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Pain Torture Agony
"Many people wondered why so many wrestling stars were emanating from Canada. Well, quite frankly, Ron was the secret weapon."
-Carl Demarco, past-president WWE Canada
Ron Hutchison, trainer of some of World Wrestling Entertainment's biggest superstars, is hailed as one of pro wrestling's unsung heroes.
His story begins as a wrestler on Canada's east coast, but his journey takes us around the world to India, Japan, England, & the U.S. after Ron hangs up his trunks and becomes a trainer at the world-famous Sully's Gym in Toronto. It is an account filled with history and insight into the fascinating world of pro wrestling, as well as tales of dreamers, muscleheads, a bomb thread, machine guns, Yakuza, midgets, and even a visit to the Playboy mansion in California.
Ron tells about his encounters with Rhonda (Monster Ripper) Singh, Bret (Hitman) Hart, Cuban Assassin, Jim Barnett, midget superstar Sky Low Low, and how he transformed from "Wonderboy" Ron Hutchison, a fan-favorite, into the hated Masked Thunderbolt.
With a foreward written by WWE Hall of Famer Adam (Edge) Copeland, the narrative is enhanced by original artwork drawn by Adam during his formative years, in addition to the first-time reproduction of Adam's winning essay that earned him free wrestling training at Sully's Gym. Also featured are rare photos of superstars Trish Stratus, Beth Phoenix, Gail Kil, Christian (Jason Reso), Johnny Swinger & Joe E. Legend, giving readers never-before-revealed insight into their training and developmental years.
This book is a compelling, inside-look at the tough world of pro-wrestling, but told in an informative and often humorous manner. Fasten your seatbelt as Ron Hutchison takes you on an exciting four-decade journey into the wild, no-holds-barred, wacky & amazing world of professional wrestling.
-Carl Demarco, past-president WWE Canada
Ron Hutchison, trainer of some of World Wrestling Entertainment's biggest superstars, is hailed as one of pro wrestling's unsung heroes.
His story begins as a wrestler on Canada's east coast, but his journey takes us around the world to India, Japan, England, & the U.S. after Ron hangs up his trunks and becomes a trainer at the world-famous Sully's Gym in Toronto. It is an account filled with history and insight into the fascinating world of pro wrestling, as well as tales of dreamers, muscleheads, a bomb thread, machine guns, Yakuza, midgets, and even a visit to the Playboy mansion in California.
Ron tells about his encounters with Rhonda (Monster Ripper) Singh, Bret (Hitman) Hart, Cuban Assassin, Jim Barnett, midget superstar Sky Low Low, and how he transformed from "Wonderboy" Ron Hutchison, a fan-favorite, into the hated Masked Thunderbolt.
With a foreward written by WWE Hall of Famer Adam (Edge) Copeland, the narrative is enhanced by original artwork drawn by Adam during his formative years, in addition to the first-time reproduction of Adam's winning essay that earned him free wrestling training at Sully's Gym. Also featured are rare photos of superstars Trish Stratus, Beth Phoenix, Gail Kil, Christian (Jason Reso), Johnny Swinger & Joe E. Legend, giving readers never-before-revealed insight into their training and developmental years.
This book is a compelling, inside-look at the tough world of pro-wrestling, but told in an informative and often humorous manner. Fasten your seatbelt as Ron Hutchison takes you on an exciting four-decade journey into the wild, no-holds-barred, wacky & amazing world of professional wrestling.
192 pages, Paperback
Published April 29, 2019
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April 9, 2023
Pain, Torture, Agony is the story of wrestler and wrestling trainer Ron Hutchison.
I've had Ron Hutchison's Legends of Wrestling card for years but never knew much about him. This book is a damn good one. Ron is in wrestling school by page 16 so it passed the initial wrestling book test.
Ron's wrestling career, both as the Masked Thunderbolt and under his real name, was fairly unremarkable, though he wrestled a lot of legends in his day like Randy Savage and Bret Hart. His true legacy is that of a wrestling trainer. Hutch trained Trish Stratus, Edge, Christian, and others.
