Vern May (born December 31, 1975) better known by his ringname Vance Nevada is a Canadian

professional wrestler Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to real-life wrest ...

, author, professional wrestling promoter and wrestling historian.

Professional wrestling career

Since his earliest matches in 1993, Vance Nevada has maintained one of the most aggressive touring schedules of his generation, appearing for 64 wrestling organizations from coast to coast in Canada and wrestling in almost every Province and territory in the country during his career. His passion for the sport and his exposure to the regional sub-cultures of professional wrestling and its fans have served to create an immeasurable appreciation for the sport and its history. In addition to his success between the ropes which has included matches against ring legends and today's top stars from

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and

the Honky Tonk Man Roy Wayne Farris (born January 25, 1953) is an American retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) from 1986 to 1991, where he performed under the ring name The Honky Tonk Ma ...

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and the Bollywood Boyz, Vance Nevada is regarded as one of the premiere historians of Canadian ring lore, having published three books on the topic and being awarded with the James C. Melby Historian Award by the U.S.-based

Cauliflower Alley Club The Cauliflower Alley Club is a non-profit fraternal organization, which includes a newsletter and website, comprising both retired and active professional wrestlers and boxers in North America. Established in 1965 by Mike Mazurki and Art Ab ...

for his efforts. Aside from his endeavours to preserve wrestling's past, while also actively participating in wrestling's present, Nevada is a life member of the Cauliflower Alley Club, a benevolent organization of wrestling professionals that provides funding and resource support for wrestling's alumni in the face of medical and personal hardship. In addition to his role on the advisory board and committee appointments, he has served as the editor for the club's international newsletter since 2020. Between 1994 and 2009, Nevada was ranked in the ''

Pro Wrestling Illustrated ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publishing Group. The maga ...

'' magazine top 500 ten times. In February 2022, he eclipsed the all-time record set by

Leo Burke Léonce Cormier (June 29, 1948 – July 24, 2024) was a Canadian professional wrestler. He was born in Dorchester, New Brunswick. He competed across Canada, in several American promotions, and wrestled internationally for Puerto Rico's Worl ...

for most Canadian wrestling title reigns at 44. Nevada has done four Canadian Death Tours.

Personal life

He resides in Wetaskiwin, Alberta with his wife Karen, and young two sons. He has an older daughter in Calgary. Vance Nevada is a professional wrestling personality known for his contributions to the sport, particularly in the independent wrestling scene. While most of his public persona revolves around wrestling, details about his personal life are relatively private. Here are some general points about his personal background: # Early Life: Vance Nevada, whose real name is Vance Neff, was born in Canada. He developed an interest in wrestling at a young age. # Career: He has worked for various wrestling promotions and is known for his in-ring skills and character work. He has also contributed as a promoter and trainer within the wrestling community. # Family: Vance tends to keep his family life out of the spotlight, maintaining a level of privacy regarding his personal relationships. # Interests: Outside of wrestling, he has interests in various activities related to fitness and entertainment, including film and media. # Social Media: Vance Nevada occasionally shares aspects of his life on social media, giving fans glimpses into his personal interests and experiences.

Championships and accomplishments

*365 Pro Wrestling **PWA Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Ice *

All-Star Wrestling All Star Wrestling (ASW), also known as Super Slam Wrestling (SSW), is a British professional wrestling promotion founded by Brian Dixon in 1970 and based in Birkenhead, England. Founded as Wrestling Enterprises of Birkenhead in October 1970, i ...

**ASW Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Adam Ryder **ASW Trans-Canada Heavyweight Championship (5 times) * Canadian Wrestling's Elite ** CWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2015) * Canadian Pro-Wrestling Hall of Fame ** Class of 2025 *CanAm Wrestling **CanAm Wrestling Junior Heavyweight Championship (2 times) *

**James Melby Historian Award (2010) *Canadian Wrestling Federation **CWF Junior Heavyweight Championship **CWF Tag Team Championship (5 times) - with Bugsy Slugg (1 time), EZ Ryder (1 time), JT Atlas (2 times), and Todd Meyers (1 time) *

Elite Canadian Championship Wrestling Elite Canadian Championship Wrestling (ECCW) (formerly known as NWA: Extreme Canadian Championship Wrestling and Extreme Canadian Championship Wrestling) was a Canada-based professional wrestling promotion and a former member of the National Wre ...

ECCW Championship The ECCW Championship (formerly known as the NWA/ECCW Heavyweight Championship) is the top singles championship in Elite Canadian Championship Wrestling. It was first established in 1996 in the then-independent ECCW, and its name was changed wh ...

(1 time) *Gold Dragon Wrestling **GDW Heavyweight Championship (1 time) **GDW Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with Bulletproof *MainStream Wrestling **MSW Heavyweight Championship (1 time) *Monster Pro Wrestling **MPW Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Michelle Starr *

National Wrestling Alliance The National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) is an American professional wrestling professional wrestling promotion, promotion and governing body owned by Billy Corgan and operated by its parent company Lightning One, Inc. Founded in 1948, the NWA be ...

NWA Canadian Heavyweight Championship The ECCW Canadian Championship was the top singles title in Maple Leaf Wrestling from 1978 until 1984, when it was abandoned after the Toronto promotion partnered with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). Its national scope was in name only, sim ...

*''

'' **PWI ranked him #224 of the 500 best singles wrestlers in the

PWI 500 ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publishing Group. The maga ...

in 2005 *PrimeTime Wrestling **PTW Heavyweight Championship (1 time) *River City Wrestling **RCW RCW Can-Am Six Man Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Canadian Cannonball and Sluggo Smith (1 time) **RCW Hardcore Championship **RCW Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time) **RCW Tag Team Championship (4 times) - with Robby Royce (3 times) and Bugsy Sluggs (1 time) * Canadian Wrestling Hall of Fame ** Class of 2016 *Thrash Wrestling **Thrash Wrestling Tag Team Championship (3 times) - with Adam Ryder (1),

Bobby Sharp Robert Sharp (born September 10, 1988) is an active Canadian professional wrestler, better known by his ring name "Lion Warrior" Bobby Sharp. He is currently working for numerous companies across Canada including Atlantic Grand Prix Wrestling, Hi ...

(1), and Sean Gaston (1) *Top Ranked Wrestling **TRW Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Disco Fury *Top Rope Championship Wrestling **TRCW International Heavyweight Championship **TRCW Tag Team Championship (3 times) - with Rob Stardom (1) and TJ Bratt (2) *Wild West Wrestling/Hardcore Wrestling **WWW Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with JT Atlas (1 time) and Scotty Simms (1 time) *Other **Canadian Unified Junior Heavyweight Championship (6 times)

''Luchas de Apuestas'' record

Works

"(Un)Controlled Chaos: Canada's Remarkable Professional Wrestling Legacy" (2022, Friesen Press) The Ear, Cauliflower Alley Club newsletter - editor (2020–2022) CNWA Magazine - lead writer/publisher (2012–2013, nine issues) History of Professional Wrestling Series #5 - researcher (2002, Crowbar Press) * ''Wrestling in the Canadian West'' Central Canadian Professional Wrestling Almanac (1999, self-published)

References

External links

Vance Nevada story archive
at Canoe.com * on ontariowrestlingsindyelite.com * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Nevada, Vance 1975 births Living people Canadian male professional wrestlers Professional wrestlers from Manitoba Professional wrestling journalists and columnists Professional wrestling historians 20th-century male professional wrestlers 20th-century Canadian professional wrestlers 21st-century male professional wrestlers 21st-century Canadian professional wrestlers NWA Canadian Heavyweight Champions