Wrestling giant WWE rewards Whangārei fan as live shows cancelled

Dillon Johnstone (right) meeting one of his all-time favourite wrestlers Charlotte Flair at one of the many meet and greets in Melbourne in 2019. Photo / Supplied

Wrestling giant WWE has recognised one of its biggest Northland supporters as Covid-19 continues to keep fans away.

Dillon Johnstone, a 27-year-old client and content solutions manager with NZME in Whangārei, has followed professional wrestling for more than 13 years, his love spawned from watching old WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) shows with his best friend.

Johnstone's passion has even seen him travel overseas to watch his favourite wrestlers duke it out, flying to Melbourne for Super Show Down in 2018 featuring Triple H vs The Undertaker with his all-time favourite wrestler, Shawn Michaels in Triple H's corner.

However, just as with many large-scale entertainment acts, Covid-19 has dramatically changed how fans consume wrestling. Normally filled with thousands of fans, areas now stand empty as wrestlers perform for broadcast purposes only.

This, combined with rigorous travel restrictions, dashed any hopes of Johnstone travelling to any of this year's main shows, namely WrestleMania 37 in Tampa, Florida, in the United States.

Whangarei's Dillon Johnstone attending a WWE live show in 2019 in Melbourne, with the proper regalia in tow. Photo / Supplied

After hearing of his plight, WWE reached out to the Tai Tokerau local, offering a swag of merchandise alongside two tickets to WWE Live in Auckland, originally set for July this year but rescheduled for August 4, 2022.

"It's been gutting not being able to travel and see WWE live for the last year," Johnstone said.

"It's awesome watching them live each week in the Thunderdome, but nothing can get past the roar of the crowd as your favourite wrestler makes their entrance.

"I'm so excited at the chance to see WWE live again this year and can't thank them enough for all this amazing stuff and the tickets!"

Provided the August event goes ahead, it would be the first WWE event in New Zealand since 2017, when one was hosted in Christchurch. The show was originally set for August last year but was then rescheduled twice.

The New Zealand show would be one of a three-stop Australasian tour, with shows in Melbourne and Sydney.

Fans will be able to see their favourite WWE superstars including Drew McIntyre, Seth Rollins, AJ Styles, Murphy, Charlotte Flair, Bobby Lashley, Aleister Black, Ricochet and more.

For more information, visit www.tegdainty.com/concerts/