Since I didn't know much about Hutchison, most of this book was a completely new experience. Hutchison talks about training wrestlers for decades, touring the Maritimes both as a young wrestler and later as a senior citizen booking and wrestling years later. There's also stuff about the AWF and Carmen Electra's Naked Women Wrestling League that somehow flew by me in the early part of the 20th century.
The book ends with pages of photos from Hutchison's wrestling career, Cauliflower Alley Club events, and photos of him with his students.
Pain Torture Agony thankfully was none of those to read. Four out of five stars.
I've had Ron Hutchison's Legends of Wrestling card for years but never knew much about him. This book is a damn good one. Ron is in wrestling school by page 16 so it passed the initial wrestling book test.
Ron's wrestling career, both as the Masked Thunderbolt and under his real name, was fairly unremarkable, though he wrestled a lot of legends in his day like Randy Savage and Bret Hart. His true legacy is that of a wrestling trainer. Hutch trained Trish Stratus, Edge, Christian, and others.
Since I didn't know much about Hutchison, most of this book was a completely new experience. Hutchison talks about training wrestlers for decades, touring the Maritimes both as a young wrestler and later as a senior citizen booking and wrestling years later. There's also stuff about the AWF and Carmen Electra's Naked Women Wrestling League that somehow flew by me in the early part of the 20th century.
The book ends with pages of photos from Hutchison's wrestling career, Cauliflower Alley Club events, and photos of him with his students.
Pain Torture Agony thankfully was none of those to read. Four out of five stars.
January 24, 2021
THE INTELLIGENT AND SENSATIONAL REVIEW OF “PAIN, TORTURE, AGONY”
REVIEW BY JEREMY WOOLWARD
Pain. Torture. Agony.
Add those words together alongside the adjectives “intelligent” and “sensational”, and you would have every right to raise your eyebrow and wonder what was actually going on. Akin to the high school take of student council election signs that read, “SEX! Now that I have your attention, vote [insert name]”. In another context, it could also probably describe someone looking for a certain type of dominatrix. But in reality, that’s not the whole point of this review or the book (although to be fair, there are references to dominatrices in the book). Actually, quite the contrary. This book is a look at a life of one of the best ambassadors professional wrestling had in Canada. This book is a coming-of-age story that describes this young man’s roots as an Armed Forces brat to successful student and college graduate all while living out his dream of becoming a professional wrestler, and then becoming a successful promoter and trainer. And yet, if you’re like me, you may not have been familiar with who this person is. However, you would know his legacy. Without this man, there would have never been a “Rated R Superstar”, a “Five Second Pose” nor would there have been the promise of “Sweet Stratusfaction”. This book is the story of Ron Hutchison and the story of the “Intelligent and Sensational Masked Thunderbolt”. It is also a book I highly recommend any wrestling fan pick this book up.
So, to be absolutely clear, I have not read a biography of someone involved in professional wrestling in its entirety. It wasn’t really my kind of thing, because with maybe the exception of Kurt Angle, it was hard to relate to people physically built like the Olympians of mythology. I’ve been a wrestling fan for years, but most of that time has been spent in the Freestyle and Greco- Roman environment. However, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to appreciate those involved in professional wrestling who actually know how to wrestle. Really, the best professionals are those who you could easily see compete at an amateur wrestling event and not be out of place. They knew how to take you down, control you and ultimately, pin you. They know how to push someone to their limits and not need to rely on the fancy spots or the daredevil antics to get their point across. When I first learned that Mr. Hutchison fell into this category, I became intrigued. And then I saw some of his matches on YouTube. Yep, when in doubt of someone’s credentials, go to YouTube and see for yourself. I did, and despite the bookings and Hutchison coming up on the short end of the stick, he was someone I could immediately relate to. It’s why I wanted to go pick up his book, and why I read it in two nights. The book tells his story and what he did from an early age to pursue his dream of becoming a professional wrestler. You read how he worked hard to be in the best shape he could be, how he joined the school wrestling team to get the experience he felt he needed, how he picked up judo and boxing at the local YMCA with an eye single to his objective. Early in the book, you learn of Hutchison’s drive and determination. You can see yourself in his story as his pursuit of his own excellence is no different than you or me. Where he took a world of no’s and had them become yes.
