I had more of a hand in this year’s event than last, so it was doubly gratifying to see it all come together, even if I began to feel an unmistakable sense of panic as the clock ticked down and there were still things to be done. Racing from the kitchen at one end of the venue to the dressing room area at the other, I remember an odd sensation, a kind of unreality of the situation, as though it was all happening to someone else. And in a way, it was; as I passed promoter Dion McCracken, I read in his determinedly calm face an underlying similarity, but Dion is not easily rattled. A necessary trait when organising an event on this scale; my To Do list was negligible compared to his. 

This year I spent the majority of the actual show backstage with the talent, which was a unique and rewarding experience. We could hear the crowd, and via a small television we were able to keep track of the live action. I remember thinking how hot the crowd sounded, but I had no idea just how hot until I got out there myself as an official for the First Invite Eliminator. The intensity was a tangible thing, like arcs of electricity. As the first two competitors (and I’m not mentioning any names so those who have waited to be unspoiled for Sunday’s airing of the show aren’t disappointed) hit the ring the intensity swelled, generated by some of the most incredible heat I’ve ever witnessed.

Being a part of the show in such a capacity was a fantastic experience, and I’m extremely grateful I was given the opportunity to participate in this way. I enjoyed it so much it was one of the few moments I forgot how sore my feet were. And although it was pretty crowded around the backstage TV, it was easy to see that the quarter finals, semi finals, and of course, the final itself, were absolutely top level matches, with all the guys giving their very best to ensure an incredible night’s entertainment. Entertainment that can be seen this Sunday, at 8:30pm on SKY1, right after SmackDown. Believe me when I say this is a must-see for all New Zealand wrestling fans, even if you were lucky enough to catch the show live. If you’re thinking about watching, but aren’t sure of the competitors or not altogether familiar with the New Zealand scene, we’ve put together a preview of the tournament and its participants.

The sense of excitement that permeates the atmosphere during the setup of a show is definitely missing during the packing up, and disappointingly enough, exhaustion took over so that it was all I could do to crawl up the stairs at Dion’s place and crash, rather than join the after match function going on down below. Something I regret now, because it was really the only chance I had to catch up with some people I don’t see very often – such as my NZPWI colleague Matt Sparnon, who resides in Australia – and I blew it. I was thinking to myself that I probably couldn’t handle a hangover the next day but looking back, I wish I’d regained some energy via vino, and spent some time downstairs.

However, it’s my only regret. Everything else – all the stress and effort – were more than worth it. And I’m dying to see the finished product on Sunday – from everything I’ve heard, it’s going to be well worth a watch, thanks in no small part to the endless hours Dion has put in during the editing process. This is an event not to be missed.

As most of my readers will be aware, I am and have always been a huge mark for Bret Hart, dating right back to my fourteen year old self pinning posters of the Hitman on her wall. As my career as a professional wrestling journo has progressed, I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the biggest names in the business, but Bret had, until recently, always eluded me. Thinking about this logically, it turned out to be a good thing. I definitely needed to rack up some experience before tackling the one guy who was in danger of causing me to mark out over the phone, but as time went on I grew weary of his PR rep responding to my requests with “not right now, but check back in a couple of months.” Eventually I was able to wave my recent interview with Chris Jericho at them, with the suggestion that perhaps pushing BOTH Canadian autobiographies might be a good idea? When they responded it was positive, and I was set to finally speak to the one guy whose life and career I had followed religiously. It seemed slightly unreal that I was going to chat with the protagonist of Wrestling With Shadows, a documentary I know off by heart. And to add to the tension, his people informed me that he would be calling me, rather than the other way round which is what I’m used to. It’s been a long time since I did any sitting-by-the-phone.

The call was set for 9:00am on Monday, November 19. I had careened about the house that morning, tidying rather haphazardly in an attempt to kill time, and eventually gave up and sat staring at the phone. When it rang at 9:02 I jumped as though it had bitten me. When I heard the familiar voice on the other end, I was in genuine danger of marking out. And if you want the truth, I did, just a little bit.

