Sask. wrestler says the sport has improved everything in his life, like Day to Night

The normal transition from day to night involves the sun going down and the moon coming out. 

But for Levi Day, getting on stage as his alter ego Levi Night means the shirt coming off, a pair of tight, sparkly stretch-pants getting pulled on and a head of long, curly red hair being let loose.

When the 22-year-old steps into the wrestling ring in front of hundreds of fans, he shines. 

"I come out dancing, having a good time," he said. "That's how I became Levi Night. Keep being yourself, don't hide yourself away."

Levi grew up in Carnduff, Sask., a small town about 250 kilometres southeast of Regina.

He says he was shy back then, and people knew him as the "fat kid." He played a lot of video games and built Lego by himself.

"I think about wrestling like it's Lego. You kind of choose your favourite pieces, and that's kind of like the things you do in every match," he said. "It's kind of like a soap opera for men."

His fascination with wrestling kept growing. In 2010, when he was eight-years-old, he travelled to Phoenix for WrestleMania 26, featuring John Cena, Shawn Michaels and the Undertaker.

Seeing all the big names in person was a turning point for Levi.

He says he got hooked on the sport and realized he wanted to pursue his dream of becoming a professional wrestler.

As Day got more dedicated to the sport, he started losing weight, but says he never really shook that feeling of being the 'fat kid.' He says wrestling gradually helped him come out of his shell.

He and his friends would act out scenes, record them and show the videos at school. 

As they got older, a lot of his friends lost interest in wrestling and moved on to other sports like hockey, but not Day. When he turned 16, he didn't ask for a car for his birthday. Instead, he asked his dad Larry to build him a wrestling ring.

The elder Day obliged, and built what they affectionately dubbed Cubby's Dungeon. Cubby is Larry's nickname.

The dungeon part of the name pays homage to the famous Hart wrestling family, who also trained in a homemade ring called 'The Dungeon' in their Calgary basement.

The space became Day's sanctuary, and he would spend long hours training.

"We got this wrestling ring and that's when the switch flipped," said Day.

"I made sure to do it every day no matter what. It was the day of my grandpa's funeral, and I was like, 'oh, better get my workout in before I go to the funeral.' I was just focused."

Before his grandpa died, Day vowed to the older man that he would become a big-time wrestler.

After graduating from high school in 2019, Day headed to Calgary to train with Lance Storm, a former pro wrestler with WCW (World Championship Wrestling) and WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment).

Since then, Day has been touring across Western Canada and has competed in more than 100 matches. He often travels with the Canadian Wrestling's Elite tour, an ongoing show with regular multi-city stops through Saskatchewan. 

The audience loves it when he busts out his best disco moves in the ring. Often, he says, they get up and dance along.

"If they knew the struggle I went through as a kid, I'm sure they would like, even respect it more," Day said. "If I could tell people, 'I was shy like you, but now look at me', right?"

The love for wrestling runs in the family. Day's father Larry also dreamed of making it big and actually left Carnduff when he was 18 to pursue it. His mother Vi was the one who encouraged him to try out in 1980 when she saw an ad in the paper. 

But Larry's dreams were cut short.

"I feel bad that Larry never got the opportunity that Levi has had," said Vi.

"It's just that we had nobody to run our business at the time, and we just kind of stuck with it. And unfortunately, Larry didn't get to be a wrestler."

Still, Larry says he is grateful he has been able to coach his son and see him succeed in a sport they both love.

Levi says everything in the ring is over exaggerated so spectators can see all the action no matter where they are sitting.

He says wrestling is like a dance, a choreographed theatrical performance with big moves and uninhibited fun.

"Oh, the kids especially, they really like it," he said. "I think it's like, the colours and the big hair."

These days, Day tours whenever he can. He also met his girlfriend on the road.

Off stage, her name is Sage Morin. But onstage she's known as The Matriarch.

In February, he and Morin will be heading to Northern Manitoba with a team of wrestlers to take part in the what's called "Death Tour," because of it's remote and extreme location.

'It's fun to play a character and really come out. It's like a different feeling when you're out there wrestling," he said. "People like you. Just remember that."

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