By “MASSIVE DAMAGE” SEAN DUNSTER – For SlamWrestling.net
Going on these northern tours is among the most challenging, rewarding, and memorable things I have ever done. What you see in The Death Tour documentary captures everything you don’t see outside the events.
Tony Condello is the one who brought me into the tour, and I love working with him. When I was younger, I had a reputation for partying a lot and doing some things I shouldn’t be doing, but he never let that get in the way of hiring me. He was a father figure to me. Partly because I could show up to work, and he let me be my own person.
For the five to six tours I’ve been on, I’ve helped him get talent, helped with booking the shows, and he’s given me some great advice. Tony has been one of the greatest things to happen in my life, and I can’t thank him enough.
I love doing these tours, but they are far from the easiest things to do on earth. It is a grind, and only a few people can finish them. Sometimes, shows get cancelled, and you won’t get paid. But, once you finish it, that’s how you know you are built for the wrestling life. Top guys like Chris Jericho, Christian Cage, Adam Copeland and Kenny Omega have been on these tours and have gone on to do big things in the industry. But recently the tours have been changing to something more modern. There are many better accommodations — even the ring is a little more giant. But I despise the travelling part.
You never know what to expect when you constantly drive from one place to another in these Ice Age-like conditions. Sometimes, you must drive on frozen lakes, and it’s terrifying. I’ve driven over it dozens of times when it was melting. You’d be in your van watching it, and not sure if you’ll be the reenactment of the Titanic. We had to cancel an event because only four people made it over, and our ring was too heavy and sank into the lake. We had to tow it out like we were ice fishing. Every tour, there are experiences like these.
With the bad comes the good. The tours have helped me meet tons of people. Like Sage Morin, she’s an absolute sweetheart. She’s warm, embracive, and overall fantastic. She is literally her character, “The Matriarch.” Yes, you get your sour grapes occasionally, but other colleagues and the feeling you get being in the ring make up for it.
Filming the documentary was extremely fun. The film crew and I became terrific friends. They filmed almost everything we did, even stuff that shouldn’t be on the big screen. Like when they jokingly took a shot of my bottom and told me they were going to add it to the movie. Luckily, they just did it for laughs — and my girlfriend didn’t need a warning. Director Stephan Peterson and I continued our friendship even after the documentary was finished. Although it was fun, what happened during the tour they covered was eye-opening.
Throughout this tour, it was brought to our attention that up north, there is an epidemic of suicides. During filming, there are things that I don’t see because they happen somewhere else or because they have a greater meaning. Some people can’t even do their traditions anymore and have limits on what they can do. That’s something I do hope that people take away from the documentary, that they need help here. In the film, I want the viewers to see what conditions these communities face.
In the tour I’m currently doing, Sage and I wanted to create meetings to raise awareness of the problem and to understand what goes on here. Tony is fully supportive of what we’re doing and encourages it. We want to provide help in any way we can.
I hope you enjoy watching The Death Tour and see what I’m talking about.
–As told to Arin De Castro
EDITOR’S NOTE: The Death Tour is not available yet for streaming. Follow along at The Death Tour Website for updates.
TOP PHOTO: Sean Dunster — Massive Damage — as seen in The Death Tour documentary. Photo by Stephan Peterson
RELATED LINKS
- Aug. 7, 2024: Giving life to ‘The Death Tour’
- Jan. 19, 2024: Take a cold, magical, beautiful trip on ‘The Death Tour’
- Jun 27, 2001: Happily inflicting Massive Damage
- SlamWrestling.net guest column archive
