On the Mat
Encyclopedia
On the Mat was a professional wrestling
television program
for the National Wrestling Alliance
-affiliated All Star Pro-Wrestling (ASPW), or simply NWA New Zealand, that aired on Television New Zealand
's TV2 from 1975 to 1984. One of the most popular and the longest-running weekly sports series in the history of New Zealand, the show featured some of the country's top wrestlers and international stars from throughout the world during the 1970s and early 1980s.
On the Mat characterized the "golden age
" of professional wrestling in New Zealand
and made household names of promoter Steve Rickard
, John da Silva
, Robert Bruce
and others during the 1970s. Much of the show's popularity was based on native New Zealanders and foreign wrestlers working together against their common enemies or, sometimes, being pitted against each other. Several New Zealand wrestlers such as Tony Garea, Peter Maivia
, Siva Afi and The Sheepherders
, partly from their television appearances, were brought over to the United States where they became major stars during the 1980s wrestling boom
. Likewise, wrestlers from the National Wrestling Alliance, Stampede Wrestling
, the World Wide Wrestling Federation and other foreign promotions were regulars on the show.
As a member of the National Wrestling Alliance, the NWA World Heavyweight Championship
was defended on the show on several occasions, both between North American wrestlers and against New Zealanders, by legendary champions such as Harley Race
and "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair
. Similarly, NWA storylines and feuds were played out on the program that would usually not have been seen in the US. In 1983, for example, the show aired what was a controversial ending to a best 2-of-3 falls match between Ric Flair and Mark Lewin
in Auckland
which saw the NWA World title momentarily change hands but was then returned to Flair via reverse decision. A year later, another NWA title change took place between Flair and Harley Race in Wellington
and Geylang, Singapore
though these would not be officially recognized by the NWA for several years.
Its cancellation in the early-1980s signaled the decline and eventual close of All Star Pro-Wrestling by the end of the decade. As a consequence, locally televised professional wrestling would remain absent in New Zealand for over twenty years until the appearance of Impact Pro Wrestling
's IPW Ignition
and Kiwi Pro Wrestling
's Off the Ropes
in the mid-2000s.
promoter Walter Miller in 1959, however, caused the promotion to go into a slump as appearances from foreign wrestlers dwindled to only a small few each year. Steve Rickard
, one of its rising stars, continued to run the DWU for two years before starting his own promotion, All Star Pro-Wrestling, in 1962. Another New Zealand wrestler, John da Silva
, started a short-lived rival promotion called the Central Wrestling Association which operated up until the 1970s.
During the next decade, Rickard and da Silva were able to develop new stars such as Al Hobman
, Tony Garea, Peter Maivia
, and The Sheepherders
. They were also eventually able, along with Australian promoter Jim Barnett
, bring back more foreign stars to the Australasian region
. New Zealand was often visited by Australian wrestlers Ron Miller and Larry O'Day
of World Championship Wrestling, Robert Bruce
from Scotland, Canadians Gordon Nelson and George Gordienko
, and French wrestler Andre the Giant
.
American wrestlers became especially popular with the public during the early 1970s. One of the biggest US tours occurred in 1972 when Big Bad John, Bulldog Brower
, Les Wolff
, King Curtis Iaukea
, Spiros Arion
, Mark Lewin
, Thunderbolt Patterson, Sweet Daddy Siki
, Tarzan Tyler, Dewey Robertson
and Big Haystacks Calhoun
wrestled throughout New Zealand. Calhoun and his wife were often seen and talked about in the national media. The couple made numerous television appearances, press interviews and visited schools. That same year, the Rickard-Barnett partnership ended when Barnett sold his share of Big Time Wrestling, an Australian wrestling program that had briefly aired in New Zealand, and returned to work in the United States. Rickard then decided to promote wrestling events full-time with All Star Pro-Wrestling. Rickard's later affiliation with the National Wrestling Alliance
ensured the arrival of many wrestlers from North America and elsewhere for the next several years.
, to showcase these wrestlers to a national audience and capitalize on the popularity of his promotion's live events
and from foreign wrestlers then touring the country. According to Rickard, the promotion sold-out the Wellington Winter Show Buildings ten weeks in a row and still had to turn away hundreds more. Prior to the introduction of television in New Zealand in 1960, wrestling had been extremely popular through live radio broadcasts. In the later years of the "television era" of the 1970s and 80s, television stations commonly aired professional wrestling, such as Hollywood Wrestling
or Wrestling at the Chase
, as a source of inexpensive yet popular programing.
Encouraged by successful wrestling shows in Australia and the US, Rickard recorded a film pilot at a cost of $500 using matches from one of his shows at the Wellington Winter Show Buildings in 1973. This included a midget wrestling match and another with American wrestler Harley Race
. Rickard initially approached TV1 and used the pilot to "pitch" the idea for a New Zealand-based professional wrestling program. The network showed little interest in the show and eventually passed on the idea. When TV2 was established two years later, however, Rickard managed to get a meeting with then programme director Kevan Moore. A deal was quickly made and Rickard worked with South Pacific Pictures
to develop and produce this new wrestling program. Tim Bickerstaff, a popular New Zealand radio personality and television sports writer, was involved in filming early episodes of the show.
On the Mat debuted as a half-hour late night series on Television New Zealand
's TV2 in 1975. The show was hosted by colour commentator Ernie Leonard along with Steve Rickard as the play-by-play announcer. Many of the top stars in New Zealand and from around the world during the 1970s and early-1980s appeared on the show during its 9-year run.
The show became an overnight sensation, both in New Zealand and internationally, and was one of the country's highest rated shows of all time. For much of its history, On the Mat was centred around a core group of native stars headlined by Wellington-based wrestlers Steve Rickard, John Da Silva and Robert Bruce who became household names by the end of the 1970s. Another Pacific star, King Curtis Iaukea
, was the main "heel" wrestler
for many years as were Australia's Ron Miller and Larry O'Day
. Other foreign wrestlers to appear on the program included Pat Barrett
, Dick Beyer
, Man Mountain Link
, Les Thornton
, Leo Burke
, Ripper Collins
, Rick Martel
, Tiger Jeet Singh
, Ali Vizeri and Abdullah the Butcher
.
Peter Maivia
and Siva Afi were also very popular during this period and they became the focus of the show within several years. Rickard promoted both Maivia and Afi to appeal to the Polynesia
n market in New Zealand much in the same way Vince McMahon, Sr. did with Bruno Sammartino
and Italian American
s in New York during the 1960s. In 1978, Afi defeated John da Silva in a tournament final to capture the NWA New Zealand Heavyweight Championship
on 23 April 1978. It was the first time a Samoan
wrestler had held the New Zealand championship since 1964. A year later, Miavia won the NWA British Empire/Commonwealth Championship
from Ripper Collins in Auckland.
At the start of the show's off-season each year, Rickard and his wrestlers spent the three months on international tours overseas in the Middle East
, India
, Singapore
, Malaysia, Pakistan
, Thailand
, Hong Kong
and Hawaii
.
, Tony Garea and The Sheepherders
were all brought to the US where they became major stars in the NWA and the World Wide Wrestling Federation in the 1970s, and later in the World Wrestling Federation during the 1980s wrestling boom
. WWWF stars such as Don Muraco
, Toru Tanaka, Mr. Fuji
and Rocky Johnson
also appeared on the show while touring the country.
Original storylines, apart from the NWA, were also featured in the show. Robert Bruce, who had originally come to New Zealand as a fan favourite
, "turned heel
", reformed as a "face" then returned to being a heel within the span of a few weeks. His antics gained himself and others national attention and enraged crowds so much that he was actually stabbed by an irate fan. Rickard's two sons were also involved in the promotion. One episode in 1980 featured a tag team match with Ricky Rickard
as a participant, his brother Tony Rickard refereeing the match and their father Steve Rickard commentating. The show sometimes featured celebrity guests, most notably, radio personality Billy T. James
.
On 17 March 1981, Barry Holland officially took over Ernie Leonard's position as head announcer so Leonard could work full-time behind the scenes in his role as producer. Returning from a period of touring Southeast Asia
and Africa
, Steve Rickard announced the show was being aired in Kenya
, Tanzania
, Hong Kong
and Malaysia as well as the arrivals of Abdullah the Butcher
, Bret Hart
, and possibly "The Original Sheik" Ed Farhat
. Also on that episode, Rickard read aloud a letter sent to him by Larry O'Day in which the Australian wrestler taunted Rickard over breaking the leg of his son earlier that year and publicly accepted O'Day's challenge to a match for the NWA British Empire/Commonwealth Championship
. A month after the death of Peter Maivia
, the 6 July 1982 edition of "On the Mat" was a tribute show in his memory and the promotion broadcast two of his matches.
, defended on the show on several occasions, involving both foreign and native New Zealand wrestlers.
