How Cassius Became Pride Of Brighton

GO BACK to August 2019 and at the end of a sweltering August day on the south coast the Neon Explosion Cassius had just made a name for himself at Riptide Wrestling.

In only his third appearance at the young Brighton promotion, the ultimate Diva Stan overcame the odds to defeat Mad Kurt in the Pride of Brighton finals.

Cassius would become Riptide’s first ever Pride of Brighton champion, winning a title medal that would entitle him to a match for the Riptide Brighton Championship.

But his road to the main event that night at the Brighton Open Air Theatre was anything but simple.

Cassius had originally been eliminated two months earlier in the opening round of the tournament by Chakara.

But when an injury to Candy Floss, who was scheduled to be Chakara’s opponent in the semi-finals, occurred it was Cassius’ chance for redemption.

“I was supposed to be on the [Bank Holiday Wrestling] show anyway, but not in the tournament,” Cassius says, recalling the events of that day.

“We’d already shot the promos for me vs Mike Bird, which happened anyway, but the coming back into the tournament was a surprise.

“I literally found out I’d be put back in the tournament the night before.

“[Riptide Promoter] Josh called me up and told me they were going to put me back in the tournament, but I remember when he told me I just had a feeling I was going to win the whole thing.

“I knew it would be a good moment if it did happen and then it was better than anything I could’ve imagined.”

The Pride of Brighton tournament featured names like Jordon Breaks, OJMO, Connor Mills, Shay Purser and the aforementioned Candy Floss, Mad Kurt and Chakara.

Among them, Cassius was a relatively new name to Riptide fans, having only featured once at the promotion before the start of the tournament – at the Riptide Rumble.

But after overcoming Chakara in the semi-finals, Cassius went on to take Mad Kurt on in the final, in the main event of Riptide’s second show of that day.

Among long-time fans, it was Kurt who seemed destined to win – having been booked in such a way that having his smarky character lift the medal seemed inevitable.

But Riptide, who had thrown out their fair share of swerves before this moment, had another up their sleeves.

In a cracking 16-minute contest, Cassius pinned the heel Kurt and the crowd went absolutely wild.

It was a moment that Cassius says will live with him forever, “I’ve been babyface for so long, wherever I’ve wrestled, so I’d hoped I’d get a good reaction.

“But with Riptide, when they first announced the poster, I just didn’t think I was going to win.

“Everyone else on there had been on Riptide for a while, and bigger shows too, and was more established.

“So, first of all, making it to the final was great, and winning it really was a surprise.

“They cheered so loud for me and it was really what I needed to hear.

“It was the validation that I needed.”

But Cassius’ biggest achievement, even having won the title, was undoubtedly managing to wrestle three matches in a single day, as temperatures soared above 27 degrees.

And the Neon Explosion reveals he had a secret weapon to keep his stamina up during the day.

He said: “I had loads of ice poles that got me through the day. Just having them there was so helpful.

“I had the first match and as I was making my entrance I thought ‘it’s a bit hot out here’.

“I was wondering how I’d manage to have three matches.

“So, I had the first match, then I had an ice pole and I just kept in the shade when I wasn’t wrestling.

“It was the crowd reaction that kept me going and knowing that this day would be special for me in my career.

“I knew that if I put in the work I’d reap the rewards.

“The final match was at night and I was so tired. Kurt had walked to the ring and I looked up and while I was tired, I would have rather been tired there than awake doing something I hated.

“I was doing something I really loved and it made me happy, it felt like WrestleMania to me. It felt really special.”

Unfortunately, the pandemic put a stop to wrestling for around a year, and in early 2021 Riptide made the decision to vacate all their titles.

But Cassius in determined to return to Riptide, once they start running shows again, and go a step further than last time to claim to Brighton Championship

“Obviously I had a shot a title shot, having won the Pride of Brighton.

“Now we don’t know what’s going to happen, but it means I get to go back into the mix.

“When I went to Riptide it was one of those times where I felt at home.

“It’s run by genuinely good people, in wrestling that can be a very rare thing.

“They treat everyone with respect there.

“If I have to prove myself again to get another shot, I’m gonna do it.

“I’m coming to snatch that championship.”

You can watch Riptide Wrestling’s documentary, Cassius: Pride of Brighton on IWTV.

How Cassius Became Pride Of Brighton

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