On The Mat Nz

Here new zealand wrestlers brute miller and sweet william who became famous in united states pro wrestling circles as the bushwackers team take on lu leota and samoan joe.

On the mat nz. King curtis samoan. Australia has rolled out the welcome mat across. 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. On the mat was a professional wrestling show which screened on new zealand television from 1975 to 1983.

For eight memorable years 1975 83 the television new zealand produced programme on the mat was a kiwi institution. Each half hour show featured wrestling matches accompanied by commentary. Promoter steve rickard described the technical in the ring aspects and ernie leonard and later barry holland added colour. In the first match up aussie grappler larry o day teams up with local merv fortune to take on kid hardie and young ricky rickard.

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 under the dominion wrestling union banner ten years later. Listen to the full shakti mat episode of healthy or hoax duration 23. 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. The shakti mat s arrival in new zealand is a classic yarn.

New zealand s current criterion of insisting on 28 days free of community transmission in an australian state seems unnecessarily stringent. The larger than life wrestlers were a mix of american imports and local characters. An excerpt features brute miller and sweet william later famous as the bushwackers. On the mat 29 july 1980 this episode of the legendary pro wrestling show screened on 29 july 1980.

Standing or lying on a shakti mat is painful but said to promote relaxation and relieve aches. Shot with a live audience in auckland then christchurch and even hamilton on the mat was a staple diet in most peoples lounges. It was masterminded by wrestling promoter steve rickard who was one of the presenters. On the mat legendary professional wrestling tv show on the mat ran from 1975 until 1983.