Peter Maivia
very nearly won the title from then reigning champion Harley Race
in Western Springs
in 1979, winning the bout via disqualification, and there was a serious concern the estimated 10,000 fans in attendance would riot if Maivia did not address the crowd to explain why the NWA did not allow title changes based on a disqualification win. A 30 minute NWA title match between Race and Rick Martel took up an entire episode of On the Mat. After returning to the US, Race would later send a tape of this match to promoters before he entered a territory.
Another controversial match occurred in 1983 when Mark Lewin
seemingly won the NWA title from "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair
in a best 2-of-3 falls match in Auckland. Although he scored the winning pinfall, and was given the belt, the decision was reversed by referees due to Flair having been tossed over the top rope moments before. Although this was not an illegal move in New Zealand, the bout was under NWA regulations and referees were forced to disqualify Lewin. In a post-match brawl, Lewin knocked out Flair with the belt and left the ring with it. The following year, the NWA World title changed hands between Ric Flair
and Harley Race in Wellington, New Zealand
and Geylang, Singapore
though it would be several years before the NWA eventually recognized them.
in the US resulted in the decline of the National Wrestling Alliance and made the top American stars less available to travel outside the US. Rickard and World Championship Wrestling had also long shared the transportation costs of bringing in foreign wrestlers into the Pacific, however, the close of WCW in 1978 resulted in Rickard taking on the full cost himself. Even local stars such as Peter Maivia and Siva Afi, despite their popularity in New Zealand, left the country to compete in the US.
The high costs of running the show, in addition to a worsening economy in New Zealand, forced Rickard to cancel the show in 1984. The final episode aired on 23 July 1984, and featured Samoan Joe
, Larry O'Day, Mel Fortuna, Tony Rickard and Rip Morgan. He and All Star Pro-Wrestling attempted a couple of tours during the next two years but the show's cancellation eventually saw the close of his promotion.
each week on Tuesdays and was approximately 24–25 minutes in length (produced for a 30-minute time-slot) per episode. The first 14 episodes were taped in Auckland, and in Hamilton for a short time, before settling in at the Canterbury Court Stadium in Christchurch
. The final season in 1983-84 was shot at the Auckland YMCA. The show was not only a ratings success, it also helped promote live events which sold out town halls and other venues throughout the country on a weekly basis. By the time the show ended, Rickard estimated he had promoted shows in 135 New Zealand cities and towns.
(and sometimes footage from a recent live event or match from overseas) as well as post-match interviews and vignettes
from wrestlers regarding their upcoming matches or current storylines. Celebrity guests were often invited to the show where they were later interviewed by one of the hosts such as comedian and radio personality Billy T. James
in 1980. The show typically ended after the main event (the final match on an episode) and closed similar to the opening credits.
to air “The Main Event” that year. The show was filmed at ASB Stadium in Auckland and the first episode aired in May. The show's producers attempted to replicate the high production values of the World Wrestling Federation's WWF Superstars of Wrestling
, which had premiered on TV2 the previous year to high ratings, but also clashed with the more basic and traditional style of "On the Mat".
Airing on a slightly earlier timeslot than WWF Superstars, it was technically not in head-to-head competition, however its attempt to emulate the sports entertainment
aspect of the WWF failed to impress neither the critics nor fans. Gus Forearm, a columnist for the Sunday News
, wrote "Okay, it is filmed in New Zealand – but it lacks any of the gloss and zap we've become used to, thanks to TVNZ's Superstars of Wrestling show and many of the NWA wrestlers on the show simply don’t rate on the Forearm scale of skill".
The hiring of John Dybvig, a former US basketball coach and commentator, was the main "heel" announcer who portrayed a stereotypical "loudmouth" American
. His unpopularity, however, did not come from his on-air persona but rather his lack of knowledge about professional wrestling and is believed to have also hurt the show in the long run.
A WWF tour of Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland had drawn over 15,000 people and it was expected that the costs of filming such a high-cost show could be offset by profits made from the gate takings at the ASB Stadium but attendance was much less than expected. In the end, The Main Event was unable to compete with the WWF for ratings and was cancelled after 11 episodes.
Like the final years of "On the Mat", Siva Afi was the main star of the program. Returning from a brief stint in the WWF, it was his first major appearance in the country since 1978. On 13 July 1990, he defeated Canadian Stockman for the NWA British Empire/Commonwealth Championship
and remained undefeated throughout the series. After The Main Event's cancellation, the NWA British Empire/Commonwealth title was retired after a 60-year history.
and has been an influencing factor among several New Zealand media personalities. Wallace Chapman
, co-host of the political interview show Back Benches
, has said his "favourite TV moment" was watching "On the Mat" as a child. Oscar Kightley
, a Samoan-born actor and writer, has credited the series for partly inspiring his stories. Several writers for NZPWI.co.nz, including editor-in-chief Dion McCracken, have also claimed to have been fans of the show as children. Another childhood fan is New Zealand-born cartoonist Jason Conlan
, also known as Pro Wrestling Illustrated
's "Mr. J", whose monthly comic strip
shares the same name. Tim Bickerstaff, a one time crew member for "On the Mat", recalled working for Rickard in a sports column for XTRA in 1999. Television New Zealand
counted On the Mat among the most notable programs in its 50-year history.
It was not until the emergence of the country's three major promotions, Impact Pro Wrestling
, Kiwi Pro Wrestling
and New Zealand Wide Pro Wrestling
, that nationally syndicated wrestling returned to New Zealand television with the debut of IPW Ignition
in 2007 and Off the Ropes
in 2009. Both shows were also made available to an international audience via internet broadcasting
. Also in 2009, in memory of the passing of Scottish-born New Zealand wrestler Robert Bruce, Chris Rattue of the New Zealand Herald named several former "On the Mat" stars including Bruce, King Curtus Iaukea, Rick Martel, Steve Rickard, John da Silva, Peter Maivia, Samoan Joe
and The Bushwhackers as among his Top 10 favorite wrestlers of all-time.
In early-2010, two episodes were chosen to be shown on NZ On Screen
and Tammy Davis
of Outrageous Fortune
starred in an internet promotional video which spoof
ed the series. On 9 April, Scoop.co.nz reported that On the Mat ranked #3 among the top 10 most watched videos on NZ on Screen. The episodes were favourably reviewed by 411mania.com shortly after their release and whose author, Ryan Byers, wrote they "were very fun to watch as a curiosity, a look into an old territory that I, as an American, have almost never seen or even heard discussed" and that "these shows created an interest in me in seeing more from the New Zealand territory, if for no other reason than to document some of the forgotten career moments of US wrestlers who heavily toured abroad".
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
television program
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
for the National Wrestling Alliance
National Wrestling Alliance
The National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
-affiliated All Star Pro-Wrestling (ASPW), or simply NWA New Zealand, that aired on Television New Zealand
Television New Zealand
Television New Zealand, more commonly referred to, and stylized as TVNZ, is a government-owned corporation television network broadcasting in New Zealand and parts of the Pacific. It operates TV1, TV2, TVNZ7, TVNZ Heartland, TVNZ U and new media services....
's TV2 from 1975 to 1984. One of the most popular and the longest-running weekly sports series in the history of New Zealand, the show featured some of the country's top wrestlers and international stars from throughout the world during the 1970s and early 1980s.
On the Mat characterized the "golden age
Golden Age (metaphor)
A golden age is a period in a field of endeavour when great tasks were accomplished. The term originated from early Greek and Roman poets who used to refer to a time when mankind lived in a better time and was pure .-Golden Age in society:...
" of professional wrestling in New Zealand
Professional wrestling in New Zealand
Professional wrestling in New Zealand has been promoted in the country from the early 1900s. In 1919, Gisborne Katene became the first national heavyweight champion, though the title was not recognized by the National Wrestling Association until 1925, and promoter Walter Miller began running events...
and made household names of promoter Steve Rickard
Steve Rickard
Sydney Mervin "Merv" Batt , best known by his ring name Steve Rickard, is a retired New Zealand professional wrestler, trainer and promoter...
, John da Silva
John da Silva
John da Silva or John Silva is a former New Zealand wrestler and boxer. He represented New Zealand in wrestling at the 1956 Olympics and at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games...
, Robert Bruce
Robert Bruce (wrestler)
Robert Bruce , born John Charles Young, was a Scottish-born professional wrestler and talent agent in Auckland, New Zealand.-Biography:...
and others during the 1970s. Much of the show's popularity was based on native New Zealanders and foreign wrestlers working together against their common enemies or, sometimes, being pitted against each other. Several New Zealand wrestlers such as Tony Garea, Peter Maivia
Peter Maivia
Fanene Leifi Pita Maivia was a American Samoan professional wrestler better known as "High Chief" Peter Maivia. He was head of the famous Samoan wrestling family...
, Siva Afi and The Sheepherders
The Bushwhackers
The Bushwhackers were a professional wrestling tag team that also competed as The Sheepherders during their long career. They wrestled in the World Wrestling Federation and Jim Crockett Promotions as well as a nearly 40 year run on the independent wrestling circuit...
