** I’ve had a slew of requests to do interviews & am planning on doing one or two a week. Within the next week, I hoping to have Kevin Steen (Canada) & Chance Prophet (NWA). If there is someone you would like to see interviewed, please just let me know. **
NATE STEIN: First off, thank you for doing this interview. For those who may not know you or know much about you, what would you first like to say about yourself?
FRED LA MERVEILLE/WONDER FRED: I have a special wrestling style. I’ve been trained by the great Marc Le Grizzly and I’ve patterned my style combining skills and my personality in real life. That’s how the crazy mix between wrestling and comedy came about. All of which are done to give the fans a good match at the end.
STEIN: What got you into wrestling?
FRED: Basically, it’s trying to make my dream come true. I followed wrestling for over 20 years, and I used to try to rip-off what I saw on TV with my best friend, Mathieu, now known as eXeSs. By the way, I was the one who actually brought him to even like the business. He was the one though, who presented me to then owner of the Montreal Wrestling Federation, Benoit Chalifoux. He had just received his ring from the constructor and he offered me to wrestle for him. That’s how I got started. Then, after a couple of years of wrestling there, became the owner of the MWF, and am still to this day. I then got a try-out match with the IWS, wrestling the Green Phantom, as a babyface. Everyone that knows me knows that I hate being a face. My next match in the IWS was against Pat Hamilton, and I then created Fred La Merveille and loved the match. I still think that this match served has an introduction to old school wrestling to the IWS and its fans. After that, The Syndicate de Lutte International was created pitting Damian and Viking has its first members.
STEIN: So, who would win in a fight? You or Excess?
FRED: Very easy question there, him!!!
STEIN: In many of your matches, there have been references to Ray Trailer, the WWF’s Big Boss Man. What influence has he had on you?
FRED: I’m very nostalgic and The Bossman was very involved in wrestling when I started watching it. It didn’t necessarily mean he was my favourite, but his death honestly touched me.
STEIN: The SLI is a prominent force in some of the promotions you work for. How did the SLI come about?
FRED: Well the SLI is mostly only used in the IWS. It was created when then Angry Aryans, Damian and Viking finished their rivalry against FOD and Iceberg. I talked them into joining my stable and introduced them for the first time in a tag match against HI-5 (Beef Wellington and Kid Kamikaze). At that time, the IWS was an English only federation and French fans didn’t really manifest themselves at shows. So we decided to created the SLI to help bring French and help the French fans rebel against the English fans by creating a language battle. We also defended separatism from Canada. It worked well from the start. One of my fondest memory of it was when the English fans proceeded by singing the Canadian National Anthem as we were doing a pro-separatism speech. It will always remain has one of my greatest IWS moment
STEIN: You came within an inch of defeating the then IWS World champion Kevin Steen for the title before your former “Syndicate de Lutte International” (SLI) member Damien interfered in the match. What are your plans on getting even against Damien?
FRED: The first thing in my mind is to have a match against Damian for the first time where I can get even with him.
STEIN: Outside of getting revenge on Damien, who are some other people you’d like to face off against?
FRED: I’d like to wrestle everyone in Quebec wrestling if possible, but other then my fierce revenge against Damian, I’d like to get revenge on Stevie Mcfly in another IRONMAN match this year. I really loved that match we did at the last Camp Bosco MWF Show in Valleyfield. Can’t even believe that I did 1 hour in the ring and I was able to continue after that match. I remember after the match, fans chanting another hour hahaha. Also, I’d like to face Kevin Steen also with whom I had, in my opinion, my greatest match in 2004.
STEIN: At WrestleFest, you faced off in a three-way against Kid Kamikaze and Stevie Mcfly in what was called the match of the night. What were your thoughts on that match?
FRED: Another one of my favorite matches of 2004 there. This match did a lot of positive things to me, since I was in a downward spiral, wrestling wise, in my opinion, prior to it. I was very critical of my work and the ovation that we received after this match put me back in perspective. We arrived as unknown guys there, and left with a standing ovation, that was something to remember.
