Wrestling (ECCW) (formerly known as NWA: Extreme Canadian Championship Wrestling and Extreme Canadian Championship Wrestling) is a Western Canada-based professional wrestling promotion and a former member of the Nati ...
**
ECCW Championship
The ECCW Championship (formerly known as the NWA/ECCW Heavyweight Championship) is the top singles championship in Elite Canadian Championship Wrestling. It was first established in 1996 in the then-independent ECCW, and its name was changed whe ...
*
National Wrestling Alliance
The National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) is an American professional wrestling professional wrestling promotion, promotion and former professional wrestling governing body operated by its parent company Lightning One, Inc.
Founded in 1948, the NWA ...
**
NWA Canadian Heavyweight Championship
The NWA Canadian Heavyweight Championship was the top singles title in Maple Leaf Wrestling from 1978 until 1984, when it was abandoned after the Toronto promotion partnered with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). Its national scope was in nam ...
*
River City Wrestling
A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of wat ...
**RCW Can-Am Team Challenge Trophy Championship
**RCW Hardcore Championship
**RCW Junior Heavyweight Championship
**RCW Tag Team Championship (4 times)
*
Top Rope Championship Wrestling
**TRCW International Heavyweight Championship
**TRCW Tag Team Championship (3 times)
*
Top Ranked Wrestling
**TRW Tag Team Championship
*
Wild West Wrestling/Hardcore Wrestling
**WWW Tag Team Championship (2 times)
*''
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American internationally sold professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publish ...
''
**PWI ranked him #224 of the 500 best singles wrestlers in the
PWI 500
''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American internationally sold professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publishi ...
in 2005
*
Canadian Wrestling's Elite
** CWE Hall of Fame (class of 2015)
*
Canadian Wrestling Hall of Fame
** Class of 2016
*
Cauliflower Alley Club
The Cauliflower Alley Club is a non-profit fraternal organization, which includes a newsletter and website, comprising both retired and active professional wrestlers and boxers in North America.
Established in 1965 by Mike Mazurki and Art Abram ...
**James Melby Historian Award (2010)
*Other
**Canadian Unified Junior Heavyweight Championship
''Luchas de Apuestas'' record
Works
"(Un)Controlled Chaos: Canada's Remarkable Professional Wrestling Legacy" (2022, Friesen Press)
The Ear, Cauliflower Alley Club newsletter - editor (2020-2022)
CNWA Magazine - lead writer/publisher (2012-2013, nine issues)
History of Professional Wrestling Series #5 - researcher (2002, Crowbar Press)
* ''Wrestling in the Canadian West''
Central Canadian Professional Wrestling Almanac (1999, self-published)
References
External links
Vance Nevada story archiveat
Canoe.com
Canoe.com is an English-language Canadian portal site and website network, and is a subsidiary of Postmedia Network. The phrase Canadian Online Explorer appears in the header; the name is also evidently a play on words on canoe (or ''canoë'' in ...
Archive of articles by Nevadaon ontariowrestlingsindyelite.com
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nevada, Vance
1975 births
Living people
Canadian male professional wrestlers
Professional wrestling journalists and columnists
Professional wrestling historians
20th-century professional wrestlers
21st-century professional wrestlers
NWA Canadian Heavyweight Champions