About Me
Tickets available NOW!
Log on to Ticketek New Zealand and reserve your seats for the hottest pro wrestling event of the year!
The NZPWI Invitational is New Zealand's premier professional wrestling contest. Taking place only once a year, the NZPWI Invitational hosts the best kiwi born and bred wrestlers in Australasia as they compete in a single elimination tournament to determine who is the very best of them all.
The inaugural NZPWI Invitational was held in Auckland, New Zealand in August 2006 and it set a new standard in New Zealand professional wrestling. In the proud tradition of the likes of Steve Rickard, John Da Silva, Robert the Bruce and other legendary New Zealand wrestlers, the NZPWI Invitational began a new tradition for a new generation as Alfred Valentine rose from the pack to become the first ever NZPWI Invitational Grand Champion.
2007 NZPWI Invitational tournament participants:
Alfred Valentine is the 2006 NZPWI Invitational Grand Champion and a two time IPW New Zealand Heavyweight Champion. Long regarded as the franchise player of IPW and the New Zealand pro wrestling scene in general, Valentine shocked fans and observers when, only a few short months after he claimed New Zealand pro wrestling's highest honour, he declared his allegiance to his ancestral home of Switzerland. Dubbing himself the Ex-Patriot, Alfred Valentine now uses his status to decry what is wrong about New Zealand by explaining what is right about Switzerland. Naturally, this has made him one of the most hated wrestlers in the country. Valentine will meet D-Hoya in the quarter finals of the NZPWI Invitational tournament.
Cruz is the devil-may-care son of New Zealand wrestling legend Peter "Hawk" Ball and a cornerstone of the Impact Pro Wrestling Australia locker room. With a number of Australian championships to his credit, Cruz has succeeded simply by doing whatever is necessary to finish the job. As such, Cruz has developed a worldwide reputation as a violent and unpredictable competitor whose actions cannot be anticipated easily. Cruz faces "The Measure" Dallas Mead in the quarter finals of the NZPWI Invitational tournament.
D-Hoya is the current NZWPW New Zealand Heavyweight Champion, currently enjoying his fourth reign. One of the most popular and well-established wrestlers in the Wellington region, D-Hoya boasts a blend of urban combat and slick technical expertise which him an athlete who is more than adequately equipped to succeed among and above the most prodigiously talented wrestlers in New Zealand today.
"The Deal" Dal Knox is a Taranaki native who performs for IPW in Auckland, having developed his skills under the watchful eye of Martin Sterling in NZWPW. Arguably the most popular wrestler in New Zealand in 2007, he continues to win matches and fans with his keen adaptability inside the ring and his humble-yet-dangerous demeanour outside of it. Though the IPW New Zealand Heavyweight Championship continues to elude him, Knox gained notoriety as a holder of the IPW Armageddon Cup Championship in 2005. Knox faces "Lyte Playa" Roger Ventura in the quarter finals of the NZPWI Invitational tournament.
"The Measure" Dallas Mead is the current IPW Australian Heavyweight Champion, having captured the vacant title this past August. Though he is based in Queensland, the monolithic Mead may be best known to kiwi observers as a former member of the New Zealand Warriors squad, having played the NRL franchise during its fledgling days in the Australian Rugby League. Weighing in at almost 120 kilograms of toned muscle and boasting cardiovascular conditioning comparable to any champion field athlete, Dallas Mead stands tall as one of the most imposing physical specimens that the New Zealand pro wrestling talent pool has ever produced.
H-Flame is the KPW Champion, and has been the most dominant figure in the Wellington-based promotion since its inception in 2006. A keen and cocky individual, H-Flame is known for his tenacious approach to pro wrestling, succeeding in the face of overwhelming odds where others would have folded and failed. Because of this, he has maintained an ironclad grip on the KPW Championship and has rarely looked to be in danger of losing it. H-Flame faces Jon E. King in the quarter finals of the NZPWI Invitational tournament.
Jon E. King is the current IPW New Zealand Heavyweight Champion and is best described as being Arrogance personified. He has good reason however, as he has dominated the IPW Championship bracket since winning his first title earlier in 2007. Two reigns later, the dreadlocked terror with a voice which sounds like a lion's ill-tempered growl has established himself resolutely and firmly as the most dangerous competitor in New Zealand today. He has never met an ally he hasn't betrayed, and never met an enemy he hasn't crushed. Proud, wicked and utterly ruthless, Jon E. King cannot be trusted by anyone.
"Lyte Playa" Roger Ventura recorded one of the most explosive victories in modern New Zealand professional wrestling history when he claimed the IPW New Zealand Heavyweight Championship before a packed auditorium in Auckland in 2004. What's more remarkable was that he achieved this goal at an age when most young men are worrying about dodging school detentions. Three years later Ventura has improved beyond all measure, honing his physique into a dynamic, streamlined machine. His skills have evolved equally; where he once favoured aerial and speed techniques exclusively, Ventura is now as likely to knock an opponent out with a stiff kick to the head as he is to ascend the turnbuckles and deliver the senton bomb which has made him an undeniable fan favourite.
The First Invite Eliminator:
The First Invite Eliminator is the perfect yardstick for those not fortunate enough to be included in the NZPWI Invitational tournament. Twenty wrestlers will be selected to appear in the match, with the order of entry to be drawn at random. The first two participants drawn will enter the ring together, while a new wrestler will enter the match every 90 seconds thereafter. When all but two wrestlers have been eliminated from the match after all 20 have entered, the remaining wrestlers will face each other in a one-on-one match which can only be won by pinfall. The winner will receive the first invite into the 2008 NZPWI Invitational Tournament. Elimination from the match occurs when a wrestler is thrown out of the ring from over the top rope, with both of his feet touching the floor.
For the eight participants in the NZPWI Invitational tournament, it is a dream come true to compete in the most prestigious event in New Zealand professional wrestling. For the wrestlers lining up for the First Invite Eliminator, it's the goal which drives them to succeed. There is no prouder moment, no stronger passion, no greater glory. The NZPWI Invitational is where New Zealand's elite come to show why they are the most feared; the most loved; the most respected.
To show why they are among the very best.
For ticketing information and full details of the card, visit the official site of the 2007 NZPWI Invitational! The night's action will feature an eight man tournament to determine the 2007 NZPWI Invitational Grand Champion, as well as the First Invite Eliminator: A thrilling battle royal featuring 20 of New Zealand's best wrestlers battling for the right to earn the first invite into the 2008 NZPWI Invitational tournament. Don't delay! Tickets to the 2007 NZPWI Invitational are selling fast! Head to Ticketek New Zealand for your tickets. We look forward to bringing you the pro wrestling event of the year, November 10 at the Forum North in beautiful Whangarei. The 2007 NZPWI Invitational: Are you in?