, partly from their television appearances, were brought over to the United States where they became major stars during the 1980s wrestling boom
1980s wrestling boom
The 1980s professional wrestling boom was a surge in the popularity of professional wrestling in the United States and elsewhere throughout the 1980s...
. Likewise, wrestlers from the National Wrestling Alliance, Stampede Wrestling
Stampede Wrestling
Stampede Wrestling is a Canadian professional wrestling promotion based in Calgary, Alberta and was for nearly 50 years one of the main promotions in western Canada and the Canadian Prairies...
, the World Wide Wrestling Federation and other foreign promotions were regulars on the show.
As a member of the National Wrestling Alliance, the NWA World Heavyweight Championship
NWA World Heavyweight Championship
The National Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in the National Wrestling Alliance. Its lineage has been traced from the first World Heavyweight Championship, which traces its lineage to Georg Hackenschmidt's 1905 title and...
was defended on the show on several occasions, both between North American wrestlers and against New Zealanders, by legendary champions such as Harley Race
Harley Race
Harley Leland Race is a retired American professional wrestler and current promoter and trainer. During his career as a wrestler, he held the NWA World Heavyweight Championship 7 times...
and "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair
Ric Flair
Richard Morgan Fliehr is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Ric Flair. Also known as "The Nature Boy", Flair is one of the most well-known professional wrestlers in the world....
. Similarly, NWA storylines and feuds were played out on the program that would usually not have been seen in the US. In 1983, for example, the show aired what was a controversial ending to a best 2-of-3 falls match between Ric Flair and Mark Lewin
Mark Lewin
-Career:Mark Lewin broke into wrestling in the early '50s and had great early success in a matinee-idol babyface tag team with Don Curtis, headlining in major territories like New York and Chicago. The team's brief heel turn was a shock to its many fans...
in Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
which saw the NWA World title momentarily change hands but was then returned to Flair via reverse decision. A year later, another NWA title change took place between Flair and Harley Race in Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
and Geylang, Singapore
Geylang
Geylang is a neighbourhood in the city-state of Singapore east of the Central Area, Singapore's central business district. It is located to the east of the Singapore River, an area that locals have associated, from the days of Sir Stamford Raffles, as a Malay kampong opposite facing two islands...
though these would not be officially recognized by the NWA for several years.
Its cancellation in the early-1980s signaled the decline and eventual close of All Star Pro-Wrestling by the end of the decade. As a consequence, locally televised professional wrestling would remain absent in New Zealand for over twenty years until the appearance of Impact Pro Wrestling
Impact Pro Wrestling
Impact Pro Wrestling is a New Zealand professional wrestling promotion. It is the only promotion based in Auckland and one of the country's three major organisations along with Kiwi Pro Wrestling and New Zealand Wide Pro Wrestling...
's IPW Ignition
IPW Ignition
IPW Ignition is a professional wrestling television program for Impact Pro Wrestling . The show debuted on Sky Television's Alt TV in New Zealand on 10 February 2007, and later became available worldwide via internet broadcasting...
and Kiwi Pro Wrestling
Kiwi Pro Wrestling
Kiwi Pro Wrestling is a professional wrestling promotion based in Wellington, New Zealand.-History:Started in May 2006 by veteran New Zealand wrestler Rip Morgan, KPW was formed with the express purpose of taking NZ wrestling from club level to professional level and groom local wrestling talent...
's Off the Ropes
Off The Ropes
Off the Ropes is a professional wrestling television program for Kiwi Pro Wrestling . The show debuted on Prime TV in New Zealand on 15 November 2009.-Show history:...
in the mid-2000s.
Background
In the years following the Second World War, professional wrestling in New Zealand became extremely popular reaching a high point in the 1950s. The death of longtime Dominion Wrestling UnionDominion Wrestling Union
The Dominion Wrestling Union was the first professional wrestling promotion in New Zealand. It was one of two organisations first active in the Australasian region, along with Australia's Stadium Limited, and served as the country's single major promotion for 30 years until being succeeded by All...
promoter Walter Miller in 1959, however, caused the promotion to go into a slump as appearances from foreign wrestlers dwindled to only a small few each year. Steve Rickard
Steve Rickard
Sydney Mervin "Merv" Batt , best known by his ring name Steve Rickard, is a retired New Zealand professional wrestler, trainer and promoter...
, one of its rising stars, continued to run the DWU for two years before starting his own promotion, All Star Pro-Wrestling, in 1962. Another New Zealand wrestler, John da Silva
John da Silva
John da Silva or John Silva is a former New Zealand wrestler and boxer. He represented New Zealand in wrestling at the 1956 Olympics and at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games...
, started a short-lived rival promotion called the Central Wrestling Association which operated up until the 1970s.
During the next decade, Rickard and da Silva were able to develop new stars such as Al Hobman
Al Hobman
Allan "Al" Hobman was a New Zealand professional wrestler, trainer and promoter. Hobman was one of the first homegrown stars to emerge from the Dominion Wrestling Union, and later Steve Rickard's All Star-Pro Wrestling, during the 1960s and 70s such as Tony Garea, Peter Maivia and The Sheepherders...
, Tony Garea, Peter Maivia
Peter Maivia
Fanene Leifi Pita Maivia was a American Samoan professional wrestler better known as "High Chief" Peter Maivia. He was head of the famous Samoan wrestling family...
, and The Sheepherders
The Bushwhackers
The Bushwhackers were a professional wrestling tag team that also competed as The Sheepherders during their long career. They wrestled in the World Wrestling Federation and Jim Crockett Promotions as well as a nearly 40 year run on the independent wrestling circuit...
. They were also eventually able, along with Australian promoter Jim Barnett
Jim Barnett (wrestling)
James E. Barnett was an American professional wrestling promoter, and owner of Georgia Championship Wrestling and Australia's World Championship Wrestling.-Professional wrestling career:...
, bring back more foreign stars to the Australasian region
Australasia
Australasia is a region of Oceania comprising Australia, New Zealand, the island of New Guinea, and neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term was coined by Charles de Brosses in Histoire des navigations aux terres australes...
. New Zealand was often visited by Australian wrestlers Ron Miller and Larry O'Day
Larry O'Dea
Larry Davies was a professional wrestler best known as Larry O'Dea. He was one half of the tag team known as "The Australians"....
of World Championship Wrestling, Robert Bruce
Robert Bruce (wrestler)
Robert Bruce , born John Charles Young, was a Scottish-born professional wrestler and talent agent in Auckland, New Zealand.-Biography:...
from Scotland, Canadians Gordon Nelson and George Gordienko
George Gordienko
George Gordienko was a Canadian professional wrestler and artist. Born of first generation Ukrainian and Cossack-Canadian parents in North Winnipeg, Manitoba, by age 17 Gordienko had received numerous awards for his physical prowess...
, and French wrestler Andre the Giant
André the Giant
André René Roussimoff , best known as André the Giant, was a French professional wrestler and actor. His best remembered acting role was that of Fezzik, the giant in the film The Princess Bride...
.
American wrestlers became especially popular with the public during the early 1970s. One of the biggest US tours occurred in 1972 when Big Bad John, Bulldog Brower
Bulldog Brower
Richard Gland was an American professional wrestler who used the ring name Bulldog Brower.-Professional wrestling career:...
, Les Wolff
Buddy Wolfe
Les Wolff is a retired American football player and professional wrestler, known by his ring name "Beautiful" Buddy Wolfe, who competed in North American regional promotions including the American Wrestling Association, National Wrestling Alliance and the World Wide Wrestling Federation during the...
, King Curtis Iaukea
King Curtis Iaukea
Curtis Piehau Iaukea, III was a professional wrestler better known as King Curtis Iaukea. Iaukea won championships in several of the major regional US promotions, both as a single and in various tag team combinations, during the 1960s. He then competed in the World Wrestling Federation where he...
, Spiros Arion
Andres Labrakis
Andres Labrakis is a Greek retired professional wrestler who had extensive and successful careers in both Australia and the United States. Known as Spiros Arion and The Golden Greek, he debuted in 1961 and retired in 1978.- Europe :...
, Mark Lewin
Mark Lewin
-Career:Mark Lewin broke into wrestling in the early '50s and had great early success in a matinee-idol babyface tag team with Don Curtis, headlining in major territories like New York and Chicago. The team's brief heel turn was a shock to its many fans...
, Thunderbolt Patterson, Sweet Daddy Siki
Sweet Daddy Siki
Reginald Siki is a former professional wrestler and was born on June 16 in Montgomery, Texas.Sweet Daddy Siki started wrestling in 1955 in Artesia, New Mexico. He also did some training in Los Angeles with Sandor Szabo and Ray Ortega...
