On Saturday, July 13th, Aotearoa Wrestling had the best wrestlers in New Zealand fighting it out in front an audience of over 800 people. There were many great matchups with NZ titles on the line, but the highlight of the night was the Kiwi rumble.
What is the Kiwi Rumble?
In the Kiwi Rumble, twenty wrestlers compete, but only one can emerge victorious. Every minute, a new wrestler enters the ring and if a wrestler is thrown out of it, they are eliminated from the match. The last wrestler remaining in the ring at the end is declared the winner of the Kiwi Rumble.
Where did the Kiwi Rumble take place?
The event was held at the Williams Sports Centre at Pakuranga College.
Our Experience
This was the first time Ange and I (and the boys) had ever been to a live wrestling event. Of course, we had seen wrestling on TV when we were younger. Rob old enough to remember WWF back in the day with the Bushwackers (from NZ), Hulk Hogan, André the Giant, the Ultimate Warrior and many more) and Ange also old enough to remember with the Chilean wrestling version of Titanes del Ring (Titans of the Ring). We had no idea what to expect at all.
We were fortunate enough to have seats right next to the ring (in the second row) so we had a great view of all the action. What surprised me most was the following… you know the action is scripted BUT I guarantee you will make the groaning OOOOOOHHHH!!!! sound multiple times. You know, the type of OH! you make when you see a guy jump from a roof and try and land on a bicycle seat but instead misses and lands straddling the metal frame part … ooooohhh! Yes, that’s the sound. The way they body slam and throw each other about the ring is expected but the sounds of being hit (like a slap across the chest reverberating throughout the venue and leaving a giant red mark) and some of the acrobatic stunts were IMPRESSIVE! (like when “Tee Hawke” jumped AND flipped from the top rope of the ring onto people OUTSIDE the ring).
I can honestly say the four of us were entertained the whole night without a dull moment. When the Kiwi Rumble was on and there were half a dozen wrestlers in the ring, each doing their own thing, there was so much to look at and absorb and the time FLEW by.
The Meet and Greet with the wrestlers
We’d paid a little extra for a “meet and greet” with the wrestlers and as complete newbies at one of these events, we had no idea when or how it would happen. We weren’t told where to go or what to do and when we asked some of the staff at the end of the night, there was conflicting information. Basically, we learnt you had to get a ticket from the entrance which gave you a poster too. In theory, with that ticket you could take photos with the wrestlers.
My thoughts are that now, while Aotearoa Wrestling is at the early stages of trying to become a well-known brand, it would be convenient for them to do a free meet and greet as the fans will share their photos with their friends and family creating more brand awareness. Think of it as free promotion on social media. Also, there could be a specific “Aotearoa Wrestling” backdrop where people line up to take photos with them. That night everyone was everywhere, and it happened while the ring etc. were getting dismantled… not the best backdrop.
In fact, after this event, we went to a friend’s house to watch the remainder of the rugby match between NZ and England. Of the dozen or so people already there, nobody knew about this wrestling event and half of them said they would have gone if they had known about it. Interesting!
Some of the other wrestling matches from the night
Mighty Maia vs. Megan Kate (with her bat) – It was great to see women dealing it out as much as the men did. A great moment was before Maia entered the ring, she removed the flower from behind her ear and gave it to a young girl who was sitting in front of us in the audience. THAT is how you create a connection with the fans. I bet she will always remember that special moment.
Tag Team Match: Tubbs & Murdoch vs. The Altar – Tubbs and Murdoch were the tall rugby players in their rugby gear while The Altar (Tane Tukaha & Tyler Ernst) were suited evangelists.
King of Kiwis Cup: Michael Richards vs. Hooligan (Marcus Kool) – Michael Richards was with his spikey-studded leather jacket and the Hooligan had his football boots hanging from a corner (which of course would get used in the match). Since NZ and England were playing a rugby match that same night, Hooligan of course riled up the audience saying England would win. Well, he did win this wrestling match, but England did NOT the important rugby game. 🙂
IPW championship Match: Horus vs. Jake Shehaan
Aotearoa Heavyweight Championship Belt: Tee Hawke vs. James Shaw
Some of the wrestlers from the previous matches joined in the Kiwi Rumble as well as the following wrestlers:
Henare (NJPW champion), Jamie Tagataese (The Big Man), JK Moody, Cam Kaiba, John Mark, Zac Kelly, Will Stone, Vinny Dunn, Liam Erikson (The Viking), Pat Schisk, Danny Octane, Bobby Wisheart, Antony Khan, Troy Daniels, Maximillion and Jayrilla.
(I know I missed some names here – let me know on Twitter/Instagram to include you here)
Ange and I love experiencing new things and you’ll find it hard to put us in one specific box. As you can see, one night we might watch ballet and the next night watch full-on wrestling. (Isn’t wrestling a type of ballet … with muscles?) So, what will our next adventure be? (We’ll probably go to the next wrestling event at the same venue, but meanwhile …)
Did you know that Aotearoa Wrestling not only puts on live shows but also offers wrestling LESSONS? Yes, if you fancy yourself as a future wrestler and you want to put in the hard work to learn the skills, check them out.
See our version of this article in Spanish: Lucha Libre en Nueva Zelanda
