Aaron Proctor

Infobox Wrestler
name=Aaron Proctor


names=Toreador Vampire
The Noticeable One
Commissioner Aaron Proctor
height=6 ft 3 in.
weight=
birth_date = birth date and age|1981|07|11
death_date =
birth_place = Chester, Pennsylvania
trainer=Maverick
AAW Academy
debut= 1998
retired=2005|: "This article is about the California politician. For the filmmaker, see Aaron Proctor (filmmaker)."Aaron Daniel Proctor (born July 11 1981 in Chester, Pennsylvania) is an American professional wrestling promoter and manager, Republican politician, blogger, columnist, 2007 Pasadena, California mayoral candidate, the youngest candidate in Pasadena history, at age 25. He is a 2009 candidate for Pasadena, California City Council. cite news|publisher="Inland Valley Daily Bulletin"|date=2007-02-11|title=Mayor's race pits old, young|author=Molly R. Okeon]

Biography

Proctor was born in 1981 in Chester, Pennsylvania, the oldest of four children to Beatrice May, a theologist and James Walter Proctor, Jr., a blue-collar worker. He spent his early youth in the Mount Airy section of Philadelphia and teenage years in Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania. He attended Chichester Senior High School in Boothwyn, Pennsylvania, and had a part-time job at a Hollywood Video store in Brookhaven, Pennsylvania. A wrestling fan since childhood, he attended a wrestling school at the age of 17, the Maverick's AAW (All American Wrestling) Academy, in Glenolden, Pennsylvania. After graduating from the school, he debuted in the Philadelphia wrestling scene on May 28, 1998, with the stage name of "The Toreador Vampire". He was booked on shows by the school's owner, who had wanted a "vampire" character, and Proctor's goth look fit the bill. Proctor chose the name of Toreador Vampire from the LARP game which had a "Toreador" class of vampires.cite web|url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/a/aaron-proctor.html|title=Wrestler profiles: Aaron Proctor|publisher=onlineworldofwrestling.com|work=Online World of Wrestling|accessdate=2007-07-06] After the first few shows, he dropped the name, in part because of the rise of Gangrel (David Heath), and went simply by "Aaron Proctor", playing a character who was an evil wrestling manager. He would be the charismatic announcer for other wrestlers who might be good in the ring, but were not as good at the microphone.

In 2000, Proctor moved to the Los Angeles area, first transferring to another Hollywood Video store in the Pasadena area, then subsequently working temporary jobs with companies such as Danone and Yahoo. He also attended Pasadena City College.

While in Southern California, he became part of a three-man group who promoted professional wrestling events in the Los Angeles, California area under the aegis of "Pacific Coast Wrestling/Pacific Championship Wrestling", working with them from November 2002 until 2004. He primarily played a heel (or villain) commissioner for PCW, and referred to himself as "The Noticeable One". After a few short-lived stints in both Southern and Northern California (the latter with Supreme Pro Wrestling and North American Wrestling), Proctor left the industry in May 2005.

During his professional wrestling stint, he had accompanied and managed professional wrestlers such as The Messiah, Trent Acid, Johnny Kashmere, and B-Boy. Three of Proctor's more notable shows were in 2003: "PCW Zero Tolerance", "PCW UltraKlash", and "PCW 'Impact'". Proctor both promoted the shows, and appeared in them, playing the part of the company's evil commissioner.

In summer of 2007, Proctor briefly resided in Saint Louis, Missouri, where he continued to blog about his experiences. On July 18, 2007, the "Riverfront Times" featured his "bitter blogging" as their Blog of the Week. [cite news|url=http://www.riverfronttimes.com/2007-07-18/news/potter-mouth |title=Potter Mouth|author=Aaron Proctor|date=2007-07-18|accessdate=2007-07-18|work=Riverfront Times] On August 13, Proctor returned to Pasadena. [cite news|url=http://www.pasadenalivingmagazine.com/_ArticleManager/publish/article_2488.shtml|title=Former Mayor Candidate Aaron Proctor to Return to Pasadena|author=Pasadena Now|date=2007-07-24|accessdate=2007-07-25|work=Pasadena Now] Since his return, he has changed his look to that of a more mainstream appearance. In February 2008, he announced on his personal website he had switched to the Republican Party.

Proctor made a failed attempt to recall Pasadena Councilman Steve Madison in May 2008, due to Madison teleconferencing into meetings. [cite news|url=http://www.pasadenaweekly.com/cms/story/detail/just_a_phone_call_away/5992/ |title=Just A Phone Call Away|author=Andre Coleman And Joe Piasecki|date=May 22, 2008|accessdate=2008-05-31|work=Pasadena Weekly]

Proctor began writing a weekly column for the Pasadena Weekly called "5 Questions" on June 19, 2008. [cite news|url=http://www.pasadenaweekly.com/cms/story/detail/kisses_all_around/6075/ |title=Kisses All Around|author=Kevin Uhrich|date=2008-06-19|accessdate=2008-06-20|work=Pasadena Weekly] He also had a lunch time Q & A with Huell Howser, printed on August 20, 2008. [cite news|url=http://www.pasadenaweekly.com/cms/story/detail/lunch_with_huell/6292/ |title=Lunch With Huell|author=Aaron Proctor|date=2008-08-20|accessdate=2008-09-20|work=Pasadena Weekly]

In October 2008 he was dismissed by his employer, Southland Publishing and his 5 Questions column was dropped from The Pasadena Weekly.