, Tarzan Tyler, Dewey Robertson
Dewey Robertson
Byron James John "Dewey" Robertson was a professional wrestler, known best for his ring name The Missing Link....
and Big Haystacks Calhoun
William Calhoun
William Dee Calhoun was a professional wrestler, who used the professional name "Haystack" or "Haystacks" Calhoun. The gargantuan wrestler was one of the foremost drawing cards during the industry’s “Golden Age” of the 1950s and 1960s while sporting his trademark white T-shirt, blue overalls, and...
wrestled throughout New Zealand. Calhoun and his wife were often seen and talked about in the national media. The couple made numerous television appearances, press interviews and visited schools. That same year, the Rickard-Barnett partnership ended when Barnett sold his share of Big Time Wrestling, an Australian wrestling program that had briefly aired in New Zealand, and returned to work in the United States. Rickard then decided to promote wrestling events full-time with All Star Pro-Wrestling. Rickard's later affiliation with the National Wrestling Alliance
National Wrestling Alliance
The National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
ensured the arrival of many wrestlers from North America and elsewhere for the next several years.
Early history
With the influx of new talent, both from New Zealand and abroad, Steve Rickard considered creating a weekly television series, much like Britain's World of SportWorld of Sport (UK TV series)
World of Sport was a British television sport anthology programme which ran on ITV between 2 January 1965 to 28 September 1985 in response to competition from BBC's Grandstand...
, to showcase these wrestlers to a national audience and capitalize on the popularity of his promotion's live events
House show
A house show is a professional wrestling show run by a major promotion that is not televised, though they can be recorded. Promotions use house shows mainly to cash in on the exposure that they and their wrestlers receive during televised events, as well as test reactions to matches, wrestlers, and...
and from foreign wrestlers then touring the country. According to Rickard, the promotion sold-out the Wellington Winter Show Buildings ten weeks in a row and still had to turn away hundreds more. Prior to the introduction of television in New Zealand in 1960, wrestling had been extremely popular through live radio broadcasts. In the later years of the "television era" of the 1970s and 80s, television stations commonly aired professional wrestling, such as Hollywood Wrestling
Hollywood Wrestling
Hollywood Wrestling, also known as Wrestling From Hollywood, was an American professional wrestling television series which originally aired locally in Los Angeles on KTLA in the early 1950s, and by 1952 nationally on the improvised Paramount Television Network...
or Wrestling at the Chase
Wrestling at the Chase
Wrestling at the Chase was a professional wrestling television series that aired in St. Louis, Missouri, the matches were taped live on Saturday nights as well as televised. It was repeated traditionally on Sunday mornings. It was promoted by the St...
, as a source of inexpensive yet popular programing.
Encouraged by successful wrestling shows in Australia and the US, Rickard recorded a film pilot at a cost of $500 using matches from one of his shows at the Wellington Winter Show Buildings in 1973. This included a midget wrestling match and another with American wrestler Harley Race
Harley Race
Harley Leland Race is a retired American professional wrestler and current promoter and trainer. During his career as a wrestler, he held the NWA World Heavyweight Championship 7 times...
. Rickard initially approached TV1 and used the pilot to "pitch" the idea for a New Zealand-based professional wrestling program. The network showed little interest in the show and eventually passed on the idea. When TV2 was established two years later, however, Rickard managed to get a meeting with then programme director Kevan Moore. A deal was quickly made and Rickard worked with South Pacific Pictures
South Pacific Pictures
South Pacific Pictures is a television production company based in New Zealand. The company produces drama series, mini-series, telemovies and feature films for the domestic market and international market....
to develop and produce this new wrestling program. Tim Bickerstaff, a popular New Zealand radio personality and television sports writer, was involved in filming early episodes of the show.
On the Mat debuted as a half-hour late night series on Television New Zealand
Television New Zealand
Television New Zealand, more commonly referred to, and stylized as TVNZ, is a government-owned corporation television network broadcasting in New Zealand and parts of the Pacific. It operates TV1, TV2, TVNZ7, TVNZ Heartland, TVNZ U and new media services....
's TV2 in 1975. The show was hosted by colour commentator Ernie Leonard along with Steve Rickard as the play-by-play announcer. Many of the top stars in New Zealand and from around the world during the 1970s and early-1980s appeared on the show during its 9-year run.
The show became an overnight sensation, both in New Zealand and internationally, and was one of the country's highest rated shows of all time. For much of its history, On the Mat was centred around a core group of native stars headlined by Wellington-based wrestlers Steve Rickard, John Da Silva and Robert Bruce who became household names by the end of the 1970s. Another Pacific star, King Curtis Iaukea
King Curtis Iaukea
Curtis Piehau Iaukea, III was a professional wrestler better known as King Curtis Iaukea. Iaukea won championships in several of the major regional US promotions, both as a single and in various tag team combinations, during the 1960s. He then competed in the World Wrestling Federation where he...
, was the main "heel" wrestler
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
for many years as were Australia's Ron Miller and Larry O'Day
Larry O'Dea
Larry Davies was a professional wrestler best known as Larry O'Dea. He was one half of the tag team known as "The Australians"....
. Other foreign wrestlers to appear on the program included Pat Barrett
Pat Barrett
Patrick "Pat" Barrett is a former Irish professional wrestler who is best known for his time with NWA and WWWF. He has wrestled in many areas which include Ireland, Pacific Islands, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and United States of America.-Career:The Irish wrestler Pat Barrett started wrestling...
, Dick Beyer
Dick Beyer
Dick Beyer is a retired professional wrestler who is best known by his ring names, The Destroyer or Doctor X.-Early life:...
, Man Mountain Link
Rick Link
"The Beastmaster" Rick Link is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, trainer and promoter. He wrestled throughout Canada and the United States for the National Wrestling Alliance during the 1970s and 80s under a number of ringnames, most notably, as M.E.B. in NWA Central States and as...
, Les Thornton
Les Thornton
Les Thornton is a retired British professional wrestler who competed in European and North American regional promotions throughout the 1970s and 1980s including Stampede Wrestling, the World Wrestling Federation and the National Wrestling Alliance...
, Leo Burke
Leo Burke
Leonce Cormier is a retired Canadian professional wrestler. He was born in Dorchester, New Brunswick. He competed across Canada, in several American promotions, and wrestled internationally for both Puerto Rico's World Wrestling Council and the National Wrestling Alliance in New Zealand...
, Ripper Collins
Ripper Collins
James Anthony "Rip" Collins was a Major League Baseball player for the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, and Pittsburgh Pirates....
, Rick Martel
Rick Martel
Richard Vigneault is a retired Canadian professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation between 1980 and 1995 under the ring name Rick Martel...
, Tiger Jeet Singh
Tiger Jeet Singh
Jagjit Singh Hans is a semi-retired professional wrestler, known better by his ring name Tiger Jeet Singh. He wrestled as a crazed heel, coming to the ring with a sword in his mouth . Singh wrestled in Japan for 22 years...
, Ali Vizeri and Abdullah the Butcher
Abdullah the Butcher
Lawrence Robert "Larry" Shreve best known as Abdullah the Butcher, and also at times The Madman from the Sudan, is a semi-retired Canadian professional wrestler known as one of the most brutal or "hardcore" professional wrestlers of all-time...
.
Peter Maivia
Peter Maivia
Fanene Leifi Pita Maivia was a American Samoan professional wrestler better known as "High Chief" Peter Maivia. He was head of the famous Samoan wrestling family...
and Siva Afi were also very popular during this period and they became the focus of the show within several years. Rickard promoted both Maivia and Afi to appeal to the Polynesia
Polynesia
Polynesia is a subregion of Oceania, made up of over 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean. The indigenous people who inhabit the islands of Polynesia are termed Polynesians and they share many similar traits including language, culture and beliefs...
n market in New Zealand much in the same way Vince McMahon, Sr. did with Bruno Sammartino
Bruno Sammartino
Bruno Leopoldo Francesco Sammartino is an Italian-American former professional wrestler, best known for being the longest-running champion of the World Wide Wrestling Federation , holding the title across two reigns for over 11 years in total, as well as the longest single WWE Championship reign...
and Italian American
Italian American
An Italian American , is an American of Italian ancestry. The designation may also refer to someone possessing Italian and American dual citizenship...
s in New York during the 1960s. In 1978, Afi defeated John da Silva in a tournament final to capture the NWA New Zealand Heavyweight Championship
NWA New Zealand Heavyweight Championship
The NWA New Zealand Heavyweight Championship is the primary singles title in the NWA-affiliated wrestling promotion NWA New Zealand. It is the first heavyweight championship in New Zealand and one of the oldest in the world. It was first won by Gisborne Katene who defeated Frank Findlay in 1919...
on 23 April 1978. It was the first time a Samoan
Samoans
The Samoan people are a Polynesian ethnic group of the Samoan Islands, sharing genetics, language, history and culture. Due to colonialism, the home islands are politically and geographically divided between the country of Samoa, official name Independent State of Samoa ; and American Samoa, an...
wrestler had held the New Zealand championship since 1964. A year later, Miavia won the NWA British Empire/Commonwealth Championship
NWA British Empire/Commonwealth Championship (New Zealand version)
The New Zealand version of the NWA British Empire/Commonwealth Championship was a professional wrestling heavyweight championship defended in the National Wrestling Alliance-affiliated Dominion Wrestling Union from 1929 to 1953 and in All Star Pro Wrestling from 1968 to 1990...
from Ripper Collins in Auckland.
