There will be plenty of action inside the squared circle at the end of August.
Lethbridge-based Pure Power Wrestling brings its ‘Hot Summer Night’ event to Whoop-Up Days on Friday, August 22. The family-friendly show will be held at the Agri-food Hub and Trade Centre.
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Paul Kingsmith, Director of Event Development at Lethbridge and District Exhibition says having PPW on-board for Whoop-Up Days, “just adds so much to the fair”.
“There’s such a long history of professional wrestling being a part of fairs, both here in Lethbridge and around the province, around the country, and Pure Power Wrestling is one of the best independent productions out there, so to work with them, have them come in and put on a show, it just adds so much to what we do at Whoop-Up Days,” he states.
Kingsmith explains that this is the third year PPW has been a part of the annual summer spectacular, and the space provided by the Agri-food Hub and Trade Centre creates a match made in heaven between LDE and the local wrestling promotion.
“We’ve seen the relationship now grow where they really count this as one of their top events of the year and they put on some marquee matches at Whoop-Up Days to really emphasize that middle of summer show, and we’re just thrilled with the way it’s worked out,” he remarks.
Kingsmith says he’s been a fan of wrestling since he was a child and cites Calgary legend Bret ‘the Hitman’ Hart as one of his top five greatest athletes of all-time.
He adds that having professional wrestling be a part of Whoop-Up Days could help draw in new fans that are not necessarily familiar with the product, as well as bring more people to the festival itself.
“To add something that’s a little outside the box – it maybe brings in people that [might] normally wouldn’t attend Whoop-Up Days,” Kingsmith says.
“I think that a lot of people don’t necessarily know the infrastructure around professional wrestling. They know the WWE and what goes into that but may not necessarily know that productions like this [PPW] take place across North America and across the world,” he adds. “To have a company like PPW here in Lethbridge – they’re one of the best to do it out there and so, to work with someone local, bring that local entertainment into Whoop-Up Days is exactly what we like to do.”
The event will feature talents such as PPW Heavyweight Champion Travis ‘The Heat’ Copeland, ‘Cougar Meat’ Kyle Sebastian, Sydney Steele, Dewey Robson and Brady Blaze.
The main event will pit former friends turned rivals Tyler ‘Hard’ Knox against ‘The Last Jerk Standing’ Joshua Kirby in a Bunkhouse Brawl Match – a street fight-style contest with no disqualifications, count-outs or limits.
The matchup was made official with a contract signing at the Agri-food Hub and Trade Centre on Thursday.
Knox says his mission is to “save Joshua Kirby” as he claims his former ally has been corrupted by manager Chris Money’s Worth.
The former PPW Heavyweight Champion missed last year’s event at Whoop-Up Days due to an injury. He says he is looking forward to being a part of the 2025 edition. He says PPW showcasing the talent of its stars on a stage like Whoop-Up Days is a special opportunity.
“It’s a super great opportunity for us to really get across that pro wrestling is in southern Alberta and has such a big community, and obviously the community can grow more, so we’re hoping to get a bunch of people that haven’t seen wrestling or haven’t been to wrestling for a long time to come to our regular shows and make a larger venue.”
Meanwhile, Kirby referred to Whoop-Up Days as one of the biggest events in Lethbridge. “Even before we started, this has always been an event that we’ve wanted to be a part of for years,” he states.
Kirby adds that it has been encouraging and inspiring to see the growth of the company since its debut in 2010.
The local organization has been able to bring former WWE stars like Rhino, Carlito and Chris Masters, as well as former TNA World Heavyweight Champion Moose to Lethbridge.
“It’s also cool seeing how many guys in this world that want to be part of a show like this,” Kirby says. “After our very first one in 2022 – our first arena show – the interest in what we were doing there skyrocketed, we got messages from everybody all over the province, maybe all over the country, asking about it.”
As for his former partner, Kirby says, “Tyler Knox is a fake friend. Tyler Knox used the success of Joshua Kirby to propel himself into the main event scene, to win the PPW Heavyweight Championship. The truth of it all is that he wouldn’t have been anywhere near that position if it wasn’t for Joshua Kirby, if it wasn’t for the veteran knowledge and experience that Joshua Kirby shared with Tyler Knox.”
On working with Kirby, manager Chris Money’s Worth says, “It’s a dream come true for me”. “I’ve been wanting to get into this industry for years and years, and finally just last year, opportunity knocked, and I pounded that door.”
Money’s Worth also works with tag team The Brand, comprised of Sydney Steele and Shaun Martens, noting he has learned so much from working with the ring veterans.
He adds that a PPW show will have something for everyone and like his name says, attendees will get their “money’s worth”.
Following Thursday’s contract signing, attendees were treated to an exhibition contest between CAM!!ikaze and Sydney Steele, with CAM!!ikaze notching the win.
For more on PPW, visit the local promotion’s website. Tickets to ‘Hot Summer Night’ can be purchased online and include same day admission to Whoop-Up Days.
