The road to finding himself took Canadian wrestler Cameron Toms out of the sport because of a broken heart and shattered dreams. Eventually, it took him to England to reawaken his fighting spirit.
Now his alter ego CAM!!ikaze has returned to the road once again with Canadian Wrestling’s Elite and the Rumble To Remember Tour that kicks off this weekend and heads west to 13 towns in a row through November 27th.
CAM!!ikaze was a CWE original when the company launched in 2009 and the high-flying attraction has been anchoring CWE tours in 2024, wrestling against stars like The Headline Shaun Martens, “Zombie Princess” Jimmy Jacobs, and AJ Sanchez.
Sporting colorful dreadlocks and neon tights, “The Crazy MoFo” took on talents from all styles across the circuit, earning praise from the fans and the locker room.
It’s hard to imagine how Cameron Toms took CAM!!ikaze away from the sport he loves.
“On May 22, 2016, I had what I thought was my last match in my hometown of Medicine Hat, Alberta,” the 37-year-old Toms told SlamWrestling.net. Yes, he fibbed about his age to break into the game in 2004.
After the break-up of a three-year relationship, he forsook a booking in England with Brian Dixon‘s All Star Wrestling, a chance arranged by a star in Stampede Wrestling in the 1980s, Frank Cullen aka Robbie Stewart.
“I gave up on myself in a lot of ways and tried to be normal for once in an attempt to get her back. But that never worked either,” he explained.
“I was lost for a long time. Seven years. Working jobs that were not me not fulfilling. Just trying to fit into society, be a civilian. I was scared and felt guilty even considering getting back in a ring again. I felt cursed.”
Toms moved back to his hometown from Calgary during the pandemic after seeing “how bonkers things were getting in a major metropolitan area. It was the final straw that turned me off from big city living.”
And he picked an important time to make up for the lost time from his family during his 12-year in-ring career.
His father had multiple leg surgeries. “It timed out perfectly me coming back home so I was there to help him out take care of the house during his recovery. I would pray a lot, wanting to give back help. And ask and you shall receive.”
Toms had a 62-year-old neighbor with Multiple Sclerosis named Jerry Bearg, and he took on the role of personal caregiver, sometimes on-call round-the-clock to ensure the infirm man could eat, bathe and have a life with basic dignity.
“He had lots of lift systems installed in his home but I quickly won him over by just deadlifting him right out of bed putting him in his chair. Or on the toilet. Or in bed. Wherever he needed to go,” he said. “Cut out a lot of time strapping him up attaching him to his lifts and stuff. It didn’t take long. I became one of his number one helpers and found myself in the home care field, giving him his meds, taking care of his dog, emergency calls late in the night. It worked well seeing as I was just across the street from him.”
Though Toms had no formal schooling in home care, “everything just kinda fell into place. It was like a test from God. I asked to help and give back and He most certainly gave me that opportunity.”
The opportunity helped Toms mature and gain perspective.
“Home care is not for everybody but I learned I could do it and found it to be the most fulfilling thing next to wrestling. Just helping somebody with things that we just take for granted. He was a blessing in my life.”
After Bearg passed away in early 2023, Toms says he “just had this moment where I’m not getting any younger; life is short and precious. My love of wrestling never died.”
He had maintained his conditioning and never stopped hitting the gym, and betting on himself, he cold booked an overseas flight and hit the bricks to knock on doors.
“I was very lucky finding Joel Redman, the first ever NXT tag team champion with Adrian Neville/PAC. Joel is considered the man out in the UK and I trained at his All Star Wrestling South school and started taking bookings.” There were up to 10 matches a week, while learning from World of Sport legend Steve Grey, WWE NXT trainer James Mason, and members of the NXT roster.
Again, his new life gave him perspective and some added wisdom.
“I ended up living on a farm right off the ocean in South Salisbury with a rookie wrestler, Nathan Angel, and his family. They took me in as one of their own. We didn’t have a lot of downtime but when we did we worked out on the farm herding sheep. Very blessed the way everything worked out.”