At the start of the show's off-season each year, Rickard and his wrestlers spent the three months on international tours overseas in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Malaysia, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
and Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
.
Height in popularity
On the Mat's success greatly increased attendance for live events throughout the country. Imported talent coming as far away as the United States, Canada, Japan and Australia to challenge local wrestlers, particularly ones that fans could identify with and relate to, kept viewers tuning in each week. The show's popularity also brought the first television exposure to New Zealand stars and, due in part to their TV appearances for On the Mat, Peter MaiviaPeter Maivia
Fanene Leifi Pita Maivia was a American Samoan professional wrestler better known as "High Chief" Peter Maivia. He was head of the famous Samoan wrestling family...
, Tony Garea and The Sheepherders
The Bushwhackers
The Bushwhackers were a professional wrestling tag team that also competed as The Sheepherders during their long career. They wrestled in the World Wrestling Federation and Jim Crockett Promotions as well as a nearly 40 year run on the independent wrestling circuit...
were all brought to the US where they became major stars in the NWA and the World Wide Wrestling Federation in the 1970s, and later in the World Wrestling Federation during the 1980s wrestling boom
1980s wrestling boom
The 1980s professional wrestling boom was a surge in the popularity of professional wrestling in the United States and elsewhere throughout the 1980s...
. WWWF stars such as Don Muraco
Don Muraco
Donald Muraco , better known by his ring name "The Rock" Don Muraco, is a retired American professional wrestler...
, Toru Tanaka, Mr. Fuji
Mr. Fuji
Harry Fujiwara is an American former professional wrestler and manager, best known by his ring name Mr. Fuji. He was infamous for often throwing salt in the eyes of face wrestlers...
and Rocky Johnson
Rocky Johnson
Rocky Johnson is a retired Canadian professional wrestler. Quite popular in his own right in the 1970s and 1980s, he is also known for being the father of actor and professional wrestler Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson...
also appeared on the show while touring the country.
Original storylines, apart from the NWA, were also featured in the show. Robert Bruce, who had originally come to New Zealand as a fan favourite
Face (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a babyface or face or in simple words, a fan favorite is a character who is portrayed as a heroic relative to the heel wrestlers, who are analogous to villains...
, "turned heel
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
", reformed as a "face" then returned to being a heel within the span of a few weeks. His antics gained himself and others national attention and enraged crowds so much that he was actually stabbed by an irate fan. Rickard's two sons were also involved in the promotion. One episode in 1980 featured a tag team match with Ricky Rickard
Ricky Rickard
Rick "Ricky" Rickard is a retired New Zealand professional wrestler who competed in the National Wrestling Alliance-affiliated All Star-Pro Wrestling, promoted by his father Steve Rickard, as well as touring Australia, Singapore, Malaysia and the United States during the 1970s and early 80s...
as a participant, his brother Tony Rickard refereeing the match and their father Steve Rickard commentating. The show sometimes featured celebrity guests, most notably, radio personality Billy T. James
Billy T. James
Billy T James, , born William James Te Wehi Taitoko, was a New Zealand entertainer, comedian and actor. He starred in numerous TV shows and variety programmes and performed on stage and in motion pictures.-Career:...
.
On 17 March 1981, Barry Holland officially took over Ernie Leonard's position as head announcer so Leonard could work full-time behind the scenes in his role as producer. Returning from a period of touring Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
and Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, Steve Rickard announced the show was being aired in Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
and Malaysia as well as the arrivals of Abdullah the Butcher
Abdullah the Butcher
Lawrence Robert "Larry" Shreve best known as Abdullah the Butcher, and also at times The Madman from the Sudan, is a semi-retired Canadian professional wrestler known as one of the most brutal or "hardcore" professional wrestlers of all-time...
, Bret Hart
Bret Hart
Bret Hart is a Canadian on-screen personality, writer, actor and Semi-retired professional wrestler. Like others in the Hart wrestling family, Hart has an amateur wrestling background, including wrestling at Ernest Manning High School and Mount Royal College...
, and possibly "The Original Sheik" Ed Farhat
Ed Farhat
Edward George Farhat was an American professional wrestler best known as by his ring name The Sheik...
. Also on that episode, Rickard read aloud a letter sent to him by Larry O'Day in which the Australian wrestler taunted Rickard over breaking the leg of his son earlier that year and publicly accepted O'Day's challenge to a match for the NWA British Empire/Commonwealth Championship
NWA British Empire/Commonwealth Championship (New Zealand version)
The New Zealand version of the NWA British Empire/Commonwealth Championship was a professional wrestling heavyweight championship defended in the National Wrestling Alliance-affiliated Dominion Wrestling Union from 1929 to 1953 and in All Star Pro Wrestling from 1968 to 1990...
. A month after the death of Peter Maivia
Peter Maivia
Fanene Leifi Pita Maivia was a American Samoan professional wrestler better known as "High Chief" Peter Maivia. He was head of the famous Samoan wrestling family...
, the 6 July 1982 edition of "On the Mat" was a tribute show in his memory and the promotion broadcast two of his matches.
Involvement with the NWA
An official member of the NWA since 1972, many of its top stars were featured on the program when they visited New Zealand. As a result, NWA storylines and feuds not only became part of the show but were usually not seen by fans outside the country. This was especially true of title defences for the NWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipNWA World Heavyweight Championship
The National Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in the National Wrestling Alliance. Its lineage has been traced from the first World Heavyweight Championship, which traces its lineage to Georg Hackenschmidt's 1905 title and...
, defended on the show on several occasions, involving both foreign and native New Zealand wrestlers.
Peter Maivia
Peter Maivia
Fanene Leifi Pita Maivia was a American Samoan professional wrestler better known as "High Chief" Peter Maivia. He was head of the famous Samoan wrestling family...
very nearly won the title from then reigning champion Harley Race
Harley Race
Harley Leland Race is a retired American professional wrestler and current promoter and trainer. During his career as a wrestler, he held the NWA World Heavyweight Championship 7 times...
in Western Springs
Western Springs
Western Springs is a residential suburb and park in the west of the city of Auckland in the north of New Zealand. It is located four kilometres to the west of the city centre, situated to the north of State Highway 16....
in 1979, winning the bout via disqualification, and there was a serious concern the estimated 10,000 fans in attendance would riot if Maivia did not address the crowd to explain why the NWA did not allow title changes based on a disqualification win. A 30 minute NWA title match between Race and Rick Martel took up an entire episode of On the Mat. After returning to the US, Race would later send a tape of this match to promoters before he entered a territory.
Another controversial match occurred in 1983 when Mark Lewin
Mark Lewin
-Career:Mark Lewin broke into wrestling in the early '50s and had great early success in a matinee-idol babyface tag team with Don Curtis, headlining in major territories like New York and Chicago. The team's brief heel turn was a shock to its many fans...
seemingly won the NWA title from "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair
Ric Flair
Richard Morgan Fliehr is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Ric Flair. Also known as "The Nature Boy", Flair is one of the most well-known professional wrestlers in the world....
in a best 2-of-3 falls match in Auckland. Although he scored the winning pinfall, and was given the belt, the decision was reversed by referees due to Flair having been tossed over the top rope moments before. Although this was not an illegal move in New Zealand, the bout was under NWA regulations and referees were forced to disqualify Lewin. In a post-match brawl, Lewin knocked out Flair with the belt and left the ring with it. The following year, the NWA World title changed hands between Ric Flair
Ric Flair
Richard Morgan Fliehr is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Ric Flair. Also known as "The Nature Boy", Flair is one of the most well-known professional wrestlers in the world....
and Harley Race in Wellington, New Zealand
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
and Geylang, Singapore
Geylang
Geylang is a neighbourhood in the city-state of Singapore east of the Central Area, Singapore's central business district. It is located to the east of the Singapore River, an area that locals have associated, from the days of Sir Stamford Raffles, as a Malay kampong opposite facing two islands...
though it would be several years before the NWA eventually recognized them.
Cancellation
By the early 1980s, though the show was still popular, it became increasingly more difficult for Rickard to bring in top quality wrestlers from overseas. The World Wrestling Federation's national expansion under Vince McMahonVince McMahon
Vincent Kennedy "Vince" McMahon is an American professional wrestling promoter, announcer, commentator, film producer, actor and former occasional professional wrestler. McMahon is the current Chairman, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Committee of professional wrestling promotion WWE...
in the US resulted in the decline of the National Wrestling Alliance and made the top American stars less available to travel outside the US. Rickard and World Championship Wrestling had also long shared the transportation costs of bringing in foreign wrestlers into the Pacific, however, the close of WCW in 1978 resulted in Rickard taking on the full cost himself. Even local stars such as Peter Maivia and Siva Afi, despite their popularity in New Zealand, left the country to compete in the US.
