He has no legs, but that’s not stopping him from getting in the ring

For aspiring professional wrestlers in Windsor, the road to success starts by graduating from secretive Can-Am Wrestling School.

(The location of the school is kept quiet to avoid being bombarded by wrestling fans.)

And these days, the wrestling students have to pass by Cameron Adamson, a 34-year-old University of Windsor law graduate training to become a professional wrestling referee.

But there is one thing that makes him stand out next to his peers.

He has no legs.

Born and raised in Winnipeg, Adamson moved to Windsor in 2006 and graduated from the faculty of law three years later.

But his real passion was professional wrestling.

In January of 2017, he signed up for the Can-Am Wrestling School.

“I think the concern was that they would put me off to a corner where I might not get to do anything or they would just throw me in the ring and say, “Hey, we have a novelty (act) here,’” said Adamson.

Instead, he said the school fully embraced Adamson as part of their family.

“They work with me to make sure my safety’s protected, while also letting me do the things I’m able to do. They treat me as much a part of the family as anyone else,” said Adamson.

According to former coach Jon Bolen, Adamson has never used his lack of legs as an excuse to underperform in the ring.

“You hear that all the time. ‘Oh, Cam’s all heart.’ No. Cam’s more than just heart. He’s in there doing it. He’s doing all the grunt work just like the rest of us,” said Bolen.

Some of this grunt work includes showing up early to open the school and sweeping the ring after practice.

But it also includes paying his dues in the ring, taking body slams and performing aerial maneuvers off the top rope.

With Adamson missing both legs, there may be limitations for success in the highly-competitive world of professional wrestling.

“I can’t see him ever being signed as a full-time wrestler. But as a manager that’s involved in a storyline where he is booked in a match here and there? Yeah, I can see that as a possibility,” said Can-Am graduate Matthew Foubert.

In 2003, World Wrestling Entertainment signed Zach Gowen, the company’s first and only disabled wrestler. He performed with one leg having been amputated.

Whether he makes it on to bigger stages or not, Adamson has earned the respect of his peers.

“With a roster full of Camerons, you could put on a hell of a show,” said Bolen.

Outside the ring, Adamson also performs stand-up comedy and works as a rehab officer at South West Detention Centre.