Sign In / Register
NZ champion wrestler, Jake Sheehan of Stanmore Bay describes the Impact Pro Wrestling (IPW) event he is bringing to Paraoa Brewing in Whangaparāoa as “family friendly and action packed”.
Pro-wrestling is a show – a combination of sport and entertainment – where the bruises and injuries from hard landings are real, but the bouts are all about drama and being over the top.
Jake says he fell in love with wrestling when he saw an IPW show at the Stanmore Bay Leisure Centre when he was 11 years old. He started training when he turned 18 and is now NZ heavyweight champion.
At just 90kg, Jake says he’s right on the edge of ‘heavyweight’. He wrestled a 140kg opponent back in February, and won.
Jake is bringing around 12 male and female wrestlers to Pararoa, including his wife, Amber Saint.
He is “a huge pageantry person” – right into the big entrances, masks and costumes. He likes to put on a professional show with high production values and wow the crowd.
“We make it as realistic as possible, without getting concussed or destroyed,” he says. “It is a show, but everything still hurts – we are in shape, and put our bodies on the line, but we are also entertaining the crowd.”
It is the second time he has organised a Sunday wrestling show at Paraoa and says the first one drew in just under 100 people.
“Venues like that can give people a taste of wrestling,” Jake says. “Maybe some will get into it like I did 10 years ago.”
The IPW Wrestling is on May 7. Tickets from Eventfinda.
