Say hello to Stuart McLellan’s bad side.
He’s mean, he’s dirty, he’s ruthless and he has an utter desire to hurt people. He’s Stu Krool, and he’s as ‘krool’ as they come.
Well-known to many lakecity residents as a longtime, professional boxer and former Canadian champion, McLellan stepped inside the squared circle for his professional wrestling debut this past month with Edmonton, Alta.-based Monster Pro Wrestling (MPW).
A vignette aired Jan. 27 on the MPW YouTube channel introducing Krool to the wrestling promotion as a member of a faction called The Savages, alongside wrestlers Wrath and Propane.
Currently in a heated feud with the GenZExpress, The Savages sought out Krool to even the odds after recently dropping their coveted tag team titles to the GenZExpress.
Looking to tilt the scales back in The Savages’ favour, Krool took on GenZExpress member Buckshot Bobby Brake in his first-ever wrestling match released the following day, Jan. 28.
Brake, a 19 year old and also a relative newcomer to the sport of pro wrestling, discovered Krool isn’t one to mess with, as Krool secured the pinfall with a low blow in classic heel (bad guy in pro wrestling) fashion for the win.
“I’m an honourable man,” Krool told the perplexed referee, who haphazardly missed the finishing blow, while Krool turned to the camera and pressed his index finger to his lips giving a ‘shhhhhhh’ gesture to the online audience.
McLellan’s love for the sport of professional wrestling began at a young age. With three brothers — Roberto, the oldest, and Arthur and Duncan, both younger – there was no shortage of backyard rumbles taking place at the McLellan household.
“It was our favourite thing to watch on TV,” McLellan said. “We had all the wrestling toys and all that, and that’s all that was on TV when my dad was around. It was either boxing or wrestling, and we fell in love with it back then.”
While boxing began to takeover as McLellan’s focus due to more available amateur opportunities and, ultimately, leading him to become a professional in the sport with a now 27-win, four-loss and three-draw record, McLellan said he always wanted to train to become a pro wrestler.
“I never really had the opportunity around here,” he said. “Boxing took off, but it was always a plan of mine when I retired from boxing I would be doing pro wrestling.”
When COVID-19 turned the sporting world on its head and boxing match prospects became more and more slim, McLellan decided to take the foray into wrestling.
MPW’s current heavyweight champion, ‘Danger Zone’ Mitch Clarke, is a former UFC fighter and used to train McLellan’s wife, Audrey, in jiu jitsu. McLellan reached out and Clarke put him in touch with the right people at MPW to put the wheels in motion on a pro wrestling career.
“I didn’t know what to expect when I first went to the gym,” McLellan said. “It’s hard and demanding physically in all respects. When you hit the mat your first time it takes your breath away and you think differently about wrestling when you take your first bump.”
Krool, meanwhile, is an extension of his own personality.
“It’s basically just me being me,” he laughed. “I’m kind of a natural at being the bad guy. It’s Stuart’s bad, nasty side.”
McLellan said he’s focused on honing the craft and is looking forward to more matches, and potentially bringing an MPW show to the lakecity in the not-too-distant future.
“There’s more matches coming online and everything will be on the MPW YouTube channel,” he said. “The BC Athletic Commission was so hard to deal with [to host a boxing event].
“We’re even hoping in the distant future to open a wrestling school here in Williams Lake. It’s honestly a dream come true for me. I couldn’t ask for better circumstances to have my first match, without a crowd — there was so much less pressure. This has been just one of the high points in my life, for sure, and this is only the beginning.
“I made my way in boxing, now I’m going to make my way in wrestling.”
Check out the MPW YouTube channel for more matches, and more from Stu Krool, as it becomes available.
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