Bruno Bekkar
Encyclopedia
Brian Ashby is a retired New Zealand
professional wrestler and trainer
, known by his ring name Bruno Bekkar, who competed for Steve Rickard
's All Star-Pro Wrestling and for other promoters in New Zealand and Australia from the early 1960s until his retirement in 1992. One of the country's biggest stars during the 1970s, he is a 3-time NWA New Zealand Heavyweight Champion
and a former NWA Australia Heavyweight Champion. He also teamed with Don Kent
in the Puerto Rico
-based World Wrestling Council
as the fourth incarnation of The Fabulous Kangaroos
and together twice won the WWC North American Tag Team Championship
in 1981.
During his professional career, Ashby and Al Hobman
trained several wrestlers out of Koolman's Gym
in Wellington
, most notably, Jock Ruddock and Butch Miller
. Ashby is credited for first introducing Luke Williams to pro wrestling and who later joined Miller to form The Sheepherders. He was one of several veterans involved in Kiwi Pro Wrestling
, one of the three major companies in New Zealand, and was inducted into KPW's New Zealand Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2006. In 2009, Ashby was ranked #6 in a top ten list of New Zealand's greatest wrestlers by Fight Times Magazine.
in Melbourne
and Brisbane
in late-April 1965; he lost to Funk on both occasions. He briefly held the NWA Australia Heavyweight Championship around this time before losing the title to Larry O'Dea
in Sydney
on 7 May 1965. Like many New Zealand wrestlers of the period, Ashby became an established journeyman wrestler by the end of the decade and was a very big favourite in Singapore
and Malaysia. He was also one of the earliest to wrestle in North America alongside fellow New Zealanders such as Pat O'Connor
, Abe Jacobs
, John da Silva
, Steve Rickard
and Robert Bruce
.
trained several wrestlers at the famous Koolman's Gym
in Wellington
including Jock Ruddock and Butch Miller
among others. Luke Williams, who would later go on to team with Miller as The Sheepherders, was also brought into the business by Ashby. Ashby was his first tag partner and the two went on several overseas tours together early in Williams career. In time, Ashby became New Zealand's most popular "big man" and enjoyed immense fame in his native country during the 1970s. In 1972, Ashby encountered Andre the Giant
during the French wrestler's tour. He and "Brutal" Bob Miller
first faced Andre and Jock Ruddock at a near sold-out show at the YMCA stadium
in Palmerston North
on 22 February 1972. At one point in the match, Andre lifted the eighteen stone Ashby into the air, sat him on top of a ringpost and patted his cheek "as one would a naughty boy". In the last moments of the match, according to the Manawatu Standard
, Ashby and his partner attempted to attack Andre together, but "they paid dearly for this, as [Andre] whipped atomic drops on both of them and the bout was all over". Ashby also wrestled Andre in singles matches and later told the press "thank goodness he leaves the country soon. If he stays much longer there will be no professional wrestlers left."
Ashby had memorable bouts with other foreign wrestlers especially in his later appearances on On the Mat
. According to wrestling historian Steve Yohe, Ashby may have wrestled as the masked wrestler
Dr. X who teamed with The Destroyer
in Auckland
in 1973. In 1977, he was allied with Bruiser Brodie during his brief stint in All Star-Pro Wrestling; he and Brodie, with Bugs McGraw, lost to Siva Afi, Kung Fu Lee and Kevin Martin in Auckland on 22 August. A month later in Wellington, he and Brodie teamed with King Curtis Iaukea
to beat Mark Lewin
, Siva Afi and Samoan Joe
on 12 September 1977.
Ashby continued wrestling internationally as well. While touring All-Japan Pro Wrestling in 1979, he joined Kintaro Ohki
and Carlos Colon
in a 6-man tag team match against Giant Baba, Tiger Toguchi and Akihisa Takachiho. That same month, he was part of the AJPW Black Power series in which he wrestled Akio Sato, Motoshi Okuma, Great Kojika, Rocky Hata and Tiger Toguchi.
as the fourth incarnation of The Fabulous Kangaroos
for a tour of Puerto Rico
with the World Wrestling Council
. Managed by Al Costello
, who asked Kent to team with Ashby, the team successfully captured the WWC North American Tag Team titles
from Jack
and Jerry Brisco
in San Juan
on 22 October 1981. They held the titles for a little over a month before losing the belts to Invader I
and Super Gladiator on 23 November, but won them back in Bayamón two weeks later. After another two months as champions Ashby and Kent finally dropped the titles back to Invader I and Super Gladiator on 26 January 1982, and went their separate ways at the end of the tour.