STEIN: From what you’ve said, it seems like you would be a harsh evaluator in general…so, I could imagine for yourself, you’re even more so. When you see a tape of yourself wrestling, is there something you normally criticize yourself about doing?
FRED: I wanna make sure that the match has good psychology, I really like when the match is well built.
STEIN: What has been some of your other recent matches?
FRED: I wrestled eXeSs in Quebec at EWR on December 19th and on December 18th, I wrestled alongside Ghyslain “Le Viking” Gratton against Tomassino and Matt Classic at the IWS.
STEIN: What do you think is unique about wrestling in Quebec?
FRED: For one thing, the massive amount of talent in Quebec Wrestling that is still unknown from the United States. There are still a lot more that should be discovered.
STEIN: What do you think of the popularity people like Kevin Steen, El Generico, Beef Wellington, & others from Quebec have been getting in the states?
FRED: To see friends get notice in other places than Quebec makes me very proud. I’m very happy for them and wish them to keep on working hard to achieve their dream. BTW, oh, and by the way, if you’re a boss in any company in Montreal, do not hire those guys, they will screw you over…trust me
STEIN: With it being the start of a new year, as owner, what are some of things we should come to expect in 2005 in MWF?
FRED: Get back were we left off in 2003. When we lost our venue in early 2004, we were never able to get back in the game, like we used to be before. I was so down, I even thought about quitting and closing it all down before a miracle saved the day. I got back into contact with the new owner of our old venue, and we can now say that, this venue is now our own, MWF ARENA. We came into a agreement that this location will be exclusive property of the MWF, a dream for a lot of wrestling organizations. Our first show back will be on Jan. 29th, and for the occasion, we will have Pierre Carl Ouellette wrestling. People in Valleyfield never had the chance of seeing him since his departure from the WWE, so it will be a chance for them to see Peace!
STEIN: If there is one thing you could change about wrestling today, what would it be?
FRED: Well in Quebec, I’d like to be able to recreate the old Lutte International but with the current wrestling style, with all the popularity they used to have…
STEIN: If you could create the old Lutte International, what would you want to see happen?
FRED: A Television contract, a show every week, with Quebec talents from every feds.
STEIN: Where are you working coming up?
FRED: I have a very busy January, but here it goes. On Jan. 8th, I will wrestle in Quebec for EWR against Damien Steel, with the main event being eXeSs and Christopher Daniels VS A.J Styles and Kevin Steen. Then on Jan 14th, I will wrestle for a new Montreal federation, the MWO, and I’m wrestling a bright new Montreal prospect, Link. I will play my French Fry character in that one by the way. Then on Jan.15th, I will wrestle in the IWS. On Jan. 22th, I will wrestle on Marc Le Grizzly’s New Year Madness alongside my tag partner from the SLI, Ghyslain “Le Viking” Vachon. Then on Jan.29th, The MWF will hold a show in Valleyfield. My opponent for that show is still unknown.
STEIN: Are there any other promotions you would like to branch out & work in?
FRED: I’ve worked in a lot of feds in Quebec, MWF, IWS, EWR, NCW, ICW, FLQ and I appreciated my presences in each one of them. This year, id like to go and have at least one match in the United States, just to say that I did it once at least, it would be a hell of an experience!
STEIN: What are some of your immediate plans in wrestling?
FRED: My main plan is to continue having fun while wrestling. Contrary to a lot of the guys, I only think of wrestling has a pastime. I also dream and plan on presenting a show in my native city, Ste Anne Des Plaines where I live…and where it’s always boring.
STEIN: By chance, do you have a website?
FRED: No, but, you can always visit the MWF website – WWW.MWFONLINE.CA
STEIN: Is there anything else you would like to add or to have people know about you?
FRED: A Big thanks for all my friends and fans that cheers for me and thanks for all the great feedback I’ve been having from them.
