POMPANO BEACH – For veteran comic Carl Rimi, the physical act of simply getting onto the stage provided Saturday’s biggest challenge.
“I was like, How am I going to get in the ring without falling over?” Rimi said.
Upon his introduction, Rimi climbed the three wooden stairs, slid through the ropes, and popped up on stage ready for a comedy rumble.
For the next 25 minutes Rimi paced the main wrestling ring at the headquarters of Coastal Championship Wrestling, delivering an entertaining night of comedy on one of South Florida’s most unique comedy stages.
“We run wrestling shows almost every weekend, so it’s nice to break the monotony with a comedy show,” CCW co-owner and comic Nelio Costa said.
CCW produces professional wrestling shows throughout South Florida.
Costa, along with fellow South Florida comic Eric Rosenblum, recently began bringing stand-up comedy to the ring. Rimi’s headlining performance marked the second such show at CCW, and Costa plans to make stand-up comedy a monthly event.
“Professional wrestling, it sometimes can be too rigid,” said Costa, whose wrestling persona – Vinicious the Destroyer – comprises one half of the current CCW tag team title holders. “I like when my wrestlers, comedians and our audience interact. It’s an interesting show. I like it”
Rimi, for the most part, relied on his normal material on Saturday, but did mix in a few quips professional wrestlers – some of whom were in the audience – and wrestling fans would appreciate.
But Rimi elected to save most of his best wrestling moves for another time.
“I went against the ropes, man,” Rimi said, laughing. “I was going to do that after every joke but I thought, That’s going to get redundant.”
Applause Break-Down
PERFORMERS
Nelio Costa (Host)
Jon Schaefer
Ryan Scott
Ariel Levy
Josh Rosen
Mike Sowa
Carl Rimi (Headliner)
VENUE
CCW Wrestling Headquarters (Aug. 14, 2021) – There’s no mistaking this facility’s day job: It’s a professional wrestling stage and training center. Yet the uniqueness of the venue gave the comedy show a funky-fun feel. Shows at CCW will likely continue to evolve with the execution of more shows.
HIGHLIGHT
Shortly after climbing into the ring, Rimi noticed a woman in the audience wearing a COVID mask. After thanking the woman for thinking of the audience’s safety, he pointed to the ring ropes and joked, “These ropes are giving me more protection than your mask is, but that’s OK.”
BE OUR GUEST
Saturday marked the stand-up comedy debut of Chilean actor Ariel Levy. Best known for his role in the horror film The Green Inferno, Ariel drew praise from fellow comics for his stage presence, delivery, and, of course, his humor. …Mike Sowa’s most memorable bit centered around his mnemonic jingle to help people identify coral snakes. …Josh Rosen’s impersonations of Donald Trump, Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders all drew laughs, but his depiction of Kamala Harris might be the most spot-on. …Anyone wanting to turn the funeral of a grandmother into a raging party should consider hiring Ryan Scott as a promoter. …Jon Schaefer ran into a startling problem when trying to ask a Jewish girl for a date.
WORKING THE ROOM
The wrestling contingent in the audience gave the show an eclectic feel but, sadly, none of the comics launched themselves off the top rope.
COMICS’ TABLE
After shooting another scene for his iPossessed movie on Thursday in Port St. Lucie, Rimi only has one scene remaining to record. That should happen in October. Meanwhile, Rimi said his production crew has already edited about half the movie. …Levy will appear at the Sinister Nights horror film convention in Miami on Sept. 3-5, signing autographs and memorabilia. …Mostly retired comic Bruce Smirnoff has a ringside seat for the show.
ONE-LINER
“I like when the comedian is a little bit out of their element.” – Nelio Costa
