When Corey Cyr walks into a wrestling ring, he always carries the flag of Pasqua First Nation.
"It's extremely important to me and it's one of the ways that I'm trying to incorporate more of my culture into the wrestling world," said Cyr.
The 33-year old professional wrestler was born in B.C., but grew-up on Pasqua First Nation, located in Saskatchewan, about 65 kilometres northeast of Regina.
On Jan. 10, he stepped onto the international stage by debuting on (AEW), one of the major players in the global wrestling market.
"They're currently the second-largest North American TV wrestling company behind the WWE, and I got to wrestle against Matt Hardy from the Hardy Boyz, who has been around for 25-plus years."
Cyr, who is better known as Sebastian Wolfe in the ring, fell in love with wrestling when he was only four years old.
"My Grandma Gloria was a huge fan and she would never miss an episode," he said."When she used to babysit us, she'd sit us down in front of the TV and I was just captured by it instantly."
Watching pro wrestlers fly off the ropes and pound the mat fascinated and inspired Cyr early on.
"They were like real life superheroes come to life, and instead of exploring other sports, I dreamed about what it would be like to see myself in arenas and what I might look like as an adult wrestler."
Fan fascination transformed into passionate participation in 2018 when he was accepted into a professional training program in B.C.
The trainers at , in Surrey, B.C., spent seven months preparing him for his first match. They also helped him create his in-ring persona.
"There's showmanship and you have to play your character," said Cyr. "I was very adamant about being a bad guy right out of the gate because they just have more fun out there."
With the theatrics, there's also a lot of skill and athleticism. Cyr trains in the wrestling ring at least three times a week and hits the gym almost every day.
He says the hard work is worth it, not just because his career is progressing, but because he is making his home nation proud.
"There's never been a whole lot of representation for Indigenous pro wrestlers," he said. "I'm a third-generation residential school survivor, my dad and grandparents went through that system, so it is important for me to stand for my culture."
Not only does Cyr carry his nation's flag, he also has two red hands on his wrestling boots as a way to pay tribute to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and Two-Spirit People.
"I hope to help shine a spotlight and generate awareness about some of the issues my people face today."
In addition to his AEW appearance, Cyr has wrestled at independent shows in B.C., Alberta and Manitoba.
When travelling to matches, he's part of a tag team called State of Emergency. His partner Anthony Tiessen, who is known professionally as Miles Deville, can often be seen launching into the air while Cyr tackles their opponents.
"I just love wrestling and I am driven more than ever to succeed and build my career," said Cyr.
As for what comes next, he says he'll keep training and keep travelling to matches in hopes of landing an big pro wrestling contract.