The book also shines a light on what the pro wrestling scene was like in Eastern Canada in the mid to late 1980’s. When the country was dealing with big issues such as the NEP, a housing price crisis, the election of Brian Mulroney, Meech Lake and the denouement of the Cold War, we read about how the pro wrestling business took itself seriously and worked hard to preserve the magic. You learn about heels and faces, where they eat, where they sleep, how they interact and what you were expected to do in either role. You read of the road stories that shine a light on “what happens on the road stays on the road”. At the same time that Hutchison was entertaining crowds in the Maritimes, we also learn of Vince McMahon’s expansion into Canada and what that would mean for the business. Hutchison had a front row seat and played a part in shaping how that story evolved. That evolution also meant transforming Hutchison’s pseudo-Bob Backlund gimmick into the role he is more famously known: the mask wearing, sharp talking heel, the Masked Thunderbolt. That said, I didn’t mind the good guy gimmick. I always enjoy rooting for the underdog. I support those whom I can relate to. But, for his story to evolve and to progress to where we are now, this heel turn had to happen. As fate would have it, it turned out to be the best move Hutchison made. This role he maintained until the end of his competitive years.
And although I’m likely to get a slam or a low blow for not consistently referencing him as the “Intelligent and Sensational Masked Thunderbolt”, there’s something called brevity and there should be an emphasis on the content of the book, not necessarily on the name of the one who wrote it. Please forgive me as I chuckle to myself from the comfort of my Calgary home that I can also be whimsical when I want to be. My wife has told me repeatedly I was born twenty years too late; I belonged in an earlier era. The fact that I not only appreciate Thunderbolt’s quick thinking on the microphone, I’m pretty sure I could verbally throw down with him as if I belonged in his era. What can I say? As I get older, I get edgier.
Concerning the content, as a heel, you are treated to understanding the role of a face and heel in a wrestling match. What that looks like would actually surprise you, but I won’t tell you here. You have to read it to appreciate it. The other thing you read about his years as a heel is how that technical wrestling knowledge he possessed allowed for some legitimate contests and allowed for matches to take shape naturally. Instead of calling out each and every spot and micro-managing it, Thunderbolt’s M.O was clear: go wrestle. Go out there and just do it. Don’t think about it; just let it happen and let the story tell itself. Notwithstanding that, you had to know how to tell the story and you learn about what it takes to tell a story in the ring. Thunderbolt knew how to tell a story and he made sure those he wrestled against knew it too. Whether as a heel or a face, our author could adapt to either role because he knew that being able to adapt and work with what you’re given, you can make some quality magic.
At this point in the book, we also learn more about Ron Hutchison, the man. The Ryerson Graduate, the husband and the father. We read about how his family became a larger priority for him and that the time would come where long extended periods of travel just wasn’t working. Ron came home, but the wrestling world was not done with him. We then learn more about the famous Sully’s Gym in Toronto and Hutchison’s wrestling training school, including where he received a letter from a young Adam Copeland who wrote about why he wanted to be trained. And that letter was impressive enough that Copeland got the training for free and now we know him as WWE Hall of Famer Edge. But he wasn’t the only one. We read about how Christian, Gail Kim, Beth Phoenix and the famous Trish Stratus were trained by Mr. Hutchison and learn about where their success took them. As a trainer, Hutchison expected no less from his students than he did himself. He pushed his people, he broke his people, but he also developed and rebuilt his people into stronger competitors. It wasn’t just about running the ropes and taking bumps; Hutchison was doing what I have come to love most about wrestling: that the sport is truly a metaphor for life and whether you wrestle for a gold medal or a championship belt, the sport and the effort you put in teaches you more about yourself than you ever thought you’d know. You also learn about your own relationship to the sport and how much you’re willing to give to it. Hutchison has given his life to it and it shows throughout the book, especially when 25 years after his first competitive run, the Masked Thunderbolt returned to the Maritimes and gave it another go against the younger generation. Our protagonist may have been a bit more seasoned, but you watch the matches on the Internet, and you wouldn’t believe he’s as old as he professed himself to be. This is passion defined.
