Combatants go head to head in first Atomic Pro Wrestling night
Clifford Park racegoers had a taste of life on the wild side when they wandered into the opening night bouts at Atomic Pro Wrestling’s Racecourse Rumble.
Toowoomba
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The opening night of the Atomic Pro Wrestling Racecourse Rumble is being hailed a success with hundreds of fighting fans packing into Clifford Park to watch some of Queensland’s best brawlers belt it out.
While there were plenty of true fans in the seats, dozens of bemused racegoers wandered into Entertainment Auditorium through the evening and looked equally perplexed and intrigued by what was on show.
The event was of particular interest to Clifford Park ladies who were treated to an up-close display of greased up grunts, stripped down to their fluorescent tights and dripping with baby oil.
Their gasps and giggles cut through the roar of the fans as they cheered for the heroes and yelled abuse at the villains.
APW owner Haydn McMurtrie, who fights under the stage name Matt Midnight, said he had big plans for the franchise with a world title set down for February 2023.
“I think we set the standard,” he said.
“I can only see us going up from here.”
The evening opened with a bout between hometown hero Mitch Ryder and Dick Riggs.
While Mitch plays the villain Mr McMurtrie said he had plenty of support from the crowd and went on to win the 20-man Royal Bumble at the evening’s close.
“The crowd at these events is so important, it is like a third wrestler,” he said.
“They were so into it and it really warmed my heart when people started chanting ‘APW’.
“It was like they were chanting for everyone in the ring.”
Saturday’s fight night was the first pro wrestling event to be held in Toowoomba and Mr McMurtrie said it wouldn’t be the last.
His team will return to Clifford Park on February 4 before branching out to other venues across Toowoomba with plans to hold a fight night every six weeks.
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