. He dominated the title during the mid-to late 1980s, feuding over the title with Johnny Garcia
, before finally losing the championship to A.J. Freeley
on 22 November 1992. All Star-Pro Wrestling closed shortly afterwards, and with the general decline of professional wrestling in New Zealand
, Ashby decided to retire.
. Ashby one of the first such legends to become involved in the newer promotions which began to emerge during the 21st century, particularly, with Kiwi Pro Wrestling
in 2006. He not only attended live events but was also inducted into its New Zealand Wrestling Hall of Fame, along with Bob Crozier, Al Hobman
and Rip Morgan
, by KPW Commissioner Butch Miller on 8 December 2006; he also made a guest appearance at a sold out Impact Pro Wrestling
show in Auckland on 15 March 2007. On 31 October 2008, Ashby appeared with Kurt Hobman, Steve Rickard, Juno Huia, Cowboy Billy Wright, Ricky Wallace and Bob Crozier at the KPW supercard "Halloween Howl 3" held in Wellington High School to pay tribute to Al Hobman who had died the previous month. In 2009, was ranked #6 in a top ten list of New Zealand's greatest wrestlers by Fight Times Magazine. Ashby was also one of the many wrestlers interviewed for the upcoming New Zealand wrestling documentary A Kiwi Century On the Mat.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
professional wrestler and trainer
Athletic trainer
An athletic trainer is a certified, health care professional who practices in the field of sports medicine. Athletic training has been recognized by the American Medical Association as an allied health care profession since 1990....
, known by his ring name Bruno Bekkar, who competed for Steve Rickard
Steve Rickard
Sydney Mervin "Merv" Batt , best known by his ring name Steve Rickard, is a retired New Zealand professional wrestler, trainer and promoter...
's All Star-Pro Wrestling and for other promoters in New Zealand and Australia from the early 1960s until his retirement in 1992. One of the country's biggest stars during the 1970s, he is a 3-time NWA New Zealand Heavyweight Champion
NWA New Zealand Heavyweight Championship
The NWA New Zealand Heavyweight Championship is the primary singles title in the NWA-affiliated wrestling promotion NWA New Zealand. It is the first heavyweight championship in New Zealand and one of the oldest in the world. It was first won by Gisborne Katene who defeated Frank Findlay in 1919...
and a former NWA Australia Heavyweight Champion. He also teamed with Don Kent
Don Kent (wrestler)
Leo Joseph "Joe" Smith Jr. was an American professional wrestler who wrestled as Don Kent and also as The Black Dragon, Doug Kent, Joe Smith and Super Medico III during his 20 years in professional wrestling.Don Kent is one half of The Fabulous Kangaroos alongside partners Al Costello, Bruno...
in the Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
-based World Wrestling Council
World Wrestling Council
The World Wrestling Council is one of Puerto Rico's two main professional wrestling promotions, the other one being the International Wrestling Association....
as the fourth incarnation of The Fabulous Kangaroos
The Fabulous Kangaroos
The Fabulous Kangaroos is a former professional wrestling tag team that existed in various forms from 1957 until 1983. The first incarnation of The Fabulous Kangaroos was formed when Italian Australian Al Costello teamed with Australia native Roy Heffernan and adopted an "Ultra Australian" gimmick...
and together twice won the WWC North American Tag Team Championship
WWC North American Tag Team Championship
The NWA North American Tag Team Championship was a major tag team championship that was used and defended in Capitol Sports Promotions...
in 1981.
During his professional career, Ashby and Al Hobman
Al Hobman
Allan "Al" Hobman was a New Zealand professional wrestler, trainer and promoter. Hobman was one of the first homegrown stars to emerge from the Dominion Wrestling Union, and later Steve Rickard's All Star-Pro Wrestling, during the 1960s and 70s such as Tony Garea, Peter Maivia and The Sheepherders...
trained several wrestlers out of Koolman's Gym
Anton Koolmann
Anton Koolmann was a wrestler and coach from Kuusalu Parish, Estonia who took part at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, France.-Career:...
in Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
, most notably, Jock Ruddock and Butch Miller
Butch Miller (wrestler)
Butch Miller is a retired professional wrestler best known as one half of the tag team known as "The Sheepherders" on the independent scene and in the National Wrestling Alliance and as one half of The Bushwhackers in the WWF.-Career:Butch Miller started wrestling for NWA New Zealand in 1964 where...