The book includes more anecdotes and life stories, including some that I will not spoil here (seriously, get the book and you’ll come to a point where you’ll likely ask yourself whether it was real or scripted. It was very real and corroborated. Yet, the best part of the book comes at the end where Ron Hutchison the man and The Intelligent and Sensational Masked Thunderbolt the athlete come together: The Cauliflower Alley Club. As you read about the CAC and its goals, I would not be surprised if you found yourself asking if you were chopping onions because your eyes will water up. Mine did as you read about the people behind the gimmick, who give their all to the rest of us and long after hanging up their boots, are still bound together by the passion they share and experiences they forged over the years. You learn about how Hutchison received the CAC’s first Trainer’s Award for the work he has done as a trainer and how even his own students received honours through the CAC. As someone looking in on this world, this part of the book pulled at my heart that I find myself wanting to do something to support the CAC and its goals and I’ve never been involved in this aspect of the wrestling world. It feels like a call to service and although it was not the intent while writing it, Hutchison’s message of family and fellowship is one of the most beautiful I’ve ever read.
Finally, at the end of it all, what I’m left with as a reader is a window into the world of a man who in many ways, reminds me of myself and I see in his words my own story, my goals and aspirations. And I’m left asking if I will be as successful as Mr. Hutchison when I get to be his age. The answer to that question rests solely in my camp: age is but a number, you’re only as successful as the effort you put in, and the only person holding you back is you. Hutchison confronted his own doubts, his shortcomings, his fears and more. The end result is what you see today. I see myself as I pursue my goal of competing at the US Masters Wrestling Open channelling the spirit of the Thunderbolt in what I do and when I do it. His training classes involved the Pain, Torture and Agony mentioned at the beginning of the review. They’ll nowbecome part of my own repertoire and I will get to add another person to the list of heroes who remind me on the daily to keep going and not give up.
To my new friend Ron Hutchison, I thank you for the opportunity I had to share part of your world in reading this book. It’s a labour of love and I look forward to returning to it over and over again. I cannot wait to see you in person one day and say this to you face to face. To the Intelligent and Sensational Masked Thunderbolt, I hope to see you in the ring again. You proved lighting struck twice in the same location. Let’s make it a third because I know the world is not done with you. We want ONE. MORE. MATCH. And then another and another after that, until the day where you leave those boots in the middle of the ring.
To those who took the time to read this up until the end, please do yourselves a favour and go pick up this book today. I hope if you do, you’ll enjoy it the way I did. It’s a piece of Canadian history that should never be forgotten.
Respectfully submitted,
Jeremy W. Woolward 20 January 2021 Calgary, Alberta
REVIEW BY JEREMY WOOLWARD
Pain. Torture. Agony.
Add those words together alongside the adjectives “intelligent” and “sensational”, and you would have every right to raise your eyebrow and wonder what was actually going on. Akin to the high school take of student council election signs that read, “SEX! Now that I have your attention, vote [insert name]”. In another context, it could also probably describe someone looking for a certain type of dominatrix. But in reality, that’s not the whole point of this review or the book (although to be fair, there are references to dominatrices in the book). Actually, quite the contrary. This book is a look at a life of one of the best ambassadors professional wrestling had in Canada. This book is a coming-of-age story that describes this young man’s roots as an Armed Forces brat to successful student and college graduate all while living out his dream of becoming a professional wrestler, and then becoming a successful promoter and trainer. And yet, if you’re like me, you may not have been familiar with who this person is. However, you would know his legacy. Without this man, there would have never been a “Rated R Superstar”, a “Five Second Pose” nor would there have been the promise of “Sweet Stratusfaction”. This book is the story of Ron Hutchison and the story of the “Intelligent and Sensational Masked Thunderbolt”. It is also a book I highly recommend any wrestling fan pick this book up.
