One of Ballarat's most highly-regarded rugby union players is well on his way to making his mark in another field of battle.
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Tom Azarnikow has turned his athletic hand to professional wrestling, pursuing a childhood dream.
In a move which could appear unusual to the casual observer, embracing the grapple game has had huge benefits for Azarnikow's mental and physical wellbeing. He has lost weight as a result of increased exercise and there have been positive ramifications for his self-esteem.
"I'm very happy with myself at the moment," Ballarat Highlanders star Azarnikow said, reflecting on where he is at in his new venture.
"There are areas where I can infinitely improve, but six months in, I am stoked."
When making his in-ring wrestling debut for the Mayhem Pro promotion in Colac in June, Azarnikow was immediately struck with feelings he had not previously experienced.
"I've run out for big games of rugby, leading the pack, but this was something different," he said.
"It was intense. I knew where my match was on the card; I knew when I was entering. As soon as my music hit, I thought, 'This is it. This is what I have practiced in the bathroom for over the last 28 years!
"As soon as I heard the (crowd's) noise, a roar, I thought, 'This is good'. I was riding the high from the Saturday right up until the Tuesday afterwards."
The road to the squared circle has been a long one for the St Patrick's College alumnus.
"It was around Grade 2 or Grade 3," Azarnikow said of a fateful time, many years ago now, when professional wrestling entered his consciousness.
"I went to a mate's for a sleepover; he loved his wrestling and I'd never heard of it. He chucked on a match. I loved it.
"The first thing was the athleticism. Seeing a grown man do the splits, with a ponytail, wearing a tight leotard ... It sounds bizarre, but I thought this guy was cool.
"It was the whole kit and kaboodle. It was the perfect combination."
An immense fascination with sports entertainment began.
"I was invested in it," Azarnikow recalled of his early days of wrestling fandom.
"Every week, I'd come home and watch (wrestling television programs) Raw on Tuesday night and Smackdown on Wednesday night."
After a brief hiatus from the glitz and glamour of World Wrestling Entertainment, the global pandemic brought the often-maligned phenomenon back into Azarnikow's life.
"It was as good as I remembered."
Azarnikow wondered whether he could do what his onscreen idols were able to accomplish and he began working towards his dream of becoming a professional wrestler.
"I signed up with the gymnastics school in Ballarat, Ballarat Gym Sports," Azarnikow said.
"They were fantastic, super welcoming. I did six months of stuff there, like flips and handstands, with the long-term thinking of doing wrestling at some point.
"There was a small glimmer of hope that, one day, I would be able to step into a ring."
Fate, good fortune, commitment, and passion also played a role as Azarnikow tells it.
"The Relentless School of Pro-Wrestling popped up on the internet," he said.
"I set it as a New Year's resolution. I could commit to this. I started training.
"I set myself a six-month goal to have my first match. I popped it in the calendar. The first match they asked me to do was one week prior to that date.
"The rest is history."
There is little doubt as to the level of dedication required by Azarnikow for his passion project.
"I pop down to Melton two, three, or sometimes four times a week," he said.
"I go down after work, do two hours of training, come back, go to bed, and repeat.
"It is physically demanding. It is a different to rugby. Rugby is 80 minutes of long intensity; wrestling has a lot of explosiveness. It is taxing, but the fitter you are, the more you get out of it."
Azarnikow is also aware of the cynics and critics, those who label professional wrestling 'fake' or who abhor it for its violence or both.
"If they were to watch a good match, they would think, 'Wow! Maybe it's not fake'," Azarnikow said.
"I invite them to give it a proper watch.
"If you're a wrestling doubter, and you go to a local show, you'll probably be turned by the end of the night."
Going by the ring name 'Tommy A' and playing the role of a 'babyface' (industry jargon for a 'good guy'), Azarnikow is set for his next bout.
He will line-up at promotion Mayhem Pro's 'Mayhem in the Marsh: Married at First Fight' at the Bacchus Marsh Public Hall on July 23.
The card also features Anthony from television series 'Married at First Sight' in the main event with JXT.
As far as the future is concerned, Azarnikow is taking things one bodyslam at a time.
"My goal was to debut," he said.
"Now I've debuted, what's the next step?
"My current ambition is to put on some amazing matches. The opportunities are endless."
- JAMES COUZENS
