There has been fresh blood in the Southern Pro Wrestling team, with a new committee over the last 12 months.
Leader of the Pack (K-9) Kane Bates said they were focusing on new talent and pushing the new guys – helping them get exposed to bigger crowds.
Many local guys had strong support with a crowd of 300 to 500 but it was a different world overseas in the UK where Kane had previously competed in front of 20,000 people. Buy eTickets here.
Up until November 2023, he was Southern Pro Wrestling New Zealand Heavyweight championship, when Hayden Jackson took his belt off him.
Hayden is a school teacher by day and a Southern Pro Wrestler by night, and both are his passion.
In fact, it was from coaching wrestling that the Southland Boys’ High School Year 7 teacher discovered his career path.
Growing up in Dunedin, Hayden got into drama and sports at high school and his performance background set up him well for wrestling at age 17-18.
“I grew up watching wrestling on TV and the SPW put out a documentary and me and friend at school went to a ‘try out.’”
This weekend he’ll be getting in the ring at the Corinthian Centre under his Cool Guy Sky stage name, putting his Heavyweight championship on the line against Australian Adam Brooks.
Hayden started out in a tag team called Detention – an appropriate name for a teacher, and he’s also on the SPW committee of seven. It’s made up of wrestlers, managers, referees and people in other behind the scenes roles.
Wrestlers train in the gym five days a week and are in the ring two nights – many come from martial arts backgrounds and are naturally fit and athletic.
Hayden said one guy is a radio host and brings a completely different dynamic to his onstage character in the ring. The club has a very strong open door policy for anybody curious and wanting to get involved in some way.
SPW has been going strong for almost 10 years in the south, and next year the club are planning a big anniversary event.