American "sporting" royalty was in Auckland yesterday, even if most mainstream sports fans might have been unaware.
WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) star Sasha Banks - arguably the biggest female name on the professional wrestling circuit - made a flying visit, to promote the upcoming WWE event in Christchurch.
While the events aren't as popular as the halcyon days in the late 1980s and early 1990s, it's still extremely big business.
Banks and her competitors, such names as Apollo Crews, Roman Reigns and Alexa Bliss, pack out arenas in more than 20 countries across the globe each year, though she was surprised by the reception they received last year in Auckland.
"There were so many fans at the airport," recalled Banks. "[And] it was one of the loudest crowds I have ever heard. Every little thing we did, they made a noise. They were incredible."