This is the kind of photo you’d never have seen in the days of Kayfabe.
That’s a heel wrestler, sitting in full view of the public, head bowed, praying with a young fan. His name is Chance Prophet, and this is not something he did for any publicity. This was a moment that happened spontaneously because a man saw the opportunity to be a blessing to a young fan.
Chance Prophet is a product of southern West Virginia. His Papa introduced him to NWA wrestling at a young age, against the wishes of his mother and his grandmother, and he became a big fan of The Great Muta, the Road Warriors, Sting, and Vampiro.
“My initial training came from Danny Ray Nelson and the guys at Appalachia Pro Wrestling in Oak Hill, WV,” he says. “Later, I was blessed to train with Jesse Hernandez, Karl Anderson, Rocky Romero, and TJ Perkins at the School of Hard Knocks in Covina, CA. My first official match was a doozy. It was a tag match against Big Daddy Venus and Mean Mike Sledge. My partner and I were far from ready, but they had a last minute cancellation. It was a mixed reaction. The people we were tagging against were heading towards retirement, so they had a following, but we definitely got the better reaction from the crowd.”
Prophet’s unique character started with his love for all things Muta. “Then it evolved after coming back from a career threatening injury. My main supporters stopped booking me for shows, and lost track of what I could bring to the table. If they weren’t going to remember me on their own, the twisted individual that they birthed would.”
While the fans and promoters initially pushed Prophet to the dark side, his development as a heel had a surprising effect on his interaction with the fans. “Surprisingly, it seems that the meaner I am, the more they want to get in touch with me. I’ve had more opportunities to pray with someone after being the most evil guy in the room for the past 3 hours. God shines brightest where men would not expect it, though.”
As for the photo posted by promoter Gary Damron, Prophet had this to say. “The encounter I had with Jett was a special one. I’d like to leave his testimony to him, so what I will say is, we’re called to be Christians (anointed ones/Christ like/little Christ’s) wherever we may be. We’re to be ready in season and out of season. Jett needed prayer. I was there, and his friends and family brought him to me. Its more important for me to minister to whomever needs it, than for me to stay in character anyway. All of the spandex and face paint will be gone one day anyways. What will really leave a lasting legacy, on this Earth, is what we do in Jesus’ name. Any platform we’re given is given out of a trust that we will do it to His glory. If we fail to see that, we miss our true calling in life to ‘go unto all the world, preaching the gospel.’ Your life as a Christian was never meant to be contained to four walls and an ordered service. That’s simply your chance to refuel, and take it out to to the world that needs it most.”
For now, fans can see Prophet take to the ring in a number of places including Remix Pro Wrestling in Ohio, AML Wrestling in North Carolina, IWA East Coast, All Star Wrestling and Premier Fight Sports in West Virginia, and various other indies on the east coast.
Chance Prophet has a website, but by his own admission, it’s not often updated. The best place to follow him is on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.