He announced he will be running for Victor Gordo's Pasadena City Council seat in March of 2009. [cite news|url=http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/rds_search/ci_10407946?IADID=Search-www.pasadenastarnews.com-www.pasadenastarnews.com |title=City Beats: Proctor ready for another run|author=Alfred Lee and Janette Williams|date=2008-09-08|accessdate=2008-09-08|work=Pasadena Star-News]

Political career

In 2005, Proctor decided to try his hand at politics, announcing his write-in campaign for Governor of California for the general election on November 7, 2005. His primary campaign site was his mySpace profile, with a platform that included decriminalizing marijuana, abolishing the California state income tax, and offering incentives for people to attend their local community college. However, he dropped out on October 24, 2006, citing a snafu by the Los Angeles County Registrar, since there was confusion on how exactly to properly file the minimum 65 signatures needed.

In late 2006, he lowered his sights a bit and ran instead for the position of mayor of Pasadena, California, running against the popular incumbent Mayor, the 69-year-old Bill Bogaard, with the primary election to be held on March 6, 2007. Along with a mySpace profile, he upgraded to a website, proctorformayor.com, which included YouTube videos and an extensive blog,cite news|publisher="Inland Valley Daily Bulletin"|date=2007-05-22|title=What rights do bloggers have?|author=Megan Blaney] which had an irreverent take on members of the political establishment, such as referring to Bogaard as "170 years old,"cite web|url=http://www.pasadenaweekly.com/article.php?id=4199&IssueNum=54|title=The Bogaard Report|publisher="Pasadena Weekly"|date=2007-01-11|author=André Coleman and Joe Piasecki|accessdate=2007-07-08] or ridiculing another Councilman's references about being on the Pasadena High School football team.

Proctor, known at the time to wear Goth eye makeup and a leather jacket with 22 buttons of New Wave musical performers such as Adam Ant and Depeche Mode, also had more serious momentscite news|publisher="Pasadena Weekly"|author=Aaron Proctor|title=Taking the reins (guest opinion)|date=2007-02-01|url=http://pasadenaweekly.com/article.php?id=4265&IssueNum=57|accessdate=2007-07-08] -- his platform included the introduction of rent control to Pasadena, as well as abolishing overnight parking permits, proposing a city-wide proposal against the War in Iraq, and allowing medical marijuana dispensaries in Pasadena. The paperwork went more smoothly this time and he obtained the necessary 50 signatures from Pasadena registered voters, and was successfully listed on the ballot, but lost the March 6 election, receiving 1,472 votes (11.2% of the vote). On April 23, his opponent Mayor Bogaard appointed Proctor to the Pasadena Human Relations Commission, and Proctor was sworn in on May 1. However, he had to resign on June 14, after losing his job and his apartment, which forced him to relocate to Saint Louis, Missouri to live with his parents. Some months later, Proctor moved back to Pasadena and resumed his commentary on local politics on his and other area blogs. After his return, Proctor shed his somewhat liberal "gothic" image and became a registered Republican with a libertarian leaning. He has also been published on a semi-regular basis by local free newspaper The Pasadena "Weekly."

Proctor has a patty melt cheeseburger attributed to him at a Pasadena restaurant. The owner of the restaurant, Robin Salzer, had been a candidate for City Council District 1, and a political opponent of Proctor's, one of the victims of Proctor's polemics. After the election, Salzer named the burger after Proctor as a kind of apology. Other burgers at Salzer's restaurant "Robin's Wood Fire BBQ and Grill" have been dedicated other members of the Pasadena City Council. The new burger is named for one of Proctor's old wrestling names, "The Noticeable One".cite news|url=http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/news/ci_6143404|title=Proctor Leaves Pasadena|publisher="Pasadena Star News|accessdate=2007-06-18|author=Kenneth Todd Ruiz|date=2007-06-14] [ [http://www.pasadenaweekly.com/article.php?id=5101&IssueNum=89 Bite-size politics- Pasadena Weekly ] ]

Notes

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External links

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*cite web|url=http://www.socaluncensored.com/article266.html|title=UltraKlash press release|date=2003-10-18|author=Kristy Vandal|accessdate=2007-07-07
* [http://www.cityofpasadena.net/cityclerk/election/election_night/publicresults.htm Election results]
* [http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-bogaard20mar20,1,6428472,full.story Los Angeles Times] (Requires registration)