All Star Wrestling organiser Paul Sayers chats the event's 2026 return

Arena wrestling returned to Wellington last year for the first time in 35 years, providing an action-packed night of fun and entertainment to more than 1,000 spectators in Porirua.

The event is returning for 2026 with All Star Wrestling 2: Porirua at Te Rauparaha Arena on Saturday, August 15.

Organiser Paul Sayers joined Adam Cooper to discuss this year's event.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
From Hoop Club in company to the Saint cent TSB.
It's all on the All Sport Breakfast.

Speaker 2 (00:05):
With AutoMac byd Lower Hearts and the new CBD Showroom
New stalksb tensas here on the Allsport Breakfast. But I'm
sure you remember last year, Arena Wrestling had an incredibly
successful return to Wellington for the first time in thirty
five years. All Star Wrestling Potty to us or a
thousand people enjoy a thrilling night of wrestling and all
the entertainment that goes with it. The good news is

(00:26):
it's back for twenty twenty six. It's bigger and better
and it's not far away. So in two weeks time,
All Star Wrestling two will be staged at at Open
Ahart Arena Saturday August fifteen, getting underway from around six pm.
So let's head to the man behind the event to
find out a bit more. Paul Sayers is back with us.
Could I Paul get the chat mate?

Speaker 3 (00:45):
This is exciting, Adam, My pleasure to talk to you
this morning. Thank you very much and you're right. All
Star Wrestling Potty Door two returns in just two weeks time,
August fifteenth, at the Tonopah Arena. We're very excited to
bring Arena Live pro wrestling back to the Warrington region
this year.

Speaker 1 (01:03):
Absolutely right. I know that a guy like you is
never complacent. You'll want to make this year's event even
bigger and better than last year. So how are you
going to do that?

Speaker 3 (01:12):
Yeah, Adam, it's scary, and I guess I like to
put myself in these single swim environments. Last year, we've
just on kind of five weeks noticed we had nine
hundred and eighty two people packed into the tar Opraha Arena.
This year, we've opened up the Fall Arena and we're
aiming for over two thousand fans, which will be a
history breaking night in New Zealand wrestling if we're able

(01:36):
to pull those numbers. At the moment, the largest independent
professional wrestling crowd in New Zealand is one thousand and
two hundred people at Ilt Stadium in Chicago, so we're
goning for that record and some change this year.

Speaker 1 (01:50):
I know, Paul. Last year, the family focus around having
it being a fun event for all ages was a
big focus. Is that again a central factor for you?

Speaker 3 (01:59):
Absolutely, Adam, Undoubtedly that is the most important thing for us.
To have a family friendly life professional wrestling experience. And
look that goes from the start time to ticket prices.
You know, we've got doors at four thirty this year,
with the show starting at six be done by eight thirty.
Tickets for kids are as low as ten dollars. You know,

(02:19):
I know, I'm not competing for tickets against the likes
of the Saints or of the Lions. You know, I'm
competing against the power bill or how much food we
get this week and that sort of stuff. So having
those family friendly ticket prices is incredibly important for us
as an organization, especially for the people in the wider
Pottidor region.

Speaker 1 (02:37):
What was the feedback from last year's edition? What made
it so special for people, do you think, Paul?

Speaker 3 (02:43):
Yeah, some of the feedback we got last year was,
you know, this was too cheap, which as a promoter,
is an interesting bit of feedback to get, you know,
because we're putting on such a premium product that's such
a low price. Some people said that they've never laughed
and shared and used their voice so much in a
two hour space. We have some feedback of saying, you know,
we've been to plenty of live experiences all around the

(03:04):
world and this is right up there with the best.
We had one fan that said he had been the
WrestleMania and he felt more involved at All Star Wrestling
last year at the Poplah Arena, which is awesome feedback.

Speaker 1 (03:15):
Yeah, brilliant. So who are you going to get along?
That might be a familiar name to wrestling followers and
I see possibly a bit of international star power on
their way as well.

Speaker 3 (03:24):
Yeah, And I think to grow a crowd and to
put on something different year in and year out, we
have to cast the net wider, Adam, and that's what
we've done this year. We've got former WWE and ECW
wrestling legend the Insane Luchard or Super Crazy, coming to
New Zealand for the very first time. He's been on WWETV.
He debuted in the early nineties. You know, he's been

(03:46):
around for a long time. He's currently applying his trade
in pro wrestling Noah in Japan. So Super Crazy will
be here for the first time ever with that legit
WWE experience. And we've also got from Australia and Cover
for the first time here and Altiora as well, quite
new to the wrestling scene, but a bodybuilding champion, a
wrestling champion, a boxing champion in Australia. So exciting. Has

(04:09):
some international flavor on the show this year.

Speaker 1 (04:11):
Wonderful when Paul, I know those tickets are on so now,
but I believe you've got a bit of a possible
ticket giveaway for some of our All Sports Breakfast listeners
this morning.

Speaker 3 (04:20):
Absolutely, Adam, You're a close friend of mine and I
would feel like a bad guy if I walked away
from this conversation not being able to give something to
your listeners. So we'd love to offer a family past
four tickets to All Star Wrestling Too at Todopaha Arena
on Saturday to August. Fast Thinks to your listeners today for.

Speaker 2 (04:37):
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Speaker 1 (04:41):
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