. Ashby is credited for first introducing Luke Williams to pro wrestling and who later joined Miller to form The Sheepherders. He was one of several veterans involved in Kiwi Pro Wrestling
Kiwi Pro Wrestling
Kiwi Pro Wrestling is a professional wrestling promotion based in Wellington, New Zealand.-History:Started in May 2006 by veteran New Zealand wrestler Rip Morgan, KPW was formed with the express purpose of taking NZ wrestling from club level to professional level and groom local wrestling talent...
, one of the three major companies in New Zealand, and was inducted into KPW's New Zealand Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2006. In 2009, Ashby was ranked #6 in a top ten list of New Zealand's greatest wrestlers by Fight Times Magazine.
Early career in Australia
Brian Ashby first debuted in the early 1960s. He spent some time in Australia early in his career, competing under his real name, and faced Dory Funk, Jr.Dory Funk, Jr.
Dory Ernest Funk Jr. known professionally as Dory Funk, Jr. is a professional wrestler and wrestling trainer. He is the son of Dory Funk Sr. and brother of Terry Funk. He is credited with the invention of the Texas cloverleaf submission hold and runs the Funking Conservatory, a professional...
in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
and Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
in late-April 1965; he lost to Funk on both occasions. He briefly held the NWA Australia Heavyweight Championship around this time before losing the title to Larry O'Dea
Larry O'Dea
Larry Davies was a professional wrestler best known as Larry O'Dea. He was one half of the tag team known as "The Australians"....
in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
on 7 May 1965. Like many New Zealand wrestlers of the period, Ashby became an established journeyman wrestler by the end of the decade and was a very big favourite in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
and Malaysia. He was also one of the earliest to wrestle in North America alongside fellow New Zealanders such as Pat O'Connor
Pat O'Connor (wrestler)
Patrick John "Pat" O'Connor , was a professional wrestler from New Zealand. O'Connor was regarded as one of the premier workers of his era...
, Abe Jacobs
Abe Jacobs
Abe Jacobs is a retired New Zealand professional wrestler. He was one of the first men to follow fellow New Zealander Pat O'Connor to the United States where, like O'Connor, Jacobs became a major star in the National Wrestling Alliance during the "Golden Age of Wrestling"...
, John da Silva
John da Silva
John da Silva or John Silva is a former New Zealand wrestler and boxer. He represented New Zealand in wrestling at the 1956 Olympics and at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games...
, Steve Rickard
Steve Rickard
Sydney Mervin "Merv" Batt , best known by his ring name Steve Rickard, is a retired New Zealand professional wrestler, trainer and promoter...
and Robert Bruce
Robert Bruce (wrestler)
Robert Bruce , born John Charles Young, was a Scottish-born professional wrestler and talent agent in Auckland, New Zealand.-Biography:...
.
Return to New Zealand
A rising star in Rickard's All Star-Pro Wrestling, he and Al HobmanAl Hobman
Allan "Al" Hobman was a New Zealand professional wrestler, trainer and promoter. Hobman was one of the first homegrown stars to emerge from the Dominion Wrestling Union, and later Steve Rickard's All Star-Pro Wrestling, during the 1960s and 70s such as Tony Garea, Peter Maivia and The Sheepherders...
trained several wrestlers at the famous Koolman's Gym
Anton Koolmann
Anton Koolmann was a wrestler and coach from Kuusalu Parish, Estonia who took part at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, France.-Career:...
in Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
including Jock Ruddock and Butch Miller
Butch Miller (wrestler)
Butch Miller is a retired professional wrestler best known as one half of the tag team known as "The Sheepherders" on the independent scene and in the National Wrestling Alliance and as one half of The Bushwhackers in the WWF.-Career:Butch Miller started wrestling for NWA New Zealand in 1964 where...
