‘Aren’t you that wrestling councillor guy?’: Sarnia’s Brian White leads interesting double life

When he removes the suit and tie, he moonlights as a professional wrestler with a punk rock persona on the independent circuit. CTV London's Brent Lale reports.

City councillor Brian White spends his days grappling over tough decisions, trying to do what’s best for his hometown of Sarnia, Ont.

“After almost three full terms, it means that I’m either doing something right or I’ve been able to fake people out as much as I do in pro wrestling,” said White.

You see, when he removes the suit and tie, he moonlights as a professional wrestler with a punk rock persona on the independent circuit.

“To put on a different hat and to become a different person, whether they boo me or cheer me on the road at least it’s not for political reasons, it’s just because we’re doing our job,” said White after defending his Hammerlock Wrestling Championship title at the Dorchester Fair on Thanksgiving Monday.

His dual lives sometimes intersect. In pro wrestling terms, he’s not always the face (the good guy), sometime people see him as a heel (bad guy).

That was evident at a recent Sarnia council meeting where they had to make a tough decision over whether to look for an alternative location for an affordable housing complex.

At least one person in the gallery was not a fan of his politics, or his mohawk haircut.

‘I had one gentleman compliment me on my haircut earlier, so thank you for the compliment,” White sarcastically told council.

“I do suggest that if you’re in a certain business that requires a certain look and you get to make money with a look that’s part of your role, it’s reasonable.”

Wrestling also allows him an escape from some of the vitriol.

“Being able to get out on the road and get away from all that other stuff is really therapeutic for me,” said White, whose contrasting careers have made him known across the province.

“I’ve been walking to a restaurant in Ottawa and had somebody grabbed me by the arm and say, ’Hey, aren’t you that wrestling councillor guy?’ So, it’s pretty cool.”

White wrestles for other companies but also owns his own Chem Valley Wrestling promotion in his hometown. It has higher-end talent and is more storylines driven with just a few shows a year.

His moniker is ‘The Honourable One’ in reference to his role in politics. White is the former Deputy Warden of Lambton County, and for the past year has been Sarnia’s acting mayor when Mike Bradley is unavailable.

‘My only regret is I didn’t get to do an acting ‘Macho Mayor’ persona, which I was really hoping to do,” says White.

“Perhaps at some point I will pull that one out of the bag.”

That could come as early as next fall. After serving in an interim mayor capacity, there are rumours, White could seek the mayoral chair in 2026.

“Every decision that we make in this chamber is incredibly important to somebody, and it has ramifications long term,” he said.

“When we do make those decisions, and I do sit there (mayor’s seat) and expect certain decorum, it’s a lot different than being in the ring, that’s for sure. It really is a privilege to be in that role.”

As he approaches 50 years old, he isn’t quite ready to hang up his wrestling boots despite the toll it takes on his body.

“I kind of see it as a as a bit of a dovetail opportunity as my son evolves into his pro wrestling career,” said White.

“It gives me an opportunity to start looking beyond what does that mean for me? Whether it’s as a producer, as a talent scout, as a promoter, I always want to stay involved.”

As a former filmmaker and storyteller, he is already thinking ahead about how his in-ring story will end before the final credits roll.

“Hopefully a couple more years if my body will let me and then, who knows?” he said.

“The dream match for me is to have my son retire me at the end in a match. My last match hopefully will be against my boy.”