So, to be absolutely clear, I have not read a biography of someone involved in professional wrestling in its entirety. It wasn’t really my kind of thing, because with maybe the exception of Kurt Angle, it was hard to relate to people physically built like the Olympians of mythology. I’ve been a wrestling fan for years, but most of that time has been spent in the Freestyle and Greco- Roman environment. However, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to appreciate those involved in professional wrestling who actually know how to wrestle. Really, the best professionals are those who you could easily see compete at an amateur wrestling event and not be out of place. They knew how to take you down, control you and ultimately, pin you. They know how to push someone to their limits and not need to rely on the fancy spots or the daredevil antics to get their point across. When I first learned that Mr. Hutchison fell into this category, I became intrigued. And then I saw some of his matches on YouTube. Yep, when in doubt of someone’s credentials, go to YouTube and see for yourself. I did, and despite the bookings and Hutchison coming up on the short end of the stick, he was someone I could immediately relate to. It’s why I wanted to go pick up his book, and why I read it in two nights. The book tells his story and what he did from an early age to pursue his dream of becoming a professional wrestler. You read how he worked hard to be in the best shape he could be, how he joined the school wrestling team to get the experience he felt he needed, how he picked up judo and boxing at the local YMCA with an eye single to his objective. Early in the book, you learn of Hutchison’s drive and determination. You can see yourself in his story as his pursuit of his own excellence is no different than you or me. Where he took a world of no’s and had them become yes.
The book also shines a light on what the pro wrestling scene was like in Eastern Canada in the mid to late 1980’s. When the country was dealing with big issues such as the NEP, a housing price crisis, the election of Brian Mulroney, Meech Lake and the denouement of the Cold War, we read about how the pro wrestling business took itself seriously and worked hard to preserve the magic. You learn about heels and faces, where they eat, where they sleep, how they interact and what you were expected to do in either role. You read of the road stories that shine a light on “what happens on the road stays on the road”. At the same time that Hutchison was entertaining crowds in the Maritimes, we also learn of Vince McMahon’s expansion into Canada and what that would mean for the business. Hutchison had a front row seat and played a part in shaping how that story evolved. That evolution also meant transforming Hutchison’s pseudo-Bob Backlund gimmick into the role he is more famously known: the mask wearing, sharp talking heel, the Masked Thunderbolt. That said, I didn’t mind the good guy gimmick. I always enjoy rooting for the underdog. I support those whom I can relate to. But, for his story to evolve and to progress to where we are now, this heel turn had to happen. As fate would have it, it turned out to be the best move Hutchison made. This role he maintained until the end of his competitive years.
And although I’m likely to get a slam or a low blow for not consistently referencing him as the “Intelligent and Sensational Masked Thunderbolt”, there’s something called brevity and there should be an emphasis on the content of the book, not necessarily on the name of the one who wrote it. Please forgive me as I chuckle to myself from the comfort of my Calgary home that I can also be whimsical when I want to be. My wife has told me repeatedly I was born twenty years too late; I belonged in an earlier era. The fact that I not only appreciate Thunderbolt’s quick thinking on the microphone, I’m pretty sure I could verbally throw down with him as if I belonged in his era. What can I say? As I get older, I get edgier.
Concerning the content, as a heel, you are treated to understanding the role of a face and heel in a wrestling match. What that looks like would actually surprise you, but I won’t tell you here. You have to read it to appreciate it. The other thing you read about his years as a heel is how that technical wrestling knowledge he possessed allowed for some legitimate contests and allowed for matches to take shape naturally. Instead of calling out each and every spot and micro-managing it, Thunderbolt’s M.O was clear: go wrestle. Go out there and just do it. Don’t think about it; just let it happen and let the story tell itself. Notwithstanding that, you had to know how to tell the story and you learn about what it takes to tell a story in the ring. Thunderbolt knew how to tell a story and he made sure those he wrestled against knew it too. Whether as a heel or a face, our author could adapt to either role because he knew that being able to adapt and work with what you’re given, you can make some quality magic.