The interview itself was unlike any other I’d ever done. Coloured as it was by my own near-worship of the man, it also went on far longer than I had any right to expect. The general rule of thumb is that you plan on your subject giving you 15 – 20 minutes of their time, and you try and pack in as much as you can, try to ask the most pertinent questions. With Bret I sensed immediately that he was willing to chat for as long as I wanted, something I had not expected. Bret, to me, had appeared over the years as reserved, even a little enigmatic. I was concerned that he might be one of the more difficult people I’d spoken to. So I was completely unprepared for – and very pleasantly surprised by – his openness and verbosity.

The upshot was that Bret gave me almost an hour of his time, including some off-the-record chit-chat. To say that it was beyond anything I could have imagined is an understatement… and I consider myself extremely fortunate that I got the chance to meet one of my heroes and not be disappointed, as is so often the case.

By this point it’s safe to say that my own feelings about Bret and his life are self-explanatory, but I’d love to hear from you. How do you think Bret’s doing ten years on from Montreal? How did he come across in the interview? What are your thoughts on his book, and how he views things nowadays? As always, I’d love to hear your opinions and publish them, along with my response, in my next editorial, so drop me a line – .

It’s been a while since I’ve managed an Editorial, and because of this a lot of great NZPWI content has accumulated. Simon Sweetman is back with his Scheduled For One Fall, and he’s had the bright idea of conducting a NZPWI Idol – of sorts – in that you, the reader, can pen your own column and submit it to him. I’m really looking forward to seeing how this one pans out, and I can’t wait to read the submissions. If this sounds like something you’re interested in, make sure you check out his column for the details.

Matt Sparnon impressed me greatly by meeting his deadline for The Sweet Spot just a day or so after he’d flown to New Zealand, wrestled in the First Invite Eliminator, sunk several brewskies and then flown back to Australia. His own thoughts on the NZPWI Invitational were the subject of his column, and he raises some interesting ideas. Matt followed up with another tale in the life of a pro-wrestler; as always, well worth the read.

It was great to see Leighton Cox back on board with WWF History & Demise Of The VHS. In his inimitable style, Leighton takes a trip down memory lane, reliving some of the glory days of wrestling via videotape.

The NZPWI Columns team’s latest edition of Gimme Five takes a look at the Hogan divorce story, Chris Jericho’s return to RAW, as well as Sting’s future in TNA. Don’t forget to check out tomorrow’s edition of Gimme Five – we will once again be putting the call out for Reader’s Questions, so if there’s anything you would like to see discussed by the panel, let us know!

And speaking of special Gimme Five’s, if you’re planning to catch the NZPWI Invitational this Sunday and want to hear from the eight tournament competitors, we managed to round them up for a special NZPWI Invitational Participant edition, in which you can check out their thoughts going into the big event.

In IPW news, IPW Heavyweight Champion Jon E. King cemented his status as top of the heap by defeating former champions “The Ex-Patriot” Alfred Valentine, The Machine, “Lyte Playa” Roger Ventura, and “Double D” Davey Deluxeo in a Champion of Champions match last month. He also cemented his reputation as one of the most devious men in New Zealand wrestling by using his personal security force to ensure “The Deal” Dal Knox was unable to compete in the match.

In upcoming NZWPW action, NZWPW Heavyweight Champion D-Hoya faces his biggest challenge yet – defending his title against Jimmy Sparx, Axl and Rufguts under Four Corner rules. The match will be taking place during the Christmas Carnage event on December 7, at the Lower Hutt Town Hall.

As I move towards the conclusion of this Editorial, I’m remembering a rather poignant image. The last of the packing up at Forum North in Whangarei had been completed. I had taken Dion’s car and made a trip back to the house to drop some gear off, and as I was returning to the venue to collect the man himself, I passed a man with three young boys walking out of McDonalds. They were cavorting about, clearly in high spirits, clearly having a great night out. And they were all wearing NZPWI t-shirts.

Letters to the Editor: