A LIMERICK man who spends his days helping save lives as a healthcare worker dedicates his nights to a very different kind of vocation.
Shane Coakley, who fights under the name Seán Donn, is set to take centre stage as the Grand Slam Wrestling tour makes a stop in Limerick’s Strand Hotel on April 2, where he will bring the fight to the mat on his home turf.
Donn looks back on his formative years as catalyst for his unique passion.
“Growing up as a child in the early 90s in Ireland, like most I would be up early on a Saturday morning to watch my favourite cartoons. On one of those Saturday mornings, I came across WWF Superstars,” he tells the Limerick Post.
“It was like nothing I had ever seen before – the larger than life characters, the athleticism, the drama. I was instantly hooked.”
A healthcare worker when outside the ring, he says that his childhood obsession grew as he began attending live wrestling events.
“That’s when I made up my mind that, at some stage in my life, I am going to pursue stepping inside the ring as a performer myself.”
And step inside the ring he did. Donn’s professional wrestling career began back in 2016, when he started training with a wrestling school in Dublin.
“I would travel twice a week to train for three-hour sessions. A year later, I made my professional debut.”
The Limerick man lists his performance in Lahore, Pakistan, in front of a roaring crowd of 2,000, as the defining moment in his professional wresting career so far. Though he says the life of a wrestler isn’t without its setbacks, having picked up a number of scrapes and bumps over his eight-year career so far.
“With the level of contact and impact in professional wrestling, injuries are unfortunately something we all have to deal with. I have dislocated my shoulder on two occasions.”
Despite this, the dedicated Donn is unswerving in his ambition to bring high-octane action to wrestling fans, telling the Limerick Post he is massively excited to be performing in his hometown.
“The audience will be electric because the people of Limerick are passionate and vocal in their support. I will be feeding off their energy in the ring and cannot wait to put on the performance of my life.”
“The Strand Hotel is a big stop on the tour and everyone involved, including myself, will pull out all the stops to give the Limerick fans a show they will never forget.”
The Grand Slam Wrestling tour will smack down in Limerick’s Strand Hotel on Sunday, April 2 at 3pm. Tickets can be purchased through Eventbrite.
