Carr has lived a full life and has always followed his dreams. As a youth, he grew up watching professional wrestling with the likes of Hulk Hogan, “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff, Jake “The Snake” Roberts, and “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase. Not quite knowing how to get into wrestling, he joined the Marine Corps at a young age and after eight years he was a sergeant and well on his way to making a career of it.
However, after a chance meeting with wrestler Marc Mero, known by his ring name of Johnny B. Bad, Carr was convinced to head to Atlanta in 1995 to attend WCW’s primary training facility, the Power Plant.
At the Power Plant, Carr trained with several wrestlers including “Rowdy” Roddy Pipper, Chris Benoit, Chris Jericho, and even one of the guys he watched growing up, Orndorff.
He then joined WCW and wrestled with the company until it closed its doors in 2001 after being bought by WWE. Video’s of Carr’s time with WCW still exist on YouTube including one where he took on the always fan favorite “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan and another where “The Total Package” Lex Luger holds him in his finishing move “the torture rack” while advertising his t-shirt in a commercial.
“We were like rockstars in the 90’s,” Carr said. “We would hang out with the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi, James Brown, and Dale Earnhardt Sr. We thought it would last forever. When it ended I was like, did I really get to do all that. It felt like a dream.”
When it did end, and after competing for a short time with other, smaller wrestling organizations, Carr really found his calling, becoming a police officer.
“I was always fascinated with cops, what kid isn’t,” Carr said. “But I thought I was too old.”
Carr proved to himself that he wasn’t too old and he says his time working with the kids and the community have been some of his most rewarding moments.
“I think I should have did this first,” he said. “I don’t regret wrestling or the military, but right now I feel I am getting my best rewards. I feel like I am really doing something.”
While a deputy for the Douglas County Sheriff’s office, Carr volunteers his time to two programs, Beyond Scared Straight and Youth against Violence.
This past January, Carr was convinced to go back into the ring by Rocky King to compete in an event in Cobb County to bring awareness to disabled veterans in Atlanta. After the event, Carr came up with the idea of bringing the event to Douglasville and as the resource officer at Alexander High School, already had the building picked out for the event. He then got with AHS Athletic Director and Assistant Principal Chris Small and the two formed the plan for the fundraiser. Carr will compete in the feature match of the evening against The Handler.
“I can bring both my worlds together,” Carr said. “I can show people what I did before and help raise money for the community,”
Richard Jordan, of BWA Sports Entertainment, believes that the kids of AHS will be in for quite a surprise.
“Can you imagine what the kids will think when they see him in the ring,” Jordan said. “They have no idea he is a professional wrestler and they see him every day. Any motivation they need to become anything they want to be is right in front of them. He is awe-inspiring.”
BWA Sports Entertainment is run by William Boulware Jr, more commonly know by his ring name of Rocky King. The company puts on shows for churches, non-profit organizations and private organizations on the East Coast. King continually gives back to the community, supporting veterans and the homeless, and even goes out at night to hand out food.
“I was once homeless and I promised that if I ever got anything I would give it back,” King said. “I have really been blessed and this is just something that needs to be done.”
Doors for the event on March 30 will open at 6 p.m. and fans will have a chance to get photos and autographs with the wrestlers shortly after, as well as WWE GM Teddy Long and King, a former Jim Crockett Promotions and WCW wrestler.
The event will start at 6:30 p.m. and will include several students performing including singer Savannah Day, drummer Ethan Jones, and BeeBop artists Christian Perez and Marvin Clay.
The family-friendly wrestling show will kick off at 8 p.m.
Money raised from the event and concessions will go to the AHS football team, the softball team, and to PTSO. For tickets contact PTSO President Rhonda Hall at 770-815-7144. Tickets are $10.
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