Fascinated by the British style, Toms embraced the technical style of grappling and the traditional rounds system for bouts, and took bookings in venues using the old-style rings of the 1970s.
“I got myself over and established with many promoters and talent out that way,” Toms explains.
When he came back to Canada, Toms knew a return to CWE was inevitable.
“Danny Duggan had lined up a string of shows for him myself, Bobby Sharp, and Eclipse — my tag partner in Winnipeg and surrounding area in 2007,” recalled Toms.
Shortly after Duggan opened CWE two years later, the duo earned a Ring of Honor tag team tryout. “I think we really laid the ground work helping solidify CWE as the top touring company moving forward in Canada. Cool to be a part of that [to] help lay the foundation,” said Toms.
And part of the foundation of becoming a well-rounded wrestler is by doing what CWE does — provide bookings for weeks at a time.
“Reps, reps, reps! That’s how you get good, improve, learn to adjust in front of different audiences. You get in a good groove and get amazing ring wind doing this every night. It’s fantastic for up and coming rookies,” he asserted. “You have the vets watching, critiquing your work every night and you’re working with names on the tour and other experienced wrestlers from all over North America and the world.”
With CWE this year, the headlining vets giving feedback include Puerto Rico’s Savio Vega, “The Franchise” Shane Douglas, “The Mountie” Jacques Rougeau Jr., and on the upcoming Rumble To Remember tour, Juventud Guerrera.
“You’re living the life doing what you love to do and nothing else,” enthuses Toms.
He can’t wait for the Rumble tour to start.
“The crowds are amazing in Winnipeg, Medicine Hat, Saskatoon, Prince Albert, Yorkton, we have very engaged crowds everywhere. Dedicated fans. Great family audiences, lots of kids. Those are the best audiences to wrestle in front of — families and kids. You can really get them riled up play with emotions. Learn, understand psychology best in front if those audiences. Learn to listen to a crowd.”
The accelerated improvement of CWE youngsters who have done the tours to Ontario, Saskatchewan and Alberta is pronounced, viewed through the eyes of CAM!!ikaze.
“I think Chad Daniels is somebody to watch out for. Josh ‘Cheeks’ Holliday if he can put on more size and finds that aggressive edge. I really impressed with Jackson Conway as well,” he mentioned. “After the bell rings, I’ll be keeping my guard up and eyes peeled when you have talents like the CWE champion Mentallo, AJ Sanchez and Duggan. The competition is extremely high so you better be on your A Game with these guys.”
On Saturday, November 16, CWE is holding its always-anticipated annual 50-Man Rumble to Remember in Winnipeg, the biggest match talent-wise in the country. CAM!!ikaze knows the score.
“There’s always surprise entrants and veterans traveling to appear in the Rumble. Maybe my first trainer Chi Chi Cruz this year? Who knows? Gotta be ready for everything!”
The CWE 50 Man Rumble To Remember is happening Saturday, November 16th at the Holy Eucharist Parish Centre, 460 Munroe Avenue in
Winnipeg. Bell time is 7:00 pm and fans can purchase tickets online at cwetickets.com or at the door.
The Rumble To Remember tour:
Fri Nov 15th- Gladstone, MB
Sat Nov 16th- Winnipeg, MB
Sun Nov 17th- Carlyle, SK
Mon Nov 18th- Estevan, SK
Tues Nov 19th- Regina, SK
Wed Nov 20th- Swift Current, SK
Thurs Nov 21st- Medicine Hat, AB
Fri Nov 22nd- Edmonton, AB
Sat Nov 23rd- Saskatoon, SK
Sun Nov 24th- Prince Albert, SK
Mon Nov 25th- Yorkton, SK
Tues Nov 26th- Cote First Nation, SK
Wed Nov 27th – Sioux Valley First Nations
TOP PHOTO: CAM!!ikaze in action during a match. Photo by Mark Whatman
RELATED LINKS
- CAM!!ikaze socials: Instagram * YouTube * Facebook ( “You can message me on Instagram for bookings or if you just wanna say hello!”)
- Nov. 4, 2012: Colourful Camikaze known for crazy moves
