John Dybvig
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| (above) an animated and very funny John Dybvig shares an anecdote with Shanan during the interview. |
John Dybvig was the colour commentator for The Main Event wrestling show of the early 1990's which at the time screened on TV3 in competition with TVNZ's then popular imported WWF "Superstars of Wrestling" show.
The Main Event show ran for just 11 episodes but saw a host of colourful characters travel the length of the country performing in all the main centres. Some wrestlers that appeared on The Main Event went on to successful careers in the WWF including The Nasty Boys and Curtis "The Bull" Hughes. Local stars like Juno Huia, Jak Laki and Shane O'Rourke also appeared on the show which was headlined by Samoan-born star Siva Afi.
John entertainingly shared his memories of his time on the show. Brought in to commentate in the persona of "Brash Loud American" (in a role similar to WWF's Jesse Ventura) he discovered a new appreciation for the wrestling business and the athletes involved.
Barry HollandBarry Holland joined On The Mat in the early 1980's after former presenter Ernie Leonard moved into a producing role on that show.
Barry recalled many fond memories of working with the likes of Steve Rickard, King Curtis and Rick Martel and commented on how quickly the wrestling fraternity accepted him into their circle.