Whoop-Up Days heats up with PPW’s Hot Summer Night
Southern Alberta’s own Pure Power Wrestling comes to Whoop-Up Days for the first time on Aug. 25
Lethbridge, Alta. – The twists, flips, hits, and slams won’t be contained to just the rodeo arena at this year’s Whoop-Up Days. Instead, they’ll be on full display as Pure Power Wrestling (PPW) brings Hot Summer Night to the Agri-food Hub & Trade Centre on Friday, Aug. 25.
In an evening that won’t be forgotten, the card will be headlined by a PPW Heavyweight Title defense as reigning champion “Cougar Meat” Kyle Sebastian defends his title against his friend and mentor “Mr. Beefy Goodness” Vance Nevada, who is winding down his 30-year career this year. It’s a clash of generations in Southern Alberta’s home for professional wrestling. Tickets for the all-ages show are $15 in advance or $20 at the door.
Bringing Pure Power Wrestling to Whoop-Up Days revitalizes a tradition of Lethbridge & District Exhibition (LDE) hosting professional wrestling events, as Stampede Wrestling and WWF both made LDE’s South Pavilion a frequent stop in decades past, with legends such as Archie “The Stomper” Goldie, Abdullah the Butcher, the Iron Sheik, and the Hart family all appearing in front of Southern Alberta crowds.
“I’m excited that PPW has chosen the Agri-food Hub & Trade Centre for one of its biggest events of the year, and for the energy it will bring to Whoop-Up Days,” says Mike Warkentin, Lethbridge & District Exhibition CEO. “We want to make sure Whoop-Up Days has something for everyone, and with the history our organization has with pro wrestling, this is a natural fit. I’m going to tell our staff to hide our new chairs, tables, and ladders, but you never know what’s going to happen once the PPW athletes hit the ring!”
Pure Power Wrestling is the best family friendly professional wrestling entertainment available in Southern Alberta. Founded in 2010, and based in Lethbridge, the organization has hosted events throughout Southern Alberta and Southeastern B.C. and its events are regularly televised on Shaw Spotlight. Bringing a marquee event such as Hot Summer Night to Whoop-Up Days is a highlight for PPW.
“Bringing PPW to Whoop-Up Days is something that we’ve all wanted to do for a long time,” says Jim Kristensen, Partner with Pure Power Wrestling. “PPW has spent over 12 years bringing old school professional wrestling action to fans throughout Western Canada, and now we’re excited to bring the action to Southern Alberta’s biggest summer celebration!”
Tickets for Hot Summer Night are available now online. The event is on Friday, Aug. 25. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., with the bell time at 7 p.m.
Pure Power Wrestling’s Hot Summer Night is a ticketed event within Whoop-Up Days, which features free gate admission for the community fuelled by Gas King. Whoop-Up Days runs from Aug. 22 to 26.
About Whoop-Up Days
Whoop-Up Days is where our community comes together to celebrate, experience, eat, laugh, and ride. Where the midway lights brighten up the southern sky, where the authentic west still runs wild, where cultures come together and memories are made. Learn more at whoopupdays.ca.
About PPW Hot Summer Night
As his 30-year in-ring career comes to a close at the end of 2023, “Mr. Beefy Goodness” Vance Nevada will have one last shot at Championship gold as he takes on his former student, PPW Heavyweight Champion “Cougar Meat” Kyle Sebastian on August 25 when Pure Power Wrestling comes to Whoop-Up Days for the first time ever at PPW Hot Summer Night.
A living legend of Canadian professional wrestling, Nevada has won Championships from coast-to-coast and defeated the top names in pro wrestling history, including pinning the NWA World Heavyweight Champion Adam Pearce in 2012 to win the world’s longest running wrestling title, only to have the decision reversed shortly afterward.
With over a year as PPW Heavyweight Champion, Sebastian has spent the last 17 years building an impressive resume of his own, becoming one of the top Canadian wrestling stars of his generation, and competing across the country and as far away as Tokyo, Japan. Now, Sebastian has personally offered his mentor a shot at the PPW Heavyweight Title.
“I spent the first half of my career travelling the roads with Vance and sitting under the learning tree,” said Sebastian. “But I’ve come a long, long way since then. I owe a lot to him, but the number one thing I owe him is proving that I’m the better man.”
Nevada recently announced that 2023 will bring his storied in-ring career to a close, but he’s looking to go out on top.
“Of all the people that I mentored over the years, there are none better than Kyle,” said Nevada. “We’ve gone at it before, and if this is the last time that we lock up, it’s going to be an honour to fight Kyle one more time. But it’ll be even more of an honour to beat him for that PPW Heavyweight Title.”
Learn more at purepowerwrestling.ca.