Churches are usually reserved for prayers and places of worship. But a Cambridge church is hosting a group of a very different kind these days.
Knox Preston Presbyterian Church at 132 Argyle St. N is now home to a pro wrestling academy called Cross Body Wrestling Studios.
Pro wrestler and coach Ben Ortmanns runs the program where students are training to either become pro wrestlers themselves or just picking up a fun hobby in their spare time.
Ortmanns has been in the wrestling business for over 20 years when he first went to a wrestling school in Cambridge in the late '90s.
“There wasn't really anything else that I've ever wanted to do. I never really saw a plan B, I wanted to be Hulk Hogan when I was a kid and that was pretty much the only thing I ever thought was possible for me,” said Ortmanns.
The students at Cross Body range from teenagers to middle-aged men who are looking for a fun pastime to help them get in shape.
From flips, hip tosses and jumping off the ropes, these students get to learn all of the moves their favorite pro wrestlers have been doing for years.
After doing work with professional wrestling organizations like Impact wrestling and the WWE, Ortmanns says his body started to give up on him, so he decided to quit wrestling and settle down.
One day he was watching a mixed martial arts show on TV and felt like he needed to get back to his roots and decided to take that leap off the top ropes. He started his MMA training journey and continued for several years.
He was offered a spot on a friend's wrestling show and he knew this was his opportunity to get back into the wrestling world.
“I was already getting the itch and I could tell this was the time to get back in the ring,” said Ortmanns.
After the show he was approached by an MMA gym in Kitchener called Fear the Fighter, they wanted Ortmanns to teach a class on wrestling.