The high costs of running the show, in addition to a worsening economy in New Zealand, forced Rickard to cancel the show in 1984. The final episode aired on 23 July 1984, and featured Samoan Joe
Samoan Joe
Joseph "Joe" Afamasaga is a retired New Zealand professional wrestler, best known by his ringname Samoan Joe, who competed in the Australasian and South Pacific region during the 1970s and early 1980s...
, Larry O'Day, Mel Fortuna, Tony Rickard and Rip Morgan. He and All Star Pro-Wrestling attempted a couple of tours during the next two years but the show's cancellation eventually saw the close of his promotion.
Production
The show usually aired on a late night timeslotLate night television
Late night television in the United States is the block of television programming airing after 11:00 pm and usually through 2:00 am. Traditionally, this type of programming airs after the late local news and is most notable for being the daypart used for a particular genre of programming that falls...
each week on Tuesdays and was approximately 24–25 minutes in length (produced for a 30-minute time-slot) per episode. The first 14 episodes were taped in Auckland, and in Hamilton for a short time, before settling in at the Canterbury Court Stadium in Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
. The final season in 1983-84 was shot at the Auckland YMCA. The show was not only a ratings success, it also helped promote live events which sold out town halls and other venues throughout the country on a weekly basis. By the time the show ended, Rickard estimated he had promoted shows in 135 New Zealand cities and towns.
Episode format
Each episode opened with a video of the All Star Pro-Wrestlers competing in various matches as well as the show's theme song, before going to an introduction and the opening match. An episode typically featured two to three matchesProfessional wrestling match types
Many types of matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, can be found in the form of performing art that is professional wrestling....
(and sometimes footage from a recent live event or match from overseas) as well as post-match interviews and vignettes
Vignette (literature)
In theatrical script writing, sketch stories, and poetry, a vignette is a short impressionistic scene that focuses on one moment or gives a trenchant impression about a character, an idea, or a setting and sometimes an object...
from wrestlers regarding their upcoming matches or current storylines. Celebrity guests were often invited to the show where they were later interviewed by one of the hosts such as comedian and radio personality Billy T. James
Billy T. James
Billy T James, , born William James Te Wehi Taitoko, was a New Zealand entertainer, comedian and actor. He starred in numerous TV shows and variety programmes and performed on stage and in motion pictures.-Career:...
in 1980. The show typically ended after the main event (the final match on an episode) and closed similar to the opening credits.
Memorable episodes
| Episode | Date | Rating | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| On the Mat Debut | 1975 | N/A | |
| Harley Race NWA World Title defence | 1979 | N/A | |
| On the Mat with Billy T. James | 29 July 1980 | N/A | |
| Peter Maivia Tribute Show | 6 July 1982 | N/A | |
| Ric Flair NWA World Title defence | 3 March 1983 | N/A |
NWA British Empire/Commonwealth Championship
| Wrestler: | Defeated: | Date: | Place: | Event: | Notes: |
| John Da Silva John da Silva John da Silva or John Silva is a former New Zealand wrestler and boxer. He represented New Zealand in wrestling at the 1956 Olympics and at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games... |
Bulldog Brower Bulldog Brower Richard Gland was an American professional wrestler who used the ring name Bulldog Brower.-Professional wrestling career:... |
1975 | N/A | N/A | |
| Robert Bruce Robert Bruce (wrestler) Robert Bruce , born John Charles Young, was a Scottish-born professional wrestler and talent agent in Auckland, New Zealand.-Biography:... |
John Da Silva | 1975 | N/A | N/A | |
| John Da Silva | Robert Bruce | 1976 | N/A | N/A | |
| Don Muraco Don Muraco Donald Muraco , better known by his ring name "The Rock" Don Muraco, is a retired American professional wrestler... |
John Da Silva | 1977 | N/A | N/A | |
| King Curtis Iaukea King Curtis Iaukea Curtis Piehau Iaukea, III was a professional wrestler better known as King Curtis Iaukea. Iaukea won championships in several of the major regional US promotions, both as a single and in various tag team combinations, during the 1960s. He then competed in the World Wrestling Federation where he... |
Don Muraco | 1977 | N/A | N/A | |
| Rick Martel Rick Martel Richard Vigneault is a retired Canadian professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation between 1980 and 1995 under the ring name Rick Martel... |
King Curtis Iaukea | 26 May 1977 | Auckland Auckland The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world... , NZ New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... |
N/A | |
| Ali Vaziri | Rick Martel | 1977 | N/A | N/A | |
| Tommy Seigler | Ali Vaziri | 1977 | N/A | N/A | The championship is vacated when Seigler leaves New Zealand in 1978. |
| Les Thornton Les Thornton Les Thornton is a retired British professional wrestler who competed in European and North American regional promotions throughout the 1970s and 1980s including Stampede Wrestling, the World Wrestling Federation and the National Wrestling Alliance... |
N/A | January 1978 | N/A | N/A | |
| Chris Markoff | Les Thornton | 1978 | N/A | N/A | |
| Ron Miller | Chris Markoff | 1978 | Auckland Auckland The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world... , NZ New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... |
N/A | |
| Jack Claybourne | Ron Miller | April 1978 | Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... |
N/A | |
| Toru Tanaka | Jack Claybourne | 13 June 1978 | Christchurch Christchurch Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of... , NZ New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... |
N/A | |
| Steve Rickard Steve Rickard Sydney Mervin "Merv" Batt , best known by his ring name Steve Rickard, is a retired New Zealand professional wrestler, trainer and promoter... |
Toru Tanaka | 22 June 1978 | Auckland Auckland The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world... , NZ New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... |
N/A | |
| Toru Tanaka | Steve Rickard | 20 July 1978 | Auckland Auckland The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world... , NZ New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... |
N/A | |
| Steve Rickard | Toru Tanaka | 17 August 1978 | Auckland Auckland The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world... , NZ New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... |
N/A | |
| Mad Dog Martin | Steve Rickard | 28 September 1978 | Auckland Auckland The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world... , NZ New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... |
N/A | |
| Leo Burke Leo Burke Leonce Cormier is a retired Canadian professional wrestler. He was born in Dorchester, New Brunswick. He competed across Canada, in several American promotions, and wrestled internationally for both Puerto Rico's World Wrestling Council and the National Wrestling Alliance in New Zealand... |
Mad Dog Martin | 1979 | N/A | N/A | |
| Rick Martel | Leo Burke | 19 March 1979 | Auckland Auckland The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world... , NZ New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... |
N/A | |
| Ripper Collins | Rick Martel | 28 May 1979 | Auckland Auckland The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world... , NZ New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... |
N/A | |
| Peter Maivia Peter Maivia Fanene Leifi Pita Maivia was a American Samoan professional wrestler better known as "High Chief" Peter Maivia. He was head of the famous Samoan wrestling family... |
Ripper Collins | 20 August 1979 | Auckland Auckland The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world... , NZ New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... |
N/A | |
| Mr. Fuji Mr. Fuji Harry Fujiwara is an American former professional wrestler and manager, best known by his ring name Mr. Fuji. He was infamous for often throwing salt in the eyes of face wrestlers... |
Peter Maivia | 3 September 1979 | Auckland Auckland The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world... , NZ New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... |
N/A | |
| Rick Martel | Mr. Fuji | N/A | N/A | N/A | The championship is vacated when Martel leaves New Zealand in 1980. |
| Ron Miller | N/A | May 1980 | Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... |
N/A | Won in a tournament. |
| Larry O'Day Larry O'Dea Larry Davies was a professional wrestler best known as Larry O'Dea. He was one half of the tag team known as "The Australians".... |
Ron Miller | 14 July 1980 | Auckland Auckland The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world... , NZ New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... |
N/A | |
| Ron Miller | Larry O'Day | 28 July 1980 | Auckland Auckland The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world... , NZ New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... |
N/A | |
| Steve Rickard | Ron Miller | 29 October 1980 | Auckland Auckland The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world... , NZ New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... |
N/A | |
| Jos LeDuc Jos LeDuc Michel Pigeon was a Canadian professional wrestler better known by his ring name, Jos LeDuc. Wrestling with a lumberjack gimmick, he debuted in Stampede Wrestling with his kayfabe brother, Paul LeDuc... |
Steve Rickard | 23 April 1981 | Auckland Auckland The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world... , NZ New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... |
N/A | |
| Mark Lewin Mark Lewin -Career:Mark Lewin broke into wrestling in the early '50s and had great early success in a matinee-idol babyface tag team with Don Curtis, headlining in major territories like New York and Chicago. The team's brief heel turn was a shock to its many fans... |
