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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. The title has generally been defended in New Zealand, most often in Christchurch, Tauranga, Wellington and Auckland, New Zealand Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about I .... Title history References {{professional wrestling in New Zealand National Wrestling Alliance championships Heavyweight wrestling championships National professional wrestling championships Professional wrestling in New Zealand ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gisborne Katene
Gisborne may refer to: People *Gisborne (surname) Places *Gisborne District, a unitary authority area in northeastern New Zealand named after William Gisborne **Gisborne, New Zealand, the largest centre of population in the Gisborne Region **Gisborne District Council, the unitary authority of the Gisborne Region **Gisborne (New Zealand electorate), a former New Zealand Parliamentary electorate *Gisborne, Victoria, Australia, a town named after Henry Fyshe Gisborne **Electoral district of Gisborne, an electoral district of the Victorian Legislative Assembly See also * ''Gisborne Herald'', a newspaper published in Gisborne, New Zealand {{Disambiguation, geo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dick Hrstich
Dick Hrstich (10 August 1920 – 12 February 2000) was a Yugoslavian/New Zealand professional wrestler, known by his ring names Ray Hrstich and Ray Gordon, who competed in the former Yugoslavia (his native country), New Zealand, Canada, and the United States during the late 1950s and 60s. He was among the first New Zealanders to travel to the US and, like his fellow countrymen Pat O'Connor and Abe Jacobs, became a major star with the National Wrestling Alliance during the Television-era. He won the NWA New Zealand Heavyweight Championship in 1958 and, later in the US, held the NWA Central States Heavyweight Championship, NWA Iowa Heavyweight Championship, and the NWA Americas 6-Man Tag Team Championship with Apache Bull Ramos and Mike Riker. Hrstich is credited, along with Bobby Graham and "Killer" Buddy Austin, as the trainer of 8-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion Harley Race. In 2009, ''Fight Times Magazine'' ranked Hrstich No. 10 in a top ten list of New Zealand's greatest ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Johnny Garcia (wrestler)
John "Johnny" Garea (born 1949) is a semi-retired New Zealand professional wrestler, known by his ring name Johnny Garcia, who competed in Steve Rickard's All Star-Pro Wrestling, World Championship Wrestling and occasionally for the World Wrestling Federation during the 1970s and 80s. The youngest pro wrestler in New Zealand at the time of his debut in 1970, he was a regular on the Australian wrestling programme ''Big Time Wrestling'' and its New Zealand counterpart '' On the Mat'' as well as a two-time NWA New Zealand Heavyweight Champion. Garea is the real life brother of four-time WWWF World Tag Team Champion and WWE Road Agent Tony Garea. Career Born in Auckland, New Zealand, the son of Croatian-born Ivan Gareljich, Garea began training at the Mt. Roskill gymnasium with "Wild" Don Scott in English-style catch-as-catch-can wrestling and made his pro wrestling debut in 1970, a year before his older brother Tony Garea. At age 21, he was the youngest professional wrestler in t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bruno Bekkar
Bryan Ashby is a retired New Zealand professional wrestler and trainer, known by his ring name Bruno Bekkar, who competed for Steve Rickard's All Star-Pro Wrestling and for other promoters in New Zealand and Australia from the early 1960s until his retirement in 1992. One of the country's biggest stars during the 1970s, he is a three-time NWA New Zealand Heavyweight Champion and a former NWA Australia Heavyweight Champion. He also teamed with Don Kent in the Puerto Rico-based World Wrestling Council as the fourth incarnation of the Fabulous Kangaroos and together twice won the WWC North American Tag Team Championship in 1981. During his professional career, Ashby and Al Hobman trained several wrestlers out of Koolman's Gym in Wellington, most notably, Jock Ruddock and Butch Miller. Ashby is credited for first introducing Luke Williams to pro wrestling and who later joined Miller to form the Sheepherders. He was one of several veterans involved in Kiwi Pro Wrestling, one ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Samoan Joe
Joseph Afamasaga (2 January 1949 - 9 July 2015), better known by his ring name Samoan Joe, was a New Zealand professional wrestler who competed in the Australasian and South Pacific region during the 1970s and early 1980s. He was a popular fan favourite while wrestling for Steve Rickard's All Star-Pro Wrestling and frequently appeared on the long-running wrestling television programme '' On the Mat''. He later travelled to the United States where he had a brief stint in the American Wrestling Association before his retirement in 1989. In 2009, Afamasaga was ranked #10 by ''New Zealand Herald'' sports columnist Chris Rattue as one of his "Top 10" favourite wrestlers of all-time. Professional wrestling career Joe Afamasaga began wrestling in New Zealand during the mid-1970s and soon joined All Star-Pro Wrestling, then on the rise, under Steve Rickard. He quickly became very well known throughout the country while accompanying the promotion on its national tours as far north as W ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rip Morgan
Michael Morgan (born August 20, 1957) is a former professional wrestler from New Zealand who competed in the National Wrestling Alliance, World Championship Wrestling and World Class Championship Wrestling best known as Rip Morgan. Best known as one half of the New Zealand Militia in WCW with Jack Victory. Morgan also wrestled in the NAWA/SAPW with Jack Victory as "The Royal Family". He was the last flag bearer for the original New Zealand The Bushwhackers, Sheepherders. He was formerly the CEO of the now defunct Wellington-based professional wrestling promotion Kiwi Pro Wrestling. Professional wrestling career Mike Morgan made his professional wrestling debut in 1983 under the Ring name Rip Morgan working in his native New Zealand. On 8 September 1983 he won the NWA New Zealand Heavyweight Championship, but records are not clear on who he defeated to win the championship, nor who he later on lost the championship to. In 1984, he travelled to the United States of America where he ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Siva Afi
