A “Starrcast-style” event is coming to Australia.
On November 29, Oceania Pro Wrestling and Starrcast announced that an event based on the Starrcast style is in the works, and it is being targeted for late 2023 in Australia. Nick Aldis and Mickie James will be the co-executive producers, and Conrad Thompson will co-promote the event with Cam Vitale.
The press release is as follows:
In Melbourne (Australia), Nashville and Huntsville (USA) Tuesday 29th November 2022, a joint announcement on a new mega wrestling event and fan festival targeted for late 2023, in Oceania.
The 2023 Oceania Wrestling Event Follow for more announcements across and register your interest at: www.oceaniaprowrestling.com #opw2023
The Promoters and Executive Producers
- The combination of an experienced Australian Sports Chief Executive, two high profile and successful wrestlers and the biggest business personality in wrestling, are combining forces”
- Co-Executive Producer Mickie James 6-time WWE Women’s Champion, 4-time TNA Knockouts Champion, over one million Instagram followers, Country Music Singer. https://www.instagram.com/themickiejames/
- Co-Executive Producer Nick Aldis Former NWA World Champion,15-year veteran across multiple wrestling companies, TV presenter in the UK and former competitor on Gladiators. https://www.instagram.com/nickaldis/
- Co-Promoter Conrad Thompson The king of wrestling podcasts with seven different weekly shows, the creator of the Starrcast convention, son in law of Ric Flair. https://www.instagram.com/heyheyitsconradthompson/
- Co-Promoter Cam Vale Former CEO Baseball Australia, CEO Hockey Australia and COO North Melbourne Football Club https://www.linkedin.com/in/cam-vale-37a6a632/
The 2023 Oceania Wrestling Event
Based around the successful Starrcast format, a similar styled event with a unique Australian flavor is being targeted for October to December 2023 in a major regional Australian city.
A mix of the world’s best international wrestlers and the best of Australian wrestlers will feature over a four day “international festival of professional wrestling.”
Importantly alongside the wrestling matches, will be extensive fan engagement activities with the wrestlers and a select group of high-profile legends and hall of famers of wrestling also appearing.
This event will be a combination of a major sporting event and a major cultural event like a Comic-Con all rolled into four days. The event will be targeted for the last quarter of 2023, with work to begin immediately on securing a location capable of hosting at least 5,000 fans from around Australia and NZ across four days.
Cam Vale, a 20-year sports executive with past senior executive roles in AFL, Baseball, and Hockey in Australia confirmed the Oceania focused event.
“Australia and New Zealand, are legitimate wrestling hotspots for both talent and fans, and we have long been starved of a major annual event.”
“To develop a Starrcast type concept as that annual event in this region, where the best wrestlers and leading wrestling promotions can highlight their brands and talent, will be an exciting event for the fans in Australia and NZ.”
“The model we are presenting should be of appeal to AEW, Impact, NJPW, NWA, AAA and CMLL and other international promotions as a business model that showcases their brands and talent.”
Vale also commented on the importance of the Australian wrestling industry, outlining he had been planning and scouting Australian talent and companies over the last 12 months, and hopes to use his sports business experience to support the Australian and NZ wrestling communities.
“We also want to work with the leading Australian promotions to elevate their brands and talent, as the talent here is incredible.”
“Brands like Melbourne City Wrestling and Pro Wrestling Australia, the new Tamashii brand from NJPW amongst many others, are delivering great local content that needs a once year grand stage.”
“I want to use my 20 years of experience in the business of sport and love of professional wrestling to drive an outcome that is good for the professional wrestling industry in this region, like I have in my previous sports executive roles at a national level.”
Nick Aldis, world champion across multiple major wrestling organisations including being the face and mastermind behind the revival of the oldest wrestling company in the world, National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) spoke to his role as co-Executive Producer of the Event.
“I have competed in Australia on multiple occasions, I know and love the fans down under for the passion and the wrestling knowledge they bring to every event.”
“Whilst I am still wrestling at the highest level, the chance to drive the male wrestling program at this event is incredibly exciting and I am looking to put my 15 years of knowledge and networks to deliver an outstanding program of matches.”
Nick also outlined a major cross sport concept to be part of this event, in which he will look to compete in.
“As an Englishman though, I have a certain love as well of beating up on the old colonial Aussies and Kiwis and want to throw down the challenge now to a particular group of them.”
“I would love to see one of those so-called tough guys of AFL or NRL – active players or retired, train up and step in the ring to challenge me in 2023 at this event.”
“I have beaten most of the wrestling talent around the world, let’s see if there is an AFL or NRL player – or both, willing to step up and take me on in 12 months’ time.”
Mickie James, the six-time WWE World Champion and four-time Impact World Champion, one of the greatest female wrestlers of all time, will be the Executive Producer of the Women’s content for the event.
“Australian sport has embraced Women’s athletes across sports like cricket, AFL and NRL as good as any country in the world.”
“As the Executive Producer of the highly successful Women’s only EmPowerrr PPV event in 2021, I will be building a program of women’s wrestling matches that will captive Australian and NZ wrestling fans.”
“This event can be a centrepiece annually for Women’s Professional Wrestling, and as someone who knows everyone in wrestling – expect some exciting match ups and outstanding talent, to a country that appreciates its female athletes, matching up with Australia’s best.”
Conrad Thompson, the King of wrestling podcasts and leading entrepreneur in wrestling through his vast array of weekly wrestling podcasts with Hall of Famers such as Jeff Jarrett and Eric Bischoff, and the brains behind Starrcast and the recent Ric Flair Last Match, expressed his excitement to being a co-promoter in this event.
“Wow…to bring a version of Starrcast to Australia, a country I have long wanted to visit, and which ranks as the biggest audience outside of North America for podcast listeners, is as an exciting as a project as I could plan for in 2023.”
“The fans of Australia are in for something super special in the unique combination of wrestling and fan engagement that I have built my brand and events around, as fans like me and those in Australia, deserve an annual event to celebrate what is great about professional wrestling.”
“Starrcast is a concept I am proud to have developed that should have its own version down under, that is a combination of the existing USA event and its success but with an Australian flavor – let’s spread some good old Vegemite in a showcase wrestling event down under!”
Vale outlined that the four have been working together for the last few months, and that he would be going to the USA in December to further the planning, with the aim of securing the event host city in the first quarter of 2023.
“To work with Nick, Mickie and Conrad has been phenomenal, they understand the wrestling business in and out of the ring and want to deliver a sustainable annual event in this region.”
“This event could generate up to $10m in economic activity, which doesn’t include the exposure and reach through an international broadcast of this event to key markets such as USA, UK, Japan and Canada – so it is a great event for a city to host and potentially own – like Bathurst and Supercars, or Bells Beach and Easter Surfing Classic.”
“I have worked with major regional cities with great success in my past roles and cities like Geelong, Wollongong, Newcastle, Gold Coast, Cairns, Tasmania all stand out as great options as destinations with high class modern indoor venues, alongside other options here in Australia and possibly NZ.”
“Professional Wrestling with its unique and entertaining sports presentation format, can also tell the story of a destination city in branding, marketing and leveraging through the event and the wrestlers, and with a legitimate fan base of in the hundreds of thousands.”
Starrcast V was held in Nashville over SummerSlam weekend in July 2022. It was centered around the Ric Flair’s Last Match event on July 29.
WrestleZone will provide more information as it becomes available.