among others. Luke Williams, who would later go on to team with Miller as The Sheepherders, was also brought into the business by Ashby. Ashby was his first tag partner and the two went on several overseas tours together early in Williams career. In time, Ashby became New Zealand's most popular "big man" and enjoyed immense fame in his native country during the 1970s. In 1972, Ashby encountered Andre the Giant
André the Giant
André René Roussimoff , best known as André the Giant, was a French professional wrestler and actor. His best remembered acting role was that of Fezzik, the giant in the film The Princess Bride...
during the French wrestler's tour. He and "Brutal" Bob Miller
Butch Miller (wrestler)
Butch Miller is a retired professional wrestler best known as one half of the tag team known as "The Sheepherders" on the independent scene and in the National Wrestling Alliance and as one half of The Bushwhackers in the WWF.-Career:Butch Miller started wrestling for NWA New Zealand in 1964 where...
first faced Andre and Jock Ruddock at a near sold-out show at the YMCA stadium
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
in Palmerston North
Palmerston North
Palmerston North is the main city of the Manawatu-Wanganui region of the North Island of New Zealand. It is an inland city with a population of and is the country's seventh largest city and eighth largest urban area. Palmerston North is located in the eastern Manawatu Plains near the north bank...
on 22 February 1972. At one point in the match, Andre lifted the eighteen stone Ashby into the air, sat him on top of a ringpost and patted his cheek "as one would a naughty boy". In the last moments of the match, according to the Manawatu Standard
Manawatu Standard
The Manawatu Standard is the daily paper for the Manawatu region based in Palmerston North with satellites in Feilding and Marton. The Manawatu Standard has been recognized as one of the best in New Zealand being a finalist in the 2008 Qantas Media Award for best regional daily newspaper...
, Ashby and his partner attempted to attack Andre together, but "they paid dearly for this, as [Andre] whipped atomic drops on both of them and the bout was all over". Ashby also wrestled Andre in singles matches and later told the press "thank goodness he leaves the country soon. If he stays much longer there will be no professional wrestlers left."
Ashby had memorable bouts with other foreign wrestlers especially in his later appearances on On the Mat
On the Mat
On the Mat was a professional wrestling television program for the National Wrestling Alliance-affiliated All Star Pro-Wrestling , or simply NWA New Zealand, that aired on Television New Zealand's TV2 from 1975 to 1984...
. According to wrestling historian Steve Yohe, Ashby may have wrestled as the masked wrestler
Wrestling mask
A Wrestling mask is a fabric based mask that some professional wrestlers wear as part of their in-ring persona or gimmick. Professional wrestlers have been using masks as far back as 1915 and they are still widely used today, especially in Lucha Libre in Mexico.-History:In 1915 a North American...
Dr. X who teamed with The Destroyer
Dick Beyer
Dick Beyer is a retired professional wrestler who is best known by his ring names, The Destroyer or Doctor X.-Early life:...
in Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
in 1973. In 1977, he was allied with Bruiser Brodie during his brief stint in All Star-Pro Wrestling; he and Brodie, with Bugs McGraw, lost to Siva Afi, Kung Fu Lee and Kevin Martin in Auckland on 22 August. A month later in Wellington, he and Brodie teamed with King Curtis Iaukea
King Curtis Iaukea
Curtis Piehau Iaukea, III was a professional wrestler better known as King Curtis Iaukea. Iaukea won championships in several of the major regional US promotions, both as a single and in various tag team combinations, during the 1960s. He then competed in the World Wrestling Federation where he...
to beat Mark Lewin
Mark Lewin
-Career:Mark Lewin broke into wrestling in the early '50s and had great early success in a matinee-idol babyface tag team with Don Curtis, headlining in major territories like New York and Chicago. The team's brief heel turn was a shock to its many fans...
, Siva Afi and Samoan Joe
Samoan Joe
Joseph "Joe" Afamasaga is a retired New Zealand professional wrestler, best known by his ringname Samoan Joe, who competed in the Australasian and South Pacific region during the 1970s and early 1980s...
on 12 September 1977.