Jos LeDuc | 30 April 1981 | Auckland Auckland The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world... , NZ New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... |
N/A | |
| Jos LeDuc | Mark Lewin | 9 July 1981 | Auckland Auckland The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world... , NZ New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... |
N/A | |
| Steve Rickard | Jos LeDuc | 13 August 1981 | Auckland Auckland The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world... , NZ New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... |
N/A | |
| Butcher Brannigan | Steve Rickard | 17 September 1981 | Auckland Auckland The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world... , NZ New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... |
N/A | |
| Steve Rickard | Butcher Brannigan | 24 September 1981 | Auckland Auckland The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world... , NZ New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... |
N/A | |
| Baron Karl Von Krupp Killer Karl Krupp George Momberg , better known by the ring name Killer Karl Krupp, was a Dutch-born professional wrestler famous during the 1970s and early 1980s.-Early life:... |
Steve Rickard | 3 June 1982 | Auckland Auckland The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world... , NZ New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... |
N/A | |
| Steve Rickard | Baron Karl Von Krupp | 1 July 1982 | Auckland Auckland The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world... , NZ New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... |
N/A | |
| Ox Baker Ox Baker Douglas A. Baker better known professionally as Ox Baker, is an American former professional wrestler and actor, and was feared for his dreaded finishing move, the Heart Punch, sometimes called the "Hurt Punch", after Baker's famous catchphrase "I love to hurt people!" He has appeared in several... |
Steve Rickard | 9 September 1982 | Auckland Auckland The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world... , NZ New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... |
N/A | |
| Al Perez Al Perez Al Perez is a retired American professional wrestler.-Professional wrestling career:Perez began wrestling as an amateur in high school and was one of the top athletes in his home state of Florida. He started professional wrestling in 1982.He formed a team in ICW with Joe Savoldi known as the "New... |
Ox Baker | September 1982 | N/A | N/A | |
| King Kamata Tor Kamata McRonald Kamaka was an American/Canadian professional wrestler known by the ring name Tor Kamata. He won several Heavyweight and Tag Team championships, including one World Tag Team title. He was a classic "bad guy" wrestler... |
Al Perez | 7 October 1982 | Auckland Auckland The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world... , NZ New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... |
N/A | |
| Al Perez | King Kamata | October 1982 | Auckland Auckland The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world... , NZ New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... |
N/A | |
| Pat O'Connor Pat O'Connor (wrestler) Patrick John "Pat" O'Connor , was a professional wrestler from New Zealand. O'Connor was regarded as one of the premier workers of his era... |
Al Perez | 4 November 1982 | Auckland Auckland The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world... , NZ New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... |
N/A | Title is later vacated. |
| Butcher Brannigan | 1983 | N/A | N/A | ||
| Ricky Rickard Ricky Rickard Rick "Ricky" Rickard is a retired New Zealand professional wrestler who competed in the National Wrestling Alliance-affiliated All Star-Pro Wrestling, promoted by his father Steve Rickard, as well as touring Australia, Singapore, Malaysia and the United States during the 1970s and early 80s... |
Butcher Brannigan | 1983 | N/A | N/A | |
| Larry O'Day | Rick Rickard | 1983 | N/A | N/A | |
| Steve Rickard | Larry O'Day | 1983 | N/A | N/A | |
| Zar Mongol Barry Darsow Barry Darsow is a former American professional wrestler who is known as Smash, one half of the tag team Demolition, and as Krusher Kruschev, Repo Man, and The Blacktop Bully... |
Steve Rickard | 1983 | N/A | N/A | |
| Steve Rickard | Zar Mongol | 1983 | N/A | N/A |
NWA Australasian Tag Team Championship
| Team: | Defeated: | Date: | Place: | Event: | Notes: |
| Steve Rickard Steve Rickard Sydney Mervin "Merv" Batt , best known by his ring name Steve Rickard, is a retired New Zealand professional wrestler, trainer and promoter... and Mark Lewin Mark Lewin -Career:Mark Lewin broke into wrestling in the early '50s and had great early success in a matinee-idol babyface tag team with Don Curtis, headlining in major territories like New York and Chicago. The team's brief heel turn was a shock to its many fans... |
N/A | 8 October 1981 | N/A | Awarded titles. | |
| King Kamaka Tor Kamata McRonald Kamaka was an American/Canadian professional wrestler known by the ring name Tor Kamata. He won several Heavyweight and Tag Team championships, including one World Tag Team title. He was a classic "bad guy" wrestler... and Baron Von Krupp Killer Karl Krupp George Momberg , better known by the ring name Killer Karl Krupp, was a Dutch-born professional wrestler famous during the 1970s and early 1980s.-Early life:... |
Steve Rickard and Mark Lewin | 6 May 1982 | Auckland Auckland The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world... , NZ New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... |
||
| Steve Rickard and Mark Lewin | King Kamaka and Baron Von Krupp | 27 May 1982 | Auckland Auckland The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world... , NZ New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... |
||
| King Kamaka and Ox Baker Ox Baker Douglas A. Baker better known professionally as Ox Baker, is an American former professional wrestler and actor, and was feared for his dreaded finishing move, the Heart Punch, sometimes called the "Hurt Punch", after Baker's famous catchphrase "I love to hurt people!" He has appeared in several... |
Steve Rickard and Mark Lewin | 19 August 1982 | Auckland Auckland The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world... , NZ New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... |
||
| Mark Lewin and Al Perez Al Perez Al Perez is a retired American professional wrestler.-Professional wrestling career:Perez began wrestling as an amateur in high school and was one of the top athletes in his home state of Florida. He started professional wrestling in 1982.He formed a team in ICW with Joe Savoldi known as the "New... |
King Kamaka and Ox Baker | 30 September 1982 | Auckland Auckland The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world... , NZ New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... |
||
| King Kamaka and General Hiro | Mark Lewin and Al Perez | 21 October 1982 | Auckland Auckland The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world... , NZ New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... |
||
| Larry O'Day Larry O'Dea Larry Davies was a professional wrestler best known as Larry O'Dea. He was one half of the tag team known as "The Australians".... and Ripper Collins |
King Kamaka and General Hiro | 1983 | N/A | ||
| Mark Mark Youngblood Mark Romero is a retired American second generation professional wrestler better known by his ring name Mark Youngblood.-Career:... and Chris Youngblood Chris Romero Chris Romero is a semi-retired second-generation American professional wrestler who is better known as Chris Youngblood. He is the son of Ricky Romero and the brother of Mark and Jay Youngblood.-Rise to Fame:... |
Larry O'Day and Ripper Collins | 1984 | N/A |
Commentators
| Commentators | Dates |
|---|---|
| Ernie Leonard and Steve Rickard | 1975–1980 |
| Barry Holland and Steve Rickard | 17 March 1981 - c. 1984 |
Ring announcers
| Ring Announcer | Dates |
|---|---|
| Burt Durn | 1975-c. 1984 |
Revival with "The Main Event"
In 1990, Steve Rickard proposed a new wrestling program under a similar format and, supported by Isambard Productions, secured a deal with the newly established TV3TV3 (New Zealand)
TV3 is a New Zealand commercial television network, owned by MediaWorks New Zealand. Launched on 26 November 1989, the first private television network in New Zealand...
to air “The Main Event” that year. The show was filmed at ASB Stadium in Auckland and the first episode aired in May. The show's producers attempted to replicate the high production values of the World Wrestling Federation's WWF Superstars of Wrestling
WWF Superstars of Wrestling
WWF Superstars of Wrestling is a professional wrestling television program produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It debuted on September 6, 1986...
, which had premiered on TV2 the previous year to high ratings, but also clashed with the more basic and traditional style of "On the Mat".
Airing on a slightly earlier timeslot than WWF Superstars, it was technically not in head-to-head competition, however its attempt to emulate the sports entertainment
Sports entertainment
Sports entertainment is a type of spectacle which presents an ostensibly competitive event using a high level of theatrical flourish and extravagant presentation, with the purpose of entertaining an audience...
aspect of the WWF failed to impress neither the critics nor fans. Gus Forearm, a columnist for the Sunday News
Sunday News
The Sunday News is a New Zealand tabloid newspaper published each weekend by the Fairfax group in Auckland. In addition to a self-described 'punchy' take on the news, it features coverage of weekend sport, entertainment, star gossip, fashion and TV listings.The Sunday News has editorial offices in...
, wrote "Okay, it is filmed in New Zealand – but it lacks any of the gloss and zap we've become used to, thanks to TVNZ's Superstars of Wrestling show and many of the NWA wrestlers on the show simply don’t rate on the Forearm scale of skill".
The hiring of John Dybvig, a former US basketball coach and commentator, was the main "heel" announcer who portrayed a stereotypical "loudmouth" American
Ugly American
Ugly American is an epithet used to refer to perceptions of loud, arrogant, demeaning, thoughtless and ethnocentric behavior of American citizens mainly abroad, but also at home...
