Journey To The Great White North - Julian Ward

Hi there, my name is Julian Ward (PWDU Top 50 #2, 2022) and for those who don’t know me, probably everyone, I’ve been wrestling around Australia for the last 9 years.

In 2020, I made the difficult decision to move to Toronto, Canada to further my wrestling career. We all know what happened next so I spent the last 3 years wrestling in Perth with occasional trips to Adelaide and Sydney. In March, three years to the day since I first left, I returned to Canada and after a stint wrestling in California, now live indefinitely in Toronto.

It is notably difficult for Aussies to get long term American visas and with Impact & AEW consistently running in Canada – Toronto was the perfect spot. Since arriving it took me and my partner a while to get settled but the last month or so I’ve focused in on wrestling, training at Battlearts academy in Mississauga and taking any bookings that come my way.

Its not easy – no connections makes getting on the desirable shows difficult. Finding your way to shows in the middle of nowhere takes some effort. But if you’re serious about wrestling, just like the old timers at some point you are going to have to move on to a new territory. New people to learn from and work with and opportunities to advance your career.

Don’t be a big fish in a small pond. Humble yourself and go start from the bottom somewhere new, even if just for a while. You’ll be much better for it. Oh and get yourself a supportive partner who’s happy to ruin their own life so you can have a shot at glory. Helps.

To be continued.