Yellowknife (Mar 21/03) - Stars of the Can Am Wrestling Federation grappled and walloped each other around the ring for a good cause at the Explorer Hotel last weekend.

The event, which was put on by the Native Women's Association as a fundraiser for its victim services program, was supposed to be held Friday and Saturday but Friday's event had to be cancelled due to lack of interest.

Audrey Zoe, co-ordinator of victim services, blamed lack of advertising and a last-minute venue change for the first-night flop, but said the second night was a regular body slam.

"We had over 150 people," she said. "Everybody had such a great time they said they would bring their friends next time."

Zoe said the event still netted $150 for the organization and she would like to hold it again.

"Next time we'll make sure we have more time to put up posters to get the word out," she said. "We need some more community involvement to make it more of a success."

Pro wrestler All American Steve Rivers said he does a lot of fundraisers, but this is the first time he's wrestled in Yellowknife.

"As long as somebody is benefitting from what we do, I say that's great," he said.

Rivers said life on the wrestling circuit is far from glamorous.

"People don't realize we spend a lot of 18-hour days in the back of our van then have to get out and give 100 per cent," he said.

"We do a lot of small towns, a lot of native communities and out-of-the-way places that the bigger wrestling leagues don't get to so there's a lot of travel involved."

Rivers' rival wrestler, Mr. Beefy Goodness, added that the job is physically taxing.

"Sometimes every one of my muscles aches," he said. "My spine is so twisted it looks like the road to Yellowknife."