Justin Marriott lives in the Halifax suburb of Timberlea and is a long way from making it to the World Wrestling Entertainment. But he’ll be taking the first steps toward his ultimate goal Saturday night with his pro debut at the independent level.
Marriott, who goes by “Deaf Power” in the ring, said he first developed an interest in wrestling when he was three years old. But he faced a challenge as a potential competitor — he was born completely deaf.
Although his hearing impairment presented a challenge, Marriott was undaunted and he began training in 2021 with Dartmouth’s Kaizen Pro Wrestling. That’s when “Deaf Power” was born.
“I approached them about coming, they were all for it, and that’s basically where it started,” Marriott said, speaking through an interpreter at his training facility.
Fast forward two years, and Marriot is set to make his professional debut during an event in Dartmouth on Saturday night. The 31-year-old said he hopes his first appearance can act as both an inspirational and educational moment for many.
“I’m looking to inspire deaf youth, give them someone to look up to as a role model. (I want to) show them that they can do whatever they put their minds to… and believe in themselves,” he said.
“It’s a very good opportunity to educate people because they’re seeing what I do in the ring, which is showing that deaf people can do anything. I use my signs in the ring as well.”
In addition to being the first deaf professional wrestler from the Maritime provinces, Marriot said his debut in the ring will also make him the second deaf person to compete at this level nationwide.
“It gives me the opportunity to be a role model for others, to inspire others to try things, whether it’s pro wrestling or something else. They can see ‘why not go for it?’ I did,” he said.
Covey Steele, the head trainer at Kaizen Pro Wrestling, said the roles of student and teacher were frequently reversed during his time mentoring Marriot on the mats — and he saw himself become a student on many occasions.
“The process of learning to teach him has been really fun because it’s a new avenue that I haven’t had to explore as a trainer,” Steele said.
“I get to learn new ways of communicating things that I otherwise wouldn’t have known how to do, whether that’s bits of sign that he’s taught, or it’s miming mannerisms that we’ve created with each other for the ring.”
Despite entering unfamiliar territory as a coach, Steele adapted and identified a strategy that proved beneficial for both parties. He said Marriot’s ability to quickly absorb information made for successful training sessions.
“Wrestling is an art form that is predominantly non-verbal, and for somebody who is non-verbal and communicates through mannerisms, it’s incredible how quickly he picked up on parts that most people take a long time to pick up on,” Steele said.
Marriot, who graduated from the Kaizen’s academy recently, said he doesn’t know if he’d be where he is now if it wasn’t for the adaptability of his trainers.
“The group here… it’s been phenomenal. We’ve been using a lot of gesturing, body language, lip reading, and most importantly patience,” he said.
“If it wasn’t for them, I would’ve never been successful in breaking these barriers.”
Looking ahead to his Saturday debut and beyond, Marriot said his aspirations in professional wrestling are simple: to inspire.
“My hope is to inspire people as much as I can. To help the deaf community with access, give them access to the entertainment world, all over the Maritimes, to the world,” he said, smiling.
“I get to show people all the barriers that I have overcome and to prove to deaf people that they can do it too.”
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