Today we’d like to introduce you to Onix Castro Camacho.
Onix, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My name is Onix Castro Camacho and I’m a professional wrestler and a bilingual Elementary school teacher in a fantastic Elementary school in the Oak Cliff area. It’s been 8 years and some change to the day since I moved to Dallas after having lived all my life in Puerto Rico.
My love for Professional Wrestling started when I was very young watching local and international legends on local television. These larger-than-life personalities left a lasting impression on me, the struggle between good vs. evil hashed out in a ring and everything that went into making these events had me enthralled early on. As I grew, my appreciation for it increased. The athleticism, charisma, and fearlessness of these performers had me wishing I did this for a living. At the same time, I also had aspirations of being an English teacher back home. I managed to get my wrestling training started for a few months and graduated with a dual BA in Secondary/Elementary ESL Education in 2013. I had decided that I would do everything I wanted and that nothing would stop me.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It was all easier said than done, however. I was struggling to make ends meet as a teacher back home and I put my wrestling dream to rest, thinking it was never going to happen. Then a Texas ISD was in need of bilingual teachers and went recruiting potential innovative educators that were willing to relocate. I took the chance and moved here to teach to earn a decent living doing something I had worked hard to become. I was dealing now with culture shock, difficulty establishing a social circle, and other things that would affect a Puerto Rican in the diaspora. Although I managed to overcome it all in due time, I still felt that I was not living my life fully. In a serendipitous turn of events, a few close people moved near me the following year, and among them was my brother Zarek, who also shared the same childhood dream of being in the squared circle. He and I came upon DFW All-Pro Wrestling Academy and we jumped at the chance to achieve our goals finally.
It was physically and mentally taxing putting your body through the training curriculum night after night, but after a year and a half, we graduated and certified ourselves as professionals. This is where the real work began because now the dream became a reality and with it came other goals that I wanted to pursue. Traveling, getting injured, networking, the cheers and boos from the crowd, and working in all sorts of venues have allowed me a fulfilling life during the weekends where I’ve created meaningful connections with many people scattered across the state and beyond, had both beautiful and frustrating moments, and everything in-between has made it all worth it.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m known for being the instigating loudmouth or “El Bocón” of a group called the United Familia Camacho, where alongside Zarek, we’re the tag-team specialists of the faction. I am most proud that I’ve won 6 championships across the state, despite my small stature and all the trash-talking I do in the process.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
This industry has always been about telling a story and that story has now come to include many modern aspects of athleticism, comedy, and situations that reflect our society. The fact that the many different styles of wrestling on the planet are being put at the forefront because of social media has caused many interesting match-ups and stories to occur that would not have been seen before. It is up to us the wrestlers to keep up with the times and use these as opportunities to be creative while keeping faithful to the essence of what professional wrestling is. It truly is a great time to be around the business.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onix_ufcam/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/onix.ufcam
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Onix_UFCam
Image Credits
Nick White
Greg TeGantvoort
Roland Duran
Joseph Casanova