Papali'itele Max Amata Taogaga (born 28 April 1949) is a Samoan retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in the late-1980s under the ring name Siva Afi. Early life Max Taogaga was born in Samoa on 28 April 1949. He attended Avele Agricultural College in Apia. As a young man, he relocated to New Zealand where he worked in a slaughterhouse. Professional wrestling career Early career (1975–1978) After deciding to become a professional wrestler, Taogaga went to Steve Rickard and Peter Maivia who trained him for two years. In his debut match in 1975, Taogaga defeated one of New Zealand's top light heavyweights, Del Adams. For the next four years Taogaga continued to work his way up through the ranks, wrestling the majority of foreign visitors to the country. Finally in 1978 he earned his big break, defeating Big John Da Silva in the final of an elimination tournament to decide the new, New Zealand Heavyweig ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John DaSilva
John Walter da Silva (11 June 1934 – 8 April 2021) was a New Zealand wrestler and boxer. Biography Da Silva was born on 11 June 1934. He represented New Zealand in wrestling at the 1956 Olympics and at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games. In 1955 he held both the New Zealand Heavyweight Wrestling title and the Auckland Heavyweight Boxing title. He is of Portuguese, African, English and French Tahitian descent. Paul Silva, a competitive wood chopper, was his uncle. An amateur from 1953, he turned professional after the 1958 Commonwealth Games in Cardiff. He wrestled throughout New Zealand and around the world. He retired in 1977, and subsequently worked with disadvantaged youth. In the 1994 New Year Honours, he was awarded the Queen's Service Medal for community service. Until his death on 8 April 2021 at the age of 86, he lived on Great Barrier Island. He was the father of boxer Garth da Silva Garth John da Silva (born 28 December 1973 in Wellington, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Peter Maivia
Fanene Leifi Pita Maivia (born Fanene Pita Anderson; April 6, 1937 – June 13, 1982) better known as Peter Maivia was a Samoan-American professional wrestler. Maivia was the maternal grandfather of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, and was also part of the famous Anoa'i family. He was also a promoter for the National Wrestling Alliance in Hawaii. Professional wrestling career Early career (1960-1964) Maivia made his debut in 1962 at the age of 24. He worked for NWA Hawaii, and in other places including France, and the United Kingdom. New Zealand and Australia (1964–1968) After spending his first twenty years in American Samoa, Maivia moved to New Zealand. He began his wrestling career, wrestling not as The High Chief, but as Prince Peter Maivia. Athletic, naturally talented and a quick study, Maivia received his original ring training in New Zealand, under the watchful eye of local wrestler/promoter Steve Rickard. Both in and out of the ring, Rickard taught the young Samoan a gr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Steve Rickard
Sydney Mervin "Merv" Batt (3 September 1929 – 5 April 2015), best known by his ring name Steve Rickard, was a New Zealand professional wrestler, trainer and promoter. As a wrestler, he traveled throughout the world during the 1960s and 1970s, often visiting countries where professional wrestling was unknown such as southeast Asia, and was one of the top competitors to come from New Zealand during that era. Rickard was a frequent opponent for many foreign wrestlers travelling overseas including NWA World Heavyweight Champions such as Jack Brisco, Dory Funk Jr., Harley Race and "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair. He also had high-profile matches with Karl Gotch, Killer Kowalski, The Destroyer, André the Giant, Abe Jacobs and King Kong as well. He was a former NWA Australasian Heavyweight Champion, a 3-time NWA New Zealand Heavyweight Champion, and a record 8-time NWA British Empire/Commonwealth Champion. He and Mark Lewin were also the first NWA Australasian Tag Team Champions ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wellington, New Zealand
Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by metro area, and is the administrative centre of the Wellington Region. It is the world's southernmost capital of a sovereign state. Wellington features a temperate maritime climate, and is the world's windiest city by average wind speed. Legends recount that Kupe discovered and explored the region in about the 10th century, with initial settlement by Māori iwi such as Rangitāne and Muaūpoko. The disruptions of the Musket Wars led to them being overwhelmed by northern iwi such as Te Āti Awa by the early 19th century. Wellington's current form was originally designed by Captain William Mein Smith, the first Surveyor General for Edward Wakefield's New Zealand Company, in 1840. The Wellington urban area, which only includes urbani ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Al Hobman
Allan "Al" Hobman (23 April 1925 – 21 September 2008) 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. Hobman twice won the NWA New Zealand Heavyweight Championship from John Da Silva in 1960 and Steve Rickard in 1964 with a combined reign of nearly 6 years as champion. He and Rickard were also the first New Zealand Tag Team Champions. Prior to wrestling, Hobman had a successful athletic career playing rugby union at Rongotai College as a lock for Oriental Rongotai as well as a professional bodybuilder winning both the Mr. Australasia and Mr. New Zealand bodybuilding competitions in 1951. Hobman wrestled throughout the world during his career, most often in Asia and the South Pacific, but also had successful stints in the United States, most not ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
