Corporate Column
On weekends my name is "Corporate Ken"
July 2004
EPW fans who have not known me on a personal basis will never have known my
other half. I'm talking about the real me. The face behind the current biggest
villain on EPW programming today. Most have identified with Corporate Ken as the
bullyboy, the oppressor, and the comedic thug that has entertained internet
wrestling fans worldwide. However, on the flipside of reality a totally different
character takes into effect - the real me! The weekday reality that is - Ken Flatt.
Teachers Assistant, Church Goer, and Husband.
When I am not performing on camera with my 'posse' - I have a regular occupation
like most people. Me? I work in education. I am the teachers sidekick; I help
kids, I'm like a 'Screech' (The TA from Saved By The Bell) as it were (and he's
a part time wrestler too!).
Unlike my on-screen alter-ego, I was at one time the 'bully victim' rather than
the 'bully'. School was tough for me. Having the surname 'Flatt', not being into
Football and having my own opinion did not make me 'in crowd'
material. Throughout school as a pupil, I had endured an oppressive five years
of torment that hurt my self esteem. That was until the Man Upstairs turned my
life around; taught me the wonder of forgiving others and pointed me in the
direction of school again! School! I hated the place. But I was now in the
position to give back into the system something the system never gave me.
Recently EPW, despite it's current show hiatus, has had a ton of recognition
through the press and local community of Keynsham. We were praised by fellow church
goers, peers, parents and everyone around. The last two weeks the recognition
had trebled for me when word spread around school that I was a 'Backyard
Wrestler'.
To be honest the knowledge wasn't a secret. People knew about the website and
the downloadable shows. But for some reason and I still don't know why 'the
trend' has caught on, and at the moment is 'flavour of the month'.
I find that I cannot walk the hallowed playgrounds and classrooms without a
EP-DUB or a Corporate Ken chant. Kids now come up to me and say "Hey! Mr Flatt,
your show rocks, EPW rules!". I've signed autographs and taken the time out to
talk about why I engage in such an obscure past-time. I thank you kids for the
compliments and praises.
And sadly there have been 'others'. These 'others' have tried to use the label
'Backyard Wrestler' as a word against me, as if I was a criminal or something.
I've been approached by a few characters slagging off the very product of EPW
when they know nothing about it, or wrestling in general. So here's to you - if
you don't like EPW's website and online programming, don't even bother checking
it out. If you want to waste time on the internet go look at the Polly Pocket
website instead.
And ... Should I be ashamed? Hell no! I take pride in my chosen sport. Just
because my chosen sport does not involve kicking a ball up and down a field does
not make it a non-sport. To me, wrestling is a tactical role-play sport. It's
about the battle of good vs evil, tactical play, testing your body to it's
limits, and athleticism.
I recently started attending a wrestling school, too. Yes! I perform in a ring
as well! Shocked? So yeah! I have an independent wrestling career in the
pipeline. I am training for the experience and learning curve of the sport
itself. Every wrestler never stops training. I am aiming to better my
performance for both the ring and the backyard. If I am called up to wrestle
some independent shows, when I am ready, I will certainly go for it.
In this day and age, God is calling people to be extreme and step out as
individuals. God is calling people to not fit in with what the world wants, just
out of habit. God wants those that are willing to be different if He calls them
to be. I am stepping up to that mark with EPW.
== Ken Flatt AKA 'Corporate Ken'
"Now that we're here, it's so far away,
And I feel like I can face the day,
I can forgive, and I'm not ashamed,
To be the person that I am today."
--- STAIND, So Far Away