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This episode of the legendary professional wrestling TV series screened on March 17 1981. Barry Holland and Steve Rickard host while Ernie Leonard moves to a producer role. Rickard welcomes locals and viewers from Kenya, Tanzania, Hong Kong and Malaysia. On the Mat mainstay Mark Lewin features prominently, appearing in tag action before reminiscing about a fiery battle with King Curtis in Japan. Things don't get any better as he's attacked by the Voodoo crazed Big Mullumba. Local star Johnny Garcia and Samoan Joe battle it out in the night's main event.
Professional wrestling first appeared on New Zealand television as Big Time Wrestling in 1973. The show was filmed in Australia by American promoter James E. Barnett. Steve Rickard often co-promoted with Barnett and as a result ...
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This is great, it would be awesome if TVNZ would re-run On The Mat!!! My step father (Jim Gray) worked for many years at the Hutt Park Hotel and is almost like a fourth son to Steve. Great wrestler and promoter!!!
We used to shoot OTM in the Civic Teletheatre during the late 1970's. I used to do sound, the wrestlers were great but the audience used to scare me.
How about footage of other top wrestlers like Bruno Bekkar,Cowboy Billy Wright,Mo Sakata ,Ricky Wallace ?Or is it just about Steve Rickard.
I am so overwhelmed that i have found my father's (Samoanjoe) video clip, at least one that i could show to the people at my dads 65th birthday next year! thankyou so much nzonscreen for posting the video up and also to the User on youtube, that advised me to search for it on here, please do leave it on here. One <3
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Hamish Towgood
Posted at 02.14PM - 14.01.2012
Ronald Love, TVNZ have only a few full episodes left, they taped over them all many years ago, according to the last email I sent them about it.