Wrestling: Entertainment promised

Wrestler Tempest (Dwayne Tainui) will feature at Friday night's event. Photo / Supplied

Expect all the razzmatazz of WWE Wrestling - just on a smaller scale - when the Independent Wrestling Initiative (IWI) holds its first show in Whangarei tomorrow night.

John Henry will face Curtis Castlewood.

Seven bouts will precede the main event at the G-Force Gym - a tag team spectacular - featuring a Northland team led by Bolta, aka Bryan La Trobe, and two qualifiers from the earlier bouts, who will take on Team APW from Christchurch featuring Hu$tla and two other successful qualifiers.

Bolta The Lone Wolf is the team leader for Independent Wrestling Initiative in the three-on-three tag team match.

"It's been years since anything like this in Whangarei - six or seven at least - so we thought it was about time we finally had a big WWE style show in our own little town," La Trobe said.

He said wrestling fans could expect a full visual production with professional lighting and sound in the show titled Breaking Ground.

"We've got wrestlers from all over the country competing, from Auckland, Christchurch and even places like Reporoa, almost every wrestling company in the country has at least one wrestler represented and we'd like to start something big on Friday," he said.

He said IWI wanted to bring the family excitement of wrestling back to Whangarei and Northland on a more regular basis, with the last major event at Forum North in 2007.

"A proud heritage exists in Whangarei dating back to the 1930s when Lofty Blomfield made the Octopus Clamp a household name. The Independent Wrestling Initiative aims to bring that excitement back to Northland," he said.

He said wrestling has retained its popularity worldwide.

"As far as wrestling in America goes it's still massive and seems to be on the rise again."

-The show starts at 6pm at the G-Force Gym at 147 Lower Dent St. Adult tickets are $15, under 15s are $8 and there are family concessions available.