Will Power Talks New Zealand Wrestling Scene
One half of the SPWNZ Tag Team Champions shares his story.
One of the great things The Wrestling Estate has allowed me to do is to connect with all sorts of wrestling industry professionals.
That is why on a sporadic basis throughout 2020, I will be bringing several exclusive interviews from industry insiders, helping fans learn more about their work and impact on the business.
The second of these interviews comes courtesy of New Zealand wrestling superstar Will Power. He’s a fixture of Southland Pro Wrestling: New Zealand (SPWNZ), where he and Hammer (known as Power Tools) currently hold the SPWNZ Tag Team Championship.
What was your earliest wrestling memory and what got you into wrestling?
Will Power: “I was lucky enough to be watching the Attitude Era when it was free on TV in NZ. I had a tiny TV and made an antenna out of wire cable hanging out of the window. That’s where I saw Triple H vs. Stone Cold and somehow one of them ended up in a limo and the limo got lifted and dropped off a forklift! Was the craziest thing I had seen at the time and was hooked on wrestling from there on out.”
Who were some of your favorite wrestlers growing up and some of your favorite matches?
Will Power: “I couldn’t get enough of watching Chris Jericho. The way he talked and carried himself was great. He would talk so much trash that I barely even remember any of his matches.”
When you started out, where did you train and what was it like coming up the ranks?
Will Power: “I started training with Southern Pro Wrestling (SPW) in Invercargill, NZ, which is located in the southernmost part of the country. I was a part of the first class in the SPW Academy with about seven others. Within about three weeks, it dropped to just Hammer and myself! Coming up through the ranks was a bit different for me cause a lot of my peers were over 6 feet and twice my size. So, I really relied on my CrossFit character and bright purple colors to stand out of the pack, which led me to capturing the New Zealand Heavyweight Championship within a couple years.”
For those not familiar with your work, where do you mainly wrestle?
Will Power: “I work for SPW and you can watch all our shows on the SPW On Demand app.”
That’s how I found you. How is it wrestling on the New Zealand and Australian independent scene?
Will Power: “It’s pretty cool at the moment cause a lot of big things have been happening lately. New Zealand wrestling is tiny compared to the rest of the world, but it’s getting more notice elsewhere with the likes of Progress and Melbourne City Wrestling doing joint shows with SPW. Wrestlers are getting signed overseas and top names come over this way all the time, so it’s definitely cool to see how it’s growing.”
How does it feel being on national TV?
Will Power: “Mate, that was a crazy dream come true! To tell your mates or anyone that said wrestling was stupid, it was probably the best feeling ever to see on national primetime TV all the hard work over the last five years pay off. Unreal!”
In SPW you are one half of the SPW Tag Team Champions and 2019 Star of the Year as part of the Power Tools tag team. How did it feel winning the Tag Team Championships for the first time at Halloween Haunting 2019?
Will Power: “That was a pretty special moment for Hammer and me. We started training together. We debuted as rivals and then a few years later teaming up to win the championship was a nice, feel-good story that came full circle for us.”
You had an incredible, highly acclaimed match against Jimmy Havoc in January 2019 that won the SPW Match of the Year. What are your thoughts on the match and how it was received?
Will Power: “Once again something I never thought would happen. I had followed Havoc’s work for so long at that point and to get to stand opposite him in the ring was a surreal moment. I think everyone enjoyed it so much because the emotion was real and they could feel it. No one expected me to win that match, so when the end came, it was just a crazy feeling.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zKUNBM3_OA
Much like the U.K. independent scene, the Australian and New Zealand scene has really been thriving with guys like Travis Banks, Slex and Jonah Rock heading abroad to international promotions like WWE. Is your dream to wrestle for WWE as well?
Will Power: “Yeah mate, definitely one day soon.”
2020 is already shaping up to be a great year in wrestling and only looks to get even better! What does the future hold for Will Power throughout 2020?
Will Power: “I’m not even too sure myself what 2020 holds. But all I know is I want to reclaim the NZ Heavyweight Title again. Last time, I cashed in the Fight for Gold contract and stole someone else’s moment and then lost it in my first defense. This time I want to capture the championship the right way. My own redemption story.
Finally, where can fans find you on social media and check out your work?
Will Power: “You can keep up with me on Insta @inwillpowerwetrust and feel free to hit me up on Twitter @WillPowerPW.”
You can also find Southern Pro Wrestling’s (SPWNZ) back catalog on Powerslam TV via the link below:
https://www.powerslam.tv/authors/southern-pro-wrestling-nz/11619/media
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