At this point in the book, we also learn more about Ron Hutchison, the man. The Ryerson Graduate, the husband and the father. We read about how his family became a larger priority for him and that the time would come where long extended periods of travel just wasn’t working. Ron came home, but the wrestling world was not done with him. We then learn more about the famous Sully’s Gym in Toronto and Hutchison’s wrestling training school, including where he received a letter from a young Adam Copeland who wrote about why he wanted to be trained. And that letter was impressive enough that Copeland got the training for free and now we know him as WWE Hall of Famer Edge. But he wasn’t the only one. We read about how Christian, Gail Kim, Beth Phoenix and the famous Trish Stratus were trained by Mr. Hutchison and learn about where their success took them. As a trainer, Hutchison expected no less from his students than he did himself. He pushed his people, he broke his people, but he also developed and rebuilt his people into stronger competitors. It wasn’t just about running the ropes and taking bumps; Hutchison was doing what I have come to love most about wrestling: that the sport is truly a metaphor for life and whether you wrestle for a gold medal or a championship belt, the sport and the effort you put in teaches you more about yourself than you ever thought you’d know. You also learn about your own relationship to the sport and how much you’re willing to give to it. Hutchison has given his life to it and it shows throughout the book, especially when 25 years after his first competitive run, the Masked Thunderbolt returned to the Maritimes and gave it another go against the younger generation. Our protagonist may have been a bit more seasoned, but you watch the matches on the Internet, and you wouldn’t believe he’s as old as he professed himself to be. This is passion defined.
The book includes more anecdotes and life stories, including some that I will not spoil here (seriously, get the book and you’ll come to a point where you’ll likely ask yourself whether it was real or scripted. It was very real and corroborated. Yet, the best part of the book comes at the end where Ron Hutchison the man and The Intelligent and Sensational Masked Thunderbolt the athlete come together: The Cauliflower Alley Club. As you read about the CAC and its goals, I would not be surprised if you found yourself asking if you were chopping onions because your eyes will water up. Mine did as you read about the people behind the gimmick, who give their all to the rest of us and long after hanging up their boots, are still bound together by the passion they share and experiences they forged over the years. You learn about how Hutchison received the CAC’s first Trainer’s Award for the work he has done as a trainer and how even his own students received honours through the CAC. As someone looking in on this world, this part of the book pulled at my heart that I find myself wanting to do something to support the CAC and its goals and I’ve never been involved in this aspect of the wrestling world. It feels like a call to service and although it was not the intent while writing it, Hutchison’s message of family and fellowship is one of the most beautiful I’ve ever read.
Finally, at the end of it all, what I’m left with as a reader is a window into the world of a man who in many ways, reminds me of myself and I see in his words my own story, my goals and aspirations. And I’m left asking if I will be as successful as Mr. Hutchison when I get to be his age. The answer to that question rests solely in my camp: age is but a number, you’re only as successful as the effort you put in, and the only person holding you back is you. Hutchison confronted his own doubts, his shortcomings, his fears and more. The end result is what you see today. I see myself as I pursue my goal of competing at the US Masters Wrestling Open channelling the spirit of the Thunderbolt in what I do and when I do it. His training classes involved the Pain, Torture and Agony mentioned at the beginning of the review. They’ll nowbecome part of my own repertoire and I will get to add another person to the list of heroes who remind me on the daily to keep going and not give up.
To my new friend Ron Hutchison, I thank you for the opportunity I had to share part of your world in reading this book. It’s a labour of love and I look forward to returning to it over and over again. I cannot wait to see you in person one day and say this to you face to face. To the Intelligent and Sensational Masked Thunderbolt, I hope to see you in the ring again. You proved lighting struck twice in the same location. Let’s make it a third because I know the world is not done with you. We want ONE. MORE. MATCH. And then another and another after that, until the day where you leave those boots in the middle of the ring.
To those who took the time to read this up until the end, please do yourselves a favour and go pick up this book today. I hope if you do, you’ll enjoy it the way I did. It’s a piece of Canadian history that should never be forgotten.
Respectfully submitted,
Jeremy W. Woolward 20 January 2021 Calgary, Alberta
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