. His unpopularity, however, did not come from his on-air persona but rather his lack of knowledge about professional wrestling and is believed to have also hurt the show in the long run.
A WWF tour of Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland had drawn over 15,000 people and it was expected that the costs of filming such a high-cost show could be offset by profits made from the gate takings at the ASB Stadium but attendance was much less than expected. In the end, The Main Event was unable to compete with the WWF for ratings and was cancelled after 11 episodes.
Like the final years of "On the Mat", Siva Afi was the main star of the program. Returning from a brief stint in the WWF, it was his first major appearance in the country since 1978. On 13 July 1990, he defeated Canadian Stockman for the NWA British Empire/Commonwealth Championship
NWA British Empire/Commonwealth Championship (New Zealand version)
The New Zealand version of the NWA British Empire/Commonwealth Championship was a professional wrestling heavyweight championship defended in the National Wrestling Alliance-affiliated Dominion Wrestling Union from 1929 to 1953 and in All Star Pro Wrestling from 1968 to 1990...
and remained undefeated throughout the series. After The Main Event's cancellation, the NWA British Empire/Commonwealth title was retired after a 60-year history.
Legacy
Over 20 years after its cancellation, On the Mat has remained the longest-running weekly sports series in New Zealand's history. It has since achieved a cult status in New Zealand popular cultureCulture of New Zealand
The culture of New Zealand is largely inherited from British and European custom, interwoven with Maori and Polynesian tradition. An isolated Pacific Island nation, New Zealand was comparatively recently settled by humans...
and has been an influencing factor among several New Zealand media personalities. Wallace Chapman
Wallace Chapman
Wallace Chapman is a New Zealand radio and television host.His shows include:* Back Benches * The Wallace Chapman Drive Chapman began his broadcasting career while a student at the University of Otago with student radio station Radio One...
, co-host of the political interview show Back Benches
Back Benches
Back Benches is a New Zealand political interview show, presented by Wallace Chapman and Damian Christie. It is filmed at the 'Backbencher' pub across the road from Parliament Buildings in Wellington, at 9.10 pm Wednesday nights , and reshown on Thursday mornings, Friday nights, and Saturday mornings...
, has said his "favourite TV moment" was watching "On the Mat" as a child. Oscar Kightley
Oscar Kightley
Oscar Vai To'elau Kightley, MNZM, is a Samoan-born actor, television presenter and writer who has been a resident and citizen of New Zealand for most of his life.-Biography:He acted in and co-wrote the successful 2006 film Sione's Wedding...
, a Samoan-born actor and writer, has credited the series for partly inspiring his stories. Several writers for NZPWI.co.nz, including editor-in-chief Dion McCracken, have also claimed to have been fans of the show as children. Another childhood fan is New Zealand-born cartoonist Jason Conlan
Jason Conlan
Jason Conlan is a New Zealand cartoonist, best known under the pseudonym Mister J, who is the creator of Pro Wrestling Illustrated's monthly cartoon strip "On the Mat"...
, also known as Pro Wrestling Illustrated
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
Pro Wrestling Illustrated is a professional wrestling magazine. PWI is currently based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania and published by Kappa Publishing Group.-History:The first issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated was released in 1979...
's "Mr. J", whose monthly comic strip
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
shares the same name. Tim Bickerstaff, a one time crew member for "On the Mat", recalled working for Rickard in a sports column for XTRA in 1999. Television New Zealand
Television New Zealand
Television New Zealand, more commonly referred to, and stylized as TVNZ, is a government-owned corporation television network broadcasting in New Zealand and parts of the Pacific. It operates TV1, TV2, TVNZ7, TVNZ Heartland, TVNZ U and new media services....
counted On the Mat among the most notable programs in its 50-year history.
It was not until the emergence of the country's three major promotions, Impact Pro Wrestling
Impact Pro Wrestling
Impact Pro Wrestling is a New Zealand professional wrestling promotion. It is the only promotion based in Auckland and one of the country's three major organisations along with Kiwi Pro Wrestling and New Zealand Wide Pro Wrestling...
, Kiwi Pro Wrestling
Kiwi Pro Wrestling
Kiwi Pro Wrestling is a professional wrestling promotion based in Wellington, New Zealand.-History:Started in May 2006 by veteran New Zealand wrestler Rip Morgan, KPW was formed with the express purpose of taking NZ wrestling from club level to professional level and groom local wrestling talent...
and New Zealand Wide Pro Wrestling
New Zealand Wide Pro Wrestling
New Zealand Wide Pro Wrestling is a professional wrestling promotion based in Wellington, New Zealand.-Formation:WPW started in October 2003 by martial arts trainer, Martin Stirling...
, that nationally syndicated wrestling returned to New Zealand television with the debut of IPW Ignition
IPW Ignition
IPW Ignition is a professional wrestling television program for Impact Pro Wrestling . The show debuted on Sky Television's Alt TV in New Zealand on 10 February 2007, and later became available worldwide via internet broadcasting...
in 2007 and Off the Ropes
Off The Ropes
Off the Ropes is a professional wrestling television program for Kiwi Pro Wrestling . The show debuted on Prime TV in New Zealand on 15 November 2009.-Show history:...
in 2009. Both shows were also made available to an international audience via internet broadcasting
Internet Broadcasting
Internet Broadcasting , or IB, is a provider of Websites, content and advertising revenue solution to the largest and most successful media companies in the world. IB hosts over 70 local stations' sites, and co-produced NBCOlympics.com for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece and the 2006...
. Also in 2009, in memory of the passing of Scottish-born New Zealand wrestler Robert Bruce, Chris Rattue of the New Zealand Herald named several former "On the Mat" stars including Bruce, King Curtus Iaukea, Rick Martel, Steve Rickard, John da Silva, Peter Maivia, Samoan Joe
Samoan Joe
Joseph "Joe" Afamasaga is a retired New Zealand professional wrestler, best known by his ringname Samoan Joe, who competed in the Australasian and South Pacific region during the 1970s and early 1980s...
and The Bushwhackers as among his Top 10 favorite wrestlers of all-time.
In early-2010, two episodes were chosen to be shown on NZ On Screen
NZ On Screen
NZ On Screen is an online showcase of archival New Zealand television and film. The website is fully funded by NZ On Air and provides free worldwide access to NZ-produced television, film and music videos. Content is streamed and the webpages provide authoritative background information.The site...
and Tammy Davis
Tammy Davis
Tammy Davis is a New Zealand actor. He has performed for film and television, including as Munter on the series Outrageous Fortune, and the film Black Sheep as 'Tucker', Davis also starred in Whale Rider and in Taika Cohen's short film Tama Tu. Davis also starred as "Mookie" in the sequel to "Once...
of Outrageous Fortune
Outrageous Fortune (TV series)
Outrageous Fortune was a New Zealand comedy/drama television series, which was created by James Griffin and Rachel Lang and was produced by South Pacific Pictures...
starred in an internet promotional video which spoof
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
ed the series. On 9 April, Scoop.co.nz reported that On the Mat ranked #3 among the top 10 most watched videos on NZ on Screen. The episodes were favourably reviewed by 411mania.com shortly after their release and whose author, Ryan Byers, wrote they "were very fun to watch as a curiosity, a look into an old territory that I, as an American, have almost never seen or even heard discussed" and that "these shows created an interest in me in seeing more from the New Zealand territory, if for no other reason than to document some of the forgotten career moments of US wrestlers who heavily toured abroad".
See also
- Professional wrestling in New ZealandProfessional wrestling in New ZealandProfessional wrestling in New Zealand has been promoted in the country from the early 1900s. In 1919, Gisborne Katene became the first national heavyweight champion, though the title was not recognized by the National Wrestling Association until 1925, and promoter Walter Miller began running events...
- IPW IgnitionIPW IgnitionIPW Ignition is a professional wrestling television program for Impact Pro Wrestling . The show debuted on Sky Television's Alt TV in New Zealand on 10 February 2007, and later became available worldwide via internet broadcasting...
- Off the RopesOff The RopesOff the Ropes is a professional wrestling television program for Kiwi Pro Wrestling . The show debuted on Prime TV in New Zealand on 15 November 2009.-Show history:...
Further reading
- Dybvig, John and Ray Lillis. Microphones Up My Nose. 1st ed. Auckland: Random House, 1993. ISBN 1-86941-186-2
- Mancer, John. Steve Rickard's Life On the Mat. 1st ed. Auckland: Rugby Press, 1979. ISBN 978-0959755343
External links
- "On the Mat" at NZ On ScreenNZ On ScreenNZ On Screen is an online showcase of archival New Zealand television and film. The website is fully funded by NZ On Air and provides free worldwide access to NZ-produced television, film and music videos. Content is streamed and the webpages provide authoritative background information.The site...