Ashby continued wrestling internationally as well. While touring All-Japan Pro Wrestling in 1979, he joined Kintaro Ohki
Kintaro Ohki
Kintarō Ōki was arguably the greatest South Korean professional wrestler of all time, also known professionally as Kim Il or KIM Il during his career in the Japan Wrestling Association, All Japan Pro Wrestling and International Pro...
and Carlos Colon
Carlos Colón
Carlos Colón may refer to:*Carlos Colón, Sr., wrestler*Carly Colón, wrestler whose real name is Carlos Colón, son of the above*The Deadlines' lead guitarist, Carlos Colón...
in a 6-man tag team match against Giant Baba, Tiger Toguchi and Akihisa Takachiho. That same month, he was part of the AJPW Black Power series in which he wrestled Akio Sato, Motoshi Okuma, Great Kojika, Rocky Hata and Tiger Toguchi.
Don Kent and The Fabulous Kangaroos
In 1981, Ashby agreed to team with Don KentDon Kent (wrestler)
Leo Joseph "Joe" Smith Jr. was an American professional wrestler who wrestled as Don Kent and also as The Black Dragon, Doug Kent, Joe Smith and Super Medico III during his 20 years in professional wrestling.Don Kent is one half of The Fabulous Kangaroos alongside partners Al Costello, Bruno...
as the fourth incarnation of The Fabulous Kangaroos
The Fabulous Kangaroos
The Fabulous Kangaroos is a former professional wrestling tag team that existed in various forms from 1957 until 1983. The first incarnation of The Fabulous Kangaroos was formed when Italian Australian Al Costello teamed with Australia native Roy Heffernan and adopted an "Ultra Australian" gimmick...
for a tour of Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
with the World Wrestling Council
World Wrestling Council
The World Wrestling Council is one of Puerto Rico's two main professional wrestling promotions, the other one being the International Wrestling Association....
. Managed by Al Costello
Al Costello
Giacomo Costa was an Italian Australian professional wrestler best known by his ring name, Al Costello. Costello was the first professional wrestler to be nicknamed "The Man of a Thousand Holds" because of his innovative and very technical style.Costello was the creator and original member of the...
, who asked Kent to team with Ashby, the team successfully captured the WWC North American Tag Team titles
WWC North American Tag Team Championship
The NWA North American Tag Team Championship was a major tag team championship that was used and defended in Capitol Sports Promotions...
from Jack
Jack Brisco
Freddie Joe Brisco was an American professional wrestler, better known as Jack Brisco or Uvalde Slim. He performed for various territories of the National Wrestling Alliance , becoming a two-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion, and multi-time NWA Tag Team Champion with his brother Gerald Brisco...
and Jerry Brisco
Gerald Brisco
Floyd Gerald "Jerry" Brisco is a former American professional wrestler, and prior to June, 2009, worked as a road agent for WWE on its Raw brand....
in San Juan
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
on 22 October 1981. They held the titles for a little over a month before losing the belts to Invader I
Jose Gonzalez (wrestler)
José Huertas González, better known as Invader #1, is a former professional wrestler who wrestled in the United States and around the world, especially in Puerto Rico, and the man who killed, allegedly in self-defense, Frank Goodish, also known as Bruiser Brody.-Wrestling career:Since 1973, he has...
and Super Gladiator on 23 November, but won them back in Bayamón two weeks later. After another two months as champions Ashby and Kent finally dropped the titles back to Invader I and Super Gladiator on 26 January 1982, and went their separate ways at the end of the tour.
Later career and retirement
Ashby returned to New Zealand where he spent the rest of his career working for Rickard and other promoters. In 1985, he won a championship tournament to claim the then vacant NWA New Zealand Heavyweight ChampionshipNWA New Zealand Heavyweight Championship
The NWA New Zealand Heavyweight Championship is the primary singles title in the NWA-affiliated wrestling promotion NWA New Zealand. It is the first heavyweight championship in New Zealand and one of the oldest in the world. It was first won by Gisborne Katene who defeated Frank Findlay in 1919...
. He dominated the title during the mid-to late 1980s, feuding over the title with Johnny Garcia
John Garea
John "Johnny" Garea is a semi-retired New Zealand professional wrestler, known by his ring name Johnny Garcia, who competed in Steve Rickard's All Star-Pro Wrestling, World Championship Wrestling and occasionally for the World Wrestling Federation during the 1970s and 80s...
, before finally losing the championship to A.J. Freeley
A.J. Freeley
A.J. Freeley or Freely is a semi-retired New Zealand professional wrestler. He competed throughout Australasia and in the United States during the 1990s, however, he is best remembered as the last NWA New Zealand Heavyweight Champion of Steve Rickard's NWA New Zealand...
on 22 November 1992. All Star-Pro Wrestling closed shortly afterwards, and with the general decline of professional wrestling in New Zealand
Professional wrestling in New Zealand
Professional wrestling in New Zealand has been promoted in the country from the early 1900s. In 1919, Gisborne Katene became the first national heavyweight champion, though the title was not recognized by the National Wrestling Association until 1925, and promoter Walter Miller began running events...
, Ashby decided to retire.
Recent years
On 24 January 2004, Ashby made his first public appearance in over 12 years when he and other veteran New Zealand wrestlers attended a "legends reunion" show at PetonePetone
Petone is a major suburb of the city of Lower Hutt in New Zealand. It is located at the southern end of the narrow triangular plain of the Hutt River, on the northern shore of Wellington Harbour...
. Ashby one of the first such legends to become involved in the newer promotions which began to emerge during the 21st century, particularly, with Kiwi Pro Wrestling
Kiwi Pro Wrestling
Kiwi Pro Wrestling is a professional wrestling promotion based in Wellington, New Zealand.-History:Started in May 2006 by veteran New Zealand wrestler Rip Morgan, KPW was formed with the express purpose of taking NZ wrestling from club level to professional level and groom local wrestling talent...
in 2006. He not only attended live events but was also inducted into its New Zealand Wrestling Hall of Fame, along with Bob Crozier, Al Hobman
Al Hobman
Allan "Al" Hobman was a New Zealand professional wrestler, trainer and promoter. Hobman was one of the first homegrown stars to emerge from the Dominion Wrestling Union, and later Steve Rickard's All Star-Pro Wrestling, during the 1960s and 70s such as Tony Garea, Peter Maivia and The Sheepherders...
and Rip Morgan
Rip Morgan
Mike Morgan is a former professional wrestler from New Zealand who competed in the National Wrestling Alliance, World Championship Wrestling and World Class Championship Wrestling best known as Rip Morgan. Best known as one half of the New Zealand Militia in WCW with Jack Victory...
, by KPW Commissioner Butch Miller on 8 December 2006; he also made a guest appearance at a sold out Impact Pro Wrestling
Impact Pro Wrestling
Impact Pro Wrestling is a New Zealand professional wrestling promotion. It is the only promotion based in Auckland and one of the country's three major organisations along with Kiwi Pro Wrestling and New Zealand Wide Pro Wrestling...
show in Auckland on 15 March 2007. On 31 October 2008, Ashby appeared with Kurt Hobman, Steve Rickard, Juno Huia, Cowboy Billy Wright, Ricky Wallace and Bob Crozier at the KPW supercard "Halloween Howl 3" held in Wellington High School to pay tribute to Al Hobman who had died the previous month. In 2009, was ranked #6 in a top ten list of New Zealand's greatest wrestlers by Fight Times Magazine. Ashby was also one of the many wrestlers interviewed for the upcoming New Zealand wrestling documentary A Kiwi Century On the Mat.
In wrestling
- ManagersManager (professional wrestling)In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...
- Al CostelloAl CostelloGiacomo Costa was an Italian Australian professional wrestler best known by his ring name, Al Costello. Costello was the first professional wrestler to be nicknamed "The Man of a Thousand Holds" because of his innovative and very technical style.Costello was the creator and original member of the...
- Al Costello
- NicknameNicknameA nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
s- "Hercules"
Championships and accomplishments
- All Star-Pro Wrestling
- NWA New Zealand Heavyweight ChampionshipNWA New Zealand Heavyweight ChampionshipThe NWA New Zealand Heavyweight Championship is the primary singles title in the NWA-affiliated wrestling promotion NWA New Zealand. It is the first heavyweight championship in New Zealand and one of the oldest in the world. It was first won by Gisborne Katene who defeated Frank Findlay in 1919...
(3 times)
- NWA New Zealand Heavyweight Championship
- NWA Australia
- NWA Australian Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- World Wrestling CouncilWorld Wrestling CouncilThe World Wrestling Council is one of Puerto Rico's two main professional wrestling promotions, the other one being the International Wrestling Association....
- WWC North American Tag Team ChampionshipWWC North American Tag Team ChampionshipThe NWA North American Tag Team Championship was a major tag team championship that was used and defended in Capitol Sports Promotions...
(2 times)
- WWC